"A Call to Slow Down"
Pastor Albert Almore
We’ll begin our time this morning in the book of Exodus. God’s people are in bondage. Moses has been pleading with Pharaoh, but Pharaoh won’t let God’s people be free. Finally Exodus 8:28 reads,
Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
Exodus 8:28
Exodus 10:7 goes on to say,
“Pharaoh’s officials now came to Pharaoh and appealed to him. “How long will you let this man hold us hostage? Let the men go to worship the Lord their God! Don’t you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?””
Exodus 10:7
“So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “All right,” he told them, “go and worship the Lord your God. But who exactly will be going with you?””
Exodus 10:8
“Moses replied, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the Lord.””
Exodus 10:9
“Pharaoh retorted, “The Lord will certainly need to be with you if I let you take your little ones! I can see through your evil plan.”
Exodus 10:10
“Never! Only the men may go and worship the Lord, since that is what you requested.” And Pharaoh threw them out of the palace.”
Exodus 10:11
I want to preach a timely message today titled…
A CALL TO SLOW DOWN
Pharaoh represents evil. Pharaoh represents bondage. Pharaoh represents the mind of the enemy. It’s clear through these passages of scripture, the mind of the evil one. The first thing that Pharaoh said in verse 28 should alarm us. Let’s look at it again in Exodus 8:28. It reads,
Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the wilderness, BUT YOU MUST NOT GO VERY FAR. Now pray for me.” Exodus 8:28
Pharaoh, the enemy says to you, I don’t mind if you listen to a little preaching on YouTube every now and then, just don’t go too far. Hey, I don’t mind if you go to church a little bit here and there, just don’t go too far. I’ll give you permission to raise your hand a little bit, and to throw some money in the basket, but let’s not get carried away with this Jesus stuff. Just don’t go too far.
Whether we know it or not, we often settle with Pharaoh’s response for many different reasons. Whether it’s our schedules, whether it’s our past, whether it’s a situation that we’re currently dealing with, or whether it’s what happen at our previous church, regardless of the application, the result is the same. We fold. We give in. We settle on the outskirts for all that God has for us. We allow Pharaoh to be our God, and we submit to his many different reasons, and we obey his command when he says, JUST DON’T GO TOO FAR.
But today, Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior says to you what He first said to Peter in Luke 5:4,
“When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “LAUNCH OUT INTO THE DEEP and let down your nets for a catch.””
Luke 5:4
“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “NOW GO OUT WHERE IT IS DEEPER, and let down your nets to catch some fish.””
Luke 5:4
One voice says, "BUT YOU MUST NOT GO VERY FAR" while yet another voice says, "LAUNCH OUT INTO THE DEEP. NOW GO OUT WHERE IT IS DEEPER.”
WHICH VOICE ARE YOU GOING TO LISTEN TO?
WHICH VOICE ARE YOU GOING TO ALLOW TO BE LORD?
The story goes on to tell us in Exodus 10:10,
“Pharaoh retorted, “The Lord will certainly need to be with you IF I LET YOU TAKE YOUR LITTLE ONES! I can see through your evil plan.”
Exodus 10:10
In essence, Pharaoh was saying, You can go worship, BUT JUST DON’T TAKE YOUR CHILDREN WITH YOU. You can go be with your God, BUT JUST DON’T TAKE YOUR CHILDREN WITH YOU. You can get to know your God, as long as your children don’t know Him. Go do your thing, BUT JUST DON’T TAKE YOUR CHILDREN.
I can hear Pharaoh now, "Think about it Moses…it’s easier to go without them. You don’t have time to pour into them Moses. After a long journey, after a hard days work, you know how much effort it’s going to take to pour into them. To keep up with them. To answer all of their questions, or to try to get them to act right. You go. You go to church. You go do your quiet time. Go lay down, you deserve it. You go. Leave them behind with me. Go worship, but leave them in bondage with me. I’ll take care of them.”
We must respond just like Moses did in Exodus 10:9.
“Moses replied, “WE WILL ALL GO—YOUNG AND OLD, OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS, and our flocks and herds. WE MUST ALL JOIN TOGETHER in celebrating a festival to the Lord.””
Exodus 10:9
We will all go all the way and our children are going with us! We will all go deeper into the things of God, and our children are going with us! We will all go further in the Kingdom of God, and our children are going with us! If you think we’re leaving our children behind, IT’S NOT HAPPENING!
The enemy wants us going 100 mph the wrong way. The enemy wants us going 100 mph in a way that doesn’t matter. The enemy wants us going 100 mph in a way that doesn’t create any GENERATIONAL OR ETERNAL IMPACT. This is why this morning is A CALL FOR ALL OF US TO SLOW DOWN.
You can get more money, you can get get more promotions, YOU CAN’T GET MORE TIME. Our babies, are only babies once. Our toddlers are only toddlers once. Our preschoolers are only preschoolers once. Our children are only school age once!
📝 Our children are our GREATEST INVESTMENT that we must make now!
It’s not glamorous. It’s not easy but it’s so worth it. Some days you’re going to have to say let’s just go to bed and start over in the morning.
📝 Things won’t be PERFECT but you’ll give them the greatest PRESENT that they’ll ever need—YOU.
📝 "TRAIN UP a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
Evil has an agenda, and so does our God. His agenda is for us, to train them up, our children in the way that they should go, so that when we see them, we’ll be able to boldly declare Psalm 24:6 where it says,
“This is THE GENERATION OF THEM that seek Him, THAT SEEK THY FACE, O Jacob. Selah.”
Psalm 24:6
I know it’s not easy. I know it takes time…
📝 When it comes to training up your children, in the midst of the busyness, ADD IT TO THE CHAOS.
It may not be the most recreational thing but it’s going to be the most effective thing. Keep planting mama! Keep watering daddy! And here’s why….
If you don’t have a plan to train up your children, Pharaoh will. If you don’t have a plan to train up your children, Satan and his devices will.
“lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
II Corinthians 2:11
📝 Don’t allow the times to DISCOURAGE you from training up your child. Allow the times to ENCOURAGE you to train up your child.
📝 Make PRAYING for your children a non negotiable.
📝 Do all that YOU CAN for your child. Pray for God to do what only HE CAN for your child.
📝 Make ENGAGING with your children a non negotiable.
Get your butt out of that room and come talk to me! We’re going to sit on this couch and stare at each other, thumb wrestle or something.
📝 Make SPEAKING THE WORD OF GOD over your children a non negotiable.
📝 Make MAKING MEMORIES with your children a non negotiable.
When it comes to all of these things, I’m reminded of the words that Jesus spoke to Peter in John 13:7
“Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, BUT SOMEDAY YOU WILL.””
John 13:7
The same goes for our children. They don’t understand now what we’re doing now, but someday they will. On that note, Jesus says in John 15:15,
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I HAVE CALLED YOU FRIENDS, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15
I’m here to be kind to you. To love you, to laugh with you, and to make memories. But I’m not necessarily here to be your friend in this season. Jesus didn’t call them friends until after the developmental time was over. Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants…I now call you friends.” Jesus didn’t call them friends until that developmental time was over.
📝 When it comes to your children, don’t make the mistake of trying to be their FRIEND too fast. They need DEVELOPMENT. They need DISCIPLINE. They need DIRECTION.
As it relates to our children, it’s not that SOMETHING IS COMING…IT’S ALREADY HERE.
To every Pharaoh, to every evil spirit, we must boldly declare, YOU CAN’T HAVE OUR CHILDREN!!! We must be like Moses! WE WILL ALL GO—YOUNG AND OLD, OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS, WE MUST ALL JOIN TOGETHER worshiping and serving our Lord!!
Make PRAYING for your children a non negotiable.
Make ENGAGING with your children a non negotiable.
Make SPEAKING THE WORD OF GOD over your children a non negotiable.
Make MAKING MEMORIES with your children a non negotiable.
In order to do those things, you must do these things…
📝 SLOW DOWN.
📝 LEAN IN.
📝 LEAD THE WAY.
If we say that our children are our GREATEST INVESTMENT that we must make now….
ARE YOU WILLING TO MAKE THE INVESTMENT?
If we don’t pray for our children, who will?
If we don’t teach our children, who will?
If we don’t speak blessings over our children, who will?
We’re going to take some time to put this message into practice right now. We’re going to take some time to pray for our children. We’re going to take some time to speak blessings over our children. Pastor, I feel you. This message really connects with me, but I don’t know where to start. Start here. Start by praying like Moses did. The one who told Pharaoh, "No! Our children are going with us!” Moses prayed in Numbers 6:24-26
““The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’”
Numbers 6:24-26
ARE YOU WILLING TO MAKE THE INVESTMENT?
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