Graduate Sunday, May 21
Graduate Sunday 2023: Navigating Change
Numbers 13 & Proverbs 3
May 21st, 2023
“Change is a challenge and an opportunity; not a threat.”
Prince Phillip of England
“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
C.S. Lewis
How one manages change determines their level of contentment and success.
Change is constant so our attitude towards it matters and our approach to change matters even more.
Numbers 13:1-3 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” 3 So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.
3 Powerful Change Observations
Life change begins with a personal word from the Lord. “The Lord said to Moses.”
God’s word is directive driven & promise-filled. “Send some men to explore the land which I am giving them.”
God’s word leads leaders. “All of them were leaders of the Israelites”
Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, Geul
Numbers 14:6-9 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
Change leaders don’t ignore obstacles they just see what others can’t see.
In order to navigate change you have to get a word from the Lord and then believe your ears over your eyes!
Don’t underestimate the stakes of not moving. Don’t move until you get a word but don’t stop once you get the word.
How do you get a word from the Lord?
Get in position to hear one: Surrender & Still your Heart.
God will speak to a surrendered heart and a stilled heart will hear His voice.
Surrendered Heart: If you heart isn’t surrendered you are just looking for God’s permission not His direction.
Stilled Heart: You have to be intentional to still your heart because there is so much that wants to steal your heart.
What does it take to follow a word from the Lord? Courage.
A word from the Lord is supernatural (beyond natural) as such requires an action that doesn’t come naturally – the courage to trust your ears over your eyes.
Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him (surrender), and he will make your paths straight 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.
Trust is a heart/ears action.
Leaning and understanding is an eye action.
Two ways our path straightens.
1) The actual path changes.
2) You visualize a new way through the same path.
Get a word from God.
Courageously follow that word.
Ephesians 2:10 (AMP) 10 For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].