Dharius Daniels - Moving On From Small Thinking

I want to invite your attention to the Book of Numbers, chapter 13, beginning at verse 31. I teach from the Bible because I believe it tells us its own purpose. Many people get confused about the Bible, just as one might be puzzled by a phone if they don’t understand its purpose. Does that make sense? Some people might look at your phone and ask, «What is this?» It’s easy to judge something when you don’t know its purpose. The Bible is not a history book; rather, it reveals what we need to know about itself. The Bible states that its purpose is to make us wise unto salvation and to share the essential truths we need to know about life and God in order to live the life He intended. It’s not meant to answer all the inconsequential questions you have about life. For example, why aren’t dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible? That has nothing to do with your salvation, and that’s why it’s not in the Bible. Am I making sense? Yes, this is basic instruction before leaving Earth.

In the Book of Numbers, chapter 13, verse 31, there is a brief story that I believe contains a significant lesson for us. It states, «But the men who had grown up with him said, 'We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.' They spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, 'The land we explored devours those living in it, and all the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there; we saw the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim.' And listen to this, 'We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.' We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.» I want to use that last statement as a subject for this sermon.

In the second installment of our «Moving On» series, I want to discuss moving on from small thinking. You have often heard me mention from this pulpit that I was raised in a small town in Mississippi with limited options for extracurricular activities, so we engaged in the sport of television watching. One of the shows I remember regularly watching was «The Jeffersons.» Some of my Millennials may not relate, but «The Jeffersons» became one of the longest-running urban sitcoms in the history of American television. The show had a theme song that was just as popular as the content itself. A part of that song is particularly salient for this sermon; it goes: «Movin' on up to the east side, to a deluxe apartment in the sky. Movin' on up to the east side, we finally got a piece.»

Although the song and show are not spiritual in origin, they hold spiritual significance for our sermon today. There is redemptive value in the words of that song because the sentiments expressed align with our Savior’s desires. It is God’s plan for us to be a people of progression. I am not suggesting that progression must be measured by geographical changes; I’m not saying you need to move from Queens to Manhattan. What I am suggesting is that God wants us to progress spiritually. Wave at me if you are here today. Okay, everyone good? He wants us to grow spiritually.

When we strengthen our spiritual core, we begin to improve in every area of our lives. Growing spiritually doesn’t fix everything, but it enhances everything. When you grow spiritually, you become a better spouse, a better friend, a better parent, a better employee, or a better employer. When you grow spiritually, you become a better son, daughter, or parent. Am I making sense? It’s all about the core.

He wants us to progress spiritually, and He also desires our emotional growth. The quality of our emotional lives improves as we start to display what Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians. We begin to live with joy, peace, temperance, kindness, meekness, and long-suffering. God wants to upgrade us emotionally. He wants us to move on up relationally because the course and quality of our lives depend significantly on who we are with. God wants us to have the right people in our lives and to place them correctly.

Our God is a God of progression; He desires for us to be people of progression. He wants us to move on up. However, the song teaches us that in order to move on up, we must first be willing to move on. This series is about mastering the art of the exit. People who find themselves stuck and stagnant are often those who have not mastered this art. Our God is the God of progression. Can I hear an amen in the house? Many of us have various areas where we need to consider moving on, but in our time together today, I want to encourage us to move on, especially from small thinking, because this passage, this text, this scripture…