It's Time To Go North

In your Bibles to Deuteronomy and chapter 2, the fifth book of Moses or the fifth book from the beginning of the Bible. I want you to turn there this morning to Deuteronomy and chapter 2 and I have a strange title. You'll remember that when we left 74 a year ago God gave me two messages very clearly because God speaks very clearly about specific times and seasons and events and it was a year ago God gave me two messages. He gave me the message I was to preach as the last message in 74. It was a farewell to the previous six and a half years. He also a year ago gave me the message, the scripture that I was to preach as the first message in this new building because I believe, I don't trust that I would know anything about that a year ago or even six months ago in December but I do trust God that he knows the message, he knows the word, he knows what you're going through, he knows what we need to hear about, even those that listen this video, he knows all of them where they are and what they need to hear. No preacher can do that, no church can do that but the Holy Spirit of God can weave all of that together in a very remarkable way. Now you're wondering what I'm going to preach. Well you'll remember for our farewell to 74 O'Connell Street I preached the message where are the nine and I believe it was a very significant message and we look back over six and a half years in that building thank God for 74 O'Connell Street. Many of you I met for the first time at 74 O'Connell Street and you became a part of this church but now we're embarking on a new chapter of history in this church. We are a young church but we're already gaining a history that we look back on. My message this morning and you'll understand by the time I finish preaching but you won't understand it when I tell you, this is my title, it's time to go north, it's time to go north. Let me give you a subheading or subtitle, going in circles around Mount Seir. Again these titles won't mean anything to you, going in circles around Mount Seir, it's time to go north, it means nothing to you but it will when I bring you to the Word of God. When we read this text and when I preach to you this morning you are fully going to understand it. Reading from Deuteronomy chapter 2 and verse 1, Deuteronomy chapter 2 and verse 1. Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea as the Lord spake unto me and we compassed Mount Seir many days and the Lord spake unto me saying ye have compassed this mountain long enough turn you northwards and command all the people saying ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children which dwell in Seir and they shall be afraid of you take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore meddle not with them for I will not give you their land no not so much as a footbreadth because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession ye shall buy meat of them for money that ye may eat and ye shall also buy water of them for money that you may drink for the Lord thy God has blessed thee in all the works of thy hand he knoweth I walking through this great wilderness these 40 years the Lord thy God has been with thee thou hast lacked nothing and when we pass by our brethren the children of Esau which dwelt in Seir through the way of the plain from Elath from Eze and Gabor we turned and passed the way of the wilderness of Moab let us come to the word of God here this morning let's pray together that God speaks to our hearts father we thank you for this first morning meeting in this new building in the center of this city our hearts are on fire we are burning for souls to be born again in this city that you're gonna add many onto this church saved out of drink out of alcohol out of Catholicism out of atheism out of every manner of sin even as we heard that the Lord's table such were some of us my God we have a testimony in this room that you're gracious that you're a guide that we have lacked nothing that you provide everything for us that Mount Calvary and we love you this morning I pray oh God will you speak to every single heart will you mark this day this morning this message in your spiritual calendar Lord God speak to our hearts bring direction as we embark on a new chapter in this church as we embark on a new era of work of labor of serving you in this room in this building we care not about buildings but we do care about raising up a spiritual body unto you speak to us by your grace and your mercy in Jesus mighty name amen my message here and I hope and reading the text you have more of an idea of where I am going my title it is time to go north it is time to go north or my subheading going in circles around Mount Seir when you read the first two chapters of Deuteronomy you begin to read there how that it was only going to take them 11 days from Horeb where they were 38 years ago straight through to Gedesh Barnea where they sent 12 spies in to look at the promised land 11 days from Horeb to Gedesh Barnea 38 years before they could have done this journey in eight short days God gave them a commandment said leave Horeb stop walking in circles around it I want you to go in and possess the land we know that they made that journey to Gedesh Barnea but 38 years they were gonna be delayed if you don't listen to God if you reject the word of God if you make a choice I mean a decisive choice in your life you could find yourself working walking 38 years in a circle and I'll take you 38 years to come back to that point where you can make a fresh decision and make a fresh move forward in the plan and the purpose of God it also says in Deuteronomy chapter 2 and verse 14 it talks about these 38 years so we have 11 days we have 38 years and then it also talks in this chapter about 40 years from when they left Egypt straight through until they were ready to go in and possess the land he speaks about 11 days 38 years and 40 years when we come to the book of Deuteronomy Moses is about to expound the law and to prepare a brand new generation to enter in the Canaan to inherit what God covenanted unto them Moses would not enter into the land this is one of the saddest truths in the Bible Moses the meekest man in all of history in his generation and certainly in the Bible the meekest man yet he wasn't going to get to enter in he would die outside the land looking into the land leading preaching for the people to go in the land but he's only going to see it he'll never enter in you know why because of anger because of an attitude of heart because of unbelief rising up within him striking the rock when God said speak on to it the people provoked him what a remarkable thing and so when we come to the book of Deuteronomy the entire book of 34 chapters is actually his last sermon to the people of Israel he is standing on the line they have made a long journey for 40 years now they're about to go in and this is what he is preaching to them he is reminding them he is stirring them up concerning going in don't stay where you are can I plead with you as a preacher this morning do not stay where you are if you're a sinner in need of Christ do not stay where you are don't keep walking in circles if you're saved and you're stuck it's time to get unstuck this morning or we as a church it is time to move forward but they must go into possess they're gonna have to fight they'll have to inherit they need to put their feet there Canaan the land they're going into does not represent heaven do you know how I know that there's no fighting in heaven when you go into this land it's the beginning of your war you are gonna fight all hell everything is gonna stand before you there's mountains to conquer giants to face armies to come against you that isn't out in the wilderness neither is it in heaven since when you begin to move forward in God you are going to find opposition Canaan doesn't represent heaven because then we stop fighting we have no enemies it is the end of our journey but Canaan is not heaven it is here and now only you only go into Canaan if you obey God Israel had a breach of promise God made a promise but because of their unbelief refusing to believe what he said about the land go in and take it no I'm scared I don't think it's for me I don't think I'm able I don't think we can do this then you'll die in a wilderness 38 years you're gonna walk in that the wilderness unbelief is a very dangerous thing if it grips your mind and heart oh I can't live a holy life you're on dangerous ground oh I can't get free of this thing I can't fast I can't pray I can't see God I can't evangelize be very very careful I'm the weakest of vessels but I tell you God can use me to evangelize I don't know how to speak I don't know how to talk to someone but God is going to use me he always looking for his faith and willingness a willingness to be used by the grace and the mercy of God in chapter 2 14 they should have entered the land 38 years before this now in chapter 1 through to chapter 5 Moses is reminding them how they got here to this point after 38 years let me preach to you a sermon on how you got to where you are can I remind you in this message how you got here this morning how we got here to this building can I stir up your mind of the journey that we have taken to get where we are this morning you see to know if you are gonna go forward you need to know your past I mean politicians great world leaders and preachers have always said this if you don't know what's happened to you in the past you'll never go forward if you cannot diagnose you see some Christians do not want to look closely at where they are spiritually why they are the way they are they don't want to look back and diagnose their spiritual condition they are scared to you know what that person will never move forward will never take another step into the land they don't even know what's happened to them they don't know why they were delayed in their journey they don't know why they had unbelief or why they disobeyed and so they are stuck they're going nowhere they'll never go in to inherit the land but I want to tell you what is message that Moses preaches in the book of Deuteronomy 34 chapters I'm getting you ready to go in when you read that you better realize there's an entire inheritance in the Lord Jesus Christ for this church and God is saying go in go in go in but I'll take you back and show you where you went wrong I'll show you where you've made wrong decisions I showed you it where you fit don't be scared of that let the Holy Spirit of God deal with you here this morning we're facing a new chapter a new beginning and a new advance of this church let me for a second explain my message and then I've got three simple points but I want to put the backdrop you see my message is going in circles around Mount Seir what is Mount Seir this is going to take on a meaning that you couldn't imagine here this morning right now when I explain to you what Mount Seir is and then apply it to us to you and to me let me tell you why I've called this going in circles around Mount Seir or it's time to go north I'm going north I don't know about you I'm going north I want to tell you here this morning that's where I'm going what is Mount Seir what does it represent everything in the Old Testament is a message for the church in the New Testament Mount Seir represents something spiritual you don't understand this teaching or preaching or this message unless you understand what Mount Seir is who was Mount Seir what is it talking about listen in Genesis 36 and 8 it says thus dwelt Esau in Mount Seir Esau is Edom do you know what it's saying Esau the twin brother of Jacob Esau the one that would never inherit what God had for him he actually lost the inheritance the birthright he rejected it he walked away from it this Esau dwelt or lived or spent his entire life in Mount Seir and it says that Esau is Edom another name for Esau is Edom or the Edomite people in other words he gave birth to an entire people called the Edomites and this tribe this entire people like the people of Israel very similar all they were were two twin brothers and yet you get two people the Edomites and the Israelites Esau and Jacob they live side by side their inheritance is there right together and yet radically different you see what is Mount Seir and what does it represent these two twin brothers Isaac and Jacob represent two different mountainous regions in the Middle East and in fact there's a great war over them here this morning over the past week or two thousands of bombs being sent against Jerusalem all because of what I'm reading here this morning this is everything to do with what's happening in Israel and it's got everything to do with what is happening in your life there was an inheritance Mount Seir was given to Esau so listen Mount Seir is the inheritance given by God to Esau someone who missed God's will for their life Esau sorry Seir became their inheritance in other words you missed it you're outside of this you've made the biggest mistake of your life but you can still be religious you can still go to church you can still have all the morality but you know what that's your ground Mount Seir is your inheritance you're gonna live there you're gonna die there you'll be buried there that is your inheritance do you begin to see what Mount Seir represents it represents Esau Esau's religion Esau's lifestyle it is the inheritance of Esau it was the Edomite people are the whole range of mountains called Mount Seir you see Esau when he was born as a little baby was covered in hair they named him red or Esau Edom also means the same thing it means to be covered in hair or to be shaggy or to be rough or to be very red so you can imagine this little baby some of your mothers would have a heart attack if this little baby popped out and you were shown this baby Esau you'd say well he certainly isn't mine that this hairy red baby who does he belong to it's your baby it's your baby I want to show you very few mothers would want to be identified with hairy rough Esau and yet I want to show you there's many Esau's in the Church of God I believe there's many churches which are exactly like Esau Esau was red he was hairy and he was rough that is his actual name it also says in Genesis 32 and 3 and Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother listen this unto the land of Seir the country of Edom all of this shows us that 20 years Jacob had been away Jacob was away 20 years raising up a family raising up a spiritual house raising up an entire nation when he gets back to the land to go in to inherit Canaan land as his inheritance do you know what he finds he finds that he's got to go to Mount Seir to find Esau and all of his family you see that was the dwelling place of Esau Esau's base was Mount Seir it wasn't a singular mountain it was a whole range I mean it was a whole range the other side of Jordan we know that Israel's inheritance was this side of Jordan Mount Seir was on the outside on that side of it but Mount Seir was the base of Esau but his family and flocks dwelt at Hebron inside the promised land so when Jacob comes back he comes to Hebron the city of God the mountain of God and you know what Esau is living there with his flocks with his family with his wives but he's only there a short time and he realized this isn't gonna work us both being in the land Esau and Jacob cannot dwell in the same land they don't think the same they don't believe the same they don't act the same way and there's certainly no room at Hebron Hebron is a significant place the place of covenant-making with God that's what Hebron represents but after a short time we're told in Genesis 33 verse 14 to 16 that Esau packs up his bags takes his family moves all of his herds where does he go to Mount Seir and the land of Edom thus began the entire raising up of a new people this is ancient Edom that I'm talking about do you know what its capital was Basra it's the same Basra that's there in Jordan today we're taught about the exact same area just over the border over the Jordan from the nation of Israel today is Jordan the south of Jordan present-day Jordan is actually old-time ancient Edom where we still find the Mount Seir or the mountain range of Seir it is still there do you know that's the inheritance of Esau and of all of his children all of his spiritual seed and many other Arabic people in that world they all dwelt there that became their home do you know what God promised Jacob now I'm going somewhere I'm explaining 4,000 years of history and I'm going to apply this when you go into Israel Abraham 4,000 years ago what did God say to him I have given you this land he went into Canaan he went on to a certain mountain range there's two mountain ranges there's the mountains of Israel they're a specific set of mountains that side of Jordan Mount Seir is this side of Jordan two different inheritances for two different groups of people you can't get this wrong I want to show you nine for 1,900 years Israel was not in their land almost half of their history and yet during 1,900 years they retained their culture their language their religion everything about them and in 1948 they came back to the same land under the same mountains do you know where the mountains of Israel are today the mountains covenant of the Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the nation of Israel 4,000 years ago do you know what the mountains of Israel are they are actually in present-day Palestine or what we call the West Bank that's where all the trouble is this morning that's why they're fighting with Gaza and with all of these other areas I want to tell you there is two inheritance two entire people and what happened all these thousands of years ago three and a half thousand years ago it is still playing out in our world and it's going to bring our entire world to an actual war a remarkable war listen again to Ezekiel's prophecy now I've taught on this before and I've preached to you before concerning the West Bank the Palestinians and about ancient Israel when we go to our Bible we get the inheritance when you go to your New Testament in the days of Jesus what was the West Bank it is actually Judea and Samaria in other words we read about it the people of Israel are there Jesus ministers there we see the early church being raised up there this was the inheritance of the tribe of Judah Benjamin and Joseph the mountains of Israel are where the Palestinians are dwelling actually today if you go there and look at Hebron you get Palestinians living there if you look at Bethel I Bethlehem Shechem Bethany even Jerusalem the very heart of Israel do you know what is happening today these Palestinians who are not a people there is no such type of person Israel was given the land do you know all these Palestinians where were they before they're in the West Bank they were in Jordan why are they not in Jordan today they try to take over the country and they got kicked out where were they before that they were in Lebanon when I was growing up during the 80s on the television there was civil war in Lebanon who was behind that the Palestinians but you know what they lost and they got kicked out do you see a pattern here then suddenly they come to Israel they take over all the mountains of Israel since I'm telling you something remarkable that is about to happen and Ezekiel 35 we have an entire prophecy against Mount Seir do you hear what I just said an entire chapter read it for yourself and it's about our generation about our day and what is just about to happen in the Middle East chapter 35 it's a prophecy against Mount Seir and against Esau that means in the last day you're still gonna get Mount Seir you've still got this spiritual force there in a remarkable way the next chapter is 36 it's a prophecy to the mountains of Israel how God will bring his ancient people back they will inhabit the mountains of Israel where's the mountains of Israel it's the West Bank what happens in chapter 37 it's the vision of the dry booms then what happens in chapter 38 and chapter 39 it's Ezekiel's war where Russia Magog comes down joins with Turkey and with Iran and you know what they're gonna come against Israel listen this where are they gonna find their end and Ezekiel's war where is the army destroyed the mountains of Israel the West Bank do you realize these amalgamation of the army in a sense when you begin to see what I've just told you you begin to see that Ezekiel 35 an entire prophecy against Mount Seir against Esau is for our day and generation God is speaking and saying I know your hatred I know your perpetual hatred you're religious you're militant you're strong you're vigorous you talk about coming from father Abraham but I want to tell you there is a prophecy of hatred against you God actually says I'm against you I'm gonna lift my hand against you in these days but you know what going back a little bit to Deuteronomy 2 what does the man of God Moses say this is where I apply it okay I'm just giving you a backdrop here now it's time to fight it's time to inherit it's time to go in the people of that hour had a perpetual hatred against Israel Israel is approaching their inheritance they're gonna go in Moses is saying going in do you know what Esau and the Edomites done in that hour they rose up to fight against Israel Moses said God has said you're not to fight against them you're not to take one foot of their land that is Esau's don't you touch it pass through because I'm giving you Canaan but you know what those Esauites those Edomites done they rose up against Israel and come against it listen let me come to my message this morning Deuteronomy chapter 2 and verse 1 then we turned this is where you're at then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness by way of the Red Sea as the Lord speak unto me and we compassed Mount Seir many days let me bring you now to Mount Seir in Deuteronomy chapter 2 and show you what happened here is the entire people of Israel 3 million of them 38 years in a wilderness they need to go in and possess the land but they reach Mount Seir what's Moses saying here he is saying you are compassing Mount Seir many days what Mount Seir represents what it reminds you of in the Bible here's the entire nation of Israel it's remarkable three and a half thousand years ago and they are walking in around Mount Seir they are compassing Mount Seir 38 years before they'd circled another mountain it's in Deuteronomy chapter 1 and verse 6 the Lord our God gave unto us in her speak unto us in Horeb saying ye have dwelt long enough in this mount turn you take your journey and go to the mount of the Amorites and on to all the places nigh thereon what's the mount of the Amorites it's Seir Mount Seir that mountain range 38 years before Moses said to them you have been here two years at Mount Horeb you have dwelt at this great mount you have been dwelling here but I'm telling you need a move now it is time to go Horeb was a place of great blessing it was a place of God's presence they wanted to stay there because it was so good God said you're not staying here anymore do you know in your spiritual walk and in this church we can get comfortable we can get comfortable dwelling at a certain mountain and God says it's enough it's time to move you may go from a place of great blessing great encouragement and he could send you into warfare that's what he could do he you could be dwelling with the saints of God and loving it and he says I want you to step out and go serve me in one of the hardest areas you could possibly imagine that's how God speaks I don't want you to dwell at Mount Horeb it's time for you to get going and you know what if you don't obey that you could stay in a place of great blessing but you become unfruitful you become barren it's a remarkable thing but look what Moses is saying after compassing or walking around Mount Seir for many days trudging walking they compassed Mount Seir what does that mean the word compass means to circle it to be in a merry-go-round this mountain becomes your center your point in the compass it is what you walk around it's your focus it is your safety blanket is it's the place that you keep nearby you relate to everything else through that you keep gazing at it here they are God is saying I want you to go after your inheritance I promise to Abraham Isaac and Jacob an entire land I don't want you at Mount Seir and yet you are walking in circles around Mount Seir Mount Seir represents a spiritual place a real place with the history and it's got a message for you here this morning you see they were still in the wilderness still outside their inheritance they had not conquered the enemies that they were to do God gives them a clear command a clear direction I want you to stop walking in circles can I ask you this morning have you been walking in circles I mean are you spiritually whether you're a sinner whether you're a Christian whether it's this church are we walking in a circle in around Mount Seir what it represents since that's a very dangerous place you're there in the will of God but you're not if you stay there if you don't move on from this place you're in grave danger that Mount Seir will become your home your inheritance and you will become a child of Esau and so God says unto them it's a clear command turn northward I want you to turn and change direction maybe you need to hear from God this morning you've been walking walking walking walking how do you know you're going in circles nothing changes I can tell if you're walking in circles compass and months here I know what this morning you know what this morning you know why nothing changes the same scene same sites walking in circles boredom mundaneness if you're bored in your Christian life you are walking around Mount Seir if you're saying when something gonna happen God help us what do you want to happen there could be a revival and you'll still be walking around Mount Seir since I'm telling you you've got to identify are you at Mount Seir are you going and possessing the land are you riding the battle fighting chants are you there walking in circles and what's gonna happen here I'm bored with all of this what a dangerous place it says turn I want you to turn the word turn in the Bible is a word used for repentance as well the same word issues for repentance God is saying I want you to turn I want you to repent let me apply this in three points here first of all I believe this represents a sinner at Mount Seir I've got a message here for if you are a sinner and I want to tell you are you walking around Mount Seir you're a sinner you know you need Christ you know you need born-again you're not saved the Holy Spirit isn't dwelling in you your name isn't in the last book of life you don't know that you'll go to heaven if you die you are a sinner and you're actually stuck you're walking in circles around Mount Seir I mean you're walking right at time and time and time again and you've got to why don't you go in and possess Christ why don't you go in and get salvation and forgiveness and mercy and grace and it changed life and you're walking around Mount Seir you may think that this is a very vague thing but you could think but there's a brother of Jacob this is a son a grandson of Abraham a son of Isaac this is one who should have had the inheritance you can be so close and yet so far you can be at Mount Seir when you ought to be on the mountains of Israel you can be walking in circles so close and yet a thousand miles away what does it mean to be a sinner at Mount Seir it means to be a child of Esau if you stay there you'll become a child of Esau you'll be religious you'll believe in God you'll believe in prayer but you will become exactly like Esau you will be a sinner on your way to hell you are so close you weren't a sinner out in the drug dens you were a sinner walking around Mount Seir who was Esau he rejected his birthright he had a birthright double that of Jacob greater than the blessings of Jacob and the entire nation of Israel it was his by right it was his by God's provision he was the first that came out of the womb twin brothers but he came out first he fought his way out they fought in the womb and you know what Esau wanted said I'm getting out first you can stay in there I'm gonna get the inheritance in fact it was prophesied way before she conceived there would be two nations in her womb they were gonna fight in the womb and when they come forth saints it's still happening in Israel two nations two peoples fighting in the Middle East that's why all of this is going on you see who is Esau he was a sinner he grew up in a Christian family he sat under good preaching he heard the prayers of godly men he heard all the promises all the covenants it was provided for him forgiveness mercy grace the covenant of God God wants to walk with you do you know what he done with it all he despised that he treated it lightly he didn't fully understand what it was this doesn't happen overnight walking around Mount Seir and finally become an inhabitant but not every sinner walking around Seir becomes an inhabitant he's got a choice do I want to walk the rest of my days or settle down at Seir or do I want the promised land it won't be easy there's giants you'll get to the edge and go how do I get saved how do I get in here what would you rather walk around Mount Seir for the rest of your days it doesn't happen overnight it's an attitude of heart where you reject you despise well forgiveness isn't that great look at these same Christians I mean they have trials they have troubles what's the difference you begin to despise the fact of forgiveness and Esau convert does not see the worth of this the importance the value has no interest in what is spiritual you know what Esau was he was a man of this world his man his mind had cheapened the inheritance of God he made jokes about it he had an attitude towards it he rejected the position of inheritance of being the head of his family of carrying the responsibility of raising up the people for God you you men who are heads of your home you better not reject or lose that position if you're not the man of your home who is gonna be you see I want to warn you of what you can lead your children into by your own example Esau is gonna separate from Jacob and become something do you remember what Jacob was oh he was a right conniver I want to tell you he was a twister I I would not have turned my back on Jacob before he met that angel and wrestled all through the night he was a twister he was a conniver he was a deceiver he was a liar he would have taken the last penny out of your pocket but that's the man God changed wrestled marked his leg and he had never be the same again since I tell you decisions are made as you go in around Mount Seir you're gonna make a decision Esau was a profane person when we read in Hebrews that Esau was a profane person we think he was really evil I mean he was wicked he was evil he was apostate he was vile it doesn't mean that it doesn't mean that at all do you know what profane means it means he was earthly he was worldly he was carnal or he only saw the natural he could not see the spiritual when he made a choice it wasn't in light of God's Word when he made a decision what he done with his money or his house or in the choice of a husband or a wife all these things were utterly carnal all about him nothing to do with the Word of God not at all he was a man of this world but let me tell you Esau was a nice man I would have got on with Esau better than Jacob can I tell you that this morning he was a man who was likable he was a hard worker a hunter he was successful people were drawn to him he was a man's man a real hunter don't tell me he was a lazy man he absolutely wasn't he had many good qualities and 20 years after separating from Jacob remember how Jacob connived him out of his inheritance 20 years they don't see each other do you know when they come back together you know what Esau does he forgives him throws his arms around him says brother brother good to see you this is a profane person there's a vile person living at Mount Seir he's walking around Mount Seir but he'll never get to heaven you'll never be saved he'll never go into inheritance in Christ it's there for you by God's grace you can be born again saved all of your sins forgiven you can have everything that Christ is and yet you're there walking around Mount Seir how long are you gonna do that do you remember how it says about Esau that he repented with tears and yet couldn't find repentance that causes some people a lot of problem I've seen people in the church say what if I've done that I keep I keep repenting I don't feel forgiven it's very different it's very different let me show you how it's different Esau actually in his repentance was seeking for his father to bless him father will you bless me he didn't go to God he wasn't saying God will you forgive me he didn't say that he went to his father and say father bless me I want the inheritance back that was his repentance that he sought with tears he wasn't seeking forgiveness you see his prayer was directed at his father not at God it was because of the loss of the financial inheritance and of the land not because of his sin it was the desire to gain the blessing not to obey God he wanted to change the deal with Jacob he didn't want his heart to be changed he wasn't there saying oh God change my heart Esau is not like Jacob we get all worried because we go but Esau repented with tears and couldn't find it God didn't give it to him that's because it was a false selfish self-centered worldly carnal repentance they didn't want forgiven of his sins he didn't want God he didn't want that old rotten heart change I'm talking about the danger of a sinner walking around Mount Seir you're in danger of settling there if you keep walking in circles well Seir's my marking point no no fighting here no chance no mountains it's not bad I've got a bit of religion I've got Esau religion I keep walking I feel safe at this mountain I'm quite close after all I'm not back in Egypt am I I'm not in Egypt I'm up here in the land of possession so I'm quite close you're in danger of settling there as a sinner why don't you break loose and go in do you remember he brought two Canaanite wives home with him he was a thoroughbred Canaanite in heart he loved Canaanites he married those two women marriage reveals a lot about your heart your choice of a person of friends of associates these two women were Hittites they were their wives he chose Esau was a reprobate he set up a heathen home that was going to be idolatrous it would have a lot of religion in it but not Bible religion and not the religion of the mountains of Israel choice is an amazing thing as a sinner are you going to keep walking around Mount Seir or do you want to go into the inheritance it's free you'll have to fight for it you'll agonize and so but do you want to become an inhabitant like Esau or do you want to die like Jacob second of all not only a sinner at Mount Seir a saint at Mount Seir you can be saved and stuck as a Christian praise God I'm born again I'm saved I'm washed in the blood I know I'm going to heaven I mean someone absolutely known the right with God they're gonna go to heaven they are forgiven do you know you can get saved born again and get stuck walking around Mount Seir oh you're not an Esau you won't die and go to hell but that's where you're beginning to walk you're walking constantly in circles you're going in circles you can be in the house of God say amen to every sermon pray amen say amen to every prayer saying I agree with this I want the inheritance I believe in the inheritance I need the inheritance but you keep walking in circles around Mount Seir Esau do you know what you're in danger of doing if you're making that your contact point well I'm not like Esau when you compare yourself with Esau you look good very spiritual oh but I'm still marching I'm not living here I'm not settling down just it's a long long walk it's hot out here going in circles but I don't need to fight the Giants do you know when you're walking around Mount Seir you're not redoing anything for God you're not possessing any cities you're not killing any Giants you're not going down and clearing out valleys to go into that land you could lose your life it's death-threatening but just walk around Mount Seir it's boring it's dead it's dry it's hot you're outside the land of promise you're not enjoying have you ever met a Christian they're not enjoying Christ they really are born again but they they've lost the joy of their salvation they've lost the passion for Christ they used to have it but something of it's gone and now they're just walking in circles around Mount Seir do you know what you've got saved and stuck you believe it all do you know it all you've experienced it but somewhere you are walking around Mount Seir and said well at least I'm not like Esau it says in Genesis 33 and 4 Esau ran to meet him remember when he come back Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept together you see Jacob and Esau can dwell together you start thinking the goodness of morality is okay when you keep going in circles you go I'm not that bad I'll forgive someone I'll try my best are you in fire for God are you in fire for God are you in the right place are you walking around Mount Seir at Esau oh but look at Esau can cry tears get emotional say brother I love you I forgive you you've got Esau religion oh yes you're saved but you've got Esau religion you commend yourself say I can forgive people I get emotional I can say forget about all of that but you know what you're walking around Mount Seir you're not going anywhere do you know the danger of Christians who are walking around Mount Seir you begin to think like Esau and the people of Edom do you know what they had they had a hatred for what was spiritual they hated it it bothered them if you meet someone who really loves God and is passionate could be an older Christian or a younger Christian and it bothers you you know why you're saved and stuck I've seen it all through my days I actually I heard this from all the old preachers and they said there's these people in church and they'll come up and say oh I used to be like you and then there was a day I was in church and it was a teenager and this old elder come up smiling boy he could preach but he was as carnal as you get and he'd come up to me and he said and I was taught about testifying and witnessing and preaching and revival and he come up and he smiled over his big belly and he said you know what I used to be like you but I settled down that's a curse from hell I'm talking about someone who's gonna make heaven but they're in the church that's Esau religion do you know what they're doing they'll never go for anywhere they'll never they can keep nice church meetings they can keep going on they'll tell people about Jesus but you know what they're walking in circles they've never done anything for God they've never gone anywhere for God they're walking in circles seeing the same thing over and over 38 years they'll walk like that do you know in Hebrews 12 when it talks about Esau listen to what it says this is for the Christian this for those who love God a warning about Esau and dwelling too close says in Hebrews 12 15 looking diligently if you're not looking diligently you're walking around Mount Seir listen let me press this home if you are not looking diligently over your own spiritual condition what does that mean it means to watch carefully over every area of your life my mind my heart my attitudes my words my actions my friends my relationships if you're not diligently looking after these areas do you know what you are walking around Mount Seir why should you look diligently listen and the context is Esau lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up oh but Esau I thought you love someone after 20 years yes outwardly but that bitterness is in your heart you you don't haven't forgiven that that's just your outward religion look diligently lest this bitterness come up on your heart and thereby many be defiled lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright for ye know that afterwards he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected free find no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears this is the commander a Christian you if you don't want to be like this if you don't want to walk around Mount Seir for the rest of your days or for a year or for five years if you don't want to settle down there and become an Esau convert or an Esau Christian you're gonna have to look diligently there's a warning given in the Bible you need to watch that the grace of God is not failing in your life do you know you can abuse the grace of God in your life God's grace comes you get free of sin it changes you it sets you on fire that's God's grace and then you begin walking around Mount Seir you don't pray you don't read the Bible you don't give tithes or offerings you're not faithful you're not diligently watching over the attitudes of your heart yes brother God bless you I know none of you are like that but I'm just telling you what the Bible says this is Esau a Christian walking around Mount Seir grumbling complaining it's hot out here you chose not to go in through your unbelief you're out here you won't go in and obey the Word of God what a dangerous position in 2nd Peter chapter 1 and 5 it actually says there and beside this giving all diligence this is what the Christian does you know those people who say hey we're under grace oh we're under the grace of God don't get all worked up over sin don't become fearful don't become I'm as secure as anything I'm fine God knows my heart you know I don't need to come out from the world we'll all be fine we'll all get there that's Esau religion and it's terribly dangerous the Bible says look diligently lest the grace of God fail in your life it also says giving all diligence add to your faith virtue you're born again you've got faith praise God praise God if you've got faith here this morning but don't stop there give diligence if you don't give diligence nothing's added to your faith add to your faith virtue now we're dealing with character and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and the temperance patience do you need patience with anyone and to patience godliness and the godliness brotherly kindness and the brotherly kindness charity for if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall never be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ have you find yourself becoming barren unfruitful so much poured into your life and yet where is the fruit maybe you need to look diligently maybe now rather than pride in yourself and sitting under the Word of God and believe in the Word of God maybe it's time to give diligence to give diligence you know to stop walking around seer and to say I'm going in and possessing the land I'm gonna possess the mountains of Israel it's gonna take diligence absolute diligence it says in Hebrews how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation you need you have that salvation if you neglect it you can't neglect something you don't have but it says how shall you escape if you neglect so great a salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed by them that heard him third and lastly let me finish here this morning you've done very well it's warm and here we haven't got everything sorted out in this building and I don't know if any sinners are upstairs listening or at the door who knows but I want to tell you let me just finish here since a year ago the Lord give me this word it's time to go north are you a sinner who needs Christ it's time to go north you've been in this church walking in circles and you know it you want this you believe this or you wouldn't be here but it's time to go north it's time it's God's command time to stop compass in this mountain let's finish with seer let's go in are you a Christian in this church and you've been walking around it's time to stop it's time to go north are you ready to go north with me are you ready that's got many plays of words I assure you but are you ready with me as a church this third and final point a church at Mount Seir I believe many churches have made long journeys through a hot desert seeing God's provision his salvation the pillar of fire bread fallen from heaven meat when they began to complain and grumble a moon God poured out more than they can possibly eat you see many churches reach this point after 38 years we're only on the go seven years some churches reach Mount Seir and they never go any further there are real church born-again people there they have great testimony do you know my shoes never wore out in 38 years here they are come I'll show you them in my cupboard in my house at the base of Mount Seir let me show you I'm gonna hand this down to my children and my children's children and 20 years down the road they'll still be able to wear look at this shoe it's a miracle shoe I've got all of these testimonies why you living at Mount Seir as a church why have you not fulfilled God's plan and purpose as a church some churches are only there to get people through the next 40 years other churches if they're gonna move on from Mount Seir are gonna go we're going to get that land we're going somewhere it's a rough journey in this church it never really stays the same I'm not sure what we're gonna do next but I tell you we're gonna go kill some jobs we are going to take some mountain we're going down into some valley you see the church at Mount Seir begins to march around composing 3 million people walking in around the same spot this same place in circles time after time after time you know what God is saying to the church you have compassed this mountain long enough turn you northwards you need to get your zeal back you need to get the fire for the prayer meeting back for evangelism to see not to sit with your unsafe family members talking about the weather and there's wisdom when you do that but if you've lost the ability to witness you've lost something you are a church going in around Mount Seir there's a great change or that this church can settle down God can bless us God can use us God can speak through us and yet as an entire church we go haven't we done well isn't God blessing thank God we're in a new building I want to tell you I'd rather burn this building this room down not the building that this place time then this settled on walking in circles I through the preaching of the word in this pulpit I want to stir you as a church we have an inheritance we've got follies that we've never seen this yet we've got mountains we've got Giants the like of which we can't even imagine if we go forward in the will of God together we're gonna face chance that you're gonna go Oh God help me if you're not with me I'm gonna die in this fight since this is a church moving into the land of promise you have gone around this mountain long enough it's time to go in and possess the land it says in verse 8 and when we pass by from the brethren the children of Esau thank God they moved on if they hadn't have where what would have happened for 3,000 years now absolutely nothing you've compassed the mountain long enough you need to repent how do you get away from seer repentance turning a bay in the command listen to me a command turn you want to get away from seer you've got a turn there's no point saying okay if it comes me oh help me to get away from here and just keep walking repentance means I'm not doing this anymore I refuse to do this anymore I refuse to be a fruitless Christian I refuse to be a church that's merely marking time then I mean use that SWAM you know they say mark time you're staying the same place you're not going anywhere you're just paddling there like a baby you're just staying afloat oh great you're not dying oh great you're not drowning under the water but you're not going anywhere and that's what you can do as a church at Mount Esau our seer you're not going in and possessing since we need to see a revival we need to see every member on fire for God we need to see pure hearts we've got to go get our families we've got to see our loved ones in this city born again we've got an entire city to be touched by the Word of God and it says which dwelt in seer though the way of the plane from Eloth and from Isengard we turned they did turn saints they passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab you know what they've done to go north God says go north but don't you get in any fights you know what they done on the map if I could show you they went down to go up they went down to go up it gives us the instructions it says they pass by you know sometimes I've gone down to go up oh that's my final destination but I'm just going over here to get there to avoid this point but that I'm gonna reach my point means a deter but I I'm gonna turn I'm gonna turn since I'm getting out of here this church isn't gonna just be another church we're not settling down here I'm gonna stand on your toes I'm gonna provoke you I'll stomp all over these chairs I'll get you mad with me but you're not gonna be an army marching around Mount Seir bored happy I tell you I'll rather make you angry with me than to be there bored falling asleep dying walking around Mount Seir since I want to drag you I want to press you I'm gonna encourage you I'm gonna exhort you by the Word of God it is time to go north I'm inviting you as individuals if you need salvation it's time to go north it's time to go into your inheritance if you're a Christian been walking in circles it's time to go into the inheritance we've all done it and we all periodically do it but it is time if you hear the Word of God he commands you it's not an option here this morning and I'm not preaching giving you an option I'm telling you it's the command of God it is time to turn time to get out of the rut what's the difference but between a rut and a grave what's the difference a grave you bury someone in do you know what a rut is it's a grave with both ends knocked out so you've got no sense of being dead you're walking in there but it's a rut you've just got an extended grave for what 10 years 20 38 you're happy to be in a rut in your spiritual life since we need a fight this church never gets into a rut there are thousands of churches camped at Mount Seir all over this world we hear constantly they're lovely folk and they love Jesus very sincere they'll make it to heaven but they'll never fulfill God's plan please stand with me as Candice comes here this morning thank you Lord Jesus oh we bless you father in this first gather in this first meeting pray with me here this morning Saints Lord God we call on you as a church as individuals we need salvation for the lost nor God we need fire for the saved nor God we need a baptism of revival in this church oh God nor God we don't want to miss out on your plan and your purpose we don't want to keep encompassing surrounding walking right Mount Seir but we want to go in and possess the land we want to hear the command it is time to go north it is time to stop walking around Mount Seir it is time to go in and to possess the mountains of Israel the inheritance of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob father we pray for every Christian watching this message today nor God sure in the next weeks we pray for them every church every preacher every Christian every friend we've made on this journey we as a church thank you for this weekend of prayer and fasting thank you for all of these friends that have joined us my God we pray for them that you would use this church a message let us go in and possess the land let us go in and fight the Giants let us go in and take those valleys let us go in and walk where the enemy is to stand on the inheritance of God we can live holy you can be baptized and the Holy Ghost you can see the power of God you can see God heal your body you can be saved you can see your family saved my God strengthen us here this morning blessed be your name hallelujah hallelujah Oh praise you my God praise you my God praise you my God the altar is open this morning I'd like to just encourage you to come to the altar this morning if you have something to settle with the Lord there's just something about stepping out of your seat coming on your face before the Lord just between you and him this morning he's moving you this morning come and settle it now this morning I encourage you Saints we need wisdom we need power and true love for each other we have had so many big but empty words so we come before your face asking for your grace bring your people to a kingdom state of life restore your church