THREE CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE

Here We Go

THREE CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE

Intro: Have you ever known someone who genuinely trusted Christ… but still lived frustrated, defeated, and spiritually exhausted?

Maybe they’re in church every week. Maybe they know the Bible. Maybe they even serve in ministry. But something feels stuck. The Christian life feels dry. Joy feels distant. Victory feels inconsistent. And deep down they quietly wonder, “Is this really all there is?”

Or maybe you’ve felt that way yourself. One of the most remarkable stories in the entire Bible may explain exactly why. The story of Israel coming out of Egypt is more than ancient history. It is one of God’s great pictures of the spiritual life. In many ways, it is a map of the human soul. Israel’s journey took them through three places: Egypt. Canaan. And the wilderness. And those three places still describe where people are spiritually today. Egypt represents life in bondage to sin – the natural man. Canaan represents the life God intended His people to experience through dependence upon Christ – the spiritual man. And the wilderness represents believers living beneath what God intended – the carnal Christian. The sad reality is this: Many come out of Egypt… but never really enter Canaan. They are forgiven — but weary. Saved — but struggling. Going to heaven — but not enjoying much of heaven’s life on earth. So today, here’s the question: Where are you living? Egypt? Canaan? Or the wilderness?”

EGYPT — LIFE IN BONDAGE

For over four hundred years, the children of Israel lived in slavery under Pharaoh. They were oppressed. Controlled. Helpless to free themselves. That is the picture of every person apart from Christ.

When sin entered the world, mankind became separated from the life of God. Humanity still possessed a mind, emotions, and a will — but spiritually, something died inside us.

Eph 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Did you notice that the Bible does not say we are spiritually sick? It says spiritually dead.

We are not people who merely need improvement. We need resurrection. And all of us know this struggle deep down.

Rom 7:19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (NLT)

Every honest person understands that frustration. “I’m going to change. I’m going to stop. I’m going to do better this time.”

And yet somehow we keep getting pulled back into the same sins, the same habits, the same attitudes.

Why? Because the problem is not merely what we do. The problem is what lives inside us.

Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.

Sin is not just around us. Sin is inside us.

And here is the terrifying thing about Egypt: Bondage never stays the same. It always gets worse.

When Moses came announcing deliverance, Pharaoh did not lighten the load — he increased it.

Ex 5:7-8 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it.”

Same demand. Fewer materials provided. More pressure. And what happened when they couldn’t keep up?

Ex 5:14 “Then the officers of the children of Israel… were beaten.” And Pharaoh roared at them, calling them lazy: Ex 5:17 “You are idle! Idle!”

Do you see the pattern? Egypt demands bricks. Then it removes straw. Then it beats you for failing. Then it calls you lazy.

That’s the hopeless of sin. And when you collapse under the weight, sin whispers, “You’re the problem.”

You don’t need better straw. You need deliverance. You don’t need more strength. You need a substitute. You don’t need self-improvement. You need salvation.

And that is exactly what God provided. While Pharaoh increased the pressure, God prepared a lamb.

Ex 12:13 “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”

Did you notice what God did not say? He did not say: “When I see your effort. When I see your sincerity. When I see your morality.”

He said: “When I see the blood.”

Judgment passed over because of a substitute. And that Passover lamb pointed forward to Jesus Christ.

John 1:29 “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

1 Cor 5:7 “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”

In Egypt, a lamb died so the firstborn could live. At Calvary, Jesus died so sinners could be forgiven and brought out of bondage.

Moses could bring Israel out of Egypt. But only Jesus can bring Egypt out of the human heart.

And today the question is not whether you admire Jesus. Not whether you respect Christianity. Not whether you attend church.

Has the blood of the Lamb been applied to your life by faith? Because until then… you are still in Egypt.

CANAAN — LIFE IN DEPENDENCE

But God did not bring Israel out of Egypt merely to rescue them from slavery.

He brought them out to bring them in.

Into Canaan. And Canaan represents the life God intended His people to experience right now through dependence upon Christ.

Gal 4:6 “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts.”

The Christian life is not imitation. It is participation.

It is not you trying to live for Jesus. It is Jesus living His life through you.

2 Pet 1:4 “That you may be partakers of the divine nature.”

Think about the Promised Land itself. God repeatedly described it as: Ex 3:8 “A land flowing with milk and honey.”

And when Israel entered the land, they discovered resources already prepared for them…

Deut 6:11 “Houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant.”

They entered into what God had already provided. That is the secret of the Christian life.

The spiritual life is not about your efforts. It is about the sufficient work of Jesus Christ for us.

Col 2:10 “And you are complete in Him.”

The believer living in Canaan begins to discover: Christ is my strength. Christ is my peace. Christ is my wisdom. Christ is my patience. Christ is my victory.

The spiritual man stops asking, “How can I live the Christian life?” And begins asking, “How can I allow Jesus to live His life through me?”

Don’t misunderstand me. Canaan still had battles. There were giants in the land.

Living in Canaan does not mean life without sin. It means growing to depend on Christ instead of depending on yourself.

The difference is this: In Egypt, Israel fought for survival. In Canaan, they fought from a promise.

And there is a stark difference between striving in your flesh… and trusting the Spirit of God.

The believer living in Canaan begins to experience: strength to forgive, power over temptation, joy in worship, hunger for Scripture, peace in anxiety, boldness in witness, and increasing fruitfulness.

Not because they are strong — but because Jesus is enough.

The secret of Canaan is not effort. It is dependence.

But there is a tragedy of the Exodus story: Most of the people who came out of Egypt never lived in Canaan.

THE WILDERNESS — LIFE IN FRUSTRATION

God opened the Red Sea. He fed Israel with manna. He led them by cloud and fire. He brought them right to the edge of the Promised Land.

And yet most of them spent forty years wandering in circles. Not because God failed. Not because the promise wasn’t real. But because they would not trust the God who brought them out… to also bring them in.

Heb 3:19 “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

The heartbreaking truth is this: Many Christians live in the wilderness spiritually.

They have trusted Christ for salvation. The blood has been applied. They are no longer in Egypt. But they are not enjoying the abundance of Canaan either. They live stuck somewhere in the middle.

Saved — but frustrated. Forgiven — but spiritually empty. Redeemed — but exhausted.

The wilderness was meant to be a passage — not a residence. So why do many believers live there for years? And how do you know if you’re living in the wilderness?

It usually shows up in quiet ways. God feels far away. Church feels like an obligation instead of a joy. Prayer feels forced and not heard. The preaching of the Bible is boring to you. Most people irritate you. You don’t really like Christians.

And if we’re being really honest — your life looks almost no different from the lives of your unbelieving friends.

That’s the wilderness. You know Christ — but you are no longer enjoying Him. That is the wilderness.

The tragedy of the wilderness is not merely that people wandered there. The tragedy is that they became comfortable there.

They adjusted to dryness. Adjusted to barrenness. Adjusted to wandering. And some believers have lived there so long they think that is normal Christianity.

illus: Let me show you what the wilderness can look like in real life. Robert Robinson wrote the hymn we still sing today: “Come Thou Fount of every blessing…” And especially that line: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.” That’s not a lost man talking. That’s a believer who knows God… but feels the pull to drift. Years later, Robinson did drift away from the Lord. Not all at once. Not dramatically. Just slowly. His heart grew cold. Distance from God set in. He found himself in the wilderness. One day he was riding in a coach, sitting across from a young woman. She was humming a tune. He leaned over and asked, “Do you know the words to that song?” She said, “Yes,” and began to sing: “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love…” Then she looked at him and said, “Do you know that song?” And Robinson replied, “Know it? I wrote it. And I would give a thousand worlds… to have the love for God today I had back then.” That’s the wilderness. Not lost. Not in Egypt anymore. But not walking in joy either. Just sitting there saying, “I remember when it was real…I remember when my heart was alive…” But here’s the good news—That moment became his turning point. He came back. God restored him. And that same God still restores today.

But here is the good news: God restores wandering people. And maybe today this is your turning point.

Conclusion: Today the question is very simple. Where are you living? Egypt. Canaan. Or the wilderness.

Some of you today are still in Egypt. You are trying to clean yourself up. Promising to change. But deep down you know you are still in bondage. Listen carefully: You do not need self-improvement. You need salvation.

Jesus Christ died so your sins could be forgiven and your life could be changed. Come to Him today.

Others of you are believers — but you are wandering in the wilderness. Saved… but weary. Forgiven… but dry. You’ve been trying to live the Christian life in your own strength. Somewhere along the journey you settled into the wilderness.

And maybe today you realize: “God did not bring me out of Egypt to leave me here.” He brought you out to bring you in.

Into dependence. Into abundance. Into the life of Christ.

And some of you are walking with God right now, but you know how easily hearts drift. Your prayer today is simply: “Lord, keep me depending on You.”

Don’t stay where you are. The same God who brought Israel out…still brings people in.

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If you have questions that you haven't been able to get Christians to answer about origins and life and all of that, whatever hurdles it is, I pray that this message today, my preaching of the gospel, will obliterate those barriers and help you to easily run into the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ. So let's pray together. Father, I pray that just for the next few moments, the Spirit of God will do what he does and only he does. And would you capture our attention, God? Would you strengthen our weary bodies and our wandering minds and thoughts?
Would you tune them in on the Truth. In these next few moments, God and I pray that every heart, every soul in the room, they'll hear your voice about where they're living. God, you'll bring us out. In Jesus name, amen. Have you ever known someone who has genuinely trusted in Jesus Christ?
They went from unbeliever to believer, but they still live a frustrated life. They still live defeated. They maybe have said to you, I don't feel any different than my unsaved non Christian friends. And maybe they're just spiritually exhausted and people like that go to church every week. And maybe they know the Bible, maybe they even serve in ministry.
But something feels stuck.
Their Christian life is dry to the bone. They can't find joy anymore. They got no victory. And deep down they secretly wonder, is this really all there is?
Maybe you felt that way yourself. One of the most remarkable stories in the Old Testament may explain exactly why I want to preach a message to you today that I call three categories of people. The story of the children of Israel coming out of slavery in Egypt is more than just ancient history. It is one of God's great pictures of life in the Holy Spirit. I would say that in many ways it's a map.
It's a map of the human soul. Israel's journey took them through three places. Egypt, Canaan, and the wilderness. And those three places still describe where everybody in this room is today. Egypt represents life in unbelief still in bondage to sin.
The apostle Paul calls that person the natural man. Canaan represents the life God intended his people to experience by depending on Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul calls that person the spiritual man. And the wilderness represents believers living beneath what God intended. We call them the carnal Christian, the person who lives in their flesh and not walking in the spirit.
Here's the sad reality. Many come out of Egypt, but never really enter Canaan. They're forgiven, but they're weary and stumbling and struggling somehow. They're going to heaven, but they are not enjoying much of heaven's life on earth.
So I have a question for everybody today. Where are you living? Are you in Egypt still? Have you made it to Canaan? Or are you wandering in the wilderness?
Very simple. I want to challenge you as your pastor today or as the man speaking over God's word that you say. God, where am I? Which one of these is me? You're not too old for this.
You are not too young for this. It's timeless. Let's take them one by one. We start with Egypt. We call that life in bondage.
For over 400 years, the children of Israel lived in slavery under a ruler called what? Pharaoh. They were oppressed. They were controlled. Don't miss this.
They were helpless to free themselves.
That's the picture of every single human being apart from faith in Jesus Christ. This is the lost person, the the unsaved man or woman, the non Christian. When sin entered the world back in the Garden of Eden, in Genesis chapter 3, mankind became separated from the life of God. Now, it's true that humanity still even being separated from the life of God, possessed a mind. Mankind still possessed emotions.
Mankind still had a will.
But spiritually, something inside of us died. I know that because of what the Apostle Paul wrote. In Ephesians 2:1, he says, and you he made alive. You make yourself alive. You he made alive.
Who were dead in trespasses and sins. Sins are when you miss the mark. Trespasses are when you step over the boundary line, dead. Did you notice that the Bible does not say that we are spiritually sick? You don't need to get well, you're spiritually dead.
We're not people who only need improvement. We need resurrection.
And all of us know this struggle deep down. Look at how the Apostle Paul described In Romans, chapter 7, verse 19, I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. Can you relate to that? Every honest person understands that frustration.
We say things like, I'm going to change. I'm going to stop. I will do better this time. And yet, somehow, some way, we keep getting pulled back into the same sins and the same habits and the same attitudes. Why is that?
Because the problem is not just what we do. The problem is what lives inside us. And if you don't believe me, will you take Jesus at his word? Mark, chapter 7, verses 21, 22 and 23. From the lips of the Lord Jesus.
For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness, all these evil things come from within and defile a man.
This is the human condition. This same condition we shrug off all the time. We're indifferent to it. We excuse it. Well, I'm just human.
I'm just normal. I'm just a sinner. Sin is not just around us. It's inside us. And here's the terrifying thing about Egypt.
Listen to me.
Slavery and bondage never stays the same. It is Active, it is not static. It always gets worse.
You know, when Moses showed up in Pharaoh's courts and he announced the deliverance of the children of Israel, he says to Pharaoh, let my people. What? Seen the movie, huh?
When Moses said, hey, I need you to take your whole workforce and give them the day off so we can go out into the wilderness and worship our God, did Pharaoh automatically go, that's a great idea. You know what? Why don't you take the whole week off and let us pay for your passage and go do that? Is that what Pharaoh did? Not only did he not do that, he said, you're kidding, right?
And not only did he say, you're kidding, right? Pharaoh didn't lighten the load, he increased it. Exodus 5:7, 8. You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before you shall not reduce it. It always, always gets worse. The penalty for sin in the Bible is more sin. And Romans chapter one says that God will eventually give you what you want and give you over to it, and it will snow you under.
Same demand. All the bricks you used to make fewer materials, go get them yourself. That equals more pressure. And what happened when they couldn't keep up? Do you know Exodus 5:14?
Then the officers of the children of Israel were beaten. And if that weren't enough, Pharaoh roared at them, calling them lazy. Exodus 5:17. You are idle, idle.
Do you see the pattern? Egypt demands more bricks and then removes straw, and then it beats you for failing, and then it calls you lazy.
That is the hopelessness of sin. That's the darkness of life without Jesus. And when you collapse under the weight of all of it, you know what sin whispers? You're the problem, Friends. You don't need better strawberries.
You need deliverance from bondage. You don't need more strength, you need a substitute. You don't need self improvement. You need salvation.
And that's exactly what God has provided. When Pharaoh increased the pressure, listen to me. God prepared a lamb.
Do you remember the 10th plague? That 10th sign and wonder that God sent it was the plague of the firstborn. God says, I'm sending my death angel and the death angels coming for all the firstborn males, human and otherwise.
And then God said, sacrifice a lamb, find one without spot or blemish, and paint the doorposts and the lintels over the door with the blood.
Exodus 12:13. When I see the blood, I will pass over you.
Did you notice what God did not say? God did not say, when I see your effort, when I see your obedience, when I see your religious fervor, when I see your sincerity, when I see your morality. He said, when I see the blood judgment passed over because of a substitute.
God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. I make no apology. Preaching to you today from this stage, substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. We can't make you good enough to get into heaven. Listen, you got to go in on somebody else's dime.
And there's only one worthy, there's only one Lamb. One day in Bethabara, beyond the Jordan River, John 1:28 says John the Baptist looked up the dusty road over there and he saw a new rabbi. And he pointed to him in John 1:29 and he said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He was pointing at Jesus. And the apostle Paul closes the chain in First Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 7.
Indeed, Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. I wonder if you understand that in Egypt a lamb died so the firstborn could live. But at Calvary, the hill that Jesus died on, Jesus died so sinners could be forgiven and brought out of bondage.
Whoever believes in the Son has life. Whoever does not believe in the Son does not have life. And the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36.
I'm spending the most time today in Egypt because it's the most desperate. You know, Moses could bring Israel out of Egypt, but only Jesus can bring Egypt out of the human heart. And today the question is not whether you admire Jesus. I suspect you do. The question is not whether you respect Christianity.
You might. The question is not whether you attend church. You're here. The question is, has the blood of the Lamb of God been applied to your life by faith?
Because until then, you're still in Egypt. Well, Pastor, that was when I was a baby. I was baptized. You didn't have faith when you were a baby. You make a single decision for yourself.
Well, Pastor, I went through confirmation. Not a single verse in the Bible tells you to do that. Jesus said you must be born again. Do you have the new birth? If you don't, you're in Egypt and you gotta come out of Egypt.
Alright. Second place, you can live Canaan. I call it life independence. Contrary to most of the hymns you sang growing up, the Bible never calls Canaan heaven. Why would you say that, Pastor?
Because if you think Canaan's heaven, Then you'll think Canaan is for a time in your future. And God says, canaan is right now. So let's talk about that. God did not bring Israel out of Egypt simply to rescue them from slavery.
And God didn't put you and his family just to forgive your sins. Listen to me. God's not in the forgiveness business. He's in the relationship business.
He brought them out to bring them in. Everybody, repeat after me. You ready? Exercise.
I want you to say this. Repeat after me. He brought me out to bring me in. He brought me out to bring me in. Into Canaan.
And Canaan represents the life that God intended his people to experience in the here and now by depending on Jesus Christ.
Do you know Galatians 4:6?
Because you are sons or daughters, God has sent forth the spirit of his Son. Look. Look at it. Into your hearts. That's where we get.
Have you ever invited Jesus into your heart?
Your heart is the control center of you by faith. That's where Jesus dwells. In other words, let me say it this way. The Christian life is not imitation. The Christian life is participation.
Well, define that for me, preacher. Okay. The Christian life is not imitation. It's not you trying to imitate Jesus. It's not you trying to live your life for Jesus.
The Christian life is participation. It's Jesus living his life through you. This is a major paradigm shift, second Peter 1:4, that you may be partakers of the divine nature. You take part in the life of God. Look, you already know this.
You just don't know that you know it. Think about the Promised Land itself. God repeatedly described the Promised Land. Well, you'll be able to fill in these blanks as a land flowing with milk and honey. I like milk and honey because I like breakfast.
Say Amen. It's the meal of champions, right? You know what milk does in the Bible and all around the world? Milk nourishes. We give milk to newborn babies.
And I still drink milk all the time. Amen. I am lactose tolerant, for Jesus wasn't joking. All right. Milk nourishes.
You know what honey does? It sweetens the life of God. Life in dependence on Jesus is fulfilling. It's satisfying and it is sweet. I gotta tell you something.
It's great to walk under an open heaven. It's awesome to wake up every day and have Jesus talk to me. He speaks to me through his word. He speaks to me through thoughts and impressions and other believers. He's alive and I know it.
That's why I don't doubt my salvation. Because it's not mine, it's his. Does that make sense? Milk and honey, that's the promised land. God says, I'm sending you to a place that's ready for you.
And when Israel entered the land, they discovered the resources were already prepared for them. Deuteronomy 6:11. When you get there, God says, you'll find houses full of all good things which you did not fill. Hewn out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant. Listen to me.
They entered into what God had already provided. That's what happens when you leave Egypt and you move into the life of God. You find abundance already waiting for you. Because God is good. Some of you thought normal Christianity is just.
You get saved and then you're just miserable until you go to heaven where God fixes it all. And some of you believe that because that's the only Christians you know. That's what they're showing you. If you get involved in the ministry of our church, you're going to see something different. You're going to walk in Canaan with us.
Is it perfect? No, but it's about the perfect person, the Lord Jesus. And there's so much grace and there's so much favor and there's so much mercy and there's so much forgiveness and there's so much reconciling of conflict. It is flowing with milk and honey and we didn't do it. It was waiting for us.
That's the secret of the Christian life. This spiritual life is not about your efforts. We're not going to put you on some spiritual treadmill and tell you you got to try harder and you got to do better. I am tired of all of that. Am I the only one?
It's about the sufficient work of Jesus Christ for us. Can I tell you? Jesus paid it all.
Colossians chapter 2, verse 10 says, and you are complete in him. Canaan.
The believer living in Canaan begins to discover. Christ is my strength. Christ is my peace. Christ is my wisdom. Christ is my patience.
Christ is my victory.
The spiritual man stops asking, how can I live the Christian life? And begins asking, how can I allow Jesus to live his life through me?
Now don't misunderstand me. Canaan still had battles, didn't it? Didn't they still have to walk around the walls of Jericho? Didn't they still have to take care of the Amalekite? All of those guys, all the ites, right?
There were giants in the land there were Nephilim. And living in Canaan does not mean life without sin and life without struggle. It means growing to depend on Jesus instead of depending on yourself.
The difference is this. In Egypt, Israel fought for survival. In Canaan, they fought from a promise giving you this land. Now you go take it and I'll go with you. God says there's a stark difference between striving in your flesh and trusting in the spirit of God.
Do you know Galatians chapter five says that your sinful nature and the spirit of God are at war with each other?
The believer living in Canaan begins to experience this. You tell me if this is your Christian life. Strength to forgive. You used to hold grudges. You used to justify being mad at all the people that hurt you.
You would replay it in your mind until you went to sleep at night. But then Jesus came, gave you new life, put his spirit in you. And now you're like, I want to cancel that debt for you. Because Jesus paid for far more in me than you've ever hurt me.
Power over temptation. Before you met Jesus, you were enslaved to all your passions. And now you know him and you're like, you know what? I just went a whole week without those lustful thoughts. I just went a month and didn't want alcohol anymore.
I went two weeks. And I wasn't cruel to my wife.
There's power in Canaan. There's joy in worship. Listen to me. There's hunger for scripture. It is sad to me that we live in the time in the world where there are more copies of the Word of God in print and in digital form, and we're the most biblically illiterate that we've ever been.
There's peace and anxiety when you live in Canaan. There's boldness in witness and there's just this increasing fruitfulness. You just. You can feel the progress that God's having you make. Not because they were strong, but because Jesus is enough.
The secret of Canaan is not effort, it is dependence.
Alright, but that's Canaan. But listen to me. I did this whole sermon for this next point. I'm not making that up. The whole thing is for what you're about to hear.
Because there's a tragedy at the Exodus story. Do you know that most of the people who came out of Egypt, listen to me. Never entered into Canaan? Their bodies dropped and decayed in the desert.
And it wasn't like the world's biggest desert. But when God decides you're not coming out because of your unbelief, you don't find your way out. The wilderness is life and frustration.
True or false? God opened the Red Sea and millions of Israelites walked across on dry ground. True or false? You believe that? Can we call that a miracle?
Wasn't hard for God to do, though. He fed Israel every night, about 7 million of them with this stuff coming down from heaven that would light on the leaves of the foliage in the morning. And it's called manna. You know what manna means? Literally, what is it?
What every five year old asks when you put the plate in front of them and there's something green on it, right? What in the world is that? Not eating that. Fed them with that. And when they got tired of manna, he goes, here's some quail.
Amen for quail. We like meat.
He led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. You understand that when the children of Israel wanted to know where God was, all they had to do was look up and see. It required no faith.
He brought them right to the edge of the Promised land. I mean, it's like through the trees over there. And yet most of them spent 40 years just wandering in circles in a small desert. And it was not because God had failed. And it was not because God's promise wasn't real.
It was because they would not trust the God who brought them out to also bring them in. Listen, your Christian life didn't stop the day you were born again. That's when it started.
Hebrews, chapter 3, verse 19 is a comment, a commentary on the children of Israel who wandered in the wilderness. So we see that they could not enter in because of what unbelief.
You can be saved and still go through seasons of unbelief. The heartbreaking truth is this. Friends, listen. Oh my goodness, listen to this preacher. Many Christians still live in the wilderness.
I mean, you're biblically illiterate. You don't know what God's word says.
You don't know a Thessalonian from a tater tot. I don't know. It's going in second service, I guarantee you that. Give me a second tater tot.
Your children know what Channel 7 says, but they don't know what Matthew 7 says.
We have multiple versions of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation in the English language, and we don't know it.
Prayerless, we pray over our meals. We pray on Sundays at church when they make me, we pray when we get in trouble. We don't pray any Other time we don't talk to God. No burden for souls. We would rather hate our enemies than pray for them.
And we certainly don't think they deserve to go to heaven. But somehow we think we do in church. Man, church is boring. Those songs are so weird. Peeva's chairs.
Chairs are gray. Who thought that was a good idea? Look, we need no training in having a critical spirit. Am I wrong?
This is the wilderness. They've trusted Christ for salvation. Somehow the blood has been applied. They are no longer in Egypt, but they are not enjoying the abundance of Canaan either. They live stuck somewhere in the middle.
The wilderness was meant to be a passageway, not a residence. You travel through the wilderness to get home. You don't set up camp there. So why do many believers still live in the wilderness for years? And here's an even more important question.
How do you even know if you're living in the wilderness?
Well, it usually shows up in quiet ways. You're in the wilderness if God feels far away. If church feels like an obligation, something you have to do, like take nasty medicine, but you'd rather not. But it's going to make you better. Church feels like an obligation, not a joy.
All your prayers feel like you have to do it. And they're forced and they're not heard. Watch this. The preaching of the Bible is boring to you. Have you met me?
No. No. Look, even on Sunday, if you just partied all Saturday night and stayed up late and scrolled on your phone until your eyes closed, you wake up on Sunday and you're tired and you're like, man, I hate church. You didn't do anything to prepare not to hate it.
You brought God your worst and your last. And you're like, it's boring. No, you're lukewarm.
People irritate you all the time, never bring you delight. And look, here's the big secret. You won't say it out loud. I'll say it out loud for you. You don't really like Christians.
They're judgmental and republican. Mean spirited, exclusive.
They're goody two shoes and prudes. And they're hypocrites and all. They just want your money. You don't really like us. This is wilderness.
If we're being really honest, you would have to admit your life looks almost no different from the lives of your unbelieving friends, the non Christians. You know, you live just like them. It's the wilderness. You know Christ, but you haven't enjoyed him. And God knows when the tragedy of the wilderness is not that people wandered there.
The tragedy is that people became comfortable there. I like it. It's my vibe. It's my jam. Nobody tells me what to do.
You're not the boss of me. They adjusted to the arid dryness. They adjusted to the barrenness. They adjusted to the wandering and not knowing where they were going. And some believers have lived in the wilderness so long.
They think that's normal Christianity. But it isn't. Let me show you what the wilderness can look like in real life. There's a man named Robert Robinson. He lived some years ago.
He wrote a hymn that we still sing today. It's called, Come Thou Fount of Every blessing. And especially that line. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.
Friends, when he wrote that, that's not a lost man talking. That's a believer who knows God, but feels the pull to drift away. And wouldn't you know it, years later, Robert Robinson did drift away. He drifted away from the Lord. Not all at once, not overnight, not dramatically.
Slowly, his heart grew colder.
Distance from God set in. He found himself squarely in the middle of the wilderness one day. Randomly, he thought, providentially. It turns out he shared a stagecoach, a coach.
Sitting across from a young woman, and she was humming a tune. He leaned over and asked, do you know the words to that song? She said, yes. And she began to sing to him in that coach. Prone to wander Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
She turns to Robert Robinson and she says, do you know that song?
And he said, know it? I wrote it. And I would give a thousand worlds to have the love for God today I had back then.
That is the wilderness. Not lost. Not in Egypt anymore. But not walking in joy in Canaan either. Just sitting there saying, I remember when it was real in my life.
I remember when I felt something. I remember when my heart was alive. All past tense.
Here's the good news. That moment became Robert Robinson's turning point. He came back. He turned to the Lord. He left the wilderness, and God restored him.
And I want to tell you with joy and anticipation for you today. That God's still doing it.
God restores wandering people. And maybe today is your turning point. Because today the question is very simple. Where are you living? Egypt?
Canaan, or the wilderness?
Some of you today are still in Egypt. You're not a Christian yet. You're still trying to clean yourself up. You're promising to change. But deep down, you know you're still in bondage.
Listen to me very Carefully. You don't need self improvement. You need Jesus to save you from your sins.
The Bible says everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13. When the Bible says everyone, does it include you?
If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. That's Romans 10, 9, 10. Don't miss Romans 10:11. And whoever trusts in him, he will not put to shame. Come on out of Egypt today and come to Jesus.
Jesus Christ died so your sins could be forgiven and your life could be changed. Come to him today.
Others of us are believers, but we're wandering in the wilderness. Saved but weary, forgiven but dry. You've been trying to live the Christian life in your own strength and you've been failing fantastically at it. Somewhere along the journey you settled down in the desert. Maybe today you realize God did not bring me out of Egypt to leave me here.
He brought you out to bring you in. Come out of the wilderness today.
Come into dependence into abundance, milk and honey into the life of Christ. Others of you are walking with God right now. But you know how easily the heart drifts. So your prayer today is simple. Lord, keep me depending on you and make me humble like Jesus.
Here's what I'm saying, don't stay where you are. The same God who brought Israel out is still bringing people in. And here's how we're going to end the service today. I'm going to have you stand. I'm going to have my prayer teams come to the front.
Then I'm going to pray and I'm going to dismiss the service. And you get to decide whether you dealing with the Lord and what you've heard today ends when I say amen. Or has there been enough draw of the Holy Spirit to bring you to a prayer line to say I need out of Egypt, I need out of the wilderness. I need more grace to stay in Canaan. Everybody needs something.
You think about that as we pray. Prayer team, come to the front please.
You got your eyes closed. Let me ask you, Raise your hand if you'd say, pastor, I'm in Egypt. I need God to get me out. Takes courage. Just raise your hand.
I'm in Egypt. I need to come out of Egypt. I'm in bondage. I feel enslaved. I need something anybody takes courage.
This is the easiest place you'll ever be to raise your hand. We're all rooting for you in here, Pastor. I'm in the wilderness. It nailed me. The joy has gone.
All that. This is like you've been reading my mail. I know. God spoke to me about that. I'm in the wilderness.
Would you pray for me? Anybody, raise your hand. Takes courage. Okay, look, if you're in the wilderness, you need prayer today. Come, let us pray with you and help you.
Pastor, I'm in Canaan, but I need more grace. I need more favor. I need the humility of Jesus so that I don't drift in the wilderness. Pray for me. I'm in Canaan, but I need that.
Anybody? Okay. All right. Stand together, Father, I pray. Decisions become disciples.
Today, by your grace, in Jesus name and a faith filled church said Amen. Prayer lines are open. We're dismissed.

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Join us this Sunday at Great Commission Church for a welcoming and uplifting worship experience. If you’ve been searching for a church near you, you’ll discover a warm, authentic church family ready to help you grow in faith.

We are a family-friendly, non-denominational Christian church in Olive Branch, serving individuals and families throughout DeSoto County and the greater Mid-South. People looking for Christian churches in Olive Branch often discover a vibrant community where faith comes alive and lives are transformed through the Gospel.

Whether you’re new to faith or have followed Christ for years, you’ll find welcoming Sunday services, practical Bible teaching, and a place to belong. We are more than a congregation — we are a church family united by a mission to follow Jesus and live out the Great Commission.

A Place for the Whole Family

Families searching for a church with strong children’s programs love our engaging Kids Ministry and safe, caring environments. Students can connect through our Youth Ministry, and adults of every stage can find community through groups, prayer, and discipleship opportunities. As a multi-generational church, we love seeing every age grow in faith together.

Meaningful Worship

Experience contemporary worship with modern Christian music, heartfelt prayer, and Gospel-centered messages designed to help you encounter God personally. If you’re looking for vibrant worship near Memphis, you’ll find a place that feels both authentic and inspiring.

Grow in Your Faith

We offer Bible studies, small groups, and discipleship opportunities that help you understand and apply God’s Word to everyday life. If you’re looking for a place to grow spiritually, you’ll find support and encouragement here.

Connected to Our Community

We are passionate about serving our neighbors through outreach and local partnerships, making a positive impact in Olive Branch and beyond.

Conveniently located in Olive Branch, we serve families from surrounding communities, including Southaven, Germantown, Collierville, Lewisburg, and Byhalia.