Deuteronomy 1:6-8 (NIV) 6 The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the moun-tains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Ja-cob—and to their descendants after them.”

It’s time to advance! To break camp and advance!

And here we find them camping…. What’s got you camping today?

• addiction

• failure

• pain / loss

• success / comfortability

• comfort

It’s God’s desire that we break camp today and advance!

One of the biggest misconceptions about advancing is as-suming that you’re waiting for the perfect conditions. Or assuming that those around you that are crushing it are doing so because it’s easy. You ever think, “man, everything always go good for them” or “if I had that, then I’d be advancing too.”

We preach a theology of ease in our culture and too of-ten in our pulpits. But, the reality is that most if not “all” of our advance-ment will come via adversity. God tells the Israelites to advance! Well, what were they about to advance into? Giants, Jericho and other adversity that they’d have to face. Our personal lives and the kingdom of God will not advance by ease but in adversity.

ADVANCE IN ADVERSITY

1. Embrace Adversity As a Gift

See Adversity as a gift not a punishment. The test/struggle produces something in you.

Romans 5:3-5 (NIV) 3 Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perse-verance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

We live in a “if I don’t like it then I don’t have to” culture.

2. Don’t Quit!

We’re Quitting Too Soon

• relationships

• community/church

• job

• dreams

Stop looking for Do-overs and just continue. Don’t need a do-over, you just need to not quit. Advancement requires perseverance. Your pain threshold will determine your ability to advance! If your pain threshold is low, so will your impact be.

What’s the biggest key to being ready and strong enough to continue and advance in adversity?

3. Stay Close To Jesus

Look for peace/Jesus in the storm, stop trying to avoid the storm.

John 16:33 (NIV) 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Where’s the strength? in Him!

Psalm 23:1-6 (NIV) 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will fol-low me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.