Exodus 8:28
“And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.”
Moses nearly made the same mistake that many pastors and Christians make had not God stepped in and stopped it. As Moses continued to challenge Pharaoh’s attempt to let them go and sacrifice to God, Pharaoh came back and offered Moses to sacrifice to God, but he said “ye shall not go very far away.” Moses actually agreed to the offer, but God stepped in and hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let them go.
I’m sure this offer didn’t sound too bad to Moses. You must understand the pressure Moses had coming from both Pharaoh and his own people. Moses probably thought that this compromise was a way to relieve the pressure. What Moses didn’t understand is that if he had gone through with this offer, Pharaoh would have known that they were not very serious because they moved one time.
This same offer to not go very far away is what you are faced with on a day-to-day basis. Satan initially attacks the Christian with unreasonable offers that he knows they will not accept, and then he comes back with the offer to not go very far away. Satan knows that if you don’t go too far from the world that he will eventually get you to come back to the world. He knows that as long as the world is in sight that its allure and fancies will eventually cause you to come back. The offer to not go too far away must never be accepted.
We must be careful about our churches accepting the offer to stay close to the world. Many pastors have gotten tired of not seeing their churches grow, and they think that if they don’t go too far from the world that it will bring the world into the church. This is not the case! Pastors must realize that if the world can get the church to move, then they will continue to apply pressure for the church to get closer until they are no longer serving the LORD. The pastor must never accept the world’s offer of not going too far away. The church must stand with truth, for truth will take the world’s viewpoint completely out of sight.
Moreover, every home must be careful about not accepting the offer of staying closer to the world. Parents, don’t become weary of the constant barrage of attacks from your teenager to let up. The Devil would love for you to move your home where it is not too far from the world. Many homes have been destroyed because they stayed in eyeshot of the world only to completely stop serving the LORD to the detriment of their children.
Furthermore, every Christian needs to be careful about allowing the enticement of not going too far away. You may become weary with the criticism about your stand from work or school, but you must never allow the world’s offer to come closer to cause you to move. Friend, they are waiting for you to move one time. If you move once then you have lost the battle. You must continue to stand strong and not move even if the world calls you extreme.
Always remember that when God saved you, He brought you out of the world. The whole reason the world wants you to not go too far is so that you can still see the temptations of the world. The answer is to stay close to God. You are a Christian, and you should never leave God’s side. If you will stay close to God, then the call of not going too far will never entice you.