March Forth on 3/4

3/4/20 “March Forth”

So the staff knows I really like this day.  It began with a children’s sermon years ago that happened on March 4^th.  I called it “Noah’s Day.”  The story goes like this: 
Noah had gathered all the animals into the ark and for forty days and forty nights all these hundreds yea thousands of animals were in the same boat together with the rain on the outside.  Many got sea sick and nauseated.  The smell had to be horrendous.  Finally God stopped the rain, sent a rainbow, opened the ark and said, “March forth!”  That is what we celebrate on March 4^th.

    But March is Missions month at LMPC.  It is the month that we think about, take up a collection for, and celebrate what we are able to do for God’s glory. 

How many times does the phrase, “March forth!” Occur?  It is hard to say because it is said in some different ways.  The phrase is found at least 15 times- which is a pretty steady number.   When I raise my hand, everyone say, “March forth!”
Often times it speaks of God marching forth before the Israelites. (Isa. 42:13; Zech. 9:14). 

But doubtless- when the Israelites left slavery in Egypt, Moses told them to “March forth.”
When they came to the dead end of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army behind them- God told them to March forth!
     When they did the Red Sea split- but swallowed the Egyptian army when they came after them.
When they came to the edge of the Jordan River Joshua told the priests carrying the ark to “March forth” and when they did the sea split.
When Joshua came to the walls of Jericho he told the people to “March Forth” 7 times around the city and then when the walls fell to “March forth” into the city.

Jehoshaphat was faced with a huge army.  He was told by God to not be afraid but march forth!
“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this bast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Tomorrow march out against them.’” (2 Chronicles 20:15,16a).  Often when we march forth- we do so because God first marches forth before us. 

A lot of what we do is just to get up and get going. 

One of the bravest guys I’ve known is a Presbyterian minister in South Sudan named Oruzu.  Oruzu helped start our SALT compound in the state capital of Pibor- which consists of a school, a medical clinic, several churches.  This past year there was a terrible flood in which the whole town of Pibor was under at least five feet of water (much like the 2015 flood in SC but without any dams and controls).  We decided to send the money that had been set aside to get us there and do the work.  Two trucks and more of tarps, food, and relief supplies was sent and Oruzu made sure it was delivered by going with it- into what would be a war zone.  He marched forth!  A huge army of tens of thousands of rival tribes surrounded Pibor.  Oruzu refused to leave his people- though all the other officials left.  Our presbytery group chartered a special plane through Africa Inland Mission (AIM). They were able to fly Oruzu his children and five others out. 

When we think about the Corona virus or the flu- we should not seek to cower in our homes with haz matt suits, masks, Lysol, blue gloves and hand sanitizer. 
Of course, we may change the way we pass the peace- with an elbow bump; and we will have hand sanitizer around. 

Our choices in the face of any fear or insecurity is will we run away, be paralyzed, or march forth- doing what we believe God wants us to do.