Four Principles for Obedience, Change, and Spiritual Growth

In January of 1938, a pilot named Douglas Corrigan filed a flight plan from New York to California. But when he took off, he disappeared into the clouds—and 28 hours later, he landed in Dublin, Ireland.

When authorities asked what happened, Corrigan claimed he’d simply made a navigational error. He was supposed to go west but ended up 3,000 miles east. They called him “Wrong Way Corrigan.”

The truth? He knew his plane wasn’t approved for transatlantic flight—but he’d dreamed of doing it for years. So he adjusted his course intentionally. He took a risk. And though he was grounded afterward, America cheered him on for his boldness.

Here’s the point: every one of us reaches a moment when we realize we’re flying the wrong direction. The question is—will you keep going the wrong way out of pride and fear, or will you have the courage to adjust course and take that first step of obedience toward what God is calling you to do?

That’s where we find Moses in Exodus 4:18–31. He’s been arguing with God, resisting His call—but finally, he adjusts course. He packs up his family, mounts his donkey, and starts toward Egypt. It’s not a perfect journey, but it’s a new direction—and that’s where transformation begins.

Notice his first step…his moment of truth.

Four Principles for Adjusting Course
When you take action…
1. Be Truthful with Yourself and Others

Exodus 4:18-20
Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

Notice how Moses isn’t being honest. His first action is motivated by two fears.

• The first fear is that his Father-in-Law won’t let him go.

Now, why is this a fear?

Let’s seek to understand the ancient near-east culture and what obligation Moses has married into.

1. Patriarchal and Household Economy Context
2. 
   
   • In the ancient Near East (and specifically in Midianite and broader Semitic culture), family was not just relational—it was economic and covenantal.
   • When a man married into a family, he often became part of the household economy—working under the authority and protection of the family patriarch.
   • The father-in-law (or father figure) was the head of the clan, and to leave without his blessing was considered dishonor and potentially rebellion.
3. Moses’ Role in Jethro’s Household
4. 
   
   • Moses had been living in Midian for about 40 years.
   • He married Zipporah, Jethro’s daughter, and was shepherding Jethro’s flocks (Exodus 3:1).
   • That means Moses’ identity, provision, and protection were all tied to Jethro’s household.
   • To walk away from that without permission would have been like abandoning your employer, your family, and your inheritance rights all at once.
5. Why Moses Is Nervous
6. 
   
   • His fear makes sense: asking to leave would signal he was done with the family business—done serving under Jethro’s authority.
   • It would sound like, “I’m leaving the security you’ve provided me to pursue my own thing.”
   • In that world, that could be seen as disrespectful, ungrateful, or even dishonorable.
   • So, Moses softens the truth: “Please let me go back to see if my brothers are still alive.” It wasn’t why he was going back…he knew his brothers were alive.

Def. of Brothers: i. blood relative, companion; ii. A countryman conceived of as a brother

So, why is Moses not being truthful?

He is not being truthful because:
There is a significant cost to his father-in-law

He may not believe he will let him go if he tells him the story of the burning bush – it’s a little far-fetched

He’s scared to disappoint!

The Second Fear is that he is still fearful for his life if he returns to Egypt.

Up to this point, he has reconciled in his own heart that he is fine being a shepherd in Midian and never returning to Egypt. Frankly, it probably never crossed his mind to go back, because he knew he was a fugitive.

But notice what the Lord says to him.

Exodus 4:19
And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.”
 
The Lord is so gracious to Moses. He knows that Moses isn’t being honest – with his father-in-law, or even with himself. He knows that Moses to return to Egypt because of his past.

So, the Lord sends a word to him. He gets really specific: “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who are seeing your life are dead.”

This specific word is a reinforcement to the call, and to eliminate his fear.

The Lord is so good to send encouragement and affirmation when we are trying to move forward, but fears are still at the front and center of our heart and minds. He sends a word to us. He sends encouragement to us. He sends specific things that help us know that:
 “God is with me…He has me…He is moving me…And I can trust him.”

My friend, do you know this?
God is with you
God has you
God may be moving you
And You can trust Him!

Notice also, before we move off of this section…that even when we aren’t fully honest, God is at work. Notice the word “Go.”

Verse 18 – From Jethro to Moses – “Go in peace.”

Jethro’s response, “Go in peace,” is not casual. It’s a formal blessing—a release.

• It’s as if he’s saying, “You have my permission to go, and may the Lord’s favor be with you.”

Verse 19 – “Go back to Egypt…”

Sometimes obeying God means leaving the security of the familiar—the family business, the comfort zone, the approval of people we respect—and stepping into what feels uncertain. But God clears the way for him to take his next steps.

Practical Step:
Ask: What fear is holding me back and how can I confront it? What one step do I need to take to adjust my course in spite of my fear?

Four Principles for Adjusting Course
When you take action…

• Be Truthful with Yourself and Others
• Resolve the Unresolved

Exodus 4:21-26
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”
24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

I am sure that some of you are thinking: “What is Pastor going to do with these two paragraphs?”

Yeah – me too!

But step back from it for a moment and let’s see what’s taking place.

In the first section, verses 21-23, we see very clear instructions for his public facing responsibilities.

Then, as you get into the second paragraph, there is something weird going on.

Exodus 4:24-26
24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

You may say, “Hey, wait a minute, this isn’t fair! God told him to do this…and he is…and then God brings calamity? God comes to kill him?”

Some scholars say that here, Moses gets very ill.

• It’s possible that he is on his death bed.
• It’s also possible that his wife hasn’t allowed circumcision…
• Or that Moses, because of fear of Jethro and the Midianite culture, has just chosen not to be obedient to God’s command for the sons born to Jews.

But let me remind us of the covenant God makes with Abraham.

Genesis 17:9-14
And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

We don’t know all of the information, but we do know:

• What God has expected of the Hebrew people
• That Moses and Zipphora have yet to obey
• That Moses is being sent to lead the Hebrew people
• That Moses has unfinished business at home.
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The Tyndale Bible Commentary states:
The circumcision of Moses’ son, a command decreed by God (4:24–26; cf. Gen. 17:9–14), had been neglected by Moses, perhaps to accommodate Zipporah. For that failure, God was about to take Moses’ life. God was being consistent with his promise to and demands of Abraham and his descendants in the chosen line. Moses was not the beginning of God’s redemption. Rather, he was God’s man to bring about the next great step in the redemption promised to Abraham.”[1]
  [1] Hughes, R. B., & Laney, J. C. (2001). Tyndale concise Bible commentary (p. 34). Tyndale House Publishers.

You can’t move forward in public obedience while remaining in private disobedience.
Application: Before God can use a leader, he must deal with unfinished obedience (circumcision of his son).

One’s Private life must align. We have to RESOLVE THE UNRESOLVED!

So, as we speak of making Adjustments…Adjustment also means repentance, not just activity.

Identify one area where you’ve rationalized disobedience. Confess it. Correct it. Don’t carry compromise into God’s assignment.

Four Principles for Adjusting Course
When you take action…

• Be Truthful with Yourself and Others
• Resolve the Unresolved
• Trust God to Bring You the Right People for the Journey

Exodus 4:27-29
27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do.

Did you know that every leaders has needs that can only be met in and through other leaders?

As God is going to use Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of bondage and into the promise land, he is going to bring to Moses key “Second Chair” Leaders.

I had the privilege of co-authoring, with Mike Bonem, “Leading from the Second Chair.”
 
My doctoral thesis is on the Theology of the Second Chair – What is the theological foundation of the subordinate leader of the local church?

On Moses Journey, beginning with Aaron, God brought to him capacity, strength, gifts, and even succession.

• Aaron – Spokesperson for Moses; Leader of Levites and Priests; Would handle all things w the Tabernacle, Sacrifices; Wingman
• Hur – Wingman; Served as a judge and representative
• Joshua – Warrior; Young Aide; Successor
• The 70 – Served as Judges

What God had planned for Moses was far too great a work that he could do on his own. So, from the get-go, God brought a companion, a second chair leader, a resource and more strength.

Let me show you something about surrounding yourself with leaders.

Look at how the scripture says it helps you wage your war.

Proverbs 24:5-6
5 A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.

What does it say here to us?

• Those who are wise are “full of strength” – seems they have no lack
• And these who are wise and knowledgeable – do you know what they do? – They INCREASE THEIR MIGHT.
• HOW???
• By Wise Guidance – you can wage YOUR war…
• In an ABUNDANCE of counselors there is VICTORY!

What is YOUR war? What is YOUR part of the war that God has called you to?

• Are you strong enough?
• Are you found adding strength?
• Are you adding leaders to yourself and your teams?

As you study Moses, you will see him doing this through his journey.

What people has the Lord brought to you? Are you using them? Are you receiving them? Are you seeing them as strength who will help you increase your strength?

Last Principle – as we adjust course and begin to move with God…notice what happens:

Four Principles for Adjusting Course
When you take action…

• Be Truthful with Yourself and Others
• Resolve the Unresolved
• Trust God to Bring You the Right People for the Journey
• Your Aim is to Influence Others & Show God’s Faithfulness

Exodus 4:30-31
30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

When you adjust course and obey, others see the faithfulness of God and join you.

• Your obedience becomes someone else’s breakthrough.
• And the Lord turns private faith into public witness.

Nelson Mandela

• Born: July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, South Africa, to a royal Thembu family.
• He studied law and became deeply involved in the African National Congress (ANC), fighting against apartheid — South Africa’s legalized system of racial segregation.
• In his 20s and 30s, Mandela believed violence was necessary to end systemic oppression.
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  • In 1961, he helped found Umkhonto we Sizwe (“Spear of the Nation”), the ANC’s armed wing.
  • He authorized sabotage campaigns against government infrastructure (but not against people).
• In 1962, he was arrested, convicted of sabotage and conspiracy, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

At this stage, Mandela’s “belief system” was rooted in righteous anger and revolutionary justice — fighting evil with resistance, even force.

The Prison Years: Mandela’s Crisis & Adjustment of Course

• Mandela spent 27 years in prison (mostly on Robben Island).
• In that harsh environment — breaking rocks, cut off from his family, denied basic dignity — something profound changed in him.
• He began to embrace forgiveness, discipline, and reconciliation instead of bitterness and vengeance.

He later wrote in Long Walk to Freedom:
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

• This was Mandela’s adjustment of course — an internal reorientation from anger to grace, revenge to reconciliation.
• He studied his enemies’ language (Afrikaans), befriended his guards, and sought to understand rather than destroy them.
• He realized that freedom isn’t just political — it’s spiritual.

The Transformation: From Revolutionary to Reconciler

• Released from prison in 1990, Mandela refused to let his movement collapse into retaliation.
• Instead of calling for vengeance, he preached forgiveness and unity.
• In 1994, he became South Africa’s first democratically elected president — but his focus wasn’t domination, it was reconciliation.

He famously said:
“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

• Under his leadership, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established to confront atrocities through confession and forgiveness — not retribution.

Mandela adjusted his course from liberation by force to liberation by forgiveness.

The Legacy

• Mandela’s leadership transformed South Africa and inspired the world.
• His course correction turned him from a prisoner into a peacemaker — from one who fought for freedom through power to one who led through humility.
• He modeled what happens when someone has the courage to realign their life with a higher moral and spiritual calling.

Parallel to Moses:

• Like Moses, Mandela fled, fought, and resisted.
• Both were shaped in isolation before they could lead with wisdom.
• Both discovered that the path to deliverance runs through obedience and humility.

Call to Action:
“It’s time to stop debating your calling and start walking in it.”

1. Identify the direction God’s calling you to move.
2. Address the area He’s asking you to surrender.
3. Accept the help He’s sending you.
4. Act—take the first step this week.

 

This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2025 from our CityRise Church West U Baptist campus. Check out the full message below!