Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning, it is truly a blessing to see you all here this morning.

If you have your bibles please turn with me to the book of Exodus chapter 14.

We have been examining the redemption of the Israelites the children of God from the bondage placed on them by the Egyptians and ultimately Pharaoh, we spoke a little bit the last time we were together and discussed how this whole account of God redeeming His people served as a picture for the church today in how God brings his people out in order to bring them in.

God brings them out of slavery in order to bring them in to the land of promise.

Likewise God brings us out of bondage to sin, in order that He might bring us into the land of promise namely the paradise of Heaven, but also blessing here on this Earth while we are here.

We learned that this account of pharoah is not just what happened with the Israelites but it is also what happens when God delivers one of is children during salvation.

It is clear throughout the Bible that once we are delivered out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, that an enemy pursues us.

He seeks to overtake us but God gives the prescription for Spiritual warfare when he proclaims through Moses that when trouble comes and the enemy seeks to overtake you, when you feel as though there is no where to turn that believers should: FEAR NOT, STAND FIRM, AND BE STILL because God is fighting for you!

So God has brought the Israelites out to bring them in, you have been brought out in order to be brought in… but in between slavery and the promised land there is a journey, a journey filled with difficulty, harsh terrain, sometimes we encounter insurmountable odds.

Yet God calls us to faith during this journey, He calls us to both rest in His ability to rescue us, and be obedient to His voice regardless of the request.

Each church of Jesus Christ can relate well with the Israelites they moved as a group following the Lord, and so do we.

They had a leader who was given the task to seek God and listen for direction.

We have been given the same, and while I know that I am not Moses, or Aaron....

I can relate well with them because I know how it feels to be called to say very difficult things to people, to ask them to do things that don’t make sense on paper… all because I desire for this church to be faithfully obedient and safely arrive at God desired end for us.

I say all of that to say that this message not only gives you a glimpse in to the heart of Israel trying to walk the road of faith, it also gives you insight into a leader’s life who has been asked by God to lead a people, a people whom god desires to bring into its best days yet.

So let’s learn together from the experiences of the children of God…

I’ve entitled todays sermon: “Crossing Over or Turning Back?”

This is the question of the day for the children of Israel, God has freed them and they are on their way to a land flowing with milk and honey… a land filled with both the provision of God and the presence of God.

A beautiful place of abundance....

They just got one problem… The enemy has come after them.

Now they stand on the sea shore wondering… God why have you brought us out here to die???

We thought it was all good when the Egyptains let us leave without putting up a fight, when they just through gold at us but now here we are poor tired and standing at the edge of a vast ocean and we aint got nowhere else to go...

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a situation there was not way to get out of?

If I go this way I die, If I go this way I die.

This is the dead end street most of us find ourselves standing in, when life’s problems begin to close in around us...

God has told you to obey his calling into ministry..... you fear and dont respond and now you feel stuck...

God has called you to help His church be the church HE DESIRES IT TO BE, by sacrifically serving Him no questions asked.... you fear and now you feel stuck…

God has told you that we need to reach out to lost folks, and disciple them, in order to fufill our great commission… you dont know what to say… you fear and now you feel stuck...

God has told you to give a certain amount you listened initially but as soon as God called you to give this certain amount… you lost your income… you fear… stop giving.. and now you feel stuck.

God has called you to lead spiritually in your home… youve never done that before.... you fear… and now you feel stuck.

You see fear has a way of telling us the truth about ourselves.

When situations occur in our lives that we cant handle… do we pray and wait expectantly for God to answer?

Or do we allow the enormity of our circumstances to eclipse what God has said and cause us to get stuck?

Here the nuts and bolts of the Christian life, it is the same as the Israelites

You were here..... God freed you… Now your here… Satan pursues you… and you stand not knowing how you willl ever get outta this one....

GOD ASKS YOU THIS QUESTION:

ARE YOU GOING TO BY FAITH CROSS OVER?

OR ARE YOU GOING TO GO BACK?

What are you gonna do?

The israelites were fine with going back… can you hear em… listen we can have 3 meals a day… sure we may have to work but if we bow when the pharoah gets here and last he wont slaughter us..

In the middle of hearing all of this Moses says HEY BE STILL GODS GONE FIGHT FOR YOU!

Go back to what that trashy life you used to live?

GO BACK TO WHAT YALL STAND STILL GODS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING GREAT!

You see that’s the difference between a follower of God and a leader, someone who just follows God sees the problem.... the Christian leader He sees potential.

MAN LOOK HERE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS COMING UP ON US AND THERE AINT NO WAY TO FIX THIS,… I CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT GODS GONNA DO NOW!

Thats the heart of faith, fear sees the problem Faith sees an opportunity for God to show off!

But even though the heart of faith knows god is going to respond and act, a wise man or woman of faith knows He uses people.

So he knows its time to hold prayer meeting.

There is a gap between verse 14 and verse 15 in verse 14 Moses proclaims God’s gonnna save us be silent God about to show out!

He proclaims it boldy and with real conviction .

But in between the verses Moses shows his humanity.

The Leaders Cry

Exodus

The prayer of Moses is not recorded but it definitely happened.

We know this by the fact that God addresses Moses’ prayer with a question… why are you crying out to me?

why would God ask Moses this question?

I mean good leaders pray, good leaders cry out to God why would God be asking Moses about why He is stalling…

WHY ARE YOU CRYING OUT TO ME?

God says you already know Moses what has to be done, you already know that I can get it done.

Moses looking at the army had to have let his brain get in the way of his faith.

Really there is no other option than through the sea, Moses knew that but now hes crying out.

This phrase crying out this aint no.... “Now i lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep.... this aint no God is great God is good let me thank him for our food.... rote memorized lingo that you say out of religious habit.

HE IS CRYING OUT TO GOD....

The word for cry here literally means to shriek, to shout loudly.

so now think about this Moses makes this bold statment of faith and now he is screaming out to God.... this is bold prayer, this is Moses yelling out “alright god your gonna have to do something!

God says boy why are crying out to me look around you Moses...

I sent you the long way in order to keep you away from the Philistine army because the people werent ready… now look behind you… chariots barreling even faster toward the people.

If the people weren’t ready for hte philistines you KNOW they aint ready for an angry Egyptain army...

Now look back over the last year Moses at what I have showed you… what is the one thing I have showed you over the last year that would come in handy right now?

When you brought the people out of Egypt did you fight them?

NO

I lead you away from the Philistines right?

YES

SO IF YOU CANT WHIP AN ARMY, WHAT HAVE I SHOWED YOU THAT I CAN USE TO DEFEAT YOUR ENEMY?

CREATION

You see we all think that the plagues god sent on the Egyptians were just for their release but that’s not all God was doing.

God was teaching Moses that He had total control over creation..

He turned water into blood, he sent flies, frogs, and then he sent plagues on Egypts livestock but not Israels, He sent the death angel, but spared Israels.

GOD DID THINGS IN MOSES PAST TO EMBOLDEN HIM IN HIS FUTURE

Moses looks at the sea one last time and God continues....

Moses stands up and says… everybody get up and move forward....

Can’t you see it in your minds eye...

BUT WE WILL DROWN....

BUT WE HAVE SMALL CHILDREN…

Moses says MOVE FORWARD....

BUT

You see the miracle can’t happen when you stand still in fear.

GOD WILL NOT SEND THE MIRACLE IF YOU DO NOT ACT IN FAITH…

(Grace big slide)

She was very timid, very afraid…

But i knew it would bring her great joy....

She was very hesitant but when she knew Daddy was gonna be waiting at the bottom she shot down that slide like she had done it 1,000 times before.

When she hit the water the first thing she said when she came up was daddy!

I grabbed her and she got the biggest smile on her face and said… can we do that again???

Her fear kept her stationary, it was her understanding of who I was that caused her to experience great joy.

She knew Daddy was gone be there when she hit the bottom.

She had faith because she knew “WHO I WAS”

It caused her to do something that felt impossible to her.

Likewise when your faced with impossible circumstances you should be willing to move forward knowing that your daddy is gone be there when you do.

Now think about how faith really plays out in our lives.