The 3 D’s that every believer will face on their route

Exodus 13:17–22 KJV 1900

17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: 18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. 20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

Watch the video — Sis. Monica

One of the things

You have to understand

About the life we live

Is that this life

Is more about SUFFERING

Than being HAPPY

When God saved us

He saved us

To Serve — To Sacrifice — To Suffer

Note: Suffering 2nd Cor.1:3-7

2 Corinthians 1:3–7 NASB95

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

And most church folks

Want to be Happy

But God has given us JOY

Because it’s going to take

Joy

To face THIS JOURNEY

That we’re on

And not just being HAPPY

Because Happiness

Is predicated on

What”s happening

But Joy is simply

Because of Who God is in our life

Because there’s going to be

Times in our life

That we ourselves

Not going to Know

What’s happening

What’s going on

But the “ Joy of the Lord will be your strength “

“ The 3 D’s that every believe will face on their route “

Exodus 13:17-22

This christian journey

Can be a route of

Ups and downs

And sometimes a rollercoaster

But God

Never takes us to our Destination

Without developing us

Some routes delay us from our destination.

Some routes spoils the trip.

Some routes we run into other problems.

Some routes kill our mood about the trip.

In Exodus 12- Pharaoh

Let’s God’s people go

After 430 years of captivity

And after that

The Israelites

Have situation

After situation

Exodus 13- God took them the long route

Exodus 14- The come up on the Red Sea

Exodus 15- They come up on bitter waters

One thing after another

It’s one thing

After another

Somebody today

Is well acquainted with today

ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER

But this is

What you have to understand

that the life you now live

Comes in 3 D

The 3 D’s that every believer will face on their route

1st The Discipline & Detours of routes

Whenever we’re

On a divine route

By God

There will ALWAYS

Be discipline on that route

1st Reason — Because of where we come from / Israelites came from Egypt

2nd Reason — Because of where we’re going / Israelites going to the Promise Land

We say that

a straight line

is the shortest distance

between two points

Well

it may be the shortest distance

but it’s not always

the best distance

Exodus 13:17 (KJV 1900) 17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:

Now God knew

that if He had taken them

the straight way

they would have gone through

The land of the Philistines

And if they had gone through

The land of the Philistines

then they would have met

the warlike Philistines

And when they saw the Philistines

they would have been frightened

And if they were frightened

and their hearts

were filled with fear

they would have turned around

They would have turned their heels

and they would have

gone back to Egypt

They would have become dismayed

They would have become discouraged

And they would have become defeated

And so God didn’t lead them that way

And yet

He may have you

right now

out in the wilderness

going ’round and ’round in circles

And you may think

that you’re out

of the will of God

But you’re not

out of the will of God

God is leading you

’round about

because God knows

that you’re not

quite ready for some

of the things that He has in store for you

Note: Now God could have taken them the short route and just wipeout the Philistines

Sometimes

Somethings are not good

Getting quick or arriving to soon

Example: Getting married — New Job — New House — New relationship

The reason

that God led them

in the wilderness

was because

it was God’s boot camp

It was out there

that He was going

to toughen them

Notice where God led them

Exodus 13:18 KJV 1900

18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

Note: Wilderness — is symbolic to struggle — When the word wilderness is used in the bible it’s always used to know the place of struggle or a place of testing

Now what was that like? ?????

It was a place of hardness

it was a place of drought

and it was a place of discipline

What was God doing with them out there?

God was just

simply toughening them up

It was God’s boot camp

It was God’s training camp

And God was getting them ready

Quote: “ God takes deliberate time with us, he does not hurry … we can only appreciate his point of view by a long discipline “.

Oswald Chambers

Note: The Israelites discipline was 40 years in the wilderness

You know

If we’re not going

in a straight line

We start to think

That we’re out

Of the will of God

But Not necessarily so

The important thing

is not that you know !!!!!

The important thing

is that God knows !!!!!!!

and that you’re follow Him — Trust Him in the Process

Notice Exodus 13:21–22 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

That pillar of fire

and that pillar of cloud

represent the Holy Spirit

As they came out of Egypt

the Passover lamb

represents the Lord Jesus Christ

And the pillar of fire

and cloud represents

the Holy Spirit to lead them

You see

after God redeems us

God sends His Holy Spirit

to lead us

And Jesus said, “He, the Holy Spirit, will guide you” (John 16:13).

And just as that pillar of cloud

was their guidance

in that wilderness

the Holy Spirit of God

is our guidance

in our wilderness

And the important thing is

not that I see

where I’m going

the important thing is that

day by day

We have our eyes

on the pillar of cloud

and

night by night

on the pillar of fire

Moment by moment

\We need to walk in the Spirit

The 3 D’s that every believer will face on their route

1st The Discipline & Detours of Routes

2nd The Dilemma & Dead-Ends of Routes

Exodus 14:8–12 (KJV 1900) 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.

11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

Now remember

they are still

being led of the Lord,

and this time

they come to something

more aggravating than a detour.

Now detours

are aggravating.

And Nobody likes

to get on a detour,

or a back road.

But

there is something

worse than a detour:

it’s after you’ve been

on a detour

for a long time,

and you come to a dead-end

Exodus 14:1–2 KJV 1900

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

That’s exactly

where God wanted them to be

God put them there.

God led them there.

And God did it for a purpose.

God had

a wonderful purpose.

And what was the purpose?

Look at verse Exodus 14:3

Exodus 14:3 KJV 1900

3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

Note: Pharoah don’t KNOW & can’t SEE what God is doing in the life of the Israelites

And why did God

lead them there?

So that the place

of desperation

would become

the place of dependence;

God brought you

to this place

so that you can see

absolutely no way out,

and then

You have to cast

Yourselves completely,

totally, upon the Lord.

Exodus 14:13–16 (KJV 1900)

13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Fear Not ( V. 13 )

Stand Still ( V. 13 )

Psalm 46:10 (KJV 1900) 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

See the Salvation of the Lord ( V.13 )

There is no contradiction here

where it says

on the one hand

“Stand still,”

and then on the other hand

where it says,

“Go forward.”

We have to come

to that place

of rest and confidence

where

by faith

we see God in action

and then

again, we move in a way that we’ve never seen before.

The 3 D’s that every believer will face on their route

1st The Discipline & Detours of Routes

2nd The Dilemma & Dead-Ends of Routes

3rd The Disappointments & Dry-Holes of Routes

Exodus 15:22 (KJV 1900) 22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

You want to see

what that purpose was?

Exodus 15:23–25 (KJV 1900) 23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

Notice this phrase —“and there he proved them” (Exodus 15:23–25). “There he proved them”: literally, that means, “Therefore, he tested them.”

Now how did Israel do when they came to their test?

They failed it

and they failed miserably

look how they failed the test

Exodus 15:24 “And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:24). And they started to murmur against Moses.

I want you to learn this

if you are a murmurer

When you come

to a disappointment

in life

when you come

to a dry hole

along the road

when there is no motel

anywhere with hot and cold

running water

and it just seems

like life has done you dirty

I want you to notice

when you complain

what you’re really doing

Exodus 16:8 (KJV 1900) 8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.