05/07/2023 Jesus: My Strength-Giver

Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor / Elder Jonathan Lonon Sermon Notes May 7, 2023 Jesus: My Strength-Giver Scripture: Exodus 15:1 - 3 (NKJV) The Song of Moses 1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! 2 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. 3 The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His name. (There are several other scripture passages for this message in Deuteronomy, Psalms, and II Samuel, but I will start with what I will call a preface passage and take an expository verse-byverse approach which will likely take all of our time, but don’t worry, in brevity our topic will be fully understood.) Exodus 13:17 - 14:31 (New King James Version - NKJV) The Wilderness Way Yes, they were in the wilderness, but God was not wandering, He was leading! 1 17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.” 20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. Just in case you don’t know the whole story - we sort of landed suddenly in the middle of a major event - the freedom of God’s chosen from the grips of Pharaoh and Egyptian captivity. That’s a message right there! We won’t preach the story today, but let’s do a short version of things. Have you ever been bound by something or someone, and then set free! First, how did you behave while in the experience? Next, how did you get through that experience? Now, how does it feel to be free from it? Let’s recap what had happened! (Talk about Moses’s salvation as a baby, his rise to leadership, his banishment, his call, and return, then his obedient leadership to proclaim from God to “let My people go!” Finally, touch the long-lasting significance of what we know as the Passover event - the final chain releasing event that still forces the hand of the enemy to this day. When I see the blood, I will pass over you.) After being set free, they are on a journey. Like on all journeys, the travelers need strength. Let’s see what happens… Exodus 13:21 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. Day and night will still occur during deliverance - He may not transport you to the victory as quickly as He can. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. He won’t leave or forsake you. He will be a lamp to your feet (the close walk), and a light to your path (the big perspective). I have grown to love His cloudy days and fiery nights! I wasn’t saved to be as independent as I am dependent upon Him. 2 The Red Sea Crossing 14-1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ “Ah ha,” says the enemy, “they’re trapped!” Guess what, you’re thinking the same thing! You may not know, but God knows exactly where you are. He is not bewildered, lost, confused, etc. in fact, while you’re assessing your strange position, He’s multitasking for your good! God is really in control - leading both you and your enemy! 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. (They did pursue.) God is really in control - He is leading both you and your enemy! Why? Because He will get His glory! The song says, “Nobody greater…” (He’s going to prove that like the candy…now and later!) 5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. Remember this point - they went out with boldness. Many times we exhibit a similar boldness at the start of God’s marching orders. Such excitement about the journey - our walk with God. “Let’s get it!,” we cry. “Let’s go!,” we yell. “Yippee!,” we scream. 3 We will see that this boldness expressed was “with their eyes of faith closed!” 9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. 10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Don’t fault the leaders and preacher/teachers of the “right-way - sometimes hard-way - gospel” when things get tough and you finally open those eyes on this journey to discern those killerinstinct enemies of your very soul! Oh, they’re coming! 11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” Be bold! Be strong! Trust God! Who said anything about dying? Who wanted to stay in bondage? Oh, you came for selfish reasons! Oh, you quickly dismissed the miraculous events that occurred against the Egyptians in your favor! 13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Good leaders will encourage you to trust in God by following His lead, even when they are surprised by some of the encounters along the way. Because they know “the Lord”! They know His character and reputation. Today, looking back, they realize the Lord was around long before He walked the earth as the Messiah. Whether Old or New Testament, when I see “the Lord,” oh it is Jesus! 4 This promise through Moses is not just a story of old - it still applies today - and will apply in the future. 15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Just when you thought the plague of the death of their firstborn males was the topper, God has more faith building activity just ahead! You just testified about how He… Because God has to finish the work He has begun in you too! 19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. Look at your forward guard who is simultaneously your rear guard! Yes, He has the sides, bottom, and top covered too. His coverage is complete! 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Being covered in water is no joke, and no different today than it was then - you could drown! Not sure if life-jackets were invented yet, but I know the Lord wasn’t concerned about it! Hurricanes have never been so ordered - the wind gust alone could easily pick up and toss about a puny human. Looks like the Lord wasn’t concerned about it! Sometimes you’ve got to trust the Lord Jesus to grant you the strength [gear shift] to lug your stuff through the alley of deliverance. 5 Uh oh, I just shifted gears! What do you mean, Elder Lonon? How did you get from strength (all deep and spiritual) to natural stuff and alleys? What stuff? What alley? All that stuff God gave you when he sent you on this blessed journey. When you came to Him, He may have given you some natural blessings (experience, degrees, money, influence, friends, family, etc.), and even caused your enemies to lavish you with blessings. Remember what happened as they left Egypt with sincere sighs of good riddance! Livestock, jewelry, and loads of “things” were passed on to them (stuff) out of respect for their God - who had proved He deserved it more than they or Pharaoh or their gods. We don’t preach a prosperity gospel but do know that God can make the enemy give you their stuff! In the middle of this great miracle - the two walls of water and the dry ground - they still had to deal with life. Life can sometimes feel like you are closed in an alley versus on the open frontier. It would take the stuff of Faith to lug their families and belongings through this alley to victory. The alley was actually the opening God provided - the way of escape. But do you really understand? They were BEING delivered, but still needed strength to get to the other side. They couldn’t gloat about how the Lord had just all Himself miraculously “transported” them to the other side, without their own application of faith. They had to keep it moving by Faith while lugging life and things through the channel. Have you ever been in the midst of a battle you know God is fighting, but you feel exhausted? Of course! That’s just how it works most of the time. His strength is made perfect in your weakness! Just keep it moving and don’t look back. He’ll bring you out! It will become clear in a moment. You may suffer for a little while, but remember His promise in 1 Peter 5:10 with the reason clearly shown in verse 11. I Peter 5:10-11 (NKJV) 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. The Lord will get the glory from the enemy and from His people. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. [Pharaoh thought his odds were so good, he bet the whole farm!] 6 24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. [God don’t need no spy balloons!] 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.” [The fastest track star or soldier alive doesn’t want to be in a foot race against God!] Look at God, Jesus, my strength-giver, showing up and showing out! They came to their senses and realized someone was perpetually stronger than they were. They were just following orders but were also conceited about their power as a well-known sovereign nation. But in simplicity, it was just pride - pride that ignored the true and living God. Super powers are always flaunting their own strength. But our God doesn’t have to flaunt it, you have to want it! The very real cloud and fire has not caused our God to lose sight of the enemy! He sees that you are pulling your weight as you obey leadership AND struggle with the vicissitudes of life. This applies to sacrificial leaders too! Those who are keeping their ears pressed to heaven, their hearts toward righteousness, and their feet shod to tell the world about Him. On top of that they have to lead people who are sometimes not sticking as close, but exhibiting fear and stubbornness. But I know that’s not those listening to this message on His strength! Listen, He’s good for His Word and won’t leave you comfortless. While He tends to you, He is also tending to those against you. He strengthens your faith as you allow Him to fight your battles. You just walk by Faith, not by sight, and pull out that shield of faith - guaranteed to quench every fiery dart of the wicked (Satan himself, his imps, or the worldly disorder)! Let God fix it. He does all things very well. The same ground you walked will become soft and unstable to those the enemy has sent to threaten you. The same walls of protection that shielded you from peril will crumble and snuff out ALL signs of the enemy’s approach. It will look like they had no chance - which was the case all along. Jesus - My Strength-Giver! 26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of 7 Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and His servant Moses. Now we get to the reason for the song Moses led in Exodus 15. Now we understand the significance of its words. We are only going to focus on the first three verses as we close (yes, this is a real closing). Exodus 15:1-3 (NKJV) Song of Moses 15:1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! 2 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. 3 The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His name. When your strength-giver has proven Himself to you, please sing to Him! Not to the crowd, not to hear your own lovely voice, not to impress, but to bless Him. He did it - reciprocate if you believe (believe Him). Have a willingness - “I will sing…” - because of His triumph. I love the excitement of Moses. The prophet Nehemiah was not so minor, because He was inspired by God to remind us in Nehemiah 8:10 that “…the joy of the Lord is our strength.” Despite what is going on in your life, if you can get wrapped up, tied up, tangled up in Jesus (the LORD), you can find Jesus’ Joy! Jesus’ joy can put a smile on your face when you really feel like crying! Jesus’ joy will make you… 8 Let’s clarify something: you can admit when you are struggling, are weak, don’t feel capable, or any other challenge. Don’t act like the struggles of life are not real. Don’t act as if you are perfect! But JUST AS MUCH, don’t fool yourself that you can deliver yourself. Oh, you might pull yourself up and get recognition as a survivor and the like. That’s nice, but it is not the defense you will need standing before a holy God. You must admit the need for His strength as the supreme reason and source for your victory. He must be glorified. Your song must not just be a “feel good” song about your escape, but a faith-good song about His intentional deliverance. Admit what is true as you rejoice in Jesus: My Strength-Giver…”the Lord is my strength, and song, and salvation, and God. Praise Him, even if He wasn’t your father’s or mother’s God, start the generational pattern and practice now. Recognize His name, Jesus: My Strength-Giver! 9