NOT FOR HIM!

This Week’s Theme: God Can Handle Your Situation

Word for the Week is Faithfulness: It is God’s perfect loyalty and consistency in being true to his name, his character and his word.

Memory verse: Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.

Essence of the Text: The LORD destroy the Egyptian army, when their pursuit proved to be unbearable for the Israelites.

Proposition: Life’s challenges may be beyond your capacity, but God is about to handle your difficulties.

Objective: I want those in attendance

Sermon Passage: Exodus 14:30-31

INTRODUCTION: In the late 1970’s a television commercial for a bath powder, pictured a woman in distress. The commercial started with a woman with her hands thrown up in frustration because of the barking dogs, the constant ringing of the telephone, the whining and crying of the children, and the interruptions from the doorbell. The daily difficulties of life were too much for the woman and she needed relief. Do you feel overwhelmed by life? Are you drowning due to financial debt, disobedient children, and physical pain? Maybe you are distressed because of your job, your relationships or the lack of one, and your poor health and you may not have said it out loud but inwardly you tell yourself that this is TOO MUCH!

Your kids are TOO MUCH for you

Your job is TOO MUCH for you

Your enemies are TOO MUCH for you

YOU CAN’T CONTEND WITH IT

YOU CAN’T CONTROL IT

YOU CAN’T MANAGE IT

YOU ARE TIRED OF DEALING WITH IT

IT IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU

Transition: You are not alone. Many individuals have experienced this same sense of hopelessness. Many have experienced this same sense of defeat. Many have experienced this type of struggle. In the book of Exodus 14:10-12 you will find these words.

Exodus 14:10–12 NKJV

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. 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.”

I. OVERWHELMED BY LIFE

A. FEARFUL

Exodus 14:10 NKJV

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.

Proverbs 29:25 NKJV

25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

Psalm 18:4 NKJV

4 The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

Proverbs 3:25 NKJV

25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;

B. FAINTHEARTED

Exodus 14:11 NKJV

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?

Exodus 14:12 NKJV

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.”

LABORIOUS LIFE

Exodus 3:13–14 NKJV

13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

LIFE WAS

BITTER AND BURDENSOME

HARD AND HEAVY

ROUGH AND RUGGED

TOUGH AND TRYING

LOOK AT

BONDAGE IS BETTER THAN

ENSLAVEMENT IS BETTER THAN EXPIRATION

SERVITUDE IS BETTER

CAPTIVITY IS BETTER THAN A COFFIN

INCARCERATION IS BETTER THAN

ENCHAINMENT

SALVARY

Proverbs 24:10 NKJV

10 If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.

Jeremiah 8:15 NKJV

15 “We looked for peace, but no good came; And for a time of health, and there was trouble!

Galatians 6:9 NKJV

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

2 Corinthians 4:1 NKJV

1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

Psalm 18:3 NKJV

3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

II. OVERCOME BY THE LORD

A. BY HIS KNOWLEDGE

Exodus 14:3 NKJV

3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’

Exodus 14:9 NKJV

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.

Exodus 14:15–18 NKJV

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.”

B. BY HIS PRESENCE

Exodus 14:19 NKJV

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.

C. BY HIS POWER

Exodus 14:27–29 NKJV

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 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.

Exodus 14:30–31 NKJV

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.

LOOK TO THE LORD

Exodus 14:13 NKJV

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.

LISTEN TO THE LORD

Exodus 14:14 NKJV

14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

LEAN ON THE LORD

Exodus 14:30–31 NKJV

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.

INTRODUCTION: WHAT DO ALL THESE EVENTS HAVE IN COMMON?

TRANSITION: