When The Fight is Not Yours

Father God,

You are Holy, you are Sovereign and you are the Almighty God who created all things and who sustains all things. Today you have allowed us to be here for your purposes, you brought the right people to the right place at the right time this evening. Thank you for giving us this time to hear your Word. Lord please open our eyes, our hearts and our ears so that we may hear your word and receive it. Renew our minds, change us to desire what you want, to desire your Will over all others. Lord God be Glorified today.

In Jesus name.

Amen

It was June of 2011. We were just about a year into our marriage, and life was moving fast. I had a beautiful new wife, a precious four-year-old daughter, and another sweet baby on the way.

Up until that point, we had been navigating the rhythm of a long-distance marriage. I was living in Louisville, and my wife was back in her hometown of St. Louis finishing up her teaching obligations.

For seven months, we lived apart. But the season had finally come for us to truly start our lives together right here in Indianapolis.

My wife and daughter packed up everything they had ever known, left their support system behind, and took a leap of faith to move to Indy with me.

At the time, I felt confident. I had a solid job as a territory manager. I felt like I could provide.

I will never forget the day this happened, shortly after we finally moved in together.

I remember driving into our wooded apartment complex here in the city. I passed the playground, drove past the tennis courts, and wound all the way around to the back corner of the complex.

We had this cozy little two-bedroom, one-bath apartment that looked out onto a quiet pond. It was supposed to be a time of celebration. A time of fresh beginnings. But as I put that car in park, I was anxious. I had heavy news to share with my wife, and it was devastating.

Just hours before, I had found out that my company was completely eliminating my entire division. Every single person under me was being laid off. And the worst part? My bosses told me that my final task was to drive to all nine locations I oversaw across Indiana and Kentucky, look those employees in the eye, and tell them they no longer had a job.

And once I finished delivering that bad news, I would be handed my own pink slip. I sat in that parking lot, completely paralyzed. No source of income. A new wife. A four-year-old daughter. A baby on the way.

I had no job leads, no backup plan, and nothing waiting for me except a small, ticking clock of a severance package. I felt completely cornered. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I could not see a single way out.

I finally forced myself out of the car. I walked into the apartment building, climbed those stairs, opened the door, and looked at my wife. With a heavy heart, I confessed the truth: 'I’m losing my job. I don't know what we're going to do. I expected panic. I expected tears. But my wife looked at me, didn't even bat an eye, and with a supernatural composure she said: 'God will bless you with another job. God will provide.

'Now, it didn’t happen overnight. It took several stressful months of searching, waiting, and staring at that pond outside our window. But in a moment that felt completely terrifying to me, the Almighty God was already moving. He was working in the background.

While I was pacing the floor, God was fighting for my family. In His perfect Providence, He moved on the heart of a corporate recruiter, connected me with the exact right people at the exact right time, and blessed me with gainful employment.

Even in the middle of unemployment, our pantry was never empty. God provided. And that season taught me a lesson that I carry today.

Some of you walked through the doors of this sanctuary today, and you are sitting in the exact same paralyzing fear I felt in that parking lot in June of 2011. You feel trapped. You feel cornered.

The death of a close loved one.

A mountain of debt that you cant seem to ever catch up on.

Relationships that appear to be utterly destroyed.

A decision that seems to have ended your life as you know it.

Here is the question: Where do we turn when we feel completely trapped by our circumstances?

When the math doesn't work, when the door slams shut, and when there is no human way out, what do we do?

We need to know that when situations in our lives seem impossible, the Almighty God fights for us.

Here are our main points for todays message.

The Almighty God is sovereign over our situations.

The Almighty God is faithful to His promises.

The Almighty God brings salvation.

Todays Passage is Exodus 14:1-31.

Over the last two weeks Pastor Ben preached and we heard about the Plagues and how by God’s Mighty hand the Israelites were delivered from Egypt. In the last Plague we saw that God protected His people with the Blood of the Lamb While God Judged all those who were not covered by the Blood. The first born of each house died regardless of who they were or their station in life. But those who took advantage of the opportunity that God gave by trusting in Gods grace by being covered by the blood of the lamb were saved. Even Pharaohs son died. Pharaoh then let the Israelites go.

We are going to do a quick Geography lesson so we can better understand How the Israelites were positioned in Chapter 14 and How God placed them in a particular situation for His Glory.

Go ahead and put your hand up like a “V”, this “V” is in the shape of the Red Sea. The space in-between your fingers is a peninsula, its sandy wilderness. Now on the left side of the “V” is Egypt, and on the right side of the “V” is safety.

Here in our text in Exodus Chapter 14 verses 1-4 We see that the Israelites had traveled to the northern point of the Red Sea that is by Egypt at a place called Etham. Then God told Moses to tell the people to go back towards Egypt and south by the Red Sea near a place called Baal-zephon. This was by the Red Sea instead of north of the Red Sea.

God then let Moses know that He had a plan. In verse 4 God says Exodus 14:4 “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

So the Israelites moved where God wanted them to go.

God Had strategically placed the Israelites in this position so that He could be glorified. So He can act and the Egyptians would know that He is Lord.

How many of you know that God still positions His people in places so that He can be Glorified through them? He still does.

At times God allows us to enter into impossible situations. Situations where we, in our own strength cannot win. But when we are weak He is strong.

He has a plan that He is working out, nothing happens by chance, God is active in our lives. He uses these impossible situations in our lives to glorify Himself through us.

When situations in our lives seem impossible, Know that the All-Mighty God fights for us.

In verses 5 through 10 Gods plan is set in action. God hardened Pharoah's heart. Pharaoh and his officials thought “what have we done?”, “How could we have let the Israelites go, we have lost their service to us!” Pharoah then got his Army together. 600 of his best chariots, all of his troops and captains went to pursue the Israelites.

Then they caught up to the Israelites.

Imagine the Israelites, after being released from generational bondage in Egypt. They were finally freed and on their way to live out this freedom in the promised land, they now hear and see the mightiest army in the world coming after them.

600 chariots, the rumble of their feet, the dust from the chariots. A full army approaching. The powerful army on one side, and the Red Sea on the other.

No where to run, no where to hide. They were terrified.

In verses 10-11 we see that the Israelites cried out to God, they lashed out at Moses saying “have you brought us from Egypt to die? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

Have ever been in an impossible situation, and you asked God why? Have you ever gone even further than asking why and saying it was easier when you did it your way instead of Gods way?

Before we moved into Haughville shortly after taking on the role of Pastoral Resident here at Hope Church of Haughville I recieved some bad news from leadership at Young Life, a youth ministry organization that I worked for. The news was that my area was not bringing in enough financial gifts to sustain its operations in the same capacity, and it would not be able to afford a staff person with the trend.

After making adjustments and raising more funds, I then found out that it was not enough that I would be placed on financial leave. This ment no doing ministry with the kids in the area that I oversaw, this ment focusing on raising funds, and it meant working with no pay.

I was devastated, I remember driving home parking in the driveway feeling deep sadness, I felt betrayed, like I did what I could do but God allowed this to happen.

I asked God why did He even call me away from my lucrative corporate career into ministry. I could have been a high level executive by now, or if I stayed in realestate I would have expanded my business out so much. I would never have wanted for anything.

It was easier when I was serving myself instead of God.

Then God reminded me that He called me to dedicate my life to ministry to Glorify Him. He reminded me of the impact that the ministry has had on individuals over the years with many giving their lives to Christ and others growing in the faith. He reminded me that He has a Plan and He is the Sovereign Lord that owns all of the Cattle on the Hill. He reminded me that He fights for His people.

We all experience times in our lives where we feel like there is no way out. This is when we want to be reminded that the Almighty God is sovereign over our situation. When we are in situations where we do not have the ability to win on our own, then God’s sovereign power is able to be displayed.

When situations in our lives seem impossible, know that the All Mighty God fights for us.

In verse 13 Moses addresses the people and tells them to stand firm and that they will see that the Lord will deliver them that day. He tells them that they will never see these Egyptians again after this day. In verse 14 Moses says something that is huge. Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.””

When the Israelites were in a terrifying position, being trapped between the sea and the strongest most fierce army in the world Moses told them “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

How many of you know that Just as that was true of Gods people back then, it is true of Gods people today. The Lord will fight for you.

Psalm 46:10 part A “says, “Be still, and know that I am God.””

Knowing that He is God, is knowing that God is all powerful, that God is in absolute control of all things and God has the Authority and Power to do as He Wills.

This Sovereign All-Mighty God fights for His people. So we can have faith in Him, and be still, and know that He is God.

When situations in our lives seem impossible, know that the All Mighty God fights for us.

In verses 15-22 God tells Moses to raise his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea to divide the water so Gods people could walk through the sea on dry ground. The Israelites walk through on dry land with walls of water on both sides of them.

Then in verses 23-29 God once again exercised judgement on the Egyptians. God fought for His people , Displaying His Power and Lordship over all things.

So we see this huge miracle where God uses Moses to divide the water and Gods people walk through on dry land. So here is the question, how does God fight for us today?

God uses all of creation to accomplish His Will. He fights for us, He provides for us, He works on our behalf to accomplish His will through all creation.

He doesn't always use huge events like dividing seas, burning bushes or angels appearing to people.

He opens doors, ways and solutions where none existed before.

He changes the minds of people in authority to change outcomes.

He blocks plans, words and actions that are trying to harm us.

He gives peace and endurance to get through things that we couldn't on our own.

He orchestrates perfect timing of events behind the scenes.

He executes His plan when we are forced to stay still, trusting Him.

God is sovereign over all of creation and He is a Good God who is Faithful to His promises.

When situations in our lives seem impossible, know that the All Mighty God fights for us.

The ultimate, most magnificent way that the Almighty God fights for us is through the miracle of our salvation.

Think back to the edge of that sea. The Israelites didn't build a single bridge. They didn't swing a single sword. They were completely unable to rescue themselves from the tightening grip of Pharaoh’s empire.

But out of nowhere, the Almighty split the deep, and delivered them entirely by His own power. And that historical moment is a mirror for our spiritual reality today.

Because on our own, we are completely helpless against the crushing weight of our sin.

We could never work our way out of the trap.

We could never pay our own debt.

We could never work our way into the presence of a Holy God.

So, what did the Almighty God do?

He took the fight upon Himself. God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to do for us what we could never do for ourselves.

Jesus stepped into our world, lived the perfect life we couldn't live, and walked straight onto the battlefield of the Cross.

He took your sins, He took my failures, and He died on our behalf so that we could be completely rescued and brought into a perfect, permanent relationship with the Father.

Listen to the beautiful, reality of the Gospel today: God didn't wait for you to fix yourself.

He didn't evaluate your track record.

Out of His perfect grace, He called us to be His.

He adopted us into His eternal family.

Your salvation is not based on anything you have done, anything you are doing, or anything you could ever try to do.

Jesus Christ did 100% of the work. He fought the battle, He broke the chains, and He secured the victory at the empty grave.

Our God is a God who fights for His people!

When situations seem impossible, know that the All-Mighty God fights for us.

God is all powerful, and is in control of all things, when He is for us, no one can stand against us. God is faithful and we can trust Him.

When we feel completely trapped by our circumstances. We turn to the Sovereignty, the faithfulness, and to salvation of the Almighty God.

When situations seem impossible, know that the almighty God fights for us.

The Almighty God is sovereign over our situation.

The Almighty God is Faithful to His promises.

The Almighty God brings salvation.

When situations in your life seem unbearable, impossible, I challenge you to Trust God and to remember that the Almighty God fights for you.

Please Join me in prayer.

Lord thank you for your faithfulness, your grace and your everlasting love. Father when life seems unbearable to us, remind us with your spirit that you are sovereign over our situation, you are the Almighty sovereign Lord who is faithful to your promises. Remind us that salvation comes from you and that when we do not have the strength we should know that you fight for us.

We love you and we Glorify you.

In Jesus name.

Amen