Falling Apart or Coming Together?

(NLT) — 1 Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses: 2 “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon. 3 Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ 4 And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told. 5 When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. 6 So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. 7 He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance. 9 The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon. 10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12 Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’ ” 13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

At this moment in time it appeared that the Israelites were stuck, and under attack… This grand plan to finally be free looked like it was all falling apart…

POINT- When we make plans often times they are fragile, the slightest bump could cause them to fall apart. — Plans are fragile.

ILLUSTRATION- The worst flight ever! Flying from Dulles to JFK then from JFK to Dekar then from Dekar to South Africa then from South Africa to Zimbabwe…

KEY POINT- When God is at the center of your plans and obedience is your main goal, EVERYTHING that God has set in motion will come to pass.

But what do you do when you are in that position when everything feels like it is falling apart???

MAIN POINT- Realize that in the moments when everything feels like it is falling apart it is very likely that God is brining it all together.

Is it falling apart or coming together???

1. Check the source of the plan.

(NLT) — 1 Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses:

ILLUSTRATION- Always order what the missionary orders when on a missions trip…

KEY POINT- Not every source is reliable.

KEY POINT- Your situation is not falling apart when you are following God’s plan, IT’S ALL COMING TOGETHER.

(NLT) — 25 Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.

When you are the source of your plan you won’t be enough to be the solution to the problems, but when God is the source of your plan he will solve the problems before you even know they are there.

KEY- When God tolled them where to go, he knew exactly what he was doing.

(NLT) — 2 “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon.

Moses could have heard these instructions and questioned them…

Um God that rout is more difficult…

(NLT) — 19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

KEY POINT- Sometimes trusting God is hard (which logically makes no sense…) But his ways are EASIER!

Um God that is not the way we want to go…

(NLT) — 12 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

(NLT) — 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

You see I’m not navigating by my feeling…

When my heart falls to pieces so will my life, so will my situation…

I’m not going to navigate by my instincts… I’m navigating by the breath of God…

(NLT) — 21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land.

DEFINE- The hebrew word here for wind is the word “Ruah” the exact same word that is used in Gen when God breathed on man kind and they came to life, it is the same word in the vally of the dry bones when God breathed life… This word means wind, but it also means SPIRIT!

When God breathes I move! Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom! Where the Ruah of the Lord is there is freedom! Where the Wind of the Lord is there is freedom!!

KEY- When God breathes when the spirit is present it moves me to walk THROUGH what once stopped me.

Um God thats going to make things more difficult…

MAIN POINT- When God is the source of every move you make even when you are pinned in under attack everything is not falling apart it is coming together.

2. Check the source of the pain.

(NLT) — 3 Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ 4 And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told.

(NLT) — 10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12 Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’ ”

Get this… Pharaoh, who mistreated the Israelites and kept them as his slaves is now attacking them with the full force of the Egyptian army and instead of being angry at Pharaoh, they get mad at Moses.

KEY POINT- If the enemy attacks in the place where God has not lead you (and he will) everything is about to fall apart… BUT If the enemy attacks in the place where God has called you its all coming together.

(NLT) — 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

KEY POINT- The enemy can’t destroy the one who God has saved!

Don’t count me out!!!

(NLT) — 3 Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’

There are going to be times when the enemy thinks you are confused, but you are just obedient.

3. Check the source of the power.

(NLT) — 13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

DEFINE- The Hebrew word for Just Stand Still is this word ysb (u-sa-bid) which means to resist, conceived of as standing firm.

9 The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore

The enemy is going to come at you with all of its forces, BUT God has anointed you to simply stand firm.

ILLUSTRATION- I struggled playing baseball because I had a hard time standing at the plate.

KEY- Just standing there is hard.

POINT- But don’t forget about the breath of God.

CONCLUSION…

If things are falling apart, God can start to bring everything back together in a moment…

God spoke to me and said, everything that the enemy has been building up over time I can bring down in an instant!

(NLT) — 23 Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. 24 But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. 25 He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!” 26 When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” 27 So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.

GOD IS NOT INTERESTED IN JUST SETTING YOU FREE FROM THE POWERS OF THE ENEMY HE WANTS TO DESTROY THE POWERS OF THE ENEMY!!!