The Miracle of the Moment God of the Movement, Week One In 1921, Harvard’s football team absolutely dominated. They won the Rose Bowl in 1919 and hadn’t lost a single game in five years. Until October 29, 1921 when the Praying Colonels of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, a school with 300 students came to town and managed to beat Harvard 6 – 0. All over Danville, students and fans painted a formula, C6H0, in honor of the upset. It’s still considered one of the biggest upsets in college football history. And when my wife and I visited the Danville, Kentucky historical museum, an entire room was dedicated to the legacy of that one victory! Sometimes, you need a miracle. You need God to show up and save you when you absolutely can’t see a way to win. And when he does, you never forget it, and neither do the people who witness it. We’re kicking off a series of messages that follow the children of Israel through their wilderness wanderings between Egyptian slavery and their crossing of the River Jordan to enter their home, the Promised Land. In those wanderings, we’re going to witness two kinds of miracles… • Miracles of the moment, when God shows up and gives the kind of supernatural deliverance that leaves everyone standing in awe of him. • Miracles of the movement, in which God transforms a people, a nation, a culture through the influence of his redeemed children. At Grace Hills, we’re asking God for both kinds of miracles right now. We’re asking him to provide $250,000 in the next 74 days so that we can close on the purchase of our new location. And we’re also asking that God grow us as a healthy, purpose driven church, transforming our community and our culture with the good news of Jesus! We start with Israel in a tight spot. God had sent the ten plagues upon the nation of Egypt and had thereby delivered Israel from bondage. They escaped in the night, with haste, and headed east where they came up against an insurmountable obstacle – two million of God’s people between the Red Sea and a pursuing Egyptian army. They needed a miracle of the moment! Let’s read the story… Exodus 14:1-4 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. When you’re caught in a tight spot, look for God to show himself. “I have planned this… in order to display my glory…” When God’s instructions don’t make sense, obey him anyway. “So the Israelites camped there as they were told.” Exodus 14:5-12 NLT 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!’” When your situation is most desperate, don’t look back. You will definitely be distracted, detoured, and delayed. Second best looks pretty inviting when the very best is just out of reach. Too many people quit just before the dream becomes a reality. They stop just short of success. Sometimes, we have to reconsider our pathway in light of the wisdom God has already revealed. But when you know what God wants you to do and it agrees with his word, keep going! Exodus 14:13-20 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.” 15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! 16 Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. 18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!” 19 Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. 20 The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night. Watch God at work, and work while you watch. Moses: “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you… The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm…” God: “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!” In other words, we can lose our fear and trust that God is about to do glorious things. But he invites us to get involved in the story and be part of our own deliverance. ALL of the power is of him. ALL of the glory goes to him. But he invites us to join him in the journey and act in faith! Exodus 14:21-31 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. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! 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. 29 But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. 30 That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses. When you see God work, stand in awe and believe him for greater things! And of course, the BIG point of every story in the Bible is that God has provided for our ultimate deliverance in Jesus. We are all lost, pinned down, found guilty, without God and without hope in the world. But God, who is rich in mercy, allowed his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross as the ultimate price of redemption for lost sinners. Even if you never see another miracle, the very miracle of your own redemption is far more than we could ever ask, think, or imagine!