Walking Through The Chaos

Jab 1

What do you remember most of your time growing up?

-What were the memories that remain fresh and vibrant in your mind?

-Do you remember days of playing with friends? Make believe, solving crimes, fighting bad guys, riding bikes, playing sports?

-If you have good memories of your experiences growing up most times we want our children to have those experiences and create those memories as well.

If you have not so good memories of your formative years then it is a good bet you want to create better memories for your children than you had.....

-BUT you base your decision based on your experience or at least the memory of those experiences.

Jab 2

Groups have collective memories.....did you know that organizations, communities can have memories.

-We have seen in recent days where the memories of our collective black community has sparked a desire for another revolution.

Melwood has a collective memory

-with me as your pastor we have very limited experiences, or memories together, but we are working to create more memories together and that in my mind is definitely the fun part of life.

Jab 3

In our faith we have memories as well...

-experiences that show us we can trust God

-a history that we can point to and show that we have trusted him in the past and it how it turned out in our lives.

Right Hook

Turn with me in you bibles to Exodus 14

-In our text today we are seeing the birth of a nation’s faith

-Israel will experience something today in the text that they will be able to point back to and say we can know God will be our God.....

-We can know God will save us because we remember when.....

Explanation

Exodus 14:10–22 NLT

As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, 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? 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!’ ” 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. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! 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. 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. When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!” 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. 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. 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. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!

The Chaos Erased The Truth Of God

-Israel saw the Egyptians coming and instantly they started to panic

-the truth of his faithfulness and provision through the plagues had been forgotten

-The Faith the led them out of Egypt has evaporated and their trust in God was gone

-There was an angel keeping Guard and the presence of God himself seen in the pillar of cloud was standing guard at their back as well.

-The presence of God was obvious , visible, palpable

-I have though to myself and have had conversations with people to the affect of “If God were here physically do you think our faith would be stronger?” The answer is always yes, but the question becomes is that faith or is that assurance based on what we see?

-The presence of God was visible through the cloud and the angel of the Lord that was guiding them and is now guarding them

The People turn on Moses/God

-Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be you know?

-People of Israel in the face of the unknown could only find comfort in what they knew in Egypt

-prisoners who have spent the majority of their life captive who are let out on parole or finish serving their time

often report to their PO or therapist experiencing more anxiety out of prison than in prison.

-In prison they knew what to expect

-Had few choices to make

-It was not freedom, but it was comfortable and it was known

In the face of an uncertain future Israel was looking at God through Moses and saying what is going on?

-We knew what to expect and we knew what life would be like

-It was not what God wanted, but it had become comfortable and it had become known compared to walking with their God into the unknown.

God creates a way through the Chaos

-God brought order where there was disorder

-Water....life sustaining, powerful, dark, at this time in their life the water was what was trapping them.

-God took the water that was a source of disorder and brought it into order

-The language that is being used in verses 21 and 22 where it describes God parting the sea is the same language that was used when he was creating the world.

-The vast expanse of the water in creation was being ordered and was given boundaries and it was in the time where the waters came into order that God said it was good.

-God was creating a new boundary for the waters in this time .....God was once again changing the natural order for the salvation of his people

Application

1. Chaos will be common…

Proverbs 22:3 NLT

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

John 17:14–15 NLT

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.

There is no consistent example for us in our faith tradition that shows us we will be exempted, removed, or guided around Chaos and danger

You will experience life no matter how you choose to live it....swirling in the chaos, or rest on the promises of God

you situations may not change, but how you experience them will change based on your faith memories

Faith Memories

The times where you have gone on adventures with God and created memories that have strengthened your faith.

One time our family was at a point where we had no food in the house and no pay checks coming for another few days.

-We fed the kids the last of what was in the house and we decided to go to bed

-Knock at the door and it was a good friend of our family who said, “The Lord told me you needed these groceries”

-Our boys only remember going to bed and waking up with a full pantry and we never went to the store.

We were in KC and received a call from someone on the Eastern Shore about leading a deaf ministry....no pay, no guarantees but we sensed the Lord moving us in that direction. We cashed out all we could, gathered our stuff and moved to MD.....it was a hard road, but it was a faith memory.

-I have told this story so many times if you’re around me enough you might get tired of hearing it, but it is one of my faith memories that gives me strength when I face something that I can’t see any answers or resolutions.

We don’t stop facing hard things in life but as we expand our faith memories we have a track record with God we can look back on and know that despite what we face our God will part the seas, shut the mouths of lions, slay giants, bring the dead back to life!

2. Create more Faith Memories with God

-look for small places in daily life to be obedient to God’s voice

Nahum 1:7 NLT

The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.

Why would he need to be your strong refuge if you never have anything that requires him to show you this truth?

-Im not saying that we go looking for fights or look for problems in life to get involved with......trust me troubles in life will come so don’t be afraid to lean into them and know that God is with you and he will provide all you need at all times.

What would you would accomplish for God if you knew you couldn’t fail?

-If God is asking you to do something for his name....your obedience is your success

3. Be Comfortable with being uncomfortable

This is a concept when I first went to the gym....there was this big sign saying this phrase

-first time you work so hard you can’t catch your breath......hurts

-first time your muscles are sore and you push through anyways......hurts

-first time you reach your limits but you aren’t finished......hurts

when you have experienced all those things and you become familiar with the aches and pains and not being able to catch your breath.....you are familiar with it and you know you can push yourself harder.....or you know when to back off some.

faith is rarely comfortable.....many times you have to move without evidence of anything changing.

God told Moses to tell the people to get up and start moving before he even started to part the sea.

When God parted the waters at the Jordan river when the people of Israel were crossing over into the promise land.....the water didn’t part until they walked into the water.

We are living in a world where we need to be ok being uncomfortable....we are growing creating new faith memories.

and it is in these places where the work of God comes through and we see the work of God that produces faith......

The strength of God doesn’t prevent the chaos of the world, his strength leads us through the chaos on firm ground.