A Time to Stand Still and a Time to Move
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· 18 viewsGod is with us and God is fighting for us, we just need to remember to never retreat and also know when it is time to stand still and time to move forward.
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome back!
This morning if you will start turning in your Bibles to Exodus 14.
This morning we are going to be talking about yet another one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible.
And it is a subject that we have danced around for several weeks now but never drilled down and focused directly on it.
And that subject being when to know to move forward and when to know when to stand still.
And as a backdrop of this discussion we are going to be looking at the children of Israel and their exodus from Egypt.
If you will recall, the children of Israel prior to their exodus had been in bondage for 430 years after entering Egypt as a free nation.
They had came to Egypt to escape a famine that was occuring and they were welcomed with open arms because Joseph was the #2 man in all of Egypt.
But over time, as Exodus 1 points out, the Egyptians forgot all about Joseph and all about what he had done for their nation and they forgot all about the special place the children of Israel had with God.
The Egyptians began to fear the Israelites because they were growing in numbers and over time placed them into bondage as slaves.
This lasted for 430 years until the time of Moses.
Moses had came to deliver the people and lead them out of Egypt and to lead them back home.
But it wasn’t easy for Moses to do this.
Pharoah didn’t want to let them go and every time he agreed to let them go, he would change is mind.
And because of his hardness, 10 plagues were released onto Egypt, each one worse than the last.
Every time Pharaoh said “no,” a new plague.
And now, our passage is picking up at the end of the 10 plagues when Pharoah had decided to allow them to go for the last time.
This was only after all the first born in Egypt that were not protected by the passover blood were killed.
And that’s not just firstborn children—that is firstborn everything—man and beast.
However, Pharoah, being Pharoah had a change of heart, and his heart was hardened and he began to chase the Israelites.
He took 600 Chariots and untold numbers of foot soldiers and began to give chase pursuing the children of Israel.
Chasing them all the way to the Red Sea, which is where we pick up in Exodus 14, verse 10 . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
The Fear of the Enemy
The Fear of the Enemy
Alright, so here we are now, the children of Israel are in a pretty bad situation.
Again, verses 10-12 . . .
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
Let’s set it up a bit . . .
Pharoah and his army were beginning to get closer and closer.
He was breathing down their neck and closing in.
And the big problem was that they had Pharoah behind them and the Red Sea in front of them.
They were trapped.
And, instead of trusting God, they were "terrified" and they "cried out to the Lord" in fear rather in faith for His deliverance.
And think about that, had the 10 plagues and passover not been enough to convince them that God was going to help them?
Really? What more would it take.
The problem was they were not thinking about all the times that God had delivered them.
All they were thinking about was the right then and there, “in the moment.”
They were afraid they were going to die and were really not being rational.
They even went as far as to begin to say that it was better to be in bondage than to die in the wilderness.
They would have rather went back and been slaves, then be free.
And really, that is the plan of Satan all along.
He wants to keep us in bondage.
He doesn’t want us to be free.
FEAR IS HIS TACTIC.
Look at 1 Peter for just a second. We are to . . .
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
He will do whatever he can to make you afraid because he has no real power over a child of God.
Because . . .
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,
And . . .
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
And if all of that is the case, then, also look what Jesus told his disciples in Luke 10 . . .
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
So, we have the power to overcome the enemy.
We just have to tap into that power.
And we do so by . . .
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
And Paul in 2 Corinthians . . .
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
And finally . . .
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognise the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
So, what the world did they need to be afraid of?
Honestly, what in the world do we need to be afraid of?
Seeing the Salvation of the Lord
Seeing the Salvation of the Lord
And the honest answer for that is nothing.
We actually read it last week . . .
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
And . . .
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
We have nothing to be afraid of.
Look back at our Israelites in our passage.
Remember, the Egyptians are beating down on them.
And the Red Sea is right in front of them.
And they are terrified and cry out to God.
And God responds through Moses . . .
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
When we can't go forward any more then stand still.
Do not go back, do not give up ground.
Stand Still and see the Salvation of the Lord.
However, we can't always stand still and stay in one place the rest of our lives.
There comes a time when the Lord has delivered that you have to press forward.
It may be hard, it may be scary, it may be messy, BUT PRESS FORWARD ANYWAY.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
Which is exactly what God tells Moses to do next . . .
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
God has brought deliverance.
God was not moved by their whining.
He is asking them to step out and show a little faith.
To stop looking at the enemy and start looking at Him.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Faith means stepping out and putting action to your words.
If we stand still forever, we will never grow.
We will never achieve victory.
We will never realize true deliverance.
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Folks we have to exercise our faith.
We have to listen to God.
We have to trust God completely.
We have to know when to stand still and know when to press forward.
BUT THIS CANNOT HAPPEN IF YOU HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
Listen, God followed through on his promise and delivered the Israelites.
The Egyptians knew that the Lord was the one true God.
The question is, do we know who the one true God is?
Are we bound up by sin?
Living everyday in fear?
Christian, have you neglected your relationship with God?
Have you back-slidden and walked away from God?
Can you hear God speaking?
Do you know when to stand still and when to move?
Are you in God's will or are you living a chaotic defeated life?
We have to know when to move and when to stand still.
Those who have no relationship with Christ, what are you waiting on?
Ecclesiastes 3 tells us . . .
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
There is also a time to make a decision for Jesus Christ.
And right now is that time.
What will you decision be?
I would encourage you to come and pray, let’s pray . . .