1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,900 That it might invite you now to stand for the reading of God's 2 00:00:02,900 --> 00:00:06,600 word this morning, I'll be reading in the book of Exodus 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:10,100 chapter 14 will be looking at the entire chapter together this 4 00:00:10,100 --> 00:00:14,900 morning, but I will begin in verse 5 and in and verse 14 in 5 00:00:14,900 --> 00:00:19,100 my reading. When the king of Egypt was told 6 00:00:19,100 --> 00:00:22,100 that the people had fled the mind of pharaoh and his servants 7 00:00:22,100 --> 00:00:25,600 was changed toward the people and they said, what is this? 8 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:27,800 We have done that. We have let Israel go from 9 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,700 serving us so we had made it raid ready his Chariot and took 10 00:00:31,700 --> 00:00:35,800 his army with him and took 600 chosen chariots and all the 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,800 other Chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them and 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,000 the Lord hardened, the heart of pharaoh king of Egypt and he 13 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,000 pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were 14 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,700 going out defiantly. Why the Egyptians pursued them 15 00:00:50,100 --> 00:00:52,800 all, pharaohs horses, and chariots and his Horsemen, and 16 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:57,100 his army and overtook them and camped at the Sea, by Pia 17 00:00:57,100 --> 00:01:01,100 heareth and front of Bales F on when Pharaoh Drew near the 18 00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:04,099 people of Israel lifted up their eyes and behold the Egyptians 19 00:01:04,099 --> 00:01:07,300 were marching after them and they feared greatly and the 20 00:01:07,300 --> 00:01:11,000 people of Israel cried out to the Lord, they said to Moses is 21 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,600 it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us 22 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,300 away to die in the wilderness. What have you done? 23 00:01:17,500 --> 00:01:20,400 Need to bring us and bringing us out of Egypt. 24 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:22,700 Is it not what we said to you in Egypt? 25 00:01:22,700 --> 00:01:26,500 Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians for it would have 26 00:01:26,500 --> 00:01:29,500 been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the 27 00:01:29,500 --> 00:01:32,500 wilderness. And Moses said, to the people 28 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:38,800 fear, not stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he 29 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:43,000 will work for you today for the Egyptians whom you see today, 30 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,100 you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you. 31 00:01:47,500 --> 00:01:51,100 And you have only to be silent. This is a word of the Lord. 32 00:01:52,900 --> 00:02:00,300 You may be seated. The Parting of the Red Sea is 33 00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:04,200 one of the most iconic stories of the entire Bible. 34 00:02:04,900 --> 00:02:10,900 And for good reason, Israel's dramatic rescue from Egypt at 35 00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:16,000 the Red Sea, was there climatic event of The Exodus? 36 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,300 And in many ways, it's the defining moment of their entire 37 00:02:20,300 --> 00:02:23,500 history. It's a story that shaped their 38 00:02:23,500 --> 00:02:27,900 national identity as they passed it down from generation to 39 00:02:27,900 --> 00:02:31,100 generation to generation and it's a story. 40 00:02:31,100 --> 00:02:34,600 That's so incredible that it's become popularized for us. 41 00:02:35,500 --> 00:02:39,200 At this point found its way into documentaries and books and 42 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,300 movies. And the problem with a story 43 00:02:42,300 --> 00:02:47,000 like this is that it becomes so familiar to us that we become 44 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:52,900 distracted by the miracle, we fail to release, see why it 45 00:02:52,900 --> 00:02:58,900 matters what God might say to us through this ancient and yet 46 00:02:58,900 --> 00:03:01,400 true story. So the question I want you to 47 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,700 begin to ask this morning is, why does the particle Ting of 48 00:03:05,700 --> 00:03:10,500 the Red Sea matter. What does it have to do with us 49 00:03:11,300 --> 00:03:15,500 and what might God say to us through this true story? 50 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,300 Well, I believe that there is something that we need to hear. 51 00:03:21,700 --> 00:03:26,000 They're in the middle of Exodus chapter 14 just before God, 52 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:30,500 parted the Red Sea. Moses said this to the people of 53 00:03:30,500 --> 00:03:33,200 Israel. Fear not. 54 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:39,800 Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. 55 00:03:40,900 --> 00:03:46,300 I believe, we need to hear these words this morning, because we 56 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:48,500 need to see the salvation of the Lord. 57 00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:55,700 Once again, it is so easy for us to lose sight of him, to forget 58 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:59,200 who he really is, and what he has done for us. 59 00:03:59,500 --> 00:04:02,300 And this morning, The Parting of the Red Sea stands, as a 60 00:04:02,308 --> 00:04:08,100 reminder, that God is who he says, he is, he is faithful. 61 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:15,600 He fought for us, he is fighting for us and he will fight for us 62 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:19,200 until he comes again. And so this morning, the first 63 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,300 thing I want you to know, once you know that The Parting of the 64 00:04:22,308 --> 00:04:25,900 Red Sea shows us that we have nothing to fear. 65 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:32,400 I want you look with me at verse 5, Exodus, 14 verse 5, we're 66 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,500 told that when the king of Egypt was told that the people had 67 00:04:35,500 --> 00:04:39,900 fled the mind of pharaoh and his servants was changed towards the 68 00:04:39,900 --> 00:04:42,200 people. And they said, what is this that 69 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,300 we've done that we have let Israel go from serving us? 70 00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:50,500 Now last week we looked at Exodus chapter 12 and how God 71 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:54,300 sent great acts of judgment to rescue his people. 72 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:59,300 Ten plagues ten plagues that culminated with the death of the 73 00:04:59,300 --> 00:05:04,100 firstborn son and every house of Egypt. 74 00:05:05,300 --> 00:05:08,900 And God commanded, his people to kill a sacrificial lamb, and 75 00:05:08,900 --> 00:05:12,200 take its blood, and to spread it over their doorposts. 76 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,300 So that judgment would pass over them. 77 00:05:14,700 --> 00:05:20,000 Then in Exodus chapter 13 we read how the people of God then 78 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:25,500 fled out of Egypt after the Passover they fled out of Egypt 79 00:05:25,500 --> 00:05:30,000 with 600,000 men along with women and children and their 80 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,600 livestock. I want you to imagine the scene. 81 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:41,700 Over 600,000 refugees. All making their way out of 82 00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:48,700 Egypt. Men, women and children. and now 83 00:05:48,700 --> 00:05:54,900 we're reading in Exodus 14 verse 5, The just as soon as they had 84 00:05:54,900 --> 00:05:58,800 left Egypt and Pharaoh had let them go. 85 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:04,200 He had changed his mind. Even after all that Pharaoh in 86 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,300 Egypt, endured with these ten plagues, Pharaoh still did not 87 00:06:08,300 --> 00:06:10,600 want to let them go without a fight. 88 00:06:11,100 --> 00:06:15,600 Why I want you to look with me. 46. 89 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,100 So we made ready his Chariot and took his army with them and took 90 00:06:20,100 --> 00:06:23,700 600 chosen chariots and all the other Chariots of Egypt with 91 00:06:23,700 --> 00:06:27,500 officers over all of them. Now the Hebrew is hard to 92 00:06:27,500 --> 00:06:30,500 translate here for us, to really know how many were in Pharaoh's 93 00:06:30,500 --> 00:06:34,500 Army, but as one translator, put it Pharaoh, went after Israel, 94 00:06:34,500 --> 00:06:36,800 with all the king's horses and All the King's Men. 95 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,700 So we don't know exactly how many they had but we do know 96 00:06:40,700 --> 00:06:45,000 this they were outnumbered. But they were not outmatched. 97 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:52,500 Pharaoh took his best soldiers, has best army, has best 98 00:06:52,500 --> 00:06:59,800 chariots, has best Horsemen. And he hunted Egypt down all the 99 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:04,600 way to the Red Sea. Why would he do that? 100 00:07:06,300 --> 00:07:09,400 After all, that he had seen the Lord do. 101 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:13,000 Why would have the audacity to go after his people? 102 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,600 Again, we're told in verse 8, look with me. 103 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:22,700 And the Lord hardened, the heart of pharaoh king of Egypt and he 104 00:07:22,700 --> 00:07:26,500 pursued the people of Egypt, while the people of Israel were 105 00:07:26,500 --> 00:07:31,600 going out defiantly. Why did pharaoh go after the 106 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,400 people of Israel? Why did he chase them to the Red 107 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,000 Sea? Even after the 10 plagues? 108 00:07:38,900 --> 00:07:42,800 This is what I want you to wrestle with Pharaoh went after 109 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:49,600 the people of Israel because God wanted him to Pharaoh chased 110 00:07:49,700 --> 00:07:54,400 God's people to the Red Sea because that's exactly what God 111 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,600 wanted to happen. In fact, in Exodus 13 were told 112 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:03,800 that the people of Israel could have taken a shorter way but 113 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:08,600 God, specifically LED them towards the Red Sea. 114 00:08:09,300 --> 00:08:12,200 Why? Why? 115 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,600 Perhaps a better question is not, why would Pharaoh do this? 116 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,500 But a better question is why would God do this? 117 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:24,600 Why would God send 10 plagues? Rescue his people through the 118 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:29,300 Passover, only to lead them, to the Waters of the Red Sea and 119 00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:31,300 have them surrounded by Pharaoh's Army. 120 00:08:31,300 --> 00:08:34,500 Why would God do it? Won't you look with me? 121 00:08:34,500 --> 00:08:38,299 Exodus 14 verse 4, you'll find it in your Bible. 122 00:08:38,299 --> 00:08:40,799 If you don't have a Bible, you can use the blue Pew Bible in 123 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:45,100 front of you, Exodus 14 verse 4, notice what it says, and I will 124 00:08:45,100 --> 00:08:49,600 harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them, and I will get 125 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:54,700 Glory over Pharaoh. Now, look at verse 17, and I 126 00:08:54,700 --> 00:08:57,200 will harden the hearts of the Egyptian so that they will go 127 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,300 after them and I will get Glory over. 128 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:03,200 Pharaoh, why did God hardened Pharaoh's? 129 00:09:03,300 --> 00:09:06,400 Pharaoh's heart. Why did he send his people 130 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,600 towards the Red Sea only to have them? 131 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,400 Surrounded So that he would get the glory. 132 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:20,900 You see our God sovereignly works all things together for 133 00:09:20,900 --> 00:09:25,100 his glory, and for the good of those who love him. 134 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,300 The problem with that is that when we are in the middle of it, 135 00:09:29,300 --> 00:09:33,500 we can't see it. Can we and neither, could they? 136 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:39,700 Look with me now at verse 10. when Pharaoh Drew near the 137 00:09:39,700 --> 00:09:44,100 people of Israel lifted up their eyes and behold the Egyptians 138 00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:48,700 were marching after them and they feared greatly and the 139 00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:54,500 people of Israel cried out to the Lord They were afraid and if 140 00:09:54,500 --> 00:09:57,900 we're honest, who could blame them, I want you to put yourself 141 00:09:57,900 --> 00:10:01,200 in their shoes. Imagine what has just happened 142 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,400 in their lives. Ten plagues ten, great acts of 143 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,900 judgment in their midst. The death of the firstborn and 144 00:10:09,900 --> 00:10:15,200 every Egyptian household and the Passover now, they're fleeing 145 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:20,400 for their very lives, all 600,000 of them, think of how 146 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:25,700 chaotic it was. Imagine mother's holding crying 147 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:31,000 babies. Children, not sure where their 148 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:35,300 parents are. Men chasing down livestock as 149 00:10:35,300 --> 00:10:40,400 they wandered along off Moses. And Aaron trying to keep this 150 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:44,700 group together and they make it all the way to the Red Sea. 151 00:10:44,700 --> 00:10:48,000 And now they are boxed in. They have nowhere to go. 152 00:10:49,100 --> 00:10:51,600 And so they turn around and what do they see? 153 00:10:52,900 --> 00:10:55,100 Well, they're in their eyes and their vision. 154 00:10:56,200 --> 00:11:02,800 They see Pharaoh and his army. Can you imagine how frustrated 155 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:07,800 they must have been? Can you imagine Their Fear? 156 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,100 You see Pete fear is a powerful thing. 157 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:21,400 And when we are afraid, we lose sight of who God is, we forget 158 00:11:21,500 --> 00:11:26,000 what he is done. And all we can see is right in 159 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,100 front of us. And that's exactly what happened 160 00:11:29,100 --> 00:11:33,500 for them. They said to Moses verse 11 is 161 00:11:33,500 --> 00:11:37,000 it because there are no graves in Egypt, the you've taken us 162 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,800 away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us and 163 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:45,200 bringing us out of Egypt. Notice, the questions are asking 164 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,400 their fear has now become bitterness and accusation. 165 00:11:50,500 --> 00:11:53,200 They're not just afraid they're saying, how could you let this 166 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:57,700 happen? Isn't that true of us too? 167 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:01,500 I wonder, what are you afraid of this morning? 168 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:07,900 What fills you with fear? The quietness of the night. 169 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,800 As you there lying in your beds, what? 170 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:15,500 Occupies your heart. What are you afraid of? 171 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:20,000 What's the first thought that comes rushing in in the morning? 172 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,700 I asked this question to a small group of people a couple weeks 173 00:12:24,700 --> 00:12:28,000 ago and I want you to hear their answers because I think they 174 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:33,400 were honest and I think us they help us begin to name the fears 175 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:38,300 that you and I have as well. One person said, I'm afraid of 176 00:12:38,300 --> 00:12:41,800 death. Not just afraid of dying. 177 00:12:42,900 --> 00:12:45,100 I'm afraid of my loved one dying. 178 00:12:46,500 --> 00:12:49,000 Another person said, I'm afraid of sickness. 179 00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:54,700 Afraid of Growing Old, not being able to take care of myself. 180 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:01,800 Another person said, I'm afraid of being found out. of people 181 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:05,600 discovering that deep down the honest truth is I'm not who I 182 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:10,700 present myself to be Another person said I'm afraid of 183 00:13:10,700 --> 00:13:14,000 failing. Afraid of not being able to 184 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,500 accomplish the things that I want to do. 185 00:13:17,300 --> 00:13:20,600 Somebody has said, I'm afraid for our children fraid of the 186 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,600 future and what's going to happen? 187 00:13:22,900 --> 00:13:25,300 I wonder what are you afraid of this morning? 188 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:31,200 What fills you with fear? Because whatever that thing is, 189 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,800 it is directly tied to the thing that matters most to you. 190 00:13:36,100 --> 00:13:40,300 You see, fear is directly tied to our worship. 191 00:13:41,300 --> 00:13:44,500 And not only do our fears exposed the things that we 192 00:13:44,500 --> 00:13:49,400 worship. But our fears also expose, just 193 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:54,800 how little we worship God. And how small our vision is of 194 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:58,800 him. So it was with the people of 195 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,300 Israel. Because all they could see was 196 00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:07,400 this Army and the Sea, they lost sight of the Lord. 197 00:14:08,500 --> 00:14:12,500 Verse 12 is not this. What we said to you in Egypt, 198 00:14:12,500 --> 00:14:15,000 leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians. 199 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,900 So it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than 200 00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:21,900 die in the wilderness. This will become Israel's chorus 201 00:14:21,900 --> 00:14:26,000 throughout the Book of Exodus over and over and over again. 202 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:30,100 They will find themselves at the end of themselves, they will be 203 00:14:30,100 --> 00:14:35,500 hungry and tired and weary and Afraid and every time they will 204 00:14:35,500 --> 00:14:38,200 say, it would have been better for us. 205 00:14:38,300 --> 00:14:42,100 Us to stay in Egypt. Can you imagine that? 206 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:45,000 You hear that? And think that's crazy. 207 00:14:45,700 --> 00:14:49,000 I am back in Egypt. They were underneath the the 208 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:54,100 authority of a terrible madman. A dictator who oppressed them 209 00:14:54,100 --> 00:14:56,200 and forced them into manual labor. 210 00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,800 Who killed the death of all of their son's. 211 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:02,500 Why would they want to go back to Egypt? 212 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:05,500 But are you? And I know different? 213 00:15:07,100 --> 00:15:08,900 See, this is what fear does for us. 214 00:15:10,100 --> 00:15:13,500 When we are afraid, we lose sight of the Lord and all we can 215 00:15:13,500 --> 00:15:16,600 see is the things were afraid of when we try to cast out these 216 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:21,100 fears, by looking to the things that we left behind. 217 00:15:22,900 --> 00:15:25,200 And so, just like the people of Israel, he say, would want to be 218 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,900 better for us to serve a different King than God. 219 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:31,300 What are you better for us to go back? 220 00:15:32,700 --> 00:15:36,500 Back to our slavery, back to our Idols, back to our sin. 221 00:15:38,900 --> 00:15:44,600 All the while trying to calm our own fears with lesser things. 222 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:47,800 C.s. Lewis, put it this way. 223 00:15:48,700 --> 00:15:52,300 He said, perfect love. We know casts out fear but soda 224 00:15:52,300 --> 00:15:57,300 several other things. Ignorance, alcohol, passion, 225 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:02,200 presumption and stupidity. It's very desirable that we 226 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,100 should all advance that Perfection of love and which we 227 00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:09,400 shall fear no longer but it is very undesirable that we should 228 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:13,300 allow any inferior agent to cast out our fear. 229 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,700 How quick we are to turn to inferior. 230 00:16:18,700 --> 00:16:23,000 Things to cast out the fears that we have in this life. 231 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,500 And so, another question I have for you is not just what are you 232 00:16:27,500 --> 00:16:32,000 afraid of, but what are you using to conquer your fear? 233 00:16:34,500 --> 00:16:36,500 For the people of Israel, as they were afraid, they were 234 00:16:36,500 --> 00:16:40,900 using their own control and their own Pride. 235 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:46,000 They didn't just Express fear to Moses, but they accused him. 236 00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:48,900 And they said, what are you doing? 237 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,200 Why have you allowed this to happen? 238 00:16:54,100 --> 00:17:00,600 Fear is a powerful thing. and when we allow the fears of this 239 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:07,700 Earth to rule our hearts, we are no longer bow and down to the 240 00:17:07,700 --> 00:17:12,300 fear of the Lord that should be on the throne of our hearts. 241 00:17:15,300 --> 00:17:20,700 And this is why God and his sovereignty, LED his people to 242 00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:23,800 the Red Sea. This is why God and his 243 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,700 sovereignty, hardened Pharaoh's heart, that Israel becomes 244 00:17:27,700 --> 00:17:31,500 surrounded. So that they would see. 245 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:39,300 The Grandeur majesty and sovereignty of God and in seeing 246 00:17:39,300 --> 00:17:43,600 him for who he really is. See that there is nothing to 247 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,200 fear. So, the second thing I want you 248 00:17:46,208 --> 00:17:49,500 to know, not only does the Red Sea show us that there's nothing 249 00:17:49,500 --> 00:17:53,700 to fear. But that the Red Sea also calls 250 00:17:53,700 --> 00:17:56,700 us to stand firm. Look with me at verse 13. 251 00:17:58,100 --> 00:18:02,600 And Moses said to the people fear, not stand firm and see the 252 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,300 salvation of the Lord. These are the words that I want 253 00:18:05,300 --> 00:18:10,600 us to hear this morning. Fear, not stand firm, and see 254 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,900 the salvation of the Lord. Now, what's so amazing about 255 00:18:13,900 --> 00:18:18,100 Moses's call to stand firm? Is that it's a military term. 256 00:18:18,500 --> 00:18:22,000 Staying firm. It means Hold the Line. 257 00:18:23,300 --> 00:18:27,300 Don't retreat, don't fall back. And so this is what I want you 258 00:18:27,300 --> 00:18:29,600 to picture. I want you to picture two armies 259 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,900 and a great Battlefield. And you have each Army on either 260 00:18:33,900 --> 00:18:38,700 side of falling into their ranks and you have a general barking 261 00:18:38,700 --> 00:18:43,400 out orders to his arm and he's saying, stand firm, don't 262 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:49,400 retreat, Hold the Line. But now, I want you to picture 263 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,300 pharaoh and all of his chariots. Against a bunch of men women and 264 00:18:54,300 --> 00:19:00,800 children in a few cows. And here's Moses barking out 265 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,100 orders to his people saying, don't retreat. 266 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:09,000 Don't fall back. Stand firm. 267 00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:14,900 And what's so amazing about this command is not simply because 268 00:19:14,900 --> 00:19:18,600 Israel was outmatched. Now, what's so amazing is 269 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:22,300 because of what Moses says? Next look with me at verse 14 270 00:19:24,300 --> 00:19:30,500 Moses said, the Lord will fight for you and you have only to be 271 00:19:30,500 --> 00:19:34,100 silent. Now, if you were, I were writing 272 00:19:34,100 --> 00:19:37,600 this story. Into a, some kind of work of 273 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:40,600 fiction. We would write it like this. 274 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:45,700 Here's Pharaoh's Army a gun up against God's people, and here's 275 00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:50,800 Moses the hero, and he looks at his people and he says, stand 276 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:55,700 firm, don't retreat. Hold the Line, don't fall back 277 00:19:55,700 --> 00:20:00,400 and let's fight for the Lord. But that's not what he says. 278 00:20:02,300 --> 00:20:09,900 Moses says, stand firm, don't retreat, don't fall back because 279 00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:17,800 the Lord is fighting for you. How quick we are to think that 280 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:22,400 it's his kingdom that we must Advance on our own terms. 281 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,800 That it's up to us to fight against our own fears and our 282 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,300 own sin. It's up to us to hold the line 283 00:20:31,300 --> 00:20:34,700 up to us to not fall. Back up to us, not to retreat up 284 00:20:34,700 --> 00:20:39,900 to us to stand firm. And here's Moses saying, The 285 00:20:39,900 --> 00:20:42,700 Lord will fight for you and then get this. 286 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:49,700 You have only to be silent. Then IV translated. 287 00:20:49,900 --> 00:20:53,900 You have only to be still. In other words. 288 00:20:55,300 --> 00:21:00,800 I know Pharaoh's Army is coming but don't retreat, stand firm, 289 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:06,600 and be still and know that the Lord is God. 290 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:13,600 You and I are so quick to take matters into our own hands but 291 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:18,600 God is working every single detail to show us this that 292 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:24,500 salvation belongs to him. And him alone, there is nothing 293 00:21:24,500 --> 00:21:30,000 that you or I can do to save ourselves and though we try 294 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:38,400 every single day, The truth is that he is the only one who can 295 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:42,400 rescue us. And so many of us, I think know 296 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:47,000 that to be true in concept. That we have this idea of God 297 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:50,200 yeah I know he's supposed to be Sovereign and in control but we 298 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:55,200 live every day as functional atheists as if it were up to us. 299 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:59,900 The Parting of the Red Sea. Reminds us that God is 300 00:21:59,900 --> 00:22:03,500 sovereign. That he works all things 301 00:22:03,500 --> 00:22:08,900 together for his glory and for the good of those who love him. 302 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:14,700 And so verse 21, we see Moses and he stretches out his hand 303 00:22:14,700 --> 00:22:19,600 over the sea, and the lower drove the sea back by a strong 304 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:24,100 East, Wind all night and made the sea dry land and the waters 305 00:22:24,100 --> 00:22:26,000 were divided. I want you to picture it. 306 00:22:27,100 --> 00:22:30,600 Here's the people of Israel. They're stuck between the Red 307 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:35,200 Sea and Pharaohs Army, and God calls, Moses to lift up his 308 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,300 staff and the waters are parted into. 309 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,200 So that God's people. People can walk on dry land and 310 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:46,500 cross the sea bed. It's an iconic image. 311 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:52,100 An event that people for centuries, have tried to explain 312 00:22:52,100 --> 00:22:54,700 Away by some kind of natural phenomenon. 313 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,800 Some pointing to the word read and Hebrew is similar to the 314 00:22:58,808 --> 00:23:00,700 word read. And so maybe this was just kind 315 00:23:00,700 --> 00:23:06,400 of a Marshland shallow water. They could walk across or others 316 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:07,600 saying. Well, maybe this is about the 317 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:11,100 tide and as the tide went out and the winds blew that they 318 00:23:11,100 --> 00:23:16,500 could walk through Dry Land safely, But we're told in the 319 00:23:16,500 --> 00:23:20,400 next verse doesn't allow for any kind of natural phenomena. 320 00:23:20,900 --> 00:23:27,200 Look at verse 22. And the people of Israel went 321 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,000 into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters, being a wall 322 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:34,000 to them on their right hand and on their left. 323 00:23:34,900 --> 00:23:38,400 The idea here is the waters were so high, it looks like the wall 324 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:43,800 of a fortress. In other words, God parted the 325 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:48,200 depths so that his people could walk through. 326 00:23:49,500 --> 00:23:53,400 He did so. So that no one could deny that 327 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:58,600 he is the savior. This was a miracle. 328 00:23:59,900 --> 00:24:02,200 And this is what miracles do for us. 329 00:24:03,700 --> 00:24:06,900 They help us to see that salvation is beyond ourselves. 330 00:24:08,100 --> 00:24:12,000 You see because just as much as this moment was a miracle and 331 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,500 Israel's history at points to an even greater miracle, that was 332 00:24:15,500 --> 00:24:21,500 yet to come when God would part the Waters of sins so that we 333 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:25,800 could pass through into salvation and sending 334 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,700 miraculously his son, Jesus Christ, born of a virgin. 335 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:37,900 We believe this as Christians. He died for us. 336 00:24:37,900 --> 00:24:40,400 I'm a third day. He rose again for us. 337 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:47,600 And one day he will come again. All to show us that he and he 338 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:52,400 alone is our savior. So, the third and final thing I 339 00:24:52,408 --> 00:24:56,500 want you to know this morning, not only does the story of the 340 00:24:56,500 --> 00:25:00,900 Red Sea show us that there's nothing to fear and call us to 341 00:25:00,900 --> 00:25:04,900 stand firm. The story of the Red Sea and 342 00:25:04,900 --> 00:25:07,600 invites us to see the salvation of the Lord. 343 00:25:08,100 --> 00:25:12,600 Look with me in verse 26. The Lord said to Moses, stretch 344 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,400 out your hand over the sea. That the water may come back 345 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:19,700 upon the Egyptians upon their chariots and upon their 346 00:25:19,700 --> 00:25:23,200 Horsemen. After God's people passed 347 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:27,500 through Dry Land. We're told that Pharaoh's Army 348 00:25:27,500 --> 00:25:33,400 went in after them and what was once their power and their 349 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:37,900 chariots became their downfall because we're told that their 350 00:25:37,900 --> 00:25:42,100 chariots began to get stuck in the mud and as they got stuck, 351 00:25:42,100 --> 00:25:45,100 they began to panic. And as they Panic, they 352 00:25:45,100 --> 00:25:47,800 recognize to where they were fighting against. 353 00:25:47,900 --> 00:25:49,700 They weren't fighting against Israel. 354 00:25:50,500 --> 00:25:53,400 No evening, Egyptians recognize, there are fighting against the 355 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:57,000 Lord. And then Moses verse 26, 356 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:02,000 stretches out his hand and all of the waters come crashing down 357 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:08,800 on Pharaohs Army. This moment became the defining 358 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,900 moment in Israel's history. They would tell it to their 359 00:26:12,900 --> 00:26:15,800 children. They would sing about it. 360 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:20,300 They would remember it over and over and over again. 361 00:26:20,300 --> 00:26:22,600 Why? Because it was so easy for them 362 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,900 to forget, not simply to forget that it happened but to forget 363 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:32,900 that God is who he says he is and just as he fought for them 364 00:26:32,900 --> 00:26:37,400 at the Red Sea. He would fight for them again 365 00:26:37,500 --> 00:26:42,300 and again, and again, and again. So the people of Israel 366 00:26:42,300 --> 00:26:46,600 remembered what happened at the Red Sea and in so many ways, it 367 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,100 was their baptism. What do I mean by that? 368 00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:53,500 What do I mean by saying that this was their baptism. 369 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,400 Well, for us as Christians, we believe that baptism is a mark. 370 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,800 A moment where we remember that God is who he says he is, that 371 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:09,200 he is the faithful one that he is the savior and that he will 372 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,400 stop at nothing to save his people. 373 00:27:14,300 --> 00:27:18,200 And just, as much as Israel needed to remember what God did 374 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:23,500 for them, at the Red Sea, we need to remember our baptisms to 375 00:27:23,500 --> 00:27:26,300 remember that God is who he says he is. 376 00:27:27,300 --> 00:27:28,900 Because we're so prone to forget. 377 00:27:30,500 --> 00:27:35,000 Martin Luther put it this way. It sounds subtle but I want you 378 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,000 to hear how powerful this really is. 379 00:27:37,900 --> 00:27:41,500 Martin, Luther used to say not. I was baptized. 380 00:27:42,500 --> 00:27:47,700 But Luther everyday would say, I am baptized, do you see the 381 00:27:47,700 --> 00:27:51,500 difference? You see Luther recognized that 382 00:27:51,500 --> 00:27:57,000 he needed to remember who he is. So easy to forget. 383 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,900 And so each and every day as he faced Temptation and sin and 384 00:28:01,900 --> 00:28:05,700 fear and doubt, he would remind himself in some would say he 385 00:28:05,700 --> 00:28:10,300 even wrote it on his desk. I am baptized and other words, 386 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:16,000 God is who he says he is. And I am who he says I am. 387 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,900 That's why the Apostle Paul put it this way in First Corinthians 388 00:28:19,900 --> 00:28:23,000 chapter 10 for. I do not want you to be unaware 389 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:27,000 brothers, that our fathers were all baptized into Moses and in 390 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,500 the cloud and in the sea and all ate the same spiritual food, and 391 00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:33,600 drink the same spiritual drink for, they drank from the 392 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:38,700 spiritual rock, that followed them, and The Rock was Christ. 393 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:46,100 When we are afraid. We no longer see God for who, he 394 00:28:46,100 --> 00:28:52,100 really is NE things of this world become so big to us. 395 00:28:52,900 --> 00:28:59,000 And we forget the story of the Red Sea reminds us. 396 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:06,600 That not only is our God Sovereign but he is also good. 397 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,000 I want you to hear what happened to Israel. 398 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:16,600 Next, Exodus 14 verse 30, Thus the Lord saved Israel that day 399 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:21,800 from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians 400 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:26,600 dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that 401 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:33,000 the Lord used against the Egyptians They saw they saw God 402 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,600 for who he really is. They saw what he could do. 403 00:29:36,900 --> 00:29:39,300 They saw that. He was the one who saved them 404 00:29:39,300 --> 00:29:42,900 and notice what happens next. It says they saw the great power 405 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,100 that the Lord used against the Egyptians. 406 00:29:45,300 --> 00:29:52,500 So the people feared the Lord They were no longer afraid of 407 00:29:52,500 --> 00:29:56,300 pharaoh. Now, they were afraid of God. 408 00:29:57,500 --> 00:30:00,000 And you say, well why do I want to be afraid of God? 409 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:08,100 Because when we see God for who he really is, just how big and 410 00:30:08,100 --> 00:30:13,300 Sovereign and mighty, we no longer fear the things of this 411 00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:20,300 world, but we fear him instead. We know that perfect love cast 412 00:30:20,300 --> 00:30:23,200 out fear. I think c.s. 413 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:25,700 Lewis is, right? It's so easy for us to try to 414 00:30:25,700 --> 00:30:27,700 cast out, fear with lesser things. 415 00:30:27,700 --> 00:30:33,300 The only thing that can cast out fear, as fear of our Sovereign, 416 00:30:33,300 --> 00:30:40,500 God, our Sovereign God, who loved us so much that he sent 417 00:30:40,500 --> 00:30:46,400 his only son to die on the cross for our salvation. 418 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:53,400 The Red Sea. Invites us to see the salvation 419 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:59,300 of the Lord, because it is so easy, and this cultural moment 420 00:30:59,300 --> 00:31:07,900 to lose our sight. and to forget that he fought for us, then He 421 00:31:07,900 --> 00:31:13,100 is fighting for us now. And he will fight for us until 422 00:31:13,100 --> 00:31:20,200 he comes again. The same God, who parted the Red 423 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:24,500 Sea? Is the same God who sent Jesus 424 00:31:24,900 --> 00:31:29,300 to die to rise again for you it's the same God that the 425 00:31:29,308 --> 00:31:33,700 Apostle Paul says now dwells in Us by the power of the Holy 426 00:31:33,700 --> 00:31:40,900 Spirit and the same God, who one day will send his son to fight 427 00:31:40,900 --> 00:31:50,100 for us once and for all To conquer our every fear and make 428 00:31:50,100 --> 00:31:52,800 all things new. Let's pray. 429 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:57,500 Father in heaven. Help Us to see the Salvation 430 00:31:57,500 --> 00:32:03,100 that you have given for us. Help us to not lose sight of Who 431 00:32:03,100 --> 00:32:06,800 You Are. and so we pray that you would help us this morning, to 432 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:10,600 be honest with our fears, To be honest, with the things that we 433 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:15,300 turn to try to calm our fears and instead, would you give us a 434 00:32:15,300 --> 00:32:18,000 holy fear for you Lord? God. 435 00:32:19,500 --> 00:32:25,200 And then fearing, you help us to worship you to be an awe of you 436 00:32:25,700 --> 00:32:29,400 in to see the Salvation that you've given us by grace. 437 00:32:30,700 --> 00:32:34,200 Help us to see that you are fighting our every battle and 438 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:37,000 that you will fight for us until you come again. 439 00:32:37,100 --> 00:32:39,600 We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. 440 00:32:39,900 --> 00:32:41,200 Let's stand. Let's sing together.