Checkmate

Exodus 15:9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation

We see throughout the scripture time and time again that God’s people often found themselves in precarious, impossible, odds stacked up against them positions. Enemies on one side and graves to be made on the other side. Out numbered and by all appearances their demise was coming soon.

No- they were not always the most skilled warriors, no they weren’t always the strongest men- no they weren’t even always the bravest men. It always seemed like God would take them to positions in their journey where it would seem to most that there was no way of escape.

We read the account of the Crossing of the Red Sea and often times lose the gravity of this event and how the odds are insurmountable. You have a mighty army of men covering the hillsides with swords, shields and chariots glistening in the Egyptian Sun. Closing in on a multitude of unarmed and untrained men, women and infant children. When Pharoah’s army captured them there was not going to be a friendly discussion encouraging the children of Israel to come back to Egypt and be our friends. No they would have been utterly slaughtered that day.

The children of Israel knew this because they even cried out to Moses “What since there were no graves in Egypt- you brought us out here to die??”

They were ready to surrender and give up-

YOU SEE THERE’S SOMETHING YOU CAN DO THAT GOD CANNOT DO-

YOU’VE BEEN TOLD ALL YOUR LIFE THAT GOD CAN DO ANYTHING – BUT THAT’S NOT TRUE.

WHAT CAN YOU DO THAT GOD CANNOT DO? - YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN!

YOU SEE SOMETIMES THE DR SAYS IVE DONE ALL CAN DO

SOMETIMES THE COUNSELOR SAYS I’VE DONE ALL I CAN DO

SOMETIMES THE ACCOUNTANT SAYS- IVE DONE ALL I CAN DO

BUT GOD CAN NEVER HAS NOR WILL HE EVER SAY- IVE DONE ALL I CAN EVER DO!

Habbakuk 3:3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.

May I tell you when the heavens begin to shake and the earth tremble, lightning flashes- GOD IS HIDING HIS POWER

WHEN STORMS ARE CEASED, DEAD ARE RAISED, BLIND EYES ARE OPENED, CHAINS ARE LOOSED WALLS COME DOWN---GOD IS STILL HIDING IS POWER.

WHEN PARALYTIC LEGS BEGIN TO LEAP, MUTE MOUTHS BEGIN TO SPEAK, LEPERS ARE CLEANSED, DEMONIAC MEN ARE LIBERATED AND DEMONS FLEE---GOD IS STILL HIDING HIS POWER

WHEN CANCER IS CURED- PEOPLE ARE DELIVERED FROM ADDICTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS ARE INSTANTLY RESTORED- PEOPLE DANCE AND REJOICE WITH HIS PRESENCE---GOD IS STILL HIDING HIS POWER!!

“A HIDING OF HIS POWER…” IN OTHER WORDS GOD HAS HID MORE THAN HE HAS REVEALED TO US

It’s in life that many of us have found ourselves at one time or another

Annually in Europe they have a world-renowned chess tournament that has taken place for decades. People from around the world will come and display their brilliance in the game of chess. Hour after hour people move their pieces across arena of the chess table. One of the backdrops on display, at this tournament, is a painting dating back into the 1700’s.

Put Picture up- DESCRIBE

It is entitled Check Mate

During one of these tournaments a player found himself perplexed in a tense match, pushed himself away from the table, walking around the room, he stood gazing at this painting, studying and looking at every detail. With a voice that startled the quit room, racing with dull whispers, he cried out

“IT’S WRONG…IT’S WRONG…THE KING HAS ONE MORE MOVE!!”

That’s a word for somebody here---God is not finished!

You may have given up, thrown in the towel, surrendered, and heading for the hills. But there is a mighty God that is standing up from His throne proclaiming- YOU MIGHT BE DONE- BUT I’M NOT DONE

It reminds me of the woman “caught in the very act of adultery” this account has often amused me because I believe there are some glaring questions we have to ask ourself.