Go Forward

· Have you ever felt like your back was against the wall?

o One minute you are basking in the joy of God’s presence, peace and provision and the next you are bombarded by any thing and everything that could go wrong

· This morning I want us to look at the children of Israel who found themselves in this same situation

· As we will see, things aren’t always what they seem

· God is setting you up for something big

o It was God who led them to the shores of the Red Sea

§ He could have easily led them AROUND the sea, but God was setting them up for something big

o Notice that it wasn’t really Pharaoh who was pursuing the Israelites (v 8)

§ If God hadn’t hardened Pharaoh’s heart to pursue, the Israelites would have become complacent where they were

· Pushing them out of their comfort zone

§ But God wanted them to go forward to the land that He had promised them

o If you are going through a tough time, start shouting, because God is setting you up for something big in your life

· Needless fear can foster spiritual confusion (v 11)

o In Exodus 4:29, they saw the Moses perform the miracles that God had revealed to Moses at the burning bush

§ They believed and worshiped God

§ They witnessed the plagues that were wrought by God

§ In chapter 12 verses 31-38 we read of how the Israelites left Egypt

· They didn’t sneak out, they walked out boldly

· In fact, the Egyptians were throwing them out and giving them silver and gold

o But here in chapter 14 verse 11, we see what happens when fear sets in

§ They began crying out to God out of one side of their mouth, and complaining out the other side

§ When fear sets in, you don’t know whether you’re coming or going – panic

§ But they didn’t know that God was orchestrating a miraculous manifestation of His power

· A life application that we can draw from this is –

Be proactive, not reactive

o God asked, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.”

o God instructed Moses to take his rod and divide the sea

§ This is the same rod that Moses had when he encountered God at the burning bush

§ There was nothing spectacular about this stick, until God asked Moses a question

· “What’s that in your hand?” (Ex 4:2)

§ That thing which God has placed in your hand may be just a run-of-the-mill, ordinary thing

o But when you have a supernatural encounter with God, He takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary

· Do you feel like you are caught between a rock and a hard place?

o If you are, don’t panic,

§ Take what God has given you and go forward