Going Forward As God's People

GOING FORWARD AS GOD’S PEOPLE

Introduction

A. Moses and Israel were between the Devil and the

Deep Red Sea

1. They were in quite a predicament to say the

least

2. What were they going to do? Pharaoh and

Egyptians were almost upon them!

B. We have all faced predicaments at one time or

another

1. They are uncomfortable, nerve wracking,

and threaten to drive us to despair

2. We have different ways of describing our

predicaments

3. Some of those familiar expressions

include “in a pinch, jam, tight squeeze, up

a tree, in a corner, hardpressed or between

a rock and a hard place, on the horns of

a dilemma, backs against the wall, up a

creek without a paddle..."

4. What should we do in a predicament? When

hemmed in, the only place to look is UP!

See Psa. 121

I. GOD’S MARVELOUS PLAN

A. Out of Bondage into Blessing

1. God’s plan was not for Israel to stay in

Egypt, but to move out.

2. That’s what we see from Ex.1 when God

saw the affliction of His people,heard

their prayers, and his plan was to lead

them out of Egypt into the Promised land.

3. Go Forward was the command as they came to

the Red Sea,and saw the Egyptians pursuing

them. God had a plan, and it was not

going back to Egypt. cf. Jer.29:10-11

4. Later, God’s plan was for them to leave

Babylonian captivity and return home after

70 years.

B. God also has a plan for us today!

1. We are not to go back to the Old Life of

Bondage - Gal.4:9-10; 5:1

2. We are to go forward, "forgetting those

things which are behind,and reaching forth

unto those things which are before"

Phil.3:13

3. His Plan is not for us to stand still

either. We are to Grow Heb.6:1

"Let us go on unto perfection; not laying

again the foundation of repentance unto

dead works, and of faith toward God"

4. Spiritually and also Numerically Acts 1:8

"Ye shall be my witnesses unto me both in

Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in

Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts

of the earth"

5. As we come out, go forward, we will make

progress, and our journey will also end at

Heaven, God’s Promised land for us.

II. GOD’S MIGHTY PERSON

A. First the Plan and now the Man

1. The Mighty Person was not the powerful

Pharaoh of Egypt, but Moses.

2. Pharaoh was the voice of defiance and

rebellion and pride, who hardened his

heart. God will never use people like

that, who stand as a hindrance to the

progress and furtherance of His Work and

Word.

"Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty

spirit before a fall" Prov.16:18

B. The Mighty Person was Moses

1. Spent 40 years thinking he was Somebody,

Next 40 years - Nobody in the desert, and

the final 40 years seeing how God can turn a

Nobody into a Somebody!

2. When God called Moses by the burning Bush,

Moses was anything but a Mighty man, for he

made excuse after excuse for not obeying God.

3. But now see and hear him speak! - Ex.14:13-14

C. Can God take and make you a Mighty Person?-WHO ME?

1. Yes you! God can use you if you want to be

used. Gideon, Jeremiah, Jonah etc.

2. If we can overcome our reluctance, timidity,

lack of confidence, faith, we might even

surprise ourselves. Let Go and Let God has

much truth in it!

Phil.4:13 I - CAN - DO - ALL THINGS - THROUGH CHRIST

III. GOD’S MIRACULOUS POWER

A. That’s what made all the difference here

1. His Power was seen through the Ten Plagues:

Blood, Frogs, Gnats, Flies,Livestock epidemic,

Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Death of

Firstborn.

2. His Power in parting the roaring waters of the

Red Sea using Moses Rod. Ex.4:2, 14:16, 31

B. What a sight it must have been that day!

1. Dividing of the waters, People walking

through, Egyptians drowning.

2. The People singing 15:1-2 They had seen his

power, now sing his praises.

3. God had given them the Victory as they obeyed

Him by walking across.

4. God can give us the victory today if we trust

Him enough to go forward and not look back at

our circumstances, enemies, or anything else.

LETS GO FORWARD AS GOD’S PEOPLE!

1. Leave past behind, and go forward to a new land, opportunities, possibilities and challenges.

2. Lets do great things together for God and with Him this year. "I’m pressing on the upward way...Lord plant my feet on higher ground."

3. Here am I send me! Begins with CONVERSION to Christ (Acts 2:38), COMMITMENT to the Church He died for, and CROWN of LIFE as our reward Rev.2:10