Not Around, But Through

NOT AROUND, BUT THROUGH

EXODUS 14: 15-31

APRIL 22, 2001

INTRODUCTION: B.U.S.Y.

Satan has called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, “We can’t keep the Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them form reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ and if they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can’t gain that relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!” “How shall we do this?” shouted his angels. “Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered. “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!” Over stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their homes and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.” “Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes. Keep skinny, digitally retouched models on magazines covers so husbands will believe that external beauty is most important, and become increasingly dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly!” “Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don’t let them go out in nature to reflect on God’s wonders. Sent them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.” “Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!” It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there.

The question is: Has the devil been successful at his scheme in your life? Does “Busy” mean: Being Under Satan’s Yoke?

THESIS SENTENCE: THERE IS A DELIVERANCE FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD!

TRANSITION THOUGHT: Our text for today brings us up to date with the people of Israel after God had put an end to their busyness. There are many lessons to be learned here. What is the Living God saying to us in this day of bondage? Are we any different than the Israelites? The key word for today is DELIVERANCE, NOT AROUND, BUT THROUGH the obstacles of life!

WHAT DOES DILIVERANCE LOOK LIKE?

I. DILIVERANCE MEANS GOING THE LONG WAY

A. God chooses the long way

1. Exodus 13: 17 – 18, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.”

2. A few observations from these two verses. After being in bondage 430 years, exactly to the day, (Exodus 12:41), do you think the Israelites were ready to fight? No! Long term Bondage takes the fight right out of you. The fight had been beaten out of them!

3. Yet, did you take note of that last phrase? “The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.” God knows that the way we appear on the outside is possible not the reality on the inside. Men are often like this! They look tough, but they have no “REAL” fight left in them!