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Welcome to the live big broadcast with Derek Greer. We believe this teaching from God's Word will empower you to live a full, impactful life in Christ. Let's dig in.
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We're going to be in Exodus, chapter 13 and verse 17. Moses is the writer of the first five books of the Bible and he begins verse 17 this way. Then it came to pass, no matter what you're facing, all that comes will come to pass. You know, everything present is not necessarily permanent. As the older saints used to say, trouble won't last always. Paul said it this way. In Second Corinthians 4, 8. He was speaking of his situation. This was an allegory. This wasn't him waxing poetic. As we read the Scriptures, we discovered this was really his life. And he said this. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed. So he and his team were hunted daily by the powers that be, but they wouldn't let the stress of that crush them. Then he went on and said, we are perplexed, but not in despair. And what this means is he was not always sure how God would get them out of the situation they happened to be in, but they didn't live a life of depression and sadness. Then he continued, he said, yeah, we're beloved of God, but we're persecuted but not forsaken. They were attacked verbally, physically lied on and cheated, but still they know that the Lord was on their side. And then they get to this final one, which is struck down. Now, this language actually comes from agriculture or livestock. How many of you, you know, that might not really speak to us, but how many of you have had ladybugs in your window sills? Yeah, yeah. Well, when I was a kid, you would find ladybugs sometimes in a windowsill. But you also found that if you flip the ladybug on its back, it would die. And for some strange reason, almost all the dead ladybugs happened to be flipped on their back. But this imagery comes from pasture life where sheep would every now and then get cast. And if a sheep was cast, that meant it rolled on its back. It could not get up without the shepherd's help. And sometimes there'll be things in your life that you will not be able to get up out of without the shepherd's help? He said, I'm struck down, laying on my back, vulnerable, but not destroyed. So knocked off his feet, he was still able to thank God, at least I'm still alive. And as bad as things got for Paul and his team as he traveled much of Asia and Eventually Europe. One of the things he would constantly do in the Scriptures is look to Jesus to maintain his perspective. So in verse 17, he goes on to say this. He says this. He's speaking about being shipwrecked, left in the sea. All the things we just mentioned. You know, beat, you know, just. Just the whole nine. He said, for our light affliction. When we consider what Jesus faced at the cross, when we consider Gethsemane, when he sweat droplets of blood, when we consider the beating he took in front of the high priest, when we consider the fact they pulled out his beard, when we consider the fact that he was beat with the cat o nine tails and hung over that rock, chained to it, actually, or strung to it, and they beat him until his innards were visible to those watching. When we think about Jesus, who could call a legion of angel at any time, but hung on that cross for hours until it was finished. When we think about Jesus and all that he went through, it helps us get perspective about the things we're going through. So Paul said, for our light, what affliction? My mother used to say when I was young and I complained. She said the boy complained about having no shoes until she met the boy or until he met the boy that had no feet. True leadership is not a position or a title. It is action and an example. You know, I love Jesus with my heart and my life, but I will also tell you I probably respect him as much as I love him. The way he lived his life, the way he handled his affairs, the way he suffered, the way he came back after folks made fun of him and all the rest. How he hung on that cross. Brave. I have considerable love for Jesus, but. But the only thing in me I think that can match is my deep respect for him. And it's my respect for him that causes me to want to live for him the way I do. He said, for our light affliction. Again, he's speaking of being troubled on every side. How many have been troubled on every side. He's talking about moments where he was puzzled, perplexed, didn't have answers. Moments where he was attacked and left bloody, knocked down, not sure how he was going to get up time and time again. But in that he realized nothing lasts forever, not even our troubles. For our light affliction is but for a moment. So he viewed his affliction and his challenges all in the light of eternity. He knew that when he got to the end of his life and he looked back on his life, all the problems that he faced in life, all the pain he experienced and went through in life would only feel like a second compared to his eternal reward. And as difficult as the thing you may be facing today is, I want to tell you, this too shall pass. And he continues, he says all these problems, all these issues are actually working together for good. He said, in all this is working for us. A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory every hard day is you putting in work for a better future. Years ago, I was in a really, really difficult situation, and I felt tempted to feel sorry for myself. And I heard the Lord whisper to my heart, nothing can hurt you more than I can bless you. Nothing can hurt you more than God can reward you. The devil can't take from you more than God can give back to you. Matter of fact, we can stop here and go home because we already had church and heard everything that we need to hear. But let's get back to the text anyway. Then it came to pass again. All that comes will come to pass. When Pharaoh had let the people go, 400 years of abject slavery was finally over. Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last. This was a great moment. This was a rejoicing moment. The people were excited, the people were happy and they had hope for a future. But. But until we get to glory, I need to tell you something. We're either in a storm, coming out of a storm or headed into a new storm. But storms don't last. But God's people will. So you gotta learn to hold on. But here's where everything gets interesting. Moses said, but God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines. This might not be a big deal to you, but back then, the Philistines were an aggressive, highly advanced and warlike people. There were people that got on ships, at least that's what the historians say today. From the Greek Isles, meaning if you saw the movie 300, these people were trained in warfare like that. And this group of people had become a confederacy. And they conquered five major cities in Canaan land, which included Gaza, which you hear a lot about today. That whole area, Gaza, is actually Philistine territory. Ascalon, Asdod, Gath and Ekron. In fact, these Philistines were so savage that even the great Egyptian army didn't want to mess with them unless they had to. So scripture says God didn't lead them by the way of the Philistines, although that road or that way was near, meaning the journey would have been quicker if God would have led them through this Philistine territory. But after hundreds of years of slavery, the Israelites had learned how to suffer. But like many in the church today, they hadn't yet, not yet learned how to fight. For God was aware, and he said this. He said, lest perhaps the people who've been slaves all their life been told what to do and been learned to been taught to be docile and not to argue with the mass up, lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. You know, a boxer famously said, everyone has courage until they get punched in the face. Everybody has a plan about what they would do until they get hit in the jaw. But God would not let his people go anywhere that he had not prepared them for yet. It's important, so if you're facing it, it must mean you're ready for it. So God led the people around and that, you know, as far I'm like, lord, why don't you lead me in a straight line? But God knows what I need and what needs to develop in me more than I do. And sometimes the circle you're traveling is more his protection than anything else. So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. So God took them through the wilderness, not because he wasn't strong enough to protect them, but because they were not strong enough to trust him yet. Verse 20. So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Ethan at the edge of the wilderness. And then the Bible said the Lord personally went before them. What God was teaching them was that the most important weapon was not sword, spear, or chariot, but the most important weapon was the very presence of the Lord. And that presence of the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way. And what the cloud would do, it would give them shade in the heat of the day when the desert sun was at its hottest. And by night, it would lead them by a pillar of fire to give them. So at night they'd receive again light so they could travel day and night and get further than the enemies could. But also it gave them warmth. When we daily enter God's presence with praise, God daily enters our lives and circumstances with power. Now the Lord spoke Moses saying, moses, I need you to speak to the children of Israel. And he spoke to them that they turned their camp before PI Hahiroth between Migdal and the sea opposite BAAL Zephon. And he said, tell them that you shall camp before it by the Red Sea. Now watch. The reason for Pharaoh will Say of the children of Israel. They are bewildered, they are confused. They didn't really understand the lay of the land, and the wilderness has closed them in. Have you ever listened to God's voice? Have you ever obeyed God but then found yourself in what seems like a trap? This was the situation the Israelites. You know, in my life, I've discovered God has a peculiar habit of leading his children into situations that he is the only way out. I don't like it. I doubt you like it. But God's ways are not our ways. And our comfort is not more important than his plan at what's best. But then verse four is troubling. There's a lot of theology in this verse that we're not going to be able to cover today. But I'm just going to glance through it. God said, then I will harden Pharaoh's heart. God, I thought you were for us. Ten plagues and the last plague, the firstborn died. I mean, God, you sent us Moses and you told us that you set us free so that we could worship you. And then you harden my enemy's heart so that he would come after me and pursue me. Father, it looks like you're instigating this situation. But this is not strange in scripture because in Job, the Bible says that, you know, the. The devil came and presented himself with all the other angels before the Lord. And he said, where you come from? And the devil said, well, I've been going to and fro the earth doing what I do. And then God said, have you considered my servant Job? The devil was messing with a whole lot of other people. Until God put Job's name in his mouth. And then Job, who know, I'm sorry, the devil, who knows a little bit about human nature, he said, listen, let me touch his body in his health. By the way, God started bragging on Job. He said this. No one writes this like, you know, this guy Job. But he said, no, God, he's like, no, no, no. He's like me. That's what the devil's saying. No, no, people like me touch his body. He gonna put himself first and he will curse you. And God said, he's. He's in your hands. Why would God do something like, God allows Goliath to show up in your life so you can discover the David deep down on the inside of you. You think you're in the battle you're in because God fell asleep on a job. But I want to tell you, God very well may have set that thing up, instigated it, because he knows what he's about to do. But watch this. God has a reason. And I will gain honor over Pharaoh. Now, they thought Pharaoh was a God, but God's like, I'm going to show who the real God is. I'm going to gain honor over Pharaoh and over all of his army that the Egyptians may know that I am Lord. Sometimes what you're going through is not just about you. Sometimes it's also about the people that are watching you. Now listen, the devil wants to use the trial to destroy you. But God wants to use it to promote you and show you what he can do. He's about to release his glory through your situation and your problem. You feel abandoned by the problem. But actually, it's a setup. Now, it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants were turned against the people of God. And they said, why have we done this? That we have let Israel go from serving us? Now we have to cook our own food, make our own bricks. And you know what? This is a little harder than we thought. But all of this was a setup. Just like God allowed Satan to inspire men to sentence Jesus to the cross. The reason he let that happen is because he knew what he would do three days later. There are some things that have happened in your life God's not looking at today. He's looking at what he's gonna accomplish three days later. Days later, all y' all not so certain about what I'm saying. I'm gonna pull away for just a second. Lazarus was sick. Lazarus was sick near unto death. The Bible said, but Jesus looked at his disciples, said, I'm glad that I wasn't with him. And he waited five more days until Lazarus not only dead, but he was dead. Dead beyond hope or resuscitation. And he said, this has happened that you might see my glory. Pay attention to what I'm saying. Some things that happen in your life are not about your comfort. It's about his glory. It's about God showing himself strong. He will put you in a situation where your back is up against the wall. There's no way out but up. But God. You feel abandoned and forsaken. But God said, listen, this setback is a, is a setup for a comeback if you pay attention to what I'm saying. So Pharaoh did with Pharaoh, he made his chariot ready. And these chariots were pulled by, you know, 800 to 1,000 pound Arabian stallions. These beautiful horses. If you watch the movies, you know that blades came out of the sides of these chariots. And these chariots would be used to mow down soldiers. So Pharaoh got in his chariot the strongest and best horses, the best horsemen. He took his people with him. But also along with his own chariot, the Bible says he took 600 choice chariots. This would be today like 250 battalions of tanks showing up. A chariot was an ancient tank. There wasn't a whole lot anybody could do with it. And all the chariots of Egypt he took with the captains over every one of them. So this was a massive mobilization. Watch this. To recapture those God set free. The fact God set you free is real. But just like God's the same yesterday, today and forever, so is the devil. The devil will try again. Verse 10. And when Pharaoh drew near the children of Israel, they heard the sound of the chariots and the horses from a great distance. And probably the ground was shaking and trembling. They didn't have earpods and all the rest, so you know, they were tuned and you hear stuff when you're out in nature. So they heard it before they saw it. And finally the children of Israel lifted up their eyes and behold, they could literally see the Egyptians were marching after them. Have you ever sighed a sigh of relief thinking that the worst was behind you, only to look up and see that your problems back bigger and stronger than ever. So naturally they were very afraid. Everyone faces fear sometimes, but it's what you do in those moments of fear that makes all the difference. So they were very afraid. But watch what they did. And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Sometimes all you could do is pray. Sometimes all you could do is cry. Until the Lord gives you clarity and puts that peace that passes understanding. You know, in the Bible it talks about having peace with God and that comes through the cross. But the Bible also talks about the peace of God. Peace with God comes because of the blood. But the peace of God only comes through prayer. The peace of God comes when. I can't explain it, but when. But you kneel before God and you go in there worried, confused and anxious. But something clicks on the inside and you just know God got it. And you stand up differently and you see the difference between the peace with God and the peace of God. Verse 13. And Moses said to the people, do not be afraid. Everything worth having in this life is on the other side of some fear. So if you run away from your problems, it only makes you further away from the solution. So Moses is the oracle of God. It's God's voice. He said, do not be afraid. Stand still. Be still and know that I am God. Sometimes when stuff comes on you, stuff happens, stuff from the past tries to show up again. It's easy to run and become frightened. Confusion will make you panic. Fear will make you run. Anxiety will cause you to collapse. But watch. This presumption, though, will make you jump into the sea before God's parted it. But God will do his part if we do our part. But what I want you to see, the children of Israel's part was first emotional. He needed them. In order to flow with what God had for them, they had to check their emotions. The first step was for them to calm down. Moses said, stand still, don't run. Keep your head. Possess your face. I want to say, check your face. Possess yourself. That's what I'm trying to say. But watch what he says next. And I need you to see it before you see it. See, if you don't calm down, you're not going to be able to see it. If you're just full of panic and worry, you're not going to be able to see it. But you just quiet your heart. Don't call up that crazy friend that's just going to be as crazy as you are. Breathe, stand still and see. You don't see it on the inside before you see it on the outside and see the salvation of the Lord. You see, faith is not necessarily knowing how it's going to happen. It's just knowing that it will. God did not explain to them how he was going to deal with this problem. Because if Moses had anything to do with his plan, or any other human had anything to do with his plan, there would have been a whole bunch of boats on the shoreline to take them over. But what I've discovered in my walk with God, my ways are not his ways. And the way I would do things are not the way God chooses often to do things. So he says, be still, calm down, and I need you to let me show you something on the inside. And then he says, I'm going to accomplish all this today. And I believe God is saying to you, if you would just possess your soul, if you would just show yourself a man or a woman, if you would just remain calm. Don't flip out like everybody else is flipping out. Just remain calm. God will accomplish his part. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more. Watch this forever. How many have some things in your life you never want to see again? How many have some people in your life you never want to see it yet. Well, if that's the case, calm down. Let God help you see it before you see it. And know that the problem you're dealing with is all part of God's plan. Now watch what he said. All that geography we just read was God leading them to the deepest part of the Red Sea on purpose. It was all part of a strategy. And the situation you're in, very well be part of God's strategy to show himself strong. And he said, listen, if you calm down, operate with a little bit of faith, the Lord will fight for you. And watch this, and you shall hold your peace. How many of you know that the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy? Meaning he's a thief. The reason we must hold our peace is because the devil wants to snatch it from us. Because the devil sometimes knows more than we do how valuable it is. He recognizes if you hold your peace, the Lord will fight your battle. So he wants to get us all nervous, upset and worried so God doesn't step in other than God himself. Don't let anyone hold the key to your peace of mind. And the Lord said to Moses, and this seems a little strange because, you know, he was all strong and brave in front of the crowd, but obviously when he went home, he fell apart before the Lord in private. Is Moses the only one, by the way? And the Lord said to Moses, why do you cry to me? He's saying, moses, there's a time for prayer, but there's also a time for you to get off your knees and act. And Moses, I already told you. Weren't you listening to the message you just preached? Do not be afraid. See the salvation of God. Moses, what you crying about? Moses, Haven't I promised? Have I not been faithful? Moses, why are you crying? Listen, I got it at first. I sympathized at first. But you heard my voice. I told you what to do. Did I stutter? Moses. Moses, why are you crying to me? Possession. Shh, boy. Get up there. I made you their leader for a reason. Don't let me down now. Tell the children of Israel to go forward. And this is what I believe the Lord is saying to many of us listening to me today. You hear the chariots from your past. You hear horses and chariots of things that have capacity to destroy you, moving in your direction. And in front of you is a sea 1600ft deep. Even if you ran, the chariots and the horses would catch you. You are between a rock and a hard. But God is saying to you today through the Scriptures. I know it's scary. I know what you feel like doing, but calm down. Collect yourself. Breathe. Know if God before you doesn't matter who's against you. If you really believe that God is your fortress, if you really believe that he's your stronghold, if you really believe that he's your salvation. I need you to keep moving forward. But here's the key. He said to Moses, in effect, the only thing you need to succeed, I've already placed in your hand. He said, moses, lift up your rod. This was a shepherd's rod. You might be able to beat off some wolves, but you're not going to beat a chariot and horsemen. But lift up your rod, Moses. You may think you're not enough. You may think that you don't have a lot, but if you listen to God with what you have, God will get you to the other side. He said, lift up your rod. Watch this. And stretch out your hand. How many of you got a hand over the sea? And divide it. What I need you to notice is God only moved as Moses moved. And some situations in your life are not going to be addressed till you step out in faith. Somebody say, we say we're waiting on God, but usually he's waiting on us to do what he said with what he's already given us. Now, if God could supernaturally make four lepers sound like a great army, such that the Arameans fled, if Jesus could take five loaves and two fishes and feed 5,000, if a teenager could down a giant with just one smooth stone, don't tell me what God can't do if we don't trust him. If we don't just calm down. No, the Lord is on my side. That God is for me and with me, you know, God still does the biggest things through small acts of obedience. You know, there was a Naaman, you know, he's like, lord, ask me to do something big, you know, and I'll do it. And the prophet said, no, no, just jump in the river a couple times and God will make you whole. We always want to do something big and great. Listen, if you do something big and great like that, it's going to take away from what God does. You hear what I'm saying? So sometimes it's a small little act of obedience. It's you not giving into fear in a dreadful situation. It's you controlling your emotions when everyone else is going nuts and you just stand your ground. That little act of obedience is enough to part the sea. And he said, if you will do that, the children of Israel shall go on dry ground. Watch this through the midst of the sea. So God was going to do the impossible, not only parting the sea, but a wet sea. He was going to make the floor of it dry. God had a plan for their way out long before they went into bondage and slavery. God had a plan for you to get out long before you went into whatever your bondage and whatever your slavery is. But if you hear the chariots behind you and there is an impossible sea or obstacle in front of you, my message today is do what Moses told the Israelite. Calm down, possess your soul. Hold your peace. Do what God says with what you have. And what is impossible for others will suddenly become possible for you. But as God asked Moses, it wasn't the rod or his hand that parted the sea. It was his obedience. And if you would lift your hand and move into that place of obedience that God's been asking you to go, you too can see your Red Sea part. But God will move as you move. God didn't just give Joshua the promised land. He had to fight some battles in the promised land. He had. The Bible said, wherever you put your foot, I'll give it to you. And sometimes you got to put your foot down. You got to make the move before God shows himself strong. It was only as Moses moved that God moved. It was when he lifted his hand, God released his hand and parted the waters. So what is it in your hand today that God wants you to raise and submit to his presence? Where is that spot in your life? God is saying, obey me, and I will do things you never dreamed or imagined. The situation you are in again is a setup for a comeback. You see, God can't get glory if it's just something anybody else can do. You know, I date myself by speaking this way, and I'm already done. But you know, Whitney Houston, she could sing. Her voice was glorious. Why was it glorious? Because a lot of folk couldn't do what she did. It was beautiful. If everyone could sing like Whitney, it wouldn't have been a glorious voice. So God intentionally leads us to places where no one else can help us. There's no natural way out. Because when it's all over, he's the only one that could get the glory. Because folks know you couldn't do it. People knew if it's just you, you would have flipped out. Out. But because you knew the Lord was on your side, because you trusted him and did that little thing, people have been preaching for thousands of years. People's faith has been anchored for thousands of years because God parted this Red Sea. But it all happened simply through a small act of of obedience. God wants to release his power. I don't know what the Lord's asking of you, but if you would just give him what's in your hand, if you would just take a small step of obedience, God will meet you there and your Red Sea will Part two
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thank you for joining us. Until next time, remember you have what it takes in Christ to live big. We also invite you to partner with Derek Greer Ministries in bringing the life changing and impactful teachings of God's Word to the world. Get started by visiting Derekreer.com by clicking the link in the description.