Moving On: Trusting God’s Sovereign Provision in the Wilderness

• Divine Guidance and Protection [00:32:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that God leads Israel via the pillar of cloud and fire, teaching them to trust Him and protecting them from battles they would lose, rather than taking the direct route.
• The Nature of God's Hardening [00:37:54 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor clarifies that God hardening Pharaoh's heart does not mean creating evil, but applying pressure to reveal the pride and rebellion already present in Pharaoh's heart.
• Human Forgetfulness and Complaint [00:43:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor highlights Israel's sarcastic complaint at the Red Sea, noting their tendency to forget God's past faithfulness and the cost of their deliverance when facing new difficulties.
• Satan's Relentless Pursuit [00:42:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor draws a parallel between Pharaoh's pursuit of Israel and Satan's relentless use of suffering, worry, and temptation to destroy God's people, noting that Satan is defeated despite his aggression.
• Divine Providence and Guidance [00:44:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that God intentionally led Israel the long way to the Red Sea, acting as a 'GPS' to guide them, contrasting this with human impatience.
• Faith vs. Fear [00:45:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts Israel's panic with the call to trust, noting that believers often complain about the very things they prayed for, romanticizing old sins due to fear of the unknown.
• Christophany at the Red Sea [00:50:57 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor identifies the 'Angel of the Lord' in Exodus 14 as a Christophany (pre-incarnate Christ), who moved behind Israel to guard them, linking this to Psalm 77.
• Divine Sovereignty in Miracles [00:52:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor clarifies that while Moses raised his staff, it was God who parted the sea, using the mundane east wind and transforming the seabed into a highway.
• Gospel Typology [00:56:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor connects the Red Sea crossing to the gospel, describing Jesus as the mediator who stands between God's wrath and humanity, absorbing judgment so believers can cross into freedom.
• Salvation by Grace [01:00:47 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor corrects the idea of 'trying' to be a Christian, asserting that salvation depends solely on Jesus' work, not the strength of one's faith.
• Worship in Suffering [01:02:37 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses a story of a mother with physical breakdown to illustrate that praise is the natural response to God's deliverance, even amidst pain.
• Praise in Pain [01:04:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts Israel's praise for physical/spiritual deliverance with a young mother's praise for spiritual depth during pain.
• Divine Sovereignty and Provision [01:05:31 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor prays that God brings down giants, tears down walls, breaks chains, and makes a way through deep waters.
• Moving On in Trust [01:06:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor exhorts the congregation to move on not because circumstances are good, but because God's intentions are good and He is still on the move.

• Sermon Illustration [00:34:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his corporate career, where he felt like a failure despite external success, until he surrendered his pride to God, leading to a healthier role and the ability to support his family during his father's medical crisis.
• Sermon Illustration [00:38:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of squeezing a sponge to explain that pressure reveals what is already inside, illustrating how God's pressure on Pharaoh revealed his existing pride rather than creating it.
• Sermon Illustration [00:43:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor compares Israel's complaint at the Red Sea to children complaining at a theme park after a ride breaks down, illustrating how people often forget the planning and sacrifice that got them to that point.
• Sermon Illustration [00:43:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of taking kids to Universal or Disney, where the ride breaks down and they complain, forgetting the planning and cost involved to get there.
• Sermon Illustration [00:48:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes the experience of scrolling Instagram while sitting on railroad tracks as a metaphor for spiritual complacency and fear, urging the listener to 'move on' when the spiritual freight train is coming.
• Sermon Illustration [00:53:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes the ocean floor after a hurricane as dark, slimy, and foul-smelling sludge, contrasting it with the dry ground God prepared for Israel to walk on.
• Sermon Illustration [01:02:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a story of a young mother who suffered severe physical breakdown after childbirth, who ultimately praised God because the pain brought her closer to Jesus.
• Sermon Illustration [01:03:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > A young mother who experienced a painful journey met Jesus in a deeper way, stating she would gladly do it all again because the pain brought her closer to Christ. She praised God for drawing her deeper spiritually in the middle of pain, and God later brought her physical healing.

• Pastoral Charge [00:32:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > Shift belief from God holding back to God developing the believer.
• Pastoral Charge [00:36:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > Identify and leave places that endanger physical and spiritual well-being.
• Pastoral Charge [00:59:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor invites the congregation to verbally affirm the command to 'move on' together.
• Pastoral Charge [01:00:12 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor instructs the congregation to take specific, tangible steps of obedience and faith in their daily lives.
• Pastoral Charge [01:07:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > Approach the pastor or staff members after the service to ask questions.

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[00:00:01] Good morning Venture Church. Would you praise Jesus for all He has done in our lives. Amen. Here we go.

[00:00:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:00:07] And I'm clean. Sin was stained on me. And shame was one indeed. But your love was built on Calvary.
[00:00:20] The gospel changed everything and that's the reason why we're here today. Because of this good news. Because of this gospel we can stand in this room.

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:08:11] One of the most liberating truths of the gospel is that there's absolutely nothing that you and I can do to make things right before God.
[00:08:20] There's no amount of efforts, no amount of striving, no amount of good works that can make things right before God.
[00:08:28] This is the liberating truth.
[00:08:30] Only the blood of Jesus can do that.
[00:08:33] Only the blood of Jesus.
[00:08:35] in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 through 9 says for it is by grace it is by grace that you have been saved and this is not from yourselves through faith this is the gift of God it is the gift of
[00:08:52] God not by works so that no one can boast Christ Jesus is the gift of God for us so what is our response to this gift it's worship it's praise it's a life surrender to the king of kings and
[00:09:07] lord of lords and that's what we're doing this morning through psalms through singing through reading of his word the posture of our hearts is worship as a response to the one who gave his life
[00:09:21] for us amen so we're gonna sing a new song today i'm gonna teach you the chorus and you sing with

[00:09:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:09:28] me on the first the second time this is how he goes no you was the blood could have only been the blood i know you was the blood can we sing with us hallelujah i know you could have only been the blood could have only been the blood the blood of
[00:10:31] For His Son, Jesus Christ

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:15:51] Yes, Jesus, we praise You We praise You, we honor You We sing hallelujah to You Because You, O Lord, alone is worthy to be praised poured yourself to emptied yourself humbled yourself emptied yourself to the point of death
[00:16:13] and death on the cross so jesus this is our response hallelujah let our lives be a declaration of this truth spirit we need you holy spirit we need you help us to live this life of gratitude
[00:16:38] towards what you have done for us on the cross of calvary this jesus hallelujah

[00:16:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:16:43] Could have only been the blood, could have only been the blood. Are you grateful for that?
[00:17:13] Welcome to Venture Church. I'm Jamie, and we're glad that you're here today, whether you're joining us in person or online.

[00:23:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
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[00:23:55] And we're going to be celebrating baptism shortly.
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[00:24:01] And it's a picture of leaving your old life behind and stepping into the new one.
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[00:24:09] We believe God's Word is actually what changes us, and that's why we're starting two new classes next Sunday.
[00:24:16] World Religions, Christianity, and the Gospel will help you understand what the people around you believe, whether they're Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, or another religion, and how to have real conversations with them about Jesus.
[00:24:28] Not to argue, but to genuinely engage people where they are.
[00:24:33] And in the book of James, you'll study one of the most practical books of the Bible together, digging into wisdom, real relationships, and what it means to honor God with everyday life.
[00:24:43] And our Family Beach Day is coming up at Loudermilk Beach.
[00:24:46] Bring your chairs, your sunscreen, and your kids and spend the morning with our Venture Kids team.
[00:24:52] It's a relaxed morning to connect with other families in the same season you're in.
[00:24:56] All the details are on our website.
[00:24:59] This past Wednesday, more than 60 kids and their parents joined us for our Awana Parent Night, where they met their leaders, heard what the year looks like ahead, and they were just excited to get started.
[00:25:12] And that kind of thing happens because of generous people like you.
[00:25:16] When you give, you're investing in the next generation and helping parents lead their kids well at home.
[00:25:22] You can give through the Venture app, online, or through the offering boxes around our campus.
[00:25:28] Thank you for giving today.
[00:25:31] Well, today we're continuing our series Into the Wilderness, and Jason is taking us to the Red Sea.
[00:25:37] If you've ever wondered why God has you on the long road instead of the fast one, well, today's message is for you.
[00:25:44] Let's hear from God's Word today.

[00:25:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:25:46] Good morning, everyone.
[00:26:40] How's it going?
[00:26:42] Good?
[00:26:43] All right.
[00:26:43] I don't know what it is, but for some reason, I feel like I should be wearing a Hawaiian shirt up here.
[00:26:48] And I joked about this with the first service, but if this makes you feel like kicking up your feet and relaxing, don't.
[00:26:56] The sermon's more of a buckle up.
[00:26:59] So just warning you in advance.
[00:27:01] My name is Jason. For those I haven't met, I've helped lead spiritual development here at Venture.
[00:27:07] I'm also part of the teaching team. And if you've heard me preach before, you know that I've joked that pastors probably get into a room together, they spin this giant wheel on sermon topics, and anytime it lands on something complicated,
[00:27:22] like church conflict, right, church conflict, or, you know, being alive in Christ, they hand that right over to the new guy. They hand it to me. But I think they got tired of all my complaining because today they officially handed me one of the greatest moments in all of
[00:27:44] the Old Testament. But before we get there, let's rewind the highlight reel of Moses in Exodus so far. Israel's oppressed, Pharaoh is paranoid, and Hebrew baby boys are being killed. Moses's mom launches the most faith-filled rescue op ever. Basket, river drop, big sister surveillance,
[00:28:12] and divine intervention. And then Pharaoh's daughter actually ends up adopting Moses. And plot twist, Moses's own mom is hired to raise him. He's raised with royal education and Hebrew identity. Then Moses sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. He steps in, things escalate,
[00:28:43] and he kills the Egyptian. And overnight, the prince becomes a fugitive. He flees to the desert he trades palace for shepherd life and he spends decades in obscurity while god continues to shape him then around 80 years old god calls him from a burning bush sends him back to egypt
[00:29:10] and then the mission begins god unleashes 10 plagues direct strikes against the gods of egypt and their pride until Passover, when the blood of the lamb marks God's people for redemption.
[00:29:33] Egypt's firstborn die, Pharaoh finally breaks, and Israel walks free. And that's where we pick up the story, right at the moment where God tells his people, move on. But before that, let's pray.
[00:29:52] Lord God just thank you so much for the journey that you've taken us on through these passages in the wilderness every time we open up scripture you reveal yourself in ways that are beyond our
[00:30:07] understanding thank you so much for these passages that you've given us and just prepare hearts Lord to be able to receive what you've placed within their hearts help me to be able to preach appropriately and properly what you place on my heart, this topic of moving on and make it land
[00:30:29] exactly where you intend for it to land today, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, if you open up with me to Exodus 13, we're going to go to verse 17. So Pharaoh has finally let Israel go
[00:30:44] and Exodus gives us this surprising detail. Verse 17, 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
[00:31:05] around by the desert road toward the Red Sea the Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle so Israel marches out of Egypt weapons in hand confidence high ready for war they think they're
[00:31:23] prepared. They think they can take on the Philistines, but God knows better. The moment they face a real fight, fear will take over, and they're going to sprint right back to the slavery that they just escaped. So God doesn't take them the fast way. He takes them the long way. Not
[00:31:56] God has to break old habits, build new trust, and teach them who he is before they can conquer anything. That may be where you're at today. In a season where you think, why is this happening?
[00:32:15] Why am I on this long road? Why isn't God moving faster? Move on from believing God is holding you back. Start believing he's developing you and your testimony in the middle of it. In scriptures
[00:32:35] here's what we know is true in these moments. Exodus 13 verse 21. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to
[00:32:52] give them light so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. So awesome. God has a day
[00:33:06] mode and a night mode. The pillar of cloud and fire is what theologians call a theophany. God appearing in a form that people can perceive. And while Israel's on the long road, look at what
[00:33:23] God does. He goes before them. He guides them. He stays with them. He is light in the darkness.
[00:33:37] In your long seasons, the waiting, the wondering, the why is this happening moments, what if God is teaching you to trust him? What if he's protecting you from the battles that you'd lose. What if he's saying, move on. I'm already ahead of you. I've lived this. I spent 22 years
[00:34:08] in corporate America before being called into ministry a year ago. And there was a season where I stepped into a role everyone said would launch me into senior leadership. I was working non-stop and I felt like I was failing. But everyone told me, you're going to thrive. You're going to do
[00:34:26] great. But inside, I felt like a failure. After months of striving and trying to force things to work, I finally prayed, Lord, if this isn't where you want me, I surrender it. Even if it means
[00:34:47] stepping into a role that I once thought was beneath me. My pride, my ambition, it's yours.
[00:34:59] and he moved. Immediately, a lateral role, a healthier team, a better leader, actual balance in my life. And months later, my dad, who's here with us today, had a quadruple bypass surgery and a massive stroke that followed. In that old role, I would never have been able to support my
[00:35:30] family the way I was needed to. But in the new role, my leader said, forget about work. Do whatever you need to to take care of your family. Take as much time as you want. When I was worried about my
[00:35:48] day-to-day, God already knew what was coming. So let me ask you this. Is there something God is calling you to move on from. Not the places he calls us to persevere, like marriage and family,
[00:36:09] but the places he never called us or asked us to stay in. Places that endanger our physical and spiritual well-being. God didn't explain the why to me ahead of time. He revealed it as I
[00:36:26] walked with him and that's exactly what we see here next in the story the Lord tells Moses to have Israel camp by the Red Sea and here's what he says verse 3 of chapter 14 Pharaoh will think
[00:36:44] the Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion hemmed in by the desert and I will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them but I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. So the Israelites did this.
[00:37:07] Egypt knew God intellectually. They had experienced his power firsthand, but they refused to repent.
[00:37:17] Instead, they moved on by following their cultural God, Pharaoh. Their worldview, their pride.
[00:37:27] They experienced the plagues, the defeat of their gods, the liberation of Israel, the cloud of fire, right? They knew God was real. They simply refused to yield. And when scripture says God hardened Pharaoh's heart, it doesn't mean God transformed Pharaoh into something new or
[00:37:54] something evil. It means God applied pressure that revealed what was already inside him.
[00:38:04] It's like squeezing a sponge. Pressure doesn't create what comes out. It reveals what's already within. Pharaoh was already proud. He was already rebellious. He was already committed to resisting God. The pressure simply revealed the truth. Here's a picture of who he is. People who say,
[00:38:35] I acknowledge God exists, but I will not surrender. I will not honor him. I'm going to continue to suppress the truth and just follow my own will. There's an interesting contrast in the story.
[00:38:51] Egypt is moving on without God.
[00:38:56] And Israel is just learning to move on with God.
[00:39:01] Two groups, two different directions.
[00:39:05] So the natural question becomes, well, what's God doing in the middle of these two opposite reactions?
[00:39:13] God tells us, I will gain glory for myself, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.
[00:39:23] In other words, God is writing a story that puts his glory on display, not Israel's. It's his name on the line, not theirs. The truth is, when God shows his glory, he's also showing us his goodness.
[00:39:48] His glory is always for our good. Amen. Verse five. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said what have we done
[00:40:04] we have let the israels go and have lost their services what a nice way of putting it right services so he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him he took 600 of the best chariots
[00:40:21] along with all the other chariots of egypt with officers over all of them the lord hardened the heart of pharaoh king of egypt so that he pursued the israelites who were marching out boldly the
[00:40:34] egyptians all pharaoh's horses and chariots horsemen and troops pursued the israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea church i want you to visualize what's happening here in modern terms it's like mobilizing 600 elite armored tanks every assault vehicle imaginable
[00:41:03] humvees apcs you name it right and the full force of their army on top of it it's a full-on military surge. Egypt's thinking, this story's not over. Israel's thinking, this story's over. We're camping at the beach. Israel marched out boldly, completely unaware that they were about to be trapped
[00:41:33] between a rock and a hard place. And the contrast is intentional. Israel thinks they're moving on with God. And Pharaoh refuses to move on, to stay in his rebellion. And that's the pattern Satan uses against us. Robert Morgan says it well. Pharaoh and Satan are unyielding enemies,
[00:42:01] enraged, plundered by God, assembling vast armies for destruction of God's people. Yet neither seems to realize how utterly defeated he already is. Just like Pharaoh pursued Israel relentlessly, Satan does too. Using suffering, worry, pain, grief, illness, temptation, addiction,
[00:42:33] anything that he can. He is relentless, but not victorious. Let's see how Israel responds.
[00:42:45] verse 10 as pharaoh approached the israelites looked up and there were the egyptians watching after them they were terrified and cried out to the lord they said to moses was it because there were no graves in egypt that he brought us the desert to die sarcasm what have you done to us
[00:43:07] by bringing us out of egypt passive aggressiveness didn't we say to you in egypt leave us alone let us serve the Egyptians. It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die
[00:43:22] in the desert. Have you ever taken your kids to Universal or Disney? You spend thousands waiting lines, sweat like you're standing on the surface of the sun, and then the ride breaks down and they
[00:43:39] start to get hungry and they look at you and say, why did you bring us out here? You just let us die of starvation? In that moment, they forget everything you did to get them there. The planning,
[00:43:59] the cost, the sacrifice, even the backpack full of snacks you had already planned for that very moment. Israel does the same thing. They forget everything God had already done to get them there. God intentionally took them the long way. He led them to the Red Sea,
[00:44:26] not by accident. It wasn't like God said, oh no, giant body of water. He was GPS before we had it.
[00:44:36] Okay? After everything Israel had seen, the plagues, the pillar of cloud and fire, you would think that their faith would have been sky high but one moment marching confidently the next melting down and we can all relate probably more than we probably want to admit
[00:45:01] we pray for the job then complain about the job we ask for the influence but then resent the responsibility we pray for the spouse and then wrestle with unmet expectations we say god use me
[00:45:21] and then respond with, ah, that's not really my gift.
[00:45:30] We see God move powerfully over and over and over again in our lives and we still ask and wonder, will he show up again?
[00:45:42] Israel cried out earnestly, but not expectantly.
[00:45:47] They prayed, but then panicked.
[00:45:50] They cried out, but then complained.
[00:45:53] They asked for help, but did not expect deliverance.
[00:45:58] Why? Because the path in front of them looked impossible. So bondage started to look comfortable, started to look good. We do the same thing. We romanticize old habits, old patterns, old sins, old identities, not because they were good, but because moving on from what we know feels scary.
[00:46:31] When you hit a roadblock that you can't cross, don't run back to what God already delivered you from. Move on through scripture, through wise counsel, through the Spirit's leading, through prayer, because he is already ahead of you. Israel is stuck. Egypt's coming. Fear is rising.
[00:47:05] So what does Moses do next?
[00:47:07] Verse 13.
[00:47:09] Moses answered the people, do not be afraid.
[00:47:13] Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.
[00:47:17] The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.
[00:47:22] The Lord will fight for you.
[00:47:24] You need only be still.
[00:47:28] Then the Lord said to Moses, why are you crying out to me?
[00:47:33] Tell the Israelites, move on.
[00:47:36] I love Moses's faith. Be still. Let God do what only he can do. But God corrects him slightly.
[00:47:52] Don't just be still. Move on. Stillness is good when it's anchored in trust. It's dangerous when anchored in fear. It's like sitting on the railroad tracks of life, scrolling insta, and the spiritual freight train of God is coming at you, laying on the horn. Look up. Move on. That restlessness
[00:48:26] inside you, that holy discomfort, that sense that you can't just stay stuck in your complacency or your comfort or your excuses, that's God saying, you can't stay there. Move on. If you stay still in fear. If you stay stuck in the past, if you stay tangled in self-pity, blame, or confusion,
[00:48:55] you'll never get to where God is leading you. Don't stay stuck in your feelings. Move on in faith.
[00:49:09] And now watch what God does. Verse 19. And the angel of God who had been traveling in front of Israel's army withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front of
[00:49:21] them and stood behind them coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other so neither went near the other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and all that night the Lord drove the
[00:49:42] sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground with a wall of water on their left and on their right.
[00:49:57] Can you imagine what that was like? A wall of water on their left and their right? Well, let us help you. Church, yes, you can give a hand for our creative and production team there. I don't
[00:50:27] know how they do it. Chef's kiss. You guys are outstanding. This is the pinnacle of the wilderness experience. I love this passage for so many reasons. First, Christ at the Red Sea. Earlier, we saw a theophany, God appearing in a form that people can perceive. Here, we see a Christophany,
[00:50:57] the pre-incarnate Christ, the angel of the Lord. Not an angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord.
[00:51:05] Throughout the Old Testament, the angel of the Lord speaks as God and bears his name, receives worship, and forgives sins. That's no angel. And here he moves from leading Israel to literally having their back, while two plus million people and their pets all broke camp.
[00:51:35] was christ present at the red sea yes psalm 77 verse 19 even hints at it your path led through the sea though your footsteps were unseen you lead your flock who does christ our good shepherd
[00:52:01] he didn't just move them on he moved behind them to guard them amen second point God works in mysterious ways, in both the mundane and in the miraculous.
[00:52:23] Moses raises his staff, but God parts the sea.
[00:52:30] The rod didn't do it.
[00:52:32] Moses didn't do it.
[00:52:33] Scripture says the Lord caused the sea to go back.
[00:52:38] How?
[00:52:40] Well, first, through the seemingly mundane.
[00:52:44] the same east wind that he used in the plagues and in what formed creation is now the wind that he uses to open a path through the sea and then through the miraculous anyone who's seen the
[00:53:05] ocean floor tossed up onto a beach after a hurricane knows it's dark slimy foul smelling sludge. But Israel walked on dry ground. The miracle wasn't just the water moving.
[00:53:24] It was God transforming the seabed into a highway. He prepared a way where no way existed.
[00:53:37] Walls of water rose like city walls and dry ground appeared under their feet.
[00:53:44] and God led his people through.
[00:53:49] When God tells you to move on, he prepares the ground beneath your feet, the walls beside you, and he has your back.
[00:54:02] Verse 23.
[00:54:05] The Egyptians pursued them and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.
[00:54:11] During the last watch of the night, the Lord took down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.
[00:54:19] He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving.
[00:54:23] And the Egyptians said, let's get away from the Israelites.
[00:54:26] The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.
[00:54:30] Verse 27.
[00:54:32] Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and at daybreak, the sea went back to its place.
[00:54:38] The Egyptians were fleeing toward it and the Lord swept them into the sea.
[00:54:44] The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen.
[00:54:47] the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea not one of them survived verse 30 that day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore and when the Israelites saw the mighty hand
[00:55:07] of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses, his servant. Exodus 14 ends with two realities. Egypt moved on without God and moved into destruction. Don't miss what Egypt finally admits. The Lord is fighting for them.
[00:55:35] They acknowledge God when it's too late. Israel moved on with God and moved into deliverance.
[00:55:48] like Israel you don't fight these battles alone the Lord fights for you he stands between you and whatever is trying to pull you back Israel walked through on dry ground not because Moses or Israel did anything but because God saves this moment points forward to the greater
[00:56:23] deliverance Jesus would bring at the cross. It's a preview of the gospel. Imagine an Israelite sharing their story after the Red Sea. I was in a foreign land, in bondage, a slave destined to die. But I took shelter under the blood of the Lamb. A mediator led me out of
[00:56:59] captivity and help me cross into freedom. And he goes with me until I reach my promised home.
[00:57:12] That's the gospel. You crossed over by grace because Jesus, your mediator, stood in the middle.
[00:57:27] Israel deserved judgment for their fear and their rebellion.
[00:57:33] But they had Moses standing between God and them, mediating.
[00:57:39] We have a better mediator.
[00:57:43] Jesus, sinless, fully God and fully man, who absorbed the ocean of God's wrath on the cross.
[00:57:55] If I had time to preach Exodus 15, we would see that right after Israel was delivered, it was their first worship service ever as a redeemed people. When God brings you through, move on in praise. It's the natural response. So as we close, here are five ways God calls us to
[00:58:32] move on. First, when the path feels long, move on. God led Israel the long way not to frustrate them but to form them. His path is rarely the shortest but it's always the wisest. Move on by trusting
[00:59:00] his timing over your personal preferences. Secondly, when you're tempted to return to what enslaved you, move on. When fear rose, Egypt suddenly looks safer than freedom. Fear distorts the memory and makes bondage look comfortable. Move on by refusing to return to what God has
[00:59:36] already delivered you from. Sin, old patterns, false identities, and unhealthy attachments.
[00:59:48] Thirdly, when you can't see the other side, say it with me church, move on. Israel stepped into a path they couldn't fully understand, but that God had already prepared. Move on by taking the next
[01:00:12] faithful step, the next appointment, the next conversation, the next treatment, the next earnest and expectant prayer, the next act of obedience. When God opens a path to freedom, move on. If someone asks you, are you a Christian? And you say, I'm trying. You may not understand
[01:00:47] how God saves. You don't try your way into Christianity. You don't earn your way into grace.
[01:00:57] You are saved because Jesus, the eternal Son of God, bore your sins on the cross, died, and rose again. On one side of the Red Sea was certain death. On the other side, it was freedom. Some
[01:01:18] Israelites probably strutted through. Oh yeah, look at what God's doing. Petting sea turtles and sharks as they go, right? But then you know there were other Israelites that were probably like, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die. Different levels of confidence. Different levels
[01:01:40] of courage, different levels of faith. Move on in the truth. Salvation never depended on the strength of your faith, only on the strength of your Savior and what He's done for you and is doing within you.
[01:02:03] Amen. And when he delivers you, move on in praise. Israel's first response after deliverance was worship. And some of you know exactly what that looks like. You've walked through frustration, pain, grief, loss, confusion, long nights, and you found Jesus in the middle of it.
[01:02:37] Quick story so I can show you what I mean.
[01:02:42] I heard a young mom call into Christian Radio here in Florida.
[01:02:46] Her voice trembled as she said that all she ever wanted was to be a mom.
[01:02:52] And God answered.
[01:02:54] But after her second child was born, her body broke down.
[01:03:01] Bulging discs, muscle tears, days on the floor, unable to move or even hold her babies.
[01:03:10] She cried out, Lord, all I ever wanted was to be a mom, and now I can't even be one.
[01:03:19] But in that long season of pain, she slowed down.
[01:03:27] She opened her Bible, she prayed, and she met Jesus in a deeper way than ever before.
[01:03:40] And through tears, she said something I will never forget.
[01:03:44] I would gladly do it all again because that painful journey brought me closer to Jesus than anything else in my life. A mother who couldn't even hold her children saying she would walk the long road again because of how deeply she came to know Christ. Israel praised God
[01:04:18] when he delivered them physically and spiritually.
[01:04:22] This young mom praised God when he drew her deeper spiritually, right in the middle of pain.
[01:04:33] And over time, God brought her physical healing as well.
[01:04:40] That's what it looks like to move on and praise.
[01:04:45] Not because the path is easy, but because Jesus is worth everything.
[01:04:52] Church, God is still parting seas. He is still burying sins. He is still leading his people through, and he is still calling you to move on into trust, into freedom, into worship, and into the life that Jesus died and rose to give you.
[01:05:25] Amen?
[01:05:26] Let's pray.
[01:05:31] Father God, there is nothing you can't do.
[01:05:37] There is none like you.
[01:05:40] You bring down giants.
[01:05:43] You tear down walls.
[01:05:45] You break the chains that once enslaved us.
[01:05:49] And you make way for us through deep waters.
[01:05:52] and you teach us to move on.
[01:05:58] Not because our circumstances are good, but because your intentions for us are so good.
[01:06:08] You declared, I know the plans that I have for you.
[01:06:13] Plans for hope, plans for a future.
[01:06:18] And you're still on the move.
[01:06:21] So we don't have to stand still in fear.
[01:06:25] We will move on, Lord.
[01:06:29] We will move on even when our bodies feel weak.
[01:06:35] We will move on even when our circumstances tell us not to budge.
[01:06:42] We will move on because your future for us is greater than the fear that is in front of us.
[01:06:51] And as long as breath continues to fill our lungs, we know that you are not finished with us yet.
[01:07:02] And all God's people said, if you have any questions please find me or anyone on staff after service God bless you all

[01:07:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:07:12] thank you Jason for sharing the word of God this morning I want to invite you to stand on your feet one more time as we praise the Lord together Ashley is going to lead us in this song
[01:07:23] we'll lift your worship

[01:07:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[01:07:25] Worship ages before us is the highest. Your name is the greatest. Your name stands above them all. In positions, your name stands above them all.