Red Sea Sunday
Pastor Albert Almore
Welcome to what we’re calling Red Sea Sunday. In the book of Exodus, God’s people were in bondage to Pharaoh and his people. They were overworked. They weren’t treated fairly. They were treated harsh, and extremely cruel. This went on for 400 plus years. God steps in, sets his people free from the hand of Pharaoh, and forces Pharaoh to let His people go. Pharaoh had no choice but to let God’s people go.
The people of God make haste to leave Egypt to begin their new journey of freedom, no longer under Pharaohs rule. Once they broke away, it’s no rush now, so they camp out at the Red Sea for the night. While camping out at the Vast Red Sea, I imagine them talking to one another about what they’re going to do with their fresh start, the places they want to go, the things they want to do, and all of the different types of food they can’t wait to eat.
One begins to talk about maybe starting their on business selling wheat and livestock. Another talks about looking forward to finally starting a family. Their conversations are full of laughter. Their conversations are full of freedom, and limitless possibilities, but all of this was about to be threatened to be taken from them—AGAIN.
As they were talking, one of them happen to look up trying to make sense of what they saw coming in the distance. As he looked, waiting for it to get closer to make better sense of it, before he could, someone else shouted, "Pharaoh!!!! It’s Pharaoh and his army coming back after us!!!
With Pharaoh closing in on them, and with the vast Red Sea in front of them, somebody says what everyone else is thinking, "This is impossible for us to cross. We have our babies. We have our children. We have all of our things, not all of us can swim. This is impossible for us to cross.” Because that’s what Red Seas tell us. Red Seas tell us this is impossible. Red seas tell us, you’re done. Red Seas tell us it’s over for you. Red Seas tell us that there’s nothing else we can do. Red Seas tauntingly whisper to us, "Where’s Your God Now?” With our past pain, with our past experiences closing in on us, and with our Red Seas in front of us, we often respond just like the children of Israel. Exodus 14:10 says,
“When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, AND THEY FEARED GREATLY. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord.”
Exodus 14:10
Another translation says…
“And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were VERY AFRAID, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.”
Exodus 14:10
May I submit to you this morning, that anxiety isn’t your problem. May I submit to you that worry isn’t your problem. What if I told you procrastination, and low self esteem isn’t really your problem?
Anxiety is a symptom.
Worry is a symptom.
Procrastination is a symptom.
Low Self Esteem is a symptom.
FEAR IS AT THE ROOT of ALL THESE SYMPTOMS, and I’m here to kill it this morning in the name of Jesus!!!
Not only is fear at the root of it all, but it’s a spirit.
Fear is a spirit that did not come from God. We know this because 2 Timothy 1:7 declares,
📝 "FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
II Timothy 1:7
FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR…
📝 You don’t have to RECEIVE something that God didn’t GIVE.
📝 When it comes to fear, since God didn’t send it, REFUSE THE PACKAGE.
It’s going to come packaged in anxiety, triggered by overthinking. It’s going to come packaged in worry, with the question what if. It’s going to come packaged in procrastination, fear to start because of what if I fail. Fear to start, because what if I succeed and I can’t handle it. It’s going to come packaged in low self esteem, fear of not being enough.
You have a right to return fear back to the sender. Since God didn’t give it, you don’t have to receive it. Romans 8:14 tells us,
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Romans 8:14
“For YOU DID NOT RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AGAIN TO FEAR, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.””
Romans 8:15
Church, let us stand to our feet. Since God didn’t SEND IT, you don’t have to RECEIVE IT! I don’t care what that Red Sea says. I don’t care how imitating that Red Sea may be, since God has not given us a spirit of fear, you have a right to return the Red Sea of fear back to its sender! That’s what we’re getting ready to do. As we begin to PRAY, we’re sending fear back to its sender! As we begin to PRAISE, we’re sending fear back to it’s sender! As we begin to WORSHIP, we’re sending fear back to it’s sender!
From this day forward, REFUSE THE PACKAGE! When it shows up on the door step of your mind, REFUSE THE PACKAGE! When it shows up on the door step of your heart, REFUSE THE PACKAGE! For YOU DID NOT RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AGAIN TO FEAR, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father! BY WHOM WE CRY OUT I AM A CHILD OF GOD‼️
SONG: NO LONGER SLAVES
“They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us
in bringing us out of Egypt?”
Exodus 14:11
“Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.””
Exodus 14:12
God doesn’t bring His people to a Red Sea, only for Him to give out of power.
They thought the Red Sea was the end of the story, but God used that Red Sea to show His glory!
There is no such thing as we got to this Red Sea and God couldn’t do it! There is no such thing as we got to this Red Sea and God couldn’t finish it! There is no such thing as we got to this Red Sea and God couldn’t figure out how to cross it!
Red seas DON’T HAVE THE LAST SAY SO.
Red seas AREN’T THE END OF THE STORY.
Red seas GOD’S DANCE FLOOR.
Red seas are God’s canvas’s that He uses to paint His power.
Red seas are God’s canvas’s that He uses to paint His glory.
Red seas are God’s canvas’s that He uses to paint your next chapter, BECAUSE IT’S NOT OVER.
Impossible is EVERYDAY to God.
📝 Red seas still move because OUR GOD STILL MOVES.
He’s not out of power. He’s not out of might. He’s not out of signs and wonders. Red seas still move because our God still moves.
WHAT’S YOUR RED SEA?
What’s your Red Sea this morning that’s telling you, you’re not crossing this.
What’s your Red Sea this morning that’s telling you, you’re not getting over this?
What’s your Red Sea this morning that’s telling you, this is always going to be.
As we prepare to worship. Lingering Red Sea, Vast Red Sea, prepare to meet our God!
SONG: EGYPT
With Pharaoh and his army quickly approaching the children of Israel, and with the vast Red Sea in front of them, here’s God’s instructions to Moses in Exodus 14:16,
“Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”
Exodus 14:16
God told Moses to stretch out his hand. I can’t help but to wonder, if something whispered to Moses, "Let’s not be crazy now Moses. Certainly God can’t use those hands. You might be fooling all of these people, but you’re not fooling me, and you’re not fooling yourself. You know what you did with those hands.” What in the world is this little voice talking about? I believe this little voice is talking about what took place in Exodus 2. Let’s rewind to Exodus 2:11 where it reads,
“One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.”
Exodus 2:11
“He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”
Exodus 2:12
“When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?””
Exodus 2:13
“He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.””
Exodus 2:14
Now let’s fast forward back to the moment with God asking Moses to stretch out his hand—the same hands he used to kill someone. The same hands that he used to bury the individual that he killed in the sand. Lord, you want me to stretch out these hands?! The same hands I used to stretch out to murder someone? The same hands I used to bury him, you want me to stretch out these hands? "Yes Moses, I want you to stretch out those same hands, and may you always remember, that My hands are greater than your hands. You can have a blessed assurance that my hands are the ones who cover your iniquities. You can have a blessed assurance that my hands are the ones who cover your past, and rewrite your future.
God’s hands COVER my past, and REWRITE my future.
Isaiah 43:25 says,
“I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. Isaiah 43:25
IF GOD CAN USE MOSES’S HANDS, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT HE CAN’T USE YOURS?
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS > YOUR RED SEA OF GUILT.
Let’s worship together as we meditate on this truth.
SONGS:
BLESSED ASSURANCE
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
God bringing His people through the Red Sea is in every way symbolic to the gift of salvation. Maybe that’s your Red Sea for a family member. Maybe that’s your Red Sea for a friend. As we prepare to close, let’s petition Heaven for their salvation. The same God who saved the children of Israel, is the same God that’s still into saving souls today.
SONG: O COME TO THE ALTAR