Encountering the Power of God, Part 2

One thing about a dilemma is you don't see Dr. Tony Evans is the middle of a crisis is the perfect place to encounter the power of the Lord God is doing news with him, he will gradually do it in the midst of a conflict. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. We expect God to be the one who gets us out of trouble. Not the one who gets us into it. But today Dr. Evans will take us to Exodus chapter 13 for look at why sometimes that's exactly what happens. Let's join him at the church one day a mother asked her son.

What did your Sunday school teacher teach today in Sunday school. He said well mama Sunday school teacher told us about Israel crossing the Red Sea. She said well what did the teacher say about Israel crossing the Red Sea. He said well it was like this. Israel built a bridge over the Red Sea.

They got in Boston's and cross over the bridge.

Then when the Egyptians came after them. God send some F-16 fighters and drop bombs on them so that they would destroy the mother said come on now. Your peaches couldn't have explained Israel crossing the Red Sea like that to which he said well of you heard what she said. You wouldn't believe any because the reality is this is one of those stories that are ugly when talking about divine encounters how to encounter God by experience, not merely by information, you can go to church for years and never have an encounter that is an experience with the living and true God. Yet God wants to have an encounter with you, me and individually and collectively encounters with God typically come in the context of contradictions encounter with God typically comes when you are facing conflict today I want to look at them encounter with God's power in this encounter with God's close in the context of a dilemma is a situation where there is no clear answer dilemma is the scenario where in the direction you look there is confusion delivers have a lot of nicknames. Some people call a dilemma being in the jail other people call a dilemma. Being in a Catch-22.

Some people call a dilemma. Being in a predicament.

Others call a dilemma. Being in a pickle. Others call it being up a creek of the skull being in the developing up a tree. Some called being a dilemma being in the corner of the skull being in a dilemma being in a dating situation, the most noted story in Israel's history, the crossing of the Red Sea, which was its biggest celebrated miracle happen when they were simultaneously in the dilemma. The most celebrated story, the one that's repeated over and over and over in the Old Testament is the story of the crossing of the Red Sea is repeated in the New Testament when the author of Hebrews talks about the great Hall of faith in Hebrews chapter 6 he says that without faith it is impossible to please God. In verse six and Lily comes in verse 29, he says, by faith Israel crossed the Red Sea and the Egyptian army was destroyed and so this is no small deal but what I want you to catch today is that they had their divine encounter with God's problem in the context of a dilemma Catch-22 trick bag up a no-win situation so I want to prepare you today for an encounter with God, but also want to prepare you for the dilemma that provides the context for that encounter. Now the background of this is very clear.

Moses has come through the 10 plagues Eddie's now leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, Pharaoh has responded. Now, finally, to Moses: let my people go, and so the people now are on their way out from slavery to freedom. Very excited. They are looking forward they been told that the promised land. This purpose of God that God is going to come to. Things are looking rosy as they leave on their way out. It says in verse 17 of chapter 13 that God did not leave them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near. I want you to catch verse 18 hits God led them. That dilemma is going to come about when God is leading. That dilemma is going to happen when they're in the will of God that is going to occur when they are being obedient because it says God was leading them. Not only was God leading them into what would be a dilemma. It says God led him the long way around. So they find themselves in a bad scenario where God is only option. And this all takes place when they're in his will is when God is getting ready to let you see him in a way you've never seen them before. Expect that you will be in a situation that you can handle verse eight of chapter 14 says the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he chased after the sons of Israel, God will continue to leave people alone. Leave them alone.

So now they say that camping Battersea in verse nine that for the can go that way, but Pharaoh's heart has been hardened in God and said go after so they can go this way going through will be slaughtered. That's called a dilemma that is most look. There was no other direction to go in escrow. Cynthia shot in. We got him down.

We own as Pharaoh Julia verse 10 sons of Israel looked, and behold, Egyptians were marching after them so they feel like many Christians do they cry out to God, how while simultaneously complaining to me.

Verse 11 they said to Moses, if it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness, why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt. Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt said leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians, for it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than the diameter wilderness solve the conflict that they are in the Red Sea and the Egyptians produces a spiritual conflict within them because on the one hand it says they cried out on the God and said they complained to Moses. Some called on God.

But I'm blaming me so Moses said to the people do not stop worrying because all it's going to be okay. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord.

Three brings a spiritual perspective to bear human dilemma. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. You are complaining about a situation, God put you in but you are so focused on man you don't see that you do not say that this is the divine action you only see the children.

Participants not talking about lying about a situation, there is the Red Sea and Americans Pharaoh's Ruby silent Bob the beast silent part is missing the spiritual in the midst of the circumstantial.

They were now in the position of submitting the spiritual authority you must have spiritual authority in your life. Spiritual people to whom you can appeal. When you don't have spiritual answers yourself and all you can see all the circumstances. Verse 15 then the Lord said the mole. Why are you crying out to me. Tell Israel to go forward with that verse is that nothing stated about Moses crying out to him that there's no statement about Moses prior to the people cried out but then God turned to Moses and says why are you crying out because even sometimes get shaken even later sometimes have their faith challenge about the very thing that Fred said not to talk about God. Go fix it. You did golf exit visa visa white makeup. He's gonna fight for you, and at the same time mumbling under the Rev. God will document her sins when I want to do astilbe when asked on the move. Tell them to move forward.

Now here is a principal.

He had just said standstill do nothing, but now he gets another message that says tell Mel to go full when God puts you in a dilemma and there is nothing that you can do or should do you do nothing when God having given you something to do. That means there is not something want you to do yet, but now he tells him to move forward. It says, by faith, they crossed the Red Sea. Remember faith is in your feet not in your feeling. So I don't care how you feel if your feet are not moving when God has given you instruction to move you off faithless while feeling full of faith on the auto hand you can feel no faith at all be full of faith because you're walking in faith contradictory to your feelings of lack of faith because faith is not in your feelings. Faith is in your feet so it knows or doubting one-step feet started moving.

Hebrews 1129 says they did by faith because faith often has to operate when fear is present.

Faith does not automatically eradicate fear, but faith when it is operating overrides fear, because fear he mobilizes faith moves even when you are fearful scared because in every direction. It's death.

Now here is the secret that you have to know until God sees faith.

You don't see God whomever he was 11, six without faith it is impossible to please God, you'll see all over and over again. God not working until people get something so a lot of us are waiting on God. When God is actually waiting on us as we talk in a good-faith game but I feel we haven't operated and what he has told us to do when he's not giving you anything to do you do nothing, but when you get you something to do. You will just tell the people to move and so the people move Moses lift up your staff… The rod now call the rod of God says I will again this word in verse 17 hardened the heart of the Egyptians, make him harder, make him hate you more, make him come after you worse than before, so that they will go in after them and I will be honored to Pharaoh and his army through his chariots and his horsemen so most of the stretches out his hand with the rod verse 21 and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong wind all night and turn the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided, the sons of Israel went through verse 23 then the Egyptians took a pursuit okay now you're an Israelite. You see, to see out there only when they start moving something happens. The first miracle was the opening up of the Red Sea, opening up into walls of water, creating a pathway that's miracle number one miracle number two says they crossed on dry land one if you at the bottom basin of the waterway. The lands not dry you got blood you got got got a muddy basics. That's why he let the wind blow all night until they dry out the basin so that now they can walk and not get muddied they could horses and mules could could pull not get stuck in the mud. The wheels of the wagons that they carried wouldn't get trapped so God not only opened up a way to make the way so there were two miracles. Not one. Dr. Evans continues her message for just a moment to talk about the miracles, we can expect to see in our own lives. When we start moving by faith first so check into getting a copy of Tony's brand-new book called kingdom encounters. It builds on what he's been teaching us recently giving you new insights into how to take your relationship with God from something you know to something you experience.

You learn how on fire.

Christians get lit up in the first place and how they keep burning even during hard times for a limited time, we're making this life-changing book available along with CDs and instant digital downloads of all eight full-length messages in Tony's current teaching series divine encounters. They're both yours with our thanks when you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on the station. We don't want you to miss out so contact us right away to get the details and make the arrangements by visiting Tony Evans.org or call us day or night at 1-800-800-3222 and get some in person help from one of our resource team members all have her contact information for you again after part two of today's lesson and this message. There are songs about togetherness, standing side-by-side uniting we hear a lot about unity. No one really knows what unity truly is the power of oneness in Christ United guided payers and new devotional stronger together weaker apart powerful prayers tonight is in Dr. Tony Evans sensing how you needing spiritual standing with others in prayer leads to a stronger and impactful life nation. Find out more about stronger together weaker apart@tonyevans.org Tony and Donna like Egyptians.

You got to be all of you to see how the water wall on both sides. This whole people want to throw you go in the afternoon. You got to be crazy but they were made crazy by God hardening the heart.

So God maybe hardening the coworker making them treat you bad, worse, the heart of your bolts making them treat you worse or that person in your life or that circumstance. See that's why you gotta be in the will of God, because when he makes it worse is using it. I will hot ferrules and the Egyptians will come after you.

Psalm 77 versus 17 to 19 goes into it more. Talking was thundering and lightning in it with all all, meteorological activity taking place during this event to what just as quick read here the psalmist says all kind of stuff was going on. Psalm 77, 16 and 19 rain storms and earthquakes in all kind of things were part of the scenario. What was God doing let you see we use the result of all this is in the last verse of the chapter 7 verse 31, when Israel saw the great, which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Why does God put you in a member when your image will so you can see some says when the people saw some of us will be tied up all the folks testimony. Some of us are retired about other folk telling us what God can do. God wants you to see for yourself.

Which means you need your own dilemma.

You need your own set of circumstances that you can't fix legitimately, you know, if you gotta be illegitimate to fix it out of the will of God and God allowed you to fix it. 10 for you to fix it. Effective maybe make it worse on purpose so you say something, since when they saw the power of the Lord they encountered God power. He said I might deliver you from yesterday because I have a different role, but may not deliver you from yesterday to take you to a different tomorrow I'm going create confusion today. I want you to look at your dilemma that you're either in or that you will face differently if you're not the will of God.

Get in the will of God so that he can turn it into something he could use if you're not walking by faith, but only walking by sight begin to walk by faith and no longer live a life of complaining acknowledging the reality but not blaming man for something God has done because you now have this bigger view of God who wants to show you his power so that you can blow your mind in a Catch-22. I wanted to include my time with telling you one of my dilemma.

Moments one of our dilemma. Moments we were meeting at school in the early days of our ministry. We did not have a permanent home at that meeting at the school and the school board said we could no longer meet there. We would have to couple of weeks.

Find another place to have worship we can find a place in two weeks and so we were in a Catch-22 authority said you have to leave but we have no place to go they can hold 200 people we had scoured.

We have looked we found no place and the clock was ticking to take tick-tock. We were in a Catch-22.

We were in a dilemma. What would we tell the people we went back to the school board and ask them for an extension of time. They said they do not think we can get it because there were too many board members with this whole thing of church and state that were against the church meeting in a school but then I said, but we will have a final official vote, but the person we talked to said let me tell you now too many people against you, so we were caught in a trick bag.

We were caught in the will.

Between a rock and a hard place and there was no human solution. All we did was call on God to intervene or to do something that was out of our hands. It was now the day of the vote and we knew the votes were against us with control back by an insider. The meeting was supposed to happen at a certain time, but the time when all I guess was sitting out there close to two hours when it should've been finished in 30 minutes waiting for decision. Finally, a lady comes out of the meeting just as I am sorry it's taken so long, but Joe about board members are missing. So we tried to wait for them so we could have a full Council. They have not showed up and we decided to go ahead with the loan we went I had with the bow and buy one. Though you have gotten approval to stay in the school by one vote. When she finished coming out the two missing Russian missing Russian and the vote had already been taken. But that's not the good part and start the process started inwardly this to when they decided to ride together. They got off of Polk and 67 and there was an accident at the like. The accident at the light, held up traffic for almost 2 hours whether traffic could not move. So with and that was the belt was taken on the traffic got cleared away and they rushed and it was too late because God had already set up a block. Sorry, 18, said that the in the pool went from in front of the Jews and went to the back of the Jew to create a block so that they could not get them until they crossed over.

So what God did wanted to play. Love the Lord and from in front of it went to the ballplayer he went down to 12 and 67 accident to occur at the right time for just the right amount of time in order to bring God's purpose was to created a dilemma, not a good that you have never forgotten it. So now we run enjoy them.

Remember what happened at the end of the 1970s any time we run into a problem that God is the same yesterday, and remember to tell you move forward when God said we don't say I was gonna work out because the God who can create the right time to do you decide to do the member loan. We are in the center of his will. The biggest dilemma in human history is how sinful people like you and me can ever be reconciled to a sinless God is a problem we could never solve on our own, but fortunately Jesus solved it for us is Dr. Evans to tell us more. If you want to know for certain that you're on your way to heaven when you die. And I invite you right now to go to Jesus Christ and let him know that you believe he died for you.

You believe your roles for you and that you want to put your trust in him alone for the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life.

If you really want to go to heaven will give you a free ticket there but you must go to him for it and believe him to give it to you if you do that you will be saved right now. Find out more about what it means to be a real Christian is a toady ever and start Oregon follow the link that says Jesus there. Tony will explain everything you need to know you find some free resources to get your new life started right Tony Evans.org is also the place to go to take advantage of the special resource package I mentioned earlier in the program. All eight lessons in Tony's current series divine encounters. Plus his brand-new book kingdom encounters which digs even deeper into how you can have a real life experience with the Lord. Even when he feels far away. This double resource bundle is our gift to you. When you make a contribution to help us keep this listener supported program coming your way. Just visit Tony Evans.org today to get the details and make the arrangements while you're there, take a moment to browse through our huge collection of resources and sign up for Tony's free weekly email devotional again that's Tony Evans.org or call our 24 hour resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 that's 1-800-800-3222 even when all our Christian experience is telling us that God keeps his promises are confidence can get shaken when it looks like he's doing just the opposite. Dr. Evans will tell us the story of a man in that very situation was forced to decide what he really believe I hope will be with us, the alternative with Dr. Tony have brought to you by the urban alternate is made possible by the generous contributions of listeners