Through Many Dangers (Part 1 of 2)

When Moses led the Israelites, God's people started the journey strong, but as soon as they hit the first obstacle their confidence began to falter today on Truth for Life Alastair big teaches us about God's patience and Moses faithful response toward those who became frightened or dismayed Alastair opens today with prayer. Father, we thank you that we live our lives in the last day's in between the arrival of your son is a baby in Bethlehem and the return of your son is the great King of glory and Lord of all the earth, and we pray that we might walk the path of faith that as we open our Bibles and consider the truth is contained in it this morning when the spirit of God be our teacher and that in hearing his voice. We might obey his word and to this end, we pledge ourselves in Jesus name on moving going through this great chapter, there is one recurring question that we have faced. It's a personal question of vital question and it is simply this on my a man or a woman of faith, I am man or woman of faith as faith is unfolded for is here in the pages of Scripture for whatever else the book of Hebrews records for as it describes the battle between faith and unbelief all the way through the letter. The writer has been reminding his readers of those who, on account of their unbelief failed to enter into God's promises. For example, in chapter 3 and in verse 12, he encourages them see to it that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God, and indeed the 11th chapter has opened in the first few verses with the striking truth that if we're going to please God. Faith is a necessity. It is not an optional extra.

And as we've gone through the chapter we've been discovering faith in action that faith is not something passive.

It is not something private is not an esoteric interest kept in a corner brought down as it were to be put on display. Every so often, but that biblical faith is a decisive decision and it is a sustained attitude and begins as a matter a woman gives up all dependence upon himself or herself to make themselves acceptable before God depends entirely on the provision of the Lord Jesus Christ and then having begun in the life of faith exercises faith on a daily basis in order that like a muscle. It may grow to maturity rather than atrophy and be a sad story.

Display and so we have been going through the portrait Gallery of faith and less time paying particular attention to a number of these individuals who find their pictures hanging in the gallery and we noted last time that every picture tells a story. We have been looking at individual portraits and when we come now to the 29 verse we actually find that the scene described for us involves people large numbers of people rather than simply an individual.

What I like to do is to suggest to you like the Bayou tapestry.

What we have here is a tapestry which chronicles a particular moment in the history of God's people and if you would like to understand what it is that is woven into this unfolding tapestry you can do so by turning to Exodus chapter 14 and in Exodus chapter 14, you will discover the historical record of Moses leading the people of Israel out of Egypt and of God speaking to him concerning this peculiar hurdle that they found themselves confronting, namely the Red Sea. When you read in Exodus 13 and 14 you discover this dramatic scene, which unfolds the people of God have left Egypt they have begun their track. The Egyptian armies. Some of the crack troops are in pursuit and they find themselves being guided by pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. One particular point in the proceedings. You can imagine it in your mind's eye were told the angel of the Lord moves around behind the people of God on this great cloud forms in between God's people and the Egyptians who are pursuing when you need Exodus 14 at your leisure. You will discover that the cloud brought deep darkness to the Egyptian armies and jet on the other side of the cloud. There was a beautiful lightness and splendor in much the same way as when you're flying. You, on certain occasions where there is a bank of cloud into which we may fly or over which we may fly and on the one side of it is just gloom and darkness. But as soon as you penetrated her go beyond it.

You're amazed because it is been shielding the light of the sun on the one side, but it's a lovely day. On the other side. Actually, this happens in between Glasgow and Edinburgh. If you've ever visited Scotland. There can be a pillar of cloud which has Glasgow under the some of the worst boom you've ever seen in your life but if you drive for 14 miles you drive into the East Coast of Scotland and it may be as beautiful and as you can imagine, it's just one big bank of clouds separating darkness from light that's the picture here and the Egyptians are under darkness, and the people of God are in the light.

And God is moving them on and he is doing so as a result of asking Moses to stand up and to stretch his staff out over the sea and is he does so. We are told of the sea formed up into walls, so I have this dramatic picture of the Egyptians pursuing the people confronted by the hurdle of the sea, the leader of God's people standing with his arms outstretched over the sea and then the sea, forming up into walls and in the people of God being able to walk through the sea on dry land. Now as you go further along the canvas you discover the scene then changes through the hours of the darkness and into the dawn of a new day become the Egyptians in pursuit they come flying up to the sea. They recognize what is happened with the Israelites going through. They look at one another and say to themselves that they can do it we can do it and into the dryer seabed they go only to discover that there thrown in to total confusion. The wheels began to come off their chariots and as the find themselves in the middle of it all. Though the water begins to engulf them and they are lost sight off as the sea no longer walled in safety pores over them and brings them to a dreadful and now that's the picture which is recorded here. Time for bids me doing a great deal with it except to highlight a couple of things. If your Bible is open in Exodus 14. Please notice in verse eight that while the Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites. The Israelites were marching out boldly is what were told of the end of their sake.

They were marching out boldly terrific start and a good start is a good thing you know make a good start. You make a poor start. So it isn't that we want to call in question the beginning that they made they made a good beginning and marched out boldly, but if you look at verse 10 as Pharaoh approached the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians marching after them, they were terrified and cried out to the Lord and then began to criticize Moses, all God. How did we get here, they say, and then Moses what you're doing, you realize that we were in great shape in Egypt. Not true was because there weren't enough graves in Egypt that you brought us out so that we could die in the wilderness. You see yourself how can this possibly be only a matter of moments ago is and where they were marching out boldly going to the promised land. As soon as the first little obstacle. What happens cry out to God, and they criticize the leadership. Nothing much is changed in go from church to church to church when people take bold initiatives and faith under God and say let us go under God's command that is do this, the people may march out boldly as soon as he gets a little difficult soon as there's a little terror on the air as soon as the possibility for failure breeds itself over the horizon, the people of Carranza whose bright idea was this what is leadership do takes a survey now. It doesn't checks to see how everybody's feeling. No, it doesn't runs around and said, well, do you really want to go back to Egypt.

Maybe we can do that I give you your reservations back.

We don't have to get on the plane and give you your everything that we can just shut it down know it doesn't do that Google Moses S. Verse 30 Moses answered the people, don't be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.

The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you.

You need only to be still now what I'm dramatic expression of faith on the part of Moses what is Moses got going for you got Egyptians up his rear. He's got complaining, criticizing argumentative rascals all around him. He's gone the Red Sea in front of an he's got to stay and he's got the command and promise of God.

He's on a hiding to nothing anybody looking at this situation I would like to be in Moses shoes yourself in that position you got Egyptians are going to get you you other people who can stand here you have a big see in front of you. You gotta stick your center on their sake, don't worry. It's all going to be okay where you live from Moses, are you nuts while it would appear so what are you going on when you basing this off I am basing this on the fact that God said we would never see the faces of these Egyptians again. And if God said it, I believe it and therefore the told me to put the thing out here over the sea out over the sea it goes and he'll take care of it. From that point on easy we don't have to worry about is the part of the sea.

We just have to worry about where we are whether we are prepared to stand with the staff stressed out over the water and some of us never have the joy of standing is aware and seeing the deliverance of God because were so worried about how we want to manage how God's will managed to take care of it. God says don't worry about that I'll take care of it. You just do what I told by faith, by faith, nothing but persevering faith could enable Moses to do what he did and that in turn the people to follow him as they did. Interestingly enough, when the Egyptians try it doesn't work. You might have stagger.

They must've been Pharaoh in the Army said okay, those boys made it through will do it as well, and off they go and what happened to them. They were engulf the ground. They were never seen again why because faith and presumption are two different things.

Faith and presumption are two different things. They were not operating on the word of God. They were not going on on the count of five and got it made a promise and he would fulfill it. They were just presuming that they could know what the people of God knew if they just essentially went along with the program and in the letter happen. That's why some of your hearing, church, and you don't know what the people of God, no. Even though you're going along with the program you calm using the same songs you engage in the same certain materials but there's a missing link out.

They were the missing link is personal believing faith. For example, Romans chapter 5 verse one therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God. How do we have peace with God, being justified by faith. The pagan says hey I can have peace only that justification stuff. I have my own way to peace. I'll find it here. I'll make it happen there and so on and so we have these people who hold of the notion of peace but they don't know by faith. These trusting faltering stumbling argumentative people pass through the Red Sea, as on dry land but when the Egyptians tried to do so. They were drowned. How gracious of God. When you say if God was the kind of God. For the first time that we shook in our boots.

The first time we became terrified before the events of the enemy the first time we became faltering and dispirited and discouraged with leadership. The first time we found ourselves critical of these things. If God was the kind of God is it okay one strike and you're out. None of us would be able to continue because many a day.

We've started out marching boldly.

We got up at six 545 said this is the day the Lord has made great start. We had a little bit of our Bible that little bit of cereal little bit of orange juice and on our way. This would be the day when we would share our faith. This would be the day when we made a dent in the office we been building up to this day, and within an hour. Within half an hour within 15 minutes were hardly in the door was shaking in our shoes say no I don't think I'll tell anybody I'm a Christian today only. I'll get to dramatic today. Why this would just like these folks and God understands and he loves his children with an everlasting love and he looked down on them and they saw them. Nevertheless, he led them out. Now we must move on, let's go to the next picture equally dramatic in verse 30.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell after the people of marks around them 70s many of you know the story of the of the fallen of the walls of Jericho. Just put your hands okay most of how many of you never heard the story. The walls of Jericho you put up your hands, but don't be embarrassed that it is great. I'm glad I will. I say I want to tell the stories to people you don't know them because they're far better if you never heard the lid. They're not as good, if you know them off by heart and you must always come to the stories you don't know the okay always listen, you don't know it because if you always listen to the stories like you know the end we read children's books and the stories are no fun. So you have to really… And then I never noticed that before and so on and destroy the walls of Jericho really good. Joshua chapter 6, I can read it all. But if you turn there your leisure.

Later in the day the three of you who are honest enough to admit that you don't know the story and a significant number of others. Are you currently rascals who were unprepared to admit you never heard of it in your life that you thought walls of Jericho was an ice cream factory or something. You can also read the story. When you get home and what we read is that Jericho verse one was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in so Jericho is an impregnable city verse two the Lord said to Joshua. See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men okay how you put yourself in Joshua's position for just a moment here we have an impregnable city noise coming in. No one's going in and that was coming out and God comes to Joshua and says I've delivered the city into your hands be speaking prophetically is a done deal as far as God's concern is in the present experience of Joshua and the people but is about to become so to Joshua would be saying well I wonder how God is going to accomplish this and so I said let me tell you what we going to do. You may want to take this down Joshua and make sure you do it correctly.

Verse three march around the city once with all the armed men okay. Do this for six days.

Okay, got it.

Makes seven priests carry trumpets of rams horns in front of the ark, seven priests on the art trumpets on the seventh day march around the city seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets seventh day, sometimes blowing the trumpets okay when you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets make all the people gave a loud shout, then the wall of the city will collapse the people go up, and every man straight. It okay let's be honest here. No smart stuff because you known this Sunday school story. Since you are knee-high to a grasshopper. Let's imagine that you are Joshua and this is the word from God to you. I have given the city in your hand.

Here's how we going to do it.

Walk around the city in total silence with the armed men then do it again and again and again and again and again and again and on the seventh day it was seven times I wanted when shouting, I want any blowing of the trumpets. No aggravation of tall just walk around the city. Why would anybody do. Why would anybody in the right mind do that the answers in the first two words of the verse by faith, by faith, there is no plausible explanation for this kind of activity except that God has spoken, made his word clear. Joshua believes the word of God, and any acts on the basis of the word that he professes to believe.

Imagine the scene. Consider these priests with their trumpets, not even blowing them just holding them. There's a group of armed men in front of them.

Then the priests holding the trumpets. Then the ark of the covenant, then the rearguard bringing up the rear, which is what rearguard usually do, and this procession simply goes around the city. Can you imagine the people in the city looking over the walls a summons going on down there, but trying to put together the armed men. They are putting together the arm that the priests are there are seven of them trumpets the blood that ark again dictate that armed with them everywhere there saying to one another and there's a few guys coming on the rear wonder whether going to do and they come out and the they're watching and they go once around all the roadway around the come back to the beginning again and they get back to Joshua and Joshua says okay fellas, that's enough for today. See you tomorrow morning same time be here nice and sharp scheduling. That was it and I said that's it. Tomorrow, the goal only send one another.

Well maybe maybe register to practicing a reconnaissance mission. Tomorrow will hearted up the come back the next morning is okay guys, same as yesterday.

Once on the walls also go all way around.

The people are watching you today. I'll be the day. These people are accomplishing nothing. Okay fellas. Thanks a lot's been a great day. See tomorrow right narrowly same time same place third day. These people are accomplishing nothing.

The people are marching on the fluids going on.

The guys in the city and the blue was going on but God knows what's going on. See when the world looks at the people of God and concludes all the time. There's nothing going on, but their stuff going on because God is working his part percent. Goodness gracious.

As we paraded our staff meeting day this week. We pray that God would bring people to himself and bring unlikely people to himself now have. There's a young man wandering in the hallway like a lost soul. Is it when you want as I want to see the pastor the youth past will find that even today he leads them to faith in Christ. He was wandering the halls didn't we was looking for didn't know that God was looking for in the world of science is nothing happen in their God is working out his purposes. When you can't see it from part one of today's message title through many dangers was the Truth for Life with Alister earlier in today's message we learned that the Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt and although we can't fully identify with that situation.

It's safe to say their hardship left him feeling completely depleted, the subject of depletion is a subject that author and Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie understands will.

She's written about it in her new book which is called God does his best work with empty entries writing from her own experience.

She knows that life can gradually wear us down or sometimes it unexpectedly kicks the feet out from under us in a life altering moment.

Either way, were left feeling drained, we are unable to carry on in the book God does his best work with empty Nancy Guthrie points us to stories from Scripture that illustrate how time and again God provides for his people stories remind us that God will not abandon us in our weakened state. In fact, quite the opposite. God uses our weakness as a means to fill us with his spirit and to draw us into a deeper relationship with him if you have been feeling depleted or empty. You will be greatly encouraged.

As you read Nancy Guthrie's new book, God does his best work with empty requester copy today when you make a generous one-time donation. Simply tap the image on the mobile app or visit Truth for Life.org/donate or call 888-588-7884 that you often hear me mention the Truth for Life mobile app and if you're not listening on the app today or if you're not familiar with all of the features on the app I want to encourage you to check it out. The app is free to download to your smart phone or your tablet.

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Join us for part two of the message we've heard today will learn how Joshua obeyed God and used an unconventional method to capture an entire city Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life where the Learning is for Living