Why Are You Crying Out to Me?
Message by Joshua Mutter – July 31, 2022
Big Idea: We are invited to look for God when life gets hard.
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? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, 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 Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
This story reminds us of the influence that sin can have on our lives.
“[God] giving Pharoah over to the maximum extent of Pharoah’s own pride, arrogance, defiance and irrationality…” – H. Junia Pokrifka
This story reminds us that fear can cause us to doubt that anything other than disaster is possible.
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. – Exodus 14:10 NIV
They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 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 in the desert!” Exodus 14:11-12 NIV
This story reminds us that we need people in our lives who can offer us a different perspective on what we are experiencing.
Moses answered the people, “Do not 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.” Exodus 14:13-14 NIV
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” – Exodus 14:15 NIV
This story reminds us of how God works with people who aren’t always as faith-filled as we think we should be.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – John 16:33 NIV
You can watch the sermon on Youtube here.
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