How to Trust God Before the Red Sea Even Splits

Hey, we're Todd and Julie Mullins, Senior Pastors here at Christ Fellowship Church, and we're so glad that you're tuning in for service today. Yeah, Christ Fellowship is one church that meets in lots of different locations, including right here with you. Yeah, and our prayer for you today is that you would sense God's love for you. See, I don't personally know all that you're going through today and what you're up against, but God does. And He hears your prayers, and He knows your name, and He's right here for you today as you call out to Him. Yeah, thanks again for joining with us today. We love you, and we're praying for you. He gave it all so that we could experience life and life to the full. God has more in store than you have in mind, and I believe so much more that it's going to blow your mind. Well, welcome to church today. Let me tell you, we are excited. This room is filled with the children of freedom today. We have a brand new song, and that's the message. Jesus came for you, and He came for me today. So come on, let's sing this out. It goes like this. Come on. How can it be? Come on, we thank God. How can it be? Come on. Where are those chains that once held me? My sin is gone, how can it be? I'm looking what the Lord has done. I'm never going back to the way I was.

I'll sing, I'll dance, and I'll believe. I'm free, I'm free. Thank God I'm free. Thank God I'm free. ♪ You took the cross and broke your body ♪ ♪ You shed your blood, now the sinner can't see ♪ ♪ My debt is paid and my record is clean ♪ ♪ I couldn't do it, so you did it for me ♪ ♪ You took the cross and you broke your body ♪ ♪ You shed your blood, now the sinner can't see ♪ ♪ My debt is paid and my record is clean ♪ ♪ I couldn't do it, so you did it for me ♪ ♪ I couldn't do it, so you did it for me ♪ ♪ I couldn't do it, so you did it for me ♪ ♪ I couldn't do it, so you did it for me ♪ ♪ I couldn't do it. ♪ ♪ Where are those chains that once held me? ♪ ♪ I'm free, I'm free. I'm free, I'm free. ♪ ♪ My sin is gone, how can it be? ♪ ♪ I'm free, I'm free. I'm free, I'm free. ♪ ♪ Look at what the Lord has done. ♪ ♪ I'm never going back to the way I was. ♪ ♪ I'll sing, I'll dance, and I'll be free. ♪ ♪ I'm free, I'm free. Thank God I'm free. ♪ Oh, come on, church. Look at what the Lord has done. My sin is gone. My sin is erased. How can it be? Hey, you are proof of God's faithfulness. You are proof of God's goodness.

He calls you a son and a daughter of the Most High King. You have a reason to sing today. Look at what he's done. Look at what the Lord has done. But whether you're worshiping with us online or you are in the room, we are so glad you are here. David says in Psalms, I rejoice when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Amen. We're going to continue our time of worship as we call on the God who has everything we need. He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. He is our peace. He is our healer. So let's continue singing and worshiping and dancing, lifting up our voices as we call on Yahweh today. Oh, he has everything you need. Let's call on him today. We call on Jehovah, the God of Jacob, the God who is faithful through generations. Oh, we call on you, Jesus. Church, sing with me. I'm calling on the God of Jacob whose love endures through generations. I know that he will keep your covenant. I'm calling on the God of Moses, the one who opened up the oceans. I need you now to do the same thing for me. Oh, with hands raised all over this room. Oh, can we call on him? Oh, tell him you need him.

Oh God, my God, I need you. Oh God, my God, I need you now. How I need you now. Oh rock, oh rock of ages, I'm standing on your faithfulness. On your faithfulness. Yes. Oh, it's your faithfulness we're standing on. I'm calling on the God of Mary whose favor rests upon the lowly. Oh, I know if you are free. I know if you are free. Everything is possible. Oh, I'm calling on. I'm calling on the God of David who made a shepherd for the crazy. Oh, I may not make the face of the world, but I've got my own joy. Oh God, my God, I need you. Oh God, my God, I need you now. How I need you. Oh rock, oh rock of ages. Oh rock, oh rock of ages, I'm standing on your faithfulness. Oh, on your faithfulness. Oh God, my God, I need you. Oh God, my God, I need you now. I don't want to leave you, I don't want to leave this platform I come, I come, I come Oh, Homer's standing on his faithfulness

New generations on your faithfulness Oh, Homer's standing on his faithfulness Oh, church, he is not changed He is who he was You heard your children, you heard your children You are the same God, you are the same God You answered prayers back then, and you will Oh, does anyone believe that? Oh, you are the same, you are the same You are providing thanks, oh, we believe you are dry right now You are the same God, you are the same God You move in power today, you are moving right now You are the same God, you are the same God You are a healer, you are a friend, you are a God today You are the same God, you are the same God You are a Savior now, you are a Savior now You are the same God, you are the same God Oh God, my God, I need you, oh God, my God, I need you now How I need you now Rock of Ages, Rock of Ages, you are A standing on your table You are the same, you are the same Oh God, my God, I need you, oh God, my God, I need you now How I need you now Rock of Ages, Rock of Ages, you are A standing on your table On your faithful day Oh, we're standing on your faithfulness We're trusting that you are the same Oh church, everything you need is found in Him

Everything you need is wrapped up in Him Nothing beyond or beneath His hand We sing this old hymn just declaring we need Him Oh I need Thee, oh I need Thee Every hour I need Thee Oh bless me now my Savior I come to Thee Oh I need Thee, oh I need Thee Every hour, oh every hour I need Thee Oh bless, oh bless me now my Savior I come to Thee Oh Lord, we need You Oh Lord, we come before You today Boldly, because we are Your sons and daughters You unravel me with a melody You surround me with a song Of deliverance from my enemies Till all my fears are gone I'm no longer, I'm no longer a slave to You You are a child of God I am a child of God Whatever you sow today I'm no longer a slave to you Oh no, I am a child of God From my mother's womb you have chosen me And love has called my name And I've been born again into your family Your blood flows through my veins I'm no longer a slave to fear Oh, I am a child of God I'm no longer a slave to fear Oh, I am a child of God

I'm no longer a slave to fear Oh, I am a child of God I'm no longer a slave to fear Oh, I am a child of God And in that truth this morning You are our son, you are our daughter I am surrounded By the arms of the Father I am surrounded By songs of deliverance And we're deliberating From our bondage And when the sun and the dawn arise Let us sing of freedom You split the sea so I could walk right through My fears were drowned in perfect love You rescued me so I could stand and say I am a child of God You split the sea so I could walk right through My fears were drowned in perfect love You rescued me so I could stand and say I am a child of God Yes you are, yes you are I am a child of God I am a child of God I am a child of God Yes you are, yes you are I am a child of God Yes you are, yes you are Yes you are, yes you are

that we are set free for a purpose and for a reason. God, today we stand in that freedom. We stand in confidence today knowing that you have conquered sin, hell, death, and the grave. And if sin is defeated by you, then we will not be bound up by that. And we will not be afraid of death because you overcame death. And we will not be afraid of the grave or any diagnosis or anything that any person can put on us because Jesus has set us free. So we're gonna give you all the praise and the glory today. And the church said, amen. Come on, can we give Jesus praise today? Man, I love it. So good to have you with us. Whether you're joining with us online or here at Gardens, we are so glad that you are here today. Hey, why don't you turn to one or two people around you, give them a high five, shake their hands, and you can grab your seats today. Good morning, good morning, church family. How we feeling, feeling all right? I wanna welcome all those joining us at our campus locations and those at Christ Fellowship everywhere. It's a great day to be in church. And as you just heard, we're fresh out of movement camp. And you need to know that over 500 of our students spent time serving in the community

and encountering the presence of God for the last week. And I'm just here to testify and tell you for a moment that God's hand is on this generation and he has marked them in incredible ways. I'm talking about salvations today. I'm talking about callings confirmed and destinies unlocked. Aren't you grateful that God is moving in the next generation for a 24 seven, three, six, five kind of faith? And the best news is we get to do it again today. So pray for your student pastors and volunteer teams. It's gonna be an incredible week. But if you missed us and you weren't with us last week, as you heard, we are kicking off week two of a series entitled Moses, a Marked Man. And we're really unpacking the reality that Moses was marked by God as an ordinary man to do great things in the same way that Moses was marked by God. How many of you know that God wants to mark us today? A little recap of last week. If you're not familiar with Moses's story, Moses was a man who was born as a Hebrew boy into the nation of Egypt during a time period where the people of God were in slavery for over 400 years. Wasn't a good situation. Long story short, he grew up in the palace watching his own people suffer under the brutal hand of the Egyptians.

One day it so happens that he watched one of his own people getting beaten. So he steps in, he murders the man, gets caught. He dips and he runs far away from Egypt, settles down, meets a lady and tends his father-in-law's sheep. It is in that place that we find Moses. God encounters him at this burning bush moment. And if you remember from last week, God commissions him and says, Moses, I'm calling you to go back to the place that you've run from and deliver the people to freedom. Moses essentially objects. He says, who am I to do this? And now that I think about it, who are you? And what if they don't believe me? Now that I think about it, I don't have what it takes. Please send somebody else. Rather reluctantly, but obediently, he eventually does obey. And he is sent to confront Pharaoh, the leader of the Egyptian army, with those famous words, let my people go. Now, I gotta tell you, I grew up in kids' church in the 90s. And so when I hear these words, let my people go, there's a different sound to it. And if you grew up in this time period and you know what I'm talking about, you gotta help me out because it sounds a little bit like this.

You remember, Pharaoh, Pharaoh. Oh, baby, let my people go. Nah, nah, nah, it goes Pharaoh, Pharaoh. Oh, baby, let my people, what happens? Pharaoh says no, okay? I'm a product of kids' church, okay? Thank God for our kids' ministry. But Pharaoh, Pharaoh says, ain't no way I'm letting you go. So what happens is God puts his fingers together and he cooks up some plagues. It's crazy in the passage of scripture. There's hail from heaven, there's flies, there's gnats, there's even some dead cows in locusts. It's an interesting situation. But 10 plagues later, Pharaoh has finally had enough. He says, get up and get out of here. And that's where we'll pick up our story for today. In Exodus chapter 13, if you have your Bible, it starts like this, starting in verse 17. It says, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. Verse 18, but God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. And the Lord went before them by day in a pilgrimage. of cloud to lead them along the way,

and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. Title of the message is simply this, by day and by night. Can you elbow your neighbor, say by day. By day. Elbow the one you ignored. By night. By night. By day and by night. You gotta picture this scene for just a moment. They have now been taken out of Egypt where they're familiar. They have been led out of Egypt toward the wilderness into what is a place where the Red Sea is, and now they're facing the Red Sea. You have to understand, two million people leaving the place of familiarity are definitely tired. They're definitely overwhelmed and scared straight, not to mention they are now staring at what seems to be a dead. And to make matters worse, your boy Pharaoh changes his mind. You know, he started thinking about, who's gonna make all these pyramids for me? And all these tombs. We just let two million people go. He changes his mind and he chases on after them. Exodus chapter 14, starting in verse 10, says this. When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel

lifted up their eyes and behold, Egyptians were marching after them. They feared greatly and the people of Israel cried out to the Lord and they said to Moses, is it because there's no graves in Egypt that you have taken us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us bringing us out of Egypt? 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. You picture the scene. They're in slavery, they have been led out of slavery with this promise of hope to come, that there was a promised land flowing with milk and honey and a bunch of great stuff. So they're led out of slavery, now they're led into the wilderness facing a Red Sea. They think things are gonna be good. They're tired already and now they're standing at a place where looking at the Red Sea that's impassable in front of them and they look behind them over their shoulders to see the impossible odds of the Egyptian army chasing them down. Things are not looking great for the Israelites in this moment, they are in a dire situation staring at the impassable sea, stuck between slavery and freedom, between their past and their future. This is a Red Sea moment.

The truth for us today is regardless of your age or stage, it is not a matter of if you and I will face Red Sea moments in our lives, but really a matter of when. We feel stuck between the past and the future. The diagnosis and the miracle, the interview and the offer, the addiction and the freedom, the desire and the relationship, the heartbreak and the healing, the payment that has a deadline and the finances that haven't come through. We are all going to face Red Sea moments where we're looking at what looks to be impassable before us feeling the pressure of what seems to be impossible chasing us down and what you and I choose to do in these moments will determine a lot about the future that we step into. People of God, they're scared straight. They're upset. They're frustrated. They're confused. They had things in a familiar setting and now they've been removed from their slavery and now they're upset at Moses going, why did you bring us out of a bad situation into a worse one? Hello? Moses, he knows this. He knows things are not feeling good, not looking good for the people of God. And so at this very moment, what happens is Moses,

the leader he is, not that he wasn't scared, not that he wasn't afraid, he realizes he has to rally the people and get their attention. And so this is what he says to them in Exodus chapter 14, starting in verse 13. And this is our rally cry for today. He says this to the people of God. Fear not, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you. You have only to be silent. And the same goes for us today. We might be facing some Red Sea moments. We might be stuck between what seems impossible and what seems impossible. But I'm here to tell you, we can face some Red Sea moments full of faith by deciding to make the right kinds of decisions. And today it starts with us making the decision to fear not. Why? Why should we fear not? Well, I'll tell you why. Fear is a liar. Fear lies. Constantly whispering in your ear, trying to get you and I to co-script a story for our future

that God has not co-signed on. And then it tries to get us to watch this script like a movie before our eyes of things that will probably never happen. And what happens is we forecast our fear and it ends up paralyzing us. The spirit of fear can paralyze us if we don't understand that it needs to be dealt with. They're looking at a Red Sea moment and yet they're paralyzed with fear. It's like the winter time in Florida when the weather drops below 60 and all these iguanas, which are the craziest creatures on the planet, they're up in their tree limbs thinking life is good. The weather drops, they freeze over, get paralyzed, fall out of the tree, and a lot of them die. It's what happens. The circumstances dictate how they respond. And fear has that ugly ability to dictate and to squeeze us into responding in a way that God would not have us respond with. Pastor Todd said this before, that fear and faith, they have the same definition, right? It's believing that which you cannot see is gonna happen. And whichever you and I come into agreement with will change our lives. But the last time I read my Bible, the spirit of fear is not for me because in the Scriptures it says

in 2 Timothy 1, verse seven, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control, or a sound mind. That means that even though we face Red Sea moments, we can access the power of God, we can step into the love of God and have a sound mind. When fear comes to bite and things look impossible and impossible, we can make the decision to fear not. It's a beautiful opportunity to fear not before we learn that we can make the decision to stand firm. He says, fear not, stand firm. What's Moses doing? He's helping the people get into position. This is a position check because when we're facing what seems impossible and impossible, it's easy for our posture to slip, for us to lose our footing. It's time that we learn to stand firm. Psalmist says this, that the righteous will never be moved. Goes on to say that he is not afraid of a bad report. He's not afraid of bad news. His heart is what? Firm. It's firm, trusting in the Lord. For us, standing firm in this season could look like anchoring your life and standing firm in what the word of God says and what's true and going,

I'm gonna stand firm on the promises of God, that the promises of God for my life are yes and amen, that God is doing a great work in my life, that greater is he that's in me than he that's in the world. I'm gonna stand firm. I might feel like I'm swaying, but the Bible says the righteous don't have to be moved because their heart is firm. For many of us, it could look, man, I wanna stand firm in biblical community. Some of us are in and then we're out and here's this opportunity, facing the impossible and the impossible that we could stand firm, not just in the word of God, but in the community of faith, the body of Christ. And when we're slipping and when we're struggling, we got a brother and a sister who could pull us up and go, hey, fear not, brother and sister, the spirit of God is with us. And you can stand firm today because God is with us. Can you say amen today? He says, fear not, stand firm. And then I love this. He says, lift your eyes. Lift your eyes. How many of us when we're up against dire situations and things look bad and we're up against a diagnosis that we didn't expect or a body injury, we don't know what to do with, or there's a chasm in the relationship

where the finances are in deep trouble, all we do, if you're anything like me, it can be so easy, just go, I don't know what to do. Just like the people of God, here they are. They're at the Red Sea, what looks like a dead end. They hear the chariots wheels are turning. Maybe the army cry and the Bible says that they lifted up their eyes towards the Egyptians and then fear came over them. I'm here to tell us today, we can face these Red Sea moments by deciding to fear not and standing firm as we lift our eyes to the Lord, not our problems. See, I believe that Moses was trying to help get the people to stop looking at Pharaoh and start looking at their father. And this is easier said than done a lot of the times because it's easy to see with our natural eyes, I'm up against a real problem. But he's trying to get them to stop looking at the chariots, stop looking at what looks impossible and start looking at the pillar by night. pillar by day because God was in their midst. So what does it look like for us today? Some of us have maybe gotten a bad report. Could it be that what looks like a bad report that others would see is really just an opportunity for God to do a miracle? What looks like a dead end, what if it's a doorway? What if there's more going on than we realize and if we will make the decision to fear not and stand firm and lift our eyes not onto what's wrong,

not on what we wish was different but go, I'm gonna set my eyes on anything. I'm gonna set my eyes on Jesus. I'm gonna set my eyes on the Lord who is the maker of heaven and earth and when we fix our focus on him, it changes the way we see the problem before us. Amen. Doesn't mean we don't feel scared. It doesn't mean we're standing firm but we're not a little wobbly. What it means is yeah, there's some problems. I see some impassable things. I feel the pressure of what seems impossible and yet, I'm gonna lift my eyes. Some of you this week have maybe gotten some bad news and you've just been looking down and reading it over and over again. It's time to lift your eyes. Some of you maybe are in relationship tension. You keep reading the text over and over. It's time to lift your eyes onto the Lord. It's time that we start to see the breakthrough with spirit eyes that we know God is able to bring about and thank him in advance. We gotta make the decision today to fear not. Stand firm and lift our eyes so we can make the decision to let God work. You know, Moses says this really interesting thing. He says this, see the salvation of the Lord which he will perform for you today.

For the Egyptians you see, you ain't ever gonna see again. Because he will work this for you and he will fight for you. Why does Moses tell us this? Why does he tell the people of God? Because we have the tendency to try to get our hands to fix everything. I know best, if I could just solve this problem, if I could just fix this, if I could just get my hands on it and kind of make it happen and I think we need to understand that God's the one that's gonna be doing the work and we need to let him do what he does best. How many of you have ever been invited over to a dinner party or you've been at work and there's just too many cooks in the kitchen? You know what I'm talking about? Like maybe you went to a party and you see they needed help and so you went in there like, oh, I can't, you know, and it's just kind of chaos in the kitchen, you're at work trying to make a decision and nobody knows who's in charge, there's too many cooks in the kitchen. I think, just an opinion, I think could it be that God's up in heaven, he's watching us face Red Sea moments and we're putting our hand in the kitchen trying to cook some stuff up and he would just go, hey, let me cook, let me cook because what I can cook up in the kitchen for your life is so much better if we would take our hands off of the problem and let God cook and do his thing.

I think we'd begin to see things turn around. I think we'd begin to see God go, hey, newsflash, just want to let you know, I don't sleep. So when your head is at the pillow at night, I'm working. And when you wake up in the morning and you're still facing what seems impossible and impossible, I'm on the project. I'm not unaware, I'm not unacquainted, I'm not caught off guard, I'm not wondering, oh, gee, I wonder what's gonna happen. No, but for us, we want to put our hands on the wheel, we want to have the control and I've been there, it's so easy when there's a problem to go, God, I kind of know best and he's saying, hey, I want to remind you, even when you don't see it, he's working, he's in rooms you're not in, he hears conversations you can't hear, he has plans that you don't know about yet and if he told you, you probably wouldn't believe it. So I think that we should just let God cook in the kitchen of life and fix up a solution rather than for us to get our hands on it. This sounds like a good plan to me. So God says in his word, I love this scripture in Isaiah. He says this, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my ways, our ways. God knows what he's doing. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. It's time to fear not, stand firm, lift your eyes and let God work, let God work.

So Moses, he calls the people who are looking at the Red Sea what seems impassable, feeling the fear and the pressure of what seems impossible. The Egyptian army is closing in on them and he repositions them. Hey, we're not gonna go forward in fear. we're gonna stand firm, we're gonna lift our eyes not on Pharaoh, but on the Lord, and we're gonna let God do his thing. And then he gets them to do everything that they could do so God could get ready to do what only he could do. The text continues. It's a beautiful passage of scripture, Exodus chapter 14, verse 19, this is what it says. It says, then the angel of God, who was going before the host of Israel, he moved and he went behind them. And the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was a cloud and the darkness, and it lit up the night with one coming near the other night. Then, verse 21 says this, then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided. Verse 22, and the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground,

the waters being a wall to them on the right and left. What a scene this is. You gotta picture it. They are facing what seems impossible. They're wondering, is God gonna come through? Are we about to get sandwiched, killed, and taken back to Egypt if we're lucky? And at the moment, the angel of God that was leading them in the front, because God's a leader, he was leading them in the front, he changes positions entirely and goes from leading them in the front, and he moves positions to the back, coming between the Egyptian army that's chasing after them. And in this moment, Moses, facing the Red Sea, looking at the Red Sea, he puts his hand out and he drives the sea back and the waters are parted. And the people of God watched the miraculous happen and they walk into the waters on dry ground. This is a beautiful moment where we see God doing what God does. The waters are parted. What seemed impossible was just a windblow away for the Lord, our God. I love this passage of scripture because we see he's the God that goes before us and behind us, and he's even willing to stand in between what we feel like is coming after us. That's a good God.

And I came here to tell some people today, if he's done it before, he can do it again. And we serve a God that specializes in the impossible, the improbable, and yes, even what seems illogical. Waters being parted, walking into this sea on dry ground? Yes, because when we let God work, miracles happen in our lives. The people of God, they see a miracle before their very eyes. Dry ground and walls of water, but here's the kicker. The greatest miracle wasn't that the seas were split. It's impressive. The greatest miracle was that God was with them as they went. The God that can split seas is the God that can sustain the waters back. And a lot of us, maybe we have faith for God to start to move, but we get stuck. For a lot of us, we've seen God start to do the miracle, and we feel like God's saying, okay, it's time to take steps into the waters that have been parted, and we're kinda taking a step forward, but if we're honest, we're a little bit like, well, I just gotta make sure that these waters are pretty tall here, and I know that the ground is dry here, but the waters are huge. And we can go through life just doing this, just trying to micromanage the miracle.

I think some of us, maybe we're stepping forward in what God has, and a lot of us are looking at what God has done, and we're like, hey, these waters are pretty intense. Anybody got a tarp? You know, we could just make sure that the Lord keeps these things up. Anybody got a boat in case these waters crash? And we're making secondary plans as if God doesn't know what he's doing, and I'm here to tell you, what God starts in our lives through salvation, he sustains, because he's not just a starter. He's a sustainer. He's a miracle-working kind of God, and I don't know what you came in here with today, but I know that God can still work miracles in our lives. It's who he is. He's a way maker. He's a miracle worker. He is the light in the darkness. He's the pillar by day and the fire by night. His eyes are fixed on the Lord, the people of God. I'm gonna fear not, stand firm, lift my eyes, and let God work, and when they let that happen, they step into the promise of God, and I'm here to say today, regardless of how life is going, whatever your Red Sea moment looks like,

if you will keep your eyes focused on the Lord, he's gonna show up. in your life one way or another. If I've seen it once in my life, I've seen it a hundred times, he is faithful. He is faithful. And it's true, yes, Moses was marked by God for incredible things and God used him. But let's make no mistake about whose power drove this sea back that day. Yeah, it's true that Moses was used to stretch out his hand and part seas. But there would be one who would come and deliver a nation and stretch out his hands to pardon sins because Moses is a type of leader, a foreshadow of one to come who would deliver humanity from sin and he's Jesus. Jesus, when the sea of our sin was too great to get through, he got up on a cross and he took our penalty and our punishment and he stood between what was coming after us and he moved from before, behind to stand in between and whatever you're up against today, it is important for you to know that the cross of Jesus, it stands between by day and by night. And when Jesus hung on the cross, he made a way and the waters were parted for us to walk on through to the father because that's the kind of God that he is. It is the cross of Jesus that stands between in our lives.

He's a way maker, he's a miracle worker, he's light in the darkness. We've got to make these decisions to fear not. But I think it's also important that we take decisions and make them personal declarations. And I don't know where you're out in the room today, but I do know that the world is often gripped by fear. But today we can make the decision right where we're at, at all of our campuses, all of our locations, even if you're tuning in at Christ Fellowship Everywhere to understand this beautiful reality that because the cross stands between, I will fear not. Come on, make that personal in your life. You can utter it in your own words. You can say it in the quietness of your heart and say, I will not fear. What are you up against today? Maybe fear of the deadline of finances that aren't there. Maybe fear of the marriage ending or maybe fear that kids are far from God and won't come home today. We take every thought captive and say, I will not fear. I will not fear. What's the thing in your life right now that is captivating you and keeping you paralyzed? I'm here to remind you. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a power, love, and a sound mind. So today we say, I will not fear.

It's not gonna be who I am. I will not fear and I will stand firm. I will stand firm, even when life feels rocky, even when life feels difficult, even when I'm not sure how things are gonna pan out, even as I stare at what seems impassable before me with impossible pressure coming behind me, I'm gonna stand firm on the word of God. And when I don't know what to do, I'm gonna anchor my heart to this word that is true and its words never return void. I don't know what it looks like for you today, but we have to make the decision to declare, I will not fear and I will stand firm. Where maybe recently have your feet been wobbling? Because your eyes have been looking on the problem and not on the God who can solve all problems. We say, I will lift my eyes. I will lift my eyes. Heads bowed, eyes closed in the room as we work through these. I want you right now to think about the thing that is keeping you up at night right now. Because he's the God by day and by night. And it's possible a lot of us are losing sleep at night because we're worried about things in the day. We're gripped by fear. What is the piece of paper? What's the comment you've read? What's the situation that right now

is keeping your eyes focused on everything but the Lord? Today, here's an opportunity for us to reset our eyes, not on Pharaoh, not on the Red Sea, but on the Lord Jesus. Make the decision to declare, I will lift my eyes. Maybe most difficult, I will let God work. Where are the areas in your life where you've had your hands on the wheel and you're white knuckling life? I've got to get it through. It's on me, it's on me. My family's on me, this business is on me. If I don't, who will? I'm here to tell you, you have a part to play and God is with you. But if you will fear not, if you will stand firm, if you will lift your eyes and let God work, the waters could part and what looks like a dead end might be a doorway, but we have to let go. Oh, we have to let go. For some of us, we've been too tight around our kids, too far from God. Let go and start praying that the God of all comfort would be near. Think about my own life, these opportunities I have to fear. I'm going, my children, Lord, they're yours. Lord, I let you work because your plans are better than mine. Your thoughts are higher than mine. And ultimately, the most important piece is that we would say, I will trust God by day and by night.

Even when I don't understand, even when the sea that I'm standing in front of seems impassable, even when the dangers coming behind me seem impossible, whatever the outcome is, whatever happens, I will be resolved. As for me and my house, as it goes with me, I will trust the Lord by day and by night because he is the God that goes before us, he comes behind us, and he stands between what is coming after you today. So I'm here to encourage you to lean in, even though you might be facing a Red Sea, God has not left you, he is with you, and he's standing between. And if you will get your eyes focused and fixed on him and say, God, I don't understand, but I'm gonna trust that your thoughts are not like mine and your ways, you've got some different ways, I will give you control and I will let you do what only you can do. I will, even when I don't know what else to do, I will trust you by day and by night. Heads bowed, eyes closed at all of our campuses, all of these declarations, they hinge off of this one question. The power of these statements hinges off this one question. Have you trusted Jesus with your life? Because all of these things on the other side of the cross, when the cross of Jesus, it stands between,

it means that no longer does God see our sin, but he sees the righteousness of Christ, which means I don't have to give into the spirit of fear, I can stand firm, I can lift my eyes on the Lord, I can let God work because I'm yielding to the spirit of God within me because of what Jesus has done in my life. And if you're here today and you've never invited Jesus to come in between, he wants to be invited because if he does come in, he will begin to part the waters that are only he can part, which is the sea of our sin. The sea of our sin that was impassable, he crossed over. With the impossible odds of judgment coming our way, he stood between. If you're at the sound of my voice at any of our locations and you've never yielded and trusted Jesus with your life, today is the day where you say, I'm done trying to micromanage life, I am yielding to the way maker and asking him to come in and make a way in me. And if you're here, at the count of three, I wanna invite you to give your life to Jesus. And if that's you, you're saying, today's the day I give my life to Jesus. At the count of three, what I want you to do is I want you to raise your hand and say, that's me, I'm inviting Jesus to come between and be the leader and savior of my life. So the count of three, one, two, three, hands up.

Let me see your hands. Hands in the front, hands in the back. Yeah, all of our campus locations, hold it up high, saying, I want Jesus to come in between. Oh, he's the way maker, he's about to make you new. Anybody else? As a community of faith, we're gonna pray this out together. Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me, for standing in between. I surrender to you today. Forgive me of my sin and make me new and I will live for you the rest of my days. In Jesus' name I pray, amen and amen. Come on, can we celebrate all of our campus locations? Now, we're not done yet. We're gonna close in worship and prayer and I would ask that we all stand to our feet at all of our locations as our prayer teams begin to make our way to the front because here's what I know. Here's what I know, a lot of us in this room are up against some real Red Sea moments that seem impossible and impassable, but time would fail for me to tell you about the times in my life where I thought what was in front of me

was impassable for even God and God showed up at a midnight hour. I don't have time to tell you about provision showing up at my door and people giving us cars and people giving us groceries and peace coming when I didn't know it could come because he's still a way maker, he's still a miracle worker and I'm here to tell you if he did it for me, he's the same God yesterday, today and forever and so today, if you're up against a Red Sea moment and you need God to come in and split the sea and make a way, we're gonna have the opportunity to agree with you and see God start to do what only he could do because what's a wall for a wall breaker, a chain for a chain breaker? and a C for the one who can split it because he's still the one that heals bodies. He's still the one that brings provision. He's Jehovah Jireh. He is God, our provider. So whatever the need is that you have today, it might seem huge. It might seem grand. Can I remind you today, we got a grand God that comes and stands between. So if you need prayer for a Red Sea moment and a miracle in the midst,

he's a way maker. Begin to make your way to the front and get prayer and we'll find some people who will agree with you at all of our campus locations. He's the God that can do exceedingly and abundantly beyond all that we could ask, think, or imagine. So begin to make your way. Father, I thank you for everyone at the sound of my voice, Lord, that you're still healing. You're still saving people. You're still redeeming. So right now in this moment, when you split seas and would you do what only you could do, we will let you do what you do and let you work and fight for us. We thank you for it. In Jesus name. Amen. Let's press in and pray today. We're gonna continue declaring that he is a way maker, that he's a sea splitter, that he is our healer, and he is our peace. So our prayer team is waiting for you up front. We would love to pray with you. We would love to believe for you. And even when you don't see it, he's working. Even when you don't feel it, he is working things out for your good. Oh, we serve a good God today.

For the rest of us in the room that may not be coming forward, can we declare this and sing together? Even when, even when. Even when I don't see it, you're working. Even when I don't feel it, you're working. You never stop, you never stop working. You never stop, you never stop working. Even when I don't see it, you're working. Even when I don't feel it, you're working. You never stop, you never stop working. You never stop, you never stop working. Even when I don't see it, you're working. Even when I don't feel it, you're working. You never stop, you never stop working. You never stop, you never stop working. Even when I don't see it, you're working. Even when I don't feel it, you're working. You never stop, you never stop working. You never stop, you never stop working. Even when I don't see it, you're working. Even when I don't feel it, you're working. You never stop, you never stop working. You never stop, you never stop working. Even when I don't see it, you're working. Even when I don't feel it, you're working. You never stop, you never stop working. You never stop, you never stop working. Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness, my God, that is who you are.

You are the way maker. Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness, my God, that is who you are. You are the way maker. Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness, my God, that is who you are. You are the way maker. Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness, my God, that is who you are. Oh, that is who you are. That is who you are. That is who you are. That is who you are. Oh, that is who you are. That is who you are. Oh, that is who you are. That is who you are. Promise keeper, that is who you are. That is who you are. My healer, that is who you are. That is who you are. Shade breaker, that is who you are. That is who you are. Oh my peace, that is who you are. That is who you are. That is who you are. My saviour, that is who you are. That is who you are. ♪ That is who you are ♪ ♪ That is who you are ♪

♪ We sing that is who you are ♪ ♪ That is who you are ♪ ♪ O' that is who you are ♪ ♪ That is who you are ♪