People of Faith | Pastor Grant Ethridge | Liberty Live Church

I told myself I would tell you this story." You know, it's not because I went through something terrifying that we're out of food or chocolate... It's just... It's just... and moved moved moved moved moved moved moved and moved and moved moved moved moved moved moved moved moved moved and moved moved moved moved moved moved moved

moved moved moved moved moved moved moved moved moved moved moved moved moved moved Good morning, welcome to Liberty Live Church. We are so glad you decided to join us. Today's your first day at Liberty. We'd love to meet you. So text CONNECT to 40371, tap the seat back in front of you, or visit us at one of our next step centers after the service today. We can't wait to meet you. Si hablas español, nos encantaría que nos acompañaras a nuestros servicios todos los domingos en nuestro campus de Hampton. Para más información, favor de mandar la palabra ESP al 40371. Te esperamos. Because of your generosity,

lives are being changed right here in Hampton Roads and around the world. When you give, you partner with us to help change lives, communities, and the world for Jesus Christ. You can give through our website, tap the seat in front of you, or through an envelope at your campus today. Thank you for investing in all that God is doing through the work here at Liberty. You know, God is moving in so many incredible ways here at Liberty, from kids to students, to young adults, to senior adults. There are so many ways for you to find community, discover your purpose, and grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus. So right now, let's look at some exciting things coming up. Don't miss what's happening all throughout the week. So follow us on social media and connect with your campus Facebook group. Thanks again for being here today where it's not just church, it's life. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three.

Good morning, Liberty! What a great day to be in the house of the Lord. We're so glad you're joining us here this morning. My name is Kyle and I am a part of the online team at Liberty, and I'm by myself this morning. Jenny is out on vacation and you'll see Weston after the service, but we want to welcome you and we want you to be part of this Liberty family. If it's your first time joining us, we want to get to know you, so you can scan this QR code right here on the screen or text LIFE to 40371. And let us know it's your first time and we'll send you a free Bible and some free Liberty Live merch. It is going to be a great day in the house of the Lord. No matter where you're joining us this morning, we love you and you are a part of the Liberty family. Liberty family, it is summertime. I don't know where you've been this week. This weekend it is hot here in Hampton Roads and it is summertime and we've got a lot of fun things coming up and two big things we do want to tell you about is Kids Week and Student Camp. We want you to get your kids signed up for Kids Week no matter what campus you go to we've got stuff all across Hampton Roads at our locations and in kids clubs out in some neighborhoods at some of our members houses so get them signed up you can check out all the details at libertylaw.church slash events and want you to get your students excuse me signed up for Student Week and you can also check that at libertylaw.church slash events and we want to tell you if finances are a burden for camp we have options so please reach out to somebody at the church and we can help you out with that because we want every kid and student to experience the Lord in a special way this summer. It is gonna be an awesome day in church again we are so glad you're here this morning and pastor will be back preaching the word this morning and we're so excited you're here and we'll see you after. 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. 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. I'm shaking off the heaviness. I'm dancing out of my regret. I'm throwing caution to the wind. No, I am not ashamed to praise like this. Some would say it's foolishness, but I say it's what the race. I can't forget what Jesus did. No, I am not ashamed to praise. 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. Looking with the Lord, I'll start. I'm never going back to the way I was. I will sing, I will dance because I believe. I'm free, I'm free, thank God I'm free. I've got a prayer that never quits. No one loves as good as this. And I don't care what anyone says. I'll never be ashamed to praise like this. 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. Looking with the Lord, I'll start. I'm never going back to the way I was. I will sing, I will dance because I believe. I'm free, I'm free, thank God I'm free. 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. 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. 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'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free My sin is gone, how can it end? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free Looking at the Lord, looking at the Lord I'm not, I'm not going back to the way I was

I'll sing, I'll dance cause I believe I'm free, I'm free, I'm free You took the cross, 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 this if you took the cross You took the cross, you shed your blood You shed your blood, now the sinner can't see My debt is paid and my record is clean I couldn't do this, I said I couldn't do it I couldn't do it So you did it for me I couldn't do it I couldn't do it 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 I said looking where the Lord Looking where the Lord has set I'm never going back to the way it used to be Looking where the Lord Looking where the Lord has set I'm never going back to the way I was Looking where the Lord Looking where the Lord has set I'm never going back to the way I was Looking where the Lord has set I'm never going back to the way I was Come on and give Jesus the praise Oh we thank you for freedom I'm so thankful, I'm so thankful Jesus Everything changed It's getting harder to recognize

The person I was Before I encountered Christ I don't walk like I used to I don't talk like I used to I've been washed from the inside I've been washed from the inside Hallelujah, Hallelujah I know it was the blood Could have only been the blood Hallelujah, Hallelujah I know it was the blood Could have only been the blood I'm only saved by the blood of Jesus I'm so thankful, I'm so thankful The person I was before No I cannot explain But nothing's more real than this In the presence of God Oh when my heart experienced When my shame hit the wayside And my sin met the most high I've been washed from the inside I've been washed from the inside Hallelujah, Hallelujah I know it was the blood Could have only been the blood Hallelujah, Hallelujah I know it was the blood Could have only been the blood Good morning church family

What an appropriate song for what we're doing today And you know week after week people come into the baptistry And their stories are different but there's one thing that's always the same That is they come here putting their faith in the blood of Jesus Amen This is Robbie And I've been back listening to his story And it's a story that's got a lot of tragedy in it The theme really has been fear and anxiety But at a very young teenage years He began drinking because of anxiety and fear And that just escalated It turned into some legal trouble Some serious legal trouble That ended up, God delivered him from that But he kept drinking He kept coming back to that fear and anxiety And it led to some serious medical issues and eventually ended up in the hospital. And he said it was in that moment in the hospital he realized that he needed to give his life to Jesus and he did that. Praise the Lord for that. And, and this is the amazing part of his story is while he was in the hospital God delivered him from two things. From the alcohol and from the fear. And so he is a living testimony of putting his faith in the blood of Jesus to deliver him from those things in his life that had so entrapped him for so long. And so I asked him I said well so what is it about today? What is this calling today to come publicly and do that? He said well he said for the last ten years I've just been letting God use me but I knew I had never taken the step of faith to be baptized. He said I need to do that. So Robbie's here today to proclaim to our church family that he has put his faith in the blood of

Jesus and he's here today to say he wants to live for him the rest of the days of his life. And Robbie don't ever forget that the old things are gone and all things are becoming new. And it's an honor to baptize you my brother in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. Looking for perfection, striving for excelsis. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. It's never been about deserving or earning. It's the gift of freely giving. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be holy and righteous? It's good for you, it's flawless. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be worthy of forgiveness? Justify it baby. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood of Jesus. It's hallelujah, hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. It's hallelujah, hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. Could have only been the blood of Jesus. Yeah. I know it was the blood. Does anybody, does anybody want to be holy and righteous? Just purify it. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood of Jesus. Does anybody want to be worthy of forgiveness? Justify it baby. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. It's hallelujah, hallelujah.

I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. It's hallelujah, hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. It's only by His blood. It's only by His stripes. There's none more worthy than Jesus. There's none more worthy than Jesus. Worthy is Your name, Jesus. You deserve the praise, so worthy is Your name. It's worthy is Your name, Jesus. You deserve all of our praise, it's worthy is Your name. It's worthy is Your name, Jesus. Yes, You deserve the praise, it's worthy is Your name. Worthy is Your name, Jesus. You deserve the praise, so worthy is Your name. So worthy, so worthy, Jesus. There's no name like Your name, Jesus. There's no name like the name of Jesus, no. So be exalted now in the heavens, as Your glory fills this place. You alone deserve our praise. You're the name above all names.

So be exalted now in the heavens, as Your glory fills this place. You alone deserve our praise. You're the name above all names. So be exalted now in the heavens, as Your glory fills this place. You alone deserve our praise. You're the name above all names. So be exalted now in the heavens, as Your glory fills this place. You alone deserve our praise. You're the name above all names. You're the name above all names. You're the name above all names. Sing worthy is Your name, Jesus. You deserve the praise, Jesus. Worthy is Your name. Worthy is Your name, Jesus. Jesus, You deserve the praise. Worthy is Your name. Worthy is Your name, Jesus. You deserve the praise. Worthy is Your name. Worthy is Your name, Jesus. Jesus, You deserve the praise. Worthy is Your name. Worthy is Your name. Worthy is Your name. Jesus, we lift high Your name in this place. We focus our attention on You.

There's nobody like You. Would You tune our heart to sing Your praise? Would You fix our eyes, our affection, on Jesus and Jesus alone? I pray that the distractions of our lives would just fade away in this place. Holy Spirit, would You come and testify to us again of Jesus? We need You. We look to You. We run to You. Whom have we in heaven or on earth but You? There's no one else we long for but You. And so, Jesus, would You meet with us this hour? Would You encourage our hearts? Would You strengthen us like only You can? Would You fix our eyes on You? And turn Your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His face. ♪ Wonderful faith ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ Come on, if you know that, will you sing that chorus with me? ♪ Turn your eyes upon Jesus ♪ ♪ Look full in His wonderful face ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪

♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪

♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ this at every one of our permanent locations so every time you come to the altar you're ♪ And the things of earth will grow strangely dim ♪ literally standing on the promises of God. Isn't God good? Amen. ♪ In the light of His glory and grace ♪ Well good morning Liberty. Who's glad to be at church today? I love you guys. I've been saying that for so long. I say it every time I get up and I know somebody's out there saying can't he come up with something new? Well I thought about it. We don't watch much television but I tell you I'm just busy and at night before I go to bed I watch Family Feud. Any Feud fans you watch? Steve? I love it. You know and it's good to make you laugh. You just need some of that in your life. The Bible says a merry heart does good like a medicine and so I like to laugh before I get relaxed and tell Miss Tammy and Jesus good night as I watch Family Feud. So I thought about how Steve Harvey opens up. I thought I could open up that way. I could open up like that. Welcome to Liberty Live. I'm your man Pastor Grant. Yeah I know I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna stick with the first one okay but now if you've never seen Family Feud you have no clue what the you need to go watch it all right you need to go watch it. Hey we're in a series called By Faith. Hope you have your Bibles. Turn to Hebrews chapter 11. Today we're going to be at verse 29. While you turn there let me say we're excited about Kids Week and I hope that you have kids signed up and I hope you invite kids from the neighborhood. All right it's a great time to reach families by reaching children and then student camp and if for any reason there's a student that can't afford to go to camp people have already given and provided scholarships so that you can go and so parents I want you to know that. Students I want you to know that and we want no child left behind. We want you to go to camp. We want you to experience Jesus and what he has for your life and everybody said amen. Well the title of the message today People of Faith. People of Faith. I know people of New York y'all are excited right? Yeah I was telling in the first service I'd never been to New York until I moved here and at Newport News they had AirTran. That tells you how long ago it was. AirTran had a flight for 48 dollars. You couldn't drive up there for 48 dollars. I went four times the first year I came. We'd go up there for the day wouldn't we baby? It was awesome we enjoyed it and so I'm excited for all you Knicks fans and and the listen New York what a comeback.

What a comeback and I that that'll preach right there. God will give you a comeback amen and so I hey we rejoice with all of you people from New York and you're excited. That's good but I want to talk about people of faith today and something stood out to me when I read this chapter as I was just getting ready for the sermon. It says by faith Abel, by faith Enoch, by faith Noah, by faith Abraham, by faith even Sarah, by faith Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and last week Moses. But when you get to today's verse something changes. It says by faith they. You see we move from just individual faith to collectively the people of God. That's why I called it people of faith. By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land and when the Egyptians attempted to do this they were drowned. Today I want to talk to you about not just what God has for a select few like Abraham or Moses. Now I want to talk about what God has for all his people. I want to talk to you about what God has for the people of faith. I want you to write this down. Number one God brought them out of Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt. Look back at the verse where we ended last week, verse 28. By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites. The Hebrew children did not escape Egypt. They didn't fight their way out of Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt. God just did it. And it's the same way with us. Salvation is not something that we do. It's not something that we earn. It's not something that we deserve. No, it's by grace through faith that Not of ourselves, it's the gift of God. Salvation is all of God. And when you look at world religions, here's what you see. You see that they tell you you've gotta do, D-O, certain things. Do these steps to get closer to God. Do these steps to try to earn the favor of God. But Christianity is not spelled D-O, it's spelled D-O-N-E, done. Jesus said it is finished. Everything that had to be done

in order for you to have a relationship with God, Jesus did on the cross. And so it's not something that you do. You know, sometimes people use terminology like this, and I know what they mean. They'll say, well, I found God. No, you didn't, God found you. God wasn't lost. No, we're born lost. And so he came to us and he brings us out. And he does it in a moment. I can't explain it except to say, just like you, there came a time when you were born. And even though you don't remember much about it, you know that you were born. And the Bible says that you're to be born again. And you may not remember a whole lot about it, but you just know there was a change. And that's the way Paul wrote about it in 2 Corinthians 5. Therefore, if anyone's in Christ, he's a what? New creation. Oh, the old has passed away, and see, the new has come. In a moment, something just changes. Where God takes you out of the kingdom of darkness and brings you into the kingdom of light. Where you were born dead, and your trespasses is sin, and all of a sudden, spiritually, he breathed life into you and you came alive in Christ Jesus. And if you've never experienced that,

I pray that you will today. And if you have experienced it, don't ever forget it. Don't ever forget where God brought you from. The children of Israel were bondage. They're in bondage, they're slaves, and death was on the way, but God told Moses, you tell them to get a lamb, not any lamb, but a spotless lamb, the best lamb, and kill it and put the blood over the door and on each side and that the death angel would pass over and they would be saved. And it's a picture of the cross. In fact, it says in 1 Corinthians 5, for Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. John saw Jesus and said, behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I'm saying Jesus came to not only save you, but to set you apart, to give you purpose in life, to give you meaning in life. And God brings you out, he brings you out of Egypt, and he gives you new life. You know, he does that through the blood. Life is in the blood. Y'all do know that's in the Bible. When I came 20 years ago, it was in the month of July, and in July, I preached, and my first Sunday that I preached, a man named Edgar Williams sang, Give God the Glory. And Edgar and his wife, Sharon, they're still members of our church, and they attend, I see them usually in the chapel service.

And Edgar and Sharon, they were one of the first African American couples in the church. There were very few when I came. And I remember Edgar singing, Give God the Glory, and he sang, Satan, the blood of Jesus is against you. Boy, I loved that. Satan, the blood of Jesus is against you. And I got up, and I mean, one of the first things I said is this, well, either you're gonna call me to be your pastor today, or I'm taking Edgar back to sing in our church in Arkansas. One or the other. Done deal. And I'm so thankful that when I look on the stage, when I look around at all of our services, that Edgar and Sharon aren't the only African Americans here, that our church looks like our community, and ultimately, it looks like heaven, amen? Amen. Amen. Amen. Satan, the blood of Jesus is against you. We're overcomers through the blood of the Lamb. All of those Old Testament sacrifices. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. They just pointed to Jesus. They pointed to the once and for all sacrifice for sin. And just like the Passover meal they ate, looking forward to the cross, we partake of communion looking back on the cross.

Oh, here's the good news. The devil doesn't have the last word. The blood of Jesus has the last word. The Bible says that the blood speaks a better word. And so we thank God for the blood of Jesus. That's how he brought us out. Not only did he bring them out of Egypt, but watch this. God brought them through the sea. And this is the verse today, verse 29. By faith they crossed the Red Sea, as though they were on dry land. And when the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned. Pharaoh had let them go, and then he had a change of heart. The devil never gives up lost territory easily. He doesn't give up lost territory without a fight. And so I'm saying to you that when God has set you free and brought you out, expect the devil to marshal the armies of hell to attack you. Don't act like, hey, all of a sudden, what's happening to me? I'll tell you what happened. See, when you're born, you're born dead in sin. Jesus said you're of your father, the devil, but oh, when he brings you out, you get a new father. And you get adopted into a new family. And then all of a sudden, you're not going the same way the devil is. And he's gonna be attacking you and trying to reclaim territory that's been lost in your life.

Here it is. They were surrounded by the enemy. Oh, but don't miss this. They were also surrounded by God. So yes, the devil's gonna attack you, try to bring you back to Egypt, try to bring you back to the old habits and the old ways and the old life. But greater is he that's in you than he that's in this world. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. They that be with us are more than they that be with them. And if God be for you, who can be against you? Put your hands together and praise God. Now, Israel felt trapped there between the Red Sea and the most mighty army of that day, Pharaoh and his army. And so it looked like an impossible situation. Have you ever felt stuck? There's no human solution. God'll put you in impossible situations so he can show you his power. He'll put you in impossible situations to bring himself glory. God will lead you through impossible situations. I mean, how many of you know that God'll bring you through some things? You know, God'll bring you through sickness, through trials, through fearful experiences. God will bring you through seasons of transition, through times of uncertainty.

He'll bring you through the pain. He'll bring you through the scars of the past. Hey, he brings you out of Egypt. And then from that moment on, he's bringing you through things to get Egypt out of you. In fact, nothing's impossible with God. Look at it, Genesis 18, 14, is anything too hard for the Lord? In Luke 1, 37, for with God, nothing will be impossible. Impossibilities do not mean that you're out of the will of God. I believe impossibilities can often confirm you're right where God wants you, that you're right in the middle of God's will. Jesus put the disciples in a boat and put them out in a storm knowing that storm was coming. And you're gonna read right here that God led Moses and the Israelites to the Red Sea knowing what was coming. In Exodus 13, it says, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby. For God said the people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war. So he led them. So God led them right where they were in an impossible situation between a rock and a hard place. Listen, people of faith get stuck sometimes because that's exactly where God wants you.

Watch this. He led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness, and the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation. Battle formation. I read this in the ESV, it says equipped for battle. In the NIV, it says ready for battle. Here in the CSV, it says battle formation. The bottom line is they're coming out, looking like an army, feeling like an army. They are ready for battle. And God said, you're not ready. You're not ready. And a lot of times we feel like we're ready, and yet God says, nope, you're not ready. And so he did not want them to go back to Egypt. And he did not want them looking back. I want you to know the steps of the righteous are ordered of God, but also the stops. Now notice it says back in our verse here in verse 29, in Hebrews 11, when the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned. They were drowned, and so they tried it, the very same path, but the path that brought deliverance to Israel brought destruction to the Egyptians. It's the same way in life now. Two people can walk the same path. Two people can go through the same situation with different outcomes. Two people can go through the same situation,

walk the same path, and one comes out better and the other one comes out bitter. I want you to understand that just because you're free doesn't mean you're finished. No, God's bringing us through stuff because he wants to develop us, and he doesn't want you to come out bitter. He does want you to come out better, and whatever is chasing you from your past will not overtake you. Listen, the past doesn't have the final word. God delivers and God defends. Notice that God held back the water, two walls of water in the Red Sea. He holds it back just long enough for them to get across. Now, we know there were 600 men, not counting women and children. Some estimates say over a million. Some estimates say over two million. Whatever it was, it's a lot of people. And he held those walls of water up just long enough for them to get across, and then when the Egyptians tried it, those walls collapsed on them, and every one of them died. It tells us faith. Everybody say faith. Faith. Faith, trust, God's timing. He held it just long enough.

Faith trusts God's timing. He opened it for their advancement, and he closed it for their protection, and they all crossed, and they crossed together because faith, everybody say faith, faith is contagious, and when you step out in faith, it'll encourage others to step out in faith and go on that journey with you. I love the psalm, God is more than able. Now, I want everybody to hear me say able. God's more than able. Somebody told me after the service said, I was writing notes, and I just wrote down, God's more than navel. And they thought, I wonder what that means. Well, I don't know if it's your ears, or I just am not making it plain enough. God is more than able. All right, you got it right in your notes this time, okay. He is more than able, and there's a line in that psalm that says, can you imagine? With all the faith in the room, what the Lord can do. I love that line. It says, it's gonna happen. Just let the waymaker through. He's gonna move. Why? Because anything is possible. You know, the seed parted only when they stepped forward. Faith requires action.

We walk by faith and not by sight. If you know anything about Hampton Roads, when a light turns green, you better go. Because if not, people are gonna blow the horn at you. Am I telling the truth or not? Yeah. Well, I didn't, you know, I wasn't used to that. When you come from a town of 1,000, and there is no red light, we didn't have that problem, did we, baby? And so, you know, when I was growing up, there were bumper stickers. And bumper stickers said, honk if you love Jesus. So I first moved here, I thought everybody loved Jesus. Amen? They honking at me. The reason you do that is because, just like me, I'm being honest, I get frustrated when people are at a red light, they're looking at their phone. And then it turns green. And then they don't know to go, so you have to motivate them and kind of blow the horn at them. And I want to, but I don't. But I did one time. And it turned out to be a staff member of the church. True story. And we both pulled up in the parking lot at the same time. So sometimes, if you hear a horn behind you,

it might be your pastor. But I pray the sermon today will be more than the pastor, I pray it'll be God who's getting your attention, who's saying we gotta keep going forward by faith. What God has for us is not in a rear view mirror. Can I have a good amen? Listen, this story that I'm reading to you about the Red Sea, it shows that yes, God brought them out, and that was 10 miracles, God just did it, all right? But then, for God to bring them through, they had to step forward. faith. And so faith is not in your feelings, it's in your feet. You got to put some feet to your prayers. And the story is found in Exodus, Joshua, Isaiah, Habakkuk, Micah, Acts, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews, and seven times in the Psalms. It talks about the parting of the Red Sea. Here's one of them right here, Psalm 106. Our ancestors in Egypt did not grasp the significance of your wondrous works or remember your mighty or many acts of faithful love. Instead, they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea to be clear, not the Reed Sea. Those who don't believe the Bible say, well, it really wasn't the Red Sea because it's too deep and it's too wide. It was really just the Reed Sea and it's only a few inches deep. Well, you dummy, don't you understand that'd make it a greater miracle that all of Pharaoh's army drowned in about two or three inches of water? Hello? You can't help stupid, I'm just telling you. No, we believe the Bible and it was the Red Sea. And Israel has, watch this, four seas. They got the Sea of Galilee, which really isn't a sea, all right? It's a lake.

It's a fishing community. It's where Jesus performed the majority of his miracles. And then, watch this, they have the Med and the Red and the Dead. They got the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea and the Dead Sea. The Mediterranean Sea, beautiful. It's known for its beaches and tourism. Red Sea's known for scuba diving. It's huge. And then you got the Dead Sea and that's where people go floating in the water and it's supposed to help you. It's all these beauty treatments come out of it. I mean, it's expensive. People buy bottles and jars of all this stuff and they say it's supposed to help. I was floating in the Dead Sea and it occurred to me, I'm just reaching down, coming up with big old handfuls of mud, all that salt water. I thought, man, I need to be putting this in Ziploc bags. I could be selling this, you know? And every time we go, I go down to the Dead Sea and can't y'all tell? It's working. Come on, y'all. You don't have to laugh that hard. No, the reason it's called the Dead Sea is because, listen, it's always taking in, but it's never giving out. And if you're not careful, your life will be that way. And you know, the greatest joy comes when you are giving out of your time of yourself. Listen, you are giving to others. You're giving to God. That's where the greatest blessing comes from. And so we see here, it was the sea, the Red Sea, yet he saved them for his name's sake to make his power known. He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up. God rebuked the sea. Go to the New Testament. Jesus rebuked the storm and the winds and the wave obeyed him. It tells us Jesus is God. It says, and it dried up. He led them through the depths as though a desert. He saved them from the power of the adversary. He redeemed them from the power of the enemy. He did not remove the Red Sea. He redeemed it. I want you to

know, whatever your impossibility or Red Sea experience may be, listen, there's no guarantee that God's going to remove it. No, the promise in this passage is this. He'll make a way where there is no way. He'll bring you through it and he'll use it like Romans 8, 28. We can be confident of this that all things are working together for good. For those who love God and are called according to his purpose. It says, water covered their foes. Not one of them remained. Then they believed his, everybody say this word, promises and they sang his praise. You know, they were excited when they left Egypt, had to be. They spoiled the Egyptians. They come out of slavery and they're marching in battle formation. They're looking good, feeling good. And then all of a sudden they get to the Red Sea and they're begging to go back. Well, before we're too harsh on them, don't we do the same thing? I mean, you couldn't wait. You were so excited to start schools and then you dreaded going to school. You couldn't wait to drive. Oh, get your license. Oh, it's exciting. And every day we wake up and we dread to drive in the traffic. You know, it's that way about work and maybe going into the military or college or you know, whatever the job. I'm just saying that we do the same thing. We're all excited about it at first, and then the time comes that we dread it. And we read here, back in Exodus 14, 11, they said to Moses, is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? That's really ironic. Egypt's known for graves, they're called pyramids.

Look at this, what have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Isn't this what we told you in Egypt? Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. They had just seen 10 miracles. Supernaturally, God brought them out of Egypt, and yet they doubt and rebel at the first obstacle. It only took one trial to cause them to forget 10 miracles. Hello. Fear will cause you to question the faith that you once believed. Listen, you gotta guard against fear. I wrote that book, Good By Fear. Exodus 14 is an entire chapter in that book. I'm saying, he tells us, do not fear. We gotta guard against fear. We gotta guard against complaining. Complaining doesn't solve anything. Complaining's like throwing up. It makes you feel better, and everybody else feel worse. It didn't solve anything. And we see here that we have to guard against going back to Egypt, going back to the world, going back to the old life, going back to the old ways. But the psalmist said God was faithful, even when they were unfaithful. We read it here, look at it in verse 13.

But Moses said to the people, don't be afraid. There it is. Stand firm, see the Lord's salvation that he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you must, everybody say this. Everybody say it. Be quiet. Stop complaining. As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry land. Write this down. In that I see, stand firm. And then it says what? Say less. And then step forward and see God. Stand firm. It's all through the Bible, not just here. But I want you to know in Ephesians six where it talks about the armor of God, it says that having done all to stand, stand. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 16, stand firm in the faith, act like men, and be strong. They tell me that if you ever encounter a bear, the best thing you can do is just stand. Don't run. Run ahead, and you're dead.

The only time you would ever run is if somebody's with you. You're not gonna outrun the bear, but you do have to outrun your buddy, amen. I did see a bear about 15 steps away from me one time. We were in Arkansas, I was hunting, and Taylor, who's my oldest, was just a little boy. And we went out on that hunting trip, and it was the opening day of muzzleload season. Black powder, Daniel Boone gun, one bullet. You got one opportunity. And so, me and another friend went in, I had Taylor with me, and we stopped about halfway up the hillside and just stood there by a tree. My buddy went over the top of the hill, and when he went in, this bear came out. And the bear's about 15 steps away from me and Taylor, and we just stood there. And I took that Daniel Boone gun, and I put it right on his heart, and I pulled the trigger, and it said, click. And it misfired. And long story short, I did that seven times. Now, the bear had already run off, but seven times I pulled the trigger and nothing happened. And the bottom line is, I didn't get a bear. I got no bear rug, I got nothing in my house. And so, I was telling that story at church after it happened, and I said, well, I guess God just wanted to spare that bear.

And one of the older men in the church who knew a whole lot more about hunting than I'll ever know, he came up to me and he said, he said, no pastor, God didn't spare the bear, well, you know, I've been hunting for a long time. he spared you and your son. I've been hunting for a long time. He said, if you have one shot and you're 15 steps away I've been hunting for a long time. and you hit him in the heart, all you did is make him mad and he's got enough step in him to get to you and your son. And so I tell you that story to say this, I pull the trigger, it went click, and we just stood firm, firm, didn't move a muscle, and God spared our life. And whatever you're going through, whatever is coming up against you, listen, you gotta stand firm, stand firm. And then it says, say less, let your words be few. Be swift to hear and slow to speak. You gotta step forward, Exodus means the way out. And the way out is always forward. There's no going back in the Christian life. No, we go forward. Even though there are twists and turns, I'm telling you, we go forward. What God has for us is not in a rear view mirror and we see God work. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. We walk by faith and not by physical sight.

No, you gotta see God with spiritual sight. Look at verse 19. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them. It came between the Egyptian and the Israelite forces. There was cloud and darkness. Watch this though. It lit up the night, and neither group came near the other all night long. To understand that, you gotta go back to chapter 13, verse 21. The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night so that they could travel day or night. You know, new cars today, they've got a dash that's got a day mode, and then when it gets dark, it's a night mode. It changes. You can still navigate and travel. We were coming to church this morning. We looked out at all of those street lights across the bridge and up and down the highway. You don't need them in the daytime, but they're there so you can keep traveling at night. And so I want you to understand that the cloud represents the presence of God, and we've got to have the cloud leading us today. I pray often before the service starts, God, would you send the cloud, the Shekinah glory.

I pray for the fire, for the presence of God in our services. And you know, when the cloud moved, they moved, and when the cloud stayed, they stayed. What determined whether or not in the wilderness for 40 years they would move and travel or whether or not they stayed? The cloud. They just watched the cloud. I want you to know we're not smart enough to know what we need to do every day. You've got to follow the cloud. You need the Holy Spirit. He will lead us and guide us into all truth. You need the Holy Spirit to go before you. The Bible says in John 3 that the Holy Spirit's like the wind, and he blows wherever he will. So what you've got to do is every day get up, spend time with Jesus, raise that sail, and just catch the wind, and let God show you exactly where he wants to lead you that day. You know, we look here at this passage in verse 23. You still awake? Say amen. The Egyptians set out in pursuit. All fairies, horses, chariots, horsemen went into the sea after them. During the morning watch,

the Lord looked down at the Egyptian forces from that pillar of fire and cloud, and threw the Egyptian forces into confusion. He caused their chariot wheels to swerve. Some of the translations say to come off, and made them drive with difficulty. Let's get away from Israel, the Egyptians said, because the Lord is fighting for them and against Egypt. Here it is. God's got your back. He's going before you. He's behind you. He's got your back. All you need to do is trust him. Remember when Paul wanted to go to Asia to preach, and the Holy Spirit forbid him. And yet, you read a few verses on there in Acts 16. It says he got the Macedonian call that God gave him a vision. That's where he wanted him to go. And that's what we've gotta do every day is trust God. The difference between faith and presumption. Faith, the children of Israel crossed. Pharaoh tried it and it didn't work. And Pharaoh ultimately lost his army because, here it is, he hardened his heart. Sin is self-destructive. Look at verse 30. That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians.

And Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore when Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians. The people feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant, Moses. They believed God. They trusted in Moses. You know, when you read this passage, Egypt is a picture of the world. Pharaoh is a picture of Satan. And just like Pharaoh wanted to keep the Hebrew children in slavery, the devil wants to keep you in sin. But God is committed to you being set free. He came to set the captives free. Just like God sent his servant Moses, God ultimately sent his son, Jesus. And I want you to know, they couldn't cross over without Moses and you can't cross over without Jesus. We all need Jesus. And the Bible says they were all baptized. I love this in 1 Corinthians 10. Now, I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized. You see that? Into Moses, in the cloud, and in the sea. This whole story is repeated over and over again.

It's such a beautiful picture of how God brings us out and how he brings us through. And it's a picture of baptism. That's why we use terminology like this. We're buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in what? Newness of life. And where do our sins go? They stayed in that tomb. I want you to know that the Bible says over and over again that our sins are buried in the deepest part of the sea. Where did he lead them through? They're walking through the bottom of the sea. And not one of the Egyptians came out. And not one of your, Gloria, I'm about to make myself happy. Listen, not one of your sins is gonna come out of that grave or show up in heaven one of these days. I want you to know all of our shame and all of our guilt and all of our condemnation. Listen, living, he loved me. Dying, he saved me. Buried, he carried my sins far away. They're paid in full, they're gone. Third thing, not only did God bring them out of Egypt and bring them through the sea, God brought them into the promise. Now here it is, I wanna read the verse and that's it. You gotta come back next Sunday to hear the sermon. This is next week's sermon. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down

after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. Just like I was reading it and I realized, it mentions all these individuals and all of a sudden it changes. There's a transition to they, the people of faith. God has this for all of us. God brought them out of Egypt. He brought them through the sea. And then it says right here, he, what? He brought them into the promise. And what was most obvious to me is what's absent. We go from the Red Sea Deliverance straight to the walls of Jericho coming down and what is absent? 40 years in the wilderness. Nowhere in this chapter do we read about the sin of the saints. Oh, it talks about Noah's faith but not his drunkenness. It talks about Abraham's faith but not his lying. Sarah's faith but not her scheming. Jacob's faith but not his deceiving. Moses' faith but not his anger or his murder. No, none of those sins. Why? Their faith. I'll tell you, God wants us to be defined not by our failures but by faith. By faith. Their lives were not one of perfection but promise. Here it is.

God's bringing us through some stuff. Why? Because he's sanctifying us. He's making us more like Jesus. And one day we will see him and we will be with him and we will be like him. The promise, it's coming. And so I want you to receive it today and don't miss it. You know, as I was studying this passage and thinking about how to close, God just showed me something that was so obvious. God brought them out of Egypt. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see. God brought them out. But then God brought them through, through many dangers, toils and snares. I have already come. It is grace that brought me safe thus far. And grace will lead me home. And then it says he brought them into the promise when we've been there 10,000 years, bright, shining as the sun. We've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun. Oh, this is what God has for all his people. Every one of us, don't miss it. I ask you today, do you know him?

Are you on a faith journey? Have you put your faith and trust in Jesus alone to save your soul? Bow with me for prayer. What's your Red Sea experience? What's the Red Sea that you're up against today? They had to step forward by faith. In a moment at every one of our campuses, I'm gonna ask you to step forward. Come to the altar. Give God your impossibility, no human solution, no way out, and watch and see what he'll do. When you come, come with thanksgiving. Remember what God brought you out of. Remember all the things he's already brought you through. When you come and you pray in this altar, some of you know you need to follow in believers' baptism. And you need to, at your campus, just go to the Next Step Center or tell one of the staff members who'll be at the altar and say, I need to schedule a time. I need to follow in baptism because of what it pictures, because of what God's done in my life. Now, I wanna invite you right now, if you don't have faith in God, if you don't have a relationship with the Lord, pray the most important prayer anybody'll ever pray. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. God, I know it's impossible for me to save myself. I can't do it on my own,

but I believe you came, lived a perfect life that I can't, that you died in my place and paid for all my sins. And I believe you rose on the third day to give me life, to adopt me into your family, save me, fill me with the Holy Spirit, and help me follow you the rest of my days. In Jesus' name, and everyone said, amen. I want you to stand all over this room. We're entering into the most important moment in the service. You might be joining us online or right here in one of our rooms. This is the moment where we respond to what God's spoken. And many of you may have prayed that prayer just now with pastor for the very first time. We'd love to know that you're making the decision to trust in Jesus. And I'd love for you to let us know by tapping the seat back in front of you or texting yes to 40371. We'd love to be able to follow up and give you resources. But even right now, we'd love for you to respond right here in the room. And so I wanna invite our prayer team and our staff down front. We're gonna be available to pray over anyone who would like prayer. We're gonna open the altar and anybody who wants to come and lay their impossibility before the Lord, this is the moment to do it.

I really believe so many of you are facing things that seem impossible. Now I wanna encourage you that God wants to meet you right where you're at. So I wanna pray, then we'll respond to the word of the Lord together. Dear Lord Jesus, like only you can, would you take your word and apply it to our hearts? Would you show us what you desire of us? We surrender our lives to you. We surrender our ways to you. We wanna walk in obedience to you. God, I pray even now that you would call people into steps of faith in their life. I pray that you give them the faith to step into all that you have for them. God, we bring every impossibility to you and ask you to show up like only you can for your namesake and your glory. We need you, Jesus. And so meet us here even now. In Jesus' holy precious name we pray, amen. Let's worship and respond together. ♪♪ ♪ They say this mountain can't be removed. ♪ ♪ They say these chains will never break. ♪ ♪ But they don't know you like we do. ♪ ♪ There is power in your name. ♪ ♪ We've heard that there is no way through. ♪ ♪ We've heard that time will never change. ♪

♪ They haven't seen what you can do. ♪ ♪ There is power in your name. ♪ ♪ So much power in your name. ♪ ♪ Move the unmovable. Break the unbreakable. ♪ ♪ God, we believe. God, we believe for it. ♪ ♪ From the impossible, we'll see a miracle. ♪ ♪ God, we believe. God, we believe for it. Yeah. ♪ ♪ We know that hope is never lost. ♪ ♪ Oh, for there is still an empty grave. ♪ ♪ God, we believe no matter what. ♪ ♪ There is power in your name. ♪ ♪ There's so much power. So much power in your name. ♪ ♪ Move the unmovable. Break the unbreakable. ♪ ♪ God, we believe. God, we believe for it. ♪ ♪ From the impossible, we'll see a miracle. ♪ ♪ God, we believe. God, we believe for it. Yeah. ♪ ♪ Oh, we believe. We believe for it. Yeah. ♪ ♪ And you are the way when there seems to be no way. ♪ ♪ We trust in you. God, you have the final say. ♪ ♪ You are the way when there seems to be no way. Yes, you are. ♪ ♪ We trust in you. God, you have the final say. You are the way. ♪ ♪ You are the way when there seems to be no way. We trust. We trust in you. ♪ ♪ God, you have the final say. Yeah. ♪ ♪ Remove the immovable. Break the unbreakable. God, we believe. God, we believe for it. ♪ ♪ From the impossible, we'll see a miracle. God, we believe. God, we believe for it. ♪ ♪ Remove the immovable. Break the unbreakable. God, we believe. God, we believe for it. ♪ ♪ From the impossible, we'll see a miracle. God, we believe. God, we believe for it. ♪ ♪ We will. We will. Today, tomorrow. God, we believe for it. ♪ Liberty, thank you so much for joining us. Love that word from Pastor Grant. So excited that he is back in the house. And if you made a decision today to believe and follow Jesus for the very first time, maybe you rededicated your life to the Lord,

let me be the first one to tell you as your Liberty Online family, we love you, we're so proud of you, and we want to come alongside you. We want to send you a free Bible. This is where you're going to go to the Lord each and every morning. Now he's going to speak to you, and we can't wait to see what he does in your life as you begin. this new relationship with him. In that Connect card, just write your address, write Bible, and we'll make sure to send that right to you. Hey, it's been an amazing Sunday. It's an honor to worship with you each and every week. If you haven't joined our Campus Family Facebook group, make sure you join that. Scan the QR code. We'll get you all the information you need. But hey, we love you. We'll see you right back here next Sunday. We'll see you soon. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. We'll see you soon. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

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