Mountain Life Church Life Pack

Man in the GapNovember 6, 2011

No Such Thingas a

No  Such  Thing  as  a  Dead  EndSermon  NotesNovember  6,  2011

Exodus  14-­‐‑15I. The  Overwhelming  Victory

A. Egypt  is  devastatedB. Pharaoh  is  defeated  and  depressedC. The  Hebrews  plunder  the  EgyptiansD. Israel  is  set  free!

II. God  Holds  Israel’s  HandA. He  leads  the  Hebrews  into  a  dead  endB. Pharaoh  once  again  hardens  his  heart  and  pursuesC. God  is  not  worriedD. The  theme  of  grumbling  begins  here

III.Prayer  Changes  ThingsA. God  commands  Moses  to  lead  the  people  forward!!!??B. The  rod  of  Moses  =  Prayer  in  Jesus’  NameC. The  sea  opens  for  the  people

1. The  people  walk  across  on  dry  ground2. The  Egyptian  army  pursues  them

D. The  sea  comes  back  and  drowns  the  Egyptian  Army

Write any notes from the week here

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Table Talk

TeensMeal One: As a family read Exodus 14-15, then ask these questions:In verse 14:10-11, the Israelites sarcastic remarks to Moses (and hence to the Lord) that there were no graves in Egypt showed a lack of faith.

• Share some of your behaviors when you are lacking in faith.

Meal Two:The Israelites were under great pressure between the waters before them and the armies of Pharaoh behind them. In verse 14:15, the Lord instructed the people of Israel to go forward, not go back and not give up.

• When you are under great pressure, do you tend to give up and go back to your old ways or do you go forward and trust the Lord?

Meal Three:In verse 14:31, when the people of Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt, they were transformed spiritually. The people sang songs to praise the Lord. But in verse 15:24, they began to complain again.

• We are often like the Israelites, turning from praise to complaint far too easily.

• Share your reaction to this statement. Agree? Disagree? And why?

IV.A  Double  Minded  PeopleA. All  out  worshipB. Grumbling  about  the  water

V. The  Spiritual  Significance  of  the  ExodusA. He  whom  the  Son  sets  free  is  free  indeed!B. The  enemy  has  been  defeated!C. GeWing  out  of  Egypt  is  easy.    GeWing  Egypt  out  of  me  is  

hard!D. Prayer  changes  things!

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Life  Group  Questions  for                        November  6,  2011

“The  Man  in  the  Gap”  SeriesMessage  =  No  Such  Thing  as  a  Dead  EndIce  Breaker:      Tell  a  funny  or  enjoyable  story  about  a  road  trip  or  an  experience  while  driving.

Read  Exodus  14.

1. Make  any  observations  you  see  in  this  passage.

2. What  strikes  you  about  the  Hebrew’s  aCitude  when  they  see  Pharaoh  coming  after  them?    

3. Does  God  ever  seem  out  of  control  or  surprised  in  this  passage?    What  does  this  say  about  God’s  character?

4. Can  you  see  how  Moses’  character  has  changed  since  the  burning  bush  experience?    Please  explain.

5. Have  you  ever  been  at  the  end  of  your  rope,  only  to  find  that  God  was  there  ready  to  save  you?    Please  share  about  this  experience.

6. The  people  show  early  signs  of  wanting  to  return  to  Egypt  where  although  it  was  oppressive,  at  least  it  was  safe.    Do  you  ever  deal  with  desires  to  retreat  to  your  old  ways?    Please  explain.

7. What  does  Pharaoh’s  demise  tell  you  about  how  God  deals  with  old  enemies  in  our  lives?    Does  God  desire  for  us  to  live  with  a  liCle  victory  in  our  lives,  or  obvious  victory?    

8. Pray  for  one  another.

Table Talk

ElementaryDay 1: Read Exodus 14 to your children. Ask these questions:

1. Has God ever saved you from a scary situation? 2. Do you think you would have grumbled at God at this

point like the Israelites did? 3. Moses rod is a picture of prayer. Can you think of a

time when God answered your prayer in a powerful way?

Day 2: Read Exodus 15:1-21 together. Ask these questions:1. What did you notice about this passage?2. Have you ever just cut loose and worshiped God like

the Israelites did? How did it make you feel?

Day 3: Read Exodus 15: 22-27 together. Ask these questions:1. How do you feel about the Israelites complaining when

they couldn’t drink the water? What does it say about their character?

2. How do you think God feels when you grumble and complain?

3. What is a better response than grumbling and complaining?

Encourage your children to praise God even when things are hard this week. Ask them to tell you when they choose to praise instead of grumbling.

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Personal Devotion PagesThe following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom.

LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God.

BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol:

INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol:

ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him.

These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don’t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming.

Enjoy!

Table TalkPreschool & Nursery:Most children’s Bibles include the story of God

parting the Red Sea for the Israelites fleeing from Egypt but you can also tell the story in your own words. The main point for the children is that we should ask God to help us and he will provide the help.

1. Where did God lead his people?2. What problem happened to God’s people?3. How did God make a way for his people?4. What happened to the army of Egypt?

Bible Verse: “And the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” Exodus 14:22

Prayer: Help me, God. Teach me not to be afraid to rely upon You. Show me how to accept Your kindness, how to ask for Your help. Teach me, God, that my prayers will bring me closer to You. Amen

Activity: Ask God for help when you have a problem. God will make a way. Work with your child during prayer time to ask for God’s help. Explain how God helped the Israelites through the Red Sea.

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Day One1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.    

2. Read  Exodus  14.

3. This  week,  we  will  focus  on  this  part  of  the  Lord’s  prayer:    “Your  kingdom  come,  Your  will  be  done,  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.”    Ask  God  to  bring  His  kingdom  into  your  life  this  week,  and  invite  Him  to  show  you  what  He  is  doing.    Ask  Him  about  specific  situations  in  your  life,  and  ask  for  His  will  to  be  done  in  those  situations.

Take  5  minutes  and  pray  for  your  family  for  whatever  comes  to  your  mind.  Memorize  Exodus  15:  1.

Take  10  minutes  to  pray  for  your  family,  and  10  minutes  to  pray  for  people  in  your  life  who  need  the  Lord.  Memorize  Exodus  15:  1-­‐‑3.

Take  10  minutes  to  pray  for  your  family,  and  10  minutes  to  pray  for  people  in  your  life  who  need  the  Lord.    Take  whatever  time  you  have  left  to  pray  for  your  church  leadership.    Memorize    Exodus  15:  1-­‐‑7.

Exodus 14-15 show us again the power of prayer. God purposely leads His people into a dead end where they are pursued by an angry Egyptian army. Look at it again. God purposely led them into a dead end!

Have you ever thought that God allows dead ends in our lives so we will call on Him?

Remember, Moses’ rod is a picture of prayer in Jesus’ name. Whenever Moses lifts up that rod of prayer through King Jesus, stuff happens!

The people see the pursuing Egyptians and cry out. That’s when God says a funny thing to Moses: “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!” Exodus 14:15, NLT. Did you catch that? Tell the people to get moving... where? Do you want them to swim?

Sometimes our perspective needs to be stretched by the living God. He sees things differently than we do. He knows that if we will pray, miracles will happen. The very next verse goes like this: Use your shepherd’s staff--hold it out over the water, and a path will open up before you through the sea. Then all the people of Israel will walk through on dry ground. Exodus 14:16, NLT.

Prayer changes things. It opens up the sea. It brings water out of a rock. It brings manna when we are hungry. The staff of God is a symbol for you and me. When we lift up our prayer in Jesus’ name, dead ends become opportunities.

Father, I see the dead ends in my life, and I thank You that You are not worried. I raise my heart to You in prayer, and ask for You to make a way where there is not a way. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Day Five

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Day Five1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  from  your  heart.    Enjoy  Him  thoroughly  before  moving  into  a  time  of  thanks.    Thank  God  for  all  the  good  things  He’s  done  for  you  lately.

2. Take  time  to  pray  for  God’s  kingdom  to  come  and  His  will  to  be  done  in  the  lives  of  your  friends  and  in  the  lives  of  three  unchurched  friends.  

3. Ask  God  to  teach  you  about  submission  today.    Is  there  an  authority  (boss,  teacher,  parent,  etc.)  in  your  life  who  is  difficult  to  respect?    Tell  God  that  you  will  choose  to  respect  that  person,  even  though  they  are  not  very  respectable  in  your  eyes.    Write  their  names  here.

4.  Finish  your  Bible  memorization  today.

Day OneThe day of deliverance has arrived! God has set His people free! Moses probably asked, “Lord, where to now? On our way to Sinai to worship?”

God gave specific orders... “Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’” (Exodus 14:2, 3, NAS95).

Misquoting Maxwell Smart, Moses probably said, “Oh, the ol’ camp at a dead end and make the enemy think we’re lost,” trick, eh? But Lord, this is Your voice, right?”

At this point, I would want to make sure I was hearing God. Purposely leading a couple million people into a dead end and making it look like we’re easy pickins’ for the enemy is not one of the “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.”

Let’s face it. This is a real test of Moses’ faith. God was commanding Moses to lead His people into what looked like sure death. Moses has officially entered big boy land. Before this, his decisions affected only him, his family, and his father-in-law’s herd of sheep. Now he is leading a couple million people through treacherous territory and the stakes are high.

But Moses seems to be supremely confident. He enjoys such rest in the arms of his Deliverer.

Father, draw me into a place of total confidence in Your love for me. When You say, “Go,” I choose to be willing!

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Day Two1. Take  some  time  to  quiet  yourself  before  God  and  thank  Him  for  all  He’s  done  in  your  life  lately.    Then  praise  Him  for  who  He  is.

2. Read  Exodus  15  slowly.    

3. Pray  “Your  kingdom  come,  Your  will  be  done,  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven...”  for  each  of  your  family  members  today.    As  God  shows  you  what  He  is  doing,  agree  with  Him,  and  ask  Him  to  have  His  way  in  your  loved  ones’  lives.

4. Continue  memorizing  and  meditating  on  the  scriptures  for  this  week.

Day FourAs I read the narrative in the book of Exodus, I’m amazed at Pharaoh’s arrogance and hardness of heart. His country has been completely devastated by the ten plagues. His people have very little to eat and no livestock. His own son, as well as all the first born sons in the country, have died in the night.

So, in a moment of weakness, he lets the Hebrews go. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” Exodus 14:5, NAS95.

So, the king rounds up his last remaining resource - his army, and rides out to route the Hebrews.

If I was Pharaoh, after seeing my entire country devastated by Moses’ God, and having my only son die, I would hope that I would get a clue when a pillar of cloud stood between me and the Hebrews... But when the people of Israel walked through the midst of the sea with water on both sides, I know I’m a little wimpy here, but I think I’d back off!

Think about it. What is the spiritual lesson from this passage? The Exodus tells us this: He whom the Son of God sets free is free indeed! (John 8: 36). Using quite graphic pictures, God teaches New Testament saints through this awesome story that His intention is to set us free completely from sin and slavery.

But the people of Israel remind us that the battle is in the mind. Though they were free from Egypt, they continued to think like slaves. They could not believe God loved them so profoundly! They could not accept that He would care for them every step of the way.

Father, I renew my mind to this fact: You have set me free, and I choose to live in the freedom You purchased for me on the cross!

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Day TwoMoses and God are tight. I’m amazed how clearly God speaks to Moses.

Many years ago God began to show me that He wanted that kind of relationship with me! I went through the book of Exodus and underlined every instance of “God said to Moses.” Every chapter was so full of the phrase that I grew weary. Yet, in the midst of my weariness, encouragement triumphed! If God spoke so clearly to a man in the Old Testament, how much more willing would He be to speak to a New Testament saint?

Paul points out to us this truth: “If the old covenant, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new covenant, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new covenant.” 2 Corinthians 3:9, 10, NLT.

Moses stands as a model for us all. He had ears to hear God, and a spirit willing to obey. His secret? I think he lets us in on that when it is written of him: Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth. Numbers 12:3, NAS95.

I’ve heard many definitions of humility. Here’s a couple:1. NO self image (That’s not a bad self image, nor a good one

either, it’s a complete emptying of self and total focus on God - See Galatians 2: 20).

2. A total willingness to hear God and obey His voice.

Father, today I empty myself and focus entirely on You. Give me a willing spirit. I desire to please You in every respect and to obey Your every word! Draw near to me and let me in on Your secrets!

Day Four1. Take  time  to  praise  God  for  who  He  is  and  then  thank  Him  with  a  grateful  heart  for  all  He  has  done  for  you  lately.    

2. Read  Exodus  14  again  slowly  today.    See  if  the  you  share  the  rebellious  aCitude  of  the  Hebrews  and  confess  it  to  the  Lord.

3. Take  time  to  pray  for  your  boss  and  other  employees  today.    If  you  are  a  student,  pray  for  other  students  and  your  teachers.    Ask  God  for  His  will  to  be  done  and  for  His  kingdom  to  come  into  their  lives.    

4. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  scripture  for  this  week.

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Day Three Day Three1. Take  time  to  praise  God  for  who  He  is  and  then  thank  Him  with  a  grateful  heart  for  all  He  has  done  for  you  lately.    

2. Sit  quietly  before  the  Lord  for  a  few  moments  and  slowly  let  Him  speak  to  you.    Give  Him  permission  to  say  whatever  he  wants  to  say.

3. Read  Exodus  15  again  slowly.    Thank  God  that  He  has  overcome  every  enemy  in  your  life,  even  if  it  doesn’t  feel  like  it.    Thank  Him  that  it  is  His  will  to  release  you  from  all  oppression  and  sin  in  your  life.

4. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  scripture  for  this  week.

I have always encouraged people to be honest with God, even if it didn’t sound spiritual or sanctified. Sometimes, a good yell at, or a cry with God helps us to settle our spirits.

David was especially honest with God. He cried out to God in despair. He questioned God. He even asked God to annihilate his enemies. Yet, by the end of most Psalms, David is once again filled with God’s perspective, and overwhelmed with worship.

Yet, our honest attitude before God has its limits. The people of Israel began to grumble and complain as soon as they saw the Egyptian army coming after them in Exodus 14. God put up with this attitude at the time. Then, after God had opened up the Red Sea for them and led them onward, the people again grumbled because there wasn’t enough water.

Sometimes, honesty before God is actually an open display of a hard, rebellious heart that refuses to believe. Even when the people saw God’s mighty acts on their behalf, they thought He was actually not trustworthy. This angered God tremendously!

God had truly released the people from the slavery of Egypt. He did it through mighty acts and miracles never seen before by these people. God’s will for us all is to set us completely free from slavery. Yet, Exodus shows us that God can instantaneously remove us from Egypt, but removing Egypt from inside of us may prove to be an even bigger job.

The people were physically free from the bonds of slavery, but the mindset of a slave would prove to be difficult to remove.

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3:1, 2, NAS95.

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