How God cares for His people

Are.You.Stuck.Before.or.After.the.Water?.
Exo..14-16:.KW—06.13.10.
Intro:.
A...Ex:..Jessica.entered.America's.hearts.and.homes.through.television.on.October.14,.1987...When.she.was.but.eighteen.
......months.of.age,.Jessica.McClure.fell.into.a.well.pipe.in.Midland,.Texas.and.got.stuck.22.feet.down...Rescuers.labored..
......non-stop.for.58.hours—from.Wednesday.morning.until.Friday.night—in.an.attempt.to.free.her.from.the.eight-inch.
......wide.well.casing...
......1...When.she.was.finally.rescued.from.the.well.pipe,.there.was.a.sort.of."national.explosion".of.emotion—horns.
...........honked,.church.bells.rang.out,.voices.cheered,.and.tears.of.joy.flowed...
......2...Emotional:..She.has.no.memories.of.the.incident,.and.only.learned.about.it.when.she.was.five-years-old.when.she.
...........was.watching.a.rerun.episode.of.Rescue.911...(It.was.then.that.her.parents.explained.to.her.that.she.was.the.baby.
...........in.well)..
...........a...Physical:..She.lost.part.of.her.right.foot.due.to.loss.of.circulation.while.in.the.well.and.has.had.15.plastic.
.................surgeries.since.that.occasion.as.a.young.child..
...........b...A.few.years.ago,.she.appeared.with.Matt.Lauer.on.the.Today.show...He.asked.Jessica.if.she.had.ever.been.able.
................to.understand.why.so.many.people.became.so.emotionally.involved.in.her.rescue...Her.response.was,."…I..
................believe.that.people.cared.so.much.because.they.[hoped].that.somebody.would.care.that.much.about.them.".
B...All.of.us.get.stuck.on.occasion—in.our.shame,.to.our.kin,.to.our.stuff,.and.in.repetitive/habitual.sin..
......1...Jesus.cares.about.you;.He.doesn't.want.you.to.be.stuck..."Casting.all.your.care.upon.Him,.for.He.cares.for.you.".
...........1.Pet..5:7.
......2...He.cares.so.much.that.He.died.in.that.you.wouldn't.have.to.stay.in.a.stuck.place....
............a...Some.people.recognize.that.they.are.stuck,.admit.it,.and.then.endeavor.to.free.themselves.with.the.Lord's..
.................help....
............b...Some.folks.are.not.only.stuck,.but.the.real.tragedy.is.that.they.appear.to.be.comfortable.and.content.in.that.
.................place...(They.kind.of.like.being.wedged.in.a.well.pipe.twenty-two.feet.down.in.the.ground).......
.................1)..Please.hear.this.admonition.from.a.heart.of.care.and.concern..
.................2)..The.only.time.the.Lord.Jesus.ever.got.sick.was.when.people.were.stuck..."I.know.your.works,.that.you.are.
.......................neither.cold.nor.hot...I.could.wish.you.were.cold.or.hot...So.then,.because.you.are.lukewarm,.and.neither.
.......................cold.nor.hot,.I.will.spew.you.out.of.My.mouth."..Rev..3:15-16.
.
I...Israel.got.stuck.BEFORE.the.water.of.salvation...Exo..14:10-13.
.
......A...Israel.had.been.in.bondage.for.hundreds.of.years.and.wanted.to.be.free.from.Egyptian.oppression...(Generation.
...........after.generation.lived.and.died.under.Pharaoh's.heavy.hand)......
.
............1...God.made.freedom.possible.and.led.the.nation.to.the.place.of.deliverance—the.water.of.the.Red.Sea....
..................vv..14-15.
..................a...But.salvation.was.on.the.other.side.of.the.sea..
..................b...Israel.felt.stuck.between.the.Egyptian.army.and.the.water...(Despite.having.witnessed.the.10.plagues.and.
........................seeing.the.pillar.of.cloud/fire,.the.children.of.Israel.didn't.believe.God.could.save.or.deliver).........
............2...God.not.only.led.Israel.to.the.place.of.salvation,.but.by.His.grace.He.actually.saved.her..
..................a...Details:.
...........................He.told.Moses.to.stretch.out.his.rod.over.the.sea...cf.,.v..16.
...........................He.gave.light.to.Israel,.but.made.it.dark.to.the.Egyptians...cf.,.v..20.
...........................He.separated.the.waters.of.the.Red.Sea.so.Israel.could.cross.on.dry.land...cf.,.v..21.
...........................He.troubled.the.Egyptian.army.by.removing.their.chariot.wheels...cf.,.v..25.
...........................He.drowned.the.Egyptian.army...cf.,.v..27.
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..................b..."So.the.LORD.saved.Israel.that.day.out.of.the.hand.of.the.Egyptians,.and.Israel.saw.the.Egyptians.dead.on..
.......................the.seashore...Thus.Israel.saw.the.great.work.which.the.LORD.had.done.in.Egypt;.so.the.people.feared.the.
.......................LORD,.and.believed.the.LORD.and.His.servant.Moses."..vv..30-31.
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......B...A.lot.of.people.get.stuck.prior.to.the.water.of.salvation..
.
...........1...I've.long.lost.count.of.the.number.of.people.who.have.talked.to.me.and.come.to.the.conclusion.that.the..
................enormity.and.magnitude.of.their.sins.make.it.impossible.for.the.Lord.to.save.them...Ex:..Inmate.at.the.Sumner.
................County.Jail.
................a...Illust:..An.old.story.is.told.of.three.men.who.met.at.the.end.of.a.dock.on.a.Florida.beach...The.first.man.is.an.
......................alcoholic.and.homeless...The.second.man.is.just.an.average.guy...The.third.is.a.fine,.honorable.man,.well-.
......................respected.in.the.community...Suddenly,.the.first.man.runs.and.jumps.off.the.edge.of.the.dock,.landing.about.
......................five.feet.out.into.the.water...The.other.two.men.standing.on.the.dock.ask.him,."What.are.you.trying.to.do?".
......................The.man.in.the.water.replied,."I'm.trying.to.jump.across.the.Atlantic.Ocean!"..The.second.man.says,."Watch.
......................me,.I.can.do.better.than.that!"..He.quickly.runs.across.the.dock,.jumps.and.land.ten.feet.out.into.the.water,.
......................twice.as.far.as.the.alcoholic...The.third.man,.the.outstanding.man.laughs.and.says,."That's.nothing,.watch.
......................this!..He.backs.up.a.long.distance,.sprints.across.the.dock.and.lands.twenty.feet.out,.twice.as.far.as.average.
......................Joe,.and.four.times.as.far.as.the.homeless.alcoholic..
......................1)..These.men.were.crazy.for.thinking.they.could.somehow.leap.from.one.side.of.the.Atlantic.to.the.other..
......................2)..People.trying.to.earn.their.salvation.based.upon.moral.goodness.are.just.as.foolish....
.................b...God.can't.be.approached.on.the.basis.of.moral.uprightness...cf.,.Cornelius—Acts.10:1-2,.22;.11:14...
......................1)..Many.people.ask,."I'm.basically.a.good.person—won't.God.accept.me.and.take.me.to.heaven?".
......................2)..The.question.shows.a.lack.of.understanding.of.the.grave.nature.of.sin.and.the.absolute.holiness.of.God....
............................a)..If.we.were.so.good.that.we.deserved.heaven,.salvation.would.be.owed.to.us.as.a.debt.rather.than..
..................................something.to.be.received.as.a.gift.of.grace....
............................b)..No,.God.will.not.accept.me.because.I'm.a.good.person..."But.we.are.all.like.an.unclean.thing,.all.our.
..................................righteousness.are.like.filthy.rags;.we.all.fad.as.a.leaf,.and.our.iniquities,.like.the.wind,.taken.away.".
..................................Isa..64:6..(A.person.may.look.moral.when.compared.to.other.people.in.the.world,.but.when..
..................................compared.with.Christ,.all.people.fall.short)...cf.,.Rom..3:23-24.
............2...There.is.a.big.difference.between.morality.and.righteousness..
..................a...To.stand.righteous.before.God.means.that.you.are.innocent/faultless.in.His.sight.and.such.an.individual.
........................doesn't.exist..."…There.is.none.righteous,.no,.not.one."..Rom..3:10.
..................b...The.only.way.to.be.able.to.stand.righteous.before.God.is.to.be.forgiven.and.declared.righteous.by.
........................obedient.faith.in.God's.work..."And.be.found.in.Him,.not.having.my.own.righteousness,.which.is.from.the.
........................law,.but.that.which.is.through.faith.in.Christ,.the.righteousness.which.is.from.God.by.faith."..Phil..3:9.
........................1)..What.kind.of.faith—living.or.dead?.."You.see.then.that.a.man.is.justified.by.works,.and.not.be.faith.
..............................only."..Jas..2:24.
........................2)..Rom..6:17-18;.1.Tim..1:13-15.
.................c...My.friend,.if.you.are.sitting.in.the.pew.at.this.moment.and.are.thinking,."My.sins.are.too.numerous.and.too.
.......................black.and.heinous.for.God.to.save.me,".think.again!..(Don't.get.stuck.before.the.water)!...
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II...Israel.got.stuck.AFTER.the.water.of.salvation...Exo..15:22-25;..16:1-3.
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......A....Israel.had.witnessed.the.plagues.and.the.destruction.of.the.Egyptian.Army,.but.she.was.still.stuck.attitudinally..
.
.............1...She.had.been.saved.from.Egypt,.but.you.couldn't.tell.it.by.her.life!.
.............2...The.real.problem.wasn't.getting.Israel.out.of.Egypt,.but.getting.Egypt.out.of.Israel!.
..................a...She.complained.because.she.had.no.fresh.water.drink,.nor.food.to.eat...(She.didn't?!..Wait.a.minute!.
........................Would.the.Lord.bring.the.nation.this.far.and.then.leave.her.to.die.of.thirst.in.the.desert)?..cf.,.Gal..1:6.
..................b...The.nation.saw.the.miraculous.wonder.of.God's.mighty.handwork.and.still.managed.to.forget.His.care!.
.
......B...Many..brethren.do.not.mature,.move.on,.or.grow.after.their.baptism;.they.simply.murmur.and.complain.as.if.God.
............didn't.exist!..(They.wander.in.the.wilderness.for.decades.and.never.go.anywhere.spiritually.speaking)......
.
............1...May.I.ask.some.hard.questions?.
....................How.far.have.you.moved.spiritually.since.your.baptism?..Heb..5:12;.1.Pet..2:2;.1.Cor..15:58.
.....................a...Do.you.teach.a.Bible.class?.
.....................b...Do.you.conduct.home.Bible.studies?..(How.many.people.can.point.to.you.since.your.baptism.and.say.that.
...........................you.were.primarily.responsible,.or.at.least.had.a.part,.in.leading.them.to.Christ)?.
.....................c...Are.you.more.generous.in.your.giving.today.than.you.were.a.few.years.ago?.
.....................d...Have.you.gone.to.one.of.the.deacons.and.told.them.that.you.want.to.be.actively.involved.in.some.
...........................aspect.of.the.Lord's.work.here.at.KW?.
....................Do.you.still.practice.the.same.sins.of.spiritual.immaturity.that.you.did.as.a.babe.in.Christ?..Mt..18:15;..
.....................Eph..4:26.
....................Describe.your.prayer.life—is.it.mechanical.and.obligatory,.or.it.is.meaningful.and.intimate?.
....................In.a.typical.week,.how.much.time.do.you.spend.in.personal,.private.Bible.study?.
....................If.your.family.and.friends,.with.your.permission,.were.to.describe.your.general.attitude.towards.life—.
....................would.they.say.that.you.tend.to.murmur.and.complain,.or.would.they.say.that.you.are.a.thankful.person?.
....................1.Thess..5:18.
...........2...It's.been.my.lifelong.observation.that.the.people.who.tend.to.fuss.the.most.are.often.the.ones.doing.the.least..
................(They're.stuck.on.the.other.side.of.the.Red.Sea.with.no.place.to.go)!.
...................There.is.a.direct.relationship.and.correlation.between.gratitude.and.my.growth....
...................Israel.couldn't.move.forward.after.the.Red.Sea.until.she.learned.to.really.trust.in.God's.provision!.
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Concl:.
A...Are.you.stuck.before.the.water.or.after.the.water?.
B...When.baby.Jessica.was.stuck.down.in.the.pipe,.well-wishers.from.all.over.America.started.sending.money.to.her..
......parents.to.cover.her.needs.and.those.of.the.family...(When.Jessica.turns.25.this.coming.March.26,.2011,.she'll.be.
......able.to.gain.access.to.her.trust.fund,.rumored.to.be.in.excess.of.$1,000,000)...
C...Jessica's.rescue.was.credited.mostly.to.a.police.officer.and.a.paramedic.named.Robert.O'Donnell..
......1...In.1995,.after.eight.years.of.suffering.with.posttraumatic.stress.disorder.from.the.ordeal,.O'Donnell.committed.
...........suicide..
......2...He.got.stuck.in.that.pipe.and.never.got.out—at.least.emotionally....
D...God.does.not.want.you.to.be.stuck—before.baptism.or.after.baptism..
......1...Have.you.been.immersed.for.the.remission.of.your.sins?.
......2...Are.you.growing.in.Christ?.
E...A.nation.cared.about.Jessica;.a.Savior.cares.about.you..
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