Lift thou up thy rod
Key Passage: Exodus 14:15-16
Date: June 7, 2024
How many, we mentioned that verse, Exodus 14:14, “The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Some of you said, “I work at memorizing.” Anybody work at memorizing? Good, good, we’ve got something that followed through. Good, good. Let’s say that one out loud together, all right? If you can do it without looking, we’ll try that. If you’ve got to look, we’ll look. All right, everybody ready? Here we go. Exodus 14:14.
“The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Good, good, good. One more time, one more time. Here we go. Exodus 14:14, “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Anybody want to do it? Anybody want to do it? On their own, solo, solo, just right there we are. Brother Tam, go ahead. Good, amen, amen. Who’s next? Who’s next? Come on, it’s the short one. Who’s next? Come on, Ms. Teresa.
Amen, amen. Who’s, we got to get at least three. Yes, man, Miss Michelle, good. Amen, good, good, good. That’s awesome. That is awesome. Amen, we’ll get the last word in. Come on. Come on, husbands. It’s your chance. Get the last word in there. Come on now. Anybody, anybody? Brother Dumber, you know, but that wasn’t raising his hand. He’s close. He’s close there, you know. Sarah, Miss Sarah.
Good, good, good, good. That’s a memory verse from last Wednesday. And if you said the verse, you don’t have to tie it for the next five minutes. Of course, you know your pastor’s joking. A pastor shouldn’t joke about that. Come on now, you know.
And we’re in verse number 15 tonight. Exodus 14 and verse number 15. Let me, yes, I think most of you, I’m looking around. I think pretty much everybody’s on board, but they’ve left Egypt, the death of the firstborn, and they’ve left Egypt and they came over. God did not lead them the fastest or easiest way through the land of the Philistines down south and had to cross over the Red Sea. It looked like God had led them into a trap.
But God had a plan, amen. And we’re about to see all of it. We just kind of got started with it and really the actual happening of it last week. We’re going to do that tonight a little bit here. But the crossing of the Red Sea, and we’re in verse number 15. Exodus 14 and verse number 15. Would you please stand to show the Lord’s word respect, and to get awake fully, amen? You know, how many have worked hard today?
How many of hardly work today? All right. All right, good deal. We’re about even on all that. Some of them are honest. Some of them aren’t, so we’ll say, you know. But we’re in 14, 15 of God’s word. The Bible there says, “And the Lord said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.” Remember last week we talked about, “Stand still, see the salvation of the Lord.” And don’t run down south and don’t run up north and don’t retreat, go back to them, just stand there. And now he’s saying go forward towards the Red Sea.
Verse number 16, we haven’t got this yet. But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
And would you pray that God would speak to our hearts tonight? Would you do that? Father, we come to you, Lord, these people have made time to be in your house. Lord, you said so much the more as you see the day approaching. Father, thank you for this, these people that are about your word and following, obeying it. Lord, I preach you would speak to our hearts and I give them what they need and move in our midst. Lord, just let us leave being fed and encouraged by your word. And we’ll thank you for what you do. And Father, we ask for these things in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
Now, isn’t it interesting, God could have split that Red Sea any way He wanted to. He didn’t need some man to take his rod and hold it out there. God didn’t need some man to do that. God, it wasn’t the rod that did it. It was God that did it. He didn’t need all that. But for some reason, part of God’s plan is He told Moses, He told the man, “I want you to put your rod out there.” I mean, God did not split the Red Sea until Moses obeyed the Lord and put his… Why was that?
We’ve talked about it at the very beginning of this study, but remember the Pharaohs? We showed a lot of pictures of those, those Egyptian Pharaohs; they always had the rods. Remember that? They carried them. Even the mummies, we showed them, but they’d have the rod there. And it’s a little bit like, “Hey, children of Israel, you were under the oppression of Pharaoh and under his rod.” That was the sign of their authority, their leadership. And you were under the world’s oppression and just their pushing and driving you into slavery. Now you’re under God and His man, not Pharaoh under his man’s leadership.
And I’ll just say a word about it. Isn’t it funny how the world always wants to oppress and tries to push God’s people into its mold? Ladies, it’ll try to make you dress this certain way. Men, you have to talk this certain way. You have to go to a certain place. You have to have this latest gimmick and gadgets and all the rest of that. And the world is always trying to push you, conform you to the image of the world. Of course, Romans 12 says, “Be not conformed to the image of the world.”
Here’s the funny thing, matter: the world is always pushing you to listen to its music, to watch their shows, and to do all their things, and yet they’ll turn around and say, “Well, you Christians are pushing on us.” I was like, “Wait a second, you’re the ones always pushing on us. We’re standing on truth, amen.” Now, we ought to go on the gospel, amen. And then they’ll accuse us of trying to—no, no, no, the world is, if you’re not careful, it’s always trying to oppress. And God’s saying, “No, Christian, God’s people, you’re no longer under Pharaoh and his rod. Hey, I have my man there, and he’s going to use his rod, and you’ve got new leadership now, amen.”
You’ve seen what Egypt and the world can do. Let me show you what Jehovah can do. And part of it was God’s plan. God wanted His man to put the rod out. Can I say this? You know, God chooses to use a man. That’s His plan. And John 1:6, “There was a man sent from God whose name was John.” That was a forerunner of Jesus Christ. God uses men. And Paul even said at one place, he said, “Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ.” That’s Bible.
What’s quiet, you know, because there’s such an anti-leadership philosophy in this world. And in churches, “Well, that pastor, who does he think he is?” Had that husband, “Who does he think he is?” That boss, “Who does he think he is?” Well, that’s the man God put there. That’s who he is. That’s God’s plan. That’s God’s method. By the way, praise the Lord. I’m so thankful for people that follow God’s man. What a blessing. And there’s church, yes, a pastor, but a home—it ought to be the… By the way, every home ought to have a man of God in it. Yeah, yeah. And every company needs a boss. Yeah, yeah, that’s part of it.
But praise God for the crowd that follows. You know, I was thinking about it this morning: we had “Each One Bring One.” And, boy, Vision Maker, we started promoting that thing, you know, and started talking about it and building up. You remember about 10,675 announcements? “Hey, each one bring one.” You remember that? Now, here’s the thing: one thing for a pastor to do that, but praise the Lord for God’s people that followed in him. Man, you got into it. You tried to invite people, and you followed, if you will. God said, “Hey, put the rod out there,” you know, Brother Paul, pastor, whatever. And I tried to put the rod out and pray, Lord, people got involved. You got, you followed it. What a blessing. I’m so thankful for that crowd I mentioned earlier.
But so much the more as you see the day approach. You know, a lot of churches aren’t having church on Wednesday night. And yes, shame on the preacher. But can I say this? A lot of times the preacher will have church, but nobody shows up. Nobody wants to follow the man of God. Praise the Lord for you here on Wednesday night. What a blessing. What a blessing. I mean, that’s part of God’s plan, friend.
And this old world, that’s another way we want to impress. We want to take that out. Praise the Lord for people that say, “Hey, you know, we got offerings.” Suddenly, all the offering goes in for the new problem and pays it off. And you say, “Well, that preacher was all the talk about giving.” You didn’t do that. You said, “We’ll follow.” And praise the Lord for that. That’s God’s plan. Part of God’s methods. That’s what God wants. Soul winning. Man, we’ve always got soul winning. Yeah, we do. You do, you know. Praise the Lord for people that we’re going to be involved in that. What a blessing. What a blessing it is.
So very, very important. You know, there’s a big crowd. You’ll hear these little themes: “Well, I don’t believe in organized religion.” How many ever—you ever hear that one? You know? Well, God does, you know. Something in the Bible talks about an elder, a bishop, whatever, and deacons, and that’s all in the Bible. You know that. “Well, I just kind of do my own thing.” Well, I try to do God’s thing, and that’s the Bible, you know. “Well, it’s just the philosophies of our day and time.” That’s kind of where they are.
I’ve thought about this. I’ve thought about it. How many of you know Tennessee Temple? Highland Park Baptist Church? Most people in here know that. They know Tennessee Temple. Dr. Lee Robertson pastored there for years and years and years and years, and God just used it greatly. A great ministry. Brother Dylan used to be here. It comes on Sunday mornings. Went to Tennessee Temple. My dad went to Tennessee Temple back in the day, and a lot of great… A lot of them are older now, but they went. They went tenth and tenth and back today. And Dr. Robertson, God used them there so much in Highland Park Baptist Church, had to look in Tennessee. And, boy, Dr. Robertson always had something going on. Always.
It was big on mission, big mission conference. They had a big map of the world there behind, you know, big mission-minded. They had the college. They’re always something going on with the college. They had a high school there, you know, great school and all that, and Camp Joy there. And get involved in Camp Joy in the summertime. And just all… I remember one time, I was just little, but he had—he had a parade through the middle of Chattanooga, Tennessee. And everybody, you’re supposed to try to make some float or something. We’re just going to show them God’s people, you know. But there was always something going on.
And Dr. Robertson got older, and he resigned. And he still preached, but he wasn’t pastoring. And some of the leadership got together, and they were looking for another man. And some of the leadership said this, and he said, “Well, we’re tired of the preacher always pushing us. Always something going on, sorting, something always going. I just tell, we need somebody just take it easy.” And, you know, the sad thing is, a little bit liberal, a little bit more liberal, Tennessee Temple’s not even there anymore. Highland Park Baptist Church is not even there anymore. Hey, friend, you want—that’s part of God’s plan. Hey, hey, hey, leader over there, put the rod out there. That’s God’s plan. And praise the Lord for people to get involved. They follow on it.
Then let me just say this about the rod. We’re just going down. Let me say just a little twist on the rod. Why the rod? Why was it? God could have just split the Red Sea. Why? Why? Well, God uses a man. That’s the way God works all through the Bible. You check it out. One of Samuel? All right, let’s get a mom, hand him, praying and weeping and crying. Yeah, yeah, God uses man.
Now, can I say this? God has a rod for every one of you here. God has a rod for you in some form, some fashion. God wants to use you. God wants to use you in His work. God could have split that Red Sea on His own, but He wanted God. He uses His people in His work.
You know, God could, and He does convict, but God could just get people saved all over on His own, but He chooses to use you and I. He’s entrusted the gospel to you. And God uses mankind. You know those men in the jail? Well, the Holy Spirit can get inside those jails. We don’t have to go there. Yeah, He’s inside those jails working, but He uses men going inside those jails and uses men to get the gospel to them. God’s got a rod for everybody.
“I sure hope my neighbor gets saved.” Well, maybe God wants to use you as a rod to get him saved. God’s got a rod for every person here. Brother Gregor, about to go back out back out on the fair ministry trail. Praise the Lord for that. See, a lot of people say, “God’s got a rod for…” Gregory’s got a rod for you too. Every person. God’s got a rod. “Well, I hope so-and-so gets blessed today.” All right, maybe you’re the one that God would like to use to bless them. Send him a text, send him a call, get him a letter, a card, something. God likes you used to be a blessing too. God’s got a rod for you.
You know, that day, that day in the valley and Israel over here in Goliath, he was coming out for 40 days. He was coming out and defying the nation of Israel and Jehovah and God. But, you know, for 40 days, nobody did anything. God, if you will, as far as Goliath coming out, God didn’t do anything about that 40 days. You understand that?
But God uses people. It wasn’t the biggest and tallest. That probably saw head and shoulders above everybody else. You’re just a little fella. He wasn’t even in the military. He wasn’t the Army, Navy. He wasn’t the Air Force. He wasn’t even the Marines, Brother Number. Can you believe that? I mean, he wasn’t in that. He was just an old shepherd boy. And they said, “I’ll go.” God says, “I use His people willing to go.” And God used old David.
Everybody’s got a rod. Now, let me ask you, that rod that God wants to use you to do, are you putting your rod out? Are you, have you got your arm out there? You’re putting it out there for God to work through and in you.
I was talking about Lee Robertson just a minute ago, Dr. Lee Robertson, and God used him so greatly in so many different ways. And even today, his influence through God is still in our day and time, still being used through different men. But you know, Dr. Robertson used to talk about when he was a boy going to a little bit of church and is 14 years old, and there was a Sunday school teacher named Daisy Halls. And that little Sunday school teacher—I don’t even know that I’d do it that way for a lady to have a teen boy class, but that’s the way they had it in that little bit of church. And Daisy Halls had her rod out, and God used Daisy Halls to see Lee Robertson saved. And all those blessings have not blessed and used them. It happened because a little lady, nobody really knows about her, but she put a rod out. And that’s part of God’s plan.
God could have split the Red Sea a whole lot of different ways, but He did not split it until Moses put the rod out. Now let’s keep going. We’re just getting a couple of thoughts here tonight from God’s Word. You all still with me out there? Good, good, good, good.
Look, and let’s keep going here. Let’s see where we’re at. Let’s jump down to verse number 19. Verse number 19. “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these; so that the one came not near the other all the night.”
Now, notice a difference. Notice a difference. And it was a cloud and darkness to them—who’s at the Egyptians? But it gave light by night to these—who’s at the children of Israel? God still put a difference between Egypt and Israel. But here’s the thing that was leading them. We already talked about, I believe it was last week, this cloud. Praise the Lord for the shadow, amen. We’ve been praying for shadow out in the work days out here we’ve been having the last couple of weeks or so, you know, a couple of them. They’re going, “Oh, would you bring the pillar of cloud by day?” amen, you know? And my God was leading him by that, and then at nighttime the fire.
But the evening is coming after him and the Red Sea. And so God said, “Let me come around instead of being in the front, because you know where to go. I told you to go forward.” Let me go around and come behind you. And it was protection.
Hey, you know what? If Brother Gregory, maybe this next fair he goes to, he’s got to be in a tent. You know, sometimes it gets set up a place where they won’t be set up, and it is display table, and it’s right in a bad part of a tent. Maybe there’s some big old fellow over here, big old muscle-up guy that don’t like Christians, you know. And over here, there’s some guy with, you know, about 14 different kind of knives and ways to kill you just from your neck alone, you know. And Gregory’s not in the middle of that. You know, if Gregory is doing God’s will, Gregory’s a whole lot more safer there than he would be if he’s out of the will of God sitting in his living room. God can protect you. If you’re right in the center of God’s will, oh, God’s protection is so real. He can take care of you. He’s got you covered for him.
And they say, “Well, what about these men going to jail?” Hey, listen, friend, God wants to protect them. Those are not a man in that jail can touch him. If those men are supposed to be in the jail preaching the gospel and they stay home, they better look out, friend. God could protect.
There was a missionary in British Columbia, years and years gone by. And he was having an open-air service in front of a general store back in the day. And General Store is in front of it. He’s trying to get people gathered in. He was trying to preach to him the gospel, you know. And a drunken cowboy riding his horse came by, and he’s seen it. He wasn’t happy about that. He’s drunk. And so he got his horse just—he just slapped his horse and took off right after that missionary. And that missionary seen this, this drunken cowboy and his horse coming at him. And he whispered a quick prayer, that missionary did. And he said, “Lord, you’re able to protect. If you let that horse run over me, though, thy will be done.”
And they say the missionary just kept preaching, and that horse just kept coming full speed, the drunken cowboy, and he just coming right at him. And they say, man, just got just, “Whoa,” you know, right there. I mean, like the next step, and the missionary’s going to be dead. And they said all of a sudden, boom, it’s like there was a wall there. That horse just reared up on his high legs and stopped. The cowboy didn’t know what happened. The true story, the cowboy turned around and went away, and he came back the same thing two more times. And every time, it’s like that horse that running the wall, boom, right there, and the horse just rear up his front legs and rear up and just stop, “Whoa.” And they said the old drunken cowboy just left, and he kept on preaching. Hey, friend, God’s able to protect.
God, God puts His hand of protection on you. I don’t care who it is. They’re not going to touch God’s people. That’s God gives them permission. God can protect it. He’s protecting His people there.
Well, where two there’s a lieutenant, and they had called into a special mission, and him and his buddy. And they went out of just a very dangerous, but a very important mission. And they’re on their mission. And the enemy saw them. And, oh, it was just so many of the enemy out there. And about the time that fellow, he went to get his gun, about that time, they shot him in the chest. And he said it fell. He’s right back to his sister in Pennsylvania telling him about it. And he said, “My buddy thought I was dead.” So he grabbed my gun, and with both guns, he just unloaded. And he did. He killed all the enemies. But he got shot three times. And he’s over.
And he told his sister in Pennsylvania, he said, “I was shocked as I tried to roll over that I could roll over.” And he said, “I started to get up.” And he said, “I was shocked. I could get up. The force, that bullet knocked me over.” He said, “I was okay.” And he said, “I looked down and where my Bible was—that bullet had shot my…” It wasn’t just a New Testament. He says it was a full Bible, small way. And the bullet went through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, all the way to Psalm 91. And he said it looked—he told me writing this letter to his sister—he said, “It seemed like that bullet pointed to Psalm 91:7, where the Bible says, ‘A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee.’” All the enemies lay, even his buddy laid, he’s still standing. Friend, God’s able to take care of His people.
Most powerful military in the world, Pharaoh and Egypt, those chariots they’re coming down and breathing down. God said, “I got you. Gotcha. I’ll protect you.” God’s able to protect His people.
Just one more thought, we’re going to go home tonight. Amen? Anybody for going home tonight? Anybody going to stop by and get a McFlurry or… Oh, okay, we’ve got a couple takers on that right there, you know? Good deal. Amen. Look in verse number 21, would you please here? I’m sorry, I’ve got to drink of water there for a second. Verse number 21.
And it says there, “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night.” Let me just time out for a second there. Now, you think about it. We’ve talked about it: 600,000 foot soldiers, so probably 200—excuse me, 2 million. A lot of people say two and a half million, whatever, just over two million people, we’ll say. Crossing over one night. Can you imagine how wide the Red Sea split? You’re not talking about, you know, I think this is 32 foot. Remember why? You’re not talking about 32 foot wide. You’re talking about a mile or two or whatever. And it’s different estimates by different people, but you’re talking about a huge split in the Red Sea here. Okay? So I just kind of imagine that. By the way, we’ve talked about it: two million people. That’s more than Davidson County, Rutherford County, and Wilson County put together. Just get the magnitude in your mind, cross them through in one night in the Red Sea.
Now, let’s keep going. We’re in 21. “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land. And the waters were divided.” Remember that? “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground. And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.”
Now, just a couple things. Last thing we’re going to be done tonight. I think we’ll get done very early. But I’m shocked over the years at the people that have tried to do away with this being a miracle. I’ve heard it so many different ways over the years. Some will say, “Well, that, you know, that really isn’t the Red Sea. It used to be called the Reed Sea.” How many ever heard that one? Yeah. And it really, that part of it wasn’t that deep. It was just a matter—it just ankle deep. And so they could just kind of walk through the children of Israel. You know, that’s what… Well, first of all, it said dry land, you know.
But, and this isn’t true, but we’ll say even if it was on an ankle deep water, isn’t it a miracle that God drowned the Egyptian army in ankle deep water, amen? But it’s amazing how they’re—I don’t know why this miracle seemed like so many people over the years. I try to explain it away.
Some really talk about that wind. “Well, the Bible talks about the—it’s the wind, it’s the wind.” And they’ll use this, you know, hurricanes. I grew up a lot in Florida, so hurricanes, they always turn counterclockwise. You understand that? Southern Hemisphere, you know, they’re called different. They’re turned the other way. They’re turned clockwise, you know. And so as they’re turning coming down Florida, the East Coast of the United States, and they’re coming in there, and they’re not turning clockwise. They’re turning counterclockwise. And so here’s the thing: that part where the wind, the top part of the hurricane is blowing this way, that’s where the storm or the wind or the wave surge comes. It could be, you know, six, eight, ten, twelve feet, you know, it could be 15 feet. But on the lower part, while the hurricane’s turning and it’s blowing the water away from land, you go out there and where it used to be water in the ocean and the beach, it’ll be out for… And, wow, it’s dry land. Where’s all the water? Come on, man. This is where, you know, we just go swimming in all the water’s out here. And that’s why it’s very important what side of the hurricane you’re on, by the way, you know, on the north side and the south side and all that matters. And it’s a big difference on that.
But then people say, “Well, that’s all that was. That east wind was just blowing it away.” But I want you to notice a couple things. Look, look back in 21, verse 21 there. I want you to just kind of see a couple things about that. “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land.” Well, that’s one thing. If you go walk on that beach, if you will, where water used to be, it’s not going to be dry. It’s going to be wet and muddy. Not only that, “And the waters were divided.” Well, I’ve never seen a hurricane divide the waters. I’d like to see that. I mean, I like to see the wind blowing and it just, boom. I’ve never seen a hurricane divide the waters. Never seen that.
God makes it so clear. Look at the next verse. “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground. And the waters were a wall.” This is about a 10-foot wall right there. I’m not sure—may have been a whole lot deeper than that. Part of the Red Sea is… There’s so much a different opinion about exactly what part of the Red Sea. I won’t get into all that. But it’s a wall. I mean, a big old wall. Watch this. “And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.” I’ve never seen a hurricane do that. I mean, where it’s divided, where you can walk down in there. It isn’t just the waters being pushed back by the wind. It’s God’s hand, God’s Almighty hand, dividing the waters. Where at the point there’s a wall over here on this side and there’s a wall over on that side and they’re walking down in the midst of that. You call that a miracle of God? Amen.
God makes it so clear. He knows there are going to be all these people trying to do away with God’s miracles. He didn’t do all that. Look at verse number 29. He does the same thing again, 14:29. “But the children of Israel walked upon the dry land, upon dry land, in the midst of the sea and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.” Friend, a wind doesn’t do that. God does that. No, it wasn’t just, well, some wind, and so that took—no, no, no, no, no. It was very wide, by the way.
Now, some will even say—I’ve heard this, not very much, but I have heard even some people say—“Well, it was an earthquake, you know, and the water kind of dissipated.” Well, my thought was, man, they had to be careful walking down through that midst of the sea, the earthquake. If they fall in the crack, they’re going to go down in the abyss, you know. I mean, my goodness, you know. By the way, how the water come back up to drown the Egyptian army, you know, and all the rest of that?
But here’s an amazing thing, just the last thought about it all: There will always be those that try to humanize God’s miracles in your life. There always will be. We even do it to ourselves. And just kind of, we’re trying to explain away God’s miracles in their life. And I might use this term, and I don’t mean anything by it, I try to, but I use it, I’m sure. But can I just be real honestly and technical about it? There’s no such thing as luck. There isn’t. “Well, I was just lucky.” Hey, God’s in control of time and chance, Ecclesiastes.
But if you’re not careful, you know, people are tried, and we’ll even do it to ourselves. “Well, I just got lucky.” Anybody ever running out of gas and you ever just—you’re like praying, “Lord, I’ll be out of gas or try to get to the next day.” Anybody ever coast? I’m talking about your car ran out and you coast up to the gas pump. Anybody have been there? Look like a good number of us here. Hey, man, all of us are bad about engaging this thing now, you know? Friend, that’s no chance. That’s God. Every good and every perfect gift is from above. You know, wow, we’re just lucky people to be born in America. We’re just blessed people to be born in America. I’m so blessed born in a Christian home. Just blessed. That’s the goodness of God. God changed my family tree.
How many—come on, let’s be honest—you’re in church now, all right? How many ever, ever at least dozed off behind the steering wheel? How many? Fallen asleep? Come on now. Yeah, yeah, come on now. Yeah. How many have heard of people dozing off and having wrecks? God. Could have been all of us. Friend, be careful of letting maybe the world or even our own heart can’t just do the way of the miracles of God.
We’re almost done. Remember Jesus over there in the New Testament, and remember He fed 5,000 men plus women and children. How many loaves were there? How many loaves were there? Five. How many fish? Two. Somebody wasn’t this end. It was two, amen, you know. Five loaves and two fishes. Fed 5,000 plus women and children. Not a little later on, there was 4,000. How many loaves were there? There’s a little tougher. How many loaves were there? Somebody started it. Somebody, whoever said it and finish it up. One more, one more.
Seven. Seven. Seven loaves, and he says, of a few little fishes. What is it, little fish? Must have been bluegill, amen. That’s what I catch, amen, you know. Seven loaves and a few little bluegill, if you read in the Greek, you know, you’ll get that, you know. And He fed… By the way, it’s always amazing, always amazing. He fed more the little, and He fed less people with more. He compared those two miracles. That’s what God works. That’s what He always works.
And, but that just happened. Now, look over, if you will, in Matthew chapter number 16. Matthew chapter number 16. Now, remember, He just fed thousands. Bread and fish. Well, just a little bit. Little sack lunch from the boy stole his lunch. What about that? Oh, He gave him his lunch. And look at this right after that, just right after them. I mean, the end of 15 is talking about the feeding of the 4,000. And then we’re in chapter 16. Would you look at verse number 6?
Matthew 16 and verse number 6. “Then Jesus said unto them, ‘Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.’” Told it is apostles here. And they reasoned among themselves saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” Which when Jesus perceived, He said to them, “O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up?” How many they take up? Twelve. “Neither the seven loaves of the 4,000, how many baskets ye took up?” I don’t know. I’d have to look up. “How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread? Now, ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of the bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
Now, here’s what I’m getting at: Jesus did mighty miracles. He fed 5,000 plus, 10, 15, 20,000 people, five loaves and two fishes. He fed 4,000, seven loaves and a few little fish. The mighty man, they saw it. They were there. And just about a minute later, either they never even recognized it or they didn’t remember it. And how many of us have had so many miracles done in our life? God’s provided for us. God’s done so many mighty things. He’s taken care of us. He’s protected us. He’s answered our prayers, and we’re so stuck on everything else, we don’t even see what God’s really trying to tell us. And Jesus had to say, “Hey, don’t you remember the miracle I just did?”
God’s been so good. And if we’re not careful, God would be blessing and blessing and blessing and blessing, and we don’t even see it. And we’ll complain and see all the bad. And God said, “I’m trying to teach us up, but you don’t even comprehend what I just did.” What a sad thing.
Friend, it’s amazing to me how many people try to explain away the miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea. But then if we’re not careful, we’ll never see the miracles God’s doing in our lives, and we’ll miss what He’s trying to teach us.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please, just for a moment? Maybe you’re here tonight, and you say, “You know, God’s speaking to me.” I believe He is. Maybe it’s about the rod. God uses a man. That’s His plan. God uses it. Don’t be against that. Don’t buck it. No, that’s God’s plan. Does it mean the man’s perfect? No. God’s plan, no.
Maybe it’s about God having a rod for you, and I’ve got to accept that God wants to do something in and through me. Maybe you need—I just need to rest in the protection of God. If we’re not careful, we’ll be so worried and fretting, we’ll spend our life worrying our life away. And it’s something about, “Hey, just resting in the protection of God.”
Maybe it’s a—I need to see what all God’s doing. I need to remember the miracles He’s done in my life. But somewhere on the line, God spoke to my heart, to my heart. If that’s you tonight, God spoke to my heart. If that’s you, just let me… God bless you. God bless you. Oh, me too, me too, me too.
Would you please stand? Would you please stand? We’re going to have a word of prayer. Our instruments will play. And would you come just spend some time with the Lord? Would you just follow the leading of the Lord? Would you do that?
Father, thank you for Your word, Lord. Thank you for how You worked. Thank you, Lord, for the 10,000 miracles. I don’t deserve them. What You’ve done for us over the years. Thank you for them. Help us to remember and recognize them. Speak to our hearts in our lives tonight. Well, thank you for what You do, Lord. It’s in Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.
Would you come? It’s our instruments, play. Would you come? I would just come and thank Him for the miracles He’s done in your life. Remember them. Remember them. Praise You.
I remember years ago we had a Sunday, and it was a good day. Brother Bruce and Tina Ippel came forward that morning and got saved. And, boy, they came down over here. Kevin and Tracy got him to come, and they came down and got saved. It was just as praise the Lord’s a victory. I mean, something we pray for, a couple getting saved, and they eventually got baptized. They moved away, still in church today, and God just worked.
But that same day, there was an issue that happened. Of course, not going to tell what that is. And I went home and I watched myself. And I thought, “Shame on you, Paul.” My mind and my heart wanted to go to the issue that happened and the problem that had happened. I thought, “This is something we pray for, we fast about. This is what we want: people getting saved, people come forward getting saved.” And my mind and my tongue wanted to—my heart wanted to just dwell on the bad when God had just did a great miracle.
Hey, be less—let’s recognize all the miracles God’s does in our life. And let’s acknowledge it. Let’s praise Him for it. He’s so good. And we want to—we don’t want to explain away God’s goodness in our life. He’s just working, and praise Him for it. Glad you’re here on Wednesday night. And every person you’re thrilled to hear. Looking forward to just a great August. Amen. First, first service in August. I’m glad you’re here. That’s awesome. You’re starting off August right. And that’s just awesome.
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - Lift thou up thy rod - Wednesday PM 08022023