But I want to start with an introduction. I want to make it a contrast. Because grace and works are contrasted all over the scriptures. their contrast all over the world, in every circumstance of the world, in every situation, there always seems to be a contrast of grace and works. So grace relies on God and God alone for all things, and works obviously relies on man.

So the contrast this morning is the frailty of man against the sovereignty of our holy God. just for this introduction. So we'll start with the frailty of man. In Genesis 3, we rejected our God and we ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We took hold of the law and in that we fell from grace and we fell into a personal responsibility to provide all things for ourselves and especially the righteousness we need to stand before a holy God. God also set enmity between each of us and every other creature. God cursed the world and then God expelled us from the garden of his grace and he prevented us So really, what chance do any of us have in this world, and especially to stand before God?

We're completely vulnerable, and we're vulnerable to much, much greater things than ourselves. Can we change it? It's been ordained by our gracious God. We can't change it. But it's good to know that he promises that he's done it all for our good. Now I want you to compare that to the sovereignty of our God and I'll just relate it to all things. Remember those two words.

Romans 11.36 says, for of him, which is origin, everything comes from him and through him, everything comes by his power and to him, everything resounds to his glory. all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

In Ephesians 1.11, it says, He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Hebrews 1.3, upholding all things by the word of his power.

In Romans 8.28, it says, and we know, believers know this, that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are they called according to his God's purpose.

And Revelation 4.11, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power for or because I'll just finish here with a little example.

There was a young gentleman that 20 years ago, he was very excited about the scriptures and claimed to be a believer. And we sat just in the house over there and the wind was blowing quite strong. I don't know, the conversation turned to the sovereignty of God and we looked out the big windows and there were a heap of trees with a heap of leaves and the wind was blowing strongly and every leaf was moving in its own direction.

I said, there you go. He controlled all that. He planned it from eternity and he's controlling it right now. And that was too much for this young guy. He was overwhelmed. He couldn't believe that it was that sovereign. the control of God and he rejected it. He rejected it.

So we just pray that the Lord would continue to grow us in the grace and knowledge of his King, of his salvation in his Son, our great Saviour. So let's sing and I'll get back. me. in my anxious, fearsome sight. Death of death and hell's destruction, let me sing on the other side. Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee. I will ever give.

So there you have your contrast between the frailty of man and the sovereignty of God. And from Genesis 4 onwards, two religions emerged. There's only ever been two religions in the world, no matter by what name they go. And they represent two different ways of approaching God. two different ways of living before God in this world. And again, one's a way of grace and one's works, one's a way of unbelief, and one's a way of faith.

And Romans 11.6 says you can't mix the two. It doesn't become, it's not grace. It becomes works as soon as you add to it. And our God, only saves by grace. So ever since Cain and Abel, on top of all the other trials of life that we all must go through, believers must also suffer persecution from others, religious others usually, And yet even this, by the hand of our sovereign God, that's for our good.

That's what Romans 8.28 says. We just read it. We don't have to see it. We know our God can't lie and He can't fail.

Throughout the rest of the scriptures from Genesis 4 on, There are just so many practical, historical, and prophetic illustrations of this contrast. And in every single one of them, there's a deeper spiritual connotation that teaches the children of God to simply trust him in all things. So how should we? into our sovereign God, knowing our own frailty and trusting his word. So turn in your Bibles to Exodus 14 and we'll just have a look at it.

It's a famous passage, it's the Red Sea Crossing. We think we can do so much and yet in reality we can't control one thing in this world. And that means that every single thing in this world has the potential to be to our detriment, to be an enemy. that's too strong for us to deal with by our own wisdom, our own strength.

Now, the Church of God has always been under persecution in this world since Genesis 3. It's promised for the gospel sake. The Lord says in Matthew 10, and ye shall be hated of There's a natural enmity in men's hearts. So how is a believer to respond to these trials and especially to the trials and persecutions for the sake of the gospel?

Well, given that we're so vulnerable, so frail, so helpless in this world, So weak in our wisdom and strength, I think all we really can do is wait on the Lord, just like every other circumstance of our lives. So let us all, especially in the tough times, remember that our God reigns, that He is sovereign, and that He has ordered all things and does sustain all things, that he has a specific purpose, and he's revealed that his glory and our good, the two are so intertwined, they're inseparable. We need to remember that our God reigns. and He does all things for His glory and He never fails. We also need to remember that He does love us with an everlasting love.

And although we're sinful and we're wretched and we're weak in faith, to Him in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, we're the apple of His eye. Zachariah 2 says, for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye. So there are so many Ebenezer's, so many examples of the grace of God in the scriptures. This one in Exodus 14, I really believe is one of the best encouragements for times of trial and times of persecution. because it speaks so clearly of an absolute and eternal salvation by our great God alone. I pray that God would cause us to embrace every single situation in our lives in the light of this precious truth, especially because it goes completely against our nature. It's not natural for us.

It's no wonder Hebrews 4.11 says, let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, to enter into faith, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. The hardest thing to do is to get men Especially when it comes to salvation. Alright, so we'll just tell a brief story and bring you up to speed with Exodus 14. I know we all know it, but Israel were in bondage to a set amount of time that God said.

And then they cried out, and God heard them. And God sent Moses, and he sent him with a gospel warning for Pharaoh, and Pharaoh hardened his heart. God hardened his heart with a purpose. And he sent plagues. And the last of the plagues was a plague of blood on the firstborn. And while it was the last of the plagues, it was the beginning of their exodus, really.

And it represented our salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. It represented our salvation from Satan and sin and death. It represented our salvation. But here in Exodus 14, we're looking at our sanctification, how we're sustained in that state of salvation as we pass as those pilgrims through this world. So let's just start at verse 1 and see where the Lord takes us. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the people, unto the children of Israel. Here's his purpose start to begin to unfold.

That they turn and encamp before Pyhahirov. Sorry if that's wrong. It means the opening of the canal between Migdol, which means tower or fortress, and the sea over against Baal Zephon, which means Lord of the North. It's a place of pagan religion and false worship. Before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For, and this is explaining this purpose more, because Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, they are entangled in the land.

The wilderness has shut them in. And this world is like a wilderness, isn't it? It does entangle us, it does shut us in, and it does overwhelm us. And it's often in that situation that our enemies take advantage of us. And in this story, expect God to save him here, don't you?

But look what he does. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, again this purpose, that he shall follow after them. He shall attack God's people. And I will be honored upon Pharaoh and upon all his hosts. again this purpose, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord, and they did so.

So these people were surrounded, completely surrounded with impossibility. Is that familiar to you? Have you ever been in situations of complete impossibility? But there's a spiritual illustration and I just want you to look at it as we go into this and just carry it with you as we go.

The children of Israel, they represent the vulnerable church of God in this world. Pharaoh represents Satan, that great enemy of God and his church. Egypt, it represents the bondage of the law that we chose in Genesis 3. These hosts represent every enemy of God's Church, including our own sins.

And yet again, it's all still by a sovereign will and purpose. Thy God reigneth, Isaiah 52. He reigns intricately in this world. Remember the leaves on the tree? How many leaves do you think there are on this farm? He rains over all of them constantly.

Isaiah 46, 9 and 10 says, I am God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like me. And look what he does. Declaring the end from the beginning. And from ancient times, that's in eternity before creation, the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Remember that promise in verse 1? And of course that's a picture of the everlasting covenant, isn't it? God speaks and it comes to pass. It's a promise when he speaks. Just like he created this world. So here we have this incredible illustration of the everlasting covenant and the promises that are made in it to the children of God. And here our God declares these events. and his purposes for them before they ever come to pass. Thy God reigneth.

Verse five, and it was told Pharaoh, sorry, and it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled. And the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people. Another promise. And they said, why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? It's always driven by jealousy and selfishness, isn't it?

And he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. And he took 600 chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And he pursued after the children of Israel. And the children of Israel went out with an high hand. Now what that means, you can read about it in Exodus 12, but they would have been confident. They were driven out by Pharaoh.

They didn't expect anyone chasing them. They were blessed. God moved the hearts of the people and they blessed them. with everything they needed for their journey. They didn't expect to be pursued. They didn't know they were being pursued at first. And imagine the sudden shock. Again, everyday life.

They went out with a high hand, but the Egyptians pursued after them. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and they overtook them in camping by the sea beside by Hiroth, before Baal Zephron. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, and I want you to watch this, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes and behold, the Egyptians marched after them and they were sore afraid. This had come out of left field. And the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.

They lifted their eyes. They saw what was going on. And they were fearful. They were walking by sight. They were walking by their own judgment. They weren't walking by faith, 2 Corinthians 5. The Lord had just promised them. They were walking in unbelief. And just look how quickly and how irrational our unbelief is. This pertains to every one of us.

Verse 11, And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt with us to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? We love law bonding. Every time we put our hands to anything, we cry this to the Lord. We love law bonding. And they said, for it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

That's unbelief, isn't it? God had promised them in verse four, and look what he said. Look what he says further down. But first, we complained about God in Genesis 3. I want you to see the familiarity here. We accused God of withholding something good toward us. And that poison runs through our very nature. And it's no different every time we complain. It's no different in our everyday difficulties.

Well, the first thing to do is to preach the gospel to ourselves. And then go and preach it to other people. Look what Moses does here. And Moses said unto the people, fear not, and stand still. Now, don't miss that. Don't do a thing. OK? Don't do a thing.

And see the salvation of the Lord. Today, that's a promise of fresh mercy for every situation of our day. It's a spiritual promise, isn't it, to all of us? It's written here for these people in history, but it's written for us every day. Complete and permanent salvation from every enemy, every moment of our lives. And how? Verse 14. We're standing still, remember. The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace.

Been very well exercised in this. This week I was rather convicted about how much we complain and the association with unbelief and how far that goes into our very nature, and it's amazing just how many even small things, you just find yourself thinking of something and you think, oh, that's not right. Let's complain. It's unbelief. Everything's right. As crooked as it is, everything's right as it looks to me. Everything is good. And did you notice our role in all of that?

One, the first thing we do is don't do a thing. Two, we just wait on our God expectantly. He can't fail in his promises. And three, we do it without complaining and unbelief. We just walk by faith. And the Lord said unto Moses, wherefore cryest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. We just walk in this world. We're sojourners and we're pilgrims. We can't not be in this world for the time being. So the Lord says, go.

And go trusting his word, his promises, trusting him. And verse three in that last verse says, we'll see his salvation today. And what's the result? What's always the result when God gets involved? And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. It's a promise to all of us. This church shall, His church shall, His people shall pass through this world. Unimpaired, that's what it means to be on dry ground in the midst of the earth. Unimpaired. Unimpaired by this world. Unimpaired by the sin in this world. Unimpaired by our own sin especially.

Only ever for our good, Romans 8.28.

And I behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians and they shall follow them. Our God's sovereign even over the intentions of our enemies. And I will get me honour upon Pharaoh and upon all his hosts, upon his chariots and upon his horsemen. Complete, comprehensive victory over all our enemies. And you can apply that spiritually. And look what he says here in verse 18.

And the Egyptians shall know, Israel will know, the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I have gotten the honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. What's the greatest priority in this world? That's the glory of God. That's God's honour, isn't it? Ezekiel 36 says, I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel. Thank the Lord that it's so wrapped up in his honour that we are saved. He says he does it for his holy name's sake, which you have profaned amongst the heathen wherever you went.

So in verse 9, the angel of the Lord, God the Holy Spirit, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them. And the pillar of cloud went before their face in a leading position and stood behind them from God to that rear guard of Isaiah 52. 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. And it did so, so that the one came not near the other.

We don't have a clue what's going on in the darkness. Scriptures use the darkness to hide the wickedness of our enemies so often. We can't control what's going on. We can't see it. We don't know. But when God saves his people, he controls it. And whatever we don't know about doesn't matter because he does. He knows about all things. And he saves his people to the uttermost.

But here God made a division, didn't he? He made a division with a very real impact on both camps. And this gospel that we declare is that same sort of division in this world even today. Luke 12 says, suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth. I tell you, nay, but rather division. And this division is a blinding cloud of delusion to our enemies, to Thessalonians 2.

It's come from the hand of God and it's efficient. And yet that same gospel is spiritual enlightenment to God's children, to his church. 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, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 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 side. and on their left. I just want to take a brief moment to encourage you to study your scriptures. I've looked at this passage for 20 years now in the gospel to some degree, and the Lord's still able, very, very able to bring a bucket load of extra stuff out of it.

The other week when I was standing here mentioning this chapter, it dawned on me. I said the word aquarium because we had a heap of kids around. I couldn't get it out of my mind for a few weeks, and to be honest, it just gnawed at me. But I had this picture of a viewing window as we passed through the world that we live in. And I don't know if any of you have been diving or had a look underwater, but there's some jolly big critters out there.

Very scary. it was talking about the world being seen by the light of the Gospel, and the world and everything in it, even ourselves, being prevented by our sovereign God from doing us any spiritual harm. It's an incredible picture of the grace, but this passage does contrast it. Look at the contrast between grace and works. contrast between our enemies and the children of God. Because this sort of division, this gospel, it's an eternal division. So let's look first at the enemies in verse 23.

And the Egyptians pursued and went after their men in the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and whole army, just as promised, comprehensive, representing all our enemies. And it came to pass that in the morning watch the Lord looked under the hosts of the Egyptians, through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and troubled the hosts of the Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavy Just one look from our God. Remember that. And he did it with a purpose. What's this purpose? So that the Egyptians said, remember verse 18, of His glory and the salvation of His people.

He's a jealous God and everyone must stand before Him eventually. And the Lord said to Moses, stretch out thine hand over the sea. Again, apply faith in the gospel to the situation and the purpose that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen, complete gospel condemnation upon all the enemies of God, all the enemies of his church, and all just caught in their own snare. Psalm 9, 16 says, the Lord is known by the judgment which he executes. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared and the Egyptians fled against it and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. God frustrates their endeavors.

He brings them undone and often he does it before our very eyes in this world. And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the hosts of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Every enemy that attacks God and attacks his people, every single enemy will be dealt with and there remained not so much as one of them. Is there any problem too big for our God? Angus said it last week, Egypt's a superpower. Is there any problem too big for our God? Pharaoh and his army and his weapons and all his hosts, all his minions, completely destroyed just as our God had promised.

And this is the other part of the contrast. The children, through the power of God. But the children of Israel walked. They didn't run, they walked. Now they were walking by faith. They walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, on that rock that's higher than ice, Psalm 61. And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.

A viewing window, but so much more. An invisible and very, very effective restraint against the world we pass through. And here's our greatest Ebenezer in this whole amazing event. And it's the greatest purpose, you know, for all our sufferings. Verse 30.

Thus the Lord saved Israel that day. These promises are fresh, aren't they? New mercies every day, just like that manor. That day, out of the hand of the Egyptians, and we know they represent every enemy of God, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. Again, another promise for that day. And Israel saw that great work, which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, And what an amazing result in a believer.

And the people feared the Lord. They had reference for their God. And they believed the Lord. They had faith in the victory of their Lord. And they believed his servant, Moses. Moses, like David, often represents Christ and the opposite often. represents a believer, but he represents a preacher, a messenger as well, someone who brings the good news of the gospel. Believe him because of what God's done in your heart. Believe his messengers, believe his gospel, believe him and fear him.

And do you see the whole time our God was growing these people Every single enemy can only ever serve his purposes, both in his church and in all things in this world. Every single thing in this world, big or small, it's all too big for us. We have many, many enemies without us and we have just as many and more effective ones within us. It's promised to every believer, and it's promised to every faithful church. So it's been promised to every one of us. These words are words for us today, because while today's enemies are already being sorted out by our God, there's plenty more persecution promised for tomorrow. But that means there's also more lessons, and there's also more to these wonderful Ebenezer's promise to us tomorrow.

Our church has the most incredible history of our God's gracious and tender care throughout the years. We've had some 20 years of being taught personally and collectively one thing, to simply rest in our God by faith, May our gracious God give and grow our faith.

May he cause us to view our lives in this world in light of the gospel of his son, our victorious Lord Jesus Christ. And may he give us the grace to see his great salvation daily in all things. and that we might just simply glorify Him by praising Him for His grace in our lives. Amen. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, You're the only one that can make these words resound in our hearts and cause them to be known of us spiritually. to comfort us even when we can't see what's going on around us. Father, the truth is you show us that we can't see anything that's going on around us with any true ability, any true wisdom, and we certainly don't have the strength to act on those things that we did.

Father, we are vulnerable, and you've made us such, and you've made us such to get glory and honor for yourself. Father, may we just continue to be people that love your gospel, Love it because we've experienced it. Love it because we're still experiencing it daily. Love it because we know just how amazingly hopeless we are and how amazingly effective and wonderful you are.

Father, you've saved your people from eternity. This whole world seems to be a battle of just walking by faith in that one truth. But Father, I thank you that it's not us that fight, it's you that fights for your people. The battle is yours, Heavenly Father, and it was won from eternity.

So please, please impress it upon our hearts. And whatever comes, Heavenly Father, we've promised trials, and who knows what'll come today, this afternoon, next week. But I thank you, Father, that today, You have dealt with every one of our enemies. You'll cause us to see that, and that you've promised that you've dealt from eternity with every one of our enemies. Father, make us to believe it, please. We pray in the name of your glorious son, your victorious, our victorious saviour, our great captain, our Lord Jesus Christ, and always, Father, our prayers are for your glory.