Tell Them to Go Forward, Lift Up Your Staff and Stretch Out Your Hand Over the Sea – Exodus 14:15-16
Tell Them to Go Forward,
Lift Up Your Staff and Stretch Out Your
Hand Over the Sea
Exodus 14:15-16
The title of today’s sermon is from Exodus 14:15–16. Last year, we received miraculous grace from God, but we failed to repay what we received. Even so, do not let that grace pass by. Reclaim it and bring glory to God this coming year. May this new year be a truly remarkable, lifelong experience, and I pray in the name of the Lord that this new year will be filled with such unparalleled moments. Now, the saints of Pyungkang Cheil Church, the Assembly of Jacob, have left behind a year full of many events and have stood in the Moriah sanctuary to welcome a bright new morning beyond the horizon. Standing on faith, our only earnest desire is to welcome Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness. However, the new year morning of hope and blessing does not come automatically to everyone. As time flows on, when we do not abandon the grace we have continually received, but welcome and understand it through the Word that God gives, faith is born through God’s sovereign grace. Only those who welcome the new year with this faith will experience a year of new hope and happiness, a year of prosperity where wishes come true. There will not be a household where one family member experiences joy while another member suffers, but a work in which the entire family tastes joy together. I first bless you with this in the name of the Lord.
The title of today’s sermon is from Exodus 14:15–16. Last year, we received miraculous grace from God, but we failed to repay what we received. Even so, do not let that grace pass by. Reclaim it and bring glory to God this coming year. May this new year be a truly remarkable, lifelong experience, and I pray in the name of the Lord that this new year will be filled with such unparalleled moments. Now, the saints of Pyungkang Cheil Church, the Assembly of Jacob, have left behind a year full of many events and have stood in the Moriah sanctuary to welcome a bright new morning beyond the horizon. Standing on faith, our only earnest desire is to welcome Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness. However, the new year morning of hope and blessing does not come automatically to everyone. As time flows on, when we do not abandon the grace we have continually received, but welcome and understand it through the Word that God gives, faith is born through God’s sovereign grace. Only those who welcome the new year with this faith will experience a year of new hope and happiness, a year of prosperity where wishes come true. There will not be a household where one family member experiences joy while another member suffers, but a work in which the entire family tastes joy together. I first bless you with this in the name of the Lord.
their child onto a path of death? There is no such parent. Then would God, whose mercy and compassion are without limit, lead the people of Israel onto the Red Sea road in order to kill them? Scripture says in Exodus 14:18 that God would gain glory through Egypt.
Exodus 14:18 “Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”
Welcoming the new year doesn’t mean that the road ahead of us will be smooth and favorable. Even if someone has believed in Jesus for many decades, if they have no experience of faith and have not realized the living reality of God, they are quick to complain when their own business, promotion, or sense of personal security are threatened. When Moses, feeling distressed, fell down to pray, God spoke urgently and said, “Moses! Are you just lying there praying? Get up!” This is exactly what the Scripture passage says.
The Sin of Thinking of Egypt
The people of Israel complained against Moses. They said, “When we were in Egypt, we ate cabbage, green onions, garlic, radishes, watermelons, and squash, but now we have nothing but manna.” These were people of no faith. Did Moses deceive and manipulate the people of Israel to leave Egypt? Behind it all was God. Yet the people of Israel thought that Moses had led them out of Egypt by his own doing, and they complained against him. Their delusion was profound. They committed the sin of thinking about Egypt (Exod 14:12).
Exodus 14:12 “Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
They are committing a great sin before God by thinking about Egypt—the dead past, the past of unbelief, the past of slavery, the flesh- filled past. It is a sin that binds us to ourselves and ultimately leads to our own destruction. Thinking they would die immediately, the Israelites spoke reckless words, bringing about their own destruction. When people curse leaders in every institution, speak badly of elders, or sit in God’s place to criticize, they only bring harm upon themselves. Now, as we welcome the new year, we must burn away everything that still reeks of the flesh up to this day, with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Go Forward Holding the Staff of God
Beloved saints, the staff in Moses’ hand was not his own. It was the staff of God. In Exodus 4:20, God told Moses to go into Egypt not with his own staff, but with the staff of God. How firmly are you holding the staff of God’s power in your right hand, and how much do you trust in it? God says, “Stretch it out.” God declared to the people of Israel that He would gain glory throughout the whole world (Exod 14:18) and make His name known forever. Then we must believe and obey. Why all the panic? When there is no faith, you see only water and never dry land. But when you step forward in faith, Scripture says it no longer looks like the Red Sea, but like dry ground. “Operation Red Sea” was God’s plan. That is why He said, “Stand still.” He said, “Do not shout or complain—stand still and see that I will fight for you.” God told the people of Israel that they would never see the Egyptian army again (Exod 14:13). Just as He said, they saw only the dead bodies of the Egyptian army (Exod 14:30). God was so urgent that He moved the angel of God from in front of Israel to behind them, and He also moved the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire behind them, separating and setting apart the chosen from the unchosen. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for.
This year will not be smooth sailing. The Red Sea will surely lie ahead. The question is whether we have the staff of God’s authority and power in our right hand. It is not my staff, but God’s staff. Please believe this. What a precious Word this is. No matter what you face this year, do not lose heart, but lift up the staff of God, look toward the Red Sea, and move forward. Only then will we live. God tells us not to be afraid. This word declares, “Be at peace! Take courage!” and testifies that God is the self-existent, living God.
God said to Moses, “Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.” May the senior pastor, all the ministers, the elders, and the entire congregation, hold the staff and go forward, without stopping, toward the unknown world. I bless in the name of the Lord that such a work will take place. That is the way to live. Worrying won’t solve anything. When we look at the Old and New Testaments, there is no word telling us to sit down and work. God says, “Stand.” He says, “Go.” He says, “Act.” These are God’s commands. Even when the sea is surging, He tells us to move forward. What the people of Israel must first remember is the God who carried out the great work of the Exodus. In all the land of Egypt, from the king’s firstborn to the firstborn of the poorest families, and even the firstborn of chickens, cattle, sheep, and pigs, every firstborn died. How could Pharaoh not let them go? This is not an old story. That God is our God. Each of us must lift up the mighty staff of God. There are many upsetting events in our families, people are deceived, and things are not going smoothly both at home and abroad. When we pray while carrying our families, our country, and our people in our hearts, please believe that the mighty staff of God’s authority is held in our right hand. When God said to Moses, “No matter what, hold up your staff, stand before the Red Sea, and stretch out your hand,” have faith that it is a command for us to move forward and not lose heart from our current position.
You Will Never, Ever, See the Egyp- tians Again
Please firmly believe that the Egyptians—the forces of darkness who become our enemies, block us, deceive us, and scheme against us—will not be able to break in. Exodus 14:13 aligns with verse 30.
Exodus 14:13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.”
Exodus 14:30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Is- rael saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
Why are you afraid in your hearts, thinking, “What if that person troubles me again?” or “What if someone else causes trouble?” Believe that God will fight for you. No matter what trials or suffering you face, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, do not look back, and please do not say that you will stop coming to church. Believe that when the church is at the center, individuals and families will receive blessing upon blessing, including material blessing, abundant blessings beyond measure (Ps 144:13).
Psalm 144:13 Let our garners be full, fur- nishing every kind of produce, And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thou- sands in our fields;
No matter how poor someone may be, isn’t there still at least one million won? If that one million becomes a thousandfold, it becomes one billion. If that one billion again becomes a thousandfold, how much would that be? And then ten thousandfold more. In this new year, may this be a year in which you firmly lay the foundation of faith to receive blessings upon blessings for generations to come. I bless this upon you in the name of the Lord.
You Only Need to Walk the Path God Commands
Whether it’s through a swamp, the Red Sea, or a smooth road, if God tells us to go, His purpose will be accomplished. We must go forward. We must not look to the left or the right. When Lot and his family were leaving Sodom and Gomorrah, they were told never to look back. But because Lot’s wife committed the sin of looking back, she died instantly. She remains a pillar of salt to this day, does she not? In the same way, we must believe in Jesus without ever looking back. Hebrews 10:38 says that if we shrink back, God is not pleased. Christianity is always about moving forward. We go on the path God desires and carry out what pleases Him. Out of the 365 days in a year, Sundays make up 52 weeks, and this is something we must never fail to keep.
Beloved Assembly of Jacob, spiritual army, Pyungkang saints! There are two paths set before us. One is the path that is in accordance with God’s will. The other is the path God does not desire—the path of our fleshly thoughts, our own will. No matter how impressive our own ideas may seem, we must not speak them. No matter how physically comfortable our path may be, we must not take it unless it is God’s will. When we look at the words of blessing God gave to the Assembly of Jacob (Deut 33:1+), we see the blessings of life without death, blessings of abundant wealth, blessings of harmony, blessings of helping others, and blessings where worry and anxiety disappear. I bless you in the name of the Lord that all of you will cross the Red Sea carrying these blessings. How precious is this Word! Even if the path God leads us to is harsh and difficult, we must not lose heart. If there is anyone whose faith has grown weak or is being tempted, pray for that person. Encourage them and hold on to them. Never sit together, agreeing with each other while tested, and falling into temptation together. Only the devil delights in that. Think how much that would grieve the heart of God.
In the new year, do not only ask for blessings, but do many good deeds. It is written that by doing so, you gain life (1 Tim 6:18–19). When you do many good deeds, God will surely give you the blessing of prosperity. Let us rely completely on God. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will receive the blessing of faithfully carrying out and completing the missions entrusted to you— for God’s church, which is His body, and for every family entrusted to you.
Let us move forward. Let us not just speak, but truly go forward with faith. Exodus 14:16 says, “the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land.” This dry ground was not the land of Pi-hahiroth. It was dry ground in the middle of the sea, land not normally visible. It was seawater, land never seen, never stepped on. When they went out holding the staff of God’s power, they saw and stepped on land they had never seen and never set foot on. Please believe that in the new year, such land surely exists for the saints of the Assembly of Jacob. Those who can step on dry ground in the middle of the sea are those who move forward, people of faith, people who never let go of the staff of God’s power; whether in joy or in suffering, whether eating or drinking, they hold on to it at all times. When they ate the Passover lamb, they were told to eat it with a staff in hand (Exod 12:11). How could they eat while holding a staff? Does that not carry meaning? In the new year, let’s march forward with faith! Scripture says that by faith they passed through the Red Sea as though on dry land (Heb 11:29). By faith! They crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry ground. Only people of faith get to witness this. Only people of faith will succeed. Please believe that only people of faith are able to see God’s work unfold.
Hebrews 11:29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
Did the unbelieving Egyptians see it through to the end? They were drowned when Moses, with his staff of power, called the wall of waters back together again. We are not people who are swept away by worldly trends and die without even being able to watch, like the Egyptian army. Rather, please believe that we are those who will witness the dead bodies of the Egyptian army. “The sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left” (Exodus 14:29). What an astonishing word this is. The wind blew and made the sea stand like walls. If the wind were strong enough to turn seawater into walls, the Israelites should have been blown away. But look at God’s miracle: the chosen people of Israel walked through the middle, and even with that indescribable wind blowing, they were not swept away but crossed with peace of mind. I believe that this year, all the unknown days we have yet to experience will become days for our Pyungkang Cheil Church and for the Republic of Korea. Beloved saints whom I truly love in the Lord, God has given us a new year. Without exception, we know that this year will bring the surging waves and winds of sin. But do not be afraid. Be at peace and be assured. We must never be afraid.
He Has Given Us the New Year as a Gift of Blessing
I bless you in the name of the Lord that, throughout this year, you will never be shaken, but will devote yourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord’s work and serve with all your heart. This year has been given to us as a blessing. More than the work of the flesh, we must pursue the spiritual work that pleases God. We must walk with the Lord, committing no sin before God or man, having nothing to be ashamed of before all creation. There, miracles of power will appear, victory will be found. When we give glory to God alone, I believe He will grant us the blessing of eternal life and health.
In this new year given to us as a gift, go forward with the staff of power, trusting that all matters that have not been resolved until now will be settled in the Lord. I believe that every household will have peace and joy, gladness, and success in all things. Above all, do not keep your distance from the Old and New Testament Scriptures that God gives, but keep them close. Pray before God and receive answers, taste the joy of coming to church, and may all of you prosper and be strengthened both spiritually and physically. I bless this upon you in the name of the Lord.
Let us offer up a prayer.
God, how much of Your great grace have we received over the past year? Yet we bore no fruit of thanksgiving before You in proportion to what we received, and we failed to repay Your grace as we should. Please forgive all these sins. As we welcome the new year, do not let us discard the grace we have received, but help us gather it all again and accomplish everything through a blessed work.
May we not let go of the staff of Your power, the staff of authority, the staff that reveals signs and wonders. May we hold it firmly in our right hand. Whenever we face any situation, may we hold fast to the staff of Your power and authority, and go forward in the faith that matters will be resolved one by one.
Above all, each person must have their own faith and have peace in their heart. When each person finds peace, the entire family finds peace. Please grant the blessing of health so that the husband’s health, the wife’s health, the children’s health, and all possessions may be managed without sickness. Please allow Pyungkang, as well as every single branch church across the nation and overseas, to receive the same grace. Grant us the blessing of Deuteronomy 33:6, “Live and do not die.”
In this new year, prevent anyone from leaving our side, and please protect us and lead us on the good path, the road to life. When you call us to move forward, may we all say “Amen” and move forward with faith, without doubt. Once again, in the name of the Lord, we earnestly pray and ask for this. On this first day of the new year, all the saints have set aside their busy affairs and have come out before You; please remember them, and let things be accomplished just as they prayed, just as they set their hearts, and just as they acted in faith.
This year, we will not let it be taken away by others. Please bless it so that it may come upon the Assembly of Jacob of Pyungkang Cheil Church.
As we pray and ask all these things, we offer this prayer of thanksgiving in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
January 1, 1994 (Sat) New Year’s Service
Sermon by Rev. Abraham Park
- 26년 1월호