Fellowship Church Grapevine stated that so when we’re at that dead end; when we’re seeing like there’s no way out, we’re in the glory zone. The glory zone. God’s getting ready to get glory.

So, again, God takes us to a place of desperation. We’re surrounded! We look ahead of us, to the right, to the left, behind us. We better look up, right? We’re surrounded. We’re desperate. We need to be dependent on God, to put both knees down. Then God will deliver us and he will play “Wipeout” on our past. And there are going to be many, many instances in our lives where God has to bring us to desperation to erase and to take care of the past that’s just like biting at our heels, if you feel me.

Exodus 14:4, “I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all of his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.’ So the Israelites did this.”

What happened? The sea parted, the Israelites walked on dry land, and when the Egyptians got in the middle of the dry land, the Red Sea, whoosh! “Wipeout!” And we’re still talking about that deliverance today! We’re still talking about that miracle today.

Look at Exodus 14. Right before they crossed the Red Sea, Moses was giving them a pep talk. And he’s like, “Okay. Don’t be afraid.”

Ed Young Pastor says maybe you’re right before the miracle. Maybe you’re right before the deliverance. Maybe you’re in this dependence thing and this desperation thing. You’re right there, both knees are down, and you’re waiting. Moses says, “Don’t be afraid.”

What is fear? It’s false evidence appearing real. What is fear? The Bible says 365 times, “Fear not,” or the equivalent thereof. That’s a “Fear not” for every day of the year. Fear not!

And then the Bible says, “Stand firm.”

Moses says, “Stand firm. Just stand firm.”

“Moses, what are we supposed to do?”

“Stand firm.”

If I only would have listened first.”  To lecture or to listen.  Here is what the scripture says about lecturing, James 1:19-20.  I encourage you to read James 1 this afternoon.

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Fellowship Church Grapevine stated that let’s get a little bit deeper and read about this party that Matthew threw.  Luke 5:30 reads, “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”  They were saying that to Jesus.

I’ll never forget several years ago, I was teaching a Seminary class.  I asked all these preacher boys this question, “Hey, guys, name me the characteristics of Jesus.”  Oh, you would not believe the list. Ed Young  I was writing on the board answers like grace, mercy, wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords…all this stuff was great.  And we had around fifty different characteristics of Jesus.  I asked, “Is there anymore?”  They said, “No.”  I said, “You know what?  You’re missing probably the one phrase that a lot of people use almost more than any phrase to describe Jesus. You’re missing it.  I’ll give you one more chance.”  But no one answered me. So I said, “Friend of sinners.  Friend of sinners.”

Jesus was a friend of sinners.  Yeah, a friend of sinners.  He was chastised and criticized because he was hanging around with hell-raising and hell-bound people. He didn’t put himself in places that would cause compromise.  He was, though, getting out there and hanging with them.

The Pharisees asked him, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Luke 5:31-32: “Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’”

Ed Young Pastor says the holidays are coming up soon.  Yeah!  Thanksgiving and Christmas! I love the holidays.  We have a chance to throw parties with purposes, friends.  All of us do.  Do you have a purpose behind your party?  You should.  Your party should be all about going extreme and should be all about influence and all about extending an invitation.

It is a chapter written directly to men.  James 1:19-20 “…be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

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