Carl Carnes (“Faith Over Fear” (Week 4) Fear NOT, For God…Exodus 14) 10-26-2025

The story of Israel at the Red Sea is a powerful reminder that true faith is not about having God as a part of our lives, but making Him the very center. When the Israelites faced an impossible situation—trapped between the Egyptian army and the sea—God’s supernatural presence and power became their only hope. This is the kind of dependence God desires from us: not a half-hearted trust, but a desperate, whole-hearted reliance that recognizes our own inability and His limitless ability. God’s command to “fear not” is not a suggestion, but an invitation to experience His power in ways we could never orchestrate ourselves.

God’s presence in Exodus 14 is revealed in His threefold nature: as Father commanding, as Spirit empowering, and as Protector manifesting in the pillar of fire and cloud. The same God who delivered Israel is alive and active today, working with the same intention—to glorify His name in and through our lives. Often, God leads us into situations that seem illogical or even hopeless, not to harm us, but to reveal His faithfulness and to draw us into deeper dependence on Him. Our natural instinct is to take control, to manipulate outcomes, or to retreat to what feels safe, but God calls us to surrender, to follow Him even when the path makes no sense.

The Israelites’ fear and desperation drove them to cry out to God, and it’s often in our own moments of helplessness that we finally turn to Him with sincerity. God does not despise our desperation; He uses it to humble us and to teach us to trust Him. Yet, He also calls us to move forward in obedience when He opens the way, not to remain paralyzed by fear or indecision. Spiritual growth comes as we repeatedly choose to trust and obey, even when we don’t see the outcome. God’s deliverance is not just about solving our immediate problems, but about transforming us into people who know Him, trust Him, and reflect His glory.

Ultimately, God’s intention is to exalt His name, not just in history, but in our individual lives. He invites us to be part of His story, to experience His power, and to walk in the confidence that comes from obedience and trust. The question is not whether God is able, but whether we are willing to surrender, to follow, and to let Him fight our battles.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Dependence on God is the Heart of Faith True faith is not about supplementing our own efforts with a little help from God, but about recognizing our complete inability and placing our full dependence on Him. Like Israel at the Red Sea, we are called to situations where only God can deliver, so that we might experience His supernatural presence and power. This kind of dependence is the soil in which real faith grows, and it is the only way to see God’s glory revealed in our lives. [01:28]
• 2. God’s Commands are Empowered by His Presence When God commands us to “fear not,” He is not asking us to do the impossible on our own. He never commands what He will not also empower us to do. The call to fearlessness is a call to trust in His sufficiency, knowing that He will provide the help, courage, and strength we need as we obey Him. [08:33]
• 3. Desperation is a Doorway to Deeper Relationship God often allows us to face circumstances that humble us and strip away our self-reliance. In our desperation, we are driven to cry out to Him with sincerity, and it is in these moments that we encounter His faithfulness most profoundly. Rather than despising our weakness, God uses it to draw us closer and to teach us to trust Him more deeply. [25:26]
• 4. Obedience Requires Movement, Not Just Prayer While crying out to God in desperation is essential, we are also called to act in obedience when He opens the way. Faith is not passive; it moves forward when God says “go,” even when the path seems impossible. Spiritual maturity is found in the rhythm of seeking God, listening for His direction, and stepping out in trust when He leads. [44:45]
• 5. God’s Intention is to Glorify His Name Through Us God’s ultimate purpose in our deliverance and growth is the exaltation of His name. He wants to display His power and faithfulness in our individual lives, not just for our benefit, but so that others might see and know Him. Our willingness to surrender, trust, and obey becomes the stage upon which God reveals His glory to the world. [19:13]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:28] - Faith Over Fear: The Red Sea Moment
• [02:56] - God’s Presence in Three Persons
• [04:14] - Fear Not: God’s Command and Promise
• [05:09] - Following Jesus: Sacrifice and Surrender
• [07:23] - The Heart God Desires
• [08:33] - Fear Not: A Command We Can Obey
• [10:42] - Facing the Impossible: Crossing the Water
• [13:12] - When God’s Directions Don’t Make Sense
• [15:01] - The Danger of a Hardened Heart
• [19:13] - God’s Intention: Exalting His Name
• [22:12] - God’s Faithfulness in Our Weakness
• [25:26] - Desperation and Crying Out to God
• [32:17] - Hopelessness vs. Hope in God
• [35:12] - God’s Complete Deliverance
• [39:26] - God Still Fights Our Battles
• [42:10] - Discipleship and Trusting God as Leaders
• [44:45] - Crying Out and Moving Forward
• [48:43] - Obedience, Confidence, and God’s Help
• [49:10] - Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

Exodus 14:10–16 (ESV) — 10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord.
11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?
12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘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.”
13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.
16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.”

Observation Questions

1. According to Exodus 14, what was the Israelites’ first reaction when they saw the Egyptian army approaching?
2. What specific command did God give to Moses and the Israelites when they were trapped at the Red Sea?
3. In the sermon, what did the pastor say about the threefold nature of God’s presence at the Red Sea? ([02:56])
4. What did Moses tell the people to do in response to their fear, and what did God promise to do for them?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God led the Israelites into a situation that seemed hopeless and illogical from a human perspective? ([13:12])
2. The pastor said, “Dependence on God is the heart of faith.” What does it look like to move from half-hearted trust to whole-hearted reliance on God? ([11:07])
3. How does desperation or helplessness become a doorway to a deeper relationship with God, according to the sermon? ([25:26])
4. What does it mean that “God’s commands are empowered by His presence,” especially in the context of the command to “fear not”? ([08:33])

Application Questions

1. The Israelites were tempted to go back to what was familiar, even if it meant slavery, rather than trust God in the unknown. Are there areas in your life where you are tempted to return to old habits or comfort zones instead of trusting God? What would it look like to surrender those areas? ([31:31])
2. The sermon emphasized that God sometimes leads us into situations that don’t make sense so He can show His faithfulness. Can you share a time when you felt “trapped” or out of options, and how God showed up for you? If you’re in that place now, what would it look like to trust Him? ([13:12])
3. The pastor said, “If you want to experience the power of God, you must cry out to Him in desperation.” What keeps you from being honest with God about your need or desperation? How can you practice crying out to Him this week? ([27:07])
4. God told Moses and the Israelites to move forward, not just to pray. Is there an area where you’ve been “stuck” in indecision or fear, waiting for God to act, but He’s actually calling you to take a step of obedience? What is one practical step you can take this week? ([44:45])
5. The sermon said, “God’s intention is to glorify His name through us.” How might your current struggle or situation be an opportunity for God to show His power and faithfulness to others? ([19:13])
6. The pastor challenged the church to make God the center, not just a part, of their lives. What is one area where you tend to keep God on the sidelines? What would it look like to put Him at the center in that area? ([05:35])
7. Moses had to act in faith before seeing the miracle. Is there something God is asking you to do that feels risky or impossible? What would it look like to trust Him and move forward, even if you don’t see the outcome yet? ([46:56])