VIDEO CLIP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq65aAYCHOw (copy / paste in address bar).
Sometimes in life we just feel stuck. Stuck in debt, stuck in grief, stuck in failure, stuck in a job we hate, stuck in a bad relationship, stuck in sin, stuck, stuck, stuck!
Sometimes we are stuck like the people in the clip. While the clip makes us snicker, the whole concept is absurd! Those people were stuck only in their mind and bound by a persuasion of helplessness.
Often God’s people acted as foolishly during their history. During the Exodus from Egypt, the Hebrews came to a stopping point. Because Pharaoh decided to chase the fleeing people, they were caught between the devil and the deep red sea
Read with me. “As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, ‘Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? 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.’ 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. The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.’ Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.’” Exodus 14:10-15 (NASB). Then, as you know, the Lord caused a powerful wind to divide the sea and the people walked through the gully with walls of sea water.
So, when that escalator stops and you feel stuck and helpless, let me encourage you.
I. DON’T PANIC:
A. “As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, ‘Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?”
1. What did they think?
a. That they didn’t matter to the Lord?
b. That He was unaware of the peril?
c. That He who had demonstrated His infinite power would with indifferent weakness let them die?
2. The problem was, and, at times, is, that
a. The danger seems to dominate the moment.
b. The focus is on the terror more than on trust.
c. The depth of faith in the care and power of God diminishes as the threat increases.
B. What is the Pharaoh pressing in on you?
1. A rocky marriage?
2. Declining health?
3. Burdensome debt?
4. Fear of Covid-19?
5. A lousy, boring, underpaying job with a tyrant boss?
6. The corruption of morality and ethics obvious at all levels and aspects of the world?
C. The disciples panicked
1. When they were in a storm on the sea.
2. When Jesus was betrayed and Arrested in Gethsemane.
3. When Jesus died on the cross and they went into hiding for fear of the Jews.
D. Do not panic!
1. Pharaoh might be behind you advancing relentlessly, and you are seemingly stuck.
2. But the Lord and His Moses are there on your side.
3. The sea will part if we cry out to the Lord in faith, though it be weak and shaky.
4. When we feel stuck, hopeless and helpless, though sometimes help seems slow in coming, in His time and way, the Lord will show up.
5. Panic is not going to help.
a. It stampedes us into making rash, unwise decisions.
b. It paralyzes us into immobility and inaction.
c. It saps us of strength and turns our legs into jelly.
d. It bypasses the mind and runs on emotions.
e. It prevents positive action to solving the threatening problem.
E. Larry Crabb tells this story from his childhood. When he was 3 years old, he decided that he could use the bathroom without anyone’s help. So he climbed the stairs, closed and locked the door and felt very self-sufficient.
Then when he wanted to leave. He couldn’t unlock the door. He tried with every ounce of his strength, but he couldn’t do it, so he panicked. He said he thought, "I might spend the rest of my life in this bathroom."
His parents heard him hollering. "Are you okay?" his Mother shouted through the door she couldn’t open from the outside. "Did you fall?” "I can’t unlock the door!" he yelled. "Get me out!”
His Dad raced down the stairs, got a ladder, leaned it against the house beneath the bathroom window. He pried it open, then climbed into the room, turned the lock and opened the door.”
Now, it might seem reasonable for a 3 year old to panic when locked in, it is not reasonable to people of faith. Larry cried out for help, as did the Hebrews.
The people on that escalator also cried out for help. But, unlike the Hebrews who cried out to the Lord when they desperately needed it, they cried for someone to help them when they didn’t need help at all.
Don’t fear, God is near, so cry out to Him.
II. DON’T PASS THE BUCK:
A. The victims on the elevator wanted to pass the buck to someone else to get them off the escalator and called out to “anybody out there.” It didn’t matter who, just “somebody DO SOMETHING!”
1. What were they supposed to do? Carry them off the escalator? “Here, hop on and I’ll piggy-back you to safety!”
2. They didn’t want to wait for someone to repair it, they just wanted someone, anyone, to get them off of it and pronto.
B. Sometimes we cry out to someone who can’t help us. But it is good and it is wise to cry out to The Lord at any time, from any place, for any reason.
1. We are urged to cast all our worries ands anxieties onto Him because He cares for us!
2. But we are never told to put our responsibility on Him or on others.
3. God will carry our burdens, but we must carry our own responsibilities.
C. God is the Burden Bearer and we are to be burden bearers as well.
1. Paul wrote, “Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.” Galatians 6:2-5 (NASB).
2. “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Galatians 6:9-10 (NASB).
3. We are told, “Bear one another’s burdens” and “each one will bear his own load.” There is no contradiction here.
a. The word “burden” means “a heavy load.”
(1) It might be grief and sorrow, so weep with those who weep.
(2) It might be sickness, so help with meals, transportation, and childcare.
(3) it might be loneliness and rejection, so reach out in friendship and inclusion.
(4) it might be anxiety and depression, so bring hope and compassion.
b. The word “load” means “task or responsibility.” We are not to carry responsibilities for others but each must carry their own..
(1) We are responsible to provide for self and family when we are capable.
(2) We are responsible to serve the Lord in any way He calls and enables us.
(3) We are responsible to observe the laws of the land unless they clearly contradict God’s commands.
(4) We are responsible to influence our children, neighbors and others for Jesus.
D. The point is, do what it falls to you to do and don’t put it off.
1. Don’t expect others to get you off a stuck escalator unless you have a broken leg. Otherwise, that is your responsibility!
2. Paul declared that, “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 (NASB).
E. Tom Sawyer was a master of shirking responsibility. On Saturday morning, Aunt Polly sent him out to whitewash the fence. A friend passed by, and Tom tried to get him to do the whitewashing in return for a “white alley,” a kind of marble. Jim almost agreed, but Aunt Polly appeared and chased him off, leaving Tom alone with his labor.
A little while later, Ben, another friend, came by. Tom changed tactics and persuaded him that whitewashing a fence is great privilege, and after some bargaining, Ben agreed to give Tom his apple in exchange for the opportunity to work on the fence. Over the course of the day, every boy who passed ended up whitewashing the fence, and each one paid Tom something for the privilege. By the time the fence got three coats, Tom had collected a hoard of treasures. Tom realized that all it takes to make someone want something is to make that thing hard to get. But, by all rights, he should have fulfilled his own responsibility instead of conning others to do it.
And the people on the escalator were responsible to get off the thing rather than wanting someone else to do it for them. It should have been obvious what to do.
When it is obvious what we are to do,
III. DON’T PUT OFF DOING WHAT YOU CAN DO:
A. Just walk off the escalator! You can do all things for which God empowers you.
1. Leave to God what you cannot do, but do what is in your power to do.
2. In other words:
a. If you need to lose weight, quit eating Snickers bars, ask God for help but don’t ask God to cancel the calories.
b. If you need to clean up your mind, avoid certain web sites, TV shows, movies, magazines and books. Ask, “Would I invite Jesus to do this with me?” If not, avoid it.
c. If you need a job, hit every place in town with a “Now Hiring” or “Help Wanted” sign. A low paying job is better than zero income.
d. If you have a besetting sin, avoid places, and people, that stimulate the temptation.
e. If you need to break a bad habit, set goals for overcoming it and define tactics of fulfilling the goals.
B. The Hebrews did what was in their power to do as Pharaoh closed in on them:
1. They cried out to the Lord.
2. They stood fast where they were.
a. They didn’t try to swim across the sea.
b. They didn’t try to build a boat or a bridge.
c. They didn’t run around in aimless circles crying about their certain doom. “We’re gonna die! We’re all gonna die, all because of you, Moses you blockhead!”
3. When the water parted, they picked up their baggage and walked through on dry land. They hadn’t seen that coming!
C. When we seem to be stuck, and when we cry out to the Lord, He will answer, but He may answer in a way we don’t expect. There are at least 5 answers to prayer
1. “Yes, I will grant that.”
2. “No, that’s not My will for you.”
3. “Not Now. The time is not right and you are not ready for that yet.”
4. “Not in that way; I have something better for you.”
5. “That’s something you need to do, and can do, for yourself.”
D. Dividing the water was God’s part. The Hebrews’ part was
1. Trusting the Lord. Nobody could do that for them — it was what they had to do themselves.
2. Crying out to the Lord. That was something they could do for themselves.
3. Walking through on dry land. They could do that for themselves.
E. I knew two men about 40 years ago, both of whom needed a kick in the backside. They made their wives do for them what they could and should have done for themselves.
1. One of them made his wife lather and shave his face before he got out of bed. Too bad she didn’t shave off one eyebrow! I would not want an angry woman with a razor that close to my throat.
2. The other fellow would snap his fingers and demand a cup of coffee or a snack at his whim. If she was taking care of the kids it didn’t matter; if she was vacuuming, it didn’t matter; if she was sitting down for a break, it didn’t matter. He made her do for him what he could have, should have done for himself.
With all that in mind, when you think you are stuck on an escalator, consider your options, cry out to the Lord and walk off the thing on which you think you are stuck. Maybe you are stuck in procrastination, or indecision, or hesitation to surrender to Jesus. It is all about realizing that we are stuck only to the degree we allow ourselves to be. We are free to choose to stay stuck or to walk off that escalator with Jesus.
We are all accountable to God for what we did or did not do with and for Jesus. This is a moment of decision and dedication. Nobody but you can take Him as your Lord and Savior. Only you can make your decision to repent and to be baptized. Only you can dedicate your life to Him.
Cry out to the Lord and don’t wait for someone else to do it for you — no! Do it for yourself. Come forward to bless us all with your decision or indicate your desire on a guest card or the form on the song sheet or grab me after the service. Prayer / song – I Surrender All
