I AM: Your Deliverer

July 16, 2011

My notes from a sermon I heard entitled I AM: Your Deliverer. 

Psalm 71:2 - "In your righteousness deliver me."
Psalm 40:17 - "You are my hope and my deliverer."
The LORDS Prayer - "...deliver us from evil..."

#1 Question - When is God going to deliver me? Why the delay? You know what God has promised... so why the delay?

I AM: The LORD
     You can't know who you are until you know who God is.

I AM: Your Security
     God fills the gap between who I am and who I need to be.

I AM: Your Deliverer
     God delays your deliverance for very good reasons.

Before Deliverance

1) Circumstances must deteriorate for a greater victory

• Exodus 4 & 5 - God promised to deliver them but then things got worse for them
• Exodus 3:19 - God warned them this would happen
• Wait in faith! Everything God promised is coming!!
• It can't be what you want to happen—it is what God says
• Sometimes God delays for a greater victory
• God isn't just going to barely win. It will be done in a way that only He gets the glory and honor
• Don't take your cue by how things look

2) Doubts must cease for a greater victory

• God is making me spiritually fit to receive what He is already willing to do
• God is building us—He is "growing" you
• Exodus 6: I AM the LORD! I AM! I AM! I AM!
• God is showing who He really is
• Keep your eyes on Yahweh
• Exodus 3:18: God clearly tells Moses what to say but Moses didn't say it that way
• Partial obedience is disobedience
• He doubted and did it his way
• Any doubting must be driven out
• When Moses failed, he "turned" to the LORD
• God gave them

              People—I love my people
              Pharaoh—He's not what you think he is... I'm taking him down
              Plan—I am going to free my people

• Moses wasn't someone important. He was not a firstborn, he was just a regular guy but that doesn't matter. God is the I AM!
• It's not about you—it's about God!

3) Truth must prevail for a greater victory

• God is bringing down Pharaoh
• River turned to blood; frogs; lice; flies; pestilence; boils; hail; locusts; darkness; death
• Pharaoh was warned about some of the plagues
• Some plagues came without warning
• Pharaoh wants the frogs removed "tomorrow," he still wanted to be in control
• Deliverance was delayed so that depravity could be displayed
• It's not just about Moses—it was about Pharaoh too
• Romans 3:4; Romans 3:19
• Truth will prevail
• Right and wrong will be clearly established
• Truth is being demonstrated for a great victory
• Pharaoh lied after plagues. He would promise to let them go and then would revert to old ways.

4) Hearts must surrender for a greater victory

• Exodus 9: even after six plagues some still did not believe what Moses said would happen
• Only some of the Egyptians prepared for the 7th plague—hail
• Some people died because they wouldn't listen
• Pharaoh "appeared" to have a heart change
• His heart had not changed—it was more lies
• It can't be a surface change—it must be a heart change
• Don't push for early deliverance
• Let God's full work be done
• Wait on God
• When He wins it—it will be an awesome, permanent victory
• And He will win!  

5) In the end deliverance may not be for everyone

• Moses surrendered and went from bad place to good
• Pharaoh refused God and went from a bad place to a worse place
• Pharaoh hardened his heart
• Exodus 10:28
• God also hardened Pharaoh's heart
• While God is calling—submit!
• Don't wait until it is too late
• Pharaoh is in hell

Addendum: 4/25/15 ~ About a month ago as I was cleaning downstairs I saw the DVD for this sermon. I have not watched it since the first time we watched it in 2011. I put it in and sat down. Powerful, truthful, and impactful message. Now here it is about a month later, and I come across what I wrote about it in my journal back in 2011. The I AM is our Deliverer. My prayer is that HE will be the Deliverer for ALL of us and that ALL would surrender all. That is our hope and prayer. But I also know that I have no control over the actions of other's, and in the end—not everyone surrenders. We will wait on the LORD and we will trust HIM.

"For a greater victory." I am convinced that so much of what has happened these last seven years of dealing with "the storm" is for that exact reason— for a greater victory. The I AM has already protected us and delivered us in so many ways. When His final act happens in fulfilling the promises of Psalm 140 and Jeremiah 33, it will be so that ALL will know that HE is the LORD, HE is our Deliverer, and HE gets all the Glory and Honor—for a greater victory!

The I AM is our Deliverer. 

Psalm 140:6–8 -  "O LORD, our Lord, YOU are our God. Hear our cry for mercy.  O Sovereign Lord our strong Deliverer, do not grant the wicked their desires O Lord, do not let their plans succeed or they will become proud..."


Next Entry: Isaiah 2 – 4