What Must We Do To Have Victory

SERMON OUTLINE

• I. Victory Belongs To God
• II. Victory Is Gradual
• III. Victory Has No Room For Compromise

TRANSCRIPT

Our text for tonight’s message is taken from Exodus 23:20-33. At this point in time, the children of Israel were still in the wilderness, and they had not entered the Promised Land. And how could they enter the Promised Land? It all boils down to one person and how they should respond to that person. Look at verse 20, “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared”. In other words, this Angel — with a capital “A” — will be the one to lead them into the Promised Land.

The first thing we need to resolve is the identity of this Angel. There are several suggestions as to who this Angel was, and allow me to briefly share with you the different views and propose to you what is the right view, and why it is the right view. Firstly, some Bible scholars believe that this Angel was the cloud of glory, like “the pillar of cloud by day” and “the pillar of fire by night” (Exodus 13:21-22), and it would lead the children of Israel all the way from the wilderness into the Promised Land. However, a cloud is an object, whereas this Angel is described as a living person, because the next verse says, "You must obey His voice and provoke Him not." He could speak like a person, and He could be provoked as a person.

The second view is that this Angel was a human being, because the Hebrew word for "Angel" simply means "messenger." So some suggest that was Moses, who was a messenger of God. But we all know that Moses did not lead the people into the Promised Land; it was Joshua who did that. Therefore, there are others who suggest that it was Joshua, since he was the one who led the people to conquer the Promised Land. And furthermore, verse 21 says, "For My name is in Him," and they explain that "Joshua" is the Hebrew word for "Jesus." The third view is that this Angel was a guardian angel — and it would protect the Israelites on their way to Canaan — an angel like Gabriel or Michael.

When we study the following verses very carefully, we will realise that all these views are not possible. Why? Because this Angel was more than just an angel or a messenger. Look at verse 21 and 22, "Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries".

This Angel had the power to forgive or not forgive sins. This Angel was so closely identified with God that to listen to Him was to listen to God; to rebel against Him was to rebel against God. This Angel had the name of God. God's name is always more than just a name. His name represents who He is, His attributes and characteristics. So, this Angel had the characteristics and attributes of God. This Angel seemed to have infinite power, for He had the power to bring the people into the Promised Land despite all the adversities.

However, this Angel was distinguished from God Himself because God said, "Behold, I send an Angel before thee". God did not say, ‘I Myself will come to thee’. He will send this Angel before the people. Who in this world has the power to forgive sins and is so closely identified with God that to obey Him is to obey God; to rebel against Him is to rebel against God? Who has the name of God; has all the attributes and characteristics of God; has infinite power, and yet is distinguished from God the Father Himself? This is none other than the second person in the Trinity — the pre-incarnate Son of God — our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear friend, long before our Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He was already there at the Burning Bush; at the place where the water came out of the rock. He was there with the children of Israel, every step of the way from Egypt and into the Wilderness, and all the way to the Promised Land. He is the Alpha and the Omega. Our Lord Jesus was there at the beginning when God said, "Let us make man in our image". The words "us" and "our image" refer to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This was the same Jesus who said to His disciples, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). This is the same Jesus who is with us at every moment of our lives.

The children of Israel had been delivered from the bondage of Egypt, and they were on their way to the Promised Land. Along this pilgrimage journey, there would be enemies for them to conquer and trials for them to face. But as long as they trusted and obeyed this Angel, our Lord Jesus Christ, He would lead them all the way. Like in our previous messages, we want to draw spiritual lessons that we may apply into our lives.

Dear friend, are we not like the children of Israel? Like the Israelites who were delivered from the bondage of Egypt, you and I were delivered from the bondage of sin and death. They had crossed the Red Sea, and we have crossed from death to life through the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. They had not arrived at the Promised Land at this point in time; likewise, we have not arrived in our Promised Land, which is in heaven. Like the Israelites, the road ahead of us may be long and hard, and we must endure many trials. We must suffer many painful sorrows in our journey of faith.

But we have our Lord Jesus Christ, who will lead us to where we need to go. He will protect us from all the dangers along the way, and if we listen to His words, He will tell us everything we need to know. And in the end, He will lead us home to God. Do you believe that our Lord Jesus will not only save you but He will lead you all the way home to heaven to be with Him forever and ever? The title of our message is ‘What Must We Do to Have Victory’?

I. Victory Belongs To God

The first thing we need to understand is that victory belongs to God. In order for the children of Israel to enter the Promised Land, they had to first conquer the inhabitants of the land. This meant they had to drive the enemies out of the land. They were the enemies of God, and the victory was guaranteed because the Angel, our Lord Jesus, would be the One to give them the victory. Verse 23, "For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off."

This was a holy war in which God would do the fighting. The Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and the Jebusites were the inhabitants who lived in the land, and they were fighting amongst themselves for years. They were accustomed to fighting warfare; they were warriors, so to speak, unlike the children of Israel, who were once slaves working for the Egyptians. Humanly speaking, the Israelites would be ill-equipped and unprepared, and they would be afraid.

But notice the Bible says, “For mine Angel shall go with thee”, which means Christ would go before them. He will be the One to do the conquering; the handing over of the Promised Land. He will be the one to drive out the mighty inhabitants. When He did that, the enemies would be trembling with great fear. Look down to verse 27, "I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee”. Verse 28, "And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before thee." The enemies would panic, like the way people do when they get stung by the bees. First, they will be paralyzed with fear, and then they will run, and even as they ran, they will get stung.

Dear friend, our warfare is not physical but spiritual. This is one of the major differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament, but spiritual warfare can still be frightening. Some Christians are fearful of Satan and what he might do to them, but we ought not to be afraid because the Bible tells us that even when the demons think about God, they tremble. As James 2:19 says, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." Most certainly, they should, because who can stand against God? God has the power to destroy them with fire, and He has promised that one day soon, He will do it.

But that does not mean that the children of Israel could just sit and do nothing. They had to obey every word the Angel said as they marched into the Promised Land; only then will they have the victory. In a similar fashion, though God has promised to give us the victory — victory over sin and temptation; over the adversaries we face in the ministry; over the trials and struggles of life — but we must do something. You and I have to watch and pray. We have to study and obey God's Word. We have to trust in the power of the Lord and always look to Him, not elsewhere. And only then will we have the victory. Once we take our eyes away from God, that is when we will fail; that is when we will fall.

II. Victory Is Gradual

The second thing we need to understand is that victory is gradual. Verse 29-30, "I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little, I will drive thee out from before thee until thou be increased and inherit the land”. No doubt the Israelites would want the victory to come immediately. If possible, they wil want to march into the Promised Land in one day.

But that was not God's plan, and for a very practical reason because the Israelites were not ready to take full possession of the land. If the enemies were to be driven out immediately, the fields would grow well, the wild animals would take over, and the land would become desolate and barren. So God in His wisdom and mercy had ordained that the process of occupying the land would be progressive, in order for them to maintain complete control over the land, which was filled with milk and honey.

Eventually, the land will be theirs, but it will come little by little, step by step, as God would lead them into the Promised Land. As verse 31 says, "And I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee." This was a huge land, and God's promise was not fulfilled until the time of King Solomon, which would be centuries later when the Kingdom of Israel extended her boundaries to the whole region. You can read about that in 1 Kings 4:21. The victory did not come immediately but little by little. What can we learn from here about our Christian life? It is not always God's plan to give us immediate and total victory. Most of the time, the victory comes little by little.

Isn't it true that we would prefer victory immediately? We want to be sanctified right away rather than going through the process of sanctification. We want to be healed from our sicknesses right away rather than going through the process of prayers. Sometimes, we struggle with particular sins, and we wish God would just take them away, or we are tempted to give up and we wish God would just change the situation. But our God knows better, and He is working step by step, little by little, to make us holy.

Sometimes, we are frustrated with the ministry. We long to see more fruit. We desire to see the church grow immediately, or we want to serve but we do not want to figure out what gifts we have to serve God. We just want to serve, but God the Holy Spirit is working little by little to use us for a wider field of ministry. If God wanted, He could have taken us to glory right away after we believe in Him, but He has a better plan, and it is for our good and for His glory. He wants to work through our salvation so that, through our lives, He could save souls. Little by little, God is working out His purposes until all His people are saved, and God wants to use you and me.

Let's say the moment we want victory, we have victory; the moment we ask for it, we have it. What will become of us? Proud, right? And what would we learn? Nothing. God's delay in giving us victory is no delay at all. It is for our benefit. It is for our good, that we can learn to depend on Him in everything; to trust Him in a way that we never would; to build up our spiritual character so that we can be the person God wants us to be.

III. Victory Has No Room For Compromise

The last thing we want to understand is that when it comes to victory, there is no room for compromise. Verse 24, “Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images”. The children of Israel would be tempted to make peace with the Canaanites and to worship their gods, rather than taking the trouble to drive their enemies out of the land. It’ll be easier to live in peaceful coexistence. In so doing, perhaps the enemies would provide for all their needs, like the way the Egyptians did.

But God gave them a strong warning that they should not only drive out the Canaanites but they should also destroy all their idols. And God promised them that He would be the one to provide for all their needs. Verse 25-26, “And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young”, which means none shall suffer miscarriage, “nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil”. This does not mean that God's people will never get sick, or be hungry, or childless, or live up to an old age. Nor does it mean that those believers who are sick, hungry, childless, or die at a young age are disobedient.

These promises were given at a particular time in the Old Testament when God would use material blessings to teach His people spiritual truths. Therefore, we have to be careful not to apply these blessings in a literal sense but the spiritual principle still applies. Just as when the Israelites obeyed God and entered the Promised Land, they would enjoy all the material blessings, when you and I obey God, trust Him, and when we enter into heaven's glory, we will be delivered from sicknesses, pain, sorrows, hunger, and death. Essentially, obedience is the only pathway to blessing.

Verse 32, “Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods”. In ancient times, a covenant between nations was sealed with sacred rituals in which the people would sacrifice to their gods. So the Israelites could not possibly make a treaty with the Canaanites without in some way acknowledging their gods and compromising their faith. But they were not allowed to worship any other gods in any shape or form, so the command was given that they should make no covenant with the Canaanites. Remember, they were to drive the Canaanites out of the land.

But what if they failed to do so? What would happen to them? Verse 33, “They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee”. The problem with making peace with the Canaanites was that the longer they stayed around, the more likely the Israelites would be led astray. They would be like a snare to God's people; like a trap set for the animal or the bait set for the fish. Once they were hooked to it, it would be too late. True enough, the Israelites never totally got rid of the Canaanites, and you read throughout the history of the Israelites, they kept getting ensnared by those pagan gods again and again.

The lesson we can learn from here is that when it comes to sin and biblical separation, there is no room for compromise. We have to adopt a policy of zero tolerance. Recently, a young person asked me, "I know the Bible says we must not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, but can I not get close to an unbeliever?" He was referring to marriage, and then, "I will bring the unbeliever to church, and when she becomes a believer, then we will get married."

Firstly, he is presuming that she will become a believer, but what if she remains an unbeliever? Secondly, he is presuming that he is strong enough not to be influenced by her unbelief. Once the emotions are invested, it will be too late. Once they are unequally yoked together, it is impossible not to be influenced. It is not possible for him to not compromise his faith because he has done so at the very onset; he has disobeyed God's command. Rather than disobeying God's command, he should apply biblical separation.

A word of exhortation to all our young people: it is alright to make friends, we should make friends but we should always look at our unbelieving friends as people who need salvation, not people to be considered for marriage. It is always easier to be influenced than to influence, and we must bear that in mind.

This is the problem with many people. We tell ourselves that it is alright to indulge in a little sin; it is alright to look at pornography as long as we still got things under control; it is alright to drink a little bit of alcohol as long as we do not get drunk; it is alright to enjoy a little gossip here and there as long as it does not get out of hand. But a little sin is still a sin, no matter how trivial we think it is. These are the kinds of compromises that trap Christians every day, and inevitably, they will lead to greater sins.

Dear friend, what must we do to have victory? If you have forgotten whatever I’ve said, the first thing we must remember is that victory belongs to God, and the only way we can have victory is to obey His Word; is to hear His voice. Victory is gradual — do not be discouraged if you do not have victory immediately — God is working in you through His sovereign plan and purpose, little by little. Victory has no room for compromise. There are things in our lives we need to get rid of entirely, totally, and absolutely so as to remove any temptation. There are places we should not go to, things we should not see, friends we should not associate with, ideas we should not entertain, conversations we should not start, and desires we should not indulge in.

Are you able to recognise those things that you should get rid of entirely? If you and I claim to follow Jesus Christ and we profess that we love Him with all our hearts, then we need to get rid of everything and anything that can be a snare in our lives. Only when we do that can we have the victory that God has promised us. And we need to trust Him at every step of the way, and He will lead us all the way until we arrive home in heaven. We must believe Him. May the Lord help us.

Let us pray. Father in Heaven, indeed, as we study this portion of Scripture, we have learned how gracious Thou art. Thou has promised to bring the children of Israel into the land that Thou has prepared. And Thou has sent Thy Angel, our Lord Jesus Christ, the second person in the Triune God, to go before them. And the victory belongs to Thee. Our Lord Jesus is the One who does the conquering, the handing over of the land, and the driving out of the mighty inhabitants. But the children of Israel, they have to trust and obey His voice.

Just like all of us can have the victory in Christ, but we have to obey and trust in His Word. And Thou has given to us the Bible to give us the victory that Thou has promised, whether it is over sin and temptation, over the adversaries in the ministry, or over the trials and struggles in our lives. We must obey His voice. And, Lord, there are times when we feel so discouraged because we want victory immediately, right away. O Lord, this is how human we are. We cannot see things from Thy perspective and Thou has taught us the wonder-working of Thy purposes, that little by little Thou art working in each and every one of our lives, and we will have the victory, little by little, step by step, all the way until we see Thee face to face.

Thou has also taught us that there is no room for compromise if we want victory. There are things in our lives that we must get rid of entirely, totally, and absolutely because these things will be a snare unto us. It is always easier to be influenced than to influence. O Lord, help us that when it comes to sin and biblical separation, we need to adopt the policy of zero tolerance, as Thou has taught us in Thy precious Word. It is not possible for us to live out this truth unless the Spirit of God will help us. So, help us, O Lord, and grant to us the power to live such a life, so that all of us can have the victory that Thou has promised. We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

THE BOOK OF EXODUS

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

Exodus 1:1-7

From Prosperity to Persecution

From Prosperity to Persecution

Exodus 1:8-14

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

Exodus 1:15-21

The Faith of Jochebed

The Faith of Jochebed

Exodus 1:22-2:10

Moses in Egypt

Moses in Egypt

Exodus 2:11-15

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Exodus 2:16-25

Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses and the Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1-9

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

Exodus 3:10-15

Who Am I?

Who Am I?

Exodus 3:10-15

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

Exodus 3:16-22

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

Exodus 4:1-9

Send Someone Else

Send Someone Else

Exodus 4:10-17

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Exodus 4:18-20

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

Exodus 5:10-21

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

Exodus 5:22-6:5

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Exodus 6:6-12

Faithful or Unfaithful

Faithful or Unfaithful

Exodus 6:13-27

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

Exodus 6:28-7:7

The First Plague - The River of Blood

The First Plague - The River of Blood

Exodus 7:14-25

The Second Plague - The Frogs

The Second Plague - The Frogs

Exodus 8:1-15

The Third Plague

The Third Plague

Exodus 8:16-19

The Fourth Plague

The Fourth Plague

Exodus 8:20-32

The Fifth Plague

The Fifth Plague

Exodus 9:1-7

The Sixth Plague

The Sixth Plague

Exodus 9:8-12

The Seventh Plague

The Seventh Plague

Exodus 9:13-35

The Eighth Plague

The Eighth Plague

Exodus 10:1-20

The Tenth Plague

The Tenth Plague

Exodus 11:1-10

The First Passover

The First Passover

Exodus 12:1-13

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

Exodus 12:14-28

Departure From Egypt

Departure From Egypt

Exodus 12:29-42

This Do In Remembrance of Me

This Do In Remembrance of Me

Exodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12

Redemption and Consecration

Redemption and Consecration

Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Exodus 13:17-22

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Exodus 14:1-14

Crossing the Red Sea

Crossing the Red Sea

Exodus 14:15-31

The Song of Praise

The Song of Praise

Exodus 15:1-21

Will You Obey Or Not?

Will You Obey Or Not?

Exodus 15:22-27

The Danger of a Complaining Spirit

The Danger of a Complaining Spirit

Exodus 16:1-3

God’s Response to Israel’s Complaints

God’s Response to Israel’s Complaints

Exodus 16:1-10

The Test of Faith

The Test of Faith

Exodus 16:11-20

Lessons About the Sabbath

Lessons About the Sabbath

Exodus 16:21-36

Do Not Test God

Do Not Test God

Exodus 17:1-17

Lift Up Your Hands

Lift Up Your Hands

Exodus 17:8-16

The Blessedness of Reunion

The Blessedness of Reunion

Exodus 18:1-12

Why Do We Have Leaders?

Why Do We Have Leaders?

Exodus 18:13-27

I Will Carry You On Eagles’ Wings

I Will Carry You On Eagles’ Wings

Exodus 19:1-6

Approach God Fearlessly or Fearfully

Approach God Fearlessly or Fearfully

Exodus 19:7-15

God Reached Out And Spoke

God Reached Out And Spoke

Exodus 19:16-25

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods

Exodus 20:1-3

Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images

Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images

Exodus 20:4-6

Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s Name

Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s Name

Exodus 20:7

Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath Day

Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath Day

Exodus 20:8-11

Honour Thy Father And Thy Mother

Honour Thy Father And Thy Mother

Exodus 20:12

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Exodus 20:13

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

Exodus 20:14

Thou Shalt Not Steal

Thou Shalt Not Steal

Exodus 20:15

Thou Shalt Not Lie

Thou Shalt Not Lie

Exodus 20:16

Thou Shalt Not Covet

Thou Shalt Not Covet

Exodus 20:17

The Response To The Ten Commandments

The Response To The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:18-21

How God Wants Us To Worship Him

How God Wants Us To Worship Him

Exodus 20:22-26

Why Would God Allow Slavery?

Why Would God Allow Slavery?

Exodus 21:1-11

The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a life

The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a life

Exodus 21:12-17

The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eye

The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eye

Exodus 21:18-36

The Punishment Deters The Crime — property laws

The Punishment Deters The Crime — property laws

Exodus 22:1-15

The Character Of God

The Character Of God

Exodus 22:16-20

Reaching Out To The Down-And-Out

Reaching Out To The Down-And-Out

Exodus 22:21-24

The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of God

The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of God

Exodus 22:25-31

Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But Truth

Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But Truth

Exodus 23:1-9

Remember Who God Is

Remember Who God Is

Exodus 23:10-19

What Must We Do To Have Victory

What Must We Do To Have Victory

Exodus 23:20-33

How We Ought To Worship God

How We Ought To Worship God

Exodus 24:1-4, 7

On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?

On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?

Exodus 24:4-8

Responding to God’s Invitation

Responding to God’s Invitation

Exodus 24:9-18

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

Exodus 33:12-23