He IS BIG Enough!

Sermon Summary:

Have you ever felt a surge of joy and connection when your voice joined a chorus of others in song? There’s something undeniably powerful about communal singing, especially when it’s done to honor the divine. On our latest episode, we journey back to the time of the Israelites, celebrating their deliverance with a song of gratitude just as Moses and Miriam did. Weaving through the narrative of Exodus 15, we discover the importance of raising our voices together for God’s glory, and how this ancient practice remains pivotal in expressing our faith today. From the scriptural call to sing psalms and hymns, to the humor in my own off-key musings, we uncover the deep spiritual connections and communal bonds formed through worship in song.

As we browse through the endless sea of worship music on platforms like Spotify, it’s evident that the tradition of hymnody is not just a relic of the past but a living, thriving form of praise. The episode takes a turn exploring the timeless impact of hymn singing on personal beliefs, even as we chuckle over the quirky reality that not all of us can hold a tune—even in our heads. Yet, we’re reminded that the power of music in worship transcends perfect pitch, inviting every voice to proclaim the message of Christ. Concluding with a heartfelt prayer, we extend an invitation to all—vocal virtuosos and shower singers alike—to participate in the eternal chorus of worship, celebrating the song of redemption that echoes beyond our earthly realm. Join us for this melodious exploration of faith, unity, and the transformative power of singing together.

Watch The Service Here

Sermon Points:

• Exodus 15: The Song of Moses/The Song of Miriam/The Song of the Sea

  “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs form the Spirit, sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

  -Colossians 3:16

• Worship through singing is a tangible way we can respond to Who God is, what He has done, what He is doing, and/or what He will do.

• “It is not too much, I am sure, to expect the church’s worship of God to be thoughtful, biblical, and awe-inspiring. Our natural tendence throughout the week is to focus on ourselves. This should not be the case for Christians when we gather together in order to worship God; rather, we should make a decided effort to turn from ourselves and toward him who is truly worthy not just of our attention but of our adoration . . . We do not sing in worship to reflect our moods any more than our sermons and Sunday school lessons should reflect our pet theories on the gospel. Rather, quite bluntly, we sing in an effort to take us away from what we think and draw us toward what we ought to think, feel, experience. We sing to create a mood more than to reflect one.

  Peter Enns, The NIV Application Commentary: Exodus

• Our worship must be content rich!

• Message of the Song of Moses

  • Praise for what Yahweh has done: He has defeated the Egyptians and delivered Israel!

  • Praise for what Yahweh will do: He will deliver Israel into the Promised Land!

• Our God is big enough for whatever you are facing!

• Footnote: Revelation 15:3 – We will hear the Song of Moses in Heaven!

Download a copy of the “Together in God’s Glory” Devotional Book – HERE

Key Takeaways:

• The sermon begins with a reflection on the story of the Israelites in Exodus 15, where Moses and Miriam lead a song of gratitude to God after crossing the Red Sea, highlighting the theme of coming together for God’s glory.
• It discusses the profound connection between faith and music, noting the importance of hymn singing in both personal spiritual practice and in the historical context of early Christian worship.
• The sermon addresses the idea that the power of music in worship transcends perfect pitch, allowing everyone to join in praising God, regardless of musical ability.
• A heartfelt prayer is included, inviting all listeners to participate in the eternal chorus of worship.

Watch other Sermons Here

Scripture References:

• Exodus 15, where Moses and the Israelites sing a song of deliverance and praise to God.
• Colossians 3:16, which encourages believers to let the message of Christ dwell among them richly and to sing to God with gratitude in their hearts.
• Revelation 15, which describes the redeemed singing the song of Moses and the Lamb in heaven.

Stories:

• The sermon shares personal anecdotes about the importance of hymns in the speaker’s own spiritual life, even when sung off-key.
• It references the vast number of worship songs available on modern platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, emphasizing the living tradition of hymnody.
• The speaker mentions early Christian practices as described by Pliny the Younger, showing the historical role of hymn singing in Christian gatherings.
• The story of the Israelites’ deliverance and the song of Moses serves as a central illustration of the sermon, showcasing the transformative power of worship in song throughout history.

Transcript

Well, as you know, our theme for this year at First Baptist Arlington is together, and we are continuing to just walk through this year together, as we’re learning more about what the Bible teaches us, about being together as a people of God and what we experience in our community. And the children of Israel were called by God for God’s glory, so our theme for the spring is together for God’s glory, as we are exploring the book of Exodus. And God called Israel out of Egypt to make their way into his presence, for his glory is what he said to them. And so we’re continuing to walk through their story. And today, as Aaron has said, our text for today is Exodus 15. And I’ve entitled the message he is Big Enough, and so let’s look at that text. Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver, he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense. He has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise him, my father’s God and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name, pharaoh’s chariots and his army. He has hurled into the sea, it says the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty, you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger and consumed them like stubble. By the blast of your nostrils, the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall, the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy boasted I will pursue, I will overtake them, I will divide the spoils, I will gorge myself on them, I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them. But you blew with your breath and the sea covered them and they sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who among the gods is like you, lord? Who is like you? Majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretch out your right hand and the earth swallows your enemies. In your unfailing love, you will lead the people you have redeemed In your strength. You will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble. Anguish will grip the people of Philistia. The chiefs of Edom will be terrified. The leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling. The people of Canaan will melt away. Terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of your arm, they will be as still as a stone until your people pass by, lord, until the people you bought pass by. You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance, the place, lord, you made for your dwelling. The sanctuary Lord, your hands established your dwelling. The sanctuary, lord, your hands established. The Lord reigns forever and ever. Wow.

Well, as we’ve noticed if you look at your text, the NIV has a little note at the beginning of it. It refers to this as the song of Moses and Miriam. So Exodus 15 has been referred to that way, as the song of Moses, the song of Miriam. Some scholars simply refer to it as the song of the sea. Now, the 20, miriam’s name appears, aaron’s sister, moses’ sister, and she took a timbrel in her hand and all the women sang with her and they began this very song. You’ll notice it just repeats the beginning of the song of Moses Sing to the Lord. He’s highly exalted, both horse and driver. He’s hurled into the sea, and so it appears that once Moses began to sing this song, they sang it together, and then, evidently, miriam led the women who sang it together, and so it has been known as both the song of Moses and the song of Miriam. It’s a beautiful, powerful, poetic song.

It’s recorded for us right in the middle of this narrative, after God has delivered Israel from Egypt and he’s done so in an unmistakable way, in an unforgettable way, in a miraculous way, as we have read through the book of Exodus on Wednesdays, we’re through the book of Exodus on Wednesdays, we’re studying the book of Exodus in our pastor’s Bible study and we have watched the Lord dismantle the Egyptian worldview. That’s really what happens with the plagues God is dismantling the way the Egyptians view the world and view reality. He has taken on the various gods and goddesses of the Egyptians and has defeated all of them and has made it known that he is the only true God. And not only that, he has plundered the Egyptians as the Israelites leave with the plunder of Egypt, and then, through this incredible act, he defeats a portion of Pharaoh’s army for which, of course, the Israelites would have been no match. The Israelites had no chariots, they didn’t have trained divisions of soldiers, even though they divided themselves in those divisions. They were not known for their military prowess, they had been slaves, and so they were no match for Egypt. And so, moses, after this incredible intervention of God, where God parts the Red Sea, the Israelites walk across on dry ground and a portion of the army of Pharaoh is defeated, moses stops and sings. So it’s a beautiful story.

So what I’d like to do this morning, if we could, is just reflect for just a moment on the beauty and the power of song. Moses stopped and sang, miriam and the women sang as well, and we will find several examples in the Scripture where the people of God will stop and sing. And then, when you come to the New Testament, we are actually commanded to do that. Remember Colossians 3, verse 16. Let me remind you of this text where Paul says let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And so in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul tells the early church sing, sing the Psalms, sing the hymns, sing the songs from the Spirit, but sing to God with gratitude in your hearts, he says. And so the Psalms, of course, has been the worship manual for the people of God for centuries.

Poetry set to music Hymns. There were early Christian hymns that we know of Songs. All of these are expressions of God’s truth. So here’s what I’d say about singing Worship through singing is a tangible way that you and I can respond to who God is, to what he has done, what he is doing and or what he will do. Think about it. Thank you, lonnie, because that’s exactly what we do.

And here’s what I love about singing. You know, when you come to a church like ours and you get to a certain point in the service, I do all the talking, true, but if you think about it, if you’re agreeing with the sermon, you’re actually doing something in your spirit while the Word is being preached, but you also get the chance to sing, and when we sing, we’re all participating in something that matters. As a matter of fact, the Bible, over and over and over, commands us to do it. And you know I’m not a musician. Y’all Y’all know that I’m not a singer. You know here’s what’s funny about it know that I’m not a singer. You know here’s what’s funny about it I love to sing, even though I’m not any good at it, and so on my desk in my office at home, I have a hymnal, and you know, I grew up singing hymns in church.

Did any of y’all grow up that way? I grew up in a very traditional worship setting, and so these hymns are very meaningful to me and so I have a hymnal on my desk and so there are times when I’m in my office usually when nobody’s there but me and God and I will take my hymnal and I will sing these songs from the hymnal because they’re meaningful to me. And here’s what’s interesting y’all, I can’t sing very well and I don’t know, I don’t really understand it. My wife tells me sometimes that I sing off key and I sing on key and I change keys and all of those things, and I don’t know what any of that means, so I just keep singing. But what’s funny is at night, when it’s time when everything’s quiet in my mind. Many times what I do at night is I’m meditating as I’m going to sleep. I sing in my spirit, and what’s interesting is I still sing off key in my spirit. I don’t know why that is. It doesn’t sound any better in my mind than it does when I do it out loud. You would think that I could sing like an angel when I’m just imagining it, but for some reason I don’t hear my voice doing that. But I still do it. There’s just something about singing. Do you know?

Right now people use Spotify. They use Apple Music. Do y’all know that on Spotify and on Apple Music right now there are over 100 million songs? Yes, isn’t that crazy? I mean, if you were to just take the time to just pick 10 songs a day from Apple Music or Spotify that you just wanted to listen to and focus on and really think about the lyrics, just to listen to what right now is on Spotify would take you over 27,000 years. If you did that every day, that’s how many songs there are. We day, that’s how many songs there are. We don’t even know how many songs there are. I was looking at it this week. Some people estimate there are about 230 million songs that we know of.

New songs are being written every day, but in the Scripture we are challenged, admonished, encouraged, commanded to sing. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Psalm 96 says sing a new song to the Lord. Psalm 98.1, sing a song to the Lord. Psalm 40, verse 3, the Lord has put a new song in my mouth. James says in James 5, verse 13,. Sing songs of praise. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14, 15, I will sing my praise to God. In the book of Revelation, revelation 5, verse 3, says and they sang a new song to God. Revelation 14, verse 3,. The 144,000 sang a new song to God. And so there’s something about singing. God’s people sing. Do you know?

In the early church, as the church was growing across the ancient world, the Romans weren’t sure what to do with the Christians. There were disagreements among Roman leaders about how to respond to Christians, and so you had an emperor in Rome by the name of Trajan. There were disagreements among Roman leaders about how to respond to Christians, and so you had an emperor in Rome by the name of Trajan, and Trajan, around 111, 112, somewhere in there he received a letter from Pliny the Younger, who was the governor of what you and I might call a part of Asia Minor We’d call it Turkey today and Pliny was trying to figure out what to do with Christians. And he tells Trajan I have actually captured some Christians. As a matter of fact, here’s what he says about AD 112, or so. He says I’ve captured a couple of deaconesses.

This is AD 112, 112 deaconesses. So women deacons are y’all with me? We didn’t come up with that here, y’all you know. They’ve been around a long time. In fact, they go all the way back to the Bible. Imagine that.

But regardless, and here’s what Pliny says about them. He says we asked them what do y’all do? I mean, I’m giving the Alabama version. What do y’all do? What well he? I mean, I’m giving the Alabama version, what do y’all do? And here’s what he said about them. He said they gather on a fixed day and they sing hymns antiphonally to Christ, as if he were a God. So go all the way back to 112 or so and christians are singing hymns in worship to christ and declaring him to be god, and so we sing.

There are over 950 000 christian hymns that we know of. How many hymnals are there? I don’t know how many are there, aaron. Do you know how many hymnals are there? I don’t know how many are there, aaron? How many hymnals have we had just in your lifetime of being a minister of music? I mean, it’s just over and over and over. And now, on top of that, all the contemporary modern music that we have as well.

Think about all of the music that’s been written for the people of God. And the reason for it is is because we love to sing when Christians gather together. Think about it today. What is today? April, the, whatever? This is the 28th. How many million Christians are going to gather all over the world today and sing? They’re just going to do it, but we love to do it. It’s an opportunity for us to express our praise, our thanksgiving, to declare truth about God, and God’s always the audience, he’s the object of our worship. We offer up our music to Him, we sing to Him.

Let me read you this quote From Peter Enns. He’s written a commentary on the book of Exodus and he writes about this particular song in Exodus 15. And here’s his commentary. He has a lot to say about it, but here’s what he says, just a little excerpt I want to share with you. He says it is not too much, I’m sure, to expect the church’s worship of God to be thoughtful, biblical and awe-inspiring. Our natural tendency, it should say, throughout the week, is to focus on ourselves. This should not be the case for Christians when we gather in order to worship God. Rather, we should make a decided effort to turn from ourselves and turn toward Him, who’s truly worthy not just of our attention but of our adoration. I love this next section.

We do not sing in worship to reflect our moods any more than our sermons and Sunday school lessons should reflect our pet theories on the gospel. Rather, quite bluntly, we sing in an effort to take us away from what we think and draw us toward what we ought to think, feel and experience. We sing to create a mood more than to reflect one. What a powerful take, in my opinion, on worship, because if we all came in here every Sunday morning and just sang whatever mood we were in, I wonder what it’d be like. Can you imagine?

Because y’all know we all come in here in all different kind of moods and I agree with Dr Enns, we spend so much of our time during the week focused on ourselves and what we’re thinking and what we’re feeling and what we’re doing and what life is doing to us. Surely, when we come into the presence of God, we can be drawn beyond that and begin to focus our attention on who he is and what he’s doing, and to me, that’s exactly what happens to us in worship. I think that’s why Moses stopped and saying our worship must be content, rich. When you and I, as the people of God, are gathered together, we’re in God’s presence, we’re focused on God. Our prayers, our sermons, our readings, our music should be derived from the rich treasury of the presence, the purpose, the power and the person of God. God’s people pointed heavenward. That’s what worship is about in praise, not wrote, mere repetition. There’s nothing wrong with repetition, as long as it’s meaningful, but meaningful expressions of what God has done for us.

So, with that said, let’s just look quickly at this song, the song of Moses. What’s the message of the song of Moses? Well, first of all, he expresses praise for what Yahweh has done. He’s defeated the Egyptians and he’s delivered Israel. Look at, go back and look at this text if you still have your Bible open. He says I’m going to sing to the Lord. He has triumphed, he is highly exalted, putting that Hebrew phrase in English. He’s risen like a wave. And then Moses declares he’s my strength, he’s my defense, he’s my salvation Personal. He says, moses declares he’s my strength, he’s my defense, he’s my salvation Personal. He says he’s my God, I’m going to lift him up. He’s a warrior. And then, verses 4 through 11, he says here’s what he just did for us. Almost like he looks at Israel and says do y’all know what he’s just done for us? We had no chance against the Egyptians Zero, none, nada. We’re not even close, there is no match. And yet our God has defeated them right in front of us, and I love how he talks about. It’s a miracle. We had no hope, he says, and his right hand is majestic.

One of my favorite lines in this song is verse eight. With no effort from God, think about it. He says all you did was breathe, and the Red Sea parts it was just the breath of your. I mean, just like Moses was saying I breathe all the time, just with the breath of God. The waters parted. And the next thing, you know, we walk across on dry ground. Look at what God has done Effortless. Who is like you, god? You know we walk across on dry ground. Look at what God has done Effortless. Who is like you, god? He says there’s no one like you and I will honor you and recognize you for who you are. So then he moves on in the rest of this song and he praises Yahweh for what he will do. He will deliver them into the promised land. That’s what’s about to happen. He starts talking about in the future.

Look at verse 12. You stretch out your right hand and the earth swallows your enemies In your unfailing love. Hesed is the Hebrew word there. That word means mercy, faithfulness, covenant love. You’ve redeemed us and now you’re going to guide us to your holy dwelling. And the people that are living there in the promised land. They are going to know what’s happened and they’re going to know we serve the God who defeated the Egyptians. And it’s going to strike fear into their hearts because they’re not going to be able to serve as a match to you. And not only that, you’re going to lead us onward. You’re going to give us our own new mountain. We met you. We’re going to meet you on Mount Sinai. You’re going to give us another mountain. You’re going to have a sanctuary there. You’re going to dwell with us there forever. You reign forever.

In other words, moses is teaching the children of Israel the Exodus is about God, what God has done, what God is doing, what God will do, and that’s worth singing about. So, with that said, let me just say this to you today, because I have no idea what you’re dealing with today, but our God is big enough for whatever you’re facing Amen. So think about what you’re facing and I want you to reflect on God, what he’s already done, what he continues to do and what he will do, and let that contextualize whatever it is that you’re facing. Because, if you’re a Christian here this morning, let me remind you about what’s already happened, because the greatest challenge you will ever face in your life, if you’re a Christian, the greatest challenge you will ever face in your life you know what it is.

You were a slave to sin. You were darkened in your mind, you were completely separated from God, dead in your sin, without hope. You were the object of God’s wrath and you were destined for destruction and powerless to do anything about it. That is the greatest challenge you will ever face. But the Bible teaches us. But God, who’s rich in mercy, has sent his son to deliver you and he has paid your debt and he has cleansed you of your sin and he has forgiven you for who you are and he has poured out his grace on you and he has given you new birth to a living hope and he has rescued you from yourself and he has redeemed you from your slavery and he’s prepared a place for an eternity. He’s defeated death on your behalf and he’s given you the gift of eternal life and the opportunity for an abundant life on this earth. And to guarantee that, through his spirit, he’s taken up residence in your very life to give you the spiritual arsenal you need to deal with whatever battle you’ve got to face. He’s already done all of that. So what I would say to you, with that said, our God is big enough to enable you right now to face whatever else you’ve got to face, regardless of what it is.

And so what is it you stand in need of today as a Christian, after he’s already done all of that? What do you need? Do you need forgiveness? Do you need strength? Do you need strength? Do you need wisdom? Do you need healing? Do you need hope? Do you need guidance? Do you need resiliency? Do you need resiliency? Do you need perseverance? Do you need a profound sense of his presence? Do you need ingenuity? Do you need adaptability? Do you need some dexterity right now, in complex scenarios? Do you need joy? Do you need resolution? Do you need to overcome an obstacle? Do I need to go on? What do you need?

Here’s what I want to make sure you and I know today, whatever it is you need, you are his child. He is your father. He’s not some distant deity off in the play Roma somewhere. He is your father and he’s paying attention to your life, and he has already performed the greatest miracle you will ever experience through your redemption, through the grace of his son, and if he will go to that much trouble to just accomplish that in your life, I am convinced he’s big enough right now for whatever you’re facing in your life if you will call upon him, seek him and surrender to his will, and then you know what you do when those kinds of things happen and you break through. You know what you do. You sing, that’s what you do. You sing, that’s what you do. You sing because you can’t help yourself, just like Moses.

Just a little footnote, y’all. Let me just read this to y’all. To be honest with you, I really never have given this a lot of thought, but just a footnote. Do you know that we’ll hear this song in heaven, revelation 15. But just a footnote. Do you know that we’ll hear this song in heaven, revelation 15, verse 1. I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign seven angels with the seven last plagues last, because with them god’s wrath is completed and I saw what looked like a sea of glass, glowing with fire and standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given to them by God.

And then Revelation 15 3 says and they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb. How about that? They sang the song of God’s servant Moses. Why would I be surprised that the redeemed of the ages would sing a song about redemption? That’s really what we’re going to do, and celebrate how God’s redemptive hand has been at work in our lives. And so I would say to you, church, even if you’re like me, keep singing. If you’re good at it, sing out loud so we can hear you, because it encourages the rest of us. But what I want you all to know is those of us who can’t sing, we can’t help ourselves. We’re going to keep singing Because God is still working. Praise his name. Let’s pray together.

Father, today we want to thank you for being our God. We wanna thank you, lord, for being a God who intervenes, who still is at work, who redeems, who rescues, who saves, who cleanses, a God who forgives, a God who graces, a God who demonstrates great power, a God who’s big enough. And we just want to thank you. And so right now, lord, within the sound of my voice, there are people facing all kinds of challenges, obstacles, roadblocks, brokenness, pain, or there it runs the gamut in the human experience. And so, as the pastor of these people, lord, I just lift these people to you, asking you to show yourself as God.

And I pray, lord, that as we experience you, as we begin to lift our eyes from our own situations, that even when we’re in the midst of whatever it is, just because of what you’ve already done, may we sing. And, lord, as we walk through victory, may we sing again. And as we peer into the future, knowing what you promised us, we’ll sing again. And as we peer into the future, knowing what you promised us, we’ll sing again. And it turns out in glory, we’ll keep singing. So we want to thank you for the gift of redemption and the beautiful miracle of your presence in our lives. So just make yourself known among your people today, and that’s my prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen. This morning I’m going to ask you to stand, if you would. We’re going to have a.