Bulletins - Sunnyside First Baptist Church

Great Things
Hymn Of The Ages
How Great Thou Art
Exodus 12:1–13; 13:17–22; 14:1–31 ↔ Luke 8:22–25; 9:28–36
— My name is Pastor Jeff Pagel.
— Good morning welcome to first Baptist.
— Glad that you are here with us this morning.
— We are on a journey for the next several weeks.
— The title of the journey is from bondage to belonging.
— Specifically this week from fear to faith when God makes away.
— We’re gonna be looking at the scriptures this morning from the book of Exodus and the book of Luke.
I’d like to start this morning with a story
Illustration - “Suggesting We Go Forward”
—There’s a moment in Scripture we often rush past.
— It’s the moment after God has already saved His people, but before they feel safe.
— Israel is free. The blood has been applied. — The chains are gone.
— And yet they are standing at the edge of the Red Sea— — Pharaoh behind them, water in front of them.
— Freedom has led them somewhere frightening.
— And fear starts talking.
“We were better off back there.” “At least slavery was familiar.” “Why did God bring us out just to let us die?”
But here’s what hasn’t changed:
— God is still present. — The pillar still stands. — The God who brought them out has not moved.
Only their circumstances have.
And then God says something that feels almost unreasonable:
“Tell the people to go forward.”
Forward—without a visible path. Forward—before the water moves. Forward—before fear settles down.
That’s where faith actually begins.
Not when the sea parts. Not when the danger disappears. But when God’s people move based on who God is, not what they can see.
The same moment shows up in the Gospel of Luke.
The disciples panic in the storm. Jesus is with them. And after He calms the sea, He asks,
“Where is your faith?”
— Not do you have faith— but where did you place it when fear took over?
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Church, God does not always remove fear before He calls us forward.
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— In my message preparation I like to work from a “Central Question.”
— This is a question should capture the essence of the message
— It should also point us in the direction that leads directly back to God.
— Here is the question for this week…
CENTRAL QUESTION: What happens when fear collides with the faithfulness of God—and how are God’s people meant to respond?
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“Saved… Then Called Forward”
— There’s a pattern in Scripture we often miss because we rush to the miracle.
— God saves, and then He pauses.
— Exodus 12 is decisive. The blood is applied. — Judgment passes over. Israel belongs to God.
— But Exodus 13 and 14 feel unfinished.
— They are saved from the horrible edict from the Emperor
— yet they are afraid. Free, yet standing still.
Salvation does not instantly produce confidence.
— The Red Sea is not just about escape. It’s about who they will trust when fear rises.
— Pharaoh is behind them.
—Water in front of them. — And God says something that feels pressured and very premature:
“Tell the people to go forward.”
— Not after the sea parts. — Not when fear is gone. —But while fear is still loud.
Luke tells the same story in a different setting.
— The disciples are in the boat. — Jesus is with them. — The storm rises. — Fear takes over.
And when Jesus calms the sea, He asks,
“Where is your faith?”
— Not do you have faith— but where is it when fear shows up?
— Because faith is not proven after the storm. It is revealed in the storm.
— From Exodus to Luke, God’s pattern is consistent:
He saves first—by grace. He teaches trust—through fear. And then He calls His people forward—before the way is clear.
— So if today you feel saved but hesitant, — faithful but unsure, standing still because you can’t see the path—
— you’re not failing. You’re being formed.
— If you are a follower of Jesus you are saved… learning to trust…and invited to move forward.
— That’s how God has always made a way.
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— As we begin this morning… Let’s pray
Opening Prayer
Faithful God, as we open Your Word today, quiet our hearts and steady our faith. Meet us in our fears, teach us to trust You more deeply, and lead us forward in obedience.
We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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— Let’s get to the first of our 3 points
#1 Salvation unfolds as God “invites” and humanity “responds” in faith
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— The passage is Exodus 12 and the story is The Passover
— Our passage is from the Book of Exodus, Chapter 12, Verses 1-13
— Here is a summary if you are not familiar
— Exodus 12 records God’s decisive act of salvation for Israel.
— God establishes the Passover, providing a way for judgment to pass over His people through the blood of a lamb.
— Salvation begins with God’s gracious provision, but it unfolds as each household responds in faith by trusting God’s word and applying the blood.
— There are a couple of key verses that I want to spend some time on
— God’s provision begins in…
Exodus 12:3 “Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household.”
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Why it matters: — God provides the means of salvation.
— The rescue begins with God’s instruction and God’s gift.
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— The next verse from this passage I’d like to look at is…
Exodus 12:7 “ “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.”
— “lintel” - The beam that forms the upper part of the doorframe
— So they had Faith… and that Faith responds in action
— God has provided a way for the Jews to be saved… paint your doorposts
Why it matters: — The blood must be applied. Salvation is offered by God but received through obedient faith.
— In the New Testament, the blood that is needed comes from the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
— Jesus shed blood makes all the difference for us.——————————————————————————
— And finally, God’s Promise is secured
Exodus 12:13 “The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”
— God will respond to our efforts in coming close to him
— The people heard God and understood what was necessary for them to do… for salvation from certain death
Why it matters: — God responds to faith expressed in trust and obedience.
In the Passover, God provides the rescue, invites trust, and honors the response of faith—revealing that salvation is always God’s work, received by those who trust Him.
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— The blood on the doorposts does not mark moral superiority. It marks obedient trust.
— It’s not that “I” did it, I painted the doorframe with lambs blood.
— It’s that Jesus provided himself, poured out His blood all over humanity that we by faith can participate in that BY FAITH
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— Let’s move to Point #2
#2 GOD OFTEN LEADS HIS PEOPLE INTO PLACES THAT REQUIRE FAITH
— Our scripture is
Exodus 13:17–18 NLT
17 When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.
— God deliberately leads Israel away from the easy road… Why?
“Lest the people change their minds when they see war…”
— They will see the war, God knows that
— He is preparing His people… He is preparing us, to know that war of all kinds is coming… We must not back down when we see “war” we must stand on the faithfulness of God.
— Our “War” if you will
Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
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— Let’s look at Luke 8.
— Jesus calms the storm is the topic, I want to look at V.25
Luke 8:25 “25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?””
— Luke 8 records Jesus calming a violent storm while traveling with His disciples.
— As fear overwhelms them, the disciples cry out for help, even though Jesus is present in the boat.
— Jesus rebukes the wind and waves, revealing His divine authority over creation.
— He then asks, “Where is your faith?”
—not denying their fear, but redirecting their trust.
— The passage teaches that faith is not the absence of fear, but the confidence in who Jesus is and His presence with us when fears rise.
APPLICATIONS God often leads His people away from the easy road—not because He wants them afraid, but because He is forming a faith strong enough to stand when fear rises.
Fear reveals what we trust most.
Storms don’t create fear—they expose it.
God may lead us into uncomfortable spaces to deepen trust.
Growth often feels like instability before it feels like maturity.
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Point #3….
#3 GOD MAKES A WAY FORWARD, BUT WE MUST WALK THROUGH IT.
— God will lay out clearly the route and the fashion we are to use to get there
— BUT WE MUST WALK THROUGH IT!!!
— Our scripture is
Exodus 14:13 “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.”
— “Stand firm… and see the salvation of the Lord.”
— But then God says: “Tell the people of Israel to go forward.”
Faith begins by standing firm—but it matures by moving forward.
— I do want to look at a NT passage
— One in which Peter stepped out in Faith
Matthew 14:29 “He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.”
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— Of course Jesus knew that Peter would respond…
— The example for us is to listen carefully to Jesus, in prayer, in The Word, in discipleship, and then act accordingly.
APPLICATIONS: Where is God calling you to move forward? What fear is keeping you stationary?
Mission requires motion.
We must choose obedience over comfort.
Hope moves when God’s people move.
The Gospel advances through faithful steps.
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2026 Mission: HOPE 4 LV THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
Hope does not advance by standing still.
We step forward in faith
Speak the Gospel clearly
Trust God with outcomes
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Grace Driven Focus: Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb, our Deliverer, and the One who leads us safely through what we cannot cross on our own.
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— Let’s return to our Central Question from earlier
CENTRAL QUESTION: What happens when fear collides with the faithfulness of God—and how are God’s people meant to respond?
— So we have all been in situations where we are very afraid.
— I t might be “foxhole fear” the very next breath that you take may be your very last
— You may not even realize in the moment that you are feeling fear.
— In either of Those situation’s, our fears collide directly with the faithfulness of God.
God his clearly promised not to leave us nor forsake us.
— He will never leave us in a “fear-state” that leads us to doubting HIS faithfulness. .
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Closing
— What we’ve seen—again and again, from Exodus to Luke—is this:
— Fear does not mean God is absent. — Fear does not mean God has failed. — Fear does not mean the story is over.
— Fear is often the place where God is about to deepen faith.
— Israel feared at the Red Sea—but God had not moved. — The disciples feared in the storm—but Jesus was already in the boat. — In both cases, fear collided not with uncertainty, but with faithfulness.
— God’s people respond by standing firm— and then, when God speaks, by moving forward.
— Faith does not mean fear is gone. Faith means fear no longer gets the final word.
— And church, that matters for us—right now.
— Because God is still forming His people. — God is still leading us—sometimes by roads that feel indirect. — And God is still calling us forward into a world that desperately needs hope.
Let’s Pray…
Closing Prayer
Faithful God, we thank You that You are with us even when fear rises. Help us place our trust not in what we see, but in who You are.
Give us courage to stand firm in Your promises and faith to move forward when You call. Form us into a people who trust You deeply and carry hope faithfully into our community through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We trust You with the outcome and take the next step in faith.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
- - Exodus 13:17–18NLT
- - Luke 8:25NLT
- - Matthew 14:29NLT

“Saved… Then Called Forward”

Opening Prayer

#1 Salvation unfolds as God “invites” and humanity “responds” in faith

#2 GOD OFTEN LEADS HIS PEOPLE INTO PLACES THAT REQUIRE FAITH

#3 GOD MAKES A WAY FORWARD, BUT WE MUST WALK THROUGH IT.

Closing Prayer

Exodus 13:17–18NLT

Luke 8:25NLT

Matthew 14:29NLT