God's Nation Formed: The Exodus

Preached by Jaren Singh on 7-14-24

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. Thank you so much for listening. We're startup church. We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. Amen. Uh, well, it's good to see everybody. Thank you. Thank you. Um, we are, uh, we're going to, we're going to get into the lesson in a moment. Um, I want to make a, a little bit of a, I don't know if the public service announcement or a lot of it for a lot of it's the reminder, uh, that we are, uh, working to carry out God's plan on this earth. And so we, uh, are living in America and yet our allegiance is to Jesus, the King, right? Uh, but the Bible is also clear that we ought to pray for those in charge of us. And he's speaking, you know, when it's, when it's written 2000 years ago, they're talking to a group of people who have an emperor who is an overlord for them and is telling them what to do. And it is, if we think America now is crooked, then, then we might not even have a great understanding of what, uh, what, what it would have been like for a Jew in that day when, when the teaching is God is in control. And so for whatever reason, the Bible says that anybody who's in charge is because God put them there. And then it says, pray for your leaders and be subject to them. I say that as, you know, this is 2024 and I don't know if you guys have heard, it's an election year. Uh, is that, is that news to anybody? No, no. Yeah. Uh, I, I also say that, uh, in, in light of, you know, I had this, uh, I actually had a, I had something prepared and then there was an assassination attempt on a potential presidential candidate. Uh, and so I had this stuff prepared and so don't think that I'm just, you know, running, running wild with it. But I talked to a few people and like, what are you guys going to say and how do I want to communicate that we should be able to engage or talk about politics? Um, but I also want to say that if anything that we do and any of our speech is going to isolate us from having influence over 50% of the population, then, then we ought to take a step back and consider, uh, you know, anything, anything and everything, if we are going to live as new creations, then what we do and what we say is a reflection or ought to be of who Jesus is. And so what that, what that means then is that if I'm going to talk negative about the, those guys, the Democrats, or if I'm going to talk negative about the Republicans and how dare they, and how could they, then what I'm doing is I'm isolating my potential influence over 50% of the population, give or take, you know, you know what I'm saying? And if I'm doing that and if there's a couple of things, one, understand that your influence matters, especially if we're going to help people come to Christ, uh, two, if you feel like it's okay that I, that I, that I separate myself from that 50%, then you have, uh, then you have a different allegiance. Your allegiance isn't Jesus, it's something else. And so I say all of that, we're going to say a prayer right now. I say all of that, uh, to say it's politics and stuff. This is stuff that over the coming, uh, over the coming months, you're going to hear about it. Uh, you're going to hear about it from the pulpit just a little bit and not that we better vote this way. If you vote, if you don't vote, that's, that's life. I'm not saying, and if you vote for this side or that side in, in many ways, that's, that's just life. Uh, but we're going to be those who rise above all of it and help as many who are lost to become saved. And, uh, and, and in order to do that, we have to be able to engage, uh, in a thoughtful manner, but in a manner that promotes Christ. Amen. Right now. Let's, uh, let's pray. Dear God, Lord, we, uh, we're so grateful for you. We're grateful that you, uh, you reign supreme, Lord. We realized that you reign supreme. God, sometimes it doesn't feel that way, Lord. It, it, it doesn't. I, I, I trust that even in the lesson this morning that, uh, we're, we're going to learn that to the Israelites, it didn't feel that you reign supreme and yet we know that you are, that you are the one who created us and you are always with us. And you, we, we are carried along Lord by your Holy spirit, or at least we pray that we can be carried along by your Holy spirit as we, as we preach justice, as we preach peace, but not according to the world, but according to your perfect plan, Lord, we love you. Please use us as agents of change throughout this entire city of Kalamazoo. Uh, but, but then even, even greater Lord through Michigan and the United States and the world. Father, please use our small church to do just that. We love you. This is in Jesus's name that we pray. Amen. Awesome. Uh, if I lost you, then tune back in because now we're talking Bible. Come on, Jared. So we're, uh, we're at the point in time when Israel is in, they've been enslaved by Egypt for about 350 years, uh, maybe a little bit over that, and they're going to be set free. And we're gonna, we're gonna look at how God moves and how God works this morning. I think we'll leave with a greater appreciation for how God works and hopefully, and a greater understanding of how God works through us to, uh, to push this world, uh, along and to, to create opportunities for us to be set free, but then for many people to be set free. Amen. Awesome. So this first point for us this morning is that God works through the obedience of his people. It's in Exodus six. Uh, and this is, this is important for us. We're going to, we're going to go through some of it and then we're going to make sense, but God works through the obedience of his people. The Bible says, this is God talking now to Moses and he's, he's saying, you're going to, you're going to be the one that sets your people free, says, and I will bring you to the land. I swore with uplifted hand to give the Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord. Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor. Then the Lord said to Moses, go tell Pharaoh King of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of, out of his country. But Moses said to the Lord, if the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me? Since I speak with faltering lips, God tells Moses to do something, Moses does something and something amazing happens right away. Not, no, not, not yet. Right. Right. So he, he, he obeys God and we would think, well, it would make sense that God would show up then. And the people would just say, yes, we want to worship God. We're going to follow you, Moses. And yet we see right here that, that the people aren't listening to him. And Moses says, I know the reason why they're not listening to me. It's because I can't speak that well. Which is a Moses, you're like, how is this great leader? The one who's attributed to being the author of the first five books of the Bible. How can he not speak well? What does that mean? He must just not be faithful. But then you're like, no, but he parted the Red Seas that we'll, we'll look at just a little bit later on. Like he, he did so many faithful things. What I would say is from, from my understanding, it's pretty reasonable for Moses to say, I speak with faltering lips. Like I don't, I don't have a lot of good things because he probably wasn't extremely familiar with the Hebrew language, right? He had spent time in Pharaoh's, you know, in Pharaoh's reign or Pharaoh's area. And so he, maybe he learned a little bit, but he probably didn't speak Hebrew as, as in a, in a way that gave him confidence. I don't know if you guys have ever been in a, in a foreign country, but you know, a couple of words and, and, and, you know, that's about it. You know, I remember like in Latvia, the one word I can say is Paul Diaz. That just means thanks. And my whole objective is if I just say that a lot, people are going to attribute me of being a dumb American and that's okay. But they'll also know that at least he said, thank you. You know? And, and so you're, you're, you're a little bit uncomfortable. I don't have the best words to say. And Moses is like, I don't got everything to say. So he's not even, I believe he's very faithful, but he's also like, I don't, I don't got the best words. What do you want me to do? And what do you want me to say? And the truth is that, that that's with us as well. We look at our circumstance and you can look at your circumstance and think, you know, I'm, I've obeyed God and he didn't show up or he didn't, I can't, I can't obey in this way because of my circumstance. I cannot speak up to this person because of my circumstance. I don't have all of the answers for this person because of my circumstance. I don't have the time for this person because of my circumstance. And so in that way, I don't have to obey God. And what we'll learn from Moses is that God always shows up. It's reasonable for Moses. God always shows up though. God brings Aaron to come in and say, okay, he's like, Hey, you're one of your relatives. He's going to be the, the, the main speaker then just trust me and follow me and I'm going to provide a way out. And God always does that for his people that we're going to read about. He does that with you and I as well. Amen. So let's keep, let's keep going now. You know what? Let's, so then in Exodus seven, uh, here, let me, uh, could somebody read Exodus seven 20 for us? Yeah. You can just, just speak loud. Is that really Exodus seven 20? Oh, I'm sorry. Seven 20. Yeah, you're good. I was like, man, I got it. What did it say? They did. It says they did exactly what the Lord commanded. And same is is true with you and I that that we got to do what the Lord commanded We're gonna learn and you already know that this first thing that occurs you'd think man the water turns to blood and so They must it would make sense. Let's let these people go and yet it seems like God isn't showing up exactly how We would we would understand him showing up. And so obeying God, it doesn't mean that Everything appears to be working in the way that we want it to work. You're gonna obey God this week You're gonna decide I'm gonna share my faith or I'm gonna say this word to somebody or they need me To help them out to give them a few dollars. They need something from me. Somebody needs something from me or you're gonna decide I'm gonna read my Bible this week I'm gonna decide to open God's Word But I don't even understand what it says and and man God didn't show up and you might feel that way Understand God is doing a work inside of you Your obedience is is leading you to a path of God really showing up and showing out It just doesn't always feel like that right away And then and then in Exodus 14 now this is his people We're kind of we're jumping a little bit through the story looking at themes to give us a greater understanding of how God works And so we're gonna go back to the plagues in a moment But Exodus 14, it's now the people are let go and they're they're pushing forth and this is before the seas the sea is parted and The you know, the Bible says the Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still And so there's times when obedience looks like Looks like doing nothing obedience looks like enduring suffering obedience looks like I Can't I'm not moving There's there's times when when that's the case as well being still is an action If we're obedient to God Then we are allowing him to be a vessel for us to create change in the world Anything anything less than that is is disobedience. We don't like to call it that I'm just falling back. I'm not pushing it. I am I'm backsliding No, it's called being disobedient to God and that's not where you want to be. That's not where I want to be The Bible says In in 1st John 5 in verse in verse 2 it says this is how we know That we love the children of God by loving God and carrying out his commands In fact, this is love for God to keep his commands and his commands are not burdensome for everyone born of God overcomes the world So what is it? What is the Bible sensing that obedience is communicating that you love God you say I love God But you're not willing to keep his commands and then you might not love God as much as you think you do the This this theme is is carried out and we see it you can see it in a bunch of John's writings even earlier He records what Jesus says and he says if you love me then keep my commands It's it's it's difficult, especially perhaps especially in our Culture we view love as an emotion or a feeling or Something different than even what it's intended to be Communicated in the Bible and we kind of can divorce these two kinds of you know, if I just keep God's commands That doesn't mean that I love him and there's there's some truth. There's some truth but if you love God, then you have to keep his commands you can you can keep God's commands and Still not love God. How can I do that? Well by showing up to church But not feeling connected by by You know, maybe serving the poor helping and but not not desiring God to change your heart By just doing the things the Bible teaches by just obeying It's possible to not have love for God But if you identify that I love God and I really want to love God then the natural response is I have to keep his commands So I want to ask us this morning. What what commands of God? Where do you believe God is speaking to you that you're not obeying? Then I hope these pictures work. Oh, yeah, cool All right. Second thing is that God works to eradicate false gods. And so this is this was really cool It's a cool study if you decide that you want to look deeper into it But what happens is we we learn it's numbers 33 and in verse 4 The Bible now it's it's talking about what occurred and it says Numbers 33 in verse 4. It's it's kind of a narrating It says you were burying all their firstborn Who were burying all their firstborn whom the Lord had struck down among them. The Lord had brought judgment on their gods So you're like, what does that mean? I'm gonna I'm gonna show you What what they're talking about and then we're gonna make sense for our lives as well. What does that mean for you and I? And so this first this first plague is turning the Nile to blood and so this is a this this guy this Egyptian God is its new I think or canoe and it is the creator of water and life or there's another God of the Nile as well, and so That this you understand that the Egyptians in that day. They were polytheistic There's many gods and they have a proximal reign or they they reign over a specific area of our lives and So this first plague is saying no like this guy. He doesn't have he doesn't have reign over over who I am who Yahweh is second one is There's frogs everywhere. You can see that this God right here. Heck it I guess is The goddess of childbirth, but it's depicted as a frog or she's depicted as a frog It says in verse 3 of Exodus 8 the Nile will team with frogs They will come up Into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed into the house of your officials on your people into the oven Kneading troughs the frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials And he's saying if you're gonna worship that God that I'm gonna show you I'm gonna show you what what I can really do this This is you're worshiping something. That's not that's not that's not powerful. That doesn't have power over me few later is This this plague of cattle and this is the the sky mother sky goddess. It was seen as a cow There's um, you can look up other stuff. I didn't I didn't so some of it some of the maybe you guys probably get it some of the some of the images of these guys are pretty graphic and so I Didn't put all of them in here so you can look them up in your own time Yeah, some of them Understandably, so like yeah are relatively graphic So you can again look it up in your own time if you care to But you don't have to you can see the bull rather though the horns right here And and God is saying you This guy doesn't have doesn't have supreme reign over me and who I am and if you really are gonna worship that I'm gonna teach You I'm gonna teach you who I am Seven and eighth plague is hail and locust and this is Seth is the wind and storm God and then or could it was probably also talking about men as well And I didn't I didn't put that this got in there But it's the God who protects the crops and so as you look in Exodus 9 you would see that if they identify that it was during this This time when they would have this festival Celebrating men for giving us this great crops It was during that time That that this plague occurred and God's like if you're gonna if you think you can worship you you don't understand Who I am and how powerful I am. God is working to eradicate false gods Plague of darkness is The the Sun God I'm on Rob and And he's saying if you think you're gonna worship something that I created you just you don't Understand who I am and you can see at every point these gods from my understanding get a little bit Bigger and more powerful and stronger and have more of an influence over the Egyptian culture as a whole The whole time God is saying and no, I this is how I'm working to my ends if you obey me Then these gods will they'll be shown to be as weak as they are in the verse 10 This is the this is Osiris. And so this is like one of their you know top level in the Egyptian mythology one of their top level gods It's Osiris, so it's the the God of the the firstborn of the God of the The rather the judge of the dead and so he's green on purpose like that He has control over like a lot of things like the the ground and you know stuff being born or stuff being you know, you know birth and stuff like that and so he has like a Bunch of power and God is saying again These guys are growing in their perceived power and yet all of them pale in comparison to who I am and what I am doing And what I'm able to do Another thing you might be wondering is did this actually happen is there Historical evidence for this happening and how would we have historical evidence in what way and and then maybe you would tell yourself? Well, there's there's no There's no way we just have to trust we just have to believe and there's some truth to the trust and believe like nobody's gonna be Able to prove what happened 4,000 years ago with absolute certainty and send point to this one thing but there's a couple of there's a couple of pretty interesting theories that people point to that would say that this actually occurred one is That people would have identified that there was a volcano that erupted and it was talked about At least you know, it's talked about in different cultures There was a massive volcano that erupted I guess about 500 miles from where this would have taken place. And so Historians and then whatever the you know, the the sciency people have decided they've looked at it and they've said well What could have happened is it would have made sense for this massive volcanic eruption to create this this amazing storm basically that would have first It could have turned the the Nile It would have it could have killed all the fish turn the Nile Blood red and if the Nile is blood red Then what would have happened is that the frogs would have been able they because the fish are not eating the frog Whatever like the frog eggs. Yeah. Yeah. Well the eggs So the the fish aren't eating the frog eggs So there's frogs that are everywhere and if there's frogs that are everywhere it goes down What what could make sense another thing that people have looked at and identified is that at that time or right around there There was a massive There's a massive drought and so a massive drought could do all of the things in and it's it's amazing it is in the order that it's talked about a drought would it could eradicate or take care of a whole group of people Even and there's some identification that even this death of the firstborn There's there's there's a way that a drought could do that and something with like that They would give their firstborn like the choicest wheat from the top But the top of the wheat would have also been They would have also been where there's these Bacterias that they'll grow and they'll you know, and so you give your firstborn the best of the best the top of the wheat But it's all poisoned Essentially, and so again you guys can look this up For yourself Another thing another thing that you might have another question. I know it came up in the podcast if you if you're following along with us is What about Pharaoh's hard heart There's times so the Bible it's interesting it starts and it says that it's kind of a passive that Pharaoh's heart was hardened and then it says that Pharaoh hardened his heart and And then it it even says That Pharaoh was Unyielding and so it uses a little bit different phrasing and then for the final at least two and maybe three plagues It identifies it says the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. Why would God do that? I Think the Bible exposes what's going on in our hearts the whole time the Bible the you know If there's a theme in the Bible, it's that it's that you can't hide from God It's gonna show who you are and what you value and so when confronted with what we value most our hearts are exposed The same was true with with Pharaoh when confronted with what he valued most his heart was exposed You know, you know God doesn't just eradicate those gods in that day and leave it and say that that was it He's doing that with you and I all the time, but especially this morning It says in in verse 12 for our struggle is not against flesh and blood But against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil In the heavenly realms therefore put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground and After you have done everything to stand Our our struggle it looks a little bit different than it did for the Egyptians It looks These is the spiritual struggle that we're fighting on a daily basis that we're not fighting flesh and blood We're fighting against all of the forces of evil in this dark world and so What is that? What does that mean for you? Well, it means that every time you decide to stand up for God You're fighting the spiritual forces of evil in this dark world every time you decide that I'm going to open the Bible I'm gonna pray and I'm gonna connect with God you are fighting the spiritual forces of evil in this dark world and God is working then and doing a work in your life to begin the eradication or Formalize the eradication or keep pushing along the eradication of all of these false gods. Amen You are you are working alongside God to do an amazing work and then in the process of it We become closer to God as well, but but we are agents for amazing change in God's great plan The last thing that we'll look at is that God works for his glory Exodus 14 for I says I will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord so the Israelites did this and Then later on it says in verse 31 and when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord Displayed against the Egyptians the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant You know ultimately you ask why does God do all of this? What's what is the point? Certainly he could have He could have done something a little bit different to yeah, they free the Israelites Let's assume that but he could have done something different. Perhaps he could have done What identifies all of this is so that people will give glory to God his intention the whole way Why did he decide that he's going to eradicate those other gods? Well, so so people will glorify him. Why did he decide? Why does he decide to use you and I why did he decide to work? Through their obedience and and for God to be the mover, but then them to be able to follow along why well It's so that we would give him glory and it says both of those things happen It says that the first one the eradication of the other gods and showing how powerful God is it says the people that are opposed to him are gonna are gonna see his glory and then it says That that if you follow him when we follow him when we obey him It says right here. We we can fear the Lord and we can understand and see his glory greater and greater You do you believe is that why you serve? God to see his glory how could that how would that change your your day-to-day life if you decided I'm waking up and I'm working to glorify God again. These are words that we use and we say but they're difficult Like what is it? What does it mean to glorify God and who's to say? What would glorifying God is and how but how would that just change your mentality if you just said I'm waking up My objective is to glorify God. Why are you gonna? What are you gonna eat for breakfast? I don't know. I'm gonna eat breakfast to glorify God. What does that look like? I don't know Maybe it's sending a text message to somebody that pops on your heart What maybe it's saying a little bit longer of a prayer for your for your you know Cereal then just God. Thanks for this food. Amen, you know, whatever it is But your your mindset is I'm gonna glorify God and and it's not less than that. It's not we're like we have a great Ability because God uses us and is able to work through our obedience We're we're able to have a great effect on the world around us Bible says in 1st Corinthians 10, so whatever you so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do it all for the glory of God We know the scripture And yet that's that's that's what we're trying to do when you go to work. Are you doing it for the glory of God? I'm showing up and I'm trying to glorify God and that doesn't always look I'm not saying what that doesn't Perhaps what that doesn't look like is I'm knocking on every door. Hey, you want to come to church? You want to come to church? You want to come to church? It doesn't always look like that. But but sometimes it does Do you? Everyone says something and I twice when do I stand up and when do I not and when I don't know? That's the wrestling. That's the battle that we're fighting alongside. But God is I know what God wants you to do He wants you to obey him And so when you feel the spirit moving in your life that I better say hey don't talk about it that way I don't don't say this in this way or I'm not gonna engage in the gossip. I'm not gonna engage in the slander God's glorified You're glorifying God. Is it saying it every time perhaps not but is it saying at least sometime? Yeah, I think so I think that I think this is glorifying to God. Well, when do I speak up and when do I keep silent? I can't I don't know God knows and if you're listening to the Holy Spirit, then you'll know as well. Amen Whatever you do do it all for the glory of God You know as we as we consider God and we look at how God decides to move in the Israelites We understand that God parts the Red Sea they walk through on dry land and then and then it's it's the the Egyptians are swallowed up by by the sea it is It's not an iffy victory for God it is an obvious and clear and powerful victory for God and the people in that day would point to that and we point to it now and saying this is This is amazing and this is what we're pointing to is this is the the hallmark of our faith and the amazing work that he Did to lead us from slavery to freedom? we we're gonna prepare right now to take communion and I'm gonna read this scripture because it's In in that day they had to obey and the gods were eradicated or shown to be weak In our day it it does look a little bit different Jesus went on a cross and He took something that shouldn't be glorious and he made it the most glorious thing that ever occurred on this earth so glorious, in fact that people decide to wear crosses or people get tattoos of crosses and Many do it for false reasons or because it looks cool or because whatever But this is now a symbol that the Christians used to signify Jesus's glory something that was that was the most Embarrassing way to die. You're essentially you're naked for everyone to see and on full display and You're suffering and you're on the outskirts of the city so that when people walked in they knew Romans are some some bad dudes in the Crucifixions were reserved for those who are trying to overthrow the Roman government And so don't you dare try to overthrow the Roman government yet, Jesus decided God decided the final, you know, all the whole God had decided I'm gonna we're gonna go to the cross as a Representation what he could have done a lot of other ways, right? Perhaps we know we can only surmise But he decided to go to a cross Let's read this scripture Says we do however speak a message of wisdom among the mature But not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing No, we declare God's wisdom a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began None of the rulers of this age understood it for if they had they would not have crucified the Lord of glory Putting glory and crucifixion together and this is the hope that we have for eternal life This is the hope that we have that we can lock in and tap into Jesus This is the hope that we have that our obedience is is is going to have a great effect on God I'm God's working but our obedience is gonna have a great effect on us But none of that would matter none of this obedience the the Bible the same book actually talks about none of it matters If Jesus didn't go to the cross and then raised from the dead we're going to pray for communion right now and I want to I want to Welcome you to go to places with God right now and to ask where are you lacking in obedience? what God's what false gods have you allowed to fester or to grow in your life and Then how can you glorify God in in the most obvious way to everybody but to yourself as well. Amen. Let's pray dear God Lord, we are we're grateful for you Jesus we we don't measure up. We can't stand before you. We we are so grateful that you decided to go to a cross for us Lord, we're grateful that you decided to use the crucifixion as as something that was viewed as As Humiliating and you made that something so glorious You you you and you alone are able to take the gross and the ugly And and the inhumane and make it something that you know One of the tenants the tenant of our of our Christian faith Lord. We're we're in awe considering that God, we're in awe considering Your work to lead the Israelites to to freedom Lord We are we're in awe that you decide to use us and that we have the opportunity To be used by you and to do to do your work or what an honor Lord, we're so grateful that you are fighting to show us at every at every step of the way That that what we are worshiping is not as powerful as as you or what you know When we worship false gods, they're not as powerful as who you are Jesus, please continue to To do a work in our life Lord continue to to teach us father I pray that we'll point to and look at your crucifixion and then your resurrection as As the hope that we have to live a new life Lord, we love you Jesus this is in your name that we pray. Amen Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast if you're in the Kalamazoo area We'd love to get connected Please go to Kalamazoo Dot church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on in any case You'll be hearing from us next week So busy saving souls