WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:01.439 Morning, Church. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:04.240 Reading from the book of Exodus. 00:00:04.959 --> 00:00:14.160 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to went and said to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:16.079 But Pharaoh said, Who is this? 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:19.519 Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:23.280 I do not know the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go. 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:26.399 Then they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:35.039 Please let us go to a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:39.920 But the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? 00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:41.280 Get back to your burdens. 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:47.039 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:55.280 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks as in the past. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:58.000 Let them go, let them gather straw for themselves. 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:04.239 But the number of bricks they made in the past you shall impose upon them, and you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:08.159 Therefore they cry, Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:14.079 Let heavier work be laid on the men, so that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words. 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:20.640 So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:26.319 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least. 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:32.480 So the people were scattered throughout all the land Egypt to gather suitable st to gather stubble for straw. 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:39.200 The taskmasters were urgent, saying, Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:50.079 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, Why have you not done all of your task from of making bricks today and yesterday as in the past? 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:55.599 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, Why do you treat your servants like this? 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:59.439 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, Make bricks. 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:03.280 And behold, your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:05.920 But he said, You are idle, you are idle. 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:09.039 This is why you say, Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:10.560 Now go and work. 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:14.800 No straw will be given to you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:23.840 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your tail your daily task each day. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:36.879 Then they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh, and they said to them, The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and you have put a sword in their hand to kill us. 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:41.840 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:43.599 Why did you ever send me? 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:50.240 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all. 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:51.599 This is the word of the Lord. 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:52.879 Please be seated. 00:02:58.159 --> 00:02:58.960 Morning, church. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:02.000 Uh my name is John Kushneroff. 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:21.120 I'm an elder here at Redemption Church Denver, and uh I've got the privilege of preaching this morning because James, as many of you know, uh he went before the ordination committee um to the Rocky Mountain Presbytery of the PCA, and he got examined on Wednesday. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:25.439 And I'm sorry to say that I will be interim pastor for quite some time now. 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:34.080 Um, he uh uh I want you all to know um he he did a great job. 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:35.759 Um I was down there on Thursday. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:45.120 He was presented before the Presbytery in front of uh you know all the pastors in the PCA, they got to ask him questions, and he he absolutely crushed it. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:46.479 He did an amazing job. 00:03:46.719 --> 00:04:02.719 And what this is a this is a big step in his career as a pastor, but what I really want you guys to know as well is that um all the study, all the seminary, all the uh the Greek, the Hebrew, and then and then this examination, um, this is really all for you guys. 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:07.199 This is for this church, and it really does demonstrate the care that he has. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:10.080 Um, so anyways, congratulate him. 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:12.319 Um, thank him for for his work. 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:18.959 But we just thought that um if he had to prep a sermon as well as prep for that, his his head might literally explode. 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:22.079 And then and then here I'd be as your interim pastor once again. 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:27.199 So um, seeing as that's what we're trying to avoid, I'm preaching this morning. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:31.920 Um let me go ahead and pray, and then we'll uh we'll jump into our text this morning. 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:37.439 God, we uh we come before you and um we are grateful. 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:40.000 We are grateful to be your people. 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:57.360 Um we are grateful that you've given us your word and that the gospel um is is found throughout it, um, that we can find your gospel of salvation um as early back as in in the books of Exodus, and it's scattered all the way through. 00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:05.199 Um help us to see who you are and your nature through this story that we find um in Exodus. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:11.519 And uh, God, I pray that you would speak through me this morning and um and that your spirit um would work in this room. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:13.759 We pray these things in Jesus' name. 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:14.720 Amen. 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:25.439 Okay, so we uh as we start in this kind of a lot of a lot of details about bricks and and things like that, we're gonna start at the beginning of this. 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:32.000 Um this is really the first, this is the first interaction that we see that Aaron and Moses have with Pharaoh. 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:43.199 So starting in verse one, uh afterwards Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:48.079 But Pharaoh says, Who is the Lord, that I may obey his voice and let Israel go? 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:52.879 I do not know the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go. 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:56.319 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:05.519 Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or the sword. 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:19.839 Okay, so um little background here is as in a lot of ancient cultures, um, so Pharaoh was considered to be uh a descendant of deity. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:23.680 He he was some kind of some kind of deity. 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:34.720 Um in my limited research, it says he was actually an incarnation of a deity called Horus, um, who is one of the Egyptian gods, generational son of the god Ra. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:37.040 Um you can ask Lucy about this at some point. 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:40.800 She studied Egyptian history and probably knows more about it than I do. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:45.040 Um and so when he says, Who is the Lord? 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:49.680 Um the Lord is referring to Yahweh, the god of Israel. 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:55.680 And so when he when Pharaoh says, I do not know the Lord, he's saying, Well, I don't know Yahweh. 00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:00.079 Um he wasn't part of the Egyptian pantheon. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.879 It wasn't one of these gods that Pharaoh would have recognized. 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:04.959 And so he's saying, I don't know who this is. 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:22.879 So right off the bat, what we actually have is this kind of power struggle between two gods, the true and living God of Israel, and then of Pharaoh, who believes himself to be a sort of god. 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:33.199 And so, you know, I think sometimes we think that this idea of um of a king or a ruler or somebody thinking that they're actually God is kind of an ancient thing. 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:35.279 And in this way it kind of was. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:36.639 It did happen a lot. 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:46.800 Um, we see this throughout ancient cultures where um the ruler is seen to be some kind of um some kind of god, some kind of deity. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:53.839 But you see, this isn't all that different than things that we see today. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:08:03.920 Um because when you do not recognize an authority above yourself, you are saying that you are God. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:10.399 You are saying that you are actually the highest authority that there is. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:15.279 I'll give you a couple of examples that we see in our culture today. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:17.600 One is is the self. 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:33.279 When uh when a person decides that they can do whatever they want, say whatever they want, not accountable to anyone else, they are in essence saying that I am the highest authority in my life, i.e. 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:34.240 God. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:39.679 Okay, and this becomes a huge problem when you are only serving self. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:45.519 See, when you're the highest authority in your life, this becomes a problem for the way you interact with your relationships. 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.399 These things become all about serving you. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:09:01.120 This happens when things get bad as well, because you quickly realize that you cannot control all these external pressures, all these things that are coming in from the outside. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:04.000 And so, what does our culture tell us to do? 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:06.320 Well, it says pick yourself up by your bootstraps. 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:08.559 You need to work harder, right? 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:12.480 Work harder, run further, be better. 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:25.600 And what ends up happening is when things continue to get hard, it will lead you to despair because there's nothing else to appeal to if you are the highest authority in your own life. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:27.679 I'll give you another example. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:31.600 Um we see this with with our government, to be honest. 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:39.679 Um, it doesn't matter which uh which side of which side you fall on the left or the right, this is something that we do. 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:44.559 We tr we look and we say, we are trusting our government to save us. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:55.519 If we could just elect this person, if these laws just got passed, if these things just happened, then essentially we would be saved. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:02.960 And look, we're we're coming up on election year, and it's it's gonna get wild, um for sure. 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:15.440 But when your hope is in something other than God to save you, it's going to let you down. 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:18.960 And I can tell you that it it won't. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:20.480 It will never save you. 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:33.840 And our even our government, um, if that is where we put our hope, it will never be effective unless it recognizes that there is a power above itself. 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:36.799 It's actually the way our country was founded. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:46.159 Um so, regardless of who gets elected this year, regardless of that, our hope is not in these men. 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:50.000 Our hope is in the Lord. 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:57.679 And the only way this becomes effective is if everything is put under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:04.000 So this ask to go into the wilderness, three days. 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:06.639 This doesn't seem like a big ask. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:17.759 Um but you see, the worship of God, the worship of the true God, will always lead to freedom. 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:27.200 See, we are the only religion in the world where the worship of our God leads to freedom. 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:32.080 The worship of anything else will lead to slavery. 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:39.840 Our God is the only God that gives life, and the worship of anything else will lead to death. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:44.480 And you know, I suspect that in some way Pharaoh knew this. 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:56.240 In some way, he knew that if he let Israel go, even for a long weekend, for three days out in the wilderness, yeah, just Memorial Day weekend, and they'll come right back. 00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:08.399 I believe that he knew that if he recognized an authority above himself, that he knew that the nation of Israel would never be slaves again. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:14.240 So uh this chapter seems to be a they spent a lot of time on the brickmaking. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:16.480 Um, just a little bit of background on that. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:21.360 So Israel was occupying uh a part of Israel called Goshen. 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:26.799 It was uh actually a really nice and fertile part of uh sorry of Egypt. 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:43.759 Um they still had herds and they had flocks and they had crops and things like that, but they were also being compelled to work in kind of a rotation actually in the uh in the brick quarries um in Egypt. 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:55.840 And so what they would do is they would take, they would they would take the clay out of the ground, um, and then they would take straw and stubble, usually from corn stalks, and they'd press them into these molds and they'd let them dry out in the sun. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:01.519 And that's how they would make bricks for Pharaoh to build his buildings and things like that. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:27.840 Um so if we recall back to our series in Genesis, the reason why Israel is actually in this situation is because Joseph struck a deal that ended up uh essentially enslaving the entire country of Egypt, including Israel, um, in exchange for food during the famine that was happening. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:32.960 So all the fields, all the land, everything belongs to the state. 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:34.639 It all belongs to Pharaoh. 00:13:34.960 --> 00:14:02.799 Um so what they would do, the reason that this was so difficult, the reason why this made the lives of the Hebrews so hard was because now, if they had to go pick their own straw, um what they would do is they would leave the corn standing after they harvested the corn, and they were uh workers were able to move through these fields, pulling the straw, pulling the stubble, they take it back, make the bricks. 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:07.440 Well, um now the Israelites have to do this. 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:14.799 And when you pick over the field that's right next to you, well, now you have to go out to the next one and the next one and the next one. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:22.559 And so when it says they were scattered throughout the land of Egypt, that's because they were looking for straw. 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:36.240 And so the amount of time that this would have taken these people to harvest these things, the amount of walking, and then still having to meet their quota of bricks on top of that, um, would have been would have been impossible. 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:51.360 And while this was being impossible, this impossible task, the foremen who were uh also Israelites, set over the other Israelites, they were being beaten in order to compel them to further perform this impossible task. 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:54.080 So this is kind of the situation that we're in. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:56.240 This is the the part of the story. 00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:10.000 Um and so we're gonna spend the most of our time kind of towards the end of this, in we're gonna look at the response of the foreman to uh Moses and Aaron, and then we're gonna look at Moses' response to God. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:31.200 Uh it says, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh, they being the foreman, they went and talked to Pharaoh, and they said to them, The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made a stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword into their hand to kill us. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:50.879 Okay, so Israel had received the promises of God, but now because things have gotten harder for them, they're more concerned with what they look like in the sight of Pharaoh than they are with the promises they had received from the Lord. 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:55.279 So at the end of Exodus 4, we we know this, we're told this. 00:15:55.360 --> 00:16:00.240 It says, Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:08.159 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people, and the people believed. 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:20.399 It's very important, the people believed, and they went and they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and they worshiped. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:30.080 So, and then if we back up even further into the end of chapter three, we actually get to know exactly what they were what they were told. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:35.360 So, what was it that they were told that they believed, that they compelled them to worship God? 00:16:35.679 --> 00:17:12.319 The end of chapter three, the Lord of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you out of the affliction of Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey, and they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders in Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say, The Lord of the God of the Hebrews has met with us, and now please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness. 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:17.119 So they're already teed up for this, that we may sacrifice the Lord our God. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:23.440 But I know the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:29.119 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it. 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:37.279 After that he will let you go, and I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and when you go you shall not go empty. 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:44.000 But each woman shall ask her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house for silver and gold, jewelry, and clothing. 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:48.400 You shall put them on your sons and your daughters, and you shall plunder the Egyptians. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:54.000 Okay, so they knew, they received the promise of God. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:18:02.079 They knew that Pharaoh wouldn't let them go until compelled by God, by a mighty hand. 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:08.960 So just before this, God had promised deliverance, and they believed him, and they worshiped him. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:18.640 And now that their circumstances have gotten worse, they are forgetting the promises of God, and they are blaming Moses and Aaron for their affliction. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:28.720 The Lord look on you and judge you because you have made a stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants and put a sword in their hand to kill us. 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:33.200 By the way, this sword's all has been has been there the entire time. 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:35.920 They've been slaves the entire time. 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:40.720 But they're just now recognizing this at this point. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:44.000 But see, we're in the exact same situation. 00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:48.960 We too have been given promises from God. 00:18:49.920 --> 00:19:01.920 It says here in Romans 8, 18 through 25, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us. 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:26.240 For the creation waits with eager longing and for the revealing of the sons of God, for the creation was subjected to fatil futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption, and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:45.599 For we know that the whole creation has been growing together in pains of childbirth until now, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for the adoption wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:49.119 For in this hope we were saved. 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:52.720 Now hope that is seen is not hope. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:59.759 For who hopes for what he sees, but we hope for what we do not see, and we wait with patience. 00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:08.160 See, just like the nation of Israel, we have been given a promise of deliverance. 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:22.079 The nation of Israel was given a promise of a land, a geographical land, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land where the beer flows like wine. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:25.839 I'm glad that still lands. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:30.079 Um I can't read milk and honey without thinking of that movie. 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:37.200 Um anyways, uh, they were given this geographical land, this beautiful, fertile land. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:49.839 But see, the difference is while that land would be wonderful, and it would be for them, this is nothing that come, this this does not compare to what is in store for us. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:54.240 This is not compared to what God has promised to us. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:21:05.359 You see, the entire story of the Bible is pointing to the complete and total redemption of this world and of God's people. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:10.559 See, and like Israel, we will endure suffering. 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:21.839 Like Israel, God has given us a savior, but unlike Moses, our Savior is perfect, and our salvation will be eternal. 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:26.160 And like Israel, we are given a promise from God. 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:30.000 You ever wonder why he tells us these things? 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:36.000 Why he wrote these promises down, why he communicated this to the nation of Israel? 00:21:36.319 --> 00:21:38.160 He could have just done it. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:42.240 He could have just, we could just be along for the ride. 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:45.680 But no, he does this to give us hope. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:52.960 He wants us to endure where we are because we have the hope and the promise of what's to come. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:59.279 The fact that he gives us these things is such a grace and such a kindness from our God. 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:03.279 So, why did God do this to him? 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:06.160 Why did he make their lives harder? 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:08.400 Why was that necessary? 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:20.319 I think it was a way for God to bring the reality of their bondage into focus. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:28.640 See, I think that this temporary hardship that they endured, and don't get me wrong, this was very real, this was very difficult. 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:34.880 But I think that that was being used to expose the reality of their situation. 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:48.240 Because, see, we see multiple times in this story, and we will see as we move through Exodus, so many times when they said, Man, it was better when we were slaves in Egypt. 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:51.440 See, the sword was always there. 00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:54.240 They had been in slavery this entire time. 00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:59.440 And now it seems like they were just now recognizing it. 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:13.680 John 8, 31 through 36 tells us this So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you know the truth, and the truth will set you free. 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:19.200 And they answered him, We're the offspring of Abraham, and have never been enslaved to anyone. 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:21.200 It's clearly not true. 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:23.599 Um should read Exodus. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:27.359 Um, how is it that you say, You will become free? 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:35.039 Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:39.519 The slave does not remain in the house forever, the sun remains forever. 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:45.680 So if the sun sets you free, you will be free indeed. 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:59.119 Because of Christ, we are set free from our slavery, and we are called to act as free people and not and not slaves to sin any longer. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:03.440 So that begs that begs the question. 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:06.799 What is it that is enslaving you? 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:08.880 You probably know. 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:10.960 What is it? 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:19.440 Because the initial bringing God to bear in your life will make things harder. 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:26.559 The recognition of your slavery will initially make things more difficult. 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:37.359 But see, this is a grace from God because he's taking the chronic pain that has been there all along, and he's bringing it into focus. 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:40.960 He's taking this chronic pain and he's making it acute. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:47.599 See, because the the truth is, slavery is actually easier than freedom. 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:49.599 See, go with me on this for a minute. 00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:52.480 Slavery is actually easier than freedom. 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:55.119 Slavery has no risk. 00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:58.720 All of your needs are taken care of. 00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:02.319 You're in the full employment of someone else. 00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:04.880 Freedom actually means risk. 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:06.960 It means responsibility. 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:16.559 It means the the um the possibility of loss, but it also means the possibility of success or of prosperity. 00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:19.680 But see, make no mistake. 00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:33.839 The one who enslaves you, the one who's promising to give you this security, to give you, to give you this, uh, to take care of you if you will just submit to it. 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:44.240 That sin that promises ease, maybe promises some pleasure, it will rob you of everything. 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:48.640 It will steal everything from you. 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:55.039 So to ask again, what sin is enslaving you? 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:58.240 What sin needs to be confessed? 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:02.799 Maybe to your wife, to a brother, to a close friend. 00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:10.960 And you know, you know, when it comes to light, when you do that, it will make your life harder. 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:17.599 But that will be the beginning of your freedom. 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:22.640 So do you believe these promises of God? 00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:28.079 See, to the nation of Israel, he said, I will deliver you with a mighty hand. 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:34.319 In Hebrews 5, he tells us, for freedom Christ has set us free. 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:41.279 Stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 00:26:42.640 --> 00:26:46.000 So the question is, what do you believe about these promises? 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:49.599 What do you believe about the promises of God? 00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:50.880 Are they good? 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:53.359 Are they true? 00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:57.200 What about when things get hard? 00:26:57.440 --> 00:26:59.359 What about when things look bleak? 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:03.519 What then are these promises still true? 00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:05.759 And how can we know? 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:12.160 We can know because of who God is. 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:14.640 Is he good? 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:16.400 Yes. 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:18.720 He is very good. 00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:20.960 Is he comfortable? 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:27.039 No, he is not comfortable, but his goodness is comforting. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:29.920 So how do we know? 00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:37.039 We can know because he went to the cross for you. 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:46.640 We know because he also faced deep humiliation before he was exalted. 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:52.799 So, what does it take to be freed from our slavery? 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:56.240 Well, first, we need to recognize that we are slaves. 00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:59.839 We need to recognize that we're enslaved to something. 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:15.839 And then we need to begin to hate the bondage that we are in and bring that pain that has always been there the entire time, like an app running in the background of your phone. 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:19.680 Bring it to light, and it will hurt. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:21.200 It will. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:25.759 But this is the very place where freedom begins. 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:34.319 So if we are free from sin, then what are we free to? 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:36.319 What are we free to do? 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:39.279 We're free to worship. 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:47.359 See, now that we are free from our bondage and we are free, we are free to be obedient to our King. 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:50.960 We are free to be obedient to King Jesus. 00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:58.960 This is why he tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. 00:28:59.440 --> 00:29:03.920 See, we are free to sacrificially lead our wives. 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:09.279 We are free to raise our children in the love and the admonition of the Lord. 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:13.680 We are free to build one another up in love. 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:26.799 Hebrews 12 tells us to throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles and runs with perseverance the race that is set before us. 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:36.640 In other words, we are free from our bondage so that we can do the jobs that God is calling us to do. 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:43.599 Like I said earlier, freedom is strictly a Christian thing. 00:29:44.559 --> 00:30:00.960 Without Christ, everything, absolutely everything that you submit yourself to will steal from you, will rob from you, and will hinder you, and it will take everything from you. 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:08.640 This is why everything must be brought under the Lordship of Christ. 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:12.960 He is the highest authority. 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:20.559 Let's move into the last bit where we see Moses uh responding to God. 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:26.480 Exodus twenty-two, five, twenty-two through twenty-three. 00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:32.079 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, Oh Lord, why have you done evil to this people? 00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:40.960 Done evil um brought calamity, brought hardship, is kind of what this is translating to be. 00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:44.240 Um email James later about the Hebrew. 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:48.079 Um, why have you done evil to this people? 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:50.240 Why did you ever send me? 00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:58.079 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:01.440 Okay, so this was tricky. 00:31:01.519 --> 00:31:05.359 This took me a little bit um to figure out what to do with this. 00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:12.960 And some commentators think that Moses was wrong for addressing God in this way, that he shouldn't have been questioning God. 00:31:13.119 --> 00:31:19.680 Um, but we actually um I don't think that's the case. 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:38.480 And the reason why is oftentimes throughout scripture, and in this case, Moses, um, when the one who is addressing God is in the wrong or is doing that with um the wrong posture of heart, we do see the Lord rebuke them. 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:41.039 But we don't see that here. 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:44.799 We don't see that at the beginning of chapter six. 00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:59.920 Um what we see, and I'm gonna I'm gonna step on James's toes just a little bit, because I think that we need to we need to touch on chapter six in order to see um kind of the other side of this this conversation, really. 00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:05.039 Um what we see is God answers Moses. 00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:07.200 He answers him. 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:09.759 In his kindness, he answers him. 00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:11.279 And what does he say? 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:16.000 Well, you can stay tuned for next week to find out what he says. 00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:21.680 Um, but a few snippets are he says, he goes, I am the Lord. 00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:24.799 I am God Almighty. 00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:29.599 See, he reminds Moses who he is. 00:32:31.599 --> 00:32:36.319 And it reminded me a lot of what we see with Job, actually. 00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:43.279 Um we also see that the Lord actually does rebuke Job. 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:52.559 Job uh did respond to the Lord in the wrong way, with a wrong posture, and the Lord rebukes him. 00:32:53.039 --> 00:33:00.480 But even then in his kindness, he still answers him. 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:20.480 He still answers him, and he says things to Job, he reminds Job who he is, and he says things to him like, I laid the foundation of the world, I control light and hail and snow and rain. 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:24.000 I set boundaries for waters. 00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:26.640 I'm not gonna sing the song. 00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:38.160 Um, but that's what he does, and he was telling Job, I am the Lord, I am God Almighty. 00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:47.680 And that was meant to be a comfort to him, just like this was meant to be a comfort to Moses and to the nation of Israel. 00:33:48.559 --> 00:33:57.039 See, going before the Lord is always, always the right thing to do. 00:33:57.279 --> 00:34:10.480 When you're seeking to understand your circumstances, when you're seeking to understand what in the world is going on, when you're trying to understand, man, it feels like God has called me to this thing and it doesn't seem to be working. 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:14.800 Go before the Lord. 00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:17.440 He will answer you. 00:34:18.639 --> 00:34:28.480 See, and the other another reason I think that this was the right thing for Moses to do as well is see, Moses was playing this role of intercessor. 00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:41.119 Not only was he God's mouthpiece to Israel, but he was also responsible for speaking on behalf of Israel back to God. 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:51.599 See, um, we have a perfect intercessor in Christ. 00:34:53.039 --> 00:35:02.800 We have one that will plead on our behalf to the Father. 00:35:03.920 --> 00:35:11.679 And we, and because of this, we can confidently approach our King. 00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:20.719 Our tendency is oftentimes to pull away when things get hard. 00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:37.760 Maybe we think that God doesn't care, or maybe we think that he is not present in this situation because it's hard, or because something uh bad happened. 00:35:39.360 --> 00:35:52.400 But he is present, and he does care, and it is all happening by his hand for a reason and for our good. 00:35:54.480 --> 00:35:57.679 So, who is he? 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:01.199 Who is God, and is he good? 00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:06.480 And is he mighty enough to save you? 00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:19.920 Because if he is good, and he is very good, then you can trust that he does want to deliver you. 00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:27.760 And if he is mighty, then that means he can deliver you. 00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:36.000 He can deliver you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, just like he will do to the nation of Israel in our story. 00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:46.079 I know this is kind of a cliche thing to say, but it is, as with a lot of cliches, there's a lot of truth in it. 00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:49.679 Um, it is always darkest before the dawn. 00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:57.119 Typically, things get pretty bleak just before deliverance comes. 00:36:57.360 --> 00:36:59.760 This seems to be the way our God works. 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:12.559 In fact, when just before Jesus accomplished the greatest act of deliverance that this world has ever seen, he was killed. 00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:19.039 The world quite literally went black, and he was laid in a tomb. 00:37:21.199 --> 00:37:30.800 That happened just before the greatest act of deliverance in the this world has ever seen happened when he rose. 00:37:33.039 --> 00:37:45.679 So I would encourage you as you come face to face with your own bondage, with your own slavery, with the hardships of life that inevitably come. 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:49.760 Maybe you're in them now, or maybe you're going to be in the future. 00:37:50.079 --> 00:38:00.400 Um, I want you to remember that we serve a very, very good God who is in the business of freeing slaves like us. 00:38:01.039 --> 00:38:03.440 It's a joyful thing the Lord has done. 00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:10.239 And because this is a joyful thing, we ought to live as free people. 00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:13.199 We're free people. 00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:16.880 We're free to worship, free to love one another. 00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:19.360 That's what we're here to do. 00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:23.599 Um, do we have do we have any questions? 00:38:24.079 --> 00:38:25.360 No questions. 00:38:25.760 --> 00:38:26.320 Wow. 00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:31.199 Well, if you think of any, you can email me at james at redemptiondenver.com. 00:38:32.320 --> 00:38:40.800 Um I'm gonna go ahead and pray and uh and I'm gonna ask James to come up and administer communion this morning. 00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:47.840 Um it just seems fitting as as he's just become ordained as uh as our pastor in the PCA. 00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:51.760 Um but before he does, I'm gonna I'm gonna pray for us. 00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:53.440 God, thank you. 00:38:53.679 --> 00:38:57.679 Thank you for providing freedom for your people. 00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:06.719 And God, thank you for being mighty enough to be able to provide freedom for your people. 00:39:07.360 --> 00:39:12.159 God, we may we be a people that are uh that live that way. 00:39:13.039 --> 00:39:18.079 Um may we be a people that trust in your promises. 00:39:18.960 --> 00:39:29.039 God, thank you for giving us your promises so that we can know what it is that you are going to do for us and what you have done for us. 00:39:29.360 --> 00:39:31.039 God, may we trust them. 00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:33.599 Thank you for being good. 00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:35.840 Thank you for being mighty. 00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:43.679 And we just ask that these things, that these truths would sink into our hearts that we might be able to live freely. 00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:46.559 We pray these things in Jesus' name. 00:39:47.039 --> 00:39:47.599 Amen. 00:39:58.400 --> 00:40:00.079 That's good preaching. 00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:16.960 In 1 Corinthians 11 23, Paul writes, For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you. 00:40:17.280 --> 00:40:19.039 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:40:19.679 --> 00:40:24.400 In the same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. 00:40:24.880 --> 00:40:27.519 Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 00:40:27.679 --> 00:40:33.840 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 00:41:14.159 --> 00:41:20.079 Lord, that it would be a celebration feast, the feast after our liberation. 00:41:21.119 --> 00:41:30.559 That we can celebrate now, that the sins which we confessed at the beginning of our service this morning no longer enslave us, but we are set free. 00:41:31.440 --> 00:41:34.800 Slaves no longer to sin, but slaves to righteousness. 00:41:35.440 --> 00:41:46.000 Because of the work that you accomplished on the cross, because of your great intercession for us, Lord, because you plead your sacrifice before the Father. 00:41:46.400 --> 00:41:47.519 And we are set free. 00:41:48.079 --> 00:41:49.199 Lift this up in Jesus' name. 00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:50.239 Amen.