Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Good Morning!

Welcome to Advent at the Vineyard.

We are celebrating Christmas, the coming of Christ—the physical presence of God arriving on our big blue marble—and we are continuing our series of talks from the book of Exodus.

Bringing these two things together might seem like a rather strange confluence of biblical texts…but the connection is not as strange as you might think.

The entire bible is telling one story that points directly to Jesus.

In this story God is revealing his identity—his name and his character—to Moses, to the Hebrews, to the entire world.

Throughout the events of the exodus, Israel is invited into a new identity, to become a people who bear God’s name to the rest of the world.

In the book, Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, by Dr Carmen Joy Imes, she highlights that,

“There is a quest for identity—a need to find ourselves, find out who we are, what we're suppose to do with our lives—it's all at Mt. Sinai, its all in the book of Exodus.”

Throughout the New Testament we see that Jesus becomes our identity in the same way that Yahweh becomes Israel's identity—we bear the name of Christ—Christians—the very same way.

The apostle Paul writes in a letter to a local church…

Colossians 3:1–4 (NIV) 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

He's saying that as a follower of the resurrected Christ, because you've been saved/redeemed through your faith in Christ, your identity is now indelibly connected to God.

This is exactly what's going on in the Exodus story.

We're at the point in the story where Israel is now three months past miraculously leaving Egypt—they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they've been rescued by Yahweh.

And we pick up the story in chapter 19…

Exodus 19:1–6 (NIV) 1 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from (re-fee-deem) Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

3 Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.

Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Let's camp out on verses 4–6 for a few moments.

This is key!!

Rescued: Given a special status for a special vocation

"You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt"

You've seen what I've done to Egypt (because of Pharaoh's mistreatment of you and his refusal to acknowledge Yahweh's sovereignty)

"…and how I carried you on eagles’ wings…"

You've experienced my provision and care (water out of rocks, manna in the morning, quail in the evening, a weekly schedule that includes rest, protection from enemies, guidance through the wilderness…)

"…and brought you to myself."

…and have brought you to myself (and now you're at the mountain where I revealed myself to Moses before sending him to collect you)

Exodus 3:12 (NIV) 12 And God said, “I will be with you.

And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

We talked about how we often, just like Moses, have to walk through a whole bunch of sometimes painful stuff—we have to trust God in the confrontations with Pharaoh and as we wander around the wilderness, and as all Israel complains—before we really know that we know that we know that we were following God all along.

"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant…"

Because of all of this, let me show you how relationship with me actually works.

Let me reveal myself to you even more…and learning obedience is going to be key.

Notice that God did not ask Israel to obey before he rescued them, not at all! God swoops down, like an eagle protecting it's young, and after getting them to safety, he begins to show them what life is meant to look like.

What God is about to show them about faithful obedience is not they way to earn salvation.

They've already been rescued.

Now God is going to challenge them to live a life worth of that rescue and their calling…

"…then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession."

S'gullah = a treasured possession, personal property, selected and saved by Yahweh for himself

Their status is to be Yahweh's special, treasured possession.

"Although the whole earth is mine…"

Abraham Kuyper was right to declare that…

"There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!’"

"…you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

So, because of this special status (treasured possession), they will have a special role/vocation (a kingdom of priests, a holy nation).

Israel's role/vocation will match their status.

The status is to be a special treasured possession.

The role is to be a priestly and holy community in the midst of the nations.

As Yahweh's treasured possession, Israel now has a vocation—to represent their God to the rest of humanity.

They will function in priestly ways, mediating between yahweh and everyone else.

They are set apart for his service.

And they all agree to this…

Exodus 19:7–8 (NIV) 7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak.

8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.”

So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

This is a theme throughout the bible…

You realize that when the angel invited Mary to become Jesus' mom, it was because God chose her…and that special status came with special responsibilities…

The same is true for you and I. Listen to the apostle Paul again…

Ephesians 4:1 (NIV) 1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Or the apostle Peter…

1 Peter 2:9–10 (NIV) 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Peter is intentionally using the language right out of Exodus to remind the church (you and I) of our special status and our special vocation/role.

How might it change the way you live, and shop, and shovel, and the way you do all of life… How might it change if you saw yourself in this way—set apart for God and bringing his presence, his kingdom (to use a New Testament word), to your friends and neighbors?

You realize that at any moment God's presence and power, the reality of the Holy Spirit, at any moment God can break in a do stuff?

Do you realize that?

Do our lives reflect that reality?

In order to stay tuned into that reality, there's a completely different way to live

A picture of a completely different kind of life

This is the moment for Israel.

They are being invited, all together, into a covenant relationship with God.

Yahweh will visibly manifest his presence.

And it'll kinda freak them out

They (Yahweh & Israel) will enter into a formal, binding, covenant agreement/relationship

Yahweh will give them Ten Words to live by: known to us as the Ten Commandments

They've signed on to be Yahweh's people.

But what exactly have they signed on to?

Great question!

The Ten Words:

A reminder of the context (20:1–2)

Exodus 20:1–2 (NIV) 1 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

These words of expectation are given by the one who rescued and has entered into a committed relationship with them.

And rather than beginning with "thou shalt not," it begins with "I am."

"I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God."

What if these words are an amazing gift—revealing a dimension of freedom made possible by ten specific boundaries.

Stay within these boundaries and your lives will flourish.

The God who saved them is now giving them a gift.

Let's look at them through that lens…

The first word – Worship no other Gods (20:3–6)

Exodus 20:3–6 (NIV) 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Exclusive loyalty to Yahweh means that the people will serve only Yahweh

The temple doesn’t have an image or idol of God in it because God has already made humans as his image.

When we show allegiance to anything other than God, we not only rob God of the praise he deserves, we also diminish ourselves as those made to represent God.

the second word – Don’t misrepresent YHWH (20:7)