Breaking Away from the Enslavement Life Brings

Turn in your Bibles this morning to Exodus 5:1-22, 6:1.

Exodus 5:1–21 NKJV

1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ” 2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” 3 So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!” 6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.” 10 And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’ ” 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 13 And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, “Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.” 14 Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?” 15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you dealing thus with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.” 19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, “You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.” 20 Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. 21 And they said to them, “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Exodus 5:22–6:1 NKJV

22 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.” 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

Prayer

Message

We continue this morning as we look again at the Exodus.

In the prior chapter, Moses and Aaron have secured the faith and trust of the people that God had spoken to Moses and they were trusting his leadership to lead them to the land of promise. IN today’s text, Moses is putting feet to the request the Lord made of him and he along with Aaron are confronting Pharoah to let the people go and worship the Lord.

What does the Exodus teach us today as we study this text? Moving from a life of enslavement to a life found free in Jesus Christ.

As we reflect back over the prior chapters we must ask the question of Moses. What caused Moses to move from an attitude of enslavement and fear and insecurity to living out a faith evidence by his progressive nature as the story unfolds. What caused this boldness, this freedom to trust, this unyielding faith in the Lord as we see mounting in today’s text?

In the NT, we read in those last moments of the disciples running out and abandoning the Lord while He was arrested and ultimately crucified. Later, we find the disciples serving the Lord in boldness, faith filled, empowered and confident in the Lord in Acts in such scenes as Peter and John leading others to Christ and healing. How could this be?

They both had encounters with the Lord. Both individual and the group of disciples at large came into the presence of the Lord.

Moses along with the NT disciples are stories we can relate to of a before and after of how God helped these rag tag insecure normal people find confidence in Him. How they moved from the enslavement of failure to the empowerment in faith. This morning we will drill down into Moses’ journey and see what he along with the people faced in moving from enslavement to sin to a faith filled life in Christ.

You can Move from Enslavement to a Spiritual Feast

Exodus 5:1 “1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ””

Aren’t you thankful that a spiritual feast awaits the believer for the asking. Moses and Aaron shared the words that the Lord had told them to share to Pharoah, nothing more and nothing less.

Those words speak volumes to us today as we consider our journey from enslavement of our past to the promised land of tomorrow and all points in between.

Let’s look back for just a moment. Turn in your Bibles for a moment to:

Exodus 3:8 “8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.”

Exodus 3:17–19 NKJV

17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 18 Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.

I had us read these two texts for a reason. Firstly, God had a big picture plan for Israel. In Exodus 3:8, God shared the big picture plan for Israel, and in Exodus 3:17, God allowed Moses to share the big picture plan for Israel, but note what The Lord told Moses to say to Pharoah in Exodus 3:18.

Those two verses pack a punch and they offer tremendous insight into Exodus 5:1. May I share with you dear brother or sister this morning that a spiritual feast awaits you. The promised land of your life is in sight, but our move from enslavement and our past life begins right now, right where we are. A life in Christ is not a destination location, its a journey.

How many of you have been to a Buc-ee’s?

Buc-ee's is an American chain of country stores, gas stations, and electric vehicle chargers created and owned by Arch "Beaver" Aplin III, headquartered in Lake Jackson, Texas.[2] The chain was first founded in 1982 in Clute, Texas and began expansion with its first travel center in Luling, Texas in 2003. The company began expanding outside of Texas in 2018 with the opening of a location in Baldwin County, Alabama, and has since opened locations in Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee, with new locations planned for Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The chain is well known for the large size of its locations, alongside its product offerings of fuel, snacks (particularly beef jerky and candy), brisket, baked goods and commodities, tacos, fresh sandwiches, souvenirs, and travel items. The chain has also become well known for the cleanliness of its bathrooms, mascot, and the company's prohibition of 18-wheelers at their locations.[3][4]

The chain has since developed a highly loyal customer base and often ranks among the most Favorited gas station in the country.[5][6][7] Its bathrooms have also gained significant acclaim, winning the Cintas award for "Best Restroom in America" in 2012.[8][9]

Buc-ees is said to be a destination location today. Otherwise, most normal filling stations are a part of our travel journey, it is a stop on the way to the ultimate location we are traveling.

Likewise, if you desire a change in your life, real change, if you want a real Holy Ghost filled revival, renewal, or you want change that only comes in Christ, you must make a declaration for it. You must shout it from the mountain tops. Lord come visit me, commune with me, come into my life and bring the change that only you can bring. Lord, I have an insatiable appetite and I know the only One that can fill that hunger is you Lord. Amen. He wants to offer you a spiritual feast.

But, it begins with you right now, right where you are, in the present conditions you face, in the present climate you are in, in your home, in your workplace, in you exact place in life.

Moses was not instructed to share with Pharoah the ultimate request for the people to depart and head toward the Promised land.

Now, I have many times asked the question, why would Moses be called, answered every objection to his fears and empowered for the task, but yet we read the sobering verse in Exodus 3:19 “19 But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.”

Oh dearly beloved, Pharoah represents the world, He represents mankind in the flesh, He represents the adamic nature and a man influenced by spiritual darkness and Satan. For you see, we are in the process of sanctification. We are growing in Christ everyday but none of us have arrived at the ultimate spiritual feast we will encounter the day we come into His presence in heaven. We will be battling the Pharoah’s of life every day here on earth.

What is the most important words uttered by Moses? What are the most important words we can utter today? “Let my people go!” The Lord makes salvation available. The Lord makes the abundant life in Him for the asking. But we have to say “yes” to His request. We have to make the declaration that we are not satisfied with what this life offers. We are not satisfied with the vacuum of worldly lusts that we attempt to find joy but are futile at best. We want to feast on heavenly manna today. Amen?

Furthermore, there is a story of Pharoah today. Pharoah represents man at his best can not battle against the life God offers. Man in his ultimate strength, man in his ultimate position, his ultimate authority, his ultimate class of accomplishing, his education, his pocketbook, his feats are no battle for living a life of faith in Jesus Christ.

Dearly beloved, the world is scampering to and fro and in every direction attempting all of these empty vessels the world offers attempting to find joy, to find peace. Jesus is your peace today. He loves you and He wants you to fill whole. He wants to complete you and its not really Him completing you, but you being complete by Him residing in you, living with you, love you.

Do you know why this is so important? I believe everyone here truly loves your family. I believe everyone here truly is concerned about the outcome of their loved ones.

Your life will have impact on others. Do you want to see your home transformed for Christ? Do you want to see your marriage transformed for Christ? Do you want to see your street, your workplace, or better yet, this church? It can all begin with you.

Moses transformation from fear to faith influenced a people, tribes, a family.

Exodus 10:9 “9 And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we will go, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.””

Acts 16:31 “31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.””

Acts 16:34 “34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”

When the Philippian jailer was gloriously saved, it was not an automatic at that moment because Paul uttered those words. He prophesied due to the fact the Philippian jailer was a changed man. He knew his life would impact his family. They knew him before. They knew his heart, they knew his actions, they knew his language. They saw the change and they saw real change and they wanted what their husband and dad had.

The Lord wants you to feast on the heavenly manna and He wants those around you as well. Amen.

Enslavement Battles Continue as long as you Selectively Listen Motivated by Selfish Desire

Exodus 5:2 “2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.””

Pharoah knew who God was. There was no doubting who God was. Pharaoh's father passed down the knowledge of Joseph and the God he served and the history of the provision of the grain that Joseph stashed away by the counsel of Yahweh. Egypt had a history. A man named Pharoah would have had formal Egyptian schooling by the best of the best and he would be knowledgeable as a dignitary of Egypt to know Egyptian history.

Any great Egyptian would have known of Joseph that had advanced to number 2 in all of the Egypt and the civilized world. They would have known the history of how a Hebrew could have advanced in leadership based upon the dream he interpreted that we read of in Genesis 41.

Joseph in that story represent many today. They want God to be in place #2. They want to be #1 and Pharoah did not listen because he did not know who God was, but because he did n’t want to render over any authority outside of himself. He was the highest authority in the civilized world.

Exodus 5:3 “3 So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.””

On this glorious day, Moses & Aaron spoke up, not in fear, but in faith of the Yahweh that supplied them with the strength to declare a new day. They hungered to rid themselves of the enslavement this world holds to make a stand for a life guided and directed by God.

Oh dear church look at the end of verse 3, “lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”

We can lives this life dear church at our best as a Pharoah, as a President Ronald Reagan or a Winston Churchhill, Howard Hughes, or Babe Ruth or Albert Einstein. We can enjoy all this life has to offer but then what? Everyone of these men in and of themselves were great, but are greatly gone.

I was speaking to a close friend coach the other day as we spoke of another friend coach, Coach Randy Ragsdale.

I quote Randy sharing with my boys in football. He said that “football is a great game but it is a terrible god.”

One asked of the man that attended to affairs of the rich man that passed away, “what did he leave?” He left it all.

Oh dearly beloved, this world and what it offers is temporal at best.

Song by Elton John, Candle in the Wind of the great Marilyn Monroe.

And it seems to me you lived your life Like a candle in the wind Never knowing who to cling to When the rain set in And I would've liked to know you But I was just a kid Your candle burned out long before Your legend ever did

Dear church, you can know who to cling to today. You can enjoy His peace today. Peace is found in the person of Jesus Christ.

John 14:27 “27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Exodus 5:6-9 “6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.””

What brings about the selective listening to the things of God?

The demands of life. Satan’s biggest tool to keep you from the Lord is busyness. Satan says to himself “If I can keep everyone busy they will not have time for God.”

Pharoah was the voice of the world we live in today. We hear and say the catch phrase “idleness is the devil’s workshop.” Pharoah was saying If I keep them busy enough they will not have time for God.

Emory Folmar would hold opening ceremonies at our ball parks and you could quote him saying, “I’d rather see a kid stealing second base than stealing hubcaps.” Meaning, that if we stay busy we can stay out of trouble.

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 “10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.”

The fact is that busyness can be the enemy of the things of God. We do not make time for God. Specifically, Pharoah used work as the thing needed to keep their minds off of God.

Pharoah made them double up on their production and upped their quotas of supplying brick each day. Egypt became harsh taskmasters. Isn’t that what we see happening in our world everyday? We began with heavy equipment and forklifts and dollies to produce more work. Then we invented the computers to supposedly reduce work and to have emails rather than go to the post office all in the face of efficiency, speed and less work. If that is not enough the workplace now has robotics and Americans are working harder than they have ever worked.

And if it is not for our employers, we do it to ourselves. IN the neighborhood we ministered to yesterday is an aggregate picture of normalcy of middle class America. Everyone advances in their skill set through schooling or trade or promotion and the demands get greater. They buy a home to keep up with the Jones’. They get upon the hamster wheel of life called the rat race to live under the mindset that those with the biggest toys win. The more you have the harder you work to maintain that you have. And then if that is not enough, the children. Oh the children, we must dress them right and send them to the right schools. We must make them busy and send them to camps, travel sports, enter them into advanced training, dance, piano, and the list goes on. We have caught on to the world’s idea that idleness is the devil’s workshop when in reality that busyness is the devil’s workshop. Children today are not coming to our churches because they do not have time to come to church. What little time they have is let down time and Satan knows this. He is a schemer.

It happens in church life. We allow duties in church life to become so great we do not have time for the deity of church.

Exodus 6:6 NKJV

6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

Oh dear church. listen in love and with all the graciousness I can communicate. I love America. I love what it stands for. I love the freedoms we enjoy. God intended for us to enjoy the blessed great times we enjoy. There is nothing greater in these hot summers than to enjoy a great DQ ice cream or to go and enjoy the Biscuits baseball. That was God’s perfect plan to enjoy His creation. But when we worship creation over the creator we have missed the mark, we have sinned. Moses wrote “the burden of the Egyptians.” If we fall int what is called norm lifestyle today in America it will be burdensome and it robs us of the blessedness of the spiritual feast found in Jesus Christ.

See What the Savior and His Strength Can Accomplish in Your Life

Exodus 6:1 “1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.””

Oh dear church, when we allow this world to saturate our time, our energy, and our life, we will be spiritual starved and enslaved. God knew that Moses and the people of Israel could not accomplish the task of freedom in and of themselves no more than we can. Moses writing the Exodus by the hand of God tells of Pharoah and the opposition the people of Israel would encounter because dearly beloved, Satan and His army is waiting to wage war with your spiritual pilgrimage everyday.

So, how do we stay on the path of real spiritual feasting on the manna from heaven? Begin today. Begin wanting it right now. Cry out for it. Moses told Pharoah, “let my people go.” We say today, “In the name of Jesus, stay behind me Satan, let me go.” Secondly, look at your life and see areas of your life you have allowed for enslavement? Are you enslaved to the god of busyness? What area do you need to get under raps that is managing you rather than you managing it? If we will meet those first two requirements God will do His part and cause you to win the victory, not in your power, but His. You want to be busy? Get busy pursing Jesus.

Let’s pray.