Mt. Sinai -from condemnation to Redemption

Introduction:

tell story about the climb up Sinai

Slide One: THE WILDERNESS

Exodus 19 tells us that Three Months have passed since Isreal fled Egypt.

The Left the land that was green and fertile and entered the land of the Wilderness.

and they have now encamped in the Sinai wilderness.

Slide 2: The Valley Below The Mountain

and they have now encamped in the Sinai wilderness as the base of Mount Sinai

Slide 3: (Camels-

On our trip to the Holy land this spring my Family decided we wanted to climb to the top of mount Sinai But since it was already 90 Degrees outside when we were starting the middle of the Day in the Egyptian wilderness We decided to ride camels up the first 6 miles and then hike the last mile to the top.

How my camel took off running…..

Slide 4: Amy Camel

Slide 5: Levi Camel

After about an hour and half of gradually climbing between the mountain peaks we rounded a corner and saw our first sight of the Holy Mountain, Mt Sinai.

Slide 5: Mount Sinai from afar

Slide 6: circled Camels-

to show how big the mountain really is

Slide 7: Looking Back

Slide 7 Higher up

Slide 8 : too steep for the camels so we had to hike the rest of the way

Slide 9; Amy Hiking

Slide 9 We made it to the Summit

Slide 11: Family on the top

- We worship at the top

Slide 12: the HOLY MOUNTAIN

Mount Sinai holds great significance in the Old Testament as the place where God delivered the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law to Moses, the leader of the Israelites.

As the People were encamped in the valley Moses went up to the Holy mountain, and met with God.

Listen to what God told moses on that mountain.

Exodus 19:3–6 (ESV)

3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

On this mountain God told Moses that if Isreal would obey is Commands they would be His treasured possession among all people.

Can you imaging having the God of the universe single you out above all other people to call you his treasured possession? To place you above all others.

Moses took this message down the mountain to the people and told them all that God had said and in verse 8 we see their response

Exodus 19:8 (ESV)

8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

3 Days later, The people awoke to thunder and lighting coming from a thick cloud covering the top of the Mountain.

and out of the Cloud- in the midst of the thunder and lighting, a loud blast from a horn Sounded and ALL the People Trembled.

The People had been summoned into the presence of God.

Listen to how our story picks up in verse 17

Exodus 19:17–20 (ESV)

17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.

20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

This is the story of Mt Sinai. The Holy Mountain of God.

So what is it that is so significant about this mountain?

its not that this mountain is special in and of itself, - it’s that God Came down on this mountain and met with Moses. and it was at this meeting that God gave His law to His people.

Remember what God told Moses?

“ if Isreal would obey is Commands they would be His treasured possession among all people forever.”

God is about to give them the commands they must follow perfectly in order to be Gods Treasured people

Listen as I read for you Exodus 20 the giving of the Law

Exodus 20:1–17 (ESV)

1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The 10 Commandments

Church we need to understand that The giving of the Law at Mount Sinai marked a pivotal moment in the relationship between God and His chosen people.

This Morning I want us to Consider Why the Law still Matters for us today.

We are not Isreal we are not Gods Chosen Nation that recieved the law on Mt Sinai, But yet the Law that God gave Moses has an eternal impact in each of our lives today.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 3 where we will see 4 reasons Why the Law Matters for us Today.

First thing that the Law Does for us today is that it

The Law Reveals God's Holiness and Standards:

Romans 3:19 (ESV)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

The Law is the standard by which all mankind will be judged

The law is what tells us that God’s standard is greater than any human being could ever keep.

In verse 5, Paul Speaking of the Law says that it’s our inability to keep it perfectly that teaches us how Righteous God’s Character is.

Romans 7:12 expands even more on this idea

Romans 7:12 (ESV)

12 So the law is holy, , and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

The law is not just a set of rules that God give us to live by, it’s a reflection of who He is by nature.

God is Holy - there is no one like him

GOD is righteous - there is no evil in him

Gos is good- everything He does is good

The standard for all mankind is to be perfectly holy, Righteous, and good- because that’s the character of the God- the who gave us his law,

and its this standard of perfection that verse 19 tells us that All mankind will be held accountable to God for.

So Heres the point “if you want to earn your own eternal life without the need of Grace, All you have to do is live a perfect life.

Illustration:

Wire Buzzer Game

Get a volunteer who wants to earn $100 all the have to do is get the ring all the way from one end to the other without ever touching it once.

But if you fail there are no second chances.

The point is this - just like the Buzzer game- The standard that the law gives us is perfection because the standard is a reflection of Gods own perfect Character- anything less is game over.

James 2:10 (ESV)

10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

The Law is what Reveals Gods Perfect Character and His Perfect Standard that our lives will be judged upon.

Without it, we would never know the character of God and what he r guires from us.

and this leads us into our second point-.. the law is what highlights our sinfulness.

The Law Highlights Man’s Sinfulness:

Romans 3:20 (ESV)

20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The Law does not just reveal Gods Perfections, it also Highlights our sinfulness.

By the workd of the Law NO human being will be Justified meaning - there is no way any one of us could ever keep the Law perfectly-

You see its through the law that comes our knowledge of our own Sinfulness.

Listen to what Paul said in the previous verses about Who we are and our attempts at keeping God s Law.

Romans 3:10–18 (ESV)

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Friends, we are rotten to the core- not one of us has ever even come close to God’s Standard of righteousness.

Understand this morning that The Law is what exposes the reality of sin in our lives , Without it would would not know how desperately wicked we truly are.

The law is what leaves us hopelessly deep in our total depravity in need of Supernatural Redemption in our lives.

and this brings us to our third point from our text,

look with me at the next two verses in Rom 3which speak of the Redemption that God offers mankind

Romans 3:21–22 (ESV)

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

The Law is what points us to our need of redemption

The Law Points to Redemption:

Redemption is the act of being saved or delivered from a state of bondage.

Redemption is the idea of being set free because your payment has been paid in Full.

These 2 verses are a pivotal point in the role of the Law when it comes to man’s redemption.

The law is what points out the insurmountable gap between our imperfect obedience and God's perfect standards.

and it is only when we come to this realization that there is no way we could ever be good enough to meet God’s Standard that our hearts are pointed to our great need for Redemption.

We come to the realization that we need someone to step into our broken lives and pay our debt of Sin in full because on our own there is no other way.

This is why it says"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,”

The law is what brought us to the the point of no hope- It leaves us condemned in our sinfulness with no way to ever be restored back to God,

`ALL SO THAT IT CAN POINT US TO our need for Redemption.

Finally the Law doesn't leave us without Hope, but it Proclaims God’s Free Gift of Grace.

Proclaims Gods Gift of Grace

Romans 3:23–24 (ESV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ( THATS THE LAW), 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through (what) the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

Friends, In the midst of our failure- God steps into our lives and offers us a gift of grace.

Grace is the most precious gift God has ever given mankind.

Grace is God giving us what we dont deserve.

Grace is God offering forgiveness that we did not earn.

Grace is God Redeeming us even when we have failed over and over again at meeting His perfect standard

verse 23 is so clear - We have all sinned and fallen short-

Imagine a skilled archer preparing to shoot an arrow at a distant target.

The archer carefully draws the bowstring, aims with precision, and releases the arrow with confidence.

But as the arrow travels through the air, it gradually loses speed and accuracy.

Despite the archer's best efforts, the arrow falls short of the intended target, landing on the ground before reaching its mark.

This is the picture Romans 3:23 is is describing

It’s the law that is the proof We have all missed the mark of God's perfect standard of righteousness.

Understand this morning, that No matter how hard we may have tired- One small slip and its still game over.

and this is why we need God’s gift of Grace.

listen to what Gods Grace has given you in verse 24

Romans 3:24 (ESV)

24 YOU are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Through Jesus, we are justified-

To be justified -means that when God looks at you now- It is just as if I had never sinned.

How are we justified? BY HIS GRACE- a gift we did not earn or deserve.

Notice how we get this gift of Grace in our lives- The verse tells us - THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS.

Remember what redemption is? Your debt is paid in full. Jesus Paid your debt of sin so that you could be redeemed

This is the beauty of the Gospel. God offers each of us today a free gift of Grace and that free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

God, in His grace, has provided a solution for our fallen condition.

and it is only Through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, that we will ever receive forgiveness, righteousness, and reconciliation with God.

‘because on our own we could never keep the law perfectly.

Bring it Home:

Mt Sinai is a very special place for mankind because it is the place where God gave mankind the gift of the law.

The Law is gift from God

God knew that without the law- Man would never really understand His character and standards

God knew that without the law- Man would never understand his own sinfulness

God knew that without the law- man would never see his need for Redemption.

God knew that without the law-His gift of Grace would not be recieved.

The law should not be looked at as a burden or as a bunch of rules that restrict our lives, but as a beautiful gift from God.

Because without the law we would not know our need for a Savior

The Law may be the standard that Condemns us, but Jesus is the gift of grace that Redeems us.

ROmans 8:1-2

Romans 8:1–2 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Jesus sets us free from the Law of sin and death AMEN!!!

Friends, let me be clear with you this morning, it is only By placing your faith in Jesus Christ alone, that you are no longer judged on your efforts at keeping the law perfectly.

The Bible says in order to receive this free gift of Grace in your life you must believe in Jesus.

You must believe that Jesus willing came to this earth, lived a perfect life, and died a perfect death on that cross in your place to pay the debt for your sins in full,

Understand that the salvation that God offers you through Jesus is a free gift of Grace- You dont have to earn it, you definitely do,t deserve - and thats what makes it grace.

Friends, If you have never accepted Jesus into your life what is it that is keeping you from doing it right now?

why would you still want to stay under the condemnation of the law instead of the Grace that God is freely offering you today?

Confess your failure at keeping Gods law- Admit your sinful heart to him, and ask Jesus to come into your life as your Lord and Savior.

thats the Salvation Jesus offers you from the Law.

Christians, we should be thankful for the law because without we would still be lost in our sin.

Dont’ look at the law as a restriction on your life, but on an opportunity to live your life reflecting the character of the God who through Grace offered you the free gift of Salvation,

Pray