Exodus 2

Introduction

If we have not had the pleasure of meeting my name is John Colunga and I have the privilige of serving as lead pastor here at New Day Pasadena

I also have the privilige of bringing this weeks sermon

So if you have your Bibles, please turn to Exodus 4

If you forgot your Bible please use the one in front of you and if you dont have a Bible at all, please take home the one in front of you as a free gift to you

Opening

Tension

Now, I am going to ask a question, and its not meant to make you feel bad or put you down

But if we dwell on the answer of this question, it could be depressing for some of us

But the question is, How is your memory?

Has your memory gotten better or worse over time?

Now stop thinking about it, we dont want to get in a bad place

But its that same memory that is imperfect which sometimes leads us to break promises

I promise I will do this one thing at this particular time

And then it comes to that particular time and you are busy with other things and you forget about the thing you had to do

And the next thing you know, you are now having to apologize for breaking your promise and maybe creating a new one

Our memory fails us

But God’s memory is perfect

God remembers his covenants

God remembers his promises to his people

And God always keeps them

Background

We are in the book of Exodus which is the second book of the Bible as well as the second book of the law

It was written by Moses and is a book of redemption

Last week, we talked about God’s sovereignty and providence for his people

And the encouragement for us as we go through the book is that we go through it with the expectation and anticipation of how God will providentially work things out for the good of his people

Gods Sovereignty is - Supreme power and authority

Providence - God’s purposeful action to support his people

And one of the things we noted was that Abraham was promised many decendents and in chapter we see this starting to happen. The Israelites, God’s chosen people were multiplying and became enslaved by the fearful Egyptians

But Abraham wasn’t just promised many descendents - he was promised a land for his descendents

Genesis 15:13–16 “Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””

God makes a covenant with Abraham - and in the covenant he tells Abraham that he is going to have a land for his decendents

But first these decendents will live in a land that is not their own - they are sojourners

sojourner - to stay temporarily

God says they Will be made servants for four hundred years

But God also says that he will judge the nation who makes them servants

And He will bring them out with great posessions

So, not only do we have healthy understanding of who God is and how he takes care of his people

But there is an explicite covenant that God will free his people

GOD REMEMBERS HIS PROMISES

If you are able to stand, I ask that you please do so for the reading of God’s word. I’ll read it as you follow along,

Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’ ” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.” 10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

This is the Word of the Lord - You may now be seated

Providence for Moses

Ealier in chapter 2 that was read - we saw the providence of God at work in the life of Moses

How he was born and put in the nile in hopes that he would be brought to safety

And the Pharahos daughter found him

Moses’ sister who saw this comes out and asks if she would like to find someone to nurse him and she said yes

And next thing you know Moses is nursed by his mother and then brought back to Pharaos daughter

As Moses grew up, he knew that he was a Hebrew and at some point God put in him compassion for his people

Moses probably had a sense that God was going to use him to help his people

But in his own discernment - Moses goes about it in the wrong way

He wanted to help the Hebrew people and he wanted them to see that he was on their side

And so he kills an Egyptian before them and after the murder the word got around

But the Hebrew people did not accept him and Pharoah found out about the murder and so Moses fled

In the book of Acts we find Stephen preaching and talking about Moses and here is what he says about Moses

Acts 7:20-25

20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. 23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.

Moses’ actions were on his own and apart from God’s will - and anything apart from God will have confusion

So Moses flees

But at the end of chapter 2 in Exodus - God hears the groans of his people

And God doesnt remember his covenant with Abraham because its something he forgot

Rather - He knows his covenant with Abraham and now it’s his providential time to act

Burning Bush

In chapter 3 - Is the call from God to Moses

And when God tells Moses that he is sending him to Egypt

Moses asks, who am I to go?

God responds in Exodus 3:12 “He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.””

God then tells Moses that Pharaoh will not them go unless compelled by a mighty hand

And God reveals to Moses that he will strike Egypt with wonders and then will let them go

Chapter 4

Is a continuation of this interaction at the burning bush

And God reveals to Moses 2 signs

As if the burning bush was not enough

God turned Moses’ staff into a serpant and then changed it back

Then God turned Moses’ hand with leprousey and then restored it

And just in case they won’t listen to that, God will turn water from the Nile on dry land, into blood

Moses’ Response

What is Moses’ response to God’s providence in his life

To God telling him to tell others that “I AM”

When God told him that he would be with him

When God showed moses 2 signs

Moses’ response to all of this is - I am a bad speaker and send someone else

And it’s like when we read that, we have a tendency to just re-read it and almost kind of judge Moses

How could you say that immediately after seeing and hearing all of this?

How could you tell God no?

If I were in Moses’ shoes I would like to think that after hearing and seeing all of these things, that I would say yes Lord lets do this!

And as we are tempted to think these things about Moses, lets first look at our own lives

Now lets fast forward

Jesus

God has a chosen people that makes up not just a nation or ethnicity

God’s people consists of Jew and Gentile

Anyone who is not of Jewish decent is a gentile (Us)

Romans 5 and 6

We are told that because of Adam and Eve’s original sin - everyone born after them are born spiritually dead and living enslaved to sin

That means that we are separated from God

And in that separation, we are bound to death because of our sin

But then God chose a Savior for his people

And this Savior would be his one and only son, Jesus

And Jesus would live the perfect life of obedience, never giving any excuses

Jesus willingly obeyed God to the point of death on a cross

That in his death, he would take on the full weight of sin and death

And because Jesus was fully God and fully man, he arose from the dead on the third day and he conquered sin and death

And because Jesus conquered sin and death - God changes the heart of his people

That by faith and trust alone in Jesus Christ you will be saved from sin and death

You will no longer be enslaved to sin but you will be free in Jesus and enslaved to righteousness

The righteousness of God which brings life - all because of Jesus

After Salvation

And so if you are here today and you have put your faith and trust in Jesus for salvation

You can rejoice that you are spiritually alive

You can rejoice that the Spirit of God dwells inside of you

But remember - You are a sojourner

This world is our temporary residence

You are sojourner who is promised a permanent residence in heaven

And we know that God always keeps his promises!

God is With Us

We are not left to sojourn alone

Just as God promised that he would be with Moses - God is with us

The Spirit of God dewlls inside of us

And he guides us to fulfill our purpose

God’s will for us

God gives us purpose on this earth

2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

As we each walk in faith we are to behold the glory of God

To be transformed into the image of God and his glory

And this is done because and through the power of the Holy Spirit

We are immediately saved

We are immediately justified

We are immediately made righteous because of Jesus

These are the definitive aspects of sanctification

But putting sin to death and focusing on holiness and righteousness in our physical body

Is a day in and day out battle

Philippians 2:12–13 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Not a saving salvation

But since you have been saved - there is a work

You are no longer bound to sin - but you are free and you can resist temptation

For it is God who works in you - for his goodness and his pleasure

Our spiritual walk and growth is a lifelong process

And while we have the same purpose

And the same could be said of Moses

And so rather than judge or laugh or be perplexed as to how Moses could say send someone else

We should be able to empathize with Moses!

Knowing and recognizing God’s providence in our life

Knowing and believing that God has done a powerful work through Jesus

Believing that the Holy Spirit has changed our heart

Believing that God is with us

There are times when we consciencely say no to God and choose to sin

There are times when an opportunity to display God’s love, compassion, or mercy and we dont

There are times when we are called to forgive and we knowingly and stubbornly withold forgiveness

There are many times and many ways in which we tell God no, send someone else despite everything he has done and has shown us

Story of kids playing outside - God forgives - God equipps

God’s Response

14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

God doesn’t instantly kill or burn Moses on the spot

God doesn’t say yea your right let me find someone else

Rather, God equips Moses and takes away his excuses

You cant speak well, here is your brother Aaron

You dont think they will believe you, here is the staff which will be used to do the signs

God equips those whom he calls

God Equips Us

Brothers and sisters God is angered at our sin,

but he does not burn us up

Doesn’t say that he has made a mistake in saving you

Rather, He forgives you, he has mercy for you,

And he will continue to point us to Jesus and to the gifts that he has given you

He will continue to be there to guide and to lead

I am praying to see those kids and mother again, and even if its someone else - you bet I’m going to stop and talk to them

I fail, I forget my mission, I say no to my mission sometimes, but our God does not operate in that way

God always remembers you and his promises for you

Application

General and Specific calling

Spoiler alert Moses moves forward

Moses goes to Egypt

And in the same way, we move forward in our calling and in our sanctification

Some people here today may be like Moses in Egypt, knowing there is a work to do and you look to your left and you look to your right and you are just unsure what God has for you.

What ministry should I be a part of

Where should I serve

Who should I be discipling

The answer, yes

What gifts have God given you?

What or who do you have a heart for?

We want to help you to discern

But continue to to be in prayer

Thats ok, know that God is equipping you

Be equipped by God’s Word (Bible)

Be equipped through prayer (Prayer)

He will not forget you

Some people here today may be walking in their calling and you may be discouraged, may be feeling burnout

Be equipped by the sacraments (Baptism and the Lords Supper)

Be equipped by fellowship (Sunday Morning - Encouraging/Building each other up)

Some people may be here today and you are either flat out saying no to God or saying no to his work in your life

How can you recognize?

Are you in relationship?

No matter where we are at, God sees you, he remembers you, he is with you, he cares about your daily life,

so much so that he will daily show himself to you in some way

or present an opportunity to display his love

or to teach you something

And we can continue living and resting in the fact that we are sojourners with a promise of heaven

And no matter what happens in this life, if you put your faith in Jesus - nothing can take it away

That is God’s promise to us