Season 4: More to Grace; Episode 4 - Moses
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
God’s grace gives sinners a new identity.
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning church,
Before we get into the sermon, I want to talk about…
Serve Sunday:
Serve Sunday:
Why do we do Serve Sunday? A few quick reasons…
Glastonbury is a unique place. I love it. But it’s a tough place to “do” church. One thing we did early on is ask for God for “open doors.” Places or people in our community we could build relationships and hopefully share Jesus. Early on, the Glastonbury River Runners was as open door. And we’ve become good friends, serving this race for a long time, and seeing a lot of Kingdom fruit from it.
Core Value 2 is biblical generosity. We believe in generously supporting our community and God’s work throughout the world. Remember, values define who we are, what we will do, and what we won’t do. And Jesus (who we follow) says, “The Son of Man did not come to be serve, but serve.” We have Serve Sunday because this is what we do. We are generous servants.
Finally, it’s an opportunity to “be the church.” The church is not a building. It’s not a worship service. It’s a people. And God sends His people into the community to bring joy and invite others into His Kingdom by our outward expression of love. Serve Sunday is when we get to outward show hundreds of people that we love them.
So, if you haven’t yet, sign up. This is who we are. This is what we do. We’re not worshiping in here, so we can worship and glorify God out there!
Alright, on Sundays, we’ve been looking a significant people who lived during the time Paul describes as “from Adam to Moses.”
It’s a period full of sin.
It’s a period with no law, since it had not been given to Moses yet.
But it’s also a period full of grace, which is really what Paul is getting at in Romans 5.
Paul is building an argument that all are sinners, so that we can see we all need the grace of God. We need a Savior. And His name is Jesus - that’s the gospel (good news).
In previous weeks, we’ve seen both sin and grace present in Noah, Sarah, and last week, Joseph. Today, we’re gonna finish with Moses.
But I need to set up a boundary because Moses’s story is HUGE. In Romans, Paul refers to Moses because he was given the law. Therefore, we’re going to look at Moses’s story up to the law, but no further.
If you’re taking notes, point number 1 is the story of…
Moses starts with God:
Moses starts with God:
To see this, let’s start with Joseph, who we talked about last week. If you missed it, you can catch up online or by listening to the podcast:
Joseph was one of the 12 sons of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the miracle and promised child of Abraham and Sarah. Who both are descendants of Noah, who’s family alone survived the flood.
Joseph was sold into slavery and suffered a lot. But God had a plan. And He used the evil for good, bringing salvation to the world.
Now, I want to mention something that might be overlooked, but is important to the story moving forward…
Genesis 43:32 & 46:33 mention the Egyptians despise the Hebrew (Jewish) people, especially since they were shepherds. Hold on to that because I believe it’s helpful in understanding Moses’s story.
Alright, Exodus chapter 1 starts with Joseph’s family (about 70 people) living in Egypt…
Think about that. God made an impossible promise to an older couple (Abraham and Sarah) with no children. And their one miracle child is now 70 people.
My friends, God is faithful to His promise. And He’s not done yet, because the promise is to make them a nation whose people could not be numbered, like the stars in the sky or the sand on the shore.
In time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire generation. But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land.
God is faithful. But then…
Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.”
So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king. But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became. So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands.
Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. “Why have you done this?” he demanded. “Why have you allowed the boys to live?”
“The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,” the midwives replied. “They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.”
So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. But you may let the girls live.”
About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.
This baby, as you probably guessed, is Moses. So, Moses is a descendant of Levi, who was one of Joseph’s brothers. And look at verse 2…
Moses was a special baby.
Some translations even say “beautiful.”
This might be descriptive of his physical appearance, but I think something deeper is being shared here.
I think it’s describing this… point number 2…
Moses had a calling:
Moses had a calling:
I love when the Bible interprets the Bible for us. Meaning, when other parts of Scripture give us insight or additional details into other or older stories. And in the book of Hebrews, we read…
It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.
It’s almost a mixture of points 1 & 2.
Moses had a beginning. He came from a family of shepherds. It was a family of faith. It was a family of shepherds who followed the Lord.
And that faith had been passed down to Moses’s parents, who had the spiritual insight to see God had given them a child with a special calling. So, they were willing to risk everything to honor God. And this was the plan…
But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.
Do you notice that when the judgment of death was over God’s chosen one, he was put in a wooden basket, lined with tar, that floated on the water to salvation. Sound familiar?
When God chose Noah to be saved from the flood, it says…
“Build a [ark] from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out…
Kinda cool, right? Fun extra Bible fact…
Moses’s story continues…
The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.
Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said.
Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked.
“Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother.
“Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.
Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.”
Now just think about the circumstances:
This special child just so happens to be found by Pharaoh’s daughter.
For some reason, she has compassion on this Hebrew child (remember, Egyptians don’t like the Hebrews) and adopts him.
However, he’s allowed to be weened with his actually family, which can be anywhere from 2-5 years.
Afterwards, he’s taken into the king’s house and given the best of everything, including education and equipping.
In the New Testament, when Stephen is retelling Moses’s story, he puts it this way…
Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.
Called by God, Moses was given access and exposure to the best leadership and resources the world had to offer. And Moses became a confident and competent young leader.
And consider this, the historian Philo mentions he was likely next in line for the throne. It’s possible that Pharaoh’s daughter was an only child with no children of her own. Which could potentially explain her compassion towards baby Moses and support the possibility that he was the next ruler of Egypt.
Nevertheless, while living his best life, there was also a tension in his heart…
Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews.
Wait, why did Moses identify with the Hebrews? Where did this come from? Especially remembering that the Egyptians hated the Hebrews. Wouldn’t it make sense that the royal family, in adopting Moses, would’ve done everything to fully assimilate him, rather than having the potential future king identified with a despised people? If anything, Pharaoh’s family would’ve hid this from him.
I believe this identification came from Moses’s parents. Remember, they were people of faith. People of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And here’s something we know about the Lord’s people…
O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
God’s people pass on their faith to the next generation.
Which gives us an opportunity to stop and ask, “Do we do this? Do we prioritize our children’s relationship with the Lord?”
It was mom and dad who taught Moses about the Lord, His chosen people (the Hebrews), and how there was a calling on his life - something much bigger than being the prince of Egypt. And this truth remained planted in Moses’s heart, which is why the story continues…
After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.
Pause. Gotta point this out because it fits Paul’s message in Romans: From the time of Adam to Moses, everyone was a sinner, including Moses. In his anger, he murdered and covered it up.
When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.”
I find the accusation towards Moses interesting…
Is it meant to make Moses feel excluded? Like, “You, the current prince of Egypt, are not one of us!”
And at the same time, is something unintentionally prophetic being said by one of God’s people? Like, although the words were not intended to actually identify Moses as a potential ruler over the Hebrews, it actually hinted at God’s future purpose, and it just wasn’t time yet.
It reminds me of when the religious leaders were desiring to kill Jesus, and…
Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “…don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”
He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.
Seems to be the same with Moses. Moses WAS called by God. Circumstantially, God placed him in all the right places to prepare him for high capacity leadership. He came from a faithful family and had a heart for God’s people. Therefore, it makes that, as Stephen says…
Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn’t.
And all of a sudden, Moses moves from a called and confident leader to a rejected loner…
And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian…
Why did all these bad things happen? Because we live in a sinful and broken world, which led to, point 3…
Moses has an identity crisis:
Moses has an identity crisis:
If the Egyptians don’t want him, and the Hebrews don’t want him, then who is he? Who does he belong to?
And, it seems as if this question haunts Moses for the next 40 years. Can anyone relate? Have you felt lost? Have you felt like you don’t belong?
Btw, I’m not sure how this relates, but it’s on my heart. And I think God wants me to mention it…
How many people do we know that are just lost? And I’m not saying that in a negative or judgmental way. I’m saying it from a perspective of compassion.
When my family went to Disney World, we lost my youngest son, Nole. There were a ton of people there. It was Marathon weekend. We were traveling in a big group. Janelle and I just assumed someone else had him. But eventually, we were like, “Where’s Nole?”
In a panic, we backtracked our steps. We finally found him with another family who noticed he was lost and had compassion on him. Sitting and waiting with him.
That’s what I’m talking about. A lostness that stirs our heart to help. I believe it’s the heart God has when He sees us wandering.
And I don’t know why I need to say it, or who it’s for, but may God give us (His people) His heart for the lost. That we would have compassion on them and help them come home to God’s family. Amen?
Anyways, Moses is lost. But during this season, I find this interesting…
One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God.
Apparently, Moses became a shepherd. Why? Could it be that his identity crisis took him back to his roots. Remembering, that his people were shepherds. So, trying to find himself, he started there. And maybe it felt right. Dare I say, comfortable? And maybe this was good, but God has MORE!
Is it a coincidence that one day he comes to the mountain of God? And upon arrival…
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am!” Moses replied.
“Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
You see, Moses didn’t just come from a family of shepherds. They were shepherds who FOLLOWED THE LORD. And in the wilderness, God reminds Moses of this. He clarifies, “Don’t forget, you belong to Me. This your identity!”
And don’t miss the grace in this passage. The Lord says, “Take off sandals for you are on holy ground” because Moses doesn’t deserve to be in God’s holy presence!
He’s a sinner. An angry, lying, doubt-filled murderer.
But the grace of God reaches out to him right where he’s at…
And then, God affirms the calling Moses had sensed all along…
Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
But Moses is broken…
[he] protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
What happened to the confident young leader ready to lead the world’s most powerful empire?
As the conversation continues, Moses also says things like…
…“What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”
You don’t think the Hebrew’s accusations the last time Moses was in Egypt influenced this? 40 years later, Moses is still hurt.
Quick application: What about our words?
The tongue can bring death or life…
Be careful what you say to people…
Words can cause great discouragement. I’ve like defining discouragement as “Stealing courage from people’s hearts so they won’t follow God.” Isn’t that where we find Moses?
May we be people of encouragement! Those who plant courage in people’s hearts to follow after God!
Our words matter. Words can change people. Again, look at Moses…
But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”
When did Moses develop this problem? It didn’t seem to be present when Moses was an Egyptian prince. And… it’s never mentioned again while Moses leads the nation of Israel. It appears to develop during his identity crisis.
When we let the brokenness in and around us, define us, we believe the lies and live out that brokenness. But brokenness shouldn’t define God’s people. We mustn’t over-identify with brokenness.
Yes, it’s part of our past, but it’s NOT our identity. We are who God says we are. He’s the Creator. He alone gives identity.
You are not who you want to be.
You are not what the culture says.
You are not what others say about you.
You are who God says you are. You belong to Him.
That’s why God replies to Moses…
…“I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.”
And when Moses defines himself by his brokenness manifesting as a speech problem…
Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
Grace changes everything. We cannot stay the same when we are in God’s presence. When Moses was eighty, exiled, and empty… point number 4 is…
Grace gave Moses a new identity:
Grace gave Moses a new identity:
God had a calling on Moses’s life. But sin tried to destroy and disable him. Yet, the grace of God found him and gave him a new identity.
And Moses’s story is far from over. There’s still…
The ten plagues against Egypt.
The Passover and Exodus (leaving of Egypt).
The crossing of the Red Sea.
And the miraculous stories in the wilderness leading up to Mt. Sinai, where Moses receives the Law.
But we don’t have time for that today. But I’ll summarize it this way…
Egypt, the Red Sea, the Wilderness all represent sin and situations that seem impossible to overcome. The only logical outcome is death.
And yet, the grace of God conquered them all.
I thought about it this way: One man of grace (Moses) is defeated the empire of Egypt (which often represents sin).
What could the grace of God do in your life?
Response:
Response:
As we close (and the worship team comes up), I’d like to suggest we can find all our stories in Moses’s. For example:
Our story starts with God too. He is our Creator. And…
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Like Moses, we are special/beautiful in God’s eyes. So much so, that the Son of God died for us...
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God has a calling on your life! You’re not a mistake or accident. You have a purpose - there is MORE!
And for those of us in Glastonbury, He’s even given us blessings (like Moses) that prepare us for our calling…
Many of us have good educations, economic opportunities, and generational wealth.
Yet, there’s also a tension in our heart (it’s why we’re here this morning). There’s something MORE and we know it.
The question for us is - like Moses - will we pursue the comforts of this world or the calling of Christ?
A lot of our students have finals this week. In the spirit of this, let me connect this to an open book test. God’s already given us the right answers.
[Moses] chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.
Don’t give your life to the temporary pleasures of sin. It’s not worth it. Give your life to Jesus, even if you have to temporarily suffer.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Following Jesus is worth it. Leave the brokenness behind. Receive God’s grace and let Him give you a new identity.
Let’s pray…
Jesus, we need You.
