Straight Out Of Egypt

Good morning, family! I’m Andrew one of the pastors here and I'm excited to dive into the Word with you today. Family and friends, joining us online. Welcome.

Today, we are kicking off the Straight Out of Egypt Series as we continue to move through the bible (help us dive into Exodus). Now I dont have time to introduce the book of Exodus in great detail Because I feel a great sense of urgency to remind us of settle us in the things of God, despite the chaos, we may find ourselves in.

But we have a great reading plan/study guide (shameless plug) on the app , and feel free to bring up any questions to me, pastor David, or even your small group leader (great resource for you).

So I am going to be covering a great portion of Exodus 1-15, so hopefully this gets you excited to read it. BUT the passage of scripture that we will be focusing on today comes from Exodus 6:6. So if you could please stand for the reading of God’s word. (As this is one of the ways we practice our house habit here that “participation is better than observation”)

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I can remember one fight I had in school and it happened while I was in middle school. There Had been this bully who had been picking on me for three years (6, 7, and 8th) talking about me, my mom, my clothes, you name it. I was demoralized and defeated. And in 8th grade I had had enough. I'm sick of it.

Now my bully just so happen to be starting linebacker on the jv football team in high-school while we were both in 8th grade so he was a big boy. And if you could imagine I was smaller and shorter than I am now, so not a good match up.

But I don't even remember what he said to me that day that we fought, but it was the final straw and this bully needed to be confronted.

So I got up in the middle of science class walked over, stared my bully in the face and swung as hard as could (every eminem song was probably going through my head at the time) I hit him and the connection made his head hit table bam.

The problem was that's where I stopped (never been in a fight before I didnt know what I was doing). And so my bully got up and he started swinging and all I remember is my friend pulling back from the fight saying are you good. Lol.

Now I probably cant claim much of a win in that fight, let's just say I probably tied. (At best)

The point is he never messed with me ever again. Went to high school with the dude and and even sat at the same table with the guy but I never had fear of him again. Because I took a stand, and while I might not have won the fight, it changed the way I saw my situation. (changed the way he saw me as well)

Sometimes, before we can step into freedom, we have to confront what’s been oppressing us.

Now I am Not advocating fighting. Parents and Kids in the room (hear me out), or zealous brothers and sisters who say doesn't Jesus say turn the other cheek, I was not living for God then and their were certainly other ways I could have handled it, BUT knuck if you buck was pulsing through my veins. (if you dont know that song, dont worry bout it, dont look it up)

Some of us today feel like life keeps picking on just you. Job insecurity, bills, relational strife, housing situation, If its not one thing its another. And you have become overwhelmed and defeated

Maybe you feel like life is becoming more and more complex, so overwhelming, that you think ‘There’s no way we can make it out of this?’” That you are fighting a losing battle?”

I want you to hold onto that feeling for just a moment as we step into the book of Exodus today.

BECAUSE I believe you will see, this isn’t just a story about Israel. It’s a story about you and me. And I also believe you will see how that in the midst of our chaos and pain, God isn't just sitting on the sideline while his people cry out to him.

So let’s dive in.

I have 3 points to help us remember this message: Slavery, Confrontation, and Deliverance.

I. SLAVERY: The Bondage of Egypt and the Bondage of Sin (Exodus 1-3)

There are a couple of observations I want to point out about the people of Israel enslaved in Egypt:

Sometimes probably most of the time suffering and enslavement is caused by our own actions as Ps. David said last week.

BUT The oppression that the people of Israel were feeling, was not because of anything they were doing wrong, in fact they had been multiplying when the story leaves off in Genesis, continuing to do what God had told them to do in the beginning with Adam and Eve.

You see the oppression that Israel felt was that the enemy saw the potential of what Israel could become.

And this narrative account about Pharaoh tells us something about our enemy (the devil). AND THAT IS: The enemy knows his power has limits,

Thats why there is a constant theme in the bible of the enemy trying to stop the move of God before it gets going.

The story of Moses isnt the only time the enemy tries to kill the babies to stop God’s impeding victory, it happens again with Jesus.

And isn’t that how the enemy works in our lives? He tries to break us before we even step into what God wants for us.

You get excited about learning the bible and then all of sudden you get bad news, so you try to numb yourself with social media, and you stop reading the bible;

You start going to a small group and all of a sudden everything that was going up on Tuesday, starts tocome crashing down, so you stop going to small group.

The things that kick started you on the vibrant Christian life have come to screeching halt, because of trials and tribulations (which is a church phrase for life).

(so ask yourself this question) How are you allowing your circumstances to define you faith?

Heres the thing: the life of walking with the Lord is a victorious one, BUT in it there will be battles to have victory over.

You see the enemy’s mission is to seek, kill, and destroy and you on the team he trying to take out. (that’s why there is a battle)

BUT He’s not scared of you when you are entangled in sin. He’s scared of you when you begin to trust God and get on his mission.

He’s not scared if you arnt reading your bible or participating in small group. He’s scared of your growth, your potential, your calling when you start following God’s ways with the people of God.

AND I believe that is why the world, even amongst (AND Especially amongst) Christians are becoming more and more divided with each and every day.

The enemy is at work, because he knows that Gods plan is for us “the people of God” to have authority and subdue the earth in his ways that would support God’s goodness and flourishing in the earth.

He knows that the world would see Him by our love for one another, so its no surprise the enemy attacks our unity amongst one another so that we WONT become what God intended.

But like I said earlier we cant just blame our bondage/ set backs/ challenges on everyone else, we must face the true consequences of sin for ourselves.

Yes we feel the affects of sin in this world to us, but we also contribute to sin in this world from us.

You see if you just treat sin as a list of bad things or mistakes we make, we will miss how much deeper and offensive to God it actually is.

Sin is rebellion against God. Its not just bad behavior its broken relationship. Sin says “I dont need God, I can do this my own way.”

So as result, sin destroys our joy, our relationships, our peace, which leads to death. And this destructive nature is felt by everyone.

But I believe we all know this. You have a hard time telling me that is fun being black out drunk where you cant even even remember the “fun” you had the night before.

(Hard time telling me) The search for happiness amongst multiple sexual partners IS OK to still leave you empty and abused.

(Hard time telling me) That the push to be anybody to be accepted by somebody, yet still feeling lost amongst everybody is really how we make the most out of life.

So I believe we know that there is something wrong in this life and it doesnt sit right with us.

So we try to claw ourselves out it/ OR make the most of it by being doing good things, but we cant.

And this repeated cycle of trying hard to be a good person and failing, convinces us that change is impossible (it becomes a immovable obstacle in our life);

So as a result we believe, we might as well just adjust to the sinful life that we have, THAN fighting for a better life that we dont have.

We can just give into the voices that tell us “aint nothing changed about you since you started going to church, you still the same” and we give up on fighting for deliverance.

Worse yet I believe many people settle for the unfulfilling excitement of sin, because we rather have the slavery we know THAN to embrace the freedom that we dont know.

How many times have you stayed in sin, fear, addiction, or discouragement because it felt that was safer than trusting God? (at least I know this/ know what this feels like, what if God lets me down)

What I want you to see about the Isrealites situation and hope for our own situation, IS THAT God still preserved them and caused them to progress in the midst of suffering.

God didnt disappear when the ops appeared. (So I Want you to repeat after me) “The presence of my opposition IS NOT the absence of my God”

God was not overwhelmed by what overwhelmed them. He’s not up there saying “oh shoot their in trouble, what am I going to do”.

No God already has a plan, SO the greater the resistance to his plan, the greater the revelation of God’s power will be against the resistance.

To say it another way is that, “the size of the oppression (that you feel or face or experience) does not limit God’s ability to deliver.” (what God can actually do)

No amount of opposition can stop what God has set in motion, it dont matter if the enemy recognizes Gods sovereignty or not, if they give credence to his power or not, if God sets something in motion it shall come to pass.

But in order to have deliverance from the opposition there must first be confrontation with the opposition. Which brings us to the next point, Confrontation.)

II. CONFRONTATION: Who Has the Real Power? Who is really Him (Exodus 3-10)

Before Israel could experience deliverance, someone would have to stand in the gap to make it so. Someone was going to have to stand in for this confrontation with Pharaoh.

But the person who was chosen to stand in for the confrontation needed to be confronted.

(Which brings us to Moses, but before he could be. Hero he had to put in some heart work)

Moses had some things that had to be worked out in his soul, some rocks that had to get removed from his garden, THAT WOULDNT have come out without the confrontation.

How many of you know that it is heat; that removes impurities from gold.

That why I dont like that song “I want to be tried by fire purified..” (No I dont. No thank you just make me shiny on the outside.)

Thats what we really want. (We dont really want to be changed from the inside out - its messy - its uncomfortable)

BUT when God confronts us there is going to be conflict, because our way often does not align with his way, and that causes the friction.

Honestly we dont mind when God coming into our life if it comes with blessing and prosperity,

But its when God bumps up against something we dont feel comfortable letting go or doing; thats when we push back or try to ignore him altogether.

God I was good when you delivering me from my cussing and drinking, but Im not okay with you telling me about my pride and self centeredness. (Im just a confident person)

God Dont touch my unforgiveness. You dont know what they put me through, what they said to me, how they didnt listen to me, how they failed to care for me. I have to protect myself because I have been wronged.

But when God delivers he delivers all the way (this is not a partial delivery where he substitutes most of your order). He is not a bad Amazon driver who puts your groceries at the wrong house, NO HE is an Awesome Deliverer that brings the groceries all the way into the house, unloads them and puts them in the fridge and pantry where theyre supposed to go.

So that means, he will deliver us out the things WE KNOW we wanted to get out of our life, AND the things we DIDNT KNOW we NEEDED to get out of our life.

And there in lies the problem for those of us who want control, God’s delivery means He is in control of what he does, how he does it, AND the timing he does it in.

You think the enslaved Isrealites might have wanted to direct God’s deliverance a little bit. (yes!) (God how bout you dont make it harder for us before we leave; or how bout you just do one plague and then you get us out.)

BUT its like the people I know who look at stuff on the internet to diagnose their condition (and everyone elses for that matter) AND try to tell the trained doctor whats wrong with them and how they should be treated.

Or a person trying to tell a surgeon where to cut the cancer out of them while they lying on the table.

Dont you think they know what they are doing. Dont you think that an All Knowing God knows how to care for us. (Save Us)

AND because God has to deal with sin, we should all thank God that HE IS a master surgeon that he can deal with the sin in our lives without destroying us.

But like Moses we fail to realize that the uncomfortable confrontation with God over things in our lives is ultimately for our good.

Now hear me well, (I don’t believe) God desires to give us pain, BUT he will use our pain to bring about the freedom and blessing he does desire for us.

Joseph says at the end of Genesis (go back in your reading plan for that story) but he says “what others meant for EVIL (bad things, suffering, grief) against me, God has made for my good.” (Transformation occurred)

God took something that was making him bitter, that was making him feel hopeless, that should have destroyed him, to deliver him from himself and his situation. And not just his good but for everyone around him. (as he saved an entire nation through process)

What if the confrontation you are experiencing, the turmoil you find yourself in; is preparing you for your breakthrough, but not just for you, but also for your family, and your friends, and your coworkers, and your community.

What if God was really serious about his people being salt and light in this dark world (that we find ourselves in), but the way we will become those agents of change is through confrontation.

What areas of your life have you been resisting God’s confrontation?

But God not only confronts us (Somebody say “O thank God” - Get off my back Ps. Andrew; too much heat), he also confronts our enemy, AND here’s where we see God’s power on full display in this story.

Pharaoh thought of himself as a god. Egypt thought they had control with their idols and thats what they put their trust in. Thats what they thought would save them from the pestering plagues.

BUT God was not having any of it. Thats why when we get to the 10 commandments he institutes “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Because our God is jealous God; He was about to shake and dismantle everything these people had put their trust in. (Shake your neighbor awake a little and say “there is a shaking about to happen”) I didnt say assault your neighbor just a little shake.

The plagues that you hear about in Exodus were not only an attack on Pharaoh who was coming against God’s godness himself, it was also an attack on EVERYTHING people were putting thier trust in.

And the plagues were alot more practical than first glance would lead us to think. They attacked many of the things we put our trust in as well, environmental stability, jobs, money, political systems and ideologies, and when those things start to shake (get confronted) we panic.

AND At a time like now when it seems like everything is shaking; we are scared to open our news browser for fear what is going to happen next (it cant get worse than this can it); uncertainty about where you will stay AND what you will do is at an all time high.

Our status quo is being shooketh.

AND you know I hate to say it, but the truth is we can hear and know intellectually that the Lord is all you need in tough times. (“Lord your all i need in these times”)

But even I know from personal experience you don't really know that the Lord is all you need until the Lord is all you have.

When your backs against the wall and your friends and family have abandoned you or dont understand your situation, we dont cry out “Instagram come help me”

When your all out of time to make a decision and there are real consequences for what happens next, you dont say “Money save me.”

No we cry out to the Lord, but it often takes a removal of ALL our OTHER dependencies to even get to crying out to the Lord.

AND I feel like we are never more closer to the Lord then when we are in trouble. Cause thats when, we stop trying to sin as much, we will be fasting and praying. Spending extra time with the Lord, naming and claiming things in the name of Jesus.

But as soon as I get my breakthrough, our attention goes right back to everything else again. And maybe I will send up a prayer if we have time.

God is not interested in being the side piece that you call on when things arnt going right. NO He desires to be the One and Only and will CONFRONT everything in your life to claim it.

(family) What is God shaking in your life to show you He alone is your security? [Are you trusting in God’s power or your own resources?]

Pharaoh thought Egypt’s gods made them secure, but God showed up to prove they were powerless. He took the biggest stage at the time to prove who had all power. He choose a SUPERBOWL SIZED event, On National Television to show who was the … (some of yall got it).

AND after all the plagues, after all the warnings, Pharaoh finally lets Israel go. But here’s the thing—their deliverance wasn’t just about leaving Egypt.

And that brings us to one of the most powerful moments in the Bible: The Passover and the Red Sea crossing with our last point, Deliverance.

III. DELIVERANCE: The Ultimate Exodus (Chapters 12-15)

As we come to the end of this part of this story Egypt than got their tails whooped and there tired of it, so they kick out the Israelites and give them parting gifts (which is really cool because God said that this was going to happen in Exodus 3 - look at it in the reading plan.)

God was delivering his people in his own power just as he said he would, but there were some instructions that required their obedience to cooperate with their deliverance. (Which brings us to the Passover)

The Isrealites were not going to get their deliverance by their own sweat blood and tears, but by their dependence on the blood of a perfect AND spotless lamb on their doorpost. (Which points us to what Jesus did on the cross)

So for us, we have to apply his blood to the door post of our lives. (We have to apply His sacrifice for our deliverance, not our good works, not our ability to fight.) That is the only way.

But God doesn't just stop at getting Israel out of Egypt (doesn't just stop with getting us saved)—He wanted to get Egypt out of them. That’s why He led them through the Red Sea. Because once they crossed, there was going to be no turning back.

There are some instructions (his word), that requires our obedience (walking in faith) to cooperate with his deliverance.

So as I close, I want us to look at the people of God who had been following God out of Egypt AND NOW they find themselves facing the Red Sea.

They were fearful because it looked like they had met their match. They were CONFRONTED by what they believed to be unmovable obstacle on one side and the enemy chasing right behind them on the other.

They were probably thinking I guess God’s power has limits. It only works in certain situations, It only works for people who have been walking with the Lord for a long time; OR it only works for people who just started walking with the Lord.

AND they did not trust him to bring them all the way through.

What Obstacle have you encountered recently that has you thinking the same thing?

Family, Don't become fearful or drop out from your faith community when following the lord becomes hard, or you cant see how it all works together.

We must remain steadfast in our faith that he who started a thing is going to finish it. [Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”]

That he didnt call us to walk with him for ONLY the blessings and favor in this life; AND THEN abandon us when we start to get beat down by the trials of this life.

You see Egypt like our sin was Israel's bully.

They would beat the Isrealites into submission. They would take things that God had given them. They would call them names and tryin’ make them feel less than who they were.

But what Egypt was fitting to mess around and find out; what Israel was about to learn; and what we need to know:

IS THAT our God, will stand up for us. That when God confronts, he always delivers. There is not an opponent our God cant beat.

So when you feel like life, your addictions, or the enemy have been picking on you, stealing your lunch, telling you lies, “like you will never have anything, you are worthless, you dont deserve to live.”

You need to inform the enemy: “wait til my God shows up”. Tell the enemy “my God coming”; you need to tell that addiction that I will have victory

For my GOD is mighty to save.

Deliverance, will not come from the people, places, politics, and things we have so long trusted in.

Instead, our rescue will come from God and God alone, as he states in Exodus 6:6: "Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.'"

We do not need to fear what is coming next because we can look upon our God and see that our salvation is coming next.

For Exodus 14:13-14 reassures of this when it says “Fear not, stand firm, AND SEE the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.”

AND I love this part: “For the Egyptians OR that enemy that been messing with your life/ OR that challenge that has kept you down) whom you see today,

You will never have to see them again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.'"

Our deliverance is not in human hands but in the hands of the Almighty, who sees, hears, and ALWAYS delivers. The only question is: Will you trust that Him that there is No God Like Our God?

INVITATION TO CHRIST

I want to give an opportunity for anyone in the room who has settled for anything less than complete Freedom Because Jesus has come to set you free. (And who the Lord sets free is free indeed)

Maybe you been afraid of the confrontation or resisting God rule in your life. Know This: The battle is not yours, it's his and he dont lose.

And for the person who has not given their life to Christ who has not trusted in the lamb for your salvation? (I want you to raise your hand)