When Desperation Finally Speaks
From Slavery To Submission • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Good morning!
Welcome to Connect Christian Church… Many of you know that we’ve been working to raise funds to renovate this room for a permanent worship location. In fact…the chairs you’re sitting in right now are the ones we purchased for the renovation.
Thank you for giving toward the project!
I’m looking forward to the day we can move into this space permanently — and in fact, I would like to ask you to pray with me over our Next Steps…and over the time we have here this morning…
PRAY
Have you ever refused to ask for help…even if things were difficult…until desperation forced you to do so?
I have…
Story: Shower Plumbing
Bought house in 2007 and needed to adjust the height of the shower head
Accessed plumbing through closet
Grace said, "Call a plumber." (we had 2 friends who were plumbers)
But...I said, "Nope. This will be an easy job to take care of on my own."
Bought all the fittings I needed and went to work...
Adding all the fittings made it too big to fit in the stud space
So I got a saw and started cutting chunks out of the studs to make it fit
I wallered this problem around and around and after a few days of not being able to use our shower, Grace convinced me to call one of our plumber friends
He got there, got in the closet, looked at the pipes and said, "What happened here??"
My answer: "Oh man...I don't know."
Things would have been so much better if I had just called a plumber when I first realized there was a problem. Instead, I suffered in silence and I tried to fix it on my own…and it just kept getting worse…until I was finally desperate enough to ask for help.
THIS MORNING, WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A PEEK AT THE ISRAELITE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THAT EXACT SAME THING…
Context: The past 3 months, we’ve been in a series called “From Creation to Covenant”
God created - “It was very good”
There was a flood - with a promise symbolized by a rainbow
God made a covenant with Abraham
Covenant — two become one // identity, authority, loyalty, service, etc.
Part of the promise was to have a nation of children
Abraham didn’t have a whole bunch of kids though
The covenant carried on with Abraham’s son, Isaac - but Isaac only had a couple of kids
The covenant carried on with Isaac’s son, Jacob - and FINALLY…the family starts growing
Jacob has 13 kids — but one of them (JOSEPH) was betrayed, attacked, and sold as a slave by his brothers
God was with Joseph though - and the covenant carried on
Joseph rose to power in Egypt and was instrumental in saving his family (and everyone else) from a famine
And then we get to Exodus 1…
P. 38
6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
FINALLY…
The people are increasing
Remember what God said WAY BACK in Genesis 1:28 — “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth…”
God had told Abraham that he would fill the earth through his family — AND IT WAS BEGINNING TO HAPPEN
Sometimes it feels like it takes a long time for God to do what He said He would do.
Some of us in this room…
Have been waiting for SO LONG for God to move in the way you THOUGHT He told you He would move…
Have been wondering for SO LONG if you really heard God correctly…
So when we read something like this, it’s actually SUPER COMFORTING…
Even though Abraham is gone…
And Isaac is gone…
And Jacob is gone…
And now Joseph is gone…
GOD’S PROMISE IS STILL TRUE
If I could just - for a second - point toward the END of the message…
Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. AND… you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
That’s what I’ll invite you to
But I actually want to point you to the next line…
Acts 2:39 “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off…”
In Genesis — God’s promise was for Abraham - and for Isaac - and for Jacob - and for Joseph…
And in Exodus, that same promise was for Joseph’s children - and then for their children
In this room — God’s promise is for you - and for your children - and then for their children
BUT.
Just because God promised to turn you into a Kingdom - a holy nation - a brotherhood and sisterhood - His CHOSEN PEOPLE…
…it doesn’t mean everything will be easy.
In fact — in Exodus, things are about to get ridiculously hard.
But God’s promise endures.
For you — things might be about to get ridiculously hard.
But God’s promise endures.
Let’s go back to the text and see what happens…
8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”
The new king of Egypt is…
Insecure
Afraid
Brutal
Ruthless
Evil
And he’s going to make some decisions that are devastating for God’s people…
11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
This wasn’t theoretical oppression. This was real - CRUSHING - oppression.
This wasn’t a case of “they don’t like us” — the Egyptians were out for blood!
Bitter labor
Harsh masters
Endless suffering
But here’s what’s fascinating…
The suffering starts right here in Chapter 1
But the CRYING OUT FOR HELP doesn’t happen until the end of Chapter 2
Now…it’s totally possible that someone cried out for help before it’s recorded in Chapter 2
But…we can’t skip over the fact that the Israelite people suffered in silence for TWO ENTIRE CHAPTERS before thinking to ask God for help
Why does that matter???
Well it’s actually super relevant for you and I…
Suffering is not surrender.
Some of us are actually suffering right now…
Unhealthy relationship
Substance addiction and abuse
Financial fears
Trauma triggers from your past
…and you’re wondering — Why hasn’t God been listening to my prayers???
There’s TWO POSSIBILITIES:
Sometimes — because we’re impatient — it feels like it takes God a long time — even though He’s working
Sometimes — and this is more common than we want to admit… We’ve been suffering — but we’re suffering in silence.
No praying — (remember…complaining and praying aren’t actually the same thing)
No sharing with others — (silence is a choice you make…and it’s a choice to refuse love and support)
No honesty — (you share a bit…but only the bits that put blame on others and limit your own exposure)
Back in Exodus 1… Things keep getting worse…
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” — he wanted the midwives to kill their own people’s babies — 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” — kind of a weird statement: “Our women are better at having babies than yours are!” —
20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”
Pharaoh orders babies killed.
The midwives were unwilling to kill their own people’s babies
So Pharaoh ordered the Egyptians to do the killing
AND STILL…
No national cry for help.
No personal pleas for rescue.
No movement for justice and healing.
Just… Painful acceptance.
It might have felt like God wasn’t listening — wasn’t working — wasn’t even PRESENT.
But that just wasn’t true…
Silence is not absence.
Some of us might feel that way right now…
We’ve been suffering…
We’ve been showing up at church…
We’ve been shouting out to God…
But He’s still silent.
And you’re beginning to wonder…
If He even there anymore???
When you first followed Jesus, it was exciting
When you were first baptized, everything was going great
When you first joined the Connect family, you were surrounded by laughter and good times
But NOW… Where. Is. God???
If you’ve ever read the book of Job in the Old Testament, you might have noticed something that is both SUBTLE and SIGNIFICANT.
Job 1 — Job was a man who honored God and Satan made it his mission to ruin Job’s life
Job lost his kids, his servants, his lifestock, his house, his health…everything
Job 3-39 — Most of the book of Job is spent listening to the suffering and doubts of Job (and the terrible advice of his friends)
Job 40:7 — “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.”
God speaks — “Where were you when I ________________???”
In Job 40, Job learns that the perceived SILENCE of God did NOT equal the ABSENCE of God.
To the contrary… Not only had God been present — He had been WORKING.
It’s the same in Exodus…
The people have gritted their teeth and are suffering…
Baby boys are being killed…
One baby - named Moses - had been born and placed in a basket in the Nile River
He had been rescued and adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter
He had grown up - and I wonder if some of the Israelite people hoped he would help rescue them - by working from within the Pharaoh’s house
But he let his temper get the best of him and he killed an Egyptian — and then he ran away into the wilderness
Moses was 40 years old when he ran into the wilderness — and then he spent 40 years IN the wilderness
And over those 8 decades, the people just kept suffering…wondering if anything would ever change
But God was NOT absent over those decades. In fact…He was preparing Moses to lead His people out of slavery and into safety
Silence is not absence.
It wasn’t then.
And it isn’t now.
If you’ve been wondering why God seems silent to you…remember that He’s working on your behalf — it just might take longer than you had thought it would take.
23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
FINALLY — the Israelites cried out to God.
Suffering in silence no more!
And when they did…God heard them and the plan for their rescue began to move.
They were finally desperate — and God was already prepared to deliver them.
For them…and for you…
Deliverance begins with desperation.
Some of us…
Know we need rescued from our brokenness — but we’re not really desperate about our situation yet.
Don’t like the brokenness we’ve been living in — but we’re not really ready to do anything about it.
Wish God would fix the brokenness we’re experiencing — but we’re not really chasing after any solutions either.
Deliverance began with desperation for the Israelites in Exodus 2.
And deliverance begins with desperation for you too.
I want to invite you to ask for help… Things have been getting worse for you — you’ve been trying to do it on your own — and it’s time to finally call on God to deliver you from your brokenness…
Confess
Repent
Surrender —> Baptism
INVITATION: Surrender -> Baptism
CHALLENGE: Admit desperation in all areas of life
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
When have you tried to handle a problem on your own instead of asking for help?
What kept you from asking for help sooner—pride, fear, embarrassment, or something else?
How did the situation change once you finally asked for help?
Looking back, what would have been different if you had asked for help earlier
The Israelites suffered for a long time before crying out to God. Where might you be suffering in silence right now?
Are there struggles you’ve been enduring without bringing them honestly to God
Have you been complaining about your situation more than praying about it?
Who is one person you trust that you could share your struggle with this week?
We said, “Silence is not absence.” When have you experienced a season where God seemed silent?
What emotions did you feel during that season—fear, frustration, doubt, exhaustion?
Looking back now, can you see ways God was working even when you didn’t recognize it?
How can remembering God’s past faithfulness strengthen your trust in Him today?
God was preparing Moses for 80 years before deliverance came. How might God be preparing you right now?
What challenges or delays in your life might actually be shaping you rather than stopping you?
What skills, character traits, or spiritual habits could God be developing in this season?
How can you remain faithful even when you don’t yet see the outcome God is preparing?
We said, “Deliverance begins with desperation.” What Next Step of surrender or repentance might God be calling you to take?
What is one area of brokenness or struggle where you need to stop trying to manage things alone?
What would true repentance look like in that situation—specifically and practically?
What is one Next Step you can take this week to cry out to God and seek His help?
