Sermon Tone Analysis

We’ve been talking about God’s vision over the last several weeks.

What does God’s vision provide and who does God call to be involved in that vision.

This morning, we’ll look at why God calls us into His vision.

Our primary verse is

Where there is no prophetic vision (or revelation), people cast off restraint (or perish); but blessed is he who keeps the law.

(ESV)

Just a reminder, that God’s revelation (His revealed law or ethos - ethos is a set of principles that guide an individual or organization) gives us the best …

Just a reminder, that God’s revelation (His revealed law or ethos - ethos is a set of principles that guide an individual or organization) gives us the best …

God’ revelation gives us the best Purpose (why we exist)

- why we exist

God’ revelation gives us the best Boundaries (how we should exist)

God’ revelation gives us the best Perspective (how we view existence)

· Perspective (how we view existence) - how we view the world, humanity, morality, spirituality etc.

God’s law or ethos is what is best for humanity.

However, our human nature is the desire to be autonomous - to be self-governing.

We want to exert our independence from God (which started with the Fall of Adam and Ave).

We want to manage our own lives and we want life to be about self, self-comfort, self-pleasure etc.

As we pursue independence from God’s law, we accept less than God’s best for humanity.

Is God’s best a bunch of rules like some people think?

No. Think about it – God’s best is a world of love, respect, honesty, and fidelity, of peace, and contentment – that’s why He says don’t murder, don’t lie, don’t commit adultery and so on.

But human nature rejects God’s ethos, and we cast off restraint (we do whatever we want), and consequently we create our own purpose, boundaries and worldview.

We create our own morality and ethics.

And we become our own managers because we want what we perceive to be “freedom” - freedom to do whatever we want without consequence.

So what happens to a world that wants to live independent of God’s law and ethos?

Let me ask this: How well do you do at managing your own life?

How many things have you done that you wish you never would have done; wish you never would have said; wish you never would have gone?

How many times have you said, “I know I shouldn’t, but …?

I know I shouldn’t eat that, smoke this, drink that, go there - but ….” How well do you live up to your own standards?

If we’re honest, we probably haven’t done too well.

If we struggle to manage our own lives, what about the 321 million people in the United States?

This is a great nation, no doubt, however, in the U.S. alone, every year there are over 15,000 murders, over 90,000 rapes, nearly a million abortions, over 800,000 divorces, over 24 million children and adults use illicit drugs, there are an estimated 300,000 children and women trafficked in the sex industry, over 58,000 cases of child abuse - and approximately 10 million reports of domestic violence each year - and to top it off, each day 30 million people log onto pornographic websites.

That’s dire news, and I didn’t even mention anything about our financial debt crisis, mental illness, diseases, accidents and politics.

I don’t want to be a downer this morning, but I wanted to prove a point - that we don’t do very well at managing this thing called life.

We live in a world that has rejected God’s boundaries, and consequently we have a very selfie-centered world that is full of anger, hatred, brokenness, suffering - it’s inhumane, oppressive and ultimately hopeless.

And for Christians, we can forget or even worse, ignore how broken our world is.

Why is it so broken?

If God created this world then why is it like this?

I mean it doesn’t seem like He’s doing a good job at managing this world either.

That’s because He’s not managing this world.

Understand God is in control - He is never not in control.

God is the Sovereign ruler of this universe!

However, in the beginning God gave stewardship or management of the earth to whom?

Adam and Eve - to humanity.

And one day, the first Mr. and Mrs. surrendered management of the earth to whom?

To the devil.

We know that the devil is the accuser and deceiver.

he’s known as the god of this age who has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the truth of the gospel.

he’s called the ruler of the kingdom of the air - the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Satan, though defeated, is the current manager of this world.

In he’s called the ruler of the kingdom of the air - the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Satan, though defeated, is the current manager of this world.

Because stewardship was abrogated (surrendered), sin and death entered the world.

And that has been our malady ever since.

- Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned ….

And the wages of sin is death - physical, emotional, spiritual, eternal and relational.

And the wages of sin is death - physical, emotional, spiritual, eternal and relational.

Sin destroys everything it invades – and it has invaded every human heart and taken each person captive.

So if this not what God desires for humanity, what is He doing about it?

To answer that, let’s go back to Exodus and see what God did with Israel when they were in captivity to the Egyptians.

Now understand this story, a real historical story by the way, parallels what Jesus Christ did on the cross.

In Exodus, we find the gospel - the good news that Jesus Christ came to rescue humanity and deliver them from sin and death and to give them true freedom.

Understand, there are two operating systems or ethos in this story: Pharaoh’s system and Jehovah’s (God’s) system.

Pharaoh’s system is really the ethos of the world - it’s how the world operates and ultimately, it’s a system of death and fear and oppression and bondage and destruction and it’s temporary.

There is no freedom in Pharaoh’s system - it’s hopeless under Pharaoh.

The other system is Jehovah’s - God’s.

His system is life, and love, and freedom and wholeness and it’s eternal.

God’s system is a system of redemption, and restoration, and hope.

Remember, Israel had been in captivity for 430 years.

They needed a deliverer, someone to rescue them.

And at the right time, out of a burning bush God called out to this poor shepherd named Moses and invited him into God’s vision of redemption.

Keep in mind our question - if the condition of this world is not what God desires for humanity, what is God doing about it?

God calls to Moses from this burning bush, Moses goes to check it out and God says this,

I want to point out a few things here that are probably a little obvious, but nonetheless, important to understand.

I want to point out a few things here that are probably a little obvious, but nonetheless, important to understand.

In verse 7, Jehovah says “I have seen the misery of my people” - that’s another way of God saying “I’m not blind.

I know what’s going on.

I’m not oblivious to the afflictions and hardships and suffering.

I see it!”

1. God Sees

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God knows what’s going on.

He’s not blind to the chaos and brokenness and suffering in the world.

He’s not oblivious to your pain or the pain of those around you.

God sees; He knows, He is aware.

God knows what’s going on.

He’s not blind to the chaos and brokenness and suffering in the world.

He’s not oblivious to your pain or the pain of those around you.

God sees; He knows, He is aware.

For example, China – God sees those little children, 2 or 3 crammed into a crib.

I don’t have to tell Him about the inhumane treatment – He sees ....

But there’s more than that.

Jehovah says, “I have heard them crying out, I have heard their cry of distress.”

So …

2. God Hears

But what is it that God hears?

It says that He hears, He is attentive to the intense crying of people who are in deep sorrow and anguish.

The cry of the abused, the cry of the lonely, the cry of the addict, the cry of the oppressed - God hears.

Specifically, God says I heard them crying because of what?

The slave drivers - that’s Pharaoh’s system, a system of oppression and pain and slavery.