Getting Egypt out of Israel

Sermon: Getting Free in God – Taking Egypt out of Israel Speaker: Ps Nick Booth Date: 7th April 2019 - Burnie Text: John 8:32 (John 8:31 – 36) Exodus Introduction: The connection of the strong Biblical theme of Exodus and Passover There is nothing worse or more self-defeating than living our life in bondage to Sin and to Satan. Such frustrations can actually lead to some Christians walking away from their faith. Some people seem to gradually slip from their devotion. They’ve grown cold over time and their relationship with God has gone into neglect. For others, there has been an actual point in time when they have just decided that following Jesus was too hard. This is heart breaking to witness. But what would make a Christian think that the world would make them happy. – Moses (Hebrews 11 Momentary reward v’s eternal reward) 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. I want to be a little gentle here because some people have very genuine crisis of faith. Maybe God didn’t answer a specific prayer (might be for someone’s healing), or they think that the God of the bible is unjust with his rules or requirements. Probably, they’re not out for good. They’ve taken a hit to their faith and God is still working on them. I am persuaded however, that most times that a person walks away from their faith, it is about sin/obedience issues. Their relationship with God is less important to them than what is on offer for the present life. Some think that they will come back to God later, although a seared conscience may not hear God’s call, if they have spent years ignoring it. I will talk more about these issues next week when I preach on keeping Canaan out of Israel. But today I want to talk about the idea of getting Egypt out of Israel. And in our cases, keeping our past from undermining our relationship with God. So, today let’s have a little look at the account of Israel and the Exodus from Egypt and Pharaoh with the view that we too have had an exodus from our sinful oppressor, Satan. What does it mean to have Egypt taken out of our lives. This is the changing of our ways of thinking that are so pressed into the world’s shape, that going back seems like a better option than living in God’s freedom for our lives. John 8:31-36 31Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 33They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 1. The Promise It appears that so many of us Christians often suffer from SMD — Selective Memory Disorder.  We often remember the good times, but forget the miserable costs required. It is so easy to forget both our ancient and recent history. Israel had been slaves to Egypt, then slaves to Babylon and more recently they lived in a relative slavery to Rome. However, Jesus point was not that they were physical slaves, but they remained spiritual slaves. If that is how you are feeling today, I want you to hear the Word of God from John 8:36 ‘if the Son sets you free, you are really free.’ Discuss - Salvation, Sanctification, Glorification In the Scripture the idea of glorification deals with the ultimate perfection of believers. It is a process to full redemption of the believer. We were Saved, we are being saved and we will be saved 2. The Deliverance It took one night to get Israel out of Egypt. It would take much longer to get Egypt out of Israel. • Exodus 14:11-12     Israel complained that God was killing them. It would be better for them to be in Egypt. • Exodus 15:23-26     Israel complained of no water. At least they had plenty of water in Egypt. • Exodus 16:1-18     Israel complained of no food. The remembered no such struggles in Egypt. • Exodus 16:19-22     Israel was told not to hoard, but only collect enough manna for the day. Israel disobeyed God’s simple manna collection rules. • Exodus 17:1-7     Israel complained again of water and lusted for the land of Egypt. • Exodus 32:7-8     Israel disobeyed God’s Second Commandment. They heard God’s voice, but in God’s absence they manufactured a golden calf. • Numbers 11:1-3     Israel complained about something that is not specifically mentioned.  • Numbers 11:4-35     Israel complained as they lusted for the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic they once enjoyed in Egypt. • Numbers 13:1-25     Israel complained that God was not powerful enough to win Canaan and not interested enough in their children. • Numbers 14     Israel complained about Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua, and they lusted for new captain to return them to land of bondage. We are not so dissimilar, are we? John Bevere said it like this: when Moses delivered Israel, imagine all the plagues happen and the all-powerful God delivers them out of Egypt, So the question I ask is when Moses delivers Israel out of Egypt where is he going to take them to? What is the answer? Where is he bringing them to? Come on shout it out. The Promised Land? No! what does Moses say to Pharaoh five times thus says the Lord let my people go that they might worship the Lord in the wilderness. I always used to think that Moses was just trying to pull the wool over Pharaohs eyes. Just trying to trick him. Moses doesn’t plan on bringing them to the promised land at this point. He plans on bringing them to the Mountain of the LORD. Why does Moses want to bring them Mt Sinai first before bringing them to the promised land? The Promised Land was a place of great prosperity, but if they came to that before meeting God, then their prosperity has all the potential to bring them into another place of bondage. We’ll discuss that one next week when I preach on keeping Canaan out of Israel! Bringing them to the promised, they'll make the promised land into a place of prosperity and that's what many preachers have done in the church with the seriously deficient Prosperity gospel. Many preachers have preached more of what Jesus will do for us rather than who he is! This produces Christians that are seeking God for what he can do for them and not because of who he is. That's like a woman marrying a man just for the money. She loves him, but she loves him for the wrong reasons. The contrast is amazing when looking at Moses and at Israel. Israel has stripes on their backs they have laboured all their lives to build somebody else's inheritance. I mean they have no inheritance at all they have slaved to build Egypt their children have been put to death they live in the slums they eat the leftovers they wear the leftovers yet they come out of Egypt and they are constantly saying let's go back to Egypt it was better for us in Egypt than it is in this desert. But look at Moses, he had the elaborate lifestyle of someone growing up in Pharaoh’s house. When Moses comes out of Egypt, he never once says I want to go back to Egypt it was better for me back in Egypt why because he had one encounter with God, one encounter with God’s presence, that's why Moses wants to take Israel straight out of Egypt and bring them to Mount Sinai because Sinai is where the bush was that's where he met God. He’s like I want you to meet who I've met so he brings them out to the mountain that's where they go. I regularly pray this prayer for my children. God, please reveal yourself to them. Be their God and not just their mum and dad’s God. Let them know your love and experience you for themselves. It is so Vital that we know God for ourselves because God has no Grandchildren. 3. The Encounter Our Encounter with God is vital. - Worship is vital! The question is not if you will worship but who you will worship. Let me give you some reasons that Worship and Prayer are so vital. No. 1 it recognises how big God is and consequently, just how small we are. We just aren’t capable of fixing all of our own problems in this life, let alone of those that face us in eternity without Jesus help and grace. No.2 – Prayer and worship are acts of our submission and dependence upon God, the one who saves us. Some people feel that they don’t need God! They can make it on their own. Indeed, some people seem to have so many good things in their lives and they have literally forgotten that they only get this because of God’s Grace. The problem with a self-made person is that they worship their own creator. Israel, like so many of us, decided to take matters into their own hands rather than leave things in the hands of the creator of the universe.  Our own solutions often lead to our missing God real blessing of relationship in our lives. Israel were brought out of bondage and slavery so that they could be brought in to freedom and blessing.  To make that transition, the first place God led His people was to the foot of Mount Sinai to listen to God.  What a picture of the Christ follower today!  As Israel was delivered from slavery in Egypt by God’s power and grace, we are delivered from sinful habits that enslave us today!  Now, our challenge is learning to be the free people we have become. Hurtful habits aren’t easy to break.  That’s why God has given us His Spirit and His Word. God gives us His Holy Spirit to enable us to live a new quality of life that has no other explanation but God, Himself, inhabiting our lives.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.”  Conclusion/ Altar call Salvation Call and Freedom call!