Sermon Tone Analysis

Brawndo

One of my most favorite comedy movies is Idiocracy.

This movie is set in 2005, and an average soldier by by the name of Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) is selected to take part in a secret military experiment to put him in hibernation for a year along with a woman named Rita (Maya Rudolph).

It happens that they are forgotten about when the base they are stored on is closed down and are left in stasis until 2505.

When they finally wake up, they discover the average intelligence of humans has decreased so much that Joe is now the smartest man in the world.

The intelligent people in the world have decided that the best liquid for a human to consume is a sports drink called Brawndo.

And every time Joe Bowers asks for some water to drink the response is “you mean like in the toilet?”

The world has not only decided that it’s the best drink but it is also what they use to water the failing crops of the country.

There’s a scene in the movie where there is a planning meeting to save the crops and Joe is trying to convince them that water is best and he get’s the response “But Brawndo’s got what plants crave, it’s got electrolytes!”

It he has the utter look of failure in his eyes.

At times I feel just as alien in this current time.

I look at what is considered normal and sometimes it seems like it would be easier to just give up and give in!

I know that God has not called us to be what the masses have become.

And it would in fact be easier to join in with group think, become sheeple and be comfortable!

But we’re not called to do that!

As we’ve made our way through this sermon series about running this race of faith we’ve gleaned several tips in order to be successful in our race.

This great cloud of witnesses has allowed me to run more efficiently and we have one more for you today!

On this morning we check out what Moses has for us in the way he ran.

This story of faith begins with father Abraham who had many sons BTW.

God asked him to leave his family and country and go to a place that he did not have the address to.

And Abraham agreed.

Because of his faith and obedience God made him a promise that he would be blessed, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, and the whole world would be blessed through his lineage.

Abraham goes to this land and lives in tents, never really owns much of it, and still remained faithful even though he didn’t have a child with his wife Sarai to begin a lineage with!

God assures him that after a time of 400 years of his family being slaves they would be redeemed.

Some time passes and Abraham finally has a son by the name of Isaac who then gives birth to a set of twins.

One is a hairy child named Esau and the other is a sneaky kid named Jacob.

Jacob has a wrestling match with a messenger of God and his name is changed afterwards to Israel.

Israel fathered the twelve sons and one his sons was Joseph.

Joseph was the guy with the colorful coat and there was a problem because his brothers were jealous of him.

They decided the best course of action would be to sell him into slavery in Egypt.

But even though they meant to harm Joseph, God meant good for him and his family.

Jacob found favor in the eyes of Pharoah and he helped favor solve a problem for a famine that spread from Egypt to the promised land where his family dwelt.

Jacob at that point believing his son to be dead sends the sons to Egypt and the family is reunited.

The family moves there and the descendants multiply and flourish in Egypt… Until that Pharoah dies and the new one who did not know of Joseph and his efforts to help save Egypt decided to treat the Israelite people harshly.

He believed the people to be too numerous and gave an edict for all male infants to be killed… For a better recap read Acts 7.

Moses was born into a tumultuous time where evil people had power over their world.

And in his wickedness Pharoah caused a culture of wickedness.

Moses was blessed to be born to parents of great faith unfortunately faith is not hereditary or contagious.

Moses had to make his own decision to be faithful.

Edict- That which has been ordered or commanded.

“Legality does not define morality”

Holocaust (legal gas chambers etc.)

American slavery (was legal…)

Same Sex marriage

No love for illegals

Let us not find ourselves on the wrong side of history.

Sometimes we HAVE to go against what is “NORMAL”

After hiding her son for three months his mother decides to prepare a basket and place the young child in it and into the Nile.

And it happens that the daughter of the Pharaoh found him!

One thing I love about the south is the hospitality.

Southern hospitality is a real thing!

Have you ever gotten a handwritten note of thanks?!!

That has to be one of the best feelings in the world.

You took the time to communicate with me through an antiquated form of communication?!

But that is just something that we do in the south.

We show gratitude when someone does something nice for us!

But here in this situation Moses doesn’t show southern hospitality!

Why? Was Moses being rude?

He understood that there is something in a name.

Anyone have and enjoy the following nicknames?

Jezebel

Judas

Big Dummy

There is something in a name.

What do people call you?

What can be attributed to you?

There’s always a choice!-

As a kid I enjoyed reading the book series “Give Yourself Goosebumps”.

It was a new kind of Goosebump “scary” book that allowed you to choose your own path.

But one thing that I hated more so than anything was to choose what I believed was the right/best/most appealing choice and then end up with a very brief and dull story.

I would cheat and peek ahead at the different scenarios to find out which one was in my favor.

Yes the pleasures of sin look good.

But it never ends well and it doesn’t last long!

Moses wasn’t too far off with his decision making because he understood that with God the pages were still going to turn and his end result would be in his favor!

True faith causes believers to make the right decisions even if the outcome causes discomfort.

Or is unpopular...

The word for disgrace in the Greek is mentioned 5 times in the NT, 3 times in Hebrews.

ὀνειδισμός- act of disparagement that results in disgrace, reproach, reviling, disgrace, insult

Remember that addiction that you had and overcome ?

Don’t give up!

Remember how folks wouldn’t let you forget that you ruined your marriage and God made you whole again?

Don’t give up!

DON’T FORGET WHERE YOU’VE COME FROM!

The Hebrew writer here compares the reproach of Jesus to a sin offering, which they would have understood.

He invites the recipients of the letter to join in the reproach.

When the blood was taken for the sin offering the whole animal was burnt up!

So when the Hebrew author states that Moses thought the disgrace for the sake of Christ was of greater value he’s not stating that Moses knew Jesus Christ he’s stating that he knew that accepting the same type of reproach/insults/disgrace for God because there is a reward or recompense for doing so! THOUGH HE COULD NOT YET SEE IT!

God is a just God!

And he’s an equal opportunity God!

You will receive compensation for your work(s)...

You can’t be a Christian avoid disgrace from the world.

At some point it’s coming!

BUT LIKE MOSES WE HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING AHEAD TOWARDS THE REWARD!

Read v26 again!

AND BECAUSE OF HIS FORWARD LOOKING TO HIS REWARD THAT HE COULD NOT SEE HIS FAITH WAS ACTIVATED!

Moses didn’t have an Army when he left Egypt but he wasn’t afraid of the man who DID have one!

Do yall remember the movie The Matrix?

When Neo began to believe that he was the one?!! Agent Smith had just shot him and all seemed lost.

He rises up and his eyes are opened to what no one but him could see!

He saw the binary code and that everything that seemed real was not and his limitations were no more!