Exodus wk 7 - Sermon - His Power in Our Weakness

INTRO:

Welcome, Name, Bible

Exodus 5:20-6:27

Continue in Exodus Series

As a preacher…sometimes

you really study the text.

Other times you really live the text.

usually it’s a combination of both.

This week…i lived this text. deeply.

The theme today is simple:

“God’s power is made perfect in our weakness”

Because it is always ultimately about Him.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOU THIS MORNING?

Are you feeling strong?

Are you feeling weak?

Regardless…are you seeing God’s Power in your LIFE?

PRAY

Lord, bring GLORY TO YOUR NAME

WHATEVER IT TAKES

Glory, Good, Growth

FEAR AND DOUBT (Exodus 5:20-23)

ROLLERCOASTER

Walking with God is sometimes like riding a roller coaster.

Two weeks ago

the deliverer Moses arrive in Israel with the promise of God’s deliverance

the people respond with joyful worship of Yahweh.

Last week

Moses and Aaron boldly confront Pharaoh

it GOES about as opposite as they expected (even though Moses had already been told Pharaoh would not listen)

Pharaoh refuses and then comes down hard on God’s people

They finally break:

Exodus 5:21 ESV

21 and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

They are broken and disheartened —

how most of us feel when God doesn’t meet our expectations and our timeline

he doesn’t write the story we would have.

Moses responds the same way.

Exodus 5:22–23 ESV

22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

Moses is desperate, bitter, angry.

why would you humiliate me in front of Pharaoh and my people?

ONE GOOD THING: TURNING TO GOD

This is understandable, but there is one very good thing that Moses did

and it is evidence of his new relationships with yahweh.

It says “Moses turned to the Lord”

We call that PRAYER

This is the right response in despair and frustration.

This is the incredible relationship that Moses has with God

and that we also have with him.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

God’s been moving in this church because of prayer.

JOIN US

Sometimes God brings on hardship to show us how we have grown

Moses had now grown to turn to God rather than depend on himself.

Where do you turn in your distress?

The God of the Bible in PRAYER?

The false god of comfort, or escape, pleasure?

GOD’S RESPONSE (EXODUS 6:1-8)

How does God respond to Moses?

Does he scold him?

Is he harsh with him?

Does he come down on him?

No, he is compassionate and patient.

He responds with the Truth that he NEEDED TO HEAR MOST

The Truth in Love

It’s the same truth we all need to hear most.

Exodus 6:1 ESV

1 But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

“Now” … now you shall see.

I will fulfill my promises. My word is good. My power is complete. You can trust me.

Exodus 6:2 ESV

2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord.

God reminds Moses who he is remember:

I am — that I am, the Lord — “He is”

I have all power and am dependent on nothing or no one, but all things are dependent on me for their very existence.

I am the God of the Past, Present and Future

THE GOD OF THE PAST: WHO I WAS

Exodus 6:3–4 ESV

3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.

I was the God of Genesis

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — they knew me as God Almight (el shaddai)

I established my promise with them. I gave them Canaan (did i not?)

If I came through for them, how much will i come through for you?

Abraham also came out of Egypt rich b/c of God’s rescue.

Gen 15:13-16 “sojourners for 400 years”

THE GOD OF THE PRESENT: WHO I AM

Exodus 6:5 ESV

5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.

I have revealed my name to you, you shall know me more fully and more personally.

I have indeed heard you and will deliver you because of my promise (covenant)

I have heard, and I know your struggles.

“I remembered” doesn’t mean he forgot, it means he is about to act because of his promise.

When the Bible says that God “remembers” someone or his covenant with someone, it indicates that he is about to take action for that person’s welfare (ESVSB)

THE GOD OF THE FUTURE: WHO I WILL BE

Exodus 6:6–8 ESV

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. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”

7 PROMISES OF WHAT THE LORD WILL DO

I will bring you out.

I will deliver you from slavery

I will redeem you with might acts

I will take you to be my people

I will be your God

You shall know that I am the Lord, your God

I will take you into the Land

I will give it to you as a possession (you will have a home)

The Sections Starts and Ends with the Phrase:

“I am the Lord”

and “I am the Lord, your God”

HIS POINT:

I will do this by my power, and my power alone.

Why did I let you suffer?

So that you would be sure that this deliverance was not done by your hand, but by my hand alone.

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone by God alone for His glory alone

It has always been this way.

I am the LORD, I will do it

THE RESULT:

You will know that I am the lord, when I have delivered you, you will be my people

How much truer is this in Christ's salvation, in fact it is only after God saves us that we can know him in any personal way

THEIR RESPONSE (Exodus 6:9-12)

THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL

Exodus 6:9 ESV

9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

The People do NOT believe

“fool me once that’s on you” “fool me twice that’s on me”

They will not be fooled again. Once again the Israelites are grumbling in the face of God’s mercy.

Their present reality dictates what they think God can and cannot do (NIVAPP)

What evidence do they have to trust God now?

What has it gotten them?

Only more pain and suffering.

APP: Isn’t that how we all feel at times?

What good is it in following the Lord?

Life only gets harder.

Suffering is relieved, sometimes it gets worse

Story: New convert — got hit with a bunch of hard stuff.

How does your present reality dictate what you think God can and cannot do?

PAUSE

WHY IS DO THINGS GET HARDER?

We have (and God) has an enemy

And he works through people you care about to hurt you and to hurt God

It is not by OUR POWER, BUT HIS.

Being a Christian isn't about being strong and powerful

It’s about being week and needy.

It’s one beggar showing another beggar were to find bread.

God’s people then and now need to be reminded that this is all done BY HIS POWER, not OURS.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Also Deut 8:11-20

Deuteronomy 8:17–18 ESV

17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

This is the exact lesson that Moses needs to learn

The very man who penned those words.

MOSES’S’ RESPONSE

Exodus 6:10–12 ESV

10 So the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” 12 But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”

Moses has come UNDONE

Moses still focused on himself

“I am uncircumcised lips”

i.e. I am a failure, I am not a good leader, I am not a good speaker.

Moses still needs to learn what makes a good leader:

God’s power demonstrated in HIM not by HIM

Proud = pride

God opposers the proud but gives grace to the humble.

This is the most important leadership lesson Moses can learn.

This will be done by my power, by my hand.

God’s power is demonstrated in our weakness, and he will get His Glory

This is perhaps why he let Moses “fail”

So that he could truly see and believe in God’s power.

APP:

Don’t you and I do this?

Even if we say we are depending on God we really are not

Sometimes that’s why we fail, why we have set backs

Because God is not concerned with your success but your sanctification

your growing need for Him and his power demonstrated over and above our own.

In short — This is about God’s Glory, not ours.

Where in your life do you need to see God’s power at work rather than your own?

Personal Story:

This week was one of those weeks.

I was dealing with some really difficult issues with people and it just overwhelmed my week.

And overwhelmed me.

A good friend caught in addiction.

I saw this playing out before my eyes.

The addict cannot save himself.

The first step (12 steps) is to admit that he is powerless over his addiction and his life has become unmanageable.

In other words, Humility.

Yet I saw this play out in myself as well.

I can’t save him. I can’t change his heart.

Only God has the power to do that.

And so I found myself praying a lot this week, and pleading that his Power would be demonstrated.

Only He can save this friend from himself.

B/C the truth is, the last ADDICTION, the most sinister addiction, the strongest addiction is to yourself.

But you and I, are all addicts, but by the grace of God are you and I not utterly lost.

Because God chose to act in History.

He chose to save us.

GOD’S RESPONSE (Exod 6:13-27)

Exodus 6:13 ESV

13 But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Go and do as I say “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power.” (Exod 4:21)

Look, I already told you Pharaoh will not listen to you.

Now is the time to trust my word, my promises, my power.

GENEOLOGY (Exod 6:13-27)

Exodus 6:14–25 ESV

14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. 20 Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their clans.

Capped by Exod 6:13 and Exod 6:26-27

Why the Genealogy? — How does it connect?

It’s not RANDOM, but INTENTIONALLY WRITTEN HERE.

NOTE: Moses is writing this long after the fact.

This Gen focuses on the lineage of Levi — Kothath — Amram — Aaron — Eliezer — Phineas — who will both be major players in the wilderness years.

The Levitical Priesthood will also be established.

So here is the Pedigree of Aaron and Phineas

Exodus 6:26–27 ESV

26 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” 27 It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.

Furthermore:

Genealogies are important in the Bible.

Jesus’ genealogy — God has a Story

The New American Commentary: Exodus 10. Genealogy of Moses and Aaron (6:13–27)

6:23 Aaron married a Judahite woman, Elisheba, whose father and brother were ancestors of Jesus Christ, a small but not insignificant connection of two threads of salvation history in the biblical text.

This Jesus who would be the ultimate PRIEST

WHY? THE STORY OF GOD

But I think Moses is also teaching us something else:

Reaches back into the past and forward into the future

Why? — God has a plan … i.e. God is writing a Story.

God’s plans will come to pass

PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANT AND PROFOUND:

God’s purposes and plans will come to pass through the people he chooses to use.

God WORKS his WORKS through his PEOPLE

Moses, who was faltering in his leadership, needed to be reminded that

our Perfect Lord, uses imperfect people to bring about his purposes for his glory.

This is magnificent.

that God would chose feeble, imperfect, frightened people to demonstrate his power and bring about his purposes.

God’s story is better.

God’s glory is revealed precisely because of our weaknesses.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

APPLICATION:

This is the same message I now that I need to hear

You do also.

Especially if you are in leadership.

Exodus written to remind of us of God Almighty and his great acts.

Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (also 1 Cor 10:11)

God is STILL working through HIS PEOPLE

Will you let HIM WRITE YOUR STORY?

OR are you HINDERING God’s work in your life?

Do you understand the magnificence of this statement:

The God of the Universe, The Creator, The one WHO WAS, WHO IS AND HOW IS TO COME

GOD ALMIGHTY, EL SHADDAI

Great and MAGNIFICENT

ALL POWERFUL, OMNIPRESENT, OMNISCIENT

This God would choose to use you and I

in our weakness, because of our weakness.

This is MARVELOUS.

JESUS

This ALL POWERFUL GOD entered into the weakness and frailty of human flesh and submitted to the power of death

that he MIGHT OVERCOME DEATH FOR US ALL.

This JESUS submitted to death on the cross that God’s power might be demonstrated in and through him.

That we might have a LIVING HOPE in a RESURRECTED JESUS

who WORKS THIS SAME MIGHTY POWER IN US.

HOW DO UNLEASH THIS POWER?

#1 REPENTANCE

Repentance is ultimately receiving God’s grace.

It is an act of humility.

Will you humble yourself?

Will you confess your sin, and turn to God and be healed?

#2 OBEDIENCE

Where do you need to obey God even when, especially when it doesn’t make sense?

FINAL QUESTION:

Where can God get glory in your life?

Where can God’s power be demonstrated in your weakness?

Will you submit your story to His?

It’s the better story.

It’s the story of his glory.

LET’S PRAY