Dependence Day

Hymns

Opening: #343 I will Sing of My Redeemer

Closing: 516 All the Way

Scripture Text

Psalm 9:10 ESV

10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Me

Its easy to want to do things on your own, especially because when you know you can accomplish the task and don’t have to depend on others. People sometimes be unreliable and untrustworthy.

But this isn’t always the case. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to ask for help.

Story: Bad Addictions are hard to get rid of. When we make the decision to remove an addiction from our life, we often go about it alone.

We like to keep our addictions private because they are embarrassing. They paint a negative mark on the beautiful picture we are trying to paint.

But handling addictions in private is always the worst decision we can make.

When we go about it alone, we fail because:

We have no support system.

We believe our will power will be enough.

We have no one to hold us accountable to our goals.

I know this from personal experience. I have tried to overcome addiction alone through my own will power, and I have failed. There is one thing I have learned about failure and success.

We fail when we are alone, but we succeed when we are together.

Seeking help isn’t weakness, but wisdom.

Those who have failed know the beauty of assistance.

We

That is why on the 4th of July we celebrate Freedom and Independence, but on the Sabbath we celebrate our Freedom to be Dependent.

Where have you failed when you should have asked for help?

Friends, in order to succeed and grow spiritually we must learn to become dependent.

God

By far one of my favorite Bible characters is Moses.

Moses tries to bring freedom to the Israelites his way: by force.

Doesn’t work.

God introduces a new way. Love and patience.

It does work. It works really really well.

Instead of relying on his strength Moses learns to rely on God’s strength.

We achieve true power and strength when we lean on Jesus.

The Breakdown

Exodus 2:11–15 ESV

11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

Moses has a lot going for him.

Hes an Israelite as well as an Egyptian. He was born into slavery, but raised as a prince. So he doesn’t have to spend his days slaving in the sun.

As a prince he has power, authority, and education.

When Moses sees the Egyptian beating the Hebrew, we are told where Moses’ loyalty lies. His gut reaction is to help the Hebrew. That is what we call compassion. Moses seeks justice for this Hebrew slave. And he goes about it the only way he knows how, the only way its been modeled for him: violence.

But here’s the beauty of this story. God can achieve justice and freedom through you. But He doesn’t need your:

Power

Authority or position

Education

Because the story of Moses and the Israelite’s freedom is about how God disassembles everything that makes Moses great.

By fleeing to Midian and becoming a shepherd:

Moses loses his power.

Moses loses his position of authority

Moses is retaught how to rule and lead.

Moses has to unlearn everything he learned from the Monarchy and Universities of Egypt and most be retaught through the keeping of sheep.

What does Moses learn? To not do anything without first hearing from God. And everything he does is within the will and authority of God.

God would lead Moses and tell him everything he would do.

Exodus 4:12 ESV

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

Exodus 3:12 ESV

12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Exodus 3:19–20 ESV

19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.

Its not the things that I do, but the things that God will do through me. Through us.

You

Are you struggling?

Has life been hard recently?

You may not be tasked with freeing thousands of people, but life can still be tough.

What you can do is lean on Jesus.

Psalm 9:10 ESV

10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

We

What would our faith look like if we leaned more on Jesus?

What would our families look like if we leaned more on Jesus?

What would our country look like if we leaned more on Jesus?

What would our church look like if we leaned more on Jesus?

If we tried it out, we wouldn’t have to wonder.

So try it out. Take a chance on Jesus. Experience life change.