Crucible of Crisis
Promises • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsLiberation for God's people occurs through the crucible of crisis.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) is a global safety science company, the largest and oldest independent testing laboratory in the United States. Underwriters Laboratories tests the latest products and technologies for safety before they are marketed around the world.
If you see “UL” on a product, you know it has gone through rigorous testing before it was certified as safe.
If Underwriter’s Laboratory had been around when God called Moses to lead the Hebrews out of bondage, that UL logo would have been stamped upon his forehead in bold letters because Moses was tested by God over and over again. When he failed a test, God would test him some more…working out the kinks!
Moses’ life is a perfect example of this truth:
There is no such thing as an untested faith
In Exodus 3-4, God spoke to Moses, miraculously, from a burning bush in the wilderness
He called Moses to lead the Hebrew nation out of Egyptian bondage
Moses made every excuse in the book not to go...
“Anyone Lord, just not me!”
God struck down every excuse and, finally, Moses and his brother Aaron stepped out in obedience and confronted Pharaoh
First they told the elders of Israel everything God told them — the elders were delighted and praised Moses and Aaron - they believed God was going to set them free now
Pharaoh laughed in their faces and said, “I don’t know your God — I will not let them go. You two are trouble-makers and have caused the people to slack in their work.”
He was insulted and livid so he punished the people by ordering them to go out and find their own straw for making bricks
Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’ ” So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
The Israelite overseers begged Pharaoh to have mercy on them…but he rejected them — “You lazy slackers! Get back to work!”
The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
Prayer
Here is the cycle of the story, in a brief snapshot
1. Moses and Aaron were accepted by Israel because they brought great news (4:29-31)
2. Their appeal to Pharaoh was a disaster and Pharaoh sent Moses away with his tail between his legs (5:1-5)
3. Pharaoh imposed even more harsh punishment upon Isreal (5:6-14)
4. The oppressive conditions were meant to draw attention away from the word of the Lord (5:9)
Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
5. The Hebrew overseers were beaten
6. The Hebrew overseers appealed but were rejected by Pharaoh
7. Moses and Aaron were now rejected by Israel (5:19-21)
Over and over again, the Bible reveals this simple truth…
There is no such thing as an untested faith
When expectations are unmet, things heat up, panic and fear can take over
When Expectations are Unmet, What is Your Attitude Like?
When Expectations are Unmet, What is Your Attitude Like?
The only person satisfied by the results of Moses’ appeal was Pharaoh himself — In his mind, he had put Moses and the people in their place
…At first, the Moses and the People had high expectations of great victory and a freedom celebration
When it seems like smooth sailing, we are all in
When it seems like smooth sailing, we are all in
When Moses and Aaron brought what appeared to be great news, the elders received it with joy
and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
“The check is in the mail” —
Illustration: IRS — supposed to get a big refund — we ended up owing instead —
Our expectations were dashed
When things heat up, our faith and conduct are often shallow and unstable
When things heat up, our faith and conduct are often shallow and unstable
Can you imagine? They were confident that Moses and Aaron would come back from their meeting with good news…their hopes were dashed
When the heat gets turned up, it is natural for our emotions to take a nose dive
When the heat gets turned up, it is natural for our emotions to take a nose dive
The people of Isreal faced the terror of Pharaoh’s anger and cruelty
Not only were they not getting set free…now they were facing the harsh punishment of Pharaoh
Can you imagine the shear panic when they found out they had to find their own straw?
They were not given extra time
Their quota and required production time remained the same
They didn’t care about bricks, but they feared their task masters
It was cruel and unusual punishment to say the least
Application
Their faith was shallow
As the people of God, the importance of going deep is vital
It is essential that we encourage one another in the fundamentals of the faith
The people were in the crucible together
The church is under fire from many directions
How will we respond?
When Your Faith Intersects with Conflict, How does it Effect the Way You Live?
When Your Faith Intersects with Conflict, How does it Effect the Way You Live?
When things heat up, we look for ways to get out
When things heat up, we look for ways to get out
The people responded as we might expect - not unlike people today - we have our humanity in common
They complained — to no avail
First they appealed to Pharaoh and he became even more angry
When things heat up, we look for people to blame
When things heat up, we look for people to blame
Now they turned their anger towards Moses
and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
They had only known bondage and servitude
Moses and Aaron brought hope when they needed it most
Now they were probably feeling, “We would have been better off if he had not even come!”
Application
Sometimes our bondage is more comfortable than what it takes to walk in liberty
As long as we (the church) are in the world (Egypt), there will be hardship and crisis
From our vantage point in 2020 America, the crucible of crisis is revealing our weaknesses
The Hebrew people responded to disappointment by complaining, crying, and blaming others
How are we, as God’s people, responding to crisis and testing today?
We seem to focus more on image, target audiences, technology — external success in favor of the message of Christ
We seem more concerned about being careful to not offend people
We seem more concerned with fitting in than being God’s chosen people called to bring the message of reconciliation with God to a lost world.
Our shallowness stands out like a sore thumb amid the confusion, fear, anger, and hatred fomenting across the land
From our vantage point, it is easy to become disillusioned and discouraged
We seem fearful
We don’t want to make Pharaoh (society, government, etc.) more angry than he already is
The Exodus five situation in the history of Israel was a small snapshot of their plight
They couldn’t see any resolution from their position inside the crucible
They reacted in panic, anger, and fear
What will be the result of our sojourn in the land of Egypt? What is God’s plan for His people?
Application
It is so important for the Church to keep Jesus at the Center of all
It is vital that we live individually and corporately yielded to the power, instruction, and comfort of the Holy Spirit
We are here for a limited time
What does the world see when they observe us?
Challenge
Faith that can change the world is only developed through the crucible of crisis
Jesus Himself prepared the way so that we can have freedom and life
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
Please be encouraged as we celebrate the freedom we have in Christ
Also understand how important it is to walk in faith and to understand that...
There is no such thing as an untested faith
Moses, Aaron, and the Elders should not have been surprised when Pharaoh rejected their request
God told Moses that he would reject it...
But they chose to sweep that unpleasant thought under the rug
The victory would come…in God’s perfect time
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Be encouraged, church
Although we may be facing more crisis, our freedom in Christ cannot be stolen from us
Although we may feel the extreme heat of the crucible, remember our brothers and sisters around the world who are facing so much more than we can even imagine.
When the crisis comes, let us resolve to keep our focus upon Jesus
When the crisis comes, let us resolve to stand firm in the promises of God
Let us resolve to yield ourselves individually and corporately to the Holy Spirit and act accordingly
Our liberation will be made complete on that day when Jesus comes to retrieve us from this sojourn
In the meantime, no matter what we might feel, think, or see, let us hold on to our Savior
He is the one that we live for because He is the one that died for us
His blood cleanses us and atones for our sinful state
On the night Jesus was betrayed, Jesus had a long talk with His Disciples, preparing them for His death
He promised the Holy Spirit would come to comfort and teach them all things.
He reminded them that, even when trouble comes, they are one with Him as He is one with the Father
He exhorted them to remain in Jesus (the Vine) no matter what happens.
Faith that can change the world is only developed through the crucible of crisis