Who Are These People?

These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE TEXT Moses connects the book of Exodus to the continued story of the patriarchal family of Genesis; this connection is a direct fulfillment of what The Lord told Abraham would happen to his decedents in Genesis 15.

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE SERMON The Lord is forever faithful and good; He does not forget His promises or His people!

STICKY STATEMENT It is easy to believe that The Lord has forgotten you when you forget who He is.

INTRODUCTION

001 / OKAY; WHEN DO WE GET TO THE GOOD STUFF? God knows that we all suffer from spiritual amnesia and that we are prone to be so forgetful.

002 / LOOKING BACK TO SEE WHO GOD IS! Four Truths we can learn about the nature of God, as we look at the greater context of the biblical narrative and salvation history that is coming together in Exodus chapter one:

· THE LORD IS OUR PROMISE MAKER AND KEEPER

o Genesis 15

o The Promise to Abraham

§ You will be a father to a nation

§ Your decedents will be slaves

§ They will be liberated with great riches

§ Abraham believed God!

It is easy to believe that The Lord has forgotten His promises when you forget who He is.

· THE LORD IS OUR PROVIDER

o Abraham called to sacrifice Isaac // Genesis 22

o Abraham’s confession, “The Lord will provide!”

o Joseph’s journey to Egypt

It is easy to believe that The Lord has forgotten to provide for you when you forget who He is.

· THE LORD IS OUR PROTECTOR

o Joseph in the pit

o Joseph in Pettifer’s House

o Joseph in the prison cell

o Joseph in the palace

It is easy to believe that The Lord has forgotten to protect you when you forget who He is.

· THE LORD IS FAITHFUL

o You may be here saying, “This is a great history lesson.” But where I am sitting today, it makes me wonder if God is all the things you said. If I am being honest, I wonder if He is a promise keeper?”

o Are you resting on God’s promises or your expectations?

§ Your expectations are usually for your good, but not God’s glory. And an absence of God’s glory is a really bad idea.

§ God’s promises are both for His glory and your good.

o How are you stewarding your emotions?

o This is an important question because modern evangelical Christianity has given little room for doubt and let down. Hear me clear, it is okay for you to express your emotions to God.

o Psalms 77

o The opposite of Faith is not fear – Its control!

9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,[1]

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.[2]

19 God is not man, that he should lie,

or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? [3]

o I am calling you to a gritty faith and a surrender of control.

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”[4]

It is easy to believe that The Lord is not faithful when you forget who He is. So remember what He has done!

003 / OUR JOURNEY TO EASTER CHRIST THE DELIVER

WE ARE DELIVERED OUT TO BE DRAWN CLOSE

WE ARE DELIVERED FOR GOD’S GLORY

CONCLUSION You must remember the Works of God so you don’t forget them!

· Think! When was a moment when God showed his power in your life? When he was guiding you in a very clear way, when he answered a prayer or fulfilled a promise? David writes: I will ponder all your works, and meditate on your mighty deeds. [5]

· Thank! Engage your heart in gratitude for what He has done! Psalms 9:1-2: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. [6]

· Tell! Once we’ve spent time remembering and thanking the Lord for the great things he has done for us, the joy of those memories should overflow in our conversations with those around us. In Joshua 4, we find this instruction specifically regarding children: “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground’”

· Transcribe! Keep a journal. Write out prayer requests, and then record the ways in which God answers those prayers. When you’re feeling discouraged, look back on those records of God’s faithfulness.

· Taste & See! The ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and baptism are profound ways of remembering and proclaiming what Christ has done. God is gracious to give us vivid reminders that incorporate our various senses.

In the Lord’s Supper, we take in our hands the bread and the cup. The senses of touch, smell, and taste are all involved as we partake of a meal representing Christ’s death in our place. For the one being baptized, it is a most memorable experience as he or she is immersed in water. And as the rest of us participate in baptism through our presence, we see with our eyes a dramatic parable of death, burial, and resurrection.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Dt 7:9). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Jn 1:9). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Nu 23:19). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 6:66–69). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 77:12). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 9:1–2). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.