Do You Really Believe
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 1 viewJune 5, 2022 Morning Worship
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome back!
This morning we are going to be looking at a passage from the book of Exodus, particularly chapter 6, the first 9 verses.
And in this passage we want to ask ourselves the question, Do we really believe?
And I am not asking “do we believe in God,” but rather, do we believe in the promises that God has made us?
Both eternal promises and immediate promises.
Because throughout the history of humanity, God has made promises.
And also throughout humanity, people have been asked to evaluate whether or not they #1 believe God and #2 trust in His promises.
And our passage this morning deals with the nation of Israel and the beginning of the realization of one of God’s greatest promises to them.
We actually find the Nation of Israel in a very dark time in their history.
At this point, they have been in bondage for over 400 years to the Egyptians.
And the reasons for this bondage was directly related to the hundreds of years of growth and strength of the Israelites in Egypt.
The Egyptians were afraid of the Israelites and the realization of God’s promises so they had to do something about it.
In Exodus 1, we learn this . . .
Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.
But even with all of this on them, the Israelites continued to grow in number and strength.
So, Pharaoh had to take things a step further . . .
And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”
But we know that one boy survived to even be raised by Pharaoh’s own daughter . . .
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
And Moses grew strong and influential, both to the Israelites and the Egyptians.
And as Moses grew he began to oppose the oppression and bondage of the Israelites.
And one day in a fit of anger, he allowed his anger to overcome him and had killed an Egyptian and fled because now Pharoah was going to kill him.
Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.
So Moses fled into the wilderness and hid out.
and during his exile, the Pharoah died.
Moses, though married and had children.
Learned to be a shepherd.
Almost forgot about his old life in Egypt and the Israelite people he had left behind.
However, God heard the cries of the Israelites of their bondage and set out to deliver them from their bondage.
And we know the story of how God appears to Moses and delivers the message that he would be the one God uses to lead them out of bondage.
And of course Moses didn’t want to go.
He was resistant—afraid of what he would find in Egypt.
But after (40) years in the wilderness, Moses reluctantly accepts God's call, recruits his brother Aaron and returns to Egypt.
Taking the experiences he had gained for the last 40 years as a shepherd back with him.
Moses goes to Pharoah and delivers the message from God that Pharoah is to let the Israelites go.
Pharoah is less than cooperative.
Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.’ ” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”
In fact, Moses’ message has the exact opposite effect on Pharaoh and increases the labor and abuse of the people . . .
Then the slave drivers and the foremen 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.” The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh’s slave drivers were beaten and were asked, “Why didn’t you meet your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
And the people didn’t like it and instead of blaming Pharaoh, who was responsible, they blamed Moses for stirring up trouble . . .
When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
And this is where we are at when our passage for this morning picks up.
Moses is now approaching the Lord, asking what is going on?
He is questioning God's motives, God's way, God Himself.
Moses cannot see the big picture and see how God is actually working through this.
He is stuck looking at the little picture of what is right in front of him.
So, let’s get into it this morning and see where this all goes.
Exodus 6, starting in verse 1 . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.” God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. 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. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ” Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.
Moses’ Question/God’s Response
Moses’ Question/God’s Response
Now, what I read there was actually God’s response to Moses’ argument with God.
So, backing up to chapter 5 verses 22-23 we will see what Moses actually said to God . ..
Moses returned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”
So, Moses is getting pretty bold here.
He begins to question God, even question why God had sent him.
Moses feels defeated and discouraged.
He doesn't understand what is going on.
But I want us to notice what happens here.
Does God get angry with Moses?
Does God strike him dead?
No, God understands Moses’ fears and doubts.
God understands Moses’ frustration.
And God provides Moses an answer.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”
And what God is doing is reassuring Moses that He is in control.
He lets Moses know in a round about way that things are going according to plan.
He encourages Moses to keep the course and see what He is going to do.
Because God is putting things in place for His deliverance to take place.
And what we have to remember also is that God is a JUST GOD.
God is a MERCIFUL GOD.
And things have to be just right in order for God’s plan to be fulfilled.
And it has to be in God’s time and not our own.
Things that we don't understand and things that we do not consider have to be in place.
This is what God is doing with Moses and with us today as well.
And the next thing God does is remind Moses of who He actually is.
God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. 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. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens.
And I also think that sometimes we also need to be reminded of who God actually is . . .
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Do we believe that this is the truth about God?
Then why do we often live in fear?
And you may be saying, “I’m not afraid of anything.”
Are you so sure?
Because we are often afraid of the unknown.
We are afraid of what may happen.
We are afraid of what people may say.
Afraid of what people may do.
Afraid to be engaged of the ministry of the church to the community because of (FILL IN THE BLANK).
It seems sometimes like we have been paralyzed by fear, discouragement, and despair.
Look again what Scripture says about fear.
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
And . . .
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
So, WHAT ARE WE AFRAID OF?
Do we think that God has quit working?
Do we think that God has "left the building?"
The fear, apathy, and naysaying must stop, HERE AND NOW.
We have all been placed here for a purpose and have a job for God to be doing.
WHEN WE QUIT ALLOWING FEAR TO HOLD US BACK, THAT IS WHEN WE WILL GROW.
THAT IS WHEN WE WILL HAVE VICTORY!
God Has Not Abandoned Us
God Has Not Abandoned Us
Because the fact remains God has not went anywhere.
God is right here, where God has always been.
Look back and what else God tells Moses . . .
Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”
God had not abandoned His people
God heard their petitions, their cries.
God felt their pain and bondage at the hand of the Egyptians.
Not only this, but God has not forgotten His covenant.
Now, has God made you any promises?
Guess what, God does not forget His promises.
God does not break His promises.
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
And . . .
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
And . . .
a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
And . . .
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.
GOD IS FAITHFUL, HE WILL KEEP HIS PROMISES.
The children of Israel lacked faith and they didn't believe it . . .
Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.
They let their discouragement and fear convince them otherwise.
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
What about us?
Do we believe it?
The truth of the matter is this.
God has made promises to us all.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
And . . .
for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
That’s just for starters.
But God has also made promises to us individually and as a Church as well.
I wonder, who of us have questioned God lately?
Questioned His motives?
Questioned His ways?
Questioned what He was doing in our lives, in our Church, our community, our world?
FOLKS, THE TIME FOR QUESTIONING IS OVER.
GOD HAS MADE US A PROMISE.
My question is, do you believe God?
Then instead of spending a lot of time and energy speculating, worrying, and questioning, STEP OUT and put YOUR FAITH TO ACTION.
All things will come to pass—in God’s time, not our own.
Let’s pray . . .