Moses Week 11: Plague of Firstborns

Sermon in a Sentence: Salvation and freedom requires sacrifice, which Jesus paid.

The Word: Exodus 12

Summary: Last week we discussed the first nine plagues of Egypt. This week we finished with the plague of the firstborns. This is a very difficult plague to wrap our minds around because of the vast amount of death it caused.
This plague was saved until the very end because it was the last resort. Because Pharaoh's heart remained hardened through all the other plagues the plague of the firstborns was used.
In Exodus 12 we see that God gave clear instructions to avoid this plague. They had to:

1. Get a pure lamb
2. Take the lamb into your house for four days and make it a personal pet
3. After four days kill the lamb
4. Take the blood of the lamb and apply it to the door and door frames
5. Roast the land and completely devour it, and whatever is leftover burn it the next morning

This lamb was the substitute for their death. 

Moses' story mirrors Jesus story 1,400 years later.

Jesus is often referred to as the "lamb of God"

God's instructions to the Israelites with Moses stand true for the sacrifice made with Jesus:

1. Get a pure lamb - Jesus was without sin
2. Take the lamb into your house for four days and make it a personal pet - Jesus needs to be your personal saviour
3. After four days kill the lamb - Jesus was killed on the cross
4. Take the blood of the lamb and apply it to the door and door frames - We need to acknowledge Jesus' death
5. Roast the lamb and completely devour it, and whatever is leftover burn it the next morning - we need to completely accept Jesus' sacrifice and not just take forgiveness when we feel we need it

This story of salvation is something Christians have heard over and over, but the true turning point comes with true acceptance.

One way or another we are going to have to accept a death.

• We either accept Jesus' death for our sins, or...
• our death because of sin

MOSES Week 10: The Plagues

Week 10: The Plagues

SERMON IN A SENTENCE:  God is a god of patience, not god of judgment.

THE WORD: Exodus 8-11, 1 Corinthians 10:20-22, 2 Timothy 2-24-28

SUMMARY:  We get to the breaking point in the Moses saga, the point were God shows his power to the Egyptian kingdom. To be honest I dreaded teaching this weeks lesson. How do I show God's love when He is reining down judgment on people.  From frogs invading homes and creating a nuisance, to massive hail storms that killed anyone unlucky to be outside. So as I prepared this week I wanted to see this story differently, and I saw three points. 

1st. God is not to be mocked. Lets remember in Exodus 5, Pharaoh mocked God by saying he did not know God and refused to do what He says. Well I think after the plagues Pharaoh stopped mocking Him. 

2nd is that There is only one God. If your not worshiping God then you are worshiping demons. That was evident because almost every plague was an attack on a Egyptian god. God was going to show everyone just which god has the power. 

The 3rd and most important thing I feel the students need to take away is that this really was not about a vengeful God, but a very, very patient God.

Remember God has the power to send legions of Angels to wipe the oppressive Egyptians off the planet, but what did He start with? FROGS. It took 9 plagues each one progressing in intensity before the hammer was dropped. So I don't know about you but this looks like a God that gave many chances. 

It is with that heart we are to take from God, not one of judgment, but one of patience for people. The truth of the matter is that there will be pharaohs that come into our lives that will have the hardest of hearts. Friends, family members, or students at school will all be in need of our patience at one time or another. God was patient with the Egyptians, Pharaoh, and myself. So we too by God's strength need to share in that picture of patience.  

MOSES Week 9: The Showdown

MOSES Week 9: The Showdown

SERMON IN A SENTENCE: God can do amazing threw our obedience.

THE WORD: Exodus 7

SUMMERY:  Here it is, the beginning of the showdown between God and the gods of Egypt. Moses finally has accepted that this is God's story and not his and that despite his failures God is the one in charge. Now I think that the important moment in this chapter is what God tells Moses in the first verse. God tells Moses that he will make Moses look like a god to pharaoh. Now everything that I have learned so far is that God does not like when his creation looks to other gods, but yet here in the bible it says just that.

So Moses goes to Pharaoh and throws the staff on the ground and watches it become a snake. Now this was impressive but Pharaoh had his magicians do the exact same thing only to prove that the God of creation had nothing special to offer. Second Moses turns the nile into blood, and again the magicians do the same. Because of Pharaoh hard heart, Pharaoh was unchanged in the decision to let go the Israelites go.

So what are the take aways from this. Well like I said in the beginning God will make you a god to people. I know that sounds bad but track with me for a second.  That same God that dealt with Moses is the same God that dwells in us.

So my question is, what g(G)od am I showing people by how we live? Now I can almost guarantee that there will be Pharaohs that come into our lives with the headrest of hearts and we might be the only god that people see. That is something to really think about.

The second thing that we can take away is that we can still be obedient to God, yet experience defeat. Moses finally did what God wanted him to do and yet Pharaoh still was not going to listen to Moses. We have the luxury of knowing how Moses's story ends but Moses didn't. All Moses had to do was be willing, and eventually his obedience will lead to victory.

So despite the failure that we may be facing over and over with a family member, or friend. Our obedience may be their only shot at knowing the God that lives in us.