Appleton Gospel Church

The Golden Calf (Exodus): The idolatry of the Golden Calf nearly destroyed Israel, showing why God cannot simply ignore our sins and how their consequences are worse than we might think. However, it also foreshadows the forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ. Recorded on Feb 16, 2025, on Exodus 32 by Pastor David Parks.

Sabbath Rest (Exodus): Many people struggle to find a healthy balance of work and rest. Is there a way to work hard for the glory of God without dying on the altar of productivity? In the story of creation, God modeled productive work and meaningful rest. The lesson of the Sabbath is that God clearly expected his people to adopt this same pattern as a sign of their relationship with him — a sign ultimately fulfilled by Christ. Recorded on Feb 9, 2025, on Exodus 31:12-18 and other selected verses by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our Exodus series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation — of God working to rescue and redeem a people for himself, freeing them from slavery and leading them to the land he promised to the family of Abraham and Sarah. Exodus is also a picture of the gospel and the Christian life. In Christ, we, too, are freed from captivity to sin and death and led through the wilderness of life by God’s Word and Presence as we make our way to the Promised Land of the world to come. Join us as we make this journey to find true and lasting freedom.

Sermon Transcript

So, we’re working through the book of Exodus in a sermon series called Journey to Freedom. And, we’ve said that Exodus is a story of liberation, of God rescuing and redeeming a people for himself. Exodus is a wonderful picture of the gospel and the Christian life — that God saved a people by his grace, freed them from captivity, and led them by his word and holy Presence in relationship to him as they made their way to the Promised Land. The Exodus is our story in Christ. As we said last week, the first half of Exodus is mostly narrative/story, while the second half includes mostly commands and instructions from God given through the prophet Moses while the people remained camped at Mount Sinai. So we’ve paused our typical expository preaching style for several topical sermons here in the second half of Exodus — sermons on the Law, Tabernacle, Priesthood, (today) Sabbath, and more. A topical sermon widens the scope from “What does this one passage say?” to “What does the whole Bible say about this topic?” Today, we’ll consider God’s desire for his people to rest in the practice of the Sabbath. The Hebrew word ‘Sabbath’ means to stop or cease working. Now, the Bible does not present work as part of the curse of sin. But one area that sin has certainly affected is our work. For example, in Ge 3, God said that childbearing would continue but would be painful. The ground would bear fruit but would also produce thorns and thistles. Christians today must learn God’s intention for our work and rest, how sin distorts these things, and how we might learn to honor God in our work and our rest. Now, I’ve always liked to work hard. I was the kid who pushed myself in school/sports/whatever. I spent countless hours practicing basketball after the team practice was done. Then, I’d shoot free throws until I made ten in a row. (To this day, I can hit a free throw more often than not.) Before I was a pastor, I worked in the business world, and I loved the meritocracy of sales. The harder I worked, the more money I could make. That seemed like a great deal to me. When God called me from the business world into vocational ministry, I threw myself into this with everything I had, and for years, my motto was this: “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” But, you know, as I got older (and a little wiser), I learned that if that’s your attitude toward your work — no matter what you do, whether your work is in your home or somewhere else, whether your work is paid or unpaid — if you’ll sleep when you’re dead, you’ll be dead sooner than later. This was just not a good way to live. But is there a better way? Is there a way to work hard and be productive in life and to the glory of God without dying on the altar of productivity? Is there a way to balance fruitful/productive work and enjoy meaningful rest? This is the lesson of the Sabbath, and it’s no less important for us to learn today than it was for the Israelites some 3,300 years ago. If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Exodus 31:12.

Exodus 31:12–18 (NIV), “12 Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. 14 “ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ” 18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.” As we’ve seen, Yahweh, the Lord God Almighty, the creator of the heavens and the earth, had a particular way he wanted life to work for his people in the world he had made. His instructions and commands touched on their judicial system (Law), their worship (priesthood, Tabernacle, and sacrificial system), and now, here, in their work and rest. Basically, God’s will covers all of life. But, in this passage, we discover that the Sabbath was a gift of God and was designed to be a sign of their covenant relationship. As my wedding ring is a visible sign of my relationship with Holly, so the practice of the Sabbath was to be a visible sign of the relationship between Israel and God. But this sign did just point toward their relationship but also back to the work of God in creation itself. Verse 17 points back to the first pages of the Bible and how “in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” This is a very curious idea that a God who is uncreated and infinite in power might rest and be refreshed from his work. Why would he do this? Well, it can’t be because he was worn out and needed a break. God did this to model for the creatures made in his image how to work and the need for healthy rest. This was especially true for the Israelites. They needed this lesson because, as a former slave people, slaves for hundreds of years, they were used to being only valuable as they could be productive for their Egyptian masters. The first practice of a six-day work week and a Sabbath rest was found in Ex 16 in the gathering of the manna (bread from heaven). God told them not to collect the manna on the Sabbath. He would provide twice as much manna for them the day before so no one would be without food. But some people still went out looking for manna on the Sabbath. This is also why, in Dt, some 40 years later, before Israel entered Canaan, Moses reminded the people of the command to keep the Sabbath saying, Deuteronomy 5:15 (NIV), “15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” As former slaves in Egypt, Israel had a lot to learn (and unlearn) about how to live according to God’s word. But also, the Sabbath was a sign that they were free people in a relationship with Yahweh God. But this command and desire of God went beyond his people to every living creature in their society. We see this in the Ten Commandments where it says, Exodus 20:10 (NIV), “10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.” God wanted his kingdom to be a kingdom of work and rest. His people might’ve been exploited and taken advantage of as slaves in Egypt. And that might be normal for the kingdoms of this broken world. But that was not how life in his kingdom was to be. Even the lowliest of servants in Israel was to have regular rest. Now, in their culture, Sunday was the first day of the week, so Friday evening to Saturday evening was when the Sabbath was practiced. But there were more aspects to the Sabbath than just the weekly day off.

For example, the high holy day of ancient Israel, the Day of Atonement, was to be a Sabbath Rest as well (Lev 16). No one was to do any work as the high priest made atonement for their sins. But every Sabbath was to be a sacred assembly no different from the annual Festivals of Unleavened Bread, Weeks, or Tabernacles (Lev 23). These annual festivals were opportunities for the nation to gather, hear the word of God proclaimed, offer sacrifices, sing, and joyfully worship the Lord together in the presence of God. The weekly Sabbath was supposed to be like a smaller, weekly opportunity to do the same thing. To stop working and praise and enjoy the Lord together. We see this in Leviticus 25.

Leviticus 25:1–7 (NIV), “1 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. 6 Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you,

The Priesthood (Exodus): Many people wrestle with the questions of purpose and significance, wondering, "Do I matter?" The ministry of the priests and Levites of ancient Israel might seem very disconnected from modern life. However, their ministry — representing the people to God and God and his will to the people — reveals a pattern that still applies today. As we follow Jesus, our Great High Priest, we are invited to join him in his priestly ministry. And what could be more significant than that? Recorded on Feb 2, 2025, on Exodus 28-30 by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our Exodus series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation — of God working to rescue and redeem a people for himself, freeing them from slavery and leading them to the land he promised to the family of Abraham and Sarah. Exodus is also a picture of the gospel and the Christian life. In Christ, we, too, are freed from captivity to sin and death and led through the wilderness of life by God’s Word and Presence as we make our way to the Promised Land of the world to come. Join us as we make this journey to find true and lasting freedom.

Sermon Transcript

So, almost all year, we’ve been working through the book of Exodus in a sermon series called Journey to Freedom. And Exodus is a story of liberation, of God rescuing and redeeming a people for himself. Yahweh God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, led them through the desert wilderness by his word and his Presence, and brought them to Mount Sinai to enter into a covenant relationship with them. God had promised their ancestor, Abraham, to give them the land of Canaan, known as the Promised Land. However, as we saw, the Israelites struggled and grumbled through a series of battles and tests in the desert, but Yahweh proved faithful and good time and again. God's great, big beating heart behind this whole Exodus project was to have a real relationship with people — people who were separated from a holy God by their sin — but people who were still greatly loved and precious to God. Now, the first half of Exodus is mostly narrative/story, while the second half includes mostly commands and instructions from God given through the prophet Moses while the people remained camped at Mount Sinai. This is a real challenge from a preaching perspective. Our typical preaching style is expository, meaning the point of the text is the point of the sermon, and we work through one main passage to uncover that point and try to apply it to our lives. But, frankly, this style doesn’t work quite as well when you have three chapters of legal code or instructions on the materials of the Tabernacle. So we’ve included several topical sermons here in the second half of Exodus — sermons on the Law, Tabernacle, Priesthood, and Sabbath. Today, we’ll consider the significance of the role of the Priests in ancient Israel, how Jesus became our Great High Priest of the New Covenant, and also how this ancient priesthood relates to us today. “Does it?” you might wonder. Yes. Absolutely. As a pastor, I regularly meet with people who have spiritual questions or struggles. And one of the most frequent topics of conversation is something like, “What is God’s will for my life?” But oftentimes, as we dig into that question, it’s really a question of purpose and significance. The question under the question of “What is God’s will for my life?” is something like, “Do I matter?” Have you ever wrestled with a question like that? Would it make any difference if I was here or not? That can be a very uncomfortable question, especially if things in your life haven’t worked out how you thought they would/should. But as Christian people, we must resist looking at our circumstances to determine our significance. Significance often comes from purpose, and our purpose can only come from our Creator. But, as we’ll see today, we have incredible purpose/significance as we learn to be a kingdom of priests. If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Exodus 28:1.

Exodus 28:1–5 (NIV), “1 “Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. 2 Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. 3 Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. 4 These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. 5 Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.” If you remember, Moses would spend 40 days on Mount Sinai in God’s presence, receiving these instructions and commands. And God told Moses that his brother Aaron and Aaron’s sons were to serve as priests of Yahweh. Other peoples/kingdoms at this time had priests, just as other peoples/kingdoms had legal codes. But Yahweh’s priests would function in a unique way because he was unique. He was the only true and living God. And just as God had given specific instructions for the building of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, and so forth, so he gave specific instructions for his priests, for their clothing and the work of their ministry. Now, we won’t go through all the instructions, but they show how much God cares about these things. He isn’t far off and removed from our lives. He is near. He wants to have a real relationship with us. And just like a close friend would have opinions about the details of our lives, so all the more, the God who made us and sustains our every breath. The costly materials used in their priestly garments communicate the importance of their work and the value of God himself. You don’t just stroll into the Tabernacle into the presence of God unthinkingly or sloppily. It was God’s will that they would “Make sacred garments…to give [Aaron] dignity and honor.” and skilled craftsmen would do this work. The rest of chapter 28 describes the details of the ephod (something like an ornamental apron or vest), the breastpiece with twelve precious stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel, the robes, turbans, and such. One of my favorite details is there was to be a golden plate on their turbans engraved with the message “Holy to the Lord.” Who are the priests? They are holy to the Lord. They are set apart for the Lord’s use. But it wasn’t just fancy clothing that would set them apart. If they were to minister in the Lord’s holy presence, something needed to be done about their sin, too. 

Exodus 29:1–9 (NIV), “1 “This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect. 2 And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil. 3 Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams. 4 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. 6 Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred emblem to the turban. 7 Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. 8 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics 9 and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. “Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.” To finish the consecration process, they needed to be washed and dressed in priestly garments, they were to be anointed with oil (a sign that God had chosen them for this task), and then sacrifices were to be made for their sins. We’ll get to the sacrifices in a minute, but first, I’d like to consider the statement in v. 9, that “The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.“ Moses and Aaron were both of the tribe of Levi out of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Lord said that only Aaron’s lineage were the ones who could serve as priests (and only one as the high priest), but all the Levites were involved in the work of the priesthood. They were the only tribe that didn’t get an allotment of land in the Promised Land because the eleven other tribes were to provide for their needs as they did the work of facilitating worship. The Lord was to be their inheritance. This lasting ordinance continued for well over a thousand years up to the time of Jesus when God formed the new covenant in Christ. We’ll skip some of the instructions for the sacrifice and jump down to v. 35. 

Exodus 29:35–46 (NIV), “35 “Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. 36 Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it. 37 For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy. 38 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. 39 Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. 40 With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 41 Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. 42 “For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you; 43 there also I will meet with the Israelites,

The Tabernacle (Exodus): The Tabernacle was more than a physical structure or a fancy tent. It was a reminder of the reality of God’s presence with his people and their relationship with him. This message resonates through the pages of scripture all the way to us today. The construction details, while tedious, were never meaningless. Every curtain, stake, and crossbar pointed to something far greater than itself. And in that perfect design, an invitation remains for us to draw near. Recorded on Jan 26, 2025, on Exodus 25-27 by Ted Selker.

This message is part of our Exodus series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation — of God working to rescue and redeem a people for himself, freeing them from slavery and leading them to the land he promised to the family of Abraham and Sarah. Exodus is also a picture of the gospel and the Christian life. In Christ, we, too, are freed from captivity to sin and death and led through the wilderness of life by God’s Word and Presence as we make our way to the Promised Land of the world to come. Join us as we make this journey to find true and lasting freedom.

The Covenant Confirmed (Exodus): Some people describe Christianity, saying, "It’s not a religion; it’s a relationship." But how can sinful people have a personal relationship with a holy God? In the covenant offered at Mount Sinai, God made a way where there was no way — so people might have peace and friendship with him. Today, in Christ, you don’t have to fear God's holiness or judgment. He is not a threat, and this is such good news. Recorded on Jan 19, 2025, on Exodus 24:1-18 by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our Exodus series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation — of God working to rescue and redeem a people for himself, freeing them from slavery and leading them to the land he promised to the family of Abraham and Sarah. Exodus is also a picture of the gospel and the Christian life. In Christ, we, too, are freed from captivity to sin and death and led through the wilderness of life by God’s Word and Presence as we make our way to the Promised Land of the world to come. Join us as we make this journey to find true and lasting freedom.

Sermon Transcript

We’re working through the book of Exodus in a sermon series called Journey to Freedom. And Exodus is a story of liberation, of God rescuing and redeeming a people for himself. Yahweh God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, led them through the desert wilderness by his word and his Presence, and brought them to Mount Sinai to enter into a covenant relationship with them (as we’ll see today). But God had promised to give them their own land in Canaan, known as the Promised Land. The Israelites had struggled and grumbled thorough a series of tests and battles, but Yahweh proved faithful and good time and again. We saw that God's great, big beating heart behind this whole Exodus project was to have a real relationship with people — people who were separated from a holy God by their sin — but people who were still greatly loved and precious to God. Today, we’re going to see this covenant relationship confirmed at Mount Sinai in a ceremony that might seem strange to us but was normal for them. And in this ceremony, we start to see a little glimpse of what God wanted out of this relationship. Have you ever heard someone describe the Christian faith this way: It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship. Have you ever heard that? Maybe you’ve said that yourself. It’s not a religion, Christianity is not a list of do’s and don’ts, it’s a relationship. And I like that. It emphasizes God’s personal and relational nature and God’s desire for a relationship with the people that he saves. But have you ever stopped to ask the question, what exactly is it like to have a real relationship with a God? Well, I guess it depends, right? What kind of God are we talking about? Yahweh is a God, as we’ve seen, who is the Creator of all, who is limitless in power and knowledge, who speaks galaxies into existence, who easily defeated the most powerful kingdom on earth, and who is perfectly righteous and holy. Wouldn’t you rather have a slightly less powerful God who only wants us to just have fun all the time? (And, of course, fun as we define it.) That seems like a much more manageable god to have a relationship with. Or maybe a god only for us, for our family, tribe, or nation? Who judges/defeats our enemies but lets us do what we please without trying to change us or interfere with our lives? That sounds like a nice god to have around. Meanwhile, at certain points in the Exodus story, I’m sure the Israelites wondered if they could even handle a relationship with Yahweh. Could they even be near him? It’s not a religion; it’s a relationship. Well, today we’re going to consider the nature of this relationship and we’ll see that a relationship with this God, the only true and living God, is actually far better than we could ever imagine. If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Exodus 24:1.

Exodus 24:1–4a (NIV), “1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.” 3 When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” 4 Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.” There are a few theories about where Mount Sinai was located. [Map slide] I believe it was probably toward the southern end of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt today. But this is where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. And this is where God said he would lead his people back to worship and enter into a covenant relationship with him. Yahweh rescued Israel by grace and then gave them the Law through the prophet Moses. This Law included the Ten Commandments and the 600+ additional laws governing all aspects of their society but was famously summarized by Jesus as being about loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. Last week, Nate did a great job showing both the vertical aspect of the Law in loving God and the horizontal aspect of the Law in loving people. After receiving the Law from God, “Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, ‘Everything the Lord has said we will do.’” And then Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said. By the way, this is the basis for the whole canon of Scripture. It is from God, inspired by his Spirit, and given through human authors. Moses wrote the book of Exodus, along with the rest of the Torah, or the first five books of the Bible, but we believe it to be God’s word, not Moses’. We see this process in action here. Ok! So God gave the Law, the people agreed to obey it, and then God called the leaders of the people to come up on the mountain to himself. Moses was the prophet, Aaron and his sons were to be the priests, and the seventy elders of Israel were the leaders of the people that Moses appointed on the wise counsel of his father-in-law, Jethro (back in Exodus 18). 

Exodus 24:4b-8 (NIV), “He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.” 8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” At this point, some of you might be wondering what is going on. Why all the splashing of blood? Again, this is culturally strange for us, but it was normal for them. People entered into covenants all the time, and there was a well-established pattern for how this worked. In Genesis 15, Yahweh entered into a covenant with Abram (some 430 years earlier), which had many similarities to this scene at Mount Sinai. But in Genesis 31, we get a picture of this covenant-making process between two men, which shows us that this practice was a common practice at this time. In Ge 31, a covenant was formed between Jacob (later known as Israel) and his father-in-law, Laban. In their covenant, Jacob committed to be faithful to and provide for Laban’s daughters, Rachel and Leah, while Laban committed not to invade Jacob’s land. Now, you wouldn’t think you’d need a covenant to prevent your in-laws from invading…but maybe some of you could imagine that! Anyways, to formalize their covenant, Jacob and Laban built an altar and a pillar, took a solemn oath to one another in the name of Yahweh, offered sacrifices, and shared a meal together with their relatives — a feast to celebrate their new relationship, before parting as friends. We see all the elements of that covenant ceremony here between Yahweh and Israel. Moses built an altar and twelve pillars, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. We have the solemn oath that the people would do everything the Lord had said (they would obey God’s Law), while God had committed to take them as his people and to go with them and to provide for them. We have the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and then a meal with the representatives of the people of Israel, a feast to celebrate their new relationship, as we’ll see in the next passage. God was using this cultural practice to teach the people what he wanted and expected out of a relationship with them. This was a serious, formal, and legal relationship with mutual commitments, but it was also a loving, personal, and unconditional relationship, not unlike a marriage covenant. But still, why the blood? Well, there are two things going on here. First, in all the covenants in the Bible, there is a sacrifice made with the shedding of blood. This symbolizes what would happen if one of the parties were to break the covenant. Something like, “May the same be done to me if I break this covenant.”Second, the shedding of blood is needed for the forgiveness of sins. The author of the book of Hebrews writes, “…the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Heb 9:22). Blood represents life to God. And the wages of sin is death. So to allow for the forgiveness of sins (and for God to remain just), something needs to die — either you or a sacrifice made in your place. This is why God included the whole system of animal sacrifice in the Law: for the forgiveness of sins. Ultimately,

The Law (Exodus): The Mosaic Law started with the Ten Commandments but added 600+ commands to guide and guard Israel as a nation. The Law regulated worship (loving God) and social responsibility (loving people). Given our distance from the cultural context in which it was given, the Law can be hard for us to relate to today. However, in Christ, we are still commanded to love God and love people. So, as we study the Mosaic Law, we can better understand God's heart of love for his people. Recorded on Jan 12, 2025, on Exodus 21-23 by Nathan Huber.

This message is part of our Exodus series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation — of God working to rescue and redeem a people for himself, freeing them from slavery and leading them to the land he promised to the family of Abraham and Sarah. Exodus is also a picture of the gospel and the Christian life. In Christ, we, too, are freed from captivity to sin and death and led through the wilderness of life by God’s Word and Presence as we make our way to the Promised Land of the world to come. Join us as we make this journey to find true and lasting freedom.

The Ten Commandments (Exodus): Every other religion says it’s what you do that saves you. But in the Exodus, Israel learned that Yahweh God was different. He rescues people by grace and then gives them a law to joyfully obey in a relationship with him. This law reflects God's heart for flourishing life, faithfulness, truth, and justice and was a law of love for God and neighbor. Recorded on Jan 5, 2025, on Exodus 20:1-21 by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our Exodus series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation — of God working to rescue and redeem a people for himself, freeing them from slavery and leading them to the land he promised to the family of Abraham and Sarah. Exodus is also a picture of the gospel and the Christian life. In Christ, we, too, are freed from captivity to sin and death and led through the wilderness of life by God’s Word and Presence as we make our way to the Promised Land of the world to come. Join us as we make this journey to find true and lasting freedom.

Sermon Transcript

Since September, with a little break for Christmas, we’ve been working through the book of Exodus in a sermon series called Journey to Freedom. As we’ve said, Exodus is a story of liberation, of God rescuing and redeeming a people for himself. After freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Yahweh God led them through the desert wilderness by his word and his own holy Presence as they made their way to the Promised Land of Canaan. The Israelites struggled and grumbled and had so much to learn, but Yahweh proved faithful and good. Before Christmas, we learned that God's great, big beating heart behind this whole Exodus project was to have a real relationship with people — people who were separated from a holy God by their sin — but people who were still greatly loved and precious to God. So at Mount Sinai, Yahweh God invited Israel into a covenant relationship. Out of all the peoples of the world, they would be for him a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Today, we’ll consider one of the most famous passages in the Bible: the Ten Commandments. Now, I preached a whole series on the Ten Commandments two years ago. If you’d like more teaching on this, you can always go back and watch or listen online if you’d like. But since we’re going to preach a sermon today and not a series, we have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s jump in. If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Exodus 20:1. 

One: Exodus 20:1–3 (NIV), “1 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord [Yahweh] your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.” When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was (out of the 600+ commands of the Mosaic Law), he quoted Dt 6, “Love the Lord [Yahweh] your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Dt 6:5). But he said the second is like it, to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18b). Jesus, and many other rabbis of his day, believed the whole of the Law could be summarized by these two commands: Love God and love people. As we work through the Ten Commandments, you’ll notice the first four commands are “vertical.” They’re about loving God. The remaining six are “horizontal.” They’re about loving people. Here, Yahweh says that the first thing to know about his world and his way is that there is only one God, the Creator, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, and everything in it. There was no pantheon of gods/goddesses like everyone else worshipped at the time. Those were human creations, idols. There is only one, and he will not share his glory with anyone/anything else. What use is it to sacrifice or give your life to something that isn’t real and has no power to do anything about your problems or fix this broken world?? In contrast, Yahweh had only ever given faithful, loyal love to Israel. He created them, revealed himself to them, saved them, and was forming them into his people. They were to simply love him and be faithful to him and him alone in return.

Two: Exodus 20:4-6 (NIV), “4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” So Yahweh God had already said there were no other gods. So, the second command isn’t so much a prohibition against worshiping other gods, but rather, it’s about how God wants people to worship him. Israel should not make images or objects to worship (images such as, oh, I don’t know, a golden calf?). But remember, the Israelites were, for all practical purposes, Egyptians. They were freed from Egypt only a few months ago, a place where they and their ancestors had lived for over 400 years. So they would’ve looked and thought and spoken a lot like Egyptians. Most Egyptian gods (and other gods at this time) were associated with something in creation: an animal, the sun/moon/stars, the emperor, and so on. Temples were full of these images. Now, even though people had made them, they bowed down in worship of them. But why would God not want his people to use some sort of image in their worship of him? What difference would it make? The answer lies in who God is. He is personal and near, he speaks and has a name. He’s not limited to one nation or location; he is universal and infinite. He’s just as much the God over Egypt as he is over Israel. And Yahweh God is not part of his creation; he is the Creator, who is transcendent over all. So, representing this God with an image of a created thing, even a created thing representing power/wisdom/life, would shrink God down to something that can fit within creation. This would distort people’s understanding of who God is. And a distortion in your understanding of God’s character/nature results not in true worship but in worshiping a god of your own making, an idol. This is the opposite of what God wants for his people. God doesn’t want people to worship him because he really likes worship. God wants a real/personal relationship with people who actually know him. And when you truly understand who God is, worship is the only appropriate response.

Three: Exodus 20:7 (NIV), “7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Now, this command runs in two different directions, one pointed inward, and the other pointed outward. This command forbids us from misusing the name of God internally, within our own hearts and minds. This means we must be careful that our thoughts and emotions about God are true and appropriately respectful because of who God is. However, this internal care should flow out into how we relate to others. Israel was supposed to fulfill the role of the priesthood for all the nations on the earth. They were supposed to bear the name of God and accurately represent him to the world. They had received the revelation of his word and the divine name. But it was never intended to only be about Israel. Israel’s blessing was designed to be a light to all the Gentiles. As such, it would never be appropriate to use God’s name as a curse or to “swear to God” about something that wasn’t true, though, of course, those things are not good or right. But this command goes way beyond that to guide and guard how we think about God and represent him in all of life. 

Four: Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV), “8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Just as God established a new way of relating to him in life/worship in the first three commands, so he would want them to learn a new way of relating to him in their work/rest. These former slaves would have to learn how to live as free people. The Hebrew word translated Sabbath means to cease or to rest — to stop working. The fourth command says God’s people should work and rest like God. They should keep the pattern for work and rest that God modeled in his work of creation in Genesis 1-2. The Egyptians had a ten-day week, and other cultures had different ways of measuring time, but the reason we have a seven-day week to this day is because of this command. The Lord made it clear his people would do all their work in six days, but on the seventh day, they would rest. This day was to be a sabbath to the Lord your God, a rest day holy to the Lord. Every week, everyone needed to stop working to rest, worship, and enjoy their relationship with God. The seventh year was to be an annual Sabbath where servants were freed, and even the land rested. For the seventh Sabbath year, the Year of Jubilee, all debts were forgiven, and the whole nation would rest and celebrate. This was all supposed to be a blessing. God’s people were to work hard and do good work, but they weren’t created only for work and productivity. The Sabbath was supposed to be one of the distinctive marks of Israel and Israel’s God to the world. Every other god demanded their people do more and more to earn a blessing. But Yahweh commanded his people to rest in him.

Five: Exodus 20:12 (NIV), “12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” In Genesis chapter 1, the original blessing of God for human beings,

Until the King Returns (Christmas): The message of Christmas is that Jesus Christ was born, and with him came the birth of hope, life, and peace. But why is the world still so broken? Did Christmas fail? No. Today, we live in the tension of the Age of Redemption. Jesus has come; he has established his church and given us the Holy Spirit and the gospel — but there will still be darkness until the return of our King. Recorded on Dec 29, 2024, on Acts 1:1-11 by Pastor David Parks.

Sermon Transcript

We’ve been taking a little break from our Exodus series for Christmas. But fear not! We’ll jump back into Exodus next Sunday. During this Advent season, we’ve said that advent comes from the Latin for “arrival.” The ancient people of Israel had waited for generations for the coming of the promised Messianic King — a promise we believe was fulfilled in the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ. But just as God’s people waited for the first advent of Christ, so today, we await the second advent in the return of Christ. In our little Christmas mini-series, Waiting for the King, we started last Sunday by focusing on the light of the promise of the first advent during a time of deep darkness. On Christmas Eve, we told the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus, a different kind of king. If you missed those sermons, you can always go back and watch or listen online if you’d like. Today, we’ll wrap up our Christmas series focusing on the hope of the promise of the second advent and the return of Christ our King. As we’ve seen, the light of the world has come. On those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned. Unto us a child was born, a son was given. Jesus Christ was born, and with him came the birth of hope, life, and peace. But there’s a tension with Christmas: there’s still so much darkness. There’s still so much corruption, violence, and injustice in the world. There’s still cancer and car accidents and tragedies of all kinds. If Jesus was the great hope of the world, the Son of God who would save people from their sins, why is the world still so broken? Did Christmas fail? And for followers of Jesus, how can we keep our hope as we live in this tension? If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Acts 1:1.

Acts 1:1–3 (NIV), “1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” On Tuesday, we said that the book of Luke was the first of a two-part work in the Bible. Luke refers to that here when he mentions his “former book.” Acts is part two of this work. The book of Luke focuses on the life and ministry of Jesus — everything “until the day he was taken up to heaven,” as he says. Luke did a careful investigation into Christianity by interviewing eyewitnesses who were alive to hear and see what Jesus said and did. The book of Acts is all about what happened next. Luke dedicates both works to a man named Theophilus. We don’t know much about Theophilus, but he’s generally believed to be a patron or benefactor, funding Luke’s investigation. Now, money is never the point of ministry, but money enables ministry (like almost everything else in life). The Bible presents God as the one who ultimately provides for our needs in life and ministry. And sometimes God rains down bread from heaven (as he did during the Exodus). But usually, God provides through the hard work and generosity of his people, people like Theophilus. Anyways, Luke reports back on what he discovered in his investigation. He says that after his suffering — meaning, after the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for the sins of the world — Jesus appeared to eyewitnesses and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. The Apostle Paul said there were up to five hundred witnesses on one occasion. This is important because this means the resurrection wasn’t a story made up hundreds of years later. It was a historical event with hundreds of eyewitnesses. So, Jesus was with the disciples for forty days after his resurrection, and he also continued to teach them about the Kingdom of God. But in his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus had already accomplished everything we needed for salvation, didn’t he? What more did the disciples need?

Acts 1:4-5 (NIV), “4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” In the verses after our text for today, we know this occurred near Bethany on the Mount of Olives. And we know that Jesus had spent a lot of time there and had friends who lived there, including Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. I just love that the risen king of heaven and earth still wanted to share a meal with his friends. But here, in this familiar place with his friends around him, Jesus issues a command. After the resurrection, Jesus said that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to him by God the Father. Even though Jesus was a brother and a friend, he was also the King. When Jesus speaks, he doesn’t give suggestions or opinions as we might. His word has the weight of a command from the throne of heaven. And what did he say? Don’t leave Jerusalem until you are baptized with (lit. immersed in) the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist had said Jesus would do this. Other prophets had said the Spirit would be part of the final age of the earth. But to understand the significance of this, we have to step back and think about the one big story of the Bible. According to the Bible, all of human history might be separated into four ages (or we could say four chapters of the story): Creation, Fall, Redemption, and New Creation. The Age of Creation describes a Creator God who created a good and perfect world, a world teaming with life and light that was meant to be a place where heaven and earth were one. The Age of the Fall describes when sin entered into creation through the rebellion of the first human creatures. No longer was it a good and perfect world. Everything was affected to some degree by sin and death. The Age of the Fall led up to the first advent/arrival of Christ, who provided the sacrifice needed to make atonement for the sins of the world. He paid the price in our place. The Age of Redemption started that first Easter Sunday when Jesus defeated death. But it really got going on the day of Pentecost, the day when the Father and Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world to allow the very personal presence and power of God to dwell among his people in their spirit, leading and guiding them as they learn to follow the way of Jesus. The final age, the Age of New Creation, will begin with the second advent/arrival of Christ. When Jesus returns, the dead will be raised, and all will give an account of their lives to their maker. Those who believe in Jesus will dwell with him forever in the new heavens and the new earth, and those who don’t will be separated forever from him. Ok! With the resurrection of Jesus, we have the end of one age and the beginning of our current age. But Jesus commanded them not to leave Jerusalem. Don’t go anywhere. Until what? Until you receive the Holy Spirit. You need him. You need him to be your advocate, counselor, and strong helper. You need the Holy Spirit to be able to remember and discern the truth. You need him to remind you of your identity as a child of God when you’re feeling lost or weak. You need his spiritual gifts and the fruit he bears in your life. In the OT, during the Age of the Fall, only at certain times and places would someone be said to be filled with the Spirit of God, usually a prophet, priest, or king, and also usually only for a particular task. But then came Jesus. Jesus’ whole life was filled/empowered by the Spirit (something that Luke particularly emphasized in his work). This would continue and be magnified in the Age of Redemption because, after Pentecost, every believer would be filled with the Spirit! Not just the apostles, pastors, or other leaders. So now that the disciples had the risen Jesus, and they were about to receive the power and presence of God’s own Spirit, they were probably wondering what Jesus wanted to do next.

Acts 1:6-8 (NIV), “6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Ok! To be honest, I’m comforted by the fact that the disciples are still a little fuzzy on what Jesus was doing. Have you ever been confused by what God was doing? ME too! The disciples still seemed to think of the Kingdom of God in a physical or political sense. The question “Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” probably means “Will you now set us free from the Roman Empire?” Now, this isn’t a bad question. God had raised up other warriors in the past — men like Joshua, Gideon, or David. But Jesus gently corrects them, saying the timing is not for them to know. If you read back through history, it seems almost every generation thought they were the generation that would be alive on the earth when Jesus returned. But here, Jesus clearly says we won’t know when he will return. It is not for us to know! But this doesn’t mean he wants us to sit around and wait for him to return. Jesus says that his disciples have a job to do.

A Different Kind of King (Christmas): The birth of Jesus Christ was a very unusual birth for a king — the little town of Bethlehem, a manger for a bed, the announcement made to shepherds, and more. But Jesus would be a different kind of king. He came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Christmas was the birth of hope, life, and peace. Recorded on Dec 22, 2024, on Isaiah 9:1-6 by Pastor David Parks.

Sermon Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone, and a very Merry Christmas to you! I’m Pastor David, and whether you’re joining us in person or online today, I’d like to welcome you to Appleton Gospel Church. We are so glad that you’re here! As a church, our mission is “sharing good news” because we believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing with the power to change everything. If you’re visiting today and would like to connect with us or if you have a prayer request or need help in some way, please let us know after the service today or by filling out a connect card. We’d love to connect with you. All through this Advent season, a season that can be so chaotic and stressful, I’ve been encouraging you to try to slow down and focus on what really matters for Christmas. I hope our service today can help you do just that. Some of you might need to be reminded of the invitation of our Lord Jesus Christ when he said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30). Please join me in prayer as we continue…

   So, we’re taking a little break from our Exodus series for Christmas. During this Advent season, we’ve said that advent comes from the Latin for “arrival.” The ancient people of Israel had waited for generations for the coming of the promised Messianic King — a promise we believe was fulfilled in the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ. But just as God’s people waited for the first advent of Christ, so today, we await the second advent in the return of Christ. So, in our little Christmas mini-series, Waiting for the King, we started this past Sunday by focusing on the light of the promise of the first advent during a time of deep darkness. Today, we’ll tell the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus. Then, this coming Sunday, we’ll focus on the hope of the promise of the second advent and the return of Christ. Every year, I’m reminded that the anticipation of Christmas is so powerful. When I was a kid, I looked forward to the presents, of course (toys, games, treats). As an adult, I still like toys, games, and treats but now I look forward more to spending time with family and friends. In our story today of the first Christmas, we’ll see that men and women were anticipating, they were looking forward to, something a little more serious. They looked forward to the birth of a Savior, the Messiah, the Chosen One God had promised to rescue and redeem his people. But when this child was born, when this son was given, one thing became clear: A king had arrived, but he would be a different kind of king — not like the typical kings of this broken world. He would be a king who had not come to be served, but he would serve and ultimately give his life for others so that we might have love and joy and peace, we might be forgiven and freed from captivity to sin, and we might have life everlasting in his good kingdom. Jesus is a different kind of King. This is what Christmas is all about. The birth of hope, life, and peace. The birth of a different kind of king. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to Luke 2:1. We’re going to read through the Christmas story, and we’ll unpack it as we go.

Luke 2:1–7 (NIV), “1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” This version of the Christmas story comes to us by a man named Luke. Luke was a physician in the first century AD who most likely became a Christian through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Now, Luke didn’t know Jesus personally, but he did a careful investigation into the life/ministry of Jesus by interviewing eyewitnesses. The book of Luke is the first part of his work. But here, we have the birth account of Jesus starting with Mary and Joseph traveling from Nazareth in the northern region of Galilee about 90 miles down to Bethlehem in Judea in the south. This would’ve taken about a week on foot with a very pregnant Mary. Now, the Messiah was prophesied to come from Bethlehem (Micah 5), but it isn’t until this account that we learn the reason why. Luke says it was because of a Roman census that required everyone to return to their ancestral home. So, for Joseph, being from the house and line of the ancient King David meant going to Bethlehem, the town of David. We don’t know how old Mary and Joseph were at the time, but people back then were usually engaged (pledged to be married) in their teens or early twenties. So, Mary and Joseph were likely pretty young at the time. Because of the census, Bethlehem was packed with people, including many extended family members of Mary and Joseph. Some of you are hosting family for Christmas this week, and you’ll have a similar experience — people everywhere, probably kids sleeping on the floor somewhere, stuff everywhere. It can be fun, but I’m sure it wasn’t Mary’s ideal birth plan. When Jesus was born, Mary cleaned him, clothed him, and placed him in a manger, or a little crib normally used to feed animals. If you think of the setting of the birth of a king, this would be the farthest thing from what you’d imagine. But this was where Jesus was born, a different kind of king who only ever used his power, influence, and authority not to be served but to serve and give and sacrifice for the benefit of others. What would happen next?

Luke 2:8-21 (NIV), “8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.” So we jump from the busyness of Bethlehem to the quiet countryside of the shepherds nearby. And bursting out of the quiet darkness comes this shocking announcement: “Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” This announcement was not made to kings or governors or the rich and famous (as the birth of a typical king would include) but to lowly shepherds. However, it still came with some heavenly fireworks. Luke says, “A great company of the heavenly host” appeared. Hundreds or perhaps thousands of angels appeared to glorify God for the wonderful gift of his one and only Son. Now, modern Western people tend to ignore the spiritual realm. But the Bible presents angels/demons and the spiritual realm as just a fact of reality. Angels are creatures like human beings but are spiritual in nature. As they hear the message, the shepherds go from terrified to curious. Could this be true? So they go to Bethlehem, where they quickly realize that everything the angels said was true! Luke reports that on the eighth day after he was born, according to the Law of Moses, Mary and Joseph had the child circumcised and named Jesus. We’ll continue to see this, but Mary and Joseph were devout in their Jewish faith. They were careful to obey God’s word, the Law of Moses, even as, again, they were young. They didn’t wait until they were old to obey God. And for the kids and the teenagers here today, I’d like to speak to you now. In Mary and Joseph, you have a young man and woman who show us that you don’t have to wait until you’re older to honor God with your life. Whether you’re six or sixteen, if you trust in Jesus and try your best to follow his way (with all the strength/faith his Spirit provides), nothing would please your Father in Heaven more than that. 

I love Luke’s description of Mary’s response to these unusual events.

Waiting for the King (Christmas): During an era of darkness, God promised the birth of a son who would become a king — but not just any king. He would bring joy and peace. He would be the light of the world. And he would reign over the kingdom of God forever and ever. Even in deep darkness, there was hope. Hosanna! Lord, save us! Recorded on Dec 22, 2024, on Isaiah 9:1-6 by Pastor David Parks.

Sermon Transcript

So, we’re taking a little break from our Exodus series for Christmas. During this Advent season, we’ve said that advent comes from the Latin for “arrival” and reminds us that the people of Israel had waited for generations for the coming of the promised Messianic King — a promise fulfilled in the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ. But just as God’s people waited for the first advent of Christ, so today, we await the second advent in the return of Christ. In our Christmas mini-series, Waiting for the King, we’ll focus on the light of the promise of the first advent during a time of great darkness for the people of God. During our Candlelight Christmas Eve service on Tuesday at 4:30, we’ll tell the story of the birth of Jesus. Then, next week, we’ll focus on the hope of the promise of the second advent and the return of Christ. Salvation has come in Jesus' name. Love, joy, and peace have come in Jesus' name. But today, we’re still waiting for the King and his return, which will mark the end of this age and the beginning of the next. Now, I don’t know about you, but the darkness of this time of year really affects me. Yesterday was the winter solstice, which means it was the shortest and darkest day of the year. I had a great day yesterday, but when it’s dark out or if it’s grey and rainy, I can’t help but feel a little dark or grey and rainy. Have you ever felt that way? Or have you ever woken up and it was just this brilliantly bright sunny day, and you felt more hopeful about your day or week (or life)? It’s funny how that works. In the passage, we’re going to consider today, God’s people were in a time of darkness. It wasn’t just the winter solstice. Every day from now until June will get brighter and brighter for us. But they couldn’t just wait a few months for more sun and better weather. They were in a time of destruction and death. They were under attack from much stronger enemies. This was a time of exile. They need to be saved. But hope seemed to be all but gone. The faithful ones cried out, “Hosanna!” which means, “Lord save us!” They needed to be rescued yet again. They needed light in the darkness. But even though they had brought all this destruction and death on themselves, the Lord God Almighty is a gracious God, abounding in love. As we’ve seen over and over in the Exodus story, Yahweh is good and faithful, even when the people stumble and grumble and quarrel with God. Today, we’ll see the good promise of God for a people walking in darkness. And the promise centers on a child who would be born who would become a king. But who was this king, what would he do, and why is this still good news for us today? If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Isaiah 9:1.

Isaiah 9:1–2 (NIV), “1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” During the time of King David, around 1000 BC, the kingdom of Israel was united and had peace. Unfortunately, that peace didn’t last long. After David and his son Solomon reigned, the kingdom split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. This lasted about 200 years until the Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, and many people, especially in the northernmost tribal areas of Zebulun and Naphtali, were either killed or taken into exile in Assyria. Isaiah refers to this when he says, “In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali…” But the prophet says there is hope. “…there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress…in the future [God] will honor Galilee of the nations.” Why? Because “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah’s time was a whole era of darkness. God’s people were experiencing the consequences of their generational unfaithfulness to God and their failure to obey the two greatest commandments to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love their neighbor as themself. Last week, we saw what God wanted in a relationship with Israel. He wanted them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, to represent him to the world and to be his treasured possession. But all the dysfunctional intrigue and infighting, the betrayals and power-grabs of the divided kingdom led up to the slow-motion car accident of the Assyrian exile. The defeat, destruction, and exile of Israel happened right in the middle of Isaiah’s 40-year ministry as a prophet in Jerusalem, the capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah. Imagine living in Judah during this time. Think of the fear and uncertainty. The evil empire was knocking at the door. Judah probably felt like a little bug compared to Assyria. Sadly, Judah, too, would fall, not to the Assyrians, but to the Babylonian Empire, but not for over 100 years after the ministry of Isaiah. This was an era of darkness and gloom. Where was the hope? Was there any hope, or would this be the end of the Exodus project? Had God failed to rescue/redeem a people for himself? God’s answer was “No. There was hope. A light would dawn on this land of deep darkness.” It would not always be like this. In other words, this was a season, not forever. This was a time of darkness, but it would come to an end, and the fortunes would be reversed. But how?

Isaiah 9:3-5 (NIV), “3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.” God says through the prophet that the nation would grow and they would rejoice. They were mourning, but there would be joy once again! The kind of joy at the harvest, when you can sit back and see the fruit of all your work and know that you will be able to survive another year. The kind of joy of warriors who have won the battle and are dividing the plunder. Work is hard. And war is undoubtedly hard. But there can be a joy on the other side of a very difficult time, amen? Have you ever been through a tough season but were able to recover your joy on the other side? This is what it would feel like when this promised light would come. Isaiah refers to the “day of Midian’s defeat” from the book of Judges some 400-500 years earlier. This was when God raised up Gideon to lead only 300 warriors to defeat the much greater army of Midian. In the same way, God would again raise up a leader who would shatter the yoke that burdens his people. A yoke was a wooden beam that was placed on the shoulders of an oxen or other beast to control them. God says this yoke would be shattered/broken, and they would be free; they would have peace. And “Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.” Could this be true? Was this hope real? War and strife were all they’d known for generations. Could life be different? If so, how would God do this? Would he raise up another Gideon to defeat the enemy? Would he raise up another King David to unite the kingdom and bring peace once again?

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV), “6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” This is God’s word. Every year during Advent, I like to listen to Handel’s Messiah. It’s become a fun tradition for me. It’s a wonderful piece of music, but it also tells the Christmas story using Scripture from all over the Bible, including these two verses. The music that George Frideric Handel wrote for this passage just perfectly matches the joy that God promises for his people and the majesty/glory of God in accomplishing it. God would raise up another. Unto us, a child is born. Unto us, a son is given. And this child would have many names. Names that meant something, that reflected something of who he would be. He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This promised one, this messiah, would be wonderful, not a tyrant. He would be wise and would offer wise counsel. Second, he would be mighty, not weak. But (and here is where it gets a little unclear), was he going to be God, or was he going to do something that would reflect God’s strength? The language could go either way. But surely it wasn’t that a human being could also be God, right? That wasn’t possible, was it? Third, he would be everlasting, not temporary. Everlasting does sound more god-like, doesn’t it? But the fatherly help this one would provide wouldn’t be for a season; it would be forever.  Fourth, he would be the Prince of Peace. His reign would bring peace.