Asbury Church

Have the “gods" of Egypt returned? Are they even real?

One of the things that the Lord is doing with the ten plagues is showing that the so-called gods of Egypt are powerless against Him. It’s obvious why this would be important in the ancient world, where people believed in the unseen realm. But, in our day, does this really matter?

YES.

This is because there are dark powers that still keep people in bondage: addiction, hatred, anger, despair, etc.

But be hopeful! Jesus has defeated these dark powers and is setting people free today.

Why does it take ten plagues? If the Lord knows—and he does, as evident from his conversation with Moses at the burning bush in chapter 3—if the Lord knows that Pharaoh will never relent, then why drag out the process over ten plagues? For that matter, why not fast forward the whole thing and just get the children of Israel into the Promised Land as soon as possible?

The reason is that the process *is* the point. That is, the Lord is not just concerned with getting the Israelites out of Egypt, but also in forming them to be his representatives to the nations.

It's the same for us: each day we get is part of the Lord's process to shape and form and mature us.

The process *is* the point. Let's GO.

What is Freedom FOR?

What’s the purpose of freedom? Many people today believe that freedom is an end in itself; that is, that the point of freedom is just to do whatever you want.

But what if freedom has a purpose?

What we learn when Moses squares off against Pharaoh is that God makes us free for a larger purpose.

The fact that our broader culture is in the mess that it is in is because we have forgotten this.

Freedom is not just freedom from something; freedom is also about being set free for something.

As we begin Exodus Part 2 (chapters 5-15), we see from the very first words between Moses and Pharaoh that the Lord is setting the Israelites free *FOR* a larger purpose.

Preacher: Andrew Forrest

Date: Sunday, February 18, 2024 [9:00 AM service]

Scripture: Exodus 5:1

The reason so many people are struggling these days is because the internet has led us to believe that the only thing that matters is our thoughts, our opinions.

So, we stare at screens and consume content that interests us, and yet we’re not happier. Why is that?

This is because a person isn’t just a brain on a stick. No, we are embodied creatures. That is, the Lord created us with bodies and minds, and though of course our thoughts can direct our bodies, it goes the other way, too: our bodies, or behavior, can shape our minds.

This is why smiling even when you don’t feel like it can actually affect your mood and make you feel happier.

Why does this matter?

Because the habits and routines and rituals of our lives affect us spiritually.

One of the things it means to be a disciple of Jesus, then, is to cultivate the physical practices that lead us to think like Him.

This is a topic I’ve been thinking about for years, and it is fundamental to what I’m trying to do at Asbury.

As we wrap up Exodus Part 1 and are about to begin Exodus Part 2, we are looking at one of those overlooked verses in Exodus that provides instructions for the keeping of the Passover, a passage that I think is actually REALLY important to our everyday lives today. (It’s the kind of thing we normally skip over when we read the Bible.)

The bottom line: the Lord has made it clear that we need more than just the right ideas—we need the rituals and rhythms that help us *remember*, too.

Have you ever thought that your calling in life might be as simple as taking one step at a time, just like building with Lego bricks?

Consider Moses and how he responded to God's calling. What might be God's next step for you? How will you respond?

Remember, every step matters in building a fulfilling life.

It’s my birthday, and so I’m in a reflective mood. This is what the story of Moses on Mt. Sinai means to me this year.

The Bible tells us that Moses saw that the bush was burning, but not consumed. This is a profoundly important detail, because it tells us something about God—it shows God’s “non-competitive transcendence.” That’s a ten dollar phrase that really matters.

We continue our series on Exodus by looking at an essential part of the story: courage.

How did Moses’s mother know that he would survive being set adrift in the Nile River?

Answer: she didn’t.

It’s the same with us today—if we are going to be part of what the Lord is doing and step into the purpose he has for each of us, it will require courage to act without certainty of the result.

We begin a new year with a new study of a biblical book: Exodus. In this kickoff sermon series, we will be looking at the making of Moses, and how God uses Moses’s past to shape him for the future.

Our problem is that we can’t see the future, and so we wrongly assume that bad current circumstances will lead to bad future circumstances.

But the story of Joseph is a good reminder that God can even take bad things and bring good things out of them.

So, be hopeful!

For our last service of 2023, we celebrated a service of Lessons and Carols. What a great way to end the year!