Redemption Hill Church

Over the last month as we watched the Washington Nationals' postseason run unfold, there are clear moments that stand out as pivotal, crucial to the storyline as it developed. This Sunday we come to one of those pivotal, crucial moments in the storyline of the Bible - Israel at Mount Sinai. Now that God had saved the Israelites from Egypt, and brought them out into the wilderness, He invited them into a covenantal relationship, that Yahweh would be their God and the Israelites would be His people, His treasured possession and a kingdom of priests. I can't wait to open this transcendent text with you and see together how it sets the course for the rest of redemptive history in the biblical storyline.

This Sunday we will jump back into our series in Exodus with 17:8-18:26. This passage starts with an amazing story of the Israelites' first battle after leaving Egypt. As Moses held his staff aloft overlooking the battle, the Israelites would win, but when his hands dropped, they would start losing. Moses needed help to carry the burdens of the people he was leading, and that was noticed by his father-in-law, Jethro, who stepped in to give Moses some advice on how to structure things to be more sustainable. This is a great opportunity for us to talk about dealing with the exhaustion of the burdens we carry, and the importance of community - having people around us to help with the heavy lift.

Many people say they are Christians. Many people say they are disciples of Jesus. But Scripture makes it clear that being a disciple is a call to count the cost. Jesus tells us that if we want to be his disciples we must first evaluate what that means. Pastor Chuy preached to us from Luke 14 on what it means to be a disciple.

We left off with the dramatic crossing of the sea, as God made a way for His people and destroyed the armies of Pharaoh. This week the story continues and we see the Israelites in the wilderness. Shortly after their dramatic deliverance, the people turn to complaining again. Even still we see God’s loving kindness and care for them as He provided for them in the wilderness - sweet water, bread from heaven, and water from a rock. We will see how our own wilderness experiences give an opportunity for God to show His love and care through providing for us as well.

This Sunday we continue our series in Exodus with what is perhaps the most well-known story in the book - the crossing of the sea. After the Passover, Pharaoh finally told Moses and Aaron to take the people and go. Even that was short-lived, though, and he soon sent armies to chase the Israelites down. Faced with Pharaoh's armies behind them and the sea in front, the people had only one hope - that God would be their Warrior and Savior. On Sunday we will explore how these important themes extend to us and give us hope even today.

This section is often known and thought of as the Ten Plagues. We are going to take a look at the overarching themes that emerge in Exodus 5-13 this Sunday. Last Sunday we saw that God revealed Himself personally to Moses, by name, and that God continues to reveal Himself to the brokenhearted. This week we will see Moses and Aaron walk in obedience to God's command, confronting Pharaoh and demanding that he let the people go. Pharaoh's response was to spiral down a path of an increasingly hardened heart. Eventually, God's power is put on display and the people are set free, but only through sacrifice. God's work of redeeming His people in this passage is foundational for the rest of the storyline of redemption in the Bible's narrative, leading us through the sacrificial system in Israel and ultimately and directly to Jesus Christ.

These chapters are packed full of vitally important and foundational realities. On Sunday we will focus in primarily on 3:1-12 and the scene at the burning bush, and 6:1-10. Up to this point in the story, the Israelites lived in a world that made it feel like God was distant or at least uninvolved - a world much like our own. In chapter 3 everything changes as God does directly speak and begins to incredible work of preparing to save His people. In all of it, Moses can only see his own limitations and weakness, but God reveals Himself by His personal name and promised to be with Moses.

This chapter introduces us to Moses, who will be an important figure in the rest of this story. As the chapter closes there is still a sense of God's absence that we saw so clearly in chapter 1, but there is also a glimmer of hope. This chapter is important for us because every one of us wonders at some time if God really hears us when we pray. We can feel alone and unheard. The end of chapter 2 will help us to understand that God sees, hears, remembers, and knows.

This Sunday we will walk through Exodus 1. As the book opens, the Israelites are in Egypt, the land that God had placed Joseph in to provide for his brothers and their families. But that was 400 years ago. And things had taken a turn. The Israelites had become enslaved by the Egyptians. The Egyptians were ruthless slave masters and the Israelites lives were bitter with hard service in building projects and in the fields. Their children were being killed. The opening chapters of Exodus leave the impression that God is absent, that He no longer responds or intervenes. Our own lives can feel that way, both in times of ease and suffering. This week and this series will help us to see who God is and how He works.

This Sunday we begin a 2-week series that explores the foundational mission, values, and vision for Redemption Hill. We have learned so much about the Church and the movement of the Spirit through the book of Acts that leads directly into the application of those principles to our church today.