Second Presbyterian Church Sermons

Because God, in his infinite humility, assures us of his promises through the means of grace, we must commit ourselves to experiencing those means of grace, primarily in corporate worship.

I. Promise (15-20)

God has made the same promises to us that he made to Moses.

A. Repetition Proves Faithfulness (15-17): 

In his kindness God ensured that every word he spoke was written down so his people would always know what he promised. Not only did he write down everything he said, but he ensured that every time a promise was fulfilled, the original promise was repeated word-for-word.

B. Unbelievers Will Believe (18): 

The first promise God provides is that he will make believers of the people to whom he sends Moses. God calls us only to announce his good news. It is not our responsibility to make people believe.

C. Enemies Will Becomes Friends (21-22):

This is an unexpected reversal of hostility. These Egyptians who were formerly willing to kill Israelite children are now showering them with gifts! Through this, God shows his justice, demonstrating that he will ultimately make up for every wrong suffered.

D. The Evil Will Remain Evil (19-20):

The fact that Pharaoh remained hardened to God reminds us that no one will come to faith without Christ’s sovereign intervention.

II. Fulfillment (1-9)

God gives many incredible promises to us, but due to our lack of faith and circumstances in our lives, it can be difficult to believe in those promises. Of all people, God should be able to say, “take my word for it.” However, he not only gives us his word, he graciously bears with us in our unbelief and gives us proof. 

A. Brings the Dead to Life (1-5): 

Not only did the miracle of turning Moses’ staff into a snake demonstrate God’s ability to make alive something that was dead, it immediately showcased his sovereignty over Egypt, which imagined its supreme God as a cobra.

B. Cleanses the Unclean (6-7):  

By inducing leprosy on Moses’ hand and then healing it, God showed his power to cleanse the unclean.

C. Destroys Evil (8-9):

Turning water to blood and not reversing it displays God’s ultimate purpose to destroy evil once and for all.

God equips us for what he calls us to do.

I. Strength for Weakness (10-12)

When God called Moses, Moses responded with three reasons why he could not do what God called him to do. Moses’ protest is answered with seven attributes of God. 

A. Self-sufficient (2): The fact that the bush was burning but not consumed shows that God is totally self-sufficient. 

B. Holy (5): By directing Moses to remove his sandals because the ground on which he was standing was holy, God impressed on Moses that he was entirely other. 

C. Covenantal (6): God names Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because they were all unfaithful to him yet he remained faithful to them. 

D. Redemptive (8): God promised to deliver the people from their harsh slavery.

E. Sovereign (10): God did not need Moses’ help to deliver the people but he had sovereignly orchestrated his life in order to prepare him for this call. 

F. Merciful (7, 9): God moves to save his people because he sees their “affliction” and “oppression” and hears their “cry” for help. 

G. Immanent (8, 10, 12): God always accompanies his commands to be strong and courageous with the promise “I will be with you.”

II. Credibility for Inexperience (13-15)

Another excuse we can use for not obeying God’s call is inexperience. The presupposition of such thinking is that we can only do what we can imagine ourselves doing, rather than acknowledging that the God who calls us is infinitely resourceful and delights to reveal himself by doing the impossible through weak people.

A. Definition: 

God answers Moses’ question concerning who he should tell the Israelites sent him with, “I AM,” which can literally be understood as “I cause to be.”

B. Practical Atheism:

This is a condition we can easily find ourselves in. We could call it practical atheism: living as if there is no God while professing that there is. Practical atheism is revealed by fretfulness, habitual sin, anger, frantic desperation, and moral compromise.

C. God’s Self-Definition: 

For Moses, this name was not a philosophical puzzle to be solved; it was the power he needed.

Because God is merciful, he redeems weak, sinful people to play a part in his cosmic plan of redemption.

God prepared Moses his entire life to accomplish his most important task: to die pointing the people forward to the Promised Land (Cf. Deuteronomy 34:1-12).

God calls Moses into his service by reminding him of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

God is the God of sinners. He uses tragically flawed people – like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses – to accomplish his purposes.

In the last study, through Moses we were introduced to the concept of a personal redeemer. In this passage we encounter the crafting of a personal redeemer and our personal redemption.  

I. Acknowledge Need (11-14)

In Luke 5, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (32). All people are sinners; the difference is whether or not they acknowledge it.  

A. Death: 

Pharaoh claimed to be a god. However, verse 23 tells us he died, demonstrating that he, along every other person, must face the reality of death and their need for salvation.

B. Deliverance: 

We all have a need to be defended against evil and to defeat evil. However, we do not have the resources to accomplish either. We need to be enlightened by the wisdom of Christ and empowered by the Spirit of Christ to battle the evil around us.

II. Accept Supply (24-25)

No matter how great your needs are, God’s supply of grace is infinitely greater. These two verses demonstrate God’s abundant concern and supply for our need: God heard, remembered, looked, and was concerned!

A. Intellectual

God supplies our need intellectually by remembering his covenant, a covenant he had made with the Israelites’ forefathers, a covenant he would never break. 

B. Emotional 

The word “know” here is used in a few different ways in the Bible: foreknowledge, empathy, and intimacy. In fact, Revelation 13:8 tells us the lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. There has never been a time when God’s heart has not been breaking for the loss of his son, so he knows our pain as well.  

III. Gratefully Respond (16-22)

If only God can redeem and if only God redeems infallibly through his faithfulness to Jesus, the only thing left for us to do is respond with gratitude.

A. Groan: 

It was not for God to leave his people as slaves in Egypt for a time. It was merciful to force his people “groan” and “cry” to the Lord because they finally recognized that only God was sovereign enough in his grace to rescue them from the most powerful nation on earth. Cruelty would be allowing his children to persist in the delusion that they saved themselves and didn’t need their Redeemer.

B. Imitate: 

From all eternity, Jesus planned his trip to get close to us and promises never to leave. It should be a small thing then for us to stay a little longer with someone who needs a drink of cold water from Jesus for the first time or the thousandth time.

I. Person

God developed Moses as a person to teach his people who Jesus Christ would be.

A. Fully Human: 

As a real person like the people he was sent to rescue, Moses could feel their pain and identify with their needs, just as Jesus can empathize with us (Cf. Heb. 4:15)

B. Miraculously Preserved: 

Despite the devil’s best efforts to halt our redemption by killing Jesus and Moses soon after their birth (Cf. Mt. 2:15), God extraordinarily preserved them, and prepared them to become sympathetic shepherds.

II. Work

God gave Moses a specific work to do in his redemptive plan.

A. Purpose of the Big Story: 

This, along with every other story of deliverance in the Bible, was intended to point to an infinitely greater meta-narrative—our redemption from every vestige of sin by Christ.

B. Purpose of the Little Story: 

Not only do we see in Moses’s earthly work what Christ did and does cosmically for us, we encounter the faithfulness of God who reminds his people throughout the Old Testament that the Exodus provides indisputable evidence that he fulfills his promises.

I. Social

Two childless slave women were more powerful than the richest, most politically powerful man in the world. It seems that Moses intentionally does not give us Pharaoh’s name, but he does give us the names of the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. They disobeyed Pharaoh’s order because they “feared God.” These two women were so convinced of God’s infinite goodness, grace and love—even as slaves—they could not be intimidated by Pharaoh.

II. Spiritual

Every political, economic, and social system which oppresses human beings created in God’s image is directly inspired and controlled by Satan. Therefore, nothing is purely political, economic or social—it is spiritually directed by Satan or God. Therefore, we who have been made “more than conquerors” resting on the truth that “we are from God” and therefore “greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world” so that the “evil one does not touch” us as we participate with God in “reconciling all things” to Christ.

Adoption/Foster Care

Human Trafficking

Homicide

Exodus shows us, in part, that the gospel is not only good news for our sin but for every part of our lives. Not only that, this good news turns us into liberators with God.

I. Political

The people of Israel were oppressed by Pharaoh and forced into harsh labor because he feared they would grow too strong as a nation and overthrow his rule. Exodus shows us that God is angered when people oppress his image-bearers. Despite any oppression we may face from others, we can have assurance that we have dignity and worth because Jesus thought us worthy enough to die for.

II. Economic 

We discussed three things that contribute to keeping people locked in cyclical poverty (Michael Gerson, Unleashing Opportunity): 1) the word gap, 2) the graduation gap, and 3) predatory lending. Each of us has the good news of the gospel to encourage others with our words. Our church partners with multiple ministries to provide help in education. And we can provide merciful alternatives to the grossly unjust payday lending schemes that keep people locked in poverty. We can do these things, because we have been so abundantly blessed by God, we can afford to give away to others. 

I. Servitude to Sin (6)

God offers us rescue from servitude to sin.

A. Liberation: 

God has mercy for his image-bearers and will always move against oppressive powers that dehumanize those who bear his image.

B. Redemption: 

Jesus came to earth to become our kinsman-redeemer.

II. Freedom through Service (7-8)

Your past bondage to sin does not disqualify you from serving in God’s kingdom.

A. Adoption: 

God adopts us into his family and fully identifies with us as our Father.

B. Possession: 

God liberates and redeems us so we can live in an infinitely better country.

This very long text describes the beginning of Paul’s first missionary journey and the official offer of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Specifically, the focus is once again on the power of the Word of God to transform lives by its presentation of Christ (vv. 5,7,12,46,48,49). Such power moved Katherine Hankey to exclaim, “I love to tell the story . . . the message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.” While most of us here today know that old, old story called the Gospel, even we have a tendency to forget what its central message is. You might be freshly surprised today to remember what it promises.

1. For Some Who Have Never Heard (4-12)

Sergius Paulus was a man who had never heard the good news of forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. While he was not the first Gentile to be converted, he was the first in Luke’s record to come to Christ with no religious background whatsoever. Who was this man and what did it take to reach him? The answers to these questions provide insight for reaching the lost. They should also be encouraging to you if you do not personally know Christ.

A. Who: Who was this man Sergius Paulus? Luke informs that he was proconsul of Cyprus. That was a position akin to the governor of a state. This description, by the way, reinforces the accuracy of Luke’s account. Consider the history of Cyprus’ rule. This little island off the coast of Turkey was annexed by Rome in 57 BC. After Rome brought the settlement up to their standards, Cyprus was assigned in 55 BC to the province of Seleucia which comprised the southern coast of Turkey. Twenty-eight years later Cyprus was made a separate province ruled by the emperor through an imperial legate. By 22 BC Cyprus’ rule changed from the imperial legate to its own proconsul, who served under the Roman senate. Therefore, by the time of Paul’s visit, the ruler would have been a proconsul and not a legate. This was Sergius Paulus whom Luke identifies with the proper title.[1] The important implication of this information for our purposes is not just Luke’s accuracy, but the fact that Paulus is a powerful man in the Roman government.

One did not become a powerful man in Rome by niceties. For one climbing the corporate ladder in Roman government, “backstabbing” was more than a metaphor! (“Et tu, Brute?”). The Romans in power were not known for their delicate dealings with people. Remember what John the Baptist told Roman soldiers who came to him for baptism, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely” (Lk. 3:14). Though it is just conjecture, it is probably reasonable to say that Sergius Paulus destroyed some people physically and emotionally to get where he was. Can you identify? There may not be any physical murderers here but I would guess there are some here who have hated bosses, some who have wrecked their children’s self-confidence, and others who have killed their spouse’s self-esteem. What do you need to hear from me today? That you are OK? No, don’t you want to hear what this man Sergius wanted to hear—this man who seemed on the outside to have it all together but who on the inside was empty and guilty? And what did he hear? That through Jesus Christ sins can be forgiven (38). That the blood of Jesus does what no amount of law-keeping can ever do, justify—make perfectly righteous in the eyes of God (39). My friend, I don’t care what you have done, if you come to Christ for salvation today, your sins will be forgiven and you will be called “a righteous person.”

B. What: But what is required in getting that message to those who need it? Notice first that you must relate that message to others by the power of the Holy Spirit (4). Success in conveying this good news is not related to your personal charisma or expert delivery. Success comes from the Spirit conveying power to you to speak. Notice that proclamation is the primary strategy for spreading the Gospel. It always has been. The single most effective method of evangelism—from the early church until now—has been telling someone else in a personal way that Jesus is the answer to his or her need.[2] And it is the Spirit who fills us with power to do so. He must because we are often afraid. At times we are even unwilling. Remember, Paul and Barnabas were members of a people who had been severely oppressed by the Romans—they would have been tempted to withhold the Gospel from someone they wished would go to hell. And not only does the Spirit give power to speak, he fills us with even more power after we speak that we might do it again (52).

II. For Those Who Know It Best (13-52)

The rest of this chapter is the record of Paul and Barnabas taking the Gospel to religious people who have heard the good news from the Old Testament for their whole lives. While it was not as clear in the Old as it is in the New, it was clear enough. Sergius Paulus was hearing the Gospel for the first time; they were being reminded of it. No matter how many times you have heard the message of forgiveness in Jesus Christ, you need to hear it again.

A. Pursued in History: Perhaps I have confused you with that statement that the Gospel is declared in the Old Testament. You say, “I don’t read anywhere that it says that Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins.” No it doesn’t say that, but it does say that God “announced the gospel” to Abraham by declaring that he would send grace through Abraham to redeem a people as his own and laid all of the groundwork for finally accomplishing that feat in Jesus Christ (Ga. 3:8). That is the point that Paul makes in his sermon. Let me explain it to you. Remember, some time ago as we were studying Peter’s sermons I said that a man named C. H. Dodd demonstrated what he called the New Testament kerygma, a fancy Greek word for “sermon.” He showed that there are a few basic points made over and over in the New Testament sermons. We see all of those points here:

Those are not new points to you. What is a new thought perhaps is that a similar kerygma can be found in the Old Testament. There are a few basic points about God’s pursuit of us in redemption which are repeated over and again. Paul lists them here:

What I want you to hear is that God has been pursuing his people from the beginning of time, and you are one of those people. The Bible makes it clear that when God came after Abraham he was coming after you (Ga. 3). You have been a pursued person. He pursued you through the desert, through the period of the judges, through the New Testament and into your personal history.

B. Pursued Now: And God continues to pursue you and apply grace to you. Further, the covenant means he is pursuing your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren through you.

Luke reinforces the tenacity of God’s redemptive pursuit in several ways. First, he explains that faith is a gift of grace: “all who were appointed for eternal life believed” (48). These Gentiles came to faith because God elected them, brought the Gospel to them, and then enabled them to believe. Another reinforcement is the example of John Mark (Barnabas’ cousin) who left Paul and Barnabas in Pamphylia (13). Later that desertion will drive a temporary wedge between Paul and Barnabas. While Ramsay argued that John Mark left because he wanted to reach Pamphylia, it seems clear that Mark deserted the missionaries for less than spiritual reasons.[3] Whatever the reason, God pursues and restores John Mark such that he becomes one of Paul’s most trusted fellow workers (Co. 4:10; 2 Ti. 4:11; Phm. 24; 1 Pt. 5:13). Finally, Paul’s turn to the Gentiles (46) reminds us that it is only temporary in order to make the Jews jealous and draw them to Christ in even greater numbers—a revival so dramatic that Paul calls it “life from the dead” (Ro. 11:15). The point is that God never gives up.

[1] Bruce, 246.

[2] Cf. Michael Green, Evangelism in the Early Church and ?, To Spread the Power.

[3] St. Paul the Traveler, 94-97.