Stuart Presbyterian’s Podcast

One clear image of the church is "The Family of God."

The family of God "gets together."

The family of God loves one another.  The family loves being together and worshiping together and serving together.

The Church is the "body of Christ."

We need to be very clear that Christ is the Head of the body.

But everyone is a part of the body and we are called to be a unified and interdependent body.

The body is also dynamic and so is the body of Christ; we can only move forward as one body, working together, with Christ as the head

First, remember the God who gave the commandments is holy and merciful.

Second, what do the commandments teach us today?  

Israel is trapped with the Egyptians behind them and the Red Sea in front of them.  What do we learn from them?

God doesn't always take us by way of the quickest or easiest route.

But we can trust God and God keeps His promises.

We can also be assured God is present.

Remember, "The Battle Belongs to the Lord."

This message attempts to provide some explanation for the death of the firstborn Egyptians.  We struggle with this.

But God does not inflict anything on us that God has not endured

It was a battle between God and Egypt's deities of death.

There was justice and judgment.

There was also mercy.

This message also looks at the connections between the Passover and The Lord's Supper.

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

The blood of Jesus saves us for Jesus is "the lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:19).

As Pastor John Piper has reminded us many times all of redemptive history from creation to consummation gives glory to God.

The plagues in Exodus are no exception.  The occur so that the people, Egyptians and Israelites alike will know that Yahweh is Lord!

We too are called to give God glory.  Using David Mathis' categories of Audible words, visible actions, and invisible heart, this sermon explores what "Giving God Glory" might look like.

Overview of the Plagues Themes.

One over-arching theme:  The Glory of God

Four Recurring Themes:

Obedience

Superior Power of God

Counterfeits

Perpetual Hardening of Pharaoh's Hearts 

(Adapted from "Christ Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in Exodus," Tony Merida, pp. 50-65) 

We all face discouragement.  Moses and the Israelites did and we find in their struggles some encouragement for ours.

Namely:

God is in control.

God keeps His promises.

God saves: God liberates, redeems, adopts, and give us an inheritance.

We learn from this story about the "waiting years" before Moses is called to lead the Exodus at least three things:

We can trust God even in the most desperate situations.

But do not get ahead of God; wait for Him.

And in the waiting, remember God is preparing you for what is ahead.

The new Pharaoh had forgotten Joseph and his family and the previous Pharaoh's policies regarding Joseph's families.

But God had not forgotten.

This opening chapter sets up the battle not so much between Pharaoh and Moses, but between Pharaoh and God!

Pharaoh dealt shrewdly with the Israelites; he ordered slavery; and finally state sponsored genocide.  But through all this darkness; God was keeping his promises!

The text begs us to ask, Whom do we fear most?

It reminds us again that God's promises prevail, God remembers us, and God often grows us under pressure.