Turn in your Bible now. To Exodus 19 or in your
bulletin. I do encourage you to bring your
own Bible as we are often moving around through different parts.
We're in the midst of a series. On the life of Moses, which has
this moving quickly through the book of Exodus.
Selecting different places to sit and soak and this is one,
that's very powerful. I want to remind you of what you
just saying from verse 2 of Amazing Grace.
Twas Grace, that taught My Heart To Fear.
Well, you're about to hear in the word of God, is his people.
Over a million of them and followed him as he led them
through the Red Sea, and now they're at the foot of a
mountain Mount Sinai and God is descending on that mountain, and
it's terrifying. We know the end of the stories
of sometimes we move. So, quickly through things
without pausing to think, about what they really saw.
In the truth is we can only imagine But they saw not just
fire. They heard not just Thunder.
They were witnessing. The very physical presence of
God. As we read this.
Think about those words that John Newton wrote was Grace that
taught my heart to fear and Grace my fears relieved.
The fear of God. Understanding it so much.
So that the only place you know, you're safe is in the hand, the
gracious hand and grip of the one, we rightly fear with
reverence and all on the third day on the sorry, the third New
Moon. After the people of Israel had
gone out of the land of Egypt. On that day, they came into the
Wilderness of Sinai they set up from rephidim and came into the
Wilderness of Sinai. And they encamped in the
wilderness, their Israel and camped before the mountains
while Moses went up to God, the Lord called, to him out of the
mountain saying, thus, you shall say to the house of Jacob and
tell the people of Israel, you yourselves have seen what I did
to the Egyptians and how I bore You On Eagle's Wings and brought
you to myself. Now, therefore, if you will
indeed obey my voice and keep my Covenant, you shall be my
treasured. And among all peoples for all
the Earth is mine and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests
and a holy nation. These are the words that you
shall speak to the people of Israel.
So Moses came and called the Elders of the people and set
before them. All these words that the Lord
had commanded him. All the people answered together
and said all that. The Lord has spoken.
We will do and Moses reported the words of the people to the
Lord. Lord and the Lord said to Moses
behold, I am coming to you in a thick Cloud that the people may
hear when I speak with you and may also believe you forever.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks.
Be to God, please be seated. Monday night, we had our session
meeting and at the beginning of our session meeting, we prayed
over all the teams and individuals who are going on
short-term trips, many have left now.
High school students arrived in Africa, family trip to Africa is
going soon. Then the Bahamas trip local
missions happening every day. And one thing that's the danger
is that we think we're just sending in there for our mission
responsibilities are done. We pray for them.
We remember we believe in the priesthood of all believers were
all to be Engaged. Then we had three of our home
Church missionaries. Share a bit of the life that
they're living in one of the home Church missionaries.
I'll keep his name out for security reasons.
Said, I was teaching a student and a country where you can't
Proclaim Christ. I was teaching English as a
second language. And his students said, to me, I
love Jesus pointing to the New Testament and then he said, but
I hate God. Pointing to the Old Testament.
Now, it's easy to see, just doesn't understand that.
It's the same God God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit from all
eternity. The god that's present on this
mountain. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
the trinity. But it's easy to not understand
the connection between what's happening in the Old Testament
and what's happening in the new with the Old Testament is
anchoring is sin and pointing towards, I would guess that many
of you would struggle, if you're honest, to make sense of that.
And sometimes churches will even say it's not that important to
preach these Old Testament, things just get to Jesus, but
that's not what we're supposed to do.
Because there's power in all the I love God's word but it's a
fair question and it's one of us often.
What does this have to do with me today?
So, I want to tell you about my week in some of you as I tell,
this are going to know. You're the one I'm talking about
and don't laugh at something to be funny.
I want you to know, I'm not going to call you out and I'm
gonna ask the congregation when I say some of these things to
stop looking at wondering. I wonder who it is.
I knew it, it's them. Really go back to the public
confession of sins morning then and just sit there for a while.
We have all fallen short but my burden in doing this is to show
you that no matter the break in your life, no matter the pain in
your life, no matter the loss in your life, no matter the fear in
your life, what we have just read that happened thousands of
years ago at the foot of Mount Sinai and all Mount Sinai
matters. Just before the session meeting.
Me and another man met with another man, who's in a profound
relapse? His alcoholism has surfaced the
havoc in his own life and the wake of Destruction and that of
his family is tremendous. We pray with him.
What does this have to do with his struggle?
On Tuesday, I meet with a pastor that I know who's saying.
I'm struggling to even know if I'm called anymore because my
family is in such turmoil later. I meet with a friend who says,
we're just waiting to see what the results will be from another
scan to see if the cancer is gone in remission, and being
sober about that, not knowing what they will see, what does
this have to do. With that scan, that's coming in
the next week or so. Two parents call me.
One has an adult child one, as a young child, the issues of the
same Rebellion. One Rebellion seems a lot worse,
because it seems to be a lifestyle choice.
That is now going to be made and Conformity to the pattern of the
world, which is so dark and decaying The other is just how
do we protect our little one from becoming person who no
longer is clinging to Christ who never cries out for Christ.
I meet with the man. Who's lost his job.
More than that, he's wondering if he's lost his sense of
calling if he's missed it. I talked to a woman who's in the
midst of infertility. And I cry with a young Covenant
child in her church. Who's now in her late 20s.
Who's so immersed in the Brokenness of our city in the
injustices that she sees all around and she just looks like,
what can we do? Are we doing what we should be
doing? I hear about Nick Sloan has been
battling iOS and that he's unable to fight anymore and the
decision will be made. To move towards.
No further assistance except pain management and then I
talked with his wife yesterday because he's now in the presence
of the Lord, praise God, but the wake of that grief is very, very
real. What?
Can Exodus 19. Say and speak to her and their
children. My own life, my wife and I have
a wonderful date. It's an hour and 45 minutes of
some of the best conversation. We've had in a long time.
And then she asked me something that reveals a weakness.
Something I have failed to do, which I said, I would do in the
next 20 minutes turns into something very different than
what the first hour and 45 minutes was like, and I wish I
could tell you, I said, oh, honey.
Let's just run to the word and it's open.
It's and we'll be okay, but we didn't.
I was angry. And so is she?
We're real people and so that night we slept in the same room,
but there was a great distance between us until the Lord
overwhelmed us with his humility.
What does this have to do with that?
Some of you might say nothing, would you get on with a sermon?
I am in the sermon. I'm in the sermon, literally,
I'm living in the sermon. You see God didn't give us these
stories, Just for information. He didn't give us these stories
just for inspiration be like Moses lead like Moses.
Here's the rules that Moses used.
They're there and they're helpful but it's more than that.
It's the transformation of the presence of God in our lives.
That changes us Not just information about the one who
can transform us the real presence and that's why this
matters and it fits to any level of Brokenness.
You've brought into this place today or will next week.
It meets you in your doubt and your despair in your
discouragement. It meets you in the broken
relationships that you have with the fears that you have.
It meet you there. Because God is there the same
God, that was on Mount Sinai is the same God who's living
inside? All who profess faith in Jesus?
That's amazing. So, it matters.
But why? It's centered on the idea and
the reality. Of Covenant.
Go back with me. 2 verse 2. They set out from rephidim and
came into the Wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the
wilderness. Now, just to give you some
typography, this is a desert, this is not Lush Evergreens with
streams rolling, where you're going to enjoy trout.
Fishing. This is a desert.
It's rough. They're at the foot of this
mountain and camped and they're going to be there for a long
while. They're Israel and camped before
the mountains. Now, verse 3.
I wonder how fast you fast. You just read through.
This says, the Israelites were in Camp before the mountain
while Moses went up to God, while Moses went up to God,
okay? I want everybody to think about
this for a minute. God is revealing himself on this
mountain. And he is not some kind gently.
Gentle Mountaineer. That's ground his own coffee,
beans, and is waiting for you to come and sit down and enjoy the
nature. He's created The people are
seeing smoke and they're seeing fire and they're hearing Thunder
and they're hearing trumpets. Verse 16.
You don't have this in the bolt and if you open your Bible, it's
there. Just listen though, on the
morning of the third day, there were Thunders and lightning
lightning is plural and a thick Cloud on the mountain and a very
loud trumpet blast. So that all the people in the
camp trembled. They were trembling.
And by the way, this is not Subjective everybody saw it.
Everybody heard it. Everybody trembled people were
saying that's not that impressive.
It's God. And if this is how God is going
to reveal himself to the people of Israel, then after he's LED
them out. What's it going to be like when
he does return, it's not going to be subjective.
Nobody is going to say, it might be Jesus.
It's going to be objective and it's going to be terrifying and
it's going to be all inspiring in the word of.
God tells us every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, God is awesome. He is awesome.
But Moses is going up to meet with him.
What should a picture that if you were one of the million plus
people who were there? Depending on how close you were
to the mountain and you couldn't get too close or you be Zapped.
It's an awesome. God, Moses is walking some wood.
Been able to watch as he goes up.
If you ever seen a man, how tiny they become, as they move up,
he's going up the mountain. He's ascending to be with God.
Why? Because God is going to reveal
to him. His covenants.
Look with me again, at verse 3, while Moses went up to God
period. The Lord God Called to him out
of the mountain saying, 'The us you shall say to the house of
Jacob and tell the people of Israel you yourselves have seen
what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore You On Eagle's Wings
and brought you to myself. Verse 5 now, therefore if you
will indeed obey my voice and keep my Covenant, this is the
first time this is used in the Bible that phrase and keep my
Covenant. It's not the first Covenant but
it's the first time. It's been spoken this way.
You shall be my treasured possession.
Among all peoples for all the Earth is mine and you shall be
to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
These are the words that you shall speak to the people of
Israel. Moses is a prophet, what our
Prophet supposed to do, what our pastors supposed to do, preacher
supposed to do, teach, and preach, and proclaim the word of
God. That's what Moses does. 47?
So Moses came down and he called the Elders of the people.
This is significant, it is a Leadership Model.
He calls the owners to himself and says this is what the Lord
said, now, spread that word and they did, they set before them.
All these words before them. Means all the people of Israel.
There's over a million of them set before them.
All these words that the Lord had commanded, all the people
answered together and said all that.
The Lord has spoken. We will do.
So, Moses goes back up. The mountain reports, these
words of the people to the Lord This is Moses life.
We're studying the life of Moses.
He is moving up this mountain where God has made his presence
real. Here's what the word wants him
to say in faithfulness, he brings it to the people and the
people of said, we will do it. We will do all of it and don't
you believe that they meant it? You know how the story is going
to go but they meant it we will do it.
And what is before us is a covenant and the Covenant, in
this time period, in this particular part of the earth,
the way these covenants were built was a covenant that had
these things first. It had a preamble in the
Preamble would list simply who are the people involved in the
Covenant? In this case it is God himself
and it is the people of Israel. Covenants were a contract but
they're not like the contracts we have today.
They're quite different for one, the contract wasn't to equal
parties. There was one who was the
Conquering King The Sovereign, the all-powerful who then was
making a covenant with one who has been conquered.
That's the way it worked. The Preamble is God, and the
people of Israel, the Preamble then moves into and historical
prologue. Where the Sovereign says, this
is what I have done and this is why you should trust me and you
see it right here. Go back with me to verse 4.
This is God. Speaking to Moses, you
yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore
you. Are You On Eagle's Wings and
brought you to myself? That would have been an
illustration that they could have understood Bore You On
Eagle's Wings. You know, when we go to Lake
City, Colorado almost every year at this wonderful, beautiful
lake Lake San Cristobal. At the top of this massive pine
tree, there's an eagle's nest now.
Eagles win their babies, they had to stay in the nest usually
for over 100 days. They're so fragile.
And when it comes time for them, To get out the mother, messes
up, the nest, and they've got a fly.
But if they struggle, what does the mother do?
She swoops underneath them and carries the baby to safety until
it's ready? What a picture God did that for
the people of Israel. He is doing it for us.
The prologue continues, he speaks of the history of what he
has done. I bore You On Eagle's Wings and
brought you to myself. Elf.
The prologue is meant to show the one who is in Covenant
relationship. This is why I'm worthy of your
trust and worthy of your honor. Next after the Preamble Who's
involved in the Covenant after the prologue.
This is why you should trust me and remain in this Covenant
comes. What is required?
And what God is. Requiring here, is their full
obedience to his revealed word. And he's about to Out to give
them the Ten Commandments. I want you to miss not miss
something. How gracious is it of God that
he rescues them first from the oppression of the enemy and
brings them out from the oppression of the enemy.
Before he gives them the law, he rescues them.
What if he had said, while they were in Egypt, here's my Ten
Commandments. If you obey them perfectly
forever, then I'll rescue you We wouldn't have this book.
God's grace is the rescue comes first.
Then there is the enabling by his spirit in the hearts of new
creatures that we, by his power and presence can seek to obey
his word. And to be forgiven constantly,
when we fall short, the Preamble, it lists, the parties,
the prologue. This is what God has done.
Here's what is required of you. Lastly, the blessings and the
curses that come in, did you hear them as I read them?
What the Lord says to Moses. He says, tell them verse 5, if
you will indeed obey my voice and keep my Covenant, you shall
be my treasured possession to being the treasured possession
of the God, who is on that mountain.
Amazing, among all the peoples for the Earth is mine and you
shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
We're going to pick that up next week.
These are the words that you shall speak to the people.
Their identity is transformed. If they obey these things, they
will be God. Almighty's treasured possession.
Athena Treasures. Most they will be a kingdom of
priests. They will be a holy nation, a
holy people. The parties involved were God.
Moses is playing the role of profit.
And the role of mediator. Listen to this.
Just after the Lord gives the Ten Commandments, the people of
Israel speak. They speak to Moses.
Listen to what they say. You speak to us and we will
listen but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.
Moses said to the people do not fear for God has come to test
you that the fear of him who may be before you that you may not
sin. The people stood far off while
Moses Drew near to the thick. Darkness, where God was.
Moses was the mediator. And we know what happens.
Next week, we'll be looking at the chapter, where the people of
God because Moses hasn't returned soon enough.
Make idols and worship idols, they will not keep the Covenant.
And what happens? God.
Who in verse 3, it says drew them to himself.
The God Who said, I want you to be mine forever.
Is going to provide a better profit, a perfect Prophet.
The word himself in the beginning was the word and the
Word was with God. And the Word was God.
The God on the mountain of Mount Sinai.
Father, Son. And Holy Spirit is the same God
born in the manger. A better profit, the perfect
Prophet. A better mediator, the perfect
mediator. It will be Jesus.
In the Old Testament is God was on that mountain, his presence
and Power in his word being revealed.
Now becomes a man. First, the baby 100% man. 100%
God who's going to enter into this world to this Darkness.
Why? Because the Lord desires to draw
his people to himself. How does this connect to the
long list of fears and pains and burdens that we experience the
Side of Heaven? This way.
These same God. In that storm, in that fire in
that thunder. In that trumpet, the one who
spoke to Moses and Moses spoke back to on behalf of the people
that same God came to this earth.
Jesus. To live the life that we could
never live because we could never none of us perfectly obey
that law. The reason why I could pause
right now and say let's go back to the Ten Commandments and
let's do it again. It would be appropriate because
we know we're going to fall short and so did God and so God
gives us the man who lives perfectly who never sins.
He's the second Adam, the new Adam. but that God, That just
God, the perfect righteousness, and holiness.
Ordained that there would have to be a sacrifice just as the
people were saved and Israel by the Passover Lamb.
Now, we are saved by the lamb. The Lamb of God.
In Jesus Christ doesn't descend upon a mountain, but he is sins
onto a cross. and as he is lifted up, He does everything.
That is necessary. all the way to the end so that God Father,
Son and Holy Spirit can fulfill his Covenant promises to make a
people for himself and to draw them near After Jesus spoke his
final words. And breathe his last.
The Centurion said, truly. This is the son of God.
What we can take from Exodus 19. Is that the very same God who
descended on that mountain and fire and smoke and thunder and
trumpet and word that very same God.
Is very present today in the lives of all, who trust in him.
The spirit of God, God himself is living in US.
His word is still being revealed to us and what his word is
seeking to say to us all the way through is that he is faithful
to keep his Covenant. He is Lord, he is Lord, he has
and will fulfill every promise he's made. and for those who are
in Christ, we recognize the fear and wonder and Transcendence of
God, but we live in the freedom being in the grip of the one who
has drawn us to himself. So, in every conversation I had
last week and the ones I'll have today and the rest of this week.
I will have the privilege and you do too as the priesthood of
all believers to tell the story of the God, one, true God,
father son. Holy Spirit, who is doing all of
this and has done all this. To draw his people to himself.
That you might know. If you're in Christ, you're his
treasured possession. We're going to close after I
pray. And I want you to really think
deeply about the words that were singing because they're about
that God. And they're about that.
God, who is living in us right now.
Father, is we in this time together?
We thank you for the blessings, the richness, your word, our
eyes being opened our hearts made new, and father of there.
Any who have come here today and have never even heard such
things as I am preaching and they sense that there is a need,
they have for Jesus. I pray that they would Trust in
you right now, even as I pray, friend cry out to the Lord.
Tell him that you are a sinner in need of a savior that he you
have revealed as the only one asked him to rescue.
You tell somebody that you came with or come see me or Robbie
Father for all who know by your grace that they are in Christ.
Let us not quickly move to the next thing but let us absorb
what it means to be the treasured possession of the
Living. God Immortal invisible.
God. Only wise, we pray in.
Jesus name. Amen.
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