Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10214 - Learning How To Follow God - Exodus 13

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#10214 - Learning How To Follow God - Exodus 13 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
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To learn more about the many resources available through a
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Bounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
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visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now.
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Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Open your Bibles.
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Exodus chapter 13 is where we are.
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Exodus chapter 13, verse by verse through the book of
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Exodus. It's always good to take notes,
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jot some things down, maybe write notes in your Bible so
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you'll remember things. If you're listening on the radio
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right now, obviously you may not be in a place, but you can
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always podcast and pick up these studies at another time.
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Writing down helps you to remember.
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You want to learn to take notes. Our previous study last weekend,
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we talked about the five things that will help you share the
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gospel, engage with culture better.
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You should remember them and know them.
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Pray them into your life. See how they're lived out in the
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Scriptures. I'll give you a few things today
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as well that are worth remembering.
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But in chapter 13, this nation is Learning how to Follow God.
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That's the title of our study, Learning how to Follow God.
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It's the next day in the life of the children of Israel.
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It's also the next day here in chapter 13, in the life of the
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Egyptians. The 10th plague is come.
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There's weeping and wailing the morning after great judgment
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from God. It's a solemn time, a silent
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time. It goes from weeping and wailing
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to silence. And you can hear the cries of
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the Egyptians as they mourn the loss of the first born
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throughout the land. Utter devastation.
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Why? I'll tell you why their leader
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LED them astray. The nation of Egypt is suffering
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because of Pharaoh. It was Pharaoh's decisions that
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brought not one, not 2, not 4, not 9, but 10 judgments.
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The leader could have ended it single handedly by cooperating
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with the messengers of God, Moses and Aaron, and he chose
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not to. And the people suffered and the
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people suffered greatly. The Bible says.
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If you read carefully in our study, last time, the Bible says
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the judgment began in Pharaoh's house.
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It started with him. That was the 1st place.
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Then it made its way throughout the country.
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And remember, if they had placed the blood over the door posts,
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which they didn't, the Egyptians, but like the
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Israelis, if they placed the blood over the door posts and on
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the lentils, then God would pass over them.
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And because of Pharaoh's bad leadership, Egypt's suffering,
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it's been said that everything rises and falls on leadership.
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And having been born with a leadership gift throughout most
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of my life and even the spiritual gift of leadership, I
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agree. As a leader myself, I take that
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phrase very seriously. Whoever came up with it,
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leadership matters. And I would say in the church,
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everything rises or falls on those entrusted with the
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spiritual care of the church, those chosen by God to lead.
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Remember, jot it down in Psalm 75.
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Even those of you might be struggling with where your place
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is and why I'm not a leader and why don't I have that title and
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why don't I have that position? Well, you always remember this
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for Psalm 75, verse six says exaltation comes neither from
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the east, nor from the West, nor from the South.
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But God is the judge. He's the one that puts down, and
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He's the one that exalts another.
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You can't even exalt yourself. I mean, you can if you want, you
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can print out your business cards and put up your website
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and you can come through and tell everybody a title that
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you've put you. You can do that, but it's not
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from the Lord. You want what's from the Lord
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and you want it in His timing. Listen, if there's a leadership
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gifting on you, then God will take care of it.
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It may not be the right time. There may be more development.
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There may be things in your home.
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There may be things in your personal life.
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There might be things God is trying to work out in you so
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that when you are in that position where people look to
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you within the church for leadership, you'll know this,
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that everything in the church rises or falls on your
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leadership, the people entrusted to your care.
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And here's the key with you, that our leaders and overseers
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in any church, this church, that church, here's the key.
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You ready? Are you in tune with God?
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That's the key. Yes, we look for faithfulness
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and yes, we look for availability.
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Yes, we look for teachability. But the key in all of that, with
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all the attributes, is, are you in tune with the Lord?
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Do you have an abiding relationship with Jesus where He
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can lead you and guide you in a moment's notice?
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Are we hearing from the One who has clear direction for His
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church? Are we living a righteous and
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upright life as Paul would tell young Timothy?
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Again, jot it down In First Timothy chapter 4 and verse 12,
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Paul tells Timothy, don't let anyone despise your youth, but
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be an example to the believers in Word, in conduct, in love, in
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spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to
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reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine.
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And once again this week, another prominent well known
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pastor stepped down or was disqualified from ministry.
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The way it went down, I don't quite understand, but it doesn't
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really matter. He's no longer in the position
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that God had entrusted to him because of an admitted
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disqualifying sin. Once again.
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Now, of course, we get the attention of all the popular or
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well used or, you know, the men that God used in, in great ways,
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They're the ones that get the headlines.
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But this happens over and over and over and over on different
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scales throughout the church. And it should put a holy fear in
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US. It should put all, you know,
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you're like, well, I'm not a leader.
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Yeah, but the Lord wants to use you that way.
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And so when I read a headline like that, my heart sinks.
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It it makes me angry at the devil.
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Yeah, I'm, I'm a little upset with the brother too, but man,
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it makes me more angry at the devil.
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It it makes me, it makes me just so frustrated with the shortcuts
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that people might take around me or in my own flesh, just
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thinking of in my own life, trying to make decisions in my
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life that will minimize my flesh and maximize the spirit in my
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life, because who am I? Another one decision away from a
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announcement and I don't want that in my life, man.
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I do not I have not dedicated my life to Jesus to disqualify my
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disqualify myself, you know to here now in the last leg of my
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race. And so it bums me out because
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it's going to lead to all kinds of confusion and another black
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eye in the church and and we just think, OK, Lord, everything
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rises and falls on leadership. Israel.
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Now here in Act Exodus 13, we're reminded was blessed with a
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tremendous man of God in Moses. I don't really believe we get
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the depth of the character and integrity of this man revealed
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to us in the Scriptures. We only get snapshots.
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He has been tried and tested by the time he comes to be used of
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God here in the deliverance of Egypt.
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He's been molded and made by God.
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It's a process that took 2/3 of his life.
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If you think take your life in years right now and think of 2/3
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of it, we're only in preparation for the last third.
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And that's a lot of time, a lot of time of development.
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It's true. As we were studying in the
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beginning of Exodus, he was reluctant.
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Like, like he was hesitant and he really didn't even want to do
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what God called him to do. But that's part of the process.
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Go ahead and tell God no, I dare you.
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Go ahead. No, I don't want to be used in
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that way. And some of you go ahead and say
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it out loud. I never want to be a leader.
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Go ahead, say never. I'd love to see and then write
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it down and let me e-mail me and let me know.
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I've said it, pastor. And I can't wait to see in a
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couple of years where God equips you and prepares you and uses
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you as a leader in His church. That's his heart for you.
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God is developing Moses and Moses of his own.
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I wonder how hard it was for him to write this, but wrote Moses
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is in own is in his own writing talks about him being the most
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humble man. Can you imagine if God said go
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ahead and write that about yourself.
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You are a humble man who's like it, but Lord, I'm writing it and
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it makes me kind of proud and arrogant.
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No, no, no, you know you're humble because you're doing what
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I told you to do. You don't worry about the
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outcome or what people think about you.
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You just do what I tell you to do.
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And in his humility and spiritual dependence.
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And that total surrender is what helped Moses in the ministry
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here. And as we will learn in coming
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studies, he's going to need it. This episode with Pharaoh
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actually is a lot easier. What he's going to face in the
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next 40 years. It is going to be a difficult
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season for him, one that will require him to trust in the
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Lord, in his leadership, one that will require him, what we
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would say in the new covenant, to have an agape love for the
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very people that he's been called to serve.
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It's going to be difficult for him.
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But like Micah said in Micah 68, he has shown you, O man, what is
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good and what does the Lord require but to do justly, to
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love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
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That's a great description of Moses and may be a great
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description of us. Our last study now as we jump
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into the chapter, the children of Israel celebrated the
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Passover. They did it was they were told
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that it was a wonderful feast, a time of celebration,
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recognition. But remember, most importantly,
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the Passover was a time of substitution.
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The spotless lamb without blemish offered as a sacrifice
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and the blood was spread over the door pointing to Messiah
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Jesus Christ. Pick up with me in verse one of
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chapter 13. Then the Lord spoke to Moses,
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saying, Sanctify him to me all the first born, whatever opens
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the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and animal,
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it is mine. And Moses said to the people,
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Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the
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House of bondage, for by strength of the hand of the Lord
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brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten
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on this day. You're going out in the month of
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a Beebe, and it shall be when the Lord brings you into the
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land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and
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the Hivites and the Jebusites, which he swore to the your
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father's to give you. It's a land flowing with milk
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and honey that you shall keep this service in this month.
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Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the 7th
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day there shall be a feast unto the Lord.
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Verse 7. Unleavened bread shall be eaten
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seven days, and no leavened bread shall be seen among you,
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nor shall leaven be seen among you.
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In all your quarters. You shall tell your son in that
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day, saying, This is done because of what the Lord did for
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me when I came up from Egypt. And it shall be as a sign to you
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on your hand, and as a memorial between your eyes, that the
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Lord's law may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord
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has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this
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ordinance in its season from year to year.
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The very first thing that comes out of Moses life is God's
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desire for the first. This is very important to God.
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God wants the 1st, the best, whatever He says, open the womb.
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In his commentary, Matthew Henry put it this way and I quote God,
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who is the 1st and the best should also have the 1st and the
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best. And to him we should resign that
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which is most dear to us and most valuable.
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God wanted the best and the most important.
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He wanted the first animals, the first kids.
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And so each first born had to be redeemed and consecrated.
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And this is a pattern with God. He desires our best, the first
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fruits, the best of the best, not leftovers or things we don't
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even want anymore. And you know, for years we'd get
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calls here at the church, and maybe we still do and they don't
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reach it to my desk, but we get calls in the church.
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Hey, pastor church. Hey, we've got an old cow.
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We bought a brand new couch and we have an old one.
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Can the church use it? Let me tell you right now.
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No. Keep the old one and give the
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church the new one. No, Pastor, that's not how it
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works. We got a new one for the house,
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and we got this ratty old one. If you just turn the cushions
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over, it'll be great for the kids.
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No. Why can't the kids have
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something new? There you go, Pastor.
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What are you talking about? Like, are you telling me to go
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buy a new couch? I'm not telling you anything.
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I'm talking about the heart of the matter.
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We don't want your old couch. You don't even want it.
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Why would we want it? You don't even want it anymore.
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As you judged in your own home, we do not want this stinky,
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ratty old thing, but we think we can give it to the church.
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Now I understand that there's a lot of motives there and I'm not
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certainly not suggesting that maybe there isn't a good motive
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to bless the church. But the pattern is give your
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best, give your best. And when you pray along those
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lines, who knows how God will lead you.
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But to have in the mindset, you know, the church could get my
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cast offs. The church can get my old stuff.
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You know, I don't want to give it.
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I don't want to give it to goodwill or anyone.
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I'll give it to the church. But we're, we're not goodwill.
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We're not the Salvation Army. This is the Church of the of the
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risen holy Lord. Like this is, this is the House
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of God. And and I know, and and
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sometimes we do on occasion do take, you know, donations and
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stuff. I know that.
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But here's the thing. Why would the kids, and I'm
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think of it as high school, junior high upstairs when in the
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rooms we have up there, why would they?
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Why wouldn't they be enough for you to give them a buy a couch
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for you and buy a couch for the church?
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I mean, if you really want to give to the church, not you're
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just looking for a place to take your old couch, but like if you
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really want to give to the church, then is that in your
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heart a desire to give the best? Same thing happens with tithing.
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You know, it's more common in actually in your giving.
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It's much more common. Even our government understands
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this because they don't let you get away without giving to them
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first. Did you notice that in your
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paycheck? You remember when you were a
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kid, you got your first job and they told you how much you were
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making. Then you saw your first check
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and you said, what is this? And your parents or somebody sat
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you down and said, let me talk to you about taxes and the idea
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that the government won't let you keep it and pay you later.
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They're going to take it first. But you know the Lord doesn't
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like that. He's not going to take it first.
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He's doesn't have his hand in your pocket.
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He actually says this. I'm going to bless you.
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I'm going to give to you. I'm going to overflow in your
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life. Everything about your life is
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from me and you're going to enjoy life to its fullest.
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And I'm going to require you to give, but I'm not going to make
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you do it. I'm going to require you to give
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your first fruits, but I'm not going to make you do it.
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Because if you don't give from a giving heart, God would say to
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us, if you don't give from a cheerful heart, it's almost like
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God would say, just keep it, then just keep it.
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If you've got reasons why you just keep it, then because
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you've missed the whole point. It's almost like God says to us,
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I don't need your money. I want your heart.
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And it's like, maybe that's what I'm saying as a pastor, we don't
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need your old ratty couch. We want your heart to serve the
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Lord. We want your heart.
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We want you to think about the kids here in our church.
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Like I think about the kids. Let's make sure they're taken
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care of. Let's remember them and you
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know, I'm sharing this Bible study for us, for our church.
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I know it goes out and we already know this is a generous,
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giving, loving church. That's not the point.
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The point is for someone somewhere that's having heart
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issues with the things that they have, God says right here, I
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want the best. He says it more and more.
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This is just another example. I want the best.
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I want you to remember that everything you have, you're
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leaving Egypt and it's going to be very fast.
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You're going to forget me. So this is the way you can
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remember how good I've been to you.
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I want the best. And doesn't God deserve the
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best? He gave the best.
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I love what Matt. That's why I thought Matthew
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such a great comment, because God is the 1st and the best.
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He should have the 1st and the best.
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I just thought that's so good. That's my heart for him.
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That's what my desire is. This is His pattern for all that
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He's done. He deserves the best.
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And if we're not careful, we begin to offer God what's
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leftover, what's used, what we're going to throw away
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anyway. What didn't sell at the garage
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sale? Like people at your garage sale
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didn't even want it. I drive through the
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neighbourhood. There's always something on the
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curb that says free. Nobody takes it.
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Like, I don't know why they just don't throw it away.
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Nobody takes it. And it's like, man, if you're
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like, no, no thanks, I don't want that.
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I don't want your old toilet. No thanks, man.
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Just throw it away. Like, I don't want that.
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I don't want that cabinet with three legs.
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Just throw it away. I don't need it.
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I'd rather have no cabinet at all than that one.
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And there was a coffee machine recently and you're like, what
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is that thing? What days of that thing?
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Seen that? It ends up on the curb with a
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sign that says free and it's there for two days.
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That poor guy, he's like, somebody take me and they're
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like, no, man, you're all messed up.
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And I'm like, no, but you think about it in our own lives.
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Do you really think God needs your money?
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Do you really think this church needs your money?
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God's going to take care. I've been here 25 years.
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I've raised my family here. I quit my job to serve this
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church by faith, as every other person has.
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Almost every other person that's worked has worked outside the
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church at some time and quit that position to step into
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faith. And do you know there's never
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been a pill bill that's been unpaid?
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There's never been. I've never had to bring my kids
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up and tear their clothes and go look what you've done to my
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kids. They're not eating.
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Look how skinny they are. Like, what's wrong with you?
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You've got to give. We've never used gimmicks here
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to beg you to give. We never said take your checks
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in the air, wave. I'm like, you just don't care.
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Bring them up here and then have somebody check them.
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This isn't enough. You guys got to give more.
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You laugh, but there was a guy in town here.
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He's gone home now. I mean, he's no longer alive.
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There was a guy in town here in his church that literally had
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everybody raise their dollars and their checks and they sang
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that song. Like this stuff happens in
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churches, but here God has quietly.
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And faithfully and generously, not only provided for every need
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that we've ever had, but exceedingly, abundantly, above
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all that you can think or ask. So that now for 13 years or so
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for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in addition to the life of
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the church, you, your church provides spiritual nourishment
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to 80% of Colorado, including the cows and the goats and all
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the wheat out there. Even the cows are getting saved
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out on the eastern plains out here.
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Because God gave us even more when we were, look, when we were
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paying off a building and we were adding staff and we were
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responding to the growth. God said here, I want to see if
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you guys really trust me. I'm going to drop something in
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that's going to make you really seek my face because you can't
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afford it, but I know you want it and I'm ready to give it to
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you. And God's give you, you have
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that testimony, don't you? In your own house, different
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numbers. So don't let the numbers,
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millions, thousands, hundreds, 10s, none of the numbers matter.
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It's what God is doing to bring you to a place of trusting him.
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God wants the first born. God wants the best and he wants
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you continually. He says when you get into the
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land, keep doing this. And notice what He says.
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When you get into the land, don't you forget no leaven.
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And we learned leaven is the type of sin.
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No quarters of your house. You need to search through your
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house, no leaven. He repeats it again.
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Because when they get into the land, they're going to enjoy the
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milk and honey. That's going to be good.
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And then they're going to forget the next generation.
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And the next generation is going to forget the slavery because it
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wasn't theirs. They weren't making the bricks.
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It's just stories. And by the time generational
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stories come through, it wasn't as bad.
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It wasn't as bad, it wasn't as bad.
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It's the milk and honey. Now it's the excess.
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And get rid of the leaven. If you're taking notes, I want
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to give you a couple things here to consider about this Passover
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meal. Why?
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Why is he repeating it? Because it is the number one
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important picture of Messiah. But there's three words I want
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you to associate with the Passover 3 words, freedom,
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deliverance, and redemption. Freedom, deliverance and
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redemption. That this, these are important
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concepts to the Jewish people even today #1 freedom.
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They've been set free. This was the birth of a nation
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delivered from 400 years of bondage and slavery.
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Freedom #2 deliverance. They were literally owned by
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Pharaoh, by the nation of Egypt, and they now were delivered
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powerfully and mightily from the hand.
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And we'll see this in coming chapters.
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And then thirdly, redemption. God spared them that Passover
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night because they were purchased.
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How? By the blood of the Lamb.
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Freedom, deliverance, redemption.
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We learned last time that there are three great exoduses in the
23:16
Bible. So I wanted you to take these 3
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words, and I want you to point them to the great exodus of the
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cross. So think of these 3 words, the
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greater exodus. This is a, this is a phenomenal
23:31
time in the history of God's people.
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But there's a greater exodus, the cross.
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And I want you to think about it #1 freedom.
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When Jesus died on the cross, He set you free.
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He set you free. You're a new creation in Christ.
23:45
Old things passed away. Behold, all things had become
23:47
new. Listen to this.
23:47
Jesus said this. John 836 Therefore, if the Son
23:51
makes you free, you'll sort of kind of be free, but tied to sin
23:55
the rest of your life. No, Jesus didn't say that.
23:59
He said you'll be free. What indeed?
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This is a big deal for me. You know, I've shared it before,
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but I, I'm really not ever going to teach you to identify
24:09
yourself by a past sin. You know, like Rahab, right?
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Rahab the harlot. She's not Rahab the harlot
24:15
anymore. She's Rahab the delivered.
24:20
She's Rahab the sister. She's Rahab the family saver, if
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you will. She's not the harlot anymore.
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She's never to ever identify herself.
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Whenever she mentions sex trade or prostitution or heart of the
24:34
tree, she can always, forever, and I hope she did.
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We'll find out in heaven. But she can always, forever say
24:40
that's who I was, that's not who I am, and that's the work today.
24:45
That's who I was. Man, you would not believe who I
24:48
was if I told you the full story of my life.
24:51
You would not believe it. But you never met him, just the
24:54
Ed that died in Christ. You get the benefit, if you want
24:59
to call it that, of the new Ed, of the redeemed Ed.
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But you never met the old Ed, you know, with the exception of
25:06
Marie, not even my kids met him. They might see it.
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They might have seen glimpses of the flesh, you know, this
25:14
episodes here and there, but then have to live with them.
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You know, except my boy Eddie. He had to live with me for a few
25:21
years as a little guy having to deal with that.
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But even God blessed him, saved his dad.
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Can you imagine that you're praying for people right now?
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He want God wants to bless the kids, save their dad, save their
25:31
mom, save their grandpa. God is still working that way.
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So freedom Jesus, when he died on the cross, set us free.
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Number two, deliverance. When Jesus died, He broke the
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power of sin in your life. He broke, literally broke the
25:45
power of sin. We are delivered now from the
25:47
pain, the penalty, and the bondage of sin.
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We are no longer slaves to sin. We are absolutely, totally,
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thoroughly, and completely delivered for all time and
25:58
eternity. That's a Hallelujah moment right
26:00
there. You are a new creation in Christ
26:04
and then finally, redemption. When Jesus died, he purchased
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our lives by his own blood. That's the seal.
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It wasn't corruptible things. Peter said, remember, he didn't
26:14
buy us with money or gold. He sacrificed himself.
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He bought us with his own blood. We're his own.
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We're blood bought, owned by God.
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So we have in verse 11. Notice it shall be when the Lord
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brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you
26:29
and your father's, and he gives it to you that you shall set
26:32
apart to the Lord all that opened the womb.
26:35
He's repeating it. Sometimes we need things
26:37
repeated. Sometimes you, you're in a Bible
26:40
study or anything, you keep hearing the same thing.
26:41
You know why? Because God loves you.
26:44
He's going to keep repeating it. Some of you things are being
26:46
repeated because you're not acting on it.
26:48
So I might be talking about the first born and I might be, you
26:52
know, going on about the couch, but there's something in your
26:54
life that God keeps hitting over and over and over again.
26:58
I'm talking about a couch, but the Holy Spirit is talking about
27:00
that and you go, why I keep hearing that is God wants you to
27:05
move forward. He wants you to deal with it.
27:08
He wants you to act on it. He wants you to handle it.
27:11
He wants you to. Maybe some of you just need to
27:13
believe today. Maybe that's all you just faith
27:15
by faith you go, yes, I have been delivered.
27:18
I am not who I was. Perhaps you have to step out and
27:23
tell somebody you've been holding it over them.
27:26
You've been manipulating, holding it against like you just
27:28
have to say no. I believe you're a changed man.
27:31
You're a changed woman. I believe it.
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I believe that I believe it for you.
27:36
I believe it with you and with forgiveness.
27:39
I release you from the debt that you owe me.
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Let's move forward together by faith.
27:46
Here you have it repeated, set apart verse 13, every first
27:50
thing of the donkey. Now you guys, you Bible
27:53
students, you know a donkey is it going to it's going to be
27:55
declared an unclean animal. But even that which is unclean,
27:59
you shall redeem with the lamb. Does that remind you of anything
28:02
in the new covenant? Remember the animals coming down
28:04
in the sheet for Peter and he's like, oh, no, no, no, I'm going
28:07
to never do anything. No way.
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Those are unclean. And what does God say?
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Hey, what I have called clean, don't you dare call unclean.
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So even a donkey can be redeemed.
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Even a donkey isn't that great. So that tells me that even in in
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my life, the the gutter, most God can save anybody.
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He can redeem anybody. If you will not redeem it,
28:30
you'll break its neck. OK, redeem it.
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All right, please. And all the first born of man
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among your sons you shall redeem.
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So it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, what
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is this that you shall say to him?
28:42
By the strength of the hand of the Lord, he brought us out of
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Egypt, out of the House of bondage.
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And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about
28:50
letting us go, that the Lord killed all the first born in the
28:52
land of Egypt, both the first born of man and the first born
28:55
of animal. Therefore, I sacrifice to the
28:58
Lord all the mails that open the womb, but all the first born of
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my sons I'll redeem. It shall be a sign on your hand,
29:04
that's frontlets between your eyes and the strength of the
29:07
hand. The Lord brought us out of
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Egypt. The first born takes on such
29:13
great significance. All the first born from now on
29:16
belonged to me. There's a couple of things I
29:18
want to share before we head out.
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First of all, I want you to know we learned this back in Exodus
29:23
4, verses 22 and 23, that God refers to Israel as a nation, as
29:30
His first born. He says, he says Israel was my
29:34
first born, which is quite significant because in that
29:37
statement he's saying they have a place of preeminence, but
29:42
they're not the only nation I care about.
29:46
They have a place of significance and importance, but
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they're not the only nation I care about, which we may
29:52
describe today that God loves the Jew and the Gentile.
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He always has, which got corrupted along the way.
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He says there isn't as mine. God has a love for all the
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nations, all peoples, all nationalities.
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This goes back prior to this. It goes back to the Abrahamic
30:08
Covenant. Remember what he said.
30:10
You may miss this as you read through and have different
30:13
emphasis in the text. In the Abrahamic covenant, God
30:16
says something very powerful about all the nations of the
30:20
earth. He said this.
30:23
I will bless those who bless you, Abraham, and those who
30:29
curse you all curse. Well, who's he talking about?
30:32
Every single nation on the planet earth, Jew and Gentile
30:37
alike. You, you're blessed, Abraham.
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Even before the nation is formed.
30:41
Abraham was told by God, I love the nations, I love the nations.
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The Abraham and Covenant was about a personal relationship.
30:52
This is how God, how the God of all creation, treats his
30:56
friends. You're a friend to Abraham, got
30:58
to be a friend to you. Anybody that blesses you,
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Abraham, I'm going to bless anybody that tries, that wants
31:04
to bless you. And anybody tries to hurt you,
31:06
they'll be hurt. Why?
31:08
Because it's personal and it's open to anyone.
31:13
You who are a part of the New Covenant are grafted into the
31:15
Abrahamic covenant by faith so that today we bless the nation
31:20
of Israel. God, we bless you.
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You know, blessing the nation of Israel doesn't mean that you
31:24
agree with every governmental thing, just like you love your
31:27
own country. You don't agree with every
31:28
governmental thing that happens, but you love your country.
31:31
God says you love and bless the people of Israel.
31:34
I'll bless you. And so Israel places is, has a
31:38
big place in our hearts because we've been grafted in.
31:42
You learn and I we went through this in our first time.
31:44
We studied through the book of Romans the specific important
31:48
place that the Jews have in the life of the New Covenant and
31:54
what God has done through them. And it's true.
31:56
God is now our friend, and those who bless you he will bless, and
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those that try to curse you, He will curse.
32:03
And the first born takes on tremendous importance throughout
32:07
the Scriptures. Remember, Jesus himself was
32:11
called the first born from the dead.
32:14
Now first born can confuse us a little bit because when we think
32:17
of in English first born, we think of order of birth.
32:23
But that's not the phrase. It's one word, not 2 words.
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And the Greek word for first born in the New Testament means
32:29
first in preeminence. First of many more.
32:33
Many more will follow Christ by faith.
32:38
You are one of them. Just like when the kids, I don't
32:41
know if they'll do it at this VBS, but and the kids are
32:43
singing songs and they're learning songs.
32:45
They'll sing a song about Father Abraham has many sons.
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Many sons has Father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you.
32:54
So let's, I don't know the rest of the song, but you get it.
32:59
I know all the hand, I know the sounds, but not all the hand
33:02
movements. And I guess you start beating
33:04
each other up in a circle or something.
33:05
But Father Abraham, many sons and daughters, you're one of
33:10
them and mine. Why?
33:11
Because we've been grafted in from the very beginning.
33:14
God is saying this is not a religious experiment that you're
33:18
going through and experience. I'm calling you into
33:22
relationship. And until you get that, you'll
33:25
always feel disconnected with Him and with each other because
33:29
the church is relational. It's all about reconnecting
33:32
people. It's all about putting us in
33:35
proximity. It's all about using US in each
33:37
other's lives. Not only that, I want you to see
33:40
parents, grandparents. Do you hear the emphasis of
33:44
telling your kids your story? He tells them twice.
33:48
You guys, you, you, you're. When your kids start asking
33:52
questions and almost can't, you hear it in the 21st century,
33:57
when your kids start asking questions, it can't be their
34:00
teacher at school that gives them the answer, That has to be
34:03
secondary. When your kids are asking
34:05
questions, it can't be the social media that gives them
34:08
their answer. It has to be secondary when your
34:10
kids are asking questions can't be their friends on their
34:13
baseball team or their football team that gives them the answer.
34:16
It has to be secondary when your kids start asking questions.
34:21
You have to tell them you're the one that has to share.
34:26
This is the mighty hand of God. He took us out of Egypt.
34:30
You have to understand He gave us freedom.
34:32
And you have to understand He gave us deliverance.
34:34
And you have to understand that he gave us.
34:37
And you, you share with your kids the work that God has done
34:40
in your life. And I shared this before.
34:43
Like if you were born into a Christian home, then your kids
34:46
need to hear that story. You need to find out the origin
34:49
story of how Christianity entered into your family and
34:53
make sure it gets passed down generation and generation for
34:56
us. It was me.
34:57
It's easy for me. It was me.
35:00
That's how it entered into our family in a very dramatic way.
35:03
And This is why this passage of Scripture and other passages are
35:07
why I was convinced, Marie and I both to tell our kids our story
35:13
at an age appropriate level as early as possible so that they
35:17
knew. I mean, you got to understand
35:19
when we're starting to show our wedding pictures and my son
35:22
says, why am I in your wedding? He needs to know.
35:30
He needs to know why he was in our wedding.
35:33
You know why he was in our wedding?
35:34
Because God delivered his dad from sin.
35:38
Not because oh, you know what? We were living sinful lives and
35:42
magnify all the sin that will come later.
35:44
That picture exists and I'm proud of it.
35:47
That picture exists because God is a redeeming God, and God is a
35:51
saving God, and God is a changing God, and God is a
35:54
delivering God. And you know what, Son?
35:56
You know what, Eddie? You're in that picture.
35:58
Because if it wasn't for the Lord, we would have never gotten
36:01
married. You would have only seen me half
36:03
the time or less, or man, you wouldn't have a dad at all
36:07
because I probably wouldn't be alive.
36:09
You need to tell your kids a story.
36:12
I know it's embarrassing. I know it's shameful, but God's
36:14
not asking you to give the embarrassing parts or the
36:17
shameful parts unless your kids can understand them.
36:21
And when they can, then you can share.
36:25
Yeah. You know what, son?
36:26
I was not a good man when I wasn't falling away.
36:30
Yeah. I mean that, that there's no
36:32
question my kids know the story by now.
36:33
I mean, they're all adults now, but like, they know the story.
36:36
You know the story, but you know, you don't know whole the
36:38
whole story because our pieces of our story are reserved for
36:42
special places. Right.
36:45
And the really, my story isn't really that big a deal.
36:48
Actually. The story's not the focus.
36:52
And sometimes that's what testimonies become.
36:54
You're like, oh, look at you, you're the hero of your
36:56
testimony. If you're the hero of your
36:58
testimony, you haven't shared a God-given testimony because the
37:02
hero of our testimonies is the faithfulness of God.
37:07
And that's what he's saying. Because if you don't tell your
37:10
kids about the power of God, if you don't demonstrate to your
37:15
kids the power of God, if you don't give them something
37:18
concrete about why they're alive today and why they're in a
37:22
Christian home and why you love God and why we go to church and
37:24
why we study about why VBS is important, why all of the whys
37:29
of your home, then they're going to fall for a lie.
37:35
You want to substitute the lies of the enemy for the wise of
37:40
God. Because you have a story.
37:43
And I know it's not, I mean, just thinking about it, like I
37:46
have to share a little bit, I have to rehearse it a little
37:48
bit. It's not good until God enters
37:52
in and then he's so faithful, it's unescapable.
37:57
Parents, it's your responsibility to initiate the
38:00
conversations, to answer the questions, to help your kids,
38:03
engage them, draw them near, help them, give them the
38:06
perspective of the power of God. This is why mom and dad goes to
38:11
church. We love Jesus.
38:13
What does that mean? Well, let me tell you a story,
38:15
son. Let me tell you a little story.
38:20
Let me tell you what God has done.
38:22
Let me put around the house memories and things to help us
38:26
remember. Let me tell you when we're
38:28
praying together. Let me tell you when God is
38:32
powerful and he's done great things.
38:38
And even someone listening to me right now, you're like man, but
38:40
I'm still pre. Yeah, but God is in your life.
38:44
If you're still pre testimony, then go ahead and seal the deal
38:47
and repent of your sins and come to know Jesus tonight and let
38:52
the real work start. God has brought you this far,
38:55
but this far is not far enough. This far has to lead to
38:58
repentance. This far like God save you.
39:01
I think of all the time, you know, somebody's in jail.
39:04
If you Get Me Out, you Get Me Out.
39:05
I'll serve you all my day. You get out, you stop serving.
39:08
Well, that's not a testimony of God, that's just using God like
39:12
this cosmic genie and he was faithful to you, but you
39:16
responded with unfaithfulness. Well, let this be the time.
39:19
No, God has got you out. Now give yourself keep your end
39:21
of the bargain because God did keep your end of the bargain.
39:25
And you and I could already hear someone in in a jail cell.
39:28
No, God hasn't gotten me out. Well, your bargain is still
39:30
there. You're alive, so be used greatly
39:32
in the place you are. God loves you.
39:37
You know the final parts of this section.
39:40
Notice then it came to pass, verse 17, when Pharaoh had let
39:43
the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land
39:47
of the Philistines, although that was near for God said, lest
39:51
perhaps the people change their minds when they see war and
39:54
return to Egypt. So the Lord led the people
39:56
around by the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea.
39:59
The children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land
40:03
of Egypt. This is interesting.
40:05
I wish we had more time, but enough to be said here.
40:08
That if you take out your Bible maps, you'll notice that the way
40:11
that God LED them was not the most convenient way, but it was
40:16
the important way. If you look, this weary, worn
40:21
out group of Hebrews are about to embark on one of the most
40:24
exciting journeys in their lives, becoming a nation,
40:27
heading into the promises of God, the milk and honey of life.
40:30
But the route that he leads them is unusual.
40:33
It's not the obvious or the shortest or the nearest that
40:38
maybe we would choose. Instead, it's an area that's
40:40
uncomfortable and not safe and a little fearful.
40:45
God LED them by the way of the wilderness.
40:49
He didn't take them through the Philistines because he didn't
40:52
want them freaked out. He didn't want them scared.
40:56
The Philistines were warriors, and these guys are nothing.
41:01
They just got a bunch of gold earrings and stuff they took
41:03
from the Egyptians. They got no weapons of war.
41:06
They're just a few days out of slavery because God knows what's
41:12
best. The shortest route would have
41:14
been by the coast. You can take your Bibles out and
41:16
see. I bet you some of your Bibles
41:18
has this already marked out for you in colour so you can see it.
41:22
It would have taken 10 or 11 days, but you'll see in our
41:26
future studies, because of unbelief.
41:28
It took them 40 years and a whole generation died because of
41:32
their unbelief. That's a different story
41:33
altogether. But God knew the weakness of the
41:37
children of Israel, so it took them the way that he wanted,
41:40
which for us today gives us a lesson to hold on to.
41:44
And it's just this. You can trust the Lord on the
41:47
path that you're on, even if, you know, sometimes you go, what
41:51
if I was in control? I would do this.
41:53
Well, thank God, we're not in control.
41:57
You can jot it down in Deuteronomy chapter 8.
41:59
There's just these new lessons that they need to learn and
42:03
you've got to know detours, delays, disturbances, timing.
42:08
Some things may seem unnecessary or even unwanted.
42:13
Maybe other times they it looks like a waste of time or
42:16
resources. But remember, God is faithful.
42:19
He knows what he's doing and you need to learn how to follow God.
42:26
When are you going to learn that lesson?
42:28
It's always your thing. Your name, Your, your, your.
42:33
And God's saying, when will you follow me?
42:36
I'm ready. Yeah, but you don't understand.
42:38
There's a shortcut. It's not good for you.
42:41
No, you don't understand. I can get there faster.
42:43
It's not good for you. No, you don't understand.
42:45
I mean, how many times? You may not say it out loud, but
42:47
in your heart you're like telling God.
42:49
God you don't understand. And God's going what we may not
42:53
understand. I know exactly what I'm doing
42:55
with your life. It's almost like God saying you
42:58
don't understand where you came from and where you were when I
43:01
met you and just how lost you were.
43:04
You think I'm going to get you lost?
43:06
I delivered you from lostness forever.
43:14
It's a hard lesson to learn though.
43:15
Notice with me night verse 19. Moses took the bones of Joseph
43:19
with him, for he placed the children of Israel under a
43:21
solemn oath, saying, God will surely visit you and you'll
43:25
carry up my bones from here with you.
43:26
I love that he kept, he kept his word all these gener 400 years
43:30
later, he kept the word. They took the bones of Joseph
43:34
into the promised land. So they took their journey from
43:36
Succoth and camped in Eatham at the edge of the wilderness.
43:39
By the way, in Succoth, this is the first of seven stops that
43:45
the children of Israel are going to make.
43:46
And each stop they're going to learn something here in suck it.
43:49
They're there and they're what they're going to learn is that
43:52
God has a divine guidance system for them.
43:54
Notice verse 21. The Lord went before them by day
43:58
in a pillar of cloud to lead the way and by night in a pillar of
44:02
fire to give them light. So as by the day and night he
44:06
did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of
44:09
fire by night from before the people.
44:13
They got a whole new way of life.
44:15
They had to learn it sucketh here this stop this place where
44:20
they're going to grow in faith. They're going to learn to trust.
44:25
It's a new way of life, trusting the Lord and following as
44:28
leading. It's remember we learning an
44:30
exodus identity, authority, identity, authority.
44:33
Their new identity is to follow the Lord.
44:35
They're not going to follow the taskmasters.
44:38
They're not going to make bricks anymore.
44:39
And if they do make bricks, it'll be for their own houses.
44:43
It'll be for themselves. They're going to learn to follow
44:45
a new master. And I know there are times I
44:47
look at this divine guidance system, like if it was a, you
44:51
know, we kind of think, you know, if God could speak to me
44:54
from a Bush or he could lead me with fire, I'd follow him so
44:57
much better. Really.
45:00
Would you? Yes, Pastor?
45:02
Yeah. It seems that it would be easier
45:07
and more clearer, but those of you that might even be saying
45:12
that right now, yes, pastor, if there was a it's dark outside
45:15
right now. So if there was a fire and big
45:18
pillar in the sky, I could easily follow it.
45:21
But you have something greater. Why would you settle for the
45:24
lesser? Why is that your posture in your
45:28
life today? You would settle for the lesser
45:31
because you have the greater. The Spirit of God lives in you.
45:34
You get direction from the inside out.
45:37
You get confirmation, you get correction, you get conviction.
45:41
God puts thoughts in your mind. He puts direction in you, and he
45:45
then bids you to follow him. You go, well.
45:47
Well, you know, I don't always know what he's saying.
45:50
I don't. I'd rather have the fire.
45:51
But then you wouldn't be living by the faith you have today.
45:58
You wouldn't be living by the faith you have today.
46:01
He illuminates the Word as you open it up.
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He's our paracleptos, the one who comes alongside of us, the
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one who dwells in US. And God brought us out so that
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he might bring us into a whole new way of thinking, a whole new
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way of living, a whole new way of experiencing and knowing God.
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And God has brought us out of bondage to bring us into
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blessings, just like the children of Israel right here.
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And so the best way to do it is to live by faith.
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Amen. Lord, thank you for your word
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tonight. And it's so rich and so good to
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us. Even in a chapter that seems
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repetitive, it's not as much as it is instructive.
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And I pray for those today that maybe have been hesitant to
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Share your story with their kids or maybe been hesitant.
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They they, they feel like they're, it's too much.
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They feel like social media is too much and the government's
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too much and the schools are too much and the word's too much And
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they just feel so weak in ministering to their kids.
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I pray for a a special anointing upon parents and grandparents,
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great grandparents tonight. That they would feel the power
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and the courage that is always already there by faith to step
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into their kids lives with love and care and concern and to win
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back the hearts of their kids if needed and to walk alongside of
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them to help them on the journey.
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Just like it here. Tell your kids, tell your kids.
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Tell your kids. Even tonight, you're telling us,
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your kids of your faithfulness, that whatever we're worried
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about tonight, you got it taken care of.
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Whatever's causing us anxiety, you got it taken care of.
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Whatever the unknown is in the future, you've already been
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there. You already know where you're
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taking. Yeah, but this route, this is
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not what I wanted for my life. This is not what I wanted for my
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marriage. This is not what I want.
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No, no, no, no. This is what God wanted.
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And so we want what you have for us.
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Lord, instill in US faith. Build us up, set us free Lord,
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the one that you said, the the one that you set free.
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Jesus is free indeed. Let us walk out here as
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Christians, that indeed the live in the freedom that's ours, in
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Jesus name, Amen. We pray that you've been
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encouraged by this Bible study, delivered live from the
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sanctuary of Calvary Church. For prayer, call us at 87730
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Grace that's 877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
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entirety or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
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online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
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Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
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this week.