Advent 1: A New Exodus

A New Exodus

Matthew 2: 13 – 23.

Introduction

I can think of several reasons why I am glad we observe Advent in our church.

First, Advent is a time for us to slow down and anticipate—or even prepare ourselves—for the coming of Christmas. We are different from the rest of the world. We observe Christmas as one of our holiest days on the Christian calendar. However, we don’t rush into Christmas as soon as Thanksgiving is over. We take the next four weeks to anticipate the coming of the Christ child. Christmas is not yet here, but we anticipate that Christmas is coming. Therefore, we will prepare ourselves while we wait on the coming of Christ.

Second, Advent reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas. For the world, Christmas is about Santa Claus, snowmen, spending too much money, stressful relationships with friends and family, and the hustle and bustle of trying to get everything ready. While many of us will experience these aspects of Christmas, Advent reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is the coming of the Christ child. God loved us so much that he became one of us. God entered into human history as a helpless child. This child was named Jesus, or “Yahweh saves.” He was called Immanuel, or “God is with us.”

Third, Advent helps us to step out of the noise of Christmas. Just consider some of the noisy things that happened on the first official day of Christmas shopping. A man in California was shot in a Wal-Mart parking lot when he refused to give his shopping bags to thieves. At another Wal-Mart in California, customers waited in line for discounts on Xbox games. When the employees brought out the discounted games, a woman in line sprayed pepper spray so she could jump to the front of the line.[1]

Apparently, Christmas shopping brings out the worst in some people. It brings out competition, jealousy, ambition, and ultimately greed.

Advent helps us to get out of the competition, jealousy, ambition and greed of Christmas to focus on the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love that only Christ can bring.

Of course, there is nothing really new about competition, jealousy, ambition and greed. These terms describe the world we live in, the world we grew up and the world in which Jesus was born.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that when Jesus was born, Wise Men from the East came to Judea to see the One born King of the Jews. Since they were looking for a new King, they went to the capitol city. After all, it makes sense that a King would be found in the capitol city. The Wise Men first inquired about the new King in the palace of the old king, Herod. But, Jesus was not to be found in either the capitol city or in the king’s palace. He was born in the out-of-the-way, insignificant city of Bethlehem.

The Wise men were innocent. All they wanted to do was to find the One born King of the Jews. However, their visit enraged Herod and brought out his competition, jealousy, ambition and greed.

Matthew 2: 13 – 23.

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,

15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,

23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

(NIV)

Over the past few weeks, I have been preaching from the Book of Exodus. When I first started studying Exodus, I read a statement by an Old Testament scholar that shaped the way I approached the Book of Exodus. He reminded me that when Christian preachers preach from the Old Testament, we ought to ask ourselves if we can preach the same sermon in a Jewish synagogue. If my sermons can be preached in a Jewish Synagogue, then I am not preaching a Christian message.

That one statement has helped me to discover the ways that the Book of Exodus anticipates the coming of Jesus Christ and helps us to understand exactly who Jesus is. In fact, this is what Matthew had in mind when he wrote his gospel. Matthew wrote the story of Jesus to Jewish people living in the First Century World.

In the First Century, the faithful Jews were living in hope and expectation. They were hoping for the coming Messiah. They expected this coming Messiah to be their deliverer, their king, and their savior. And Matthew wrote his Gospel to these hopeful, expectant Jews.

Matthew wrote with one purpose in mind. He wanted to show the faithful Jews of the First Century that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the legitimate Messiah. In order to prove Jesus was and is the legitimate Messiah, Matthew had to demonstrate how Jesus could be the King without holding political office. He also had to prove from the Jewish Scriptures that Jesus is the One the Jews had been hoping for.

Out of Egypt I Called My Son.

Matthew spends more time than any of the other Gospel writers quoting from the Old Testament. He does this to serve his purpose. Again, he is writing to Jews and trying to prove that Jesus is the legitimate Messiah. The best way to accomplish this is to show how the life of Jesus—beginning with his birth—actually fulfills Old Testament prophecy.

We find a good example here in Matthew 2. Herod is jealous of the One born King of the Jews. He will go to any lengths to protect his kingdom. History tells us that Herod even went so far as to kill his own wife and two of his sons to stop a coup. It should come as no surprise that Herod would kill the baby boys under the age of two.

The surprise is that God steps in to protect Jesus. God spoke to Joseph in a dream to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. From a historical point of view, this is not unusual. Many Jews sought refuge in Egypt in the ancient world. In the Book of Genesis, we read about Abraham going to Egypt to escape a famine, and later Jacob took his family to Egypt for the same reason. For Matthew, the escape to Egypt had a theological purpose. It fulfilled the prophecy in Hosea 11.

Hosea 11: 1, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”

Hosea’s words remind us of what God said to Pharaoh in Exodus 4: 22 – 23, “Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, ‘Let my son go, so he may worship me.’ But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”

Hosea is writing about God’s love for Israel and reminding us how God rescued his people out of slavery in Egypt. God took a people who had no identity—they were slaves and nothing more than property of the King of Egypt—and made them into his own people.

Hosea is not writing about Jesus, the future Son of God. But, for some reason Matthew finds this to be a prophecy about Jesus.

Matthew knows that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the hopes and dreams of the Jewish people. Jesus fulfills the specific prophecies of the Old Testament, AND Jesus fulfills the general trajectory of Scripture.

We need to be careful here, because Matthew can do things with the Old Testament that you and I cannot. Matthew can find Jesus in Old Testament passages where the Old Testament authors were not writing about Jesus, because Matthew was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew can look back at the Jewish Scriptures and claim that Jesus fulfills all the hopes of Israel.

God brought Israel out of Egypt to establish them as a nation and to enact his covenant with his people. Then, God brought Jesus out of Egypt to establish a new people (the Kingdom of God) and to fulfill the hopes of Israel.

Rachel Weeping for Her Children

Matthew used the same type of interpretation when he described the weeping and mourning that resulted from Herod’s command to kill the baby boys. He quoted the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31: 15, “This is what the LORD says: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.’”

Jeremiah was predicting the Babylonian Exile. He was telling the people of Judah that their sons would be carried off as slaves to a foreign land. They would be led out of the city of Jerusalem through the small town of Ramah. Ramah is the place where Jacob’s wife Rachel was buried. Therefore, as the Israelite young men were led out as slaves, the people would hear the sounds of weeping coming from Rachel’s grave.

Matthew’s first Scripture was a related to the Exodus. This Scripture is related to the Exile. Both the Exodus and the Exile threatened to put an end to God’s people. And, in both the Exodus and the Exile we see the providence of God and God’s salvation. Matthew associates Jesus with the two most significant acts of salvation in the Old Testament.

In the Exile, there was weeping because the situation seemed hopeless. However, God was at work—even in the midst of Exile. God brought his people back from Exile. In Herod’s massacre of the babies, there was weeping because the situation seemed hopeless. Mothers wept and mourned because their futures were lost when the sons were killed. However, God was at work—even in the midst of a massacre. God rescued his Son, Jesus, the true hope and the true future.

A New Israel

By associating Jesus with the two most significant salvation events in the Old Testament, he has given us a fuller understanding of who Jesus is. Jesus is the focus of God’s salvation plan.

God’s salvation began by focusing on the entire nation of Israel. God rescued them and established them as a nation governed by God and his Law. Eventually the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms. One kingdom strayed from God’s Law. One kingdom remained faithful. God’s plan of salvation focused on the faithful of Israel. When the Kingdom of Judah was carried off into Exile, God promised to work with a remnant of those who were faithful.

The entire trajectory of God’s salvation—moving from the nation of Israel to the Kingdom of Judah to the remnant who returned from Exile—now comes to fulfillment in the Person of Jesus. Jesus was faithful to God as Israel never was.

Perhaps Matthew wants us to read the entire context of Hosea 11: 1.

Hosea 11: 1 – 11.

1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

2 But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.

3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.

4 I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.

5 "Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?

6 Swords will flash in their cities, will destroy the bars of their gates and put an end to their plans.

7 My people are determined to turn from me. Even if they call to the Most High, he will by no means exalt them.

8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.

9 I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man-- the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.

10 They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.

11 They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria. I will settle them in their homes," declares the LORD.

(NIV)

God never gave up on Israel. He kept pursuing Israel. And Israel kept turning away from God. The birth of Jesus is God’s continuing to use Israel in his plans for salvation. The birth of Jesus represents a New Exodus.

Conclusion: A New Exodus

In the first Exodus, God accomplished two things. He rescued his people from slavery, AND he established his people as the Nation of Israel.

In the New Exodus, God accomplished the same two things. He rescued his people from slavery, AND he established his people as the Kingdom of God.

Slavery…Sin…Evil…Death. The Christ Child grew to become Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus lived a sinless and perfect life. He was faithful in a way that Israel was not. He gave his life as a sacrifice of blood to rescue us from slavery to sin. He rose again to rescue us from slavery to evil and death.

Kingdom of God. Jesus did not come to establish an earthly kingdom defined by geopolitical boundaries. Instead, Jesus established a Kingdom with no boundaries.

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[1] http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-11-26/black-friday-pepper-spraying/51410606/1?csp=34news

Revelation and Response

Exodus 24: 1 – 11.

Introduction.

Why do you come to church on Sunday mornings? I suppose there are several reasons.

Some people come to church, because they are in the habit of coming to church. Maybe you have come to church for the past five years of your life, and it is your habit. Of course, some of us have come to church longer than five years—ten, twenty, forty, or even eighty years. Long habits are hard to break.

Some people come to church for Bible study. We know that the Bible is God’s word to us. Therefore, you are involved in Sunday School to hear God’s word and apply it to your life. And in the Baptist tradition, the Bible is an important part of the worship service. We read the Bible and we interpret the Bible in all of our gatherings.

Some people come to church to worship God. In our tradition, public worship includes singing songs, hymns and spiritual songs; praying together; reading and interpreting the Bible; and two church ordinances—baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Every aspect of our worship can be described as a “dialog” with God. God reveals himself, and we respond. God reveals himself as our savior, and we respond by singing our reverence for God as well as our joy for what God has done for us. Prayer is a response to God. God reveals himself as our provider, and we respond by placing all our needs in God’s hands. The offering is our response to God. God reveals himself as the source of all good gifts—including our finances, and we respond by giving a portion of our income back to God who first gave to us.

In Exodus 24, we see a picture of worship as dialog of revelation and response. God revealed himself as savior by rescuing his people from slavery in Egypt. God revealed himself as provider by giving his people food and water in the desert. God revealed himself as the giver of all good gifts by giving his people gold, silver, flocks of animals, and his Law.

I have already pointed out the relationship between Grace and Law in the Book of Exodus. Grace came before the Law. God redeemed his people then gave them the Law. Therefore, the Law is what God expects from redeemed people. It is not the prerequisite for redemption. Grace comes before the Law.

Since Grace comes before the Law, we can also say that the Law is a gift from God. When God gave his Law, he revealed something about his character. When God gave his Law, he answered all questions about how redeemed people are supposed to live. We don’t have to wonder what God expects from us. God told us. We don’t have to grope around in darkness to figure out life on our own. God told us how we are supposed to live as his redeemed people.

It is also important to note that the Law describes worship. God told us who we are supposed to worship. God told us how we are supposed to worship. Worship is an important part of obedience. In fact, we should not separate worship and obedience. Worship is one way we demonstrate our obedience. Worship is something redeemed people do.

Read Exodus 24: 1 – 11.

1 Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance,

2 but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him."

3 When Moses went and told the people all the LORD's words and laws, they responded with one voice, "Everything the LORD has said we will do."

4 Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD.

6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar.

7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey."

8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."

9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up

10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.

11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

(NIV)

According to verse 3, Moses told the people all of the LORD’s “words and laws.” The significance of the phrase “words and laws” probably comes from Exodus 20: 1 and Exodus 21: 1.

In Exodus 20, we read the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 1 introduced the Ten Commandments by saying, “And God spoke all these words.”

In Exodus 21 – 23, we read the application of the Ten Commandments. God took individual commandments and showed his people how they were to be applied—or lived out—in the day-to-day life of Israel. Exodus 21: 1 introduced these case laws by saying, “These are the laws you are to set before them.”

This leads me to believe that Moses has just read the entire law to the people. He read God’s direct commandments and God’s case law application of those commandments.

This is important because we recognize God as the source of both the commandments and the case laws. God’s Law reveals the character of God. It shows his love for his people. It shows his nature as the God who saved them. It demonstrates his holiness by demanding that God’s redeemed people will live out the same kind of holiness.

The Law tells us that God wants our lives to be lived in a spiritual context, not separating the sacred from the secular. It tells us that God’s word addresses every aspect of our lives, everything from our worship to our every day relationships with family. It tells us that God expects his people to be distinct from the rest of the world, to be holy as God himself is holy—set apart to be used in God’s service.

When God revealed himself to his people, they respond in worship. The first thing they do is to answer enthusiastically, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.”

Sacrifice / Shedding of Blood.

The people’s response leads Moses to build altars and offer sacrifices. Verse 5 describes two different types of sacrifices—burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

We ought to note how costly these sacrifices were. They were very costly for the Israelites, because they sacrificed young bulls from their herds. The sacrifices were costly to the bulls, because it cost them their lives.

After sacrificing the bulls on the altars, Moses divided the blood in half. He placed half of the blood on the altar as an offering to God and sprinkled half of the blood on the people. This demonstrates the two functions of the two different types of offerings. The blood on the altar was offered to God as atonement for the sins of the people. The blood on the people was to make them right in God’s sight.

Through the shedding of blood, the people received two gifts from God. First, they received forgiveness of sins. Second, they received fellowship / relationship with God.

Shedding of blood is an important concept throughout the entire Bible. In the Old Testament, we read about an elaborate sacrificial system. Certain sins require certain sacrifices. In different contexts, God asked his people to sacrifice different animals—doves, lambs, goats, bulls, etc… In the New Testament, there is no mention of animal sacrifice. This is because the crucifixion of Jesus was the final—once and for all—sacrifice for our sins.

The New Testament Book of Hebrews goes to great lengths to demonstrate the supremacy of Jesus and how the crucifixion took the place of the Old Testament sacrificial system. In fact, Hebrews 9 interprets Exodus 24 for us in light of the crucifixion.

Hebrews 9: 19 – 22, “When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep." In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (NIV).”

The Book of Hebrews tells us that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus has accomplished once and for all everything the animal sacrifices accomplished. Through the crucifixion and resurrection, we can have forgiveness of sin and fellowship with God.

Relationship / Seeing God.

After Moses offered sacrifices, we read a remarkable thing in verses 9 and 10. Four men went up Mount Sinai and actually saw God.

Exodus 24: 9 – 10, “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself (NIV).”

We know who Moses is, because he has been one of the central characters throughout the Book of Exodus. We know who Aaron is, because he is Moses’ brother whom God sent to help Moses. But, who are Nadab and Abihu? They are Aaron’s sons who were mentioned in Aaron’s genealogy in Exodus 6. As descendants of Aaron, they are also priests. But, perhaps more importantly, they got to see God in Exodus 24.

Moses and the priests got to see God, because of the effectiveness of the sacrifices. Their sins were forgiven, and they were made right in God’s eyes.

Since we believe that Jesus has already fulfilled the sacrificial system through his crucifixion and resurrection, does this mean it is possible for you and me to see God? YES.

John 14: 5 – 10, “Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work (NIV).”

1 John 4: 7 – 12, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us (NIV).”

There are two ways we can see God.

First, we see God through Jesus. He is one with God. He speaks the word of God. He lived the character of God by fulfilling all of God’s words and laws.

Second, we see God through the love of God’s people. When God’s people love each other, God is real and visible in our world.

I know you can probably relate to this. You are not feeling very close to God, because you are facing a difficult time in your life. Maybe you were experiencing doubts. Or, maybe you were suffering through health problems or the death of someone you love. Then, unexpectedly, you get a contact from a Christian friend. They pray for you and demonstrate the love of God. All of a sudden, God is real and present.

Some people think the best way to make God real for other people is to engage in theological debate or to boycott. That’s not what 1 John says. First John tells us that God becomes real and visible through our love.

Covenant / Eating and Drinking.

Exodus 24 is about worship and demonstrates how worship is a dialog with God. God reveals himself. God’s people respond.

Moses read the words and laws to the people. The people responded with a commitment to obey God and by offering sacrifices.

God allowed Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu to see God. When they saw God, they responded by eating and drinking.

Exodus 24: 9 – 11, “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank (NIV).”

In the Old Testament, it was common for people to confirm a covenant between two parties by sharing a meal together. We see this in Exodus 18, when Moses and Jethro met. But, it was also a common way to confirm a covenant between God and his people. We see this in the story of the Passover. The people sacrificed a lamb, painted the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, and ate a meal together.

We see the same kind of imagery in the New Testament. For example, this is the meaning of the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples.

On one hand, we believe Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples was the Passover meal. We can recognize the symbolism and the connections between the Passover and the Last Supper. The Passover commemorates God’s salvation for his people in Egypt. The Last Supper commemorates God’s salvation through the crucifixion and resurrection.

On the other hand, Jesus instituted his Last Supper as something that was to continue until the day of his return.

Luke 22: 14 – 16, “When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God (NIV).”

Jesus’ words tell me that the Lord’s Supper is something that helps us look back at the past and forward to the future. We look back to the connection between Passover and the crucifixion of Jesus as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. We look forward to a heavenly meal we will share together in the presence of Jesus.

Conclusion.

Revelation and response…

Worship is the response of the redeemed…

It is an act of obedience. We cannot separate our worship and obedience…

Grace and Law

Grace and Law

Exodus 20: 1 – 21.

Introduction

For the past few weeks, we have been reading from the Book of Exodus. As the name of the book suggests, it tells the story of how God rescued his people from slavery in Egypt. The word “exodus” means a “sudden escape of a large group of people.” And that is what happened. God sent Moses to redeem God’s people from slavery. God used Moses to confront Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, and to announce the ten plagues.

However, I want you to notice something about the format of the Book of Exodus. Yes, the book does describe an exodus. But, all of the events leading up to the Exodus happen before chapter 12. That is less than half of the Book of Exodus. The majority of the Book of Exodus doesn’t describe an exodus at all. The majority of the book describes what God’s people did after they were rescued from Egypt.

With that in mind, I want you to notice that we are reading from Exodus 20 today. It contains the story of what happened when God’s people gathered at Mount Sinai. God fulfilled his promise to Moses. God spoke to his people gathered at the foot of the mountain. And, God gave the Ten Commandments. This is significant, because it happens in chapter 20 of a book with 40 chapters. The events of Mount Sinai stand at the center of the Book of Exodus. These events are a kind of focal point.

Another way to say this is to say, the Book of Exodus can be divided into three sections. 1) The events leading up to Mount Sinai. 2) What happened on Mount Sinai—the Ten Commandments. 3) The way God’s people lived in response to the Ten Commandments.

I can think of two reasons why the Ten Commandments occupy such a prominent place in the Book of Exodus. On one hand, this is the moment when the Hebrew people became the nation of Israel. God took a people who had no identity of their own—they were slaves / property of the nation of Egypt—and formed them into his own people. On the other hand, this is the moment when God revealed himself to his people. Before Mount Sinai, the people knew about God through what Moses had told them about God. They also knew God as the God who had heard their cries for help and had redeemed them from slavery. But, now God tells them something about his character.

We should not think about the Ten Commandments as merely rules to govern our lives. We should think of this as rules which reflect the character of God.

Exodus 20: 1 – 21.

1 And God spoke all these words:

2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 "You shall have no other gods before me.

4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

6 but showing love to a thousand of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.

11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

13 "You shall not murder.

14 "You shall not commit adultery.

15 "You shall not steal.

16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance

19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."

20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

(NIV)

The Bible tells us that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he was carrying two tablets. Traditionally, we believe there were four commandments written on the first tablet and six commandments written on the second tablet. The Bible doesn’t tell us how the commandments were divided into two tablets. This is just what we think, because the Ten Commandments can be divided into two sections—our relationship with God and our relationship with other people.

The first four commandments describe how we are supposed to relate to God. The last six commandments describe how we are supposed to relate to other people.

Do not worship other gods… This commandment is significant in the fact that God’s people have just left the land of Egypt where the people worshipped many false gods. Now, they were getting ready to enter the land of Canaan where the people worshipped other false gods. God has demonstrated his power over the false gods of Egypt and will demonstrate his power over the false gods of Canaan.

But this raises a question for our modern minds. If these false gods are false and powerless, doesn’t that mean false gods don’t really exist? Yes, false gods do not exist. But, the worship of false gods is very real. There is no such thing as Baal. But, Baalism is very real. In our modern world, we can make the same point about various world religions. Their gods don’t exist, but the temptation to worship false gods is very real. Or, we can say that money and wealth are not real gods; yet, materialism is a powerful force and temptation even for many Christian people.

Do not make idols… Since ancient people used idols to worship their false gods, it is tempting to read this commandment as the same as the first commandment. But if this is a separate commandment, it will have a separate meaning.

I think the difference between the first and second commandment can be described as the “who” of worship and the “how” of worship. The first commandment tells us to worship the God of salvation. The God who rescued his people from slavery is the only God worthy of worship. The second commandment tells us how we ought to worship the One, True God.

Our worship is to be distinct from the worship of other people. They use idols. We do not use idols. Instead, we worship God in the way God has revealed himself to us. Since God did not appear to Moses at the burning bush and God did not appear to his people at Mount Sinai, we do not worship an image of God. God revealed himself to Moses through his word and revealed himself at Mount Sinai through his word. Therefore, we worship God by hearing his word and living in obedience to what God has said.

Do not take the LORD’s name in vain… Name in the Bible is very closely associated with character. An example of this is found when God gave his name to Moses. Moses asked God, “What is your name?” God answered, “I am who I am.”

The name of God reflects the faithfulness of God. God is unchanging. He was the same God to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. He was the same God to Peter, Andrew, James and John. He was the same God to Barnabas, Paul, Timothy and Titus. He is the same God to us today. He is the only God who can save us from our slavery to sin, death and evil. He is the only God who is perfect in righteousness and holiness.

To use the name of God in a vain (or empty) way is to disparage the character of God. We are to speak of God only in the context of adoration and worship. Anything else would take for granted God’s holiness and his salvation.

Remember the Sabbath day… In many ways, this is a commandment for us to imitate God in the ways we live our lives. Since God did his work of creation in six days and rested on the seventh day, God’s people are to imitate God by working six days and resting one day.

But the most important way to interpret this is that we are to order our lives around God. Don’t order your life around your work week. Don’t order your life around your husband or wife. Don’t order your life around your children (or their soccer games, baseball games, softball games, dance recitals…). Order your life around God by spending a day in worship and service to God every week.

Honor your father and mother… At this point, the commandments shift from our relationship to God to our relationships with other people. For the ancient Hebrews, the home was the primary human relationship. If you can’t get along with your parents, you won’t be able to get along with anyone else.

Honor was an important part of ancient culture. To honor your parents means more than “children obey your parents.” Children bring dishonor on their parents by disobeying them or rebelling against parental authority. But children also bring dishonor on their parents by abandoning them when they are older.

Do not murder… This is a fairly obvious commandment. It doesn’t need much explanation, and the Bible does not even try to explain it.

Murder only refers to human life. It does not refer to animal or plant life. You cannot use this commandment to rationalize a vegetarian lifestyle.

But I want you to notice that this is one of God’s commands. To break this command is not a sin against society. This is a sin against God. It is contrary to the character of God. God is the giver of all life. We are not to take what God has given.

Do not commit adultery… Again, this is another obvious commandment. The Bible does not take time to explain what adultery is or even why adultery is wrong.

It seems that we can make a similar point to the fifth commandment. The family is instrumental in forming God’s people. Therefore, the family is to be protected.

Or, we can make the same point as the sixth commandment. This is not given in a civil context—as if adultery is contrary to societal norms. Instead, this is given in a religious context. Adultery, like murder, is a sin against God. It is contrary to the character of God. The husband and wife relationship is used in both Old Testament and New Testament to describe the faithfulness of God to God’s people (the nation of Israel and the church). Therefore, we are to be faithful as God himself is faithful.

Do not steal… This is another obvious commandment. While we are tempted to interpret this in light of capitalism, we need to remember this is another religious commandment. Stealing does violate the rights of others. But, it is ultimately a sin against God. It is contrary to the character of God. God is the God of grace, who gives good gifts to his people. Everything comes to us as a gift from God. Therefore, we are to reflect the character of God by being givers and not takers.

Do not bear false witness… This commandment contains several technical words which can lead to a narrow interpretation. It is possible to interpret this to mean “do not falsely testify under oath against another member of God’s people.”

I prefer to read it in the broadest possible interpretation, “do not lie.” Once again, this reflects the character of God. God is true, and God is truthful. As God’s people, we are to be people committed to telling the truth and living the truth in all aspects of our lives. We should not have to be under oath to be trustworthy.

Do not covet… A remarkable fact about this commandment is the way it focuses on the heart and mind, not on our actions. Sin does not have to be an external action. It is possible to have sinful thoughts and sinful desires. God is concerned that our internal lives match our external actions. Refusing to steal while desiring to have someone else’s stuff is still a sin. Refusing to commit adultery while lusting after another man’s wife is still a sin.

Interpreted in this way, we can think of the tenth commandment as a summary statement. God wants us to control the internal thoughts and desires which eventually lead to sinful, external actions.

Progression of Commandments.

It is important to note the order of the Ten Commandments. Traditionally, we have placed a dividing line between the fourth commandment and the fifth commandment. The first four commands describe how we are to relate to God. The final six commandments describe the way we relate to other people. However, it is also possible to divide the commandments into three sections by holding out the fifth commandment as separate from all others.

Separating the fifth commandment reminds us that the way most of us first understood God was through the influence of our parents. We come to know God through our parents, and we learn how to relate to other people by the way we relate to our closest family members.

It also demonstrates the way God wants us to prioritize out lives. Your relationship to God must come before all other relationships. Your relationship to your family is more important than any other relationship—other than your relationship with God. If you love other people and demonstrate kindness and compassion to others, but your relationship with God is not your first priority…You are a humanitarian, but your life is not a godly life.

Character of God.

One way to interpret the Ten Commandments is to think of them as rules for living. If everyone would live out the Ten Commandments, the world would be a better place to live. I cannot argue with that, because it is certainly true.

However, we need to keep in mind that God always has a purpose for his words. As Christians, we believe that God reveals himself in his word. And that is what we see in the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 20: 2, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Notice that God used his name when he addressed his people. “LORD” in all capital letters always translates the Hebrew name Yahweh. God is reminding the people who he is, “I am who I am,” before he gives them the Ten Commandments. In other words, God is saying to his people, “I am who I am so that you can be who you are.” God wants his people to reflect God’s own character in the ways they live.

Since we know God created humanity in the Image of God, and that Image was marred when sin entered into creation; then we can interpret the Ten Commandments as God’s plan to recover the Image of God in humanity. We live out the Ten Commandments, not because they will create a better society. We live this way so we can reflect the character of the God who has redeemed us from slavery.

Purpose of the Ten Commandments.

If the Ten Commandments describe the character of God, then we need to pay special attention to people who received the Ten Commandments. God’s word was not given in a vacuum. These commandments are not to be understood in the abstract. We need to pay close attention to the context. Who gave these commandments? When were they given? To whom were they given?

Exodus 20: 2 answers all these questions. The Ten Commandments were given by the One, True God who had demonstrated his worthiness by redeeming his people from slavery. The Ten Commandments were given AFTER God had already redeemed his people. The Ten Commandments were given to redeemed people.

Notice that God did not say, “If you want to be saved, this is the way you need to live your life.” God had already saved his people. God never intended the Ten Commandments to be the way of salvation. Grace always comes before the Law. The Law is the way we respond (in gratitude) to the God who has already saved us.

Conclusion

This continues to be the purpose of the Ten Commandments. When we have been redeemed, we respond by following God’s rules for the redeemed life. The redeemed life is different from the world around us. The redeemed life reflects the character of the One who has redeemed us. Grace always precedes the Law.

As Christians, we have been redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Law does not save us. God is the one who saves. But he changes our desires that we want to live the redeemed life that pleases God.

We are not surprised when non-Christians do not follow the Ten Commandments. People who have not been redeemed do not live the redeemed life. To expect non-Christians to live the Ten Commandments is discounting the work of Christ on the cross. It is placing Law in the place of Grace.

Know It All

Know It All

Exodus 18: 1 – 27.

Introduction

Nobody is perfect. It is only human to make mistakes. If your name is not google, then you don’t know everything.

This is a wonderful time to be alive. Anything you want to know is at the tip of your fingers. When I was a kid, the best way for me to satisfy my curiosity or to work on a school project was to look it up in the World Book Encyclopedia. Any time I had to write a paper, I used the World Book. Any time I asked my dad a question that he didn’t know the answer, he told me to look it up in World Book. When my kids ask me questions that I don’t know the answer, I usually say, “Now that is a question for google.”

A few weeks ago, Collin and I were watching a football game together. He asked me a question that I did not know the answer, so I pulled out my phone and googled it. Months ago, we were watching the football movie, We Are Marshall, on TV. I wondered how accurate the movie was, so I pulled out my phone and googled it. Surprisingly, the movie stayed very close to the true story. And, every week, I use google to help me write my Sunday morning sermons.

I don’t know how I could answer my children’s questions, watch a movie on TV, or preach a sermon without google.

Now you probably already know this…But you can’t believe EVERYTHING you read on the Internet. There are some crazy people out there with some crazy ideas. And all the crazy people have their own websites. It’s important to remember the words of President Abraham Lincoln, who said, “You can’t believe everything you read on the Internet.” (I found that quote on the Internet.)

Nobody is perfect. It is only human to make mistakes. If your name is not google, then you don’t know everything.

This was even true about Moses. Of course, Moses had a lot going for him. He was God’s chosen man to redeem God’s people from slavery. Moses spoke to God directly, and God spoke to Moses directly. God gave Moses the words to say to Pharaoh, and God gave Moses specific instructions on where and how to find water and food in the desert. But, Moses wasn’t perfect…And, Moses didn’t know everything. There was a time when Moses needed advice from his father-in-law, of all people.

So far, in our study of the Book of Exodus, we have experienced one theme—God came to his people when they were in need. They were slaves in Egypt and cried out to God for help. God heard their cries for help and came to them in Egypt.

At this point in the Book of Exodus, we are witnessing the beginning of a new theme—God went with his people on their journey. Another way to describe this shift in themes is to say that the same God who saved his people is the same God who sustains them on their journey.

Perhaps that is a message you need to hear this morning. The same God who saved you is the same God who will sustain you and provide for all of your needs on your faith journey. God did not give up on the Hebrew people after he saved them from slavery. He led them into the desert. In the desert, they met with many difficulties—they had no food, they had no water, and they faced hostilities from other nations. In each of these trials, the God who saved them also provided for their needs. God did not give up on his people after he saved them, and God does not give up on us either.

Salvation is only part of what God promised to do for the Hebrew people. He promised to save them and to make them his people. He saved them by sending the plagues and parting the Red Sea. He made them his people by demonstrating his faithfulness to meet all their needs in the desert. In the same way, God saved us by sending his Son, Jesus, to live as our example, die as our sacrifice and to rise again as our hope of eternal life. Then, God makes us his own people by demonstrating his faithfulness to meet all our needs.

Exodus 18 illustrates both sides of what God does for his people. It begins by describing God’s salvation. It ends by describing God’s on going provision.

Good News Travels Far and Wide--Exodus 18: 1 – 12.

1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her

3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, "I have become an alien in a foreign land";

4 and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh."

5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

6 Jethro had sent word to him, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons."

7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.

8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.

9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.

10 He said, "Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly."

12 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

(NIV)

It is remarkable that Jethro had already heard about the Exodus. Jethro was not with Moses and the Hebrew people when they escaped from Egypt. Jethro didn’t even live in the nation of Egypt. Instead, he lived in the desert of Midian.

Moses met Jethro during the period of time when Moses was in exile in the desert. Moses protected Jethro’s daughters from some unscrupulous shepherds at a well. So, Jethro gave Moses his daughter to become Moses’ wife. AND, Jethro gave Moses a job as shepherd of Jethro’s sheep.

This was not Jethro’s only job. He was a sheep owner, and he was a priest of Midian. This is a revealing fact about Jethro. He was not a member of God’s people. He lived in a foreign land and, more than likely, worshipped a foreign god—not Yahweh, the One True God.

There was no email in the ancient world. Moses didn’t have a cell phone to call his father-in-law when he was in the neighborhood. So, how did Jethro find out?

Exodus 12: 37 tells us that there were 600,000 Hebrew men who left Egypt. More than likely, this number represents the number of men who were of military age. Some scholars estimate that there were as many as 3,000,000 people, including all men, women and children. It would be extremely difficult for 3,000,000 people to travel anywhere unnoticed. Therefore, I think this can explain how Jethro knew Moses was in the Midian desert—near Mount Horeb, where Moses had once shepherded Jethro’s sheep.

Verse 1 tells us that not only did Jethro know that Moses was in the neighborhood. He also knew that Moses was there because of God’s work of salvation. He knew about God by reputation only. But that didn’t last for long. Jethro asked Moses to tell him the whole story of what God had done for Moses and the Hebrew people.

The Bible doesn’t give us the details of what Moses told his father-in-law. But, I believe it is safe to assume that Moses did two things. First, he told his father-in-law the details. Second, he talked about God’s salvation in very personal terms.

This encounter with Jethro is no accident. It’s not even serendipity. This is what God has intended from the very beginning. God described this in his covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12. God chose Abraham so that all nations of the earth could be blessed through Abraham and his relationship with God. This is what God predicted in his words to Pharaoh in Exodus 9: 16, “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

God does not work in secret. He performs miracles; works salvation; and provides for his people in ways that can be seen and known by all people. All people can know God by his reputation. They know him as the all powerful creator; a lover of beauty, who has built beauty into his creation; the savior, who demonstrated his love for all humanity through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; and as the sustainer, who provides for all who will trust him. But, it is not enough to know God by reputation.

This is where we ought to follow in the example Moses set for us. When we meet someone who knows about God through his reputation, we need to share with them the details of God’s story and how that story is personal to us. The most powerful witness you have is to talk about what God has done for you.

You don’t have to know everything about theology. You don’t have to have an answer for every question—relationship between science and religion; the origin of evil; why bad things happen to good people. What you need is a personal experience with God. All you need to know is that you once were a sinner who could not solve your own sin problem; Jesus died on the cross to save you from your sins; Jesus rose from the dead to give you the hope of eternal life; and when you placed your faith in Jesus as the Lord of your life, God changed your life.

When Jethro heard Moses’ personal testimony, he placed his faith in the One True God. Exodus 18: 9 – 12 tells us that Jethro 1) Delighted to hear; 2) Worshipped God; 3) Acknowledged God as the One True God; and 4) Offered a sacrifice. Jethro became the first Gentile convert!

The rest of Exodus 18 tells us that Jethro also became a full member of the community. He immediately made a contribution to God’s people.

Division of Labor, Or Something Else?--Exodus 18: 13 – 27.

13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.

14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will.

16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."

17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good.

18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.

19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him.

20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.

21 But select capable men from all the people-- men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain-- and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.

23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."

24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.

25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

(NIV)

There are some good things and some bad things we can say about the way God’s people were functioning as a community.

On the good side, we can say that the people were very concerned about doing God’s will. On the bad side, Moses was trying to do everything by himself.

Every day, people would come to Moses to find out what God wanted them to do with their lives. This is very commendable. They recognized that God loved them and wanted the best for their lives. They recognized that they were God’s people and ought to live up to God’s expectations for their lives. But they had no way of discerning God’s will for their lives. They also didn’t fully understand what God’s expectations were for the way they lived their lives. So, they took all their questions and disputes to Moses.

Imagine what Moses’ father-in-law must have seen that next morning. Moses sat down as a counselor and judge. The people lined up early in the morning to wait their turn to talk to Moses and learn God’s will for their lives. With 3,000,000 people in the community, the lines had to have been worse than the lines at Disney World! (The people were probably wishing they could have access to a Disney Fast Pass.)

There is one basic problem with the way Moses dealt with this. But we can describe it in two ways. Since Moses was trying to do everything on his own, he was wearing himself out quickly. Also, since Moses was trying to do everything on his own, he wasn’t doing a very good job of teaching the people how to discern God’s will for themselves.

With that in mind, I really don’t want to think about this in terms of “division of labor.” Of course, Jethro’s advice was a division of labor on the surface. However, there is something even bigger and better taking place here. Jethro encourages Moses to teach God’s word to the people and to teach them how to incorporate God’s will in their lives.

The 3,000,000 people were divided into smaller groups. There were divisions of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. I suppose we could over think this and do the math to determine how many division leaders Moses had to appoint (3,000 leaders of thousands; 30,000 leaders of hundreds; 60,000 leaders of fifties; and 300,000 leaders of tens). But the best way to interpret this is to focus on the smallest divisions.

Perhaps it would be attractive to interpret the divisions of tens as a Sunday School class or a small group / discipleship group. But the Hebrews didn’t think about discipleship the way we do. More than likely these divisions were family units. The basic building block for discipleship and discerning God’s will is your family.

I can think of two ways this is significant. Moses has placed God’s word in the hands of the people. They no longer have to think of Moses as their priest—the only person qualified to speak to God on behalf of the people and the only person qualified to interpret God’s word to the people. God’s word is in the hands of the people, and specifically God’s word is in the hands of the families.

Parents, you are responsible for the discipleship of your children. Grandparents, you are responsible for the discipleship of your grandchildren.

Conclusion

Jethro’s advice did not save Moses from Egypt, Pharaoh or Pharaoh’s army. He saved him from a different kind of enemy. He saved Moses from himself, because Moses was trying to do everything all by himself.

A lot of people might be tempted to interpret this passage from Moses’ point of view. To do that, we would walk away saying something like, “I need to be better organized in the way I do my work. I need to delegate some responsibilities to other people. I have to get some help, or else I’m going to burn out.”

That’s probably not the best way to read this. Instead, we ought to interpret this from Jethro’s point of view and the people’s point of view.

In the beginning of the chapter, Jethro converted. He left his faith in the false gods of Midian and became a believer in Yahweh, the One True God. Then, Jethro immediately made a contribution to the community of faith.

The people expected Moses to represent them before God and to interpret God’s word and will for them. Then, Moses placed God’s word in the hands of the people. He asked the people to become responsible for discerning God’s will for their lives. He asked them to make a contribution to the life of the community.

This Scripture does not tell you that you are doing too much. It tells you that you are not doing enough.

Every member of the church has a contribution to make to the community of faith. If you are not making a contribution to the church, then you are not doing enough. If you are not making a contribution, then you are expecting someone else to take up your responsibilities.

Our church is really not that different from other churches. In a typical church, twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work (and twenty percent of the people give eighty percent of the money).

Only you can answer this question. Which percentage are you in? Are you a member of the twenty percent who support the church through financial support and work? Or, are you a part of the eighty percent who account for a minority of the work and finances?

It doesn’t matter who you are or how long you have been a part of this church, you have a contribution to make. God has given you gifts, experiences and wisdom that no one else has. Perhaps you have gifts to contribute to a ministry that already exists. If so, get to work. Or, maybe you have a passion to start something new in our church. If so, go for it. (This is the way our women’s ministry began, and I am waiting for a man to have the same passion to start a men’s ministry.)

I can promise you this…God wants you to contribute to the work and the finances of our church…And I will not hold you back. I will help you find the resources and the volunteers to accomplish what God has placed on your heart.