By my Name

Let's talk more about the significance of God attaching his name to his deliverance. In Exodus 6 we see how God keeps drawing attention to himself. "I am the LORD" is his refrain over and over again. I touched on the signficance of that, but how about you? What are seeing?

Also, what difference should that make for us? Is it merely an interesting theological point? What is God meaning to do by attaching his name to his deliverance?

I'm excited to hear what you say.

Pastor Brian


UPDATE: Here's the link to the Compassion Int. story I mentioned this morning.

We are peculiar, aren't we?

There is something really strange about the people of God turning to Pharaoh for help (Ex. 5:15-19). Why turn there? It doesn't seem to make much sense. But such is the wisdom of a heart bent on figuring this thing called life out on its own. I'm so thankful that God pardons such sin; that he doesn't quit on me when I act so foolishly and rebelliously.

What are you seeing in the text? I'd love to hear what God is showing you from our study of Exodus. Be an encouragement to me and to others by pointing something out in the text that we have looked at yet.

Blessings,
Pastor Brian

Lying words

**Before we start, if you're comfortable, please put your name down when you make a comment. Don't be bashful.

First of all, don't hesitate asking questions is you have any. Please know you have permission to ask any question you want.

We finished our sermon this past Sunday by looking at some common lies we are tempted to believe about sin, namely, 1) the warnings against sin are exaggerated, 2) the frontal assault against God's word (i.e. "did God really say?") and 3) deceiving ourselves by thinking we know better than God.

I'm sure there are more. What might some of those be? Help your brothers and sisters about by pointing out a lie or two that you are tempted to believe about God's word and your sin. If possible, contrast the lie with what the Word of God says.

Pastor Brian

I will harden Pharaoh's heart

God says this in Exodus 4:21, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go." As I said in the sermon on Sunday, that's a startling sentence.

This is not an isolated statement. God makes this clear time and time again in the book of Exodus; in addition to that, this is referenced and affirmed in other places in scripture.

God is over all and in all. Nothing escapes his sovereign grasp. While such information is challenging to understand, we need to gladly embrace what is truly revealed of God in his word.

Now, there is a temptation to think something like, "Well, I'm so glad Jesus isn't like this. I'm so glad our Jesus isn't like the god of the OT." Not so fast; Jesus says the exact same thing. Let me show you.

Jesus' disciples were perplexed as to why Jesus would teach in parables; they were just so hard to understand. Along with other things, Jesus quotes an OT passage explaining why he would teach in parables. It says, "You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them" (Read Matt. 13:10-17)

Do you understand what Jesus is saying? He saying, "I speak in parables to keep the hard, unrepentant in the dark. I'm keeping them from seeing and being healed." That's Jesus; kind, meek and tenderhearted Jesus. So, God hardening hearts and keeping people from repentance is not some obscure, isolated OT revelation; its something we all need to come to grips with.

So, any thoughts?

Pastor Brian