From Bondage To Breakthrough: God’s Hand In The Story Of His People

Sermon Title: “From Bondage to Breakthrough: God’s Hand in the Story of His People”

Main Scripture: Exodus 3:7-8 – “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them…”

Illustration: "Grandma’s Church Hat and the Power of Legacy"

"There was a woman I knew—let’s call her Grandma Johnson. Now, Grandma Johnson was the kind of church mother who didn’t just show up on Sabbath—she arrived. Every week, she’d step into church dressed to the nines, Bible in one hand, purse in the other, and that BIG church hat sitting proudly on her head. And I mean BIG—big enough to shade half the choir stand and block at least three people’s view of the preacher!"

"One Sabbath, her grandson, trying to be a little too smart for his own good, looked up at her and asked, ‘Grandma, why do you always wear that big ol’ hat to church?’ Now, she could have just brushed him off, but instead, she adjusted that hat like a queen adjusting her crown, looked him straight in the eye, and said: ‘Baby, because my mother wore one, and her mother before her. After everything they went through, we’re still standing, still worshiping, and still looking good doing it!’"

*"And you know what? She was right. Because in many ways, Black history is just like that church hat—it’s a symbol of faith, resilience, and dignity passed down through generations. Our ancestors faced struggles we can’t even imagine, but through it all, they kept their faith, they kept their dignity, and they passed it on.

And here’s the real question today: What are we passing on? Are we just remembering history, or are we continuing the legacy? Are we walking in the faith and strength of those who came before us? Because whether it’s a hat, a prayer, or a testimony—we are here today because someone before us refused to quit!"

Introduction: The God Who Delivers!

Church, let me tell you today—we serve a God of deliverance! A God who sees, a God who hears, and a God who acts on behalf of the oppressed. He is not silent. He is not distant. He is the God who brings freedom!

From the very beginning, God has been on the side of the broken, the burdened, the enslaved, and the oppressed. From Egypt to America, from ancient Israel to the Civil Rights Movement, from the cries of Moses to the cries of Martin Luther King Jr., God has always raised up leaders to declare: ‘LET MY PEOPLE GO!’

So today, I come with a message of hope, history, and a holy calling! We are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us—a legacy of faith, a legacy of resilience, and a legacy of justice. And just as they stood for righteousness, WE must stand!

I. The Biblical Narrative of Oppression and Freedom

📖 Text: Exodus 1-15

Let’s go back to Egypt! The Israelites were enslaved for 400 years—generation after generation under the chains of Pharaoh’s rule. They were beaten, broken, and burdened. They cried out to God, and God heard them!

🔹 He raised up a leader—Moses!

🔹 He sent plagues to shake the oppressor!

🔹 He split the Red Sea to make a way out of no way!

And let me tell you something, church—God didn’t stop delivering people after Egypt! He didn’t stop when the Red Sea closed. He is STILL the God of deliverance!

The story of the Israelites mirrors the story of Black people in America.

🔹 Stolen from their homeland, just as Israel was taken to Egypt.

🔹 Forced into hard labor, just as Pharaoh forced Israel into slavery.

🔹 Stripped of identity, culture, and freedom—but never stripped of faith!

But GOD raised up leaders!

🔹 Harriet Tubman—A modern-day Moses, leading hundreds to freedom!

🔹 Frederick Douglass—A voice like a prophet, speaking truth to power!

🔹 Martin Luther King Jr.—Like Moses, standing before Pharaoh, demanding justice!

🔥 **KEY POINT: GOD IS A DELIVERER!**🔥

He hears the cries of the oppressed, and He moves in His perfect time.

II. Black Presence in the Bible: God’s Global Kingdom

📖 Text: Acts 8:26-39

Some say Christianity is a "Western religion"—but let’s open the Bible and correct that lie RIGHT NOW!

🔹 The Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-39)—One of the first Gentiles to accept Christ was an African man! The gospel spread to Africa before it ever reached Europe!

🔹 Simon of Cyrene (Luke 23:26)—A North African man was given the honor of carrying the cross of Jesus! That means Africa was there at Calvary!

🔹 The Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13)—A powerful African queen who sought divine wisdom from Solomon and brought riches to Israel.