I Know It Was The Blood

TITLE: I KNOW IT WAS THE BLOOD

SCRIPTURE: EXODUS 11:4-7

VS. 7 – is really powerful and significant. The text says “…THE LORD DOTH PUT A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EGYPTIANS AND ISRAEL.” I have been thinking much the past few days about the fact that RELIGION has changed and taken the focus from God and placed all the attention on man.

• Hearing too many shallow sermons about us instead of God

• Money seems to be all Powerful instead of the Powerful Anointing of God

• Sermons and Gospel songs about us Living On Top The World and How We Should Smile

• We are moving more and more away from the Truth of the Gospel

• We want to be entertained just like the world

• We no longer call it Worship, now we want to be “In The Flow”

• I don’t even hear churches talking about people being saved and baptized

• Talk more about who flew in and cocnducted their Worship

• We have forgotten that “The Lord has Put A Difference”

Let’s identify this – DIFFERENCE – this morning At this point in our text for examination - Israel has been held in slavery for 430years in Egypt. God has heard and responded to the cry of his children and raised up Moses to go to Pharaoh with a very simple message, so simple that he COULD NOT MISINTERPRET ITS MEANING – LET MY PEOPLE GO.

• Pharaoh hardened his heart over and over

• The land lay in ruins after 9 massive plagues devastated everything and everyone except for Israel

• Still Pharaoh hardened his heart

• The thought of God our Creator should melt our hearts

• But for some the devil has his way and they view God differently

• They actually allow their heart to be hardened at the same

• Ever talk to someone about the Lord and they grow Angry with You?

• Ever talk to someone about the Lord and they are ready to Cuss you Out?

• Ever talk to someone about the Lord and they tell you don’t bring that Mess to them?

• Their heart has been hardened

• Imagine a Frozen River with Clay Banks

• The same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay

• Because there is a “Difference”

At this point in our text, there was ONE PLAGUE TO GO – a terrible plague, that here we are thousands of years removed, still brings tears to my eyes. Of course, I am talking about - THE DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN.

• God will show the plan of salvation in a beautiful picture painted in broad strokes of blood!

• The Plague and the Protection

This was the Final Plague. It was a spiritual illustration of the finality of death, if you’ve not been saved. The New Testament says we are all under either the LOVE of God, or the WRATH of God, all are SAVED or LOST.

• There is no Gray area

• You are either Redeemed, or Doomed

• And all of us will one day face the final plague—death!

During this final plague the DEATH ANGEL would visit every household, from – SMALLEST HUT TO GRANDEST OF PALACES – POOREST OF THE POOR, RICHEST OF THE RICH – HIGHLY EDUCATED to UNEDUCATED. No one would escape this final plague. I am reminded of HEBREWS 9:27 “AND AS IT IS APPOINTED UNTO MEN ONCE TO DIE, BUT AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT.” None of us are getting out of this world alive. In spite of all medical science has come up with, the DEATH RATE IS STILL ONE PER PERSON!

• Are you saved?

• You may have hardened your heart 9 times, but there’s a final plague

• A final test coming

• This is where the Difference is really critical

In this midst of this Final Plague – the Bible says that the “LORD PUT A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EGYPTIANS AND THE ISRAELITES.” What was the Difference, what was this Protection? The death angel stopped at most of the homes, but not all - what made the difference? Why were some spared?

• Were they better people? -- No!

• Israelites had some real issues along the way

• Crossed red sea and built Gold Calf

• Sexual sins were now prevalent

• Ran out of food and water and cursed God

• It wasn’t their morality that made the difference!

• You say, I know, their priests did ceremonies and performed rituals!

• Empty, repetitive formalities bring nothing but drowsiness!

This is why we have so many problems in the Church today. We have a lot of SPIRITUAL DROWSINESS. We don’t see a DIFFERENCE any more. God said He placed a Difference between His Children and those that are yet in the World.