Last Chance Series

Sunday Morning, March 31, 2002 Bel Aire Baptist Church

Series: “Who Is Jesus Christ?” [#6](Easter Sunday)

LAST CHANCE

Exodus 12

Introduction:

1. There are times in life that you get one last chance. Times like in an interview where if you do well you get the job if you don’t someone else does. Times like when you are shooting a free throw for your team with no time left on the clock. You make it you win.

2. These times are always pressured filled because you know you can’t try again. This Easter Morning I believe that I have one last chance with some. Some of you don’t come to church very often and if the service goes well and I preach well you may come back, but if I don’t, we may never see you again. Some of you want to make changes in your life and depending on this service you may or may not do that.

3. With all of this in mind, I must tell you that I am not here to impress you; but to share with you one single important fact and that is Jesus died for you. If you get nothing else today from this, get that.

4. On this “Super Bowl Sunday” for churches I want to share with you a “last chance” story from God’s Word.

Plagues

1. In Exodus we learn that Egypt had held God’s people, the Israelites, as slaves for many years and God had been trying to get Pharaoh’s attention.

2. God was determined that Pharaoh is going to let His people go, and show Pharaoh He was the only God.

Ø God turned the water to blood, Pharaoh said no.

Ø God flooded the land and houses with frogs; Pharaoh said yes and then changed his mind when the frogs were gone.

Ø God filled the land with gnats, Pharaoh said no.

Ø God sent swarms of flies, Pharaoh said yes and then changed his mind when the flies were gone.

Ø God sent a terrible plague upon the Egyptian livestock and it died, Pharaoh said no.

Ø God put boils on all the Egyptians, Pharaoh said no.

Ø God sent a terrible hailstorm that destroyed land and killed workers in the field, Pharaoh said yes and then changed his mind after the storm was over.

Ø God plagued the land with locusts, Pharaoh said yes and when the locusts were gone he changed his mind.

Ø God placed three days of complete darkness on them, Pharaoh got really mad and threatened to kill Moses if he ever came back.

3. Now this covers the first nine plagues, there is one more to come. Understand all of these plagues were placed upon the Egyptians and did not touch the Israelites. Notice how Pharaoh refused to believe. At times he even acted like he was going to believe but when things went back to normal he said. “Never mind” to God. You may be doing the same thing to God this morning. You may be telling Him by your words and actions, “O.K., I’ll follow you as long as you play by my rules.”

Passover (First)

A New Day.

1. In Exodus 11 we find God telling Moses what the last plague will be and that Pharaoh will give in this time. In chapter 12 we see a new time in the life of the Israelites beginning.

Exodus 12:1-2

2. God was getting ready to deliver them by blood and power and He wanted them to understand that this was a new start for them.

3. This was a day of new birth.

The Feast of Passover

Exodus 12:3-14

1. Notice that the responsibility was now being placed upon individuals. If you want to be saved, here is what you must do.

2. Look with me at some very important components of this feast.

Ø A lamb without defect that will be slaughtered at twilight.

Ø Place the blood over the doorpost.

Ø Eat the roasted meat.

Ø Eat bitter herbs.

Ø Eat bread without yeast.

Ø Eat it with your cloak tucked in your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand.

Ø Eat it in haste.

3. This was what the people had to do. Notice they were not asked their opinion. God told them how it had to be.

The Passover

1. Now that we have seen the instructions, I want us to see what happened. The death angel was going to pass through the land. Any doorpost that had blood over it would be passed, but any doorpost that did not would be visited by death upon the firstborn.

2. Please notice that there was no way to avoid death except by the blood. It did not matter how nice they were, it did not matter how rich or important they were, it did not matter how “religious” they were. All that mattered was that blood was over the door. Can you imagine if you were the first-born? I am the first-born and I will promise you this, I would have asked my dad over and over again if he had done just exactly like he was told. There was no room for error. For many this was their last chance and they “messed it up”. I would not have wanted my dad to have “messed it up”, because I then would have had to die.