I. Introduction
A. The Word of the Lord
1. Exodus6: 1. Moses sorrowed because his demand for freedom ironically had increased his people’s burden, not eased it.
2. So the Lord comforted and reassured his messenger, speaking to Moses twice (indicated by the word “also” in v. 2).
3. God assured Moses that He would indeed deliver His people.
4. He was arranging circumstances so that Pharaoh would let them go and would even compel them to do so.
5. All this would be because of God’s mighty.
6. 6:2-5. Then God reminded Moses of His character as revealed in His name Yahweh (cf. 3:14).
7. As the Lord, Yahweh, He is with His own and is always faithful and true to them.
a. Was not God known by the name Yahweh to the patriarchs Abraham . . . Isaac, and Jacob?
b. Yes, He had been (e.g., Gen. 13:4).
c. But He mainly appeared to them as God Almighty
d. El Shaddai, the One who provides or sustains
e. He had not displayed Himself to the patriarchs primarily by the name Yahweh.
8. God meant that now He was revealing Himself to Moses not only as Sustainer and Provider, but also as the Promise-Keeper,
a. The One who was personally related to His people
b. And would redeem them.
9. 6:6-8. God then told Moses to put aside his broken spirit and feelings of inadequacy and return to the people.
10. Seven times in these three verses God said I will, thus emphasizing that He is the promise-keeping God.
a. Deliverance from Egypt (v. 6: I will bring you out . . . I will free you . . . I will redeem you),
b. Possession of the people as His own (v. 7),
c. And the gift of the land (v. 8).
11. I am the Lord. The people’s deliverance would become the basis of a covenantal relationship that would result in their being in the land.
12. God’s redeeming them with an outstretched arm (v. 6) meant that His power would be evident
13. And the uplifted hand (Ex. 6:8) was a gesture used when making an oath (as it still is today)
14. Moses’ sagging spirit was again reinforced by a revelation of God’s character and purposes.
15. 6:9. With renewed vigor Moses returned to his people with God’s words,
a. But the burden of their oppression caused them not to listen.
b. Tragically they forgot their initial response to Moses and Aaron (4:31).
16. Verse 9b: . . .. but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
B. The Real Issue
1. The Word of the Moses?
2. The Word of Pharaoh?
3. The Length of Bondage?
4. The Cruelty of the Slavery?
5. Perhaps a combination of all of the above?
6. The real issue is often not that there is a way out of a dilemma
a. Or that it has been a long time coming
b. Or that it seems too good to be true
7. Often the real the dilemma is that we choose problems and pain over the promise of God
8. No you say?
9. Then why is the problem still unresolved?
10. You have prayed and cried
11. You have cried and prayed
12. Maybe you are in denial
13. Two things are evident
14. Either we are waiting on God
a. There is the silent sovereign will of God
b. As in the case of Lazarus who was allowed to die, to give God the glory through his resurrection
15. Or God is waiting on us.
a. We have embraced the problem and pain, and
b. Given up on the promise
16. Which will you choose today?
II. The Problem and the Pain
A. The Problem
1. Definition:
a. An obstacle or challenge or any situation that invites resolution
b. It is regarded as unwelcome and needing to be overcome
c. Origin: “To throw under”
2. A problem implies that there is a desired outcome coupled with an apparent deficiency that prevents the outcome from taking place.
a. What is the deficiency?
b. What is missing in this problem – sin, confusion, chaos, etc.?
c. Obedience
d. Faith
e. Humility
f. Little foxes destroy the vine
g. Nothing big
h. Just you
3. You desire peace, happiness, holiness, but now all seems hopeless
a. Stopped praying about it
b. It is a chip on your shoulder
c. It irritates you for me to talk about it now
4. When does the desire go away?
5. How did you lose your desire?
6. The problem is still there even when the answer is given
a. Hard headed
b. Stubborn
c. Strong-willed woman + stubborn man = More Problems
7. Life is filled with problems because it is a journey none of us have completed before
8. Problems usually have to do with unknown things
9. We learn to adjust to the unknown or new experiences and challenges by trusting someone to guide us through them
a. Uncle Cy’s porch listening to survival stories
b. From the Word of God, the Book of Life
10. Everyone cannot help you solve problems especially if the advice is not in agreement with the Word of God
B. The Pain
1. An outgrowth of problems unsolved
2. Pain is unpleasant physically or mentally
3. Related to suffering (which is more emotional)
a. Means to bear from below
b. Suffering is the bottom of the pit with the miry clay (Psalm 40)
4. Pain motivates us to withdraw from what we see as a potentially damaging situation
a. We avoid those situations in the future
b. The problem remains unsolved
5. It is often said that the difference between pain and suffering is that pain is inevitable, suffering is optional
6. You have to choose to suffer
7. It is in your hands
8. But pain can become attached to your spirit
9. There was a woman in the Bible described only by Dr. Luke as having a “spirit of infirmity”.
a. And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
b. And, behold, there was a woman, which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
c. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
d. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
10. Infirmity – Physical or mental weakness
11. Not a medically defined condition, but a “spirit of weakness”
a. It had a real effect on her functioning
b. She had learned to live with it
c. It had consumed her
12. Leads to a trap of Satan
a. Trap is designed to allow you in
b. But keep you from getting out
13. It is a trap that leads to surrender
14. When you surrender, you have stopped resisting the enemy and submit to its authority
a. Peter advised submit yourself under the mighty hand of God
b. Resist the devil and he will flee from you
c. Resist with the Word of God . . . “It is written”
d. When the devil reminds you of your pain, you remind him of his future
III. The Promise
A. Hope
1. The promise is the invisible presence that gives us assurance of its arrival
2. In the Old Testament there is no single term used to convey the basic concept of a promise
3. The Hebrew language used the term for speaking to convey the idea of a promise
4. In other words, your word was the same as assurance
5. This is especially true of God’s word
6. When God is the speaker it conveys a binding word that
a. God is absolutely faithful to His word
b. He is God and cannot lie
7. Discontent with God’s word was the root sin of Israel
a. It kept them in bondage
b. It kept them murmuring and complaining even when they were free
8. Confidence in God’s word is the essence of hope
9. His promises constituted a covenant to which God obligated Himself
10. Promise comes from two Greek words that mean to send forward
11. Hope will get you out of the pit
a. Will send you back to the willow tree and pick up your harp and start praising God again
b. Will get you out of the hog pen like the prodigal son
c. It will send you forward
12. Hope is the target of faith – Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (yet).
13. With God’s promise and hope you can arm yourself with
a. Expectation
b. Trust
14. And I can move forward
15. How?
16. Forgetting (stop rehearsing) those things that are behind and reaching forward, “I” press (bear down) toward the mark (goal) of the high calling of God which is in Christ Jesus
a. The calling of God is always up and not down
b. High and not low
B. The Promises of God lead to Freedom and Liberty
1. There you have it:
a. The Problem
b. The Pain
c. The Promise
2. The choice is yours
3. Which will you choose
4. Freedom is the next to the last part of solving the problem and not being bound by the pain
5. Freedom is power and privilege
a. Power over the impact of a bad situation – present or past
b. Privilege to make other choices
6. Freedom may be granted, but requires acceptance of the freedom
7. The term acceptance is defined as a noun, in which it shows to have three different meanings.
a. The first is known as the act of taking or receiving something offered. For example, if someone is giving you a gift and you receive it, then that person has accepted the gift; therefore, having acceptance.
b. Another definition of acceptance has to deal with positive welcome; favor and endorsement. In which, a person could like someone and, have acceptance for them due to their approval of that person.
c. The third description of acceptance is that it can be act of believing or assenting. For instance, Christians believe (accept) that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.
8. Acceptance typically contains the concept of approval,
9. Freedom most be embraced by acceptance of that which is not yet seen
10. Acceptance of freedom is a sign of belief
11. Jesus often asked, “Do you believe?”
12. Belief gives you permission to put your freedom into action
13. That action is Liberty
a. Liberty – release from confinement
b. It is the release of God from bondage
c. It is “free indeed”
14. Liberty is given but we must act on it for it to be real
15. Are you ready for liberty?
16. Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me;
a. Because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;
b. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
c. To proclaim liberty to the captives,
d. And the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
17. On a hill called Calvary freedom was won
18. On the third day, Liberty was proclaimed
19. The promise is fulfilled
20. “Thou art Loosed”
21. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
22. Some were still bound
23. Chose not to walk in the liberty where Christ has made us free
24. But I hear the prophecy of Joel ringing in my ears:
a. Joel 2:28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;
01. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
02. Your old men shall dream dreams,
03. Your young men shall see visions:
b. 29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
c. 32And it shall come to pass,
01. That whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:
02. For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said,
03. And in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
25. WHAT DO YOU WANT?
26. THE PROBLEM?
27. THE PAIN?
28. THE PROMISE?
29. Here is a Hint:
30. Trust the Promise
