Exodus 6:6
NIV 6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke (burdens) of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves (bondage) to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm...
Prayer
A little background to put that verse in context:
Exodus 5 ...Moses goes to Pharoah with a message....with a Word from God
The message is really in Two parts:
1. Let my people go!
This reveals the heart of God. God does not want the enemy to have any control over your life.
2. That they may worship me!
The Word worship in Hebrew means ‘to serve’
Jesus uses this in Matthew 4: it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.
And to serve means to obey
Jesus said: John 14:15 if you love me you will obey my commands.
Not because we have to
But because we love to
This is the main purpose for which we were created....
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
But creation has fallen
Yet Christ came to redeem that purpose
He said in John 4: The Father seeks true worshippers....
The main reason we are saved...so that we can declare the praises of him:
See 1 Pet 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth (proclaim...declare) the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
It is as though God is saying:
Pharaoh, you are holding my people in bondage, you are preventing them from worshipping me....you are preventing them from serving me.
You are standing in their way
And because you are standing in their way, you are standing in my way.
Ex 5:2
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”
Pharoah then accuses them of being lazy....makes things harder....collect own straw.... and produce the same amount of bricks
The people complained.....they became angry with Moses...and said: may the Lord judge you
Then Moses goes to God and complains...
Why did you send me here....
It’s in this set of circumstances that God speaks a Word:
Exodus 6:6
NIV 6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke (burdens) of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves (bondage) to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm...
Just because your circumstances are bad, does not mean that God has abandoned his plan to redeem you...from your burden ...from your bondage
In fact when your circumstances turn bad it’s a sign that God is about to get some glory out of your circumstances....
When darkness covered the earth, God stepped onto the scene and said!!!
He can turn things around with the power of His Word.
When Sarah thought she could never fall pregnant..God said: by this time next year!
When we think all hope is gone...our God does great and mighty things!
When we think our enemies are too strong for us....Jesus says I came that you may have life....
This is what you must say to my people: I am the Lord. And there are three things I’m going to do for them.
Let’s break that down a little:
1. I am the Lord
I am Jehovah...Yahweh ....I am who I am
If you need healing, I am ..Jehovah Rapha the Lord who heals you.
If you need peace, I am ...Jehovah shalom, the God who is your peace.
If you need provision ...Jehovah the Lord your Provider.
If you are in trouble... I am Jehovah shammah, the God who is there, an ever present help in the time of trouble.
When it feels like hell... I am Jehovah sabboath ...the Lord of hosts
When the devil accuses you... I am Jehovah tsidkenu...the Lord your righteousness
When you’re thirsty...I am the living water
When you’re hungry..I am the bread of life
When you’re lost, I am the way
When you’re confused..a I am truth
When you’re dying in your sins....I am your life
When you want to get to heaven....I am the door
When you need a guide...I am the great shepherd
When you’re sitting in a dark cave....I am the light
I am the Alpha, omega...The ancient of days...the anointed one...
Tell the Israelites I am the Lord
I am the one who revealed myself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
I am the one who made a covenant
I am a covenant making, covenant keeping God
If I say it I will bring it to pass
Tell my people I have come to them.
2. There are 3 things I’m going to do for them
I’m going to bring you out from under your burdens...rid you of your burdens
I’m going to free you from being slaves
I’m going to redeem you
Set you free from oppression
Set you free from the things that hinder you from taking possession
Set you apart for me... to redeem means to buy back
And I’m going to do all of this with an outstretched arm.
The outstretched arm of the Lord refers to the Power of God
More specifically it refers to the Holy Spirit!
Ezekiel 37:1 ESV
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones
Exodus 15:6 ESV
Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy
Psalm 118:15-16 ESV
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly
Now remember: There is nothing too hard for the Lord
Zech 4:6
There is nothing the right hand of the Lord cannot accomplish.
Isaiah 41:10 ESV
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand
Testimony
Acts 4 they pray:....stretch forth your Hand with signs following....
But, as you know, Pharaoh refuses and God sends plagues in order to persuade him to do so...
Of course, Pharaohs heart is hardened...
Then God sends
Plague of Blood...frogs....gnats...Flies....
Until Pharaoh relents.
1) Ex 8:28.....Pharoah said I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the desert, but you must not go very far.
The enemy does not mind worship per se, but he hates your Complete surrender to God.
Just don’t go too far.
The enemy doesn’t want you to go too far with your worship
With your commitment to the Lord
But the bible says come ye out from among them and be separated...and I will be your God and you will be my people.
The devil doesn’t mind Sunday Christians
He doesn’t mind lukewarm Christians
Jesus said...be hot or cold
Unless a man denies himself, picks up his cross...
Jesus called for complete surrender
The enemy doesn’t mind you becoming a Christian so long as he can still control parts of your life
Often these are the problem people in the church
un-surrendered people
Just have a look at What is in your house
The music you listen to
The hobbies you have
The clothes you wear
Moses prayed and flies disappeared and Pharoah changed his mind again.
Chapter 9...plague on livestock ....boils...hail
Then agreed, but changed his mind
Chapter 10...threatened the plague of locusts
V7 Pharoahs officials said to him...how long will this man be a snare to us. Let the people go so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realise that Egypt is ruined.
Child of God, the power of hell over you is ruined....
2) 10:11 let only the men go...and worship the Lord
What the Pharaoh was saying is what the enemy tells many today: leave your families behind
Don’t let your house become a place of worship
The enemy wants your wives...children...families
But we got to have the mentality of Joshua....as for me and my house...we will serve the Lord
You have been saved to be a gateway of the kingdom to your family
The most precious gift you can give your family is Jesus
Gen 7 Then the Lord said to Noah...enter the ark, you and your household
Ex 4:24-26....God wants to kill Moses for not circumcising his sons
God wants the household clean
God wants the family to be part of the covenant
God expects the man to do it, but often the wives are the ones
Pray for them ....your prayers have power....
Live out your commitment to Christ....
Demonstrate your love for them....
Tell them....
There are a lot of good people around...but works cannot save
No one is unreachable
The mothers prayer for her lost son:
You can go to hell if you want, but At every turn you will have to step over my praying body
You will have to Cross an ocean of my love
And Step across a flood of my tears
The arm of God is longer than any path someone has taken away from him
God’s arm is Bigger than any situation....he measures the earth with his hand...he can cover any place
God’s arm Is more powerful than any demon..... Jesus said I cast out Satan with a finger!
Plague of darkness
3) 10:24 go worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you, only leave your flocks and herds behind.
The slaves in Egypt were not being paid
So the cattle became a substitute for buying through battering
So the enemy was trying to control their finances
The kingdom of God needs your money
The church needs your money
We have to be careful to offer everything to God
If not they become a snare used by the enemy against us
Luke 14
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
The Cost of Being a Disciple
Matthew 22....Matthew gives his account of this parable...but then goes on to
V37 Jesus says: you must love the Lord your God with all of your heart
Friends, God wants your heart. He wants your life.
Jesus calls for full surrender. Surrendering to Christ spells freedom.
Don’t hold on to anything that takes away form your devotion to Christ.
Christ gave everything for you on the cross. He gave his life. He shed his blood.
He did that so that you can be free. So you can have life.
You can surrender to Christ today. Give him your life.
For those who wish to make a renewed or first time commitment to Christ, I’m going to ask you to raise your hands.
