EXODUS 5:1-10 “BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW”

EXODUS 5:1-10 “BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW”

We watch in wonder at the news from the Middle East. Many ask why these people have put up with things for so long? Why do they not rise up in protest sooner and how could some even support the dictators. It is called “The Normalcy Bias” It is the part of our brain that says “we have always done it this way.” “It cannot happen here” “it cannot happen to me.” It is a fear of the unknown that will keep you in a bad situation. The Israelites had a bad situation; they were used as forced labor. They kept gardens and were given food, but their community was forced to make a certain quota of bricks each day. There situation was not unlike Blacks in the south who thought they were free to leave the plantation yet just stayed there. “The Normalcy Bias” So how do you get over 700,000 oppressed people to leave what they know for the promise of something better?

1. BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW

A. BRICKS WITH STRAW

a. LIGHTER AND DRY QUICKER

b. LESS MUD IS NEEDED

c. GETTING THE STRAW WAS NOT PART OF THEIR WORK

B. MOSES AND AARON GO TO PHARAOH

a. 11 TIMES HE GOES

b. GOD HARDENS PHARAOH’S HEART

c. BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW

d. ARCHEOLOGIST CONFIRM THREE TYPE OF BRICKS FROM THAT ERA

e. THE ISRAELITES EXPERIENCE ALL BUT ONE OF THE PELAGES

C. GOD USES THEIR WORSENING TREATMENT TO OVERCOME THEIR “NORMALCY BIAS”

2. OUR OWN NORMALCY BIAS

A. WE CANNOT BELIEVE IT’S REAL

a. NOT HERE, NOT NOW

b. NOT ME AND NOT THE PEOPLE I LOVE

B. SOME EXAMPLES

a. JEWS WHO DID NOT RESIST IN GERMANY

b. NOW THEY RECOGNIZE THE HOLOCAUST

c. HURRICANE PARTIES, NO ONE WANTED TO LEAVE THE GHETTO

d. NO ONE WANTS TO GO BACK, YET SOME WANT TO RESTORE IT

e. OUR NATIONAL DEBT

f. WOMEN IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS

g. THE PAIN IN YOUR CHEST AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH

h. THE LUMP IN YOUR BREAST

i. THE NORMALCY BIAS

3. OVERCOMING THE NORMALCY BIAS

A. GOD BRINGS A WAKEUP CALL

a. MOVES US OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE

b. LOST JOB OR NEW JOB

c. FAMILY SITUATION

d. HEALTH SITUATION

B. WHAT TO DO

a. LIVE WITH YOUR EYES OPEN AND YOUR BRAIN ON

b. STRENGTHEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

c. KNOW HIS WORD AND FOLLOW IT

d. PRAY ABOUT ALL THINGS (DISCERNMENT)

e. LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

f. DON’T COMPROMISE THE ESSENTIALS OF FAITH TO

GET ALONG, FIT IN, AVOID TROUBLE, OR BE POLITICALLY CORRECT

Conclusion: For us today like the Israelites in Egypt the times they are a changing. They are changing in our world, they are changing in our nation, they are changing in our state, and even in our church. When outside forces come at us to force us to change, we should seek the Holy Spirit’s leading all the more, for God may be moving us to a new and better life.

Friendships

FRIENDSHIPS

How important are friendships and what does the Bible have to say about them?

The importance of friendships.

Friendships are a great source of strength and stability for our lives. Someone once noted that a person can usually count their true friends on one hand. While we may have many “friends” and acquaintances, but true friends are actually a rare gift in our lives.

Solomon teaches us the importance of friendships in Ecclesiastes.

^{Ecc 11:1} Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.

^{Ecc 11:2} Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

^{Ecc 4:9} Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:

^{Ecc 4:10} If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! ^{Ecc 4:11} Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? ^{Ecc 4:12} Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

These passages not only tell us that friends are there for protection and strength but they are for encouragement, comfort and companionship. Friends work together, rejoice together, guide one another and support one another.

Who we choose as friends is important. It is said that a person’s character is shown by the company they keep.

^{1Co 15:33} Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

^{Pr 18:24} A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

The character of a true friend.

While many people choose friends because they’re fun to be with or they’re popular, the Bible stresses their character as very important.

True friends are there when you are not at your best.

^{Pr 17:17} A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

A true friend always has your best interest at heart and you never have to fear their motives.

^{Pr 27:6} Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

^{Pr 27:7} He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

^{Pr 27:8} Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

^{Pr 27:9} Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel. ^{Pr 27:10} Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you, better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

True friends carry you when you cannot carry yourself. They bring you before God not only physically but also in prayer.

^{Mk 2:3} Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.

^{Mk 2:4} Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. ^{Mk 2:5} When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven”.

True friends forgive even when it costs them to do so.

^{Jn 15:13} Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

^{Jn 15:14} You are my friends if you do what I command. ^{Jn 15:15} I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ^{Jn 15:16} You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit —fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

^{Jn 15:17} This is my command: Love each other.

Since friendships are so important to our life we should choose them wisely and not make strong friendships without consideration of their faith and character. We also must remember that if we desire good friends we must also be prepared to be a good friend.

Exodus 2:11-17

“IN OUR OWN POWER”

Exodus 2:11-17

INTRODUCTION: Tim was fighting a fish in a cold Michigan stream, rod bent mind focused, and then he stepped into a hole. Rod held high and fishing hat floating on the water, his friends watched for a breathless moment until he bobbed up and finally stood up, still fighting his fish. Life is like that. Were faced with a problem. We focus our energy, and we think we’re doing well and then we step in over our heads. In this section of Exodus we find some things to remember as we see Moses try and go it alone.

1. HEART FOR HIS PEOPLE

a. A GOOD DESIRE

b. MOVED BY GOD

c. BAD CHOICES AND HIS OWN WAY

d. PROV 41:12 There is a way that seems right to a man,

but in the end it leads to death.

e. FAILURE TO SEE BEYOND THE MOMENT

f. FAILURE TO SEE BEYOND HIS LIMITS

2. THE STRANGE WAY OF GOD

a. LEAVING HIS PLACE OF POWER

b. FLEEING TO MIDIAN

c. A BURNING BUSH

d. BRING THE PEOPLE OUT OF EGYPT

e. CONFRONTING THE POWERS OF PHARAOH

3. FINDING A NEW POWER

ACKNOWLEDGE OUR WEAKNESS AND NEED

^{Isa 55:8&9} “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

^{Isa 55:9} “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

TRUSTING GOD

^{Pr 3:5} Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

^{Pr 3:6} in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths ^f straight.

SEEKING HIS KINGDOM FIRST

^{Mt 6:33} But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

LET GOD KNOW YOUR HEART

^{Phil 4:6} Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

^{Phil 4:7} And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion: If God has brought to mind a task you have been trying to accomplish on your own. If God has brought to mind a battle that you are fighting on your own. Remember “It is not by might and not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord. It is time to stop working in your own power.

Exodus 1:8

Exodus 1:8

INTRODUCTION: Exodus for many brings up images of Charlton Hesston parting the Red Sea, and not pictures of refugees streaming out of a country like Libya. Some skeptics claim that to move a million people across a desert would be impossible. yet we have seen larger numbers of refugees move out of countries due to oppression, war, famine and natural disaster. The more we discover in the middle east the more we find that supports the facts of Genesis and Exodus. Exodus is not a story or a movie, it is history.

Two problems keep us from understanding Exodus. The first is that Egypt historians some events took place and can vary by several hundred years. The second is that some of the places the people stop at on the Exodus journey have been lost to wars and sand.

Here are some things we do know. Around 1800BC the Hyksos take control of Egypt from the Egyptians. Joseph takes control of Egypt some 50 years later and by the end of the 7 years of famine the Hyksos that Joseph works for now own most of the land of Egypt. (Gen 47:20-21) The Hyksos will rule Egypt for about 300 to 400 years and then the Egyptians take control of the country back. Exodus 1:8 tells us a new king who did not know of Joseph came to power. This Egyptian ruler oppressed the Hebrew people and 430 years after Jacob took his family to Egypt, they leave. Exodus 12:40 We know that Jacob was buried in Hebron by Joseph Genesis 50:12, and Joseph was taken with the people and buried in Shechem. Joshua 24:32 Both tombs have been found though Muslim terrorist destroyed one of them.

Lets now look at the start of life of Moses for it has something for today in it.

Read Exodus 2:1-10

Moses' mother places him adrift in a basket, his fate seemingly left to current of the Nile. This is a river with crocodiles and dangerous water. Baby Moses life seems precarious at best

Today we look around us and we may feel adrift. Budget battles, pinksliped teachers, threatened layoffs, protest, jobs lost, our own household budgets strapped. The world in turmoil if not tribulation. We can feel out of control, adrift like Baby Moses floating in the current of the Nile. But in the midst of all that chaos God had a plan. Moses was not adrift but guided into the house of Pharaoh. Today I remind us that though we feel adrift and even helpless, the currents that carry us are being guided by God to a place where we cannot see or comprehend right now. Today, in our basket adrift in the current of life we are still guided by God.

Genesis 50:18-21

INTRODUCTION: I was watching the news and reading my Bible and found something interesting. "whatever two or more of agree on it shall be done in heaven." and "Give us this day our daily bread."

All around us is turmoil. Which the Bible says will get worse.

Our state budget troubles follow those of business around our state. Smaller paychecks on one end and higher taxes on the other end are killing the middle class. Today it cost a family of 4 $28.28 a day for food. The average wage is $20.00 per hour. One person working in the family spends 1 1/2 hours each day working to feed the family. In Rev 6:5-7 it tells us that a day is coming when a person, if they have a job will work for 4 days to feed that family for 1 day.

We see riots and protest for a new government in the middle east. The Bible tells us in the books of Daniel and Revelation that a new 10 nation Arab state will emerge, Three of those nations will merge to become one, from which will come a new charismatic head of state. Rev 20:8 Tells us that they will gather together at armageddon to destroy the nation of Israel.

How do we deal with a world like this and still keep our faith? God has something to learn from Joseph today that will help us through the storm today and the storm ahead.

1. THEY INTENDED HARM, BUT GOD INTENDED IT FOR GOOD

A. JOSEPH'S BROTHERS AND GOD

a. THEY INTENDED TO DESTROY JOSEPH

b. GOD INTENDED TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE

B. BABYLON AND GOD

a. THEY INTENDED TO RULE ISRAEL

b. GOD INTENDED TO WAKE HIS PEOPLE UP

C. THE CROSS AND GOD

a. SATAN SOUGHT TO DESTROY THE MESSIAH

b. GOD INTENDED TO SAVE THE WORLD

2. WE FACE DIFFICULT TIMES

A. AS A STATE (BUDGETS, DEBTS, LABOR DISPUTES)

B. AS A NATION (WARS, BUDGETS, UNEMPLOYMENT)

C. AS A WORLD (WARS, POLITICAL CHANGES, FAMINE)

D. AS A CHURCH (DISPUTES ABOUT THE BIBLE, SEX, ABORTION,

AND ISRAEL.

3.TRUSTING GOD BEYOND OUR SIGHT

A. JOSEPH (GOD INTENDED GOOD)

B. JESUS (IF THERE BE ANY WAY)

C. JOB 13:15 (THOUGH HE SLAY ME, I WILL TRUST HIM)

D. ROMANS 8:28 (FOR ALL THINGS GOD WORKS)

CONCLUSION: Like Joseph, we do not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. Whatever people or governments might intend, God will work through it, us it, to bring good. Genesis 50:18-21 "What you intended for harm God has intended for the good."

Genesis 46-49

Gen 46:1-6 “Out of the Box”

INTRODUCTION: New things are difficult for us. Quite possibly the first words ever spoken were, “but we have always done it this way!” Yet God calls us from time to time to step out of the box. Paul, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, and so many more. Some are called to great task while others only seemingly small one. But each of us like Jacob here in this passage, are called to step out of the box.

1. LIFE IN THE BOX

A. THE ONLY LIFE HE HAS KNOWN

B. ALL OF GOD’S PROMISES ARE CONNECTED TO THE LAND

C. HE IS OLD AND SURE NOT TO RETURN

D. RACHEL IS BURIED HERE

E. OUR BOX

a. FAMILY

b. JOB

c. COMMUNITY

d. RECREATION

e. COMFORT AND SECURITY

f. WHAT WE KNOW

2. CHALLENGED BY GOD

A. NOT TO BE AFRAID

B. GO TO EGYPT

C. I WILL MAKE YOU GREAT

D. I WILL BRING YOU BACK

E. JOSEPH WILL CLOSE YOUR EYES

F. OUR CHALLENGE

a. LEAVE OUR COMFORT ZONE

b. GO TO A NEW PLACE

c. GO TO A NEW JOB

d. TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT JESUS

e. WALK ACROSS THE ROOM AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF

3. STEPS OF FAITH

A. JOSEPH WENT TO EGYPT

B. TOOK HIS FAMILY

C. TOOK HIS FLOCKS

D. TOOK ALL HE OWNED

E. HELD NOTING BACK

F. GOD CHALLENGES US TO TAKE STEPS OF FAITH

G. STEPS TURN INTO A WALK

H. A WALK THAT TURNS INTO A LIFE

Conclusion: has god been laying out a challenge to you? Has god been speaking to your heart? Perhaps you have dismissed it. Maybe you have been afraid of where it would lead you? It’s time in faith to take a step.

Genesis 41:41-45

Gen 41:41-45

INTRODUCTION: In chapters 35-40 we saw Joseph go from favored child to slavery, to prison. Yet his attitude, integrity and faith, now take him from the prison to being the administrator of all Egypt. A forgotten pawn in a strategic chess move, Joseph has come through the fray to be placed before the King.

1. THE REALITY OF JOSEPH’S STORY

A. THE REIGN OF THE HYKSOS PHARAOHS 1800 – 1500 BC

B. JOSEPH INTERPRETS THE DREAM OF A HYKSOS PHARAOH

C. THE HYKSOS MAKE A LAND GRANT TO JOSEPH

D. JOSEPH’S ACTIONS RESULT IN PHARAOH OWNING THE LAND 47:20

E. JOSEPH’S BONES IN SHECHEM GEN50:26

F. HYKSOS LOOSE POWER IN 1500 TO THE EGYPTIANS EXODUS 12

G. THE EGYPTIANS ENSLAVE THE ISRAELITE ALLIES OF THE HYKSOS

H. A NEW EGYPTIAN PHARAOH IS FORCED TO LET THEM GO

I. ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORY TELL US JOSEPH’S STORY IS TRUE

2. THE LOSS OF DREAMS

A. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THE PRESBYTERIAN

a. TURN ANTI-ISRAEL, FAVOR ABORTION IN ALL STAGES

b. SAY THE BIBLE IS NOT TRUE, AND NOT THE WORD OF GOD

c. THAT JESUS IS A METAPHOR AND NOT A REALITY

B. THE DOCTOR WOULD SAY CANCER

C. YOU WOULD LOSE YOUR JOB

D. THAT YOUR RETIREMENT WAS GOING FROM WHEN TO IF

E. THE PERSON YOU LOVE WOULD SAY IT’S OVER

F. AFTER YOUR COLLEGE GRADUATION THERE WOULD BE NO JOB

3. REMEMBERED BY GOD

A. HOW TO RESPOND

a. FAITH

b. INTEGRITY

c. DILIGENCE

d. LOVE

B. REMEMBERED BY GOD HERE

a. JOSEPH

b. JOB

c. YOU

C. REMEMBERED IN THE KINGDOM TO COME

a. A PLACE PREPARED FOR US. JOHN 14: 1-4

b. A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS 2 TIM 4:8

c. WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT MAT 25:21

CONCLUSION: In Jesus we know and must remind ourselves, our situation is not hopeless, our situation is not final, Jesus has not forgotten us, and one day we will realize that we are remembered.