Exodus 5:22-6:11 | "Lord ... I'm doing what you said and it's not working!"

This is City Post Church. We're about three things.

Build equipped and send. All under the Lordship of Jesus

Christ, a small church plant in Fort Worth, TX.

Who decided to do things a little differently?

Adoramos Ajesu Cristo I love city post because of the people.

It's where I belong. We truly preach the Word.

I love City Post because of the community we've been able to

build to do ministry like Jesus. For light to push back darkness.

This is city post podcast. I have two daughters.

A. 10 year old named Elena and a 7 year old named Livi.

Livi is 7 going on 17. And for you guys that don't know

Elena, Elena. You know she.

Has a very kind soul. She's always encouraging.

She loves writing notes and and drawing pictures even like when

we go out to eat and we're not the iPad family, but we are.

Are the family that. Brings crayons and colored

pencils and all that stuff in order for them to.

Allow us to eat our food. But one thing Elena has done is

that she. Started to.

Write notes to the waiters just saying the thank you.

So that way we get free desserts.

It works, trust me parents, just giving you a heads up.

But anyway, a few weeks ago. We, we, you know, Rachel and I

went out and we came back and there was a note, a letter on my

dresser drawer. Because me and Elena write

little notes. To each other.

And I and it was probably one of the most like heartwarming,

encouraging notes that I've. Ever received?

And I I wanted to share it with you.

Guys as a church, so go ahead and put that up, says hey dad,

out of all the pastors, all the pastors are ugly except you

love. You welcome back, Elena.

If that don't melt your heart, I don't know what does.

She's like all the other passes are ugly.

Except you, Dad, I said. Thank you.

I know tears, everything. I'm not making this up like I

came home to this, like this is wonderful.

I'm going to frame it. Save it great.

But you know, the truth is, is like, it feels good.

To get encouragement. Encouragement is a great thing,

and sometimes many of us feed off encouragement.

And when you're seeking the Lord and when you're following the

Lord, encouragement helps. But what I want to?

Look at today is what? Happens when you.

Are saying yes to God. And you are in his will, and you

are following Jesus, and you're following the Lord on what he's.

Asked you to but. You don't get encouragement, you

get blame, you get discouragement.

Moses, what we're going to look at today as we continue the.

Story of the Exodus and. We're going to be in.

Exodus chapter 5 Moses is. Jumping all in last.

Exodus 5 · chapter mention

Week we saw well, the last couple weeks he.

Had an encounter with the living God in the burning.

Bush, God revealed. Himself to Moses.

He gave Moses his name. He he told Moses everything that

was going to happen. And then last week we saw Moses

had. Excuse after excuse after

excuse. And God gave him like you're

going to do these three miracles.

And the miracles are really not just.

For Pharaoh and his his boys, they're for you as well to build

your belief. And just to catch us up a little

bit after last week, Moses. Goes ahead and obeys the Lord.

He goes to Jethro and he tells them, hey, I'm going to go to.

Egypt, because this is where. God is calling me to do.

I'm going to go with Aaron and we're going to go and we're

going to go free our people. So Moses.

Takes that step of faith and he walks, and then he gets there

and he goes to. Pharaoh, and he gets.

All of the Israel leaders and he says, hey, we need you to allow

us to go to the. Wilderness for three.

Days to give sacrifices and to worship our God.

And Pharaoh says, OK, no he doesn't.

Pharaoh is like, absolutely not. Actually, since you're not busy

enough, since you're you're, you're not that busy, you have

time to go to the wilderness. This is what I need y'all to.

Do you're going to start? Making bricks and we're not

going to give you straw, so you have to go find your own straw.

But the quota of the bricks stays the.

Same now if you study. The whole brick.

Making process. I know some of us are like Home

Depot and buy them. No, like in those days you

needed straw. Straw.

Was like the rebar without straw.

The bricks actually. Collapsed, they fall apart, they

become mush. And even if you look.

Into like Egyptian history, they actually have proof of bricks

that. Didn't have straw in them.

So the Israelites. Had to go and find what they

call. Stubble, which is like without

hay, you just. Go to the fields and when they

plant corn, whatever's left on the floor.

That's what they would use. To put into the mud to make the

bricks. So brick making is already

difficult. Pharaoh is like, you know what,

let's take what already is difficult and.

Let's make it more difficult. And you know what happens when

you don't meet your quota and you have an?

Oppressor. The leaders get beat.

You didn't make your quota. You're going to get beat down.

So Moses and Aaron are doing. Exactly what God?

Asked them to do. They did it in a way exactly the

way that God. Said and instead.

Of Pharaoh just. Bowing their knee, his knee.

Like what happens? It gets worse.

I think it's interesting that many of us jump into this whole

like following Jesus thing. I love that verse one read

because sometimes you're like man, if I follow Jesus my life

is going to be a. Piece of cake, it's.

Going to be rainbows and unicorns.

Everything's going to work out. It's going to be great.

Going to be. Rich, all that stuff.

She's a lie. It actually could get difficult,

but our God is sovereign. And there's a meaning.

There's a purpose. For all of.

This and this is where I want us to start in verse 22.

Because the leaders of Israel. Are now running to Moses and

Aaron and they're pretty much saying listen, I know what

y'all. Are trying to do is helpful, but

it's actually. Making it worse.

So actually, let's go back a little.

Bit more. Look at verse 19.

It says the Israelite overseers realize that they were in.

Trouble when they were told you are not to reduce the number of

bricks. Required of you for each day

when they. Found when they left.

Pharaoh. They found Moses and Aaron

waiting to meet them and they said, May the Lord look on you

and judge you. You have made us obnoxious to

Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand

to kill. US.

You know what I thought was interesting when you read?

Chapter 5. When all this goes down.

The Israelites. You know who they ran to?

They ran to Pharaoh. They didn't run to God.

Funny how sometimes when we're. Oppressed.

We. Run to the oppressor instead of

the one that could. Free us?

Why is that? They.

Went to Pharaoh. They pleaded with Pharaoh.

They were. Like man, like how you going to

do this? To us and and and.

Instead of just like going to Moses.

Can we pray? Let's seek the Lord to help.

Us. They didn't, and they're upset

with Moses and Aaron. Now they're telling them,

listen, it's y'all's. Fault that life is harder.

And it. Moses like I'm just doing what

God? Told me to do.

So why is all this? Going on.

So sign of. Trouble.

They cry out to Pharaoh. But they don't go to the one

that could truly save them. I think that we're going to

identify a lot. With this passage because.

Many of us in our lives, the last person we seek whenever we

are in trouble is the only person that could truly.

Free us. So what is it about us that

keeps us? Running back to the one that

does not free us. Was look at the story of Moses.

Look at let's. Start in verse 22.

We're going to walk through this thing and then we'll be done.

Moses returned to the Lord and said, Why Lord?

Why have you brought trouble? On this people, is this why you

sent me Moses is like man, I'm doing what you asked me to do

and instead of freeing them, you're making it worse for them.

Now this was a good question that Moses had, because Moses he

he boldly. Spoke his worries and his his

troubles to the Lord, which is what we should.

All do, but the problem is that Moses like I.

Called last year. It has really easily.

He has what? We call like spiritual amnesia.

Y'all don't remember what God did last year and all of a

sudden you run into the same thing and now you're freaking

out again? You don't think he could provide

like he did? Last time you don't think he'll.

Keep you safe. Like he did last time all.

Of us deal with this. One thing happens and now it's

like panic mode. You don't.

You don't think God knows? Here's the problem.

Moses is saying God like you're bringing all this.

Trouble to your people? What?

And then but but remember in. Exodus chapter 3 verses. 19 and

Exodus 3 · chapter mention

20 God told them this was not going to be easy.

God said. The Lord told him, this is

Exodus 319 and 20. I am sure that the king of Egypt

will not let you go. He's saying that to Moses.

He said listen, he's not going to let your people.

Go. Not even by a mighty hand.

So I will stretch out my hand and strike.

Egypt with. All my wonders.

Which I will do. In its myth.

And after that he will let them go, God told Moses.

He told them he he gave him the game plan.

Listen, he's not going to let them go.

It's going to be difficult for them.

But Moses? So easily forgets.

And Moses says something really interesting in in verse 20.

Two, look what he says. Why did you even send me?

Listen, if it wasn't going to work, why am I even here?

Some of us have experienced. This where your.

Boss calls you into work. So you show up.

And instead of it being busy, it's actually that's real super

slow. And then we start, why?

Why am I here? You y'all.

Burning money, I could be doing something else, but now that

I've grown up I realized, hey, that's more money on my check,

chill out. But many of those have.

Felt that way. Why am I here when I'm not doing

what I thought? I was supposed to be.

Doing, but God has a reason. And listen, in this season of

testing for Moses, what's happening is when.

Pharaoh rejected his request. It was like.

All of those insecurities, all that stuff that Moses has been

struggling with. Just.

Stormed. Right up to his life.

And it just came back and I can see Moses like I'm not the man

that God should have sent, like God won't use me.

Pharaoh and the Egyptians are. Way too.

Strong. And the problem is even now,

even as Moses. Took a step of faith he's still.

Wrestling with unbelief and a lack of.

Focus that God had. Put in him.

There's still some unbelief that Moses has in his life, and God

is trying to work that thing out of Moses.

So even to this day, listen. God will use.

Adversity to train us in order to trust Him and He's going to

use methods and and means and ways to form us and shape us and

to help. Our belief.

In adversity is one of those things that God continues to

use. Well, Ricky, how long is this

going to go on until you're in glory?

That's how long. God is.

Always going to be working. For the.

Betterment of His glory, and not yours, and not.

Ours so adversity. Might become one of those.

Ways and Moses. Right now, as they're coming at

him, he's starting to have this unbelief, this doubt like.

Lord, why do you? Even have me here.

Your people are in trouble. Aren't you supposed to send like

save them and free them. Why am I even here?

And I love. What God does here?

Well, actually, let's. Let's keep going because it gets

worse for Moses, because then Moses is like verse 23 ever

since I went to Pharaoh to speak.

Your name he has brought. Trouble on his people and you

have not rescued them at all. So God, I'm saying what you told

me to say. I gave him your name.

Remember in the Bush you told me say I am sent you.

I did that. None of it's working.

You have not rescued your. People at all.

And right now if I were. God, I would just lay.

The heavenly smackdown on Moses evaporate them.

But God doesn't do that because point #1 So when we're dealing

with our doubts and we're, we're dealing with like those hard

times and we're trying to serve. The Lord, what I love, what God

does here is that God. Does not come after Moses.

God actually meets Moses in the middle of the mess.

Listen, when we're going, when we're serving the Lord and

things are getting difficult and we're confused and our life just

seems like like, man, I don't know what I'm do what's.

God, you. Called me to this and it's not

working. What's happening instead?

Of God. Wagging his finger at Moses.

Or. God eliminating Moses?

What God? Does because our God is.

Slow to anger, great compassion and kind God comes to the middle

of the mess that Moses is in right now.

Or that Moses. Feels that he's.

In and God is going to explain to Moses.

Why? He's going to remind Moses.

That I believe that the. Same thing that he does to

remind. Us, because that's the God that

we serve. Now listen the confrontation

that Moses had with Pharaoh. Moses probably thought this was

a one and done thing. I saw.

God and he told me it was going to happen.

So it should have just. Already happened, but now he

provoked this angry sentiment. Of Israel by the.

Egyptians and of Moses by Israel.

So now everybody's mad. Everybody's mad at everybody.

Pharaohs mad. Because this dude tried to.

Come and tell me to free my people now works not getting

done. So I'm going to push on on the

Israelites. Now the Israelite leaders are

mad because. They got to meet this.

Quota and they got to do even more work.

So they got to go all. Over Egypt to find some stubble

and then another met at Moses and Aaron now Moses is mad

because they're coming at him and now Moses is mad at God and

shaking his. 1st and what God does is.

God does not just wipe. Everybody out.

God comes down and says I'm going to meet you where you're

at. And listen guys.

That is the God that we serve. That's exactly what God.

Does he meets us? Where we at 'cause he's.

Loving and he's kind, but he's also holy and righteous.

Don't get it twisted, there is an expectation with our Lord.

So let's see what happens. Look at verse one in chapter 6.

Then the Lord said to Moses, Now you.

Will see what I will do to Pharaoh.

Because of my mighty hand, He will let them go.

Because of my mighty hand, He will drive them out of this

country. What did God tell Moses?

Is God's sake because of you? No, he's like, no, because of my

hand, all those people are going to leave.

And no, they're not just going to leave.

Pharaoh is going to force them out because something else that

I'm. Starting to realize too that

even if. Pharaoh were to open the door

and said y'all could leave. They wouldn't leave.

Because when you are oppressed and when you're in slavery,

sometimes it's not you leaving slavery.

Sometimes it's slavery leaving you.

And if it does not leave you, no matter.

Where you go, you. Will never be free.

You're always going to be oppressed.

And you're always going to be in slavery because you have not

accepted the freedom that comes through a.

Relationship with Christ. And our faith is taking a hit

and God is saying, listen, my mighty hand is going to do this.

My mighty hand is going to get Pharaoh to drive them all out.

I feel like I. Read this somewhere man.

Mark chapter 3 verse 27 when we see it's in the New Testament.

Mark 3:27

In fact, this is what 27 says. In fact, no one can enter a

strong man's. House without first tying.

Him up then he could plunder the strong man's house.

Would you say is like man the the oppressor?

Needs to be oppressed first. In order for them to leave, the

strong has to be overtaken and then they could go and right

now. Pharaoh is pretty.

Confident because of the strategy.

That he put in place to oppress the Israelites.

Because even when he presses hard, you know who the

Israelites are running to him. Even with all his abuse.

And all his, all the. Stuff he's doing to the.

Israelites, for some reason they come running to Pharaoh and not

to Moses or not pleading to God. So the oppressed.

Is the ones that are pushing back.

And Moses was discouraged because.

He was too. Impressed by Pharaoh?

And not impressed enough by God. He's.

Looking at everything that's happening and he and he's so

impressed by how Pharaoh is handling everybody and how

everybody's running to Pharaoh. That he forgets and.

He's not impressed enough by God and I think that's.

A word for all of us. How sometimes we focus so much

on what is oppressing us. That we forget to talk about.

What is freeing us? Don't focus so much on what has

pushed you down, but focus more on what has.

Freed you and maybe just. Maybe that might be the reason.

Why you're Why all of us are. Discouraged or why Moses?

Is discouraged because the focus.

Is not on the freedom the focus is on the oppression even in our

freedom we tend to focus more on the oppressor instead of the

Liberator and God wants to free us of everything so God right

now is in control of it all. He's saying, listen, I'm going

to free everybody. I'm going to go ahead and and

Pharaoh's going to be the one that's going to push everybody

out. My hand's going to make this

happen. Now look what God does in verse

2, because he tells Moses how he's going to do it.

But then he reminds Moses he almost like he checks Moses a

little bit. What?

Look at verse 2. Easy.

Verse to memorize God also said to Moses.

I. Am the Lord.

What does God do here? I am Yahweh.

That would doubt he God. Is giving him the name.

Understand who I am before you come and talk to me like that.

So point #2. How do we fire?

Discouragement. God doesn't just meet us in our

mess. God gives us his name.

God reminds. Us that he is Yahweh, He is the

God. Who controls?

He's the He gives us his name. Like you said, draw.

God draws us. Out to draw us near, and the way

he draws us near is he meets. With us.

But then he's like, remember, I'm not just like any other God.

I'm not in the tomb still, I'm a living God.

I am Yahweh. And he tells them, because he's

going to talk about those who became before Moses.

Look at verse three. He goes.

Listen, I. Appeared to Abraham, and to

Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty.

El Shaddai, but by my name the Lord did not make myself fully

known to them. I and I also established my

covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they

resided as foreigners. What is God telling them here?

Listen to. Your your patriarchs, I.

Revealed my name to them and I showed them I am God Almighty.

They experienced El Shaddai. But you, Moses, are going to

experience Yahweh They. Saw El Shaddai, they saw.

God Almighty. But you're going to.

You're going to see my. Character you're going to

experience. Miracles.

There's some things that you're going to experience, Moses.

That they. Didn't get a chance to.

See that they planted but. You're going to reap from what

they saw. I am the Lord, even though I

didn't make myself fully known to them.

Listen, I'm going to make myself fully known to you.

And he goes on. And why does he say?

Yahweh, because listen God. Doesn't just make covenants, He

also keeps covenants. God keeps every single covenant

that he makes. Why is that such a big deal to

us? Because.

Many of us live our lives with people promising us stuff and

they don't keep it. So whenever we hear somebody

like that makes a promise or somebody that makes a condition,

immediately we think it must be conditional.

He might be making this covenant.

But man, if the weather is not good or if I mess it up, or you

know what, maybe my kids Jack it up.

Like, no, that's not what God is saying.

God saying I'm Yahweh, that means that the covenant I make

is the covenant I'm going to keep.

So, Sir, some of us. Because we've been lied to so

much or hurt so much, whenever we read something in the

scripture that God promises us, we think condition.

And what God saying no, it's covenant.

It's not condition. Regardless of what happens, I'm

going to keep my promises to you.

Why? Because I am the Lord.

I am the I am, I am Yahweh. Many of us need to start

changing the way that we think and start believing in the.

Scriptures and what God is. Calling us to now look at verse.

5. Moreover, I have heard the

groaning. Of the Israel as God.

Is continually explaining to Moses.

He hears what's. Going on from the Egyptians are

enslaving and I have remembered what did he say?

My what? My covenant, my promise, the

land of Canaan. I I, I remember like I'm going

to. Do this God.

Cannot go back on his word. Do you understand that when God

speaks and says something, it's going to happen?

The 2 words that you will never hear from God?

My bad, sorry. Not this time, no.

Because of God, who he is, He will always keep his.

Promises y'all remember. He will always keep his promises

because he's Yahweh. Now what he does here?

Is crazy because now God. Is going to give seven I will

statements he's about to tell Moses.

What he's going to do? Just to let Moses give.

Moses a heads up. So look at verse 6.

We're going to read verse 6 through 8.

Pay attention. It's really important for us to

really. Focus on We have your Bible.

We should just underline every. Time it says I will, I will, I

will. This is so so.

Encouraging this is so. Good look at verse 6.

Therefore, say to the Israelites, this is what?

You can tell them because they're the ones that are coming

at y'all. I am the Lord.

I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

I will free. You from being slaves to them.

I will. Redeem you with an outstretched

arm and with acts of judgment I will.

Take you. As my own people and I.

Will be your God. Then you will know that I am the

Lord. Your God, who brought you?

Out from under the. Yoke of the.

Egyptians, because I am the Lord, and I will bring you to

the land I swore. With uplifted hand to give to.

To Isaac and to Jacob. I will give you give it to you.

As a possession. And then look how he ends it.

Because I am the Lord, because I am Yahweh.

What is God doing here? God is.

Reassuring to Moses, listen this.

Repetitive, I will. He does that seven times.

That means that God is marking this as a personal, direct

involvement. To Israel's affairs, he's like.

I'm personally seeing to. This I will.

Do these things that. Means that this is a.

Certain fulfillment. Of what God is.

Telling Israel he does it 7 times.

I will, I will I? Will as I was looking at this.

There was a text that I feel like the Holy Spirit showed me.

And I was. Reading I was.

Like I will like think about this.

I'm I'm going to read the seven things just real quickly.

I will bring you out. I will.

Rescue you from bondage. I will redeem you.

I will take you as my people. I will be your God.

I will. Bring you into the land, I will.

Give it to you as heritage. Why?

Guys, when God promises something, it doesn't just stay

in an area of time. These promises are for the Lord

for all of eternity. And as I was studying this, I

was. Really like Lord?

Like what? Everybody go to Ephesians

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. Ephesians 1.

I want to read this Ephesians one.

Because I feel like we. We just need to go a little bit.

Deeper here. God is not just making promises.

To the Israelites, God is. Declaring and proclaiming that

he. Is Yahweh, He is God.

He's not just El Shaddai. That means that you're going to

experience some things in his life and his character Ephesians

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. Think of remember those I will

statements. I'm just going to read through

this beginning in verse. Three, praise be to God the

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom.

Has blessed us in all the heavenly realms for every

spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us.

In Him, before the creation of the world, to be holy and

blameless in His sight, in love, He predestined us.

Don't be scared of that word. That just means chosen before

time, right? He predestined us for adoption

to sonship through Jesus. Christ.

In accordance with all the pleasure and will to the.

Praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely.

Given us in the one who? He.

Loves. In Him we have redemption, and

through His blood, the forgiveness of sins in

accordance. With the riches of God's grace.

That he lavished on us. With all wisdom.

And understanding, He made known to us the mystery of his will

according to his good. Pleasure, which he proposed.

Which he purposed in. Christ to be put into.

Effect when the times reach their full fulfillment to bring

unity, but all things in heaven and on earth and under Christ

and Him we were also chosen, haven't been predestined

according to the plan of Him who works out everything in

conformity. With the purpose of his will.

In order that we who were in the.

Who were the first to put our hope?

In Christ might be. For the praise of His glory.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the

message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, when you

believed that you were marked in Him with a seal and a promised

holy. Spirit, who is a deposit A.

Deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption

of. Those who are.

God in God's possession. To the praise of His glory.

Why is that so important? Listen, Ephesians, one matches

every single promise, and I will.

That God gave the Israelites. And those promises are not just

for them. Our promises are for.

Us. They're for you.

Who believe in Christ 2nd Corinthians 120 for no matter

how many promises God has made. They are, yes.

In Christ, and so through him, the Amen is spoken by us to the

glory of. God every.

Promise that God has given us from the beginning to the.

End are yes, because of Christ. Listen, we receive it.

I will bring them out of bondage when Jesus.

Shows up, he says I. Will bring them out of bondage

from their sin. I will bring.

I will. Rescue them from bondage.

I will free them from the bondage of their sin.

I will redeem you. I will.

Redeem you because of sin. There is a chasm with the holy

and righteous God, and Jesus says I'm going to redeem us.

Back to God I will. Take you as my people, Jesus

says. Because of me and the sacrifice,

you are now going to be sons and daughters of God through the

principle of adoption. I will be your God.

Jesus says I'm going to reconcile.

You. Through a new birth, so that way

you are a new creation. I will bring you into the land.

Listen, we're not going to Canaan, but listen, we're going

somewhere better called eternity.

I'm going to bring you to the land.

I'm going to bring you to the presence of God and then I.

Will give it to you. As an inherit.

As a heritage. Jesus says listen, your future

is taken care of because of me, all the promises.

All the I. Will statements that God has

given Israelites don't just stay?

There, because of Christ, we're able to say.

Yes and Amen to the promises of God.

Do you all believe that? This morning.

Now here's what's crazy. Even after all of this in verse

9, Moses. Moses goes to the Israelites.

And he tells them everything. He tells them everything.

So before. I read that.

That look at .3. Number one, God meets us in the

middle of the mess #2 He gives us the name Yahweh and #3 He

gives us His promises. That means that His covenant

always comes true. His promises are always yes and

Amen because of Jesus. Christ.

We get his promises as well. And listen, if that don't

encourage you, I don't know what will.

That's one of the greatest encouragements.

As I read his word, I'm like, Lord, I've seen you do this.

I've seen it. That means that it's going to.

Yes, because of Christ we get His.

Promises as well. Now Moses runs to the people.

He's. Probably all like.

I don't know how Moses was feeling.

I don't know if he was lit up. I don't know if he was like.

Yeah, like. I know I.

Was, but look what. Happens in verse 9, Moses.

Reported this to the Israelites. But they did not listen to him.

Why? Because of their discouragement

and harsh labor. Another term is an anguished

spirit. See, the bondage was so.

Hard on the Israelites that it actually blocked.

Out even the stirring words of Moses.

That Moses was going to deliver them, that God was going to do

it, but their broken. Spirit and their harsh slavery.

Caused them to go like this to Moses.

I'm out. Ain't true.

We're trying to make bricks. Without.

Straw, Moses. And you're saying God's going to

free us? That's what oppression does.

And when people are oppressed so strongly by their sin, even the

promises of God sounds like storytelling.

But they're not stories. They're.

Real because of Christ, so. They don't.

They don't respond. But you know what?

God does God. Does not turn his back on the

Israelites because they respond. God actually chases them because

they understands that they have a broken spirit.

And in verse 10 And then the Lord said to Moses, go tell

Pharaoh, king of. Egypt to let the Israelites.

Out of his country. And look what Moses says.

Here we go again. If the.

Israelites will not listen to me.

Why would Pharaoh listen to me since I speak with faltering?

Lips back to square. One with Moses, it's funny, it's

just this constant this constant insecurity with Moses and God

tells him everything he's going to do He's like man, they're not

going to listen to me how how's Pharaoh now?

I found this interesting this we just kind of wrap.

Up today. You know it's when you read

chapter 5. Pharaoh tells the Israelites to

go. Get their own straw collector.

It is called stubble. Like I said and a question came

to mind. If the Bible says that the

Israelites were scattered all over Egypt, why didn't they just

leave? Why didn't they just bounce?

Moses left. There are no police chasing him.

Aaron left. Moses went all the way to

Midian. Why didn't the?

Israelites, Hey, go get some. Stubble.

All right, at 12:00 and they just bounced.

Ladies, leave. What is it?

Why that's? What I'm going to end .4 because

I think sometimes a predictable slavery.

Feels a little bit safer. Than an unpredictable freedom.

For some of us, we've been. So used to.

Being oppressed. We've been so used to being in

our sin that the human condition craves safety and control.

We like to know. That what we're going to do.

We we could. Control like we know what's

going to happen. And for the Israelites, for.

Many of them. It was like I feel.

Safer being under Pharaoh's oppression than being in

freedom, not knowing what's going to happen.

It's easier. For me to be predicting even if

I'm I'm I'm my slavery. And then we see this later on as

they're roaming the. Desert for 40 years.

And Moses, like they see everything going and they're

like, well, at least under. Pharaoh, we had food.

Safety and control. Are what we crave.

You don't believe me? That's why many of.

Us we rather rather. Stay in a toxic relationship

because that feels safer than loneliness, many of us.

Wait, like we refuse? To let go of victimhood.

Status because that feels. Safer than actually forgiving

someone and moving on and letting.

Go because it's way harder to live.

Free instead of me just saying well it's because.

Of their fault. Many of us rather get played and

taken. Advantage of because that's at

least I get a hug if I get to do.

That I know everybody's laughing at me, but I get attention.

Listen, we stay in our safety Nets.

We we stay in our conformity. You know, we could even think

about this. I was thinking about like even

in ministry or or even in the. Whole religious space.

We get so comfortable in our routines because if anything

else, we're going to be uncomfortable.

It's going to be unpredictable. It threatens our control.

So listen, let's just play it safe.

Let's. Just be comfortable and preach

the same. We're going to sing the same

thing. We're going to.

Do the same exact thing. So that way.

I know the response that I'm going to receive and God is

saying no. You can't be comfortable.

In the supernatural, he's like, I'm trying to take you out of

the natural and I'm trying to show you something supernatural,

but that's going to cause. You to do this.

And let go of control. It is going to cause you to not

just let go of control, but it's going to cause you.

To do this. I don't know what's going to

happen. But I trust you, safety.

Gone, control, gone. It's all letting go of familiar

pain feel safer than an unfamiliar freedom.

And listen, I want to encourage you this morning.

God wants to free you. But you have got to let go.

Of familiarity and being comfortable on what's oppressing

you. You've got to let that go,

Ricky. How do I do that?

Jesus. Jesus is God in the flesh.

He came to free us. Sometimes we want to avoid the

right. Decision because it risks.

Us losing approval from other people.

I don't know if I want to follow Jesus.

I might lose some friends, actually, You know what, you're

not wrong, but I'll. Take you a step further.

You don't just you lose friends, you're going to lose everything.

But God doesn't save you. From something God saves you to

something God is not saving the. Israelites.

To get him out of bondage, God is saving the.

Israelites to. Get him to the Promised Land

because that was covenant that he made before Moses even showed

up. And all of this stuff points to

Jesus Christ. The promise is Jesus.

Oh, and by the way, Moses never even got to see the Promised

Land because he sinned against God and God said you ain't going

in. But God had something so much

better for Moses because as Jesus is standing there on the

mountain, Elijah, and you know who else shows up?

Moses. God says you know what?

You didn't get to see the promised land.

You got to experience the. Promise.

Because I'm Yahweh, I am the Lord.

You didn't just see El Shaddai, you're going.

To get to experience. I am.

So I'm going to pray for us as we worship together.