Let Me Say It Again

[0:00] Thank you.

[0:30] Thank you.

[1:00] With a strong hand, he will send them out, and with a strong hand, he will drive them out of the land. God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob as God Almighty.

[1:14] But by my name, the Lord, I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel, whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.

[1:35] Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from slavery to them.

[1:46] I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people. I will be your God. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

[2:03] I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.

[2:15] Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen because of their broken spirit and the harsh slavery.

[2:33] Would you pray with me? Lord, we are so thankful to be able to be here in this place tonight, to look to your word, to hear from you. And we do ask, God, that you would come and speak to us and remind us once again of your faithfulness, of your promises.

[2:51] Lord, encourage the broken spirit. Encourage the one that feels so weighed down. God, come and do what only you can do for your glory alone.

[3:09] And I pray it in Jesus' name and God's people said, amen. Amen. You can be seated. Imagine that you were stuck in the permanent present. What I mean is that no matter what you were told, no matter what you experienced, no matter what happened to you, you would only be able to remember it for 30 seconds.

[3:32] That is exactly the real life situation that Henry was in from Hartford, Connecticut. Henry became famous back in 1953 in the field of neuroscience because of a surgery that went wrong on his brain.

[3:51] You see, when Henry was a child, he had a bicycle accident that left him with epilepsy. And so he struggled with seizures in and out and off and on throughout his teenage years to the point that it became incapacitating.

[4:07] At age 27, he was offered an experiential procedure that was high risk. Their goal was to go in and to remove the part of the brain that was causing the epilepsy.

[4:22] The problem is the surgery went seriously wrong. It was actually successful in controlling his epilepsy, but it left him with a severe side effect.

[4:34] He would live the rest of his life in a continual state of amnesia. That is, he had no ability to store or retrieve new experiences for longer than 30 seconds.

[4:53] He would live the rest of his life with his parents who every single day, I mean every day, had to constantly remind Henry over and over again of everything.

[5:08] His name, why he was in a wheelchair, why they would be going to the doctor that day, why he'd sprained his ankle the day before, over and over again for 55 years.

[5:25] He lived in the permanent present with no ability to remember. Can you even imagine, Faith Family, being in a situation like that?

[5:38] Can you imagine being in a situation where you had to be constantly reminded over and over again of what was real and what was true and what was important?

[5:48] Now, most of us have never dealt with a serious case of amnesia like that, but I know this about you. If I know anything about you, you forget things. Anybody?

[5:59] You forget things. Maybe they're small things. They could be things like you're the type of person that's constantly forgetting where you put your keys or where you put your cell phone. Anybody like that?

[6:10] Maybe you have forgotten a birthday or an anniversary. All of us probably at one point have forgotten to set our alarm. Or maybe, maybe you forgot your favorite Bible verse.

[6:24] I did pretty good. And after the show, they took me to this room with this table. I had a pen on it. I'm like, okay, what do you want me to do here? And they said, well, we're going to let some people in and we want you to sign autographs.

[6:35] And I said, okay, I can do that. And they did. They opened the door. Like 100 people line up at that table for my autograph. I'm like, oh, sweet. I felt pretty good about myself.

[6:47] The first lady in the line, she walks up to me and she goes, would you put your favorite Bible verse under your name for me? Just your name and then put your favorite Bible verse under my name. Could you do that? I'm like, okay.

[7:02] Um, sure. Well, my favorite Bible verse is Psalm 34, verse 8. It says, taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him. That was my favorite verse. But that night, I forgot the verse.

[7:16] I just blanked on it. You know how sometimes, you know, like, sir, when you dress today, you know what I'm talking about? It's like your brain is, yeah, it's just not working. So I'm thinking, I'm like, oh, it's Psalm something.

[7:28] I got to pick something. And I said, oh, I'll just have to make up a verse here. So I did. I picked Psalm 38, verse 7. Just picked it out of thin air. Psalm 38, 7. Okay, I did it.

[7:38] Like an idiot, I did them all that way. Tim Hawkins, Psalm 38, 7. Hope you enjoyed the show. So I'm driving home that night. I'm like, oh, Lord.

[7:50] I hope that was a good verse. Oh, Lord, could you change the scripture if it's not just for one night? But he did not hear my prayer.

[8:03] So I get home and I look up Psalm 38, verse 7. And to my horror, it says, lo, I have a painful disease in my loins. So be honest.

[8:17] How many of you have ever forgotten a Bible verse? You're like, I know that verse is somewhere. Or it's, you know, like in Second Opinions or somewhere in there. You forget things.

[8:28] All of us forget things. You're constantly telling Siri or whatever the Amazon lady is, you know, remind me of something. Set this reminder for tomorrow. We all know what it's like to forget.

[8:41] Now listen, some of you have dealt with far more serious examples, haven't you? Some of you know what it's like to care for a loved one with dementia.

[8:53] Others of you have gone through long seasons where you have felt forgotten. Some of you have gone through the accident, the trauma of having to learn to do something all over again.

[9:11] Whether it's big or whether it's small, every single one of us knows that we are a people that have to be reminded of things.

[9:23] And oftentimes over and over again. What is real? What is true? What is important? That is exactly, it is exactly what God is doing here in Exodus chapter 6 for Moses and Israel.

[9:42] You will remember, pun intended, you will remember that when Moses returned to Egypt, even though he was very fearful of going back and encountering his people again, he received a very favorable reception from the people of Israel, and he declared to them this promise.

[10:00] Look at chapter 4 verse 31. And the people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and they worshipped.

[10:11] So Moses declares the promise of God about his freedom for the people of Israel, and they believe it, and they worship. But do you remember what happened? Things got worse before they got better.

[10:25] Chapter 5 verse 9. Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor at it and pay no regard to their lying words. This is what Pharaoh said in response to Moses requesting that the people of Israel be let go.

[10:41] He said, no, and not only am I not going to let you go, I'm going to make your life harder. He intensifies the labor, and now the Israelites turn on Moses and Aaron, and they say this.

[10:57] They said to them, the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink. That is, you've made us look bad in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.

[11:10] You've made our life not better, you've made our life worse. And so then what's the ripple effect? What's the domino effect for Moses? They get angry at Moses and Aaron, so Moses takes his anger out on God.

[11:24] Chapter 5 verse 22. Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil? Listen, he accuses God of doing evil. God, you have done evil to this people.

[11:37] Why did you ever even send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, in other words, I did the very thing you told me to do. He's done evil to this people.

[11:49] And you have not delivered your people at all. Moses's expectation, Israel's expectation have not been met, and they are upset.

[12:03] We talked about this two weeks ago. They are living in between the promise foretold, I'm going to free you from Egypt, and promise fulfilled. And life has gotten worse.

[12:15] It's gotten harder. So how does God respond? He wipes them off the planet. Right? That's what I would do. I'd be like, you ungrateful people, I'm done with you.

[12:28] But God, graciously, are you with me? God, God graciously, in chapter 6, reminds them. Look at chapter 6, verse 5.

[12:41] This is what he says. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel, whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have, say it, remembered my covenant.

[12:52] I have not forgotten my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great acts of judgment.

[13:10] God continues, I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession.

[13:27] I am the Lord. I want you to notice here, Moses and Israel struggle with forgetfulness. The reason why I say that, the reason why I put it that way, is because you don't need to raise your hand, but if you've been paying attention, if you've been a part of this series for the last several weeks, or if you've been reading along in your Bible, here's what you know, are you listening, about everything that I just read.

[13:54] It's already been said before. God is not covering new ground. In fact, what God is on is like the eternal repeat.

[14:06] He's telling them the same thing over and over again. In fact, the very words He tells them in chapter 6, is what He's already told them in chapter 3.

[14:17] You see, Moses and Israel, like us, they're suffering from spiritual amnesia. They're just like Henry. Their memory of what God has said has lasted about 30 seconds.

[14:31] It's lasted about a chapter or so, and they've already forgotten what God has promised. How many of you ever had your parents set you down and have a conversation with you?

[14:42] My parents would sometimes do this, and the conversation always went like this. Okay, let's go through this again. And then they would always say this. But this time, I need you to listen.

[14:55] That's right. I'm going to tell you what I've already told you, but only one difference. Would you listen this time? Would you open your ears and hear what I'm saying?

[15:07] That is exactly what chapter 6 is. It is God approaching Moses and saying, let's go through this again. Let's go through this again. But this time, Moses, here's what I need you to do.

[15:18] Listen. Listen. I'm reminding you of everything I've already said. So what is it that Moses and Israel have forgotten? Four quick things. First, they have forgotten God's Word.

[15:30] They forgot God's Word. What is it that Moses is so angry about? What is it that Moses is just so upset over?

[15:42] Well, let's go back and look at his complaint to God at the end of chapter 5. Moses turns to the Lord and he says, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever even send me?

[15:53] And now, do you notice the word for? Say yes. For is the reason. So this is the reason why Moses is making this claim, this accusation. For, since I came to Pharaoh to do what you told me to do, you've done evil and, watch, watch, you have not, say it, delivered your people at all.

[16:17] What is Moses upset about? Moses is upset because he thinks God has not kept his Word. Am I right? God, you haven't fulfilled your end of the bargain.

[16:27] You didn't do what you said you were going to do. I went to Pharaoh, did what you told me to do, and you know what you've done? Jack squat. You've done nothing. And quite honestly, it looks evil.

[16:40] It looks so wrong that you would not do what you promised you would do. But again, listen, if you're an attentive reader, if you're paying attention and gripped by the story, what do you want to scream at Moses?

[17:02] Did you listen at all back in chapter 4? Were you paying attention, Moses? Because look at what God said in chapter 4, verse 21. The Lord said to Moses, now tell me if this is clear.

[17:17] Listen, when you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. Remember the snake and the leper's hand and the water to blood. Do all those things, but I will harden his heart so that, everybody say it with me, he will not let the people go.

[17:38] Come on, Moses. Like, could God have been any more clear? Moses, you're going to go to Pharaoh and you're going to do what I tell you to do and here's what's going to happen.

[17:50] See, Moses actually gets something you and I don't often get. He gets told exactly how it's going to happen. We often don't know how it's going to happen, but Moses gets to go in having been told, you're going to tell Pharaoh to let him go, do these miracles, but here's what's going to happen so that you don't freak out, Moses.

[18:09] He's not going to do it and he's not going to do it because I'm hardening his heart. Do you see? So Moses shouldn't have been surprised at Pharaoh's refusal, but he's not only surprised, he's angry.

[18:23] And tell me if you do not see yourself in these pages. I see myself here. How frequently I get upset with God for things he's been clear about.

[18:37] You say, I'm never upset with God about anything he's been clear about. Yes, you are. I'll give you just two very simple examples, though there are more. One is suffering. How could this possibly happen?

[18:49] I've been obedient to you and you let that take place. God, I don't understand. How come she gets cancer at her age? There's so many things we look at and say, God, I don't understand why I'm going through these trials.

[19:04] I don't understand why I'm experiencing these sufferings. And here's what God wants to say to you. Jesus literally said this, in this world, you will have trouble.

[19:17] But take heart, I've overcome the world. I'll tell you what the Apostle Paul says. Those that desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

[19:29] So why are you shocked when you're persecuted? Why are you surprised at the trials and sufferings of life? The Bible told you there'd be days like this.

[19:41] Here's another example, faith. And here's what I mean by faith. How many of you are like, man, listen, God, why don't you just give me a sign? Why won't you send me an email or a text message or write it in the clouds?

[19:52] People will come up to me as a pastor all the time and they'll just say, man, I've been praying and I just asked God to give me clarity and He just doesn't want to give me clarity. How many times does the Bible have to tell you that you have to walk by faith?

[20:08] You don't get signs all the time. In fact, the whole point of the Christian life is stepping out and following God when you don't know how it's going to turn out.

[20:20] when there isn't clarity. That's what it means to trust Him when you can't understand. I mean, God has been so clear there's going to be suffering in life.

[20:31] You're going to have to walk by faith and how many times do we get upset with God about things He's already said. Amen? Here's the next thing that Moses is reminded about in verse 6.

[20:44] Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.

[20:57] I will take you to be my people and I will be your God and you shall know that I am the Lord your God whom has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. In verse 8, I'll bring you into the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

[21:10] I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord. The second thing in those verses that God reminds, again this is repeat, this is not new information, where God reminds Moses of his promise.

[21:22] They had forgotten the promise. Moses again needs to be reminded of what God is going to do and if somebody wants a little homework to do this evening on Saturday night when you're not doing anything else, go back and look at how many times God has already said that exact promise to Moses up until chapter 6.

[21:44] It's at least three or four times that God has already told Moses, this is what I'm going to do. Everybody right here notice it on the screen. Not only does God frequently remind them of what he will do, the Exodus, but watch, watch, you with me?

[21:59] Once he does it, he has to frequently remind them of what he did because not only early in Exodus, this is what I'm going to do, this is what I'm going to do, this is what I'm going to do, I know you're like 30 seconds and you're going to forget it, but this is what I'm going to do, but when it actually happens, guess what phrase gets repeated throughout the rest of the Old Testament?

[22:20] Here it is, Exodus 20. I am the Lord, your God, who did, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

[22:33] In fact, you want to know how forgetful you are? God has to institute for Israel a celebration known as Passover and Passover is what?

[22:46] A remembrance of the Exodus because he knows how forgetful his people are. They're like Henry, 30 seconds later they forget all that God has done for them and so God over and over and over, this is what I'm going to do, this is what I'm going to do, this is what I'm going to do and then when he does it, this is what I did, this is what I did, this is what I did.

[23:09] Now, this is important. Notice this here on the screen. God frequently reminds his people of what he's done. Oh, somebody say preach, preacher, this is preach, preach, come on, right here, right here.

[23:23] It's not because he wants to flaunt it, it's because we easily forget it. This is what is so important for you to understand.

[23:34] How many of you don't point, know of somebody or have a relationship with somebody that they are always reminding you what they've done for you? You know what I'm talking about?

[23:45] Like they do one nice thing for you and they will never let you forget. Do you remember that time when I gave you some money? Do you remember that time when I gave you a ride? Or maybe you had a parent that's like, do you know what I've done for you?

[23:56] I powdered your butt and I changed your diaper. They're just constantly reminding you over and over and over and over again to the point that you're almost like feeling guilty of it. You know what I'm talking about?

[24:06] Say yes. That is not why God is doing this. He's not trying to flaunt. By the way, even if he wanted to flaunt it, he could because he's God.

[24:18] But that's not the motivation behind it. God's motivation in this constantly reminding us of what he's done isn't because he's trying to flaunt it. It's because we easily forget it.

[24:29] He is not a father holding it over your head. God's He's a father trying to penetrate it into your heart.

[24:42] By reminding you over and over again of his goodness to you, of his grace to you. The issue is not the faithfulness of God.

[24:57] It's the forgetfulness of his people. In her book entitled Hero, Dr. Megan Meeker, tells a story about a time when she attempted to return to college after the holidays.

[25:10] She made it to the Denver airport, ignoring the storm warnings and the counsel of her parents. Her flight ended up being canceled and she was stuck inside the Denver airport.

[25:23] She decided to swallow her pride and call her dad. And she was informed by her father that he had already booked her a room. Connected to the airport where she could stay for the night.

[25:38] She would not have to sleep in the airport alone. And this is what she says in response to that conversation. Quote, Listen, he went ahead of me to provide for me.

[26:10] that's what dads do even when we are stubborn and don't want it. Oh, how good it would be for your soul to remember tonight how many times your heavenly father has gone ahead of you.

[26:29] to provide for you even in your stubborn heart. All that God has done for you, be reminded, don't forget his goodness.

[26:45] Amen. Here's the third thing they're reminded of. Look at chapter 6, verse 2. God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am the Lord.

[26:56] Four times. Four times. In this passage, God reminds them of his name. They had forgotten his name and over and over again, God keeps saying, I'm the Lord.

[27:07] I'm the Lord. I tried to emphasize that earlier in my reading. I am the Lord. God is reminding him of what? Yahweh. That's what I am is. Yahweh. Yahweh.

[27:17] Yahweh. I am. I am the Lord. You need to remember my name because in times of doubt, yes, you need to be reminded of what God has said. Yes, you need to be reminded of what God has promised.

[27:27] But I would argue most of all, you need to be reminded of who he is. Notice this on the screen, Faith Family. When life makes you feel like God hasn't, because that's exactly how Moses feels.

[27:40] He feels like God hasn't. You haven't delivered. You haven't done what you said you would do. So when life makes you feel like God hasn't, you need to be reminded that he is. You need to be reminded that he is.

[27:54] And the fact that he is means he is always present, even when he feels absent. One more reminder here that God gives Moses in the people of Israel, verse 5 of chapter 6.

[28:09] He says, Moreover, I have heard the what? The groans of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.

[28:20] Now that phrase, I remember their groans, I've heard their groans, isn't new. This is something God has repeated. What he said back in chapter 2, verse 24.

[28:31] Look at it here. And God heard their groaning. And God remembered his covenant. And so God is reminding Moses and his people once again of his love.

[28:47] They need to be reminded of what God had said. They need to be reminded of his promise. They need to be reminded of his name. And they need to be reminded of his love. God affirms that he knows their pain.

[29:01] Oh, would you, Christian, feel the compassion of your God tonight. Feel the compassion of God who knows your pain, who hears your cries, who knows your groans.

[29:19] He cares about what you are going through. These verses are intended to help us feel the compassion of God. Exodus 6 is God addressing the forgetfulness of Israel, the forgetfulness of Moses.

[29:37] He is repeating himself over and over again. And some of you are sitting there thinking, well, I really wish I would have skipped tonight because nothing that he just said in the last, I don't know, 15 minutes or so is new.

[29:51] Don't say that to me. I might slap you. Okay? But I don't, I want to address the mindset that says, I came here tonight for new information and pastor, I didn't get new information.

[30:03] I've been here every week. I have not missed a night of the Exodus series. This wasn't new for me. And this is what I want to say to you. Tonight is all about this. God wants you to be reminded of how much you need to be reminded.

[30:18] Hello, there are times you don't need new information because you haven't accepted what has already been revealed. Our stubborn heart has blocked out.

[30:34] It's gotten our mind. We know it, but it hasn't landed in our heart where we've clung to it and embraced it. And so, you're reminded.

[30:46] Just as God has to remind his people of his word, his promise, his name, and his love, he needs to remind us of the same. Amen? I mean, do you think you could ever hear a sermon where you were reminded of the promises of God in your life, the name of God over your life, and the love of God for your life, and that not be relevant?

[31:06] Something you need? Today? Oh, yes. We need to be reminded all the time. Now, I want to ask this question. I've got an hour left. Why are we forgetful?

[31:22] Why are we, like Henry, 30 seconds later, back into sin, back into disbelief, back into whatever? Like, why are we 30 seconds of forgetting the promises and the character and the love of God?

[31:40] Here's why I think this is the case. Have you ever been consumed with something so much that you forgot something else? Are you with me? Like, these are practical examples, but you're so consumed with the kids and so consumed with, like, getting things done that you're like, oh my goodness, it's four o'clock, and I missed the appointment.

[32:00] Anybody with me? Is that relevant to you? You got so consumed in something else that you forgot that thing you were supposed to be at. Or maybe work, you're so consumed with the projects at work that you're like, oh my goodness, it's Thursday, and you forgot something.

[32:17] That's, I think, why we forget a lot is because we get consumed in other things. So here's the question on a larger scale. Why does Israel forget, and why do we forget?

[32:27] I think the answer's in verse 9. Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they didn't what? They didn't listen.

[32:39] And why did they not listen? Because, here's the answer, because their spirit was broken, and the harsh slavery.

[32:51] They couldn't hear because of the hurt. They couldn't believe because they were broken.

[33:04] What the author here, what Moses introduces us here to is the struggle for a future. The reason Israel couldn't listen, couldn't hear, couldn't remember these things is because they were consumed in their situation.

[33:17] They were so overwhelmed by their suffering, it broke their spirit. And let's be honest, let's be really honest. There are times when suffering and discouragement blocks our ears to listening to what is true.

[33:34] And it fogs our minds towards what is real, and we forget. Can't listen. Can't see tomorrow.

[33:47] Consumed in today. Don't know what's real. Doesn't matter how many times you've heard a sermon about it. Doesn't matter how many verses you've memorized about it.

[33:58] You can't believe it. You don't remember it because you're consumed in your life and what you're going through and the trials that you're facing.

[34:08] Notice this on the screen. It's really hard to believe in a future you can't see. I mean, Moses, I want to believe. I want to believe, but I don't know how that I can believe because of the slavery we're in because my spirit is broken.

[34:23] Oh, I don't have time to elaborate here, but this would be well worth the read. Some of you remember the book by Victor Frankel, the famous psychologist who was a survivor of the concentration camps in Germany.

[34:41] He wrote the book, A Man's Search for Meaning, and it's really, really insightful because one of the things that he did to survive is after a full day of just unbelievable labor in the concentration camps is he would practice his psychiatry and psychology at night, and he would talk to people after their long day of working, and he would just hear them out and listen to their life situations.

[35:08] And one of the things that he concluded is that, and I thought this was insightful, is that people in the concentration camps were experiencing what everybody else experiences, but in condensed form.

[35:22] In other words, he was saying this, a lot of people lose their home, a lot of people may lose loved ones or friends, a lot of people may lose a status of life, people may lose their freedom of movement, they may lose their health, but they tend to lose those things over a lifetime.

[35:39] These people lost all of those things in a very short amount of time. And what he found was that the single most important factor that kept them alive was believing they had a future.

[35:58] He said, quote, woe to him who saw no more sense in this life, no aim, no purpose, therefore no point in carrying on.

[36:10] He was soon lost. In fact, one of the things that he said that he would get people to do is let's say he was talking to a musician, he would just say, here's what I want you to do.

[36:23] I want you to think every day of what it's going to be like to play the instrument again. And don't lose sight of that future day. Or maybe you bake.

[36:34] Maybe you're a baker. What I want you to envision is the day that's going to come again when you will be able to bake for someone. And watch them enjoy the work of your hands.

[36:45] Don't lose sight of that day. Because if you stop believing in your future, you are done in your present. That was the single most important thing.

[36:57] In other words, all people had to do was forget their future. Forget that there was anything good and their spirits would become broken.

[37:09] They would lose hope. And it would be very hard to remember what is real and what is true. Come on now. Some of you know what I'm talking about.

[37:21] You've not been through a concentration camp or slavery like Israel here in Exodus. But you have been through the painful divorce. You have been through the grief of losing a loved one.

[37:38] You've had your heart torn out. You've gone through the season of drought where your spirit was broken. You were like the psalmist in Psalm 42.

[37:49] My tears have been my food day and night. Why are you cast down, O my soul? So much that momentarily I hope you forgot what was real and true.

[38:05] My hope there being that you remembered it again. And tonight I want to remind you as I close of what God reminds his broken people, his discouraged people.

[38:18] I want you to know the surety of God's faithfulness in your life. Lift your head up, Christian. Lift it up.

[38:29] I know your spirit may be broken tonight. Maybe you have gone through something. Maybe you will go through something. And you will be discouraged. And it is going to be hard for you to know what is true and what is real.

[38:42] But I want you to hear this. As difficult as it may be to hear this, that today, listen to me, the promises of God that were reminded to Moses are the promises of God that are given to you.

[38:56] These promises are not just true for Moses and Israel. These promises are even more true for those of you who are in Christ.

[39:07] Lift your head up and know this. Oh, put on a seatbelt because I'm going fast, brother. Here we go. I want you to know tonight this. God will deliver you from your burden.

[39:20] He will. It's not just a truth for Israel. It's true for you because what did Jesus say? Jesus said, Come, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.

[39:39] Your burden will not last forever. Not only will God deliver you from your burden, secondly, God will deliver you from your bondage. These are all direct quotes from Exodus 6, by the way.

[39:50] It is not just for Israel. The New Testament promises for those that are in Christ is that you will be set free from sin. You will be set free from the bondage of death.

[40:02] There is, there is, there is freedom in Christ. If the Son has set you free, say it with me, you are free indeed.

[40:15] If you think freedom was a promise for Israel, imagine what it is in the true Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thirdly, God will redeem you.

[40:25] This is not just for Israel. The New Testament declares that we have been redeemed from our sin. And not only that, you know what else it uses, that word redeemed for?

[40:36] We are longing along with all of creation for the redemption of our bodies. The groanings you feel in this body will one day be redeemed.

[40:52] Fourthly, God will and God has made you His. Oh, this is not just for Israel. The New Testament says that once you were not a people, but now you are a people.

[41:05] That you, I'm talking about you, if you've put your faith in Jesus, you have been brought near into the family of God. Yahweh is your God.

[41:18] He has brought you to Himself. He's made you His. And number five, God will be your God. This is not just for Israel.

[41:28] Oh, the New Testament says that in the person of Jesus, who is called what? You say it every Christmas. Emmanuel, what does it mean? God with us.

[41:39] He has not only brought you to Himself, He's made Himself yours. Think about that. God is your God.

[41:51] You are His people and He is your God. And that is not just a promise for Israel. That is even more so to every nation, tribe, and tongue.

[42:02] God is gathering a people and He is their God. Six, you shall know the Lord. Oh, this is not just a promise for Israel. The New Testament says that we can know God.

[42:14] In fact, John in 1 John chapter 4 says, whoever loves is born of God and knows God. Listen, and I know things aren't going real well at work right now, but guess what?

[42:27] You know God. You have God. You have eternal, sovereign God and you can know Him.

[42:38] Oh, number seven, God will bring you into the land. Oh, it's not the exact land of what Israel will receive, but when we all get to heaven.

[42:54] What a day of rejoicing that will be. You and I are bound for a new creation where everything that is broken in this life, including your spirit, will be made new.

[43:14] Lift your head up and remember. Remember, remember the promises God has for you in Jesus Christ.

[43:26] Be reminded today of all that is yours in Christ. And don't you ever, and I mean ever, are you listening to me ever, don't you ever walk away from Faith Family Church and ever having heard the gospel promises that are yours in your life, don't you ever say, I already knew that.

[43:49] I didn't get any new information today. All I got was the gospel again. Let me say this to you and say it quickly, Romans 15, 15, but on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of, reminder, 1 Corinthians 4, 17, that is why I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of the ways in Christ, 1 Corinthians 15, 1.

[44:16] Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, 2 Peter 1, 12 and 13. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, 2 Peter 3, 1.

[44:28] This is now the second letter I am writing to you. Why, beloved? In both of them I am stirring you up to sincere mind by way of reminder.

[44:39] If the Exodus is the gospel of the Old Testament and God sees fit to remind His people over and over and over again of the Exodus, we dare not think for one moment that we do not need to be reminded of the ultimate Exodus that is ours in Jesus Christ every day and twice on the weekend.

[45:04] Always being reminded of the promises of God for us in Jesus Christ. And so faith family, when we gather each week, we need to be reminded because whether we want to admit it or not, we're just like Henry.

[45:24] We're just like Henry. We remember what God has said and we remember what God has promised and we remember who He is and we remember how much we're loved by Him for about 30 seconds.

[45:34] when we walk out this door and right back into disbelief. In many ways, we're just like the disciples. Remember?

[45:48] When Jesus took the bread and broke it, He said, this is my body. And He took the cup and He said, this is my blood.

[46:01] And I want you to do this as often as you do this in remembrance of me. And 30 seconds later, the disciples forgot and scattered into the night.

[46:20] and so I, unapologetically and intentionally, as a broken record for the rest of my life, will not stop reminding you of Christ crucified for your sins.

[46:39] And I will not stop reminding you of Christ risen from the grave to give you new life. Oh no, no, like Exodus 6, I will not stop reminding you again and again of the Exodus God has done for you in Jesus.

[47:00] And all God's people said, Amen, Amen. Let's pray. Lord, just even as we enter into communion, which is all about remembrance, which we do weekly because we need to be reminded.

[47:14] Lord, thank You, thank You of just how gracious You are to remind us. You could, You could really give up on our stubborn heart and our sinful forgetfulness.

[47:31] What a compassionate God You are. To take a complaining, angry Moses and just remind him.

[47:42] to take a broken, spirited Israel beaten down by their slave and just remind them, here's my promise.

[47:55] Here's who I am. And don't ever forget I love you. That's a father.

[48:09] That's a father. And so we enter into this time now of remembrance where we, as the Passover, reminded the people of Israel of their salvation.

[48:26] The Lord's Supper reminds us of ours. And I pray that if we've been consumed in other things of this life, that in this moment we would be able to hear and listen and remember.

[48:44] In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.