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[0:00] Thank you.

[0:30] Thank you.

[1:00] Thank you. And if I could just encourage you, we're almost halfway.

[1:34] Almost halfway. So we'll get there eventually. I'm sure that's kind of how Israel felt. We'll get there eventually. And we've been looking at a lot of the big events that have taken place throughout this Exodus journey.

[1:47] You got the call of Moses with the burning bush. You've got the plagues that they endure. You've got the Passover event, the crossing of the Red Sea, the event of the manna from heaven.

[2:00] You have all these different major events. And we come to another. Again, if you know the book of Exodus, this is another one of those major events that everybody's familiar with.

[2:11] And that is tonight we come to Mount Sinai. Tonight we come to that place where God and Israel come together on the mountain. And so let's turn our attention to Exodus chapter 19.

[2:24] This is Exodus 19 and 20. Some of the most important passages, not only in the book of Exodus, but really in the entire Bible. And so we're going to read the first eight verses, though we'll look at more than that.

[2:37] And let's look at what God has to say to us tonight. So if you're able to do so, please stand as we honor the reading of God's word. In Exodus chapter 19, verse 1. On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.

[2:58] They set out from Raphadim and came to the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain while Moses went up to God.

[3:09] And the Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel, You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself.

[3:29] Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine, and you will be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.

[3:44] These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel. And Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.

[3:56] And all the people answered together and said, All that Yahweh has spoken, we will do. Let's pray.

[4:07] Lord, we thank you for this time to now be in your word. We love to not just study your word to understand it, but to hear from you through it.

[4:18] We believe these words are your words, that they are breathed out by you. They still speak today. So come and talk to us tonight. And I pray that these words would penetrate our hearts and edify us in the Holy Spirit this evening.

[4:35] And I pray it in Jesus' name. And God's people said, Amen. You can be seated. Well, faith family, it gives a whole new meaning to love was in the air.

[4:47] It's the story of Jerome and Sandra Kuypers. They were a Belgium couple that got married in the sky. Now, a wedding in the sky is not all that unusual.

[4:59] I've heard of weddings that took place on a rooftop in New York City or a wedding that took place on an airplane. But this particular wedding was unique in many more ways than that.

[5:12] You see, Jerome and Sandra got married on a crane. You heard me right. In fact, they and 20 of their closest family and friends were strapped to chairs on a platform, raised 160 feet in the air by a large crane.

[5:35] And it was there, 160 feet in the air, that they exchanged their vows. Now, as if that wasn't unusual enough, another unusual thing happened.

[5:48] That is, once they completed their vows, they jumped. With bungee cords, some of you are nervous. It already happened. They're okay.

[5:59] All right. That with bungee cords attached to their legs, Jerome and Sandra jumped from the platform. And when they reached the end of the rope, Jerome kissed his bride.

[6:11] You know, they sure didn't waste any time jumping into things. Didn't take long for their marriage to take a dive.

[6:23] I guess you could say they really took the plunge. Their relationship can only go up from here. Okay, no more, no more, no more dad jokes. That's enough. Well, after the wedding, the ceremony, they treated their guests to a floating reception, a three-course breakfast in the sky.

[6:44] And when asked how they came up with this crazy idea to get married in the sky, here's what Jerome said. Quote, When I was young, my parents owned a crane company.

[6:56] So I grew up around cranes. And I just always dreamed of getting married in the sky. Close quote. And all God's people said, No chance.

[7:08] No chance. Ain't no way that's happening. Amen? Now, regardless of what you think of that wedding, I think all of us would agree that it is rather unusual.

[7:19] And my guess is most of you at one point, if you've been to enough weddings, have experienced an unusual wedding. It may not have been a wedding in the sky, but there was something about it that just went different than most weddings do.

[7:34] Maybe it was the setting in which the couple got married, like the couple that got married in the shoe aisle of TJ Maxx. Or the couple that got married underneath water.

[7:45] Really don't know why. But anyways, maybe it was unusual in the decorations. I actually performed a wedding where everybody in the bridal party and groom's party were in camo.

[8:00] All of them were decked out in camo. All you could see was their faces. Right? Everybody was hidden. Or maybe what was unusual was the proposal. Ladies and gentlemen, quick announcement, if I may.

[8:13] My beautiful girlfriend, Brooke, and I have been together for a while now. Four years, baby. Four. Who's counting, right? It's, uh... I think it's about time I ask her a very important question. Lobby the ring, please.

[8:28] Oh, my God! Oh! Oh, my God!

[8:40] He really fell for her. Okay, that really is the last one. That's no more, no more. Or maybe what was unusual was that something unusual happened in the ceremony.

[8:51] Like you're there at the beach exchanging your vows, and all of a sudden, a big dump truck just drives through your ceremony. All of us, in one way or another, have probably experienced an unusual wedding, or something unusual that happened at a wedding.

[9:08] Listen to me. That is exactly what's happening here in Exodus chapter 19. Exodus 19 is a wedding.

[9:21] And I realize at first glance in the verses that I just read a few moments ago, you think I've lost my mind. And you're probably right on that, but not because of the text, right? Or maybe it's just because I'm doing too many weddings.

[9:33] I did a wedding yesterday. I drive to Wisconsin tonight to do a rehearsal, and again after tomorrow's service to do the ceremony. And I've got a wedding next weekend. Maybe I just got a lot of weddings on my mind as to why I'm reading it this way.

[9:47] But no, a casual reading of Exodus 19 will miss the language that is really, really important. Look at verse 5 of chapter 19.

[10:00] Verse 5 says, Now therefore, if you indeed obey my voice and keep my, say it, covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples.

[10:12] For all the earth is mine. You shall be to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel. Moses came down. He calls the elders of the people, set before them all the commandments that God had given, and the Lord had commanded them.

[10:29] And all the people answered and said, All that the Lord has spoken, everybody, we will do. Do you notice that language? That they're making a covenant.

[10:42] That the vows get laid out from the Lord, and what do the people say? We will do. They say, I do. You see, faith family, Exodus 19, I don't know if you knew this, but you should know this, Exodus 19 is actually the backdrop where we get our wedding tradition.

[11:02] If you've been to a wedding, what do they say? Do you? I do. Do you? I do. That is Exodus 19. This is a covenant.

[11:14] This is a wedding. And it is not just a wedding. It's an unusual wedding. Be honest. Have you ever looked at a couple, don't point, have you ever looked at a couple and said, what is she doing with him?

[11:29] I just, I don't get it. Like, why is that beauty with that beast? Doesn't make any sense to me. You know you think that way. It may be because of physical appearance or financial status, or they don't have anything in common, or there's an age gap.

[11:44] But whatever the reason, you've looked at a couple before and said, that is one unlikely couple. Amen? Amen? That's what's happening here. Let me introduce you to the groom.

[11:55] The groom is Yahweh. He's the one true, sovereign, holy, perfect, loving, patient, long-suffering warrior God. His bride, Israel.

[12:08] She happens to be a disobedient, unfaithful, wayward, grumbling, and is always thinking about herself. This is not a match you're going to find on Christian Mingle. Okay? Nobody's pairing these two up.

[12:20] This is an unusual couple. And it is not just a wedding, and it is not just an unusual wedding. Faith family, are you listening? Say yes.

[12:31] It's your wedding. It's your wedding. If you are a believer tonight, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, if you are a Christian, this is your wedding.

[12:47] How many times have I told you that the small story of Exodus is only pointing you to the larger story of the gospel? If you asked Israel, how did you enter into relationship with God?

[13:00] How did you enter into this covenant? What is life like in covenant with God? This is what they would say. Well, we were living in bondage. We experienced salvation through the blood of a lamb.

[13:14] And we were rescued. We were rescued not by our own strength. We were rescued by the mighty hand of God. It was all of God. We didn't do anything. God did all the work.

[13:26] And then he took us through the waters. And on the other side, he brought us into new life. And do you know what we're doing now? Now we're wandering in the wilderness, facing many trials of life, doing the best that we can to learn how to trust God, but also obey his commandments so that we don't look like all the other nations until one day, you know what's going to happen?

[13:48] We're going to enter into a promised land and experience rest. Does that sound familiar to you? That's your story.

[14:00] That's my story. If I ask you, how did you enter into relationship with God? How did you experience salvation? How did you become one of his people, a part of his bride?

[14:12] You'd say something like this. I was living in the bondage of sin, and I experienced salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ. And he rescued me, not by my works, but by his mighty hand.

[14:23] It was all of God. And he took me through the waters of baptism. He's brought me to new life. I'm now living in a world, a wilderness, full of trials, doing the best I can to learn to trust him and obey his commandments so that I don't look like the world, all the way waiting for a day when everything gets made new, and I will forever rest in his presence.

[14:45] That's your story. That is their story. That is your story. This is their wedding. This is your wedding. That is why the apostle Paul uses such outrageous and controversial language in the New Testament.

[15:05] And we don't tend to get it, but we ought to. Look at what he says in Galatians chapter 3, verse 27. Oh, I'm just going to preach tonight. All right, here we go. Listen, Paul says this.

[15:16] As many of you that were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, There is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female.

[15:30] You're all one in Christ Jesus. Oh my, get this. And if you are Christ's, do you know what you are?

[15:40] You are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. Do you know who you are if you're a child of God?

[15:53] If you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are Abraham's offspring. Listen to what Paul says in Romans chapter 2, verse 28. No one is a Jew who is one merely outwardly.

[16:10] Or is circumcision outward or physical? A Jew is one inwardly. The circumcision is a matter of the heart by the spirit, not by the letter.

[16:20] It's why Peter, in 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9, takes the exact same language of Exodus 19 and applies it to Gentiles. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

[16:41] You once were not a people, but now you're God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

[16:53] Listen, faith family, this is a wedding and it is a picture of your wedding. For all that is true in Exodus 19 is true for you.

[17:05] And I get asked, this always makes dispensationalist uncomfortable and I apologize. I'll always get asked, do you believe in replacement theology? Because that is always, for some reason, dispensationalists will go nuts over replacement theology.

[17:20] And I say, no, I don't believe in replacement theology. I believe in fulfillment theology. It means this, Jesus, according to the New Testament, has fulfilled the promises of Israel and if you unite with him by faith, guess what you are?

[17:36] The offspring of Abraham. That's not my opinion. That's a direct quote from the Bible. Jesus is the true Israel and those that put their faith in the true Israel are the people of God.

[17:55] So tonight, when we look at this wedding, when we look at this marriage, I'm talking about you. Amen? Oh, let's look at it. Okay, I've lost some of you, but that's okay.

[18:06] Chapter 19, verse four. Chapter 19, verse four. I enjoyed it. You yourselves, you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians.

[18:18] How, say it? I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. The first thing we see is that this is a covenant.

[18:29] This is a marriage, whichever word you want to use. This is a covenant established on grace. This is a covenant. This is a marriage established on grace.

[18:40] Because here's the question. Who did all the work? Well, the answer to the text is obvious. God says, I did all the work. You know what I did to the Egyptians.

[18:52] You know how I bore you on eagle's wings. Meaning, listen, I carried you on my wings. I bore you along.

[19:03] Israel, this was not of your works. I brought you to myself. Faith family, God is not bragging. God is just stating the facts.

[19:15] He did all the work to save Israel, and he did all the work to save you. This is a marriage. This is a covenant established on grace.

[19:26] Your relationship with God, your covenant with God, has nothing to do with your performance. Aren't you glad of that? It has nothing to do with your works. You are loved by God in relationship with God simply because of his grace in your life.

[19:44] I'm reminded, one of my former colleagues that when I taught in seminaries, would share a story about his middle daughter named Skylar, who he had adopted.

[19:55] And Skylar, when she, for some reason, she was adopted by another family, and that family, that adoption dissolved, and my colleagues, his name was Tim.

[20:10] Tim and his family adopted her. And one of the things they would always do in the family she used to belong to was go to Disney World. Her family was just big into Disney, big into going to the Magic Kingdom, and they would take trips all the time.

[20:27] But for some reason, they would only take their biological children. Skylar was always left at home. And she assumed this was because she wasn't good enough, that she hadn't done enough to deserve going.

[20:44] And so when her family would return, she'd hear them talk about all the rides that they went on, and they'd show her pictures of Mickey and the gang, and they'd tell stories about all the fun they had at Disney World.

[20:58] And all the while, Skylar was thinking, I'm not good enough to go. I'll never be able to go. I simply am not deserving. Well, when she was adopted into Tim's family, they promised her, we're going to take you to Disney World.

[21:12] And she didn't believe it. She'd believed that before, only to be disappointed. And as the date got closer, her attitude would get worse because she thought, listen, I've tried to be good and earn this trip before.

[21:26] It's never worked out. Why should I behave? Why should I be good? Well, finally, the day arrived, and they went to Disney World. And they rode rides, and they enjoyed the food, and they stood in line for eight hours because that's what you do at Disney World, right?

[21:44] And then when they got back to the hotel that evening, Skyler said something to Tim he would never forget. Tired and exhausted from the day, he turned to Skyler and said, so how was your first day at Disney World?

[22:01] And she grabbed her stuffed unicorn, crawled under the sheets, and with eyes as big as saucers said, Daddy, Daddy, I can't believe I finally got to go to the magic kingdom.

[22:21] And it wasn't because I was good. It's because I'm yours. Fate family, what I want you to hear tonight is this.

[22:35] You have been given access to a kingdom far greater than Disney. You have been given access to the kingdom of Christ, and it is not because you are good.

[22:49] It's because you're his bride. It is all of grace. It is all of grace.

[23:01] He bore us on eagle's wings. Now the pushback is always this. What about works? What about works? You always talk about grace. What about works? Well, works are involved.

[23:11] Works are important. Pick it up in verse 5. Here's the second thing.

[23:39] This is a covenant that's established on grace. I did it. I bore you. But next, it's a covenant that expects obedience.

[23:49] Are you with me? It's established on grace, but it expects obedience. God here, in fact, this entire section of Exodus 19 and 20 is God giving Moses the law.

[24:01] The very next chapter is the 10 what? The 10 commandments. Maybe the most famous part of the book of Exodus. God here is giving his people the law, and he expects his people to follow his commandments.

[24:13] In fact, there's two specific titles there in the text that we just read that really get to the idea of obedience. First of all, you are to be to me a holy nation.

[24:25] Well, holy here clearly does not mean perfect, because if we know anything about Israel, she is far from perfect just like we are. Amen? Holy here does not mean perfect.

[24:37] You know, many of you know what holy means. It means to be set apart. To be set apart. That is, God wants Israel set apart from all the other nations.

[24:48] It's why he gives them the law. The reason why I'm giving you this law, in addition to the ultimate reason, which is to expose the fact that you can't actually keep the law, and you need my grace, that's a whole other sermon.

[24:59] He's giving them the law so that they'll be different from Assyria, and different from Babylon. I want you to be a set apart nation. Have you ever read through the Old Testament, particularly Leviticus, and been like, why did God command that?

[25:15] I mean, really? You can't have bacon? I mean, that seems to go against everything biblical and divine. I don't understand that. Why are there certain food laws, and like your beard can only be a certain length, and there's behaviors, and there's certain ways to work, and we're going to look at some of that in Exodus, but have you ever read the Old Testament that way and just thought, I don't understand why all this?

[25:40] It's simply because Israel was to be set apart. You're going to eat differently. You're going to behave differently. You're going to worship differently. Why? Because secondly, you're to me a kingdom of priests.

[25:54] A priest is simply someone who represents God to others. This is very simple, faith family. Listen, I want Israel to be set apart through the law, different than all the other nations, so that in being set apart, they'll show the world what I'm like.

[26:16] They'll be a kingdom of priests. They'll reflect me in the world. Does everybody see that? Say yes. That is the same language the Apostle Peter uses of us in 1 Peter 2, 9 and 10, which I read just a few moments ago.

[26:34] That is, listen, our relationship with God, our marriage with God, our communion, our covenant with God was established on grace, but it expects obedience.

[26:47] We are to live differently. We are to represent God in the world. You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. Amen? Do not be like the world.

[27:01] How many New Testament commands do I need to give you? The same thing is true for us. Now, this is really, really important, and I just need somebody to say preach, preacher. I was going to anyways, but I appreciate it, okay?

[27:14] Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. Listen, listen, listen. The order of these events really matter. They really matter to your life.

[27:25] Here's what I mean. Let me ask the question. The question is this. When was the law given? When were all these commands given? And here's the answer.

[27:37] After Israel was saved. You tracking with me? When was the law given? It was given after Israel was rescued from Egypt. Why is that so huge?

[27:48] Oh, listen to me. Come on, come on. God is not giving them the law in Egypt and saying, if you obey, I'll get you out. If you obey, I'll save you.

[28:00] If you obey, I'll rescue you. No, that's not how it works. He rescues them. He saves them. And then he gives them the law. The expectation of obedience comes after salvation.

[28:14] It is not what saves you. Notice it on the screen. Obedience isn't what gets us saved. Obedience is simply what we do because we're saved.

[28:25] Amen? That's really important. Aren't you glad that God didn't say, here's the law, and if you're good enough, I'll get you out. Because if that were the case, we'd all still be in.

[28:39] God gets them out by his grace. I bore you on eagle's wings. I did it. You know what I did. And now that I have brought you to this place to enter into covenant with you, here's how I expect you to live.

[28:53] The order of this is so incredibly important because it means I don't obey God to be accepted by God. I obey God because I am accepted by God.

[29:05] The order goes like this, and I'm going to take just a moment to unpack it and then we'll keep going. It's grace, then it's obedience, and then it's the blessing that comes from obedience.

[29:18] By blessing, I'm not talking about like some second blessing or some health, wealth, and whatever, name it, claim it thing. I'm just talking about there's blessing that comes with obedience to God.

[29:30] Would you not agree with that? Yeah. So there's grace that saves us, obedience that's expected of us, and then there's blessing that comes from that. Now, here's why that matters practically.

[29:42] Come on. Man, I just want some of you to be set free tonight. Listen to me. Listen to me. Because I'm telling you, not only are there some of you that are still thinking this way, I know there are some of you that have thought this way.

[29:57] Here's the first way we get these out of order. Notice it here. We obey to get his grace, then to experience blessing, and that faith family is a relationship based on fear.

[30:12] Here's what I call it. Religion. It's religion. And many of you grew up this way. I grew up this way. Some of you are Catholic, or former Catholics.

[30:25] I don't think you are now. You're Catholics. I'm not just picking on Catholics. I was Baptist. Thank you, Lord, for rescuing me so many ways. Right? Listen, listen.

[30:36] There was a Baptist form of obedience, and there was a Catholic form of obedience, and there's a Presbyterian form of obedience. Almost any denomination you want to name can use religious structures to fear you into obeying.

[30:56] Shape it up. God's not going to be happy with you. You've got to live up to all of his expectations. If you want to be accepted by God, you better go through the rituals.

[31:07] You better say the prayers. You better dance the dance. That is not the kind of marriage God wants with you.

[31:21] Some of you have lived under that pressure in human relationships. I've got to be good so my parents will love me. I've got to behave so my teacher will like me. I've got to score points so my coach will keep playing me.

[31:32] I've got to follow the rules so my spouse will keep loving me. And then we translate that to God. Maybe if I obey, he'll give me grace and I can experience some blessing.

[31:43] I want you to be set free from that heresy. Obedience is not what brings you favor with God. His grace does. Here's the second way we get this out of order.

[31:58] I'm going to obey so I can get a blessing and then experience his grace. This is another common approach. It goes like this.

[32:09] You know, if I obey God, I'll get a good life. If I obey God and go to church and read my Bible, I'll have good health always. And I'll have fortune.

[32:19] And the Vikings will win. Or whoever you pull for. Right? But you know what I'm talking about. I'm using a joke but I'm being serious. People think this way.

[32:30] Just like people think, oh my goodness, I've got to obey, I've got to obey, I've got to obey, I've got to obey. God's not going to love me, God's not going to love me, I've got to be good. God, that's a marriage based on fear and God doesn't want that.

[32:41] And this is, you know, maybe if I obey, if I obey, I'll get good stuff from him and that relationship is based on selfishness. Do you know how I know how? Because every time life doesn't go the way you want it, you get mad at God.

[32:56] I'm so much for being a Christian. I do all this stuff and a lot of good it does me. Why am I the one with this disease?

[33:09] Why am I the one with the job loss? I thought if I obeyed, I'd get blessing and God is just saying, that's not the kind of marriage I want with you. This is not transactional. I'm not just here to be your little genie.

[33:23] Here's the third and only kind of marriage that is biblical with God and it's this. You receive grace and you are so overwhelmed that he would rescue you.

[33:43] That you just want to live for him out of joy and enjoy the blessing that comes from that because this relationship is not based on fear and it is not based on selfishness.

[33:58] It is based on love. This is the kind of marriage, the kind of covenant, the kind of relationship that God wants with you.

[34:12] So listen, are you relating to him out of fear? Are you relating to him out of selfishness? Or do you relate to God out of love? Because the law doesn't come until after salvation already has.

[34:28] And that changes everything. You may remember the story of Antonio Soleri. He was born in Venice. He was an Italian composer.

[34:39] A very pivotal figure in the 18th century. Loved opera. Composed music. Spent his life writing music for opera houses all over Europe.

[34:53] And what he was, if you remember the story, he was obsessed with it being the best. He was obsessed with performance and achievement. And in the movie, there's a scene where he makes a vow to God and he promises that he will do anything if God will just make him great.

[35:12] While my father prayed earnestly to God to protect commerce, I would offer up, secretly, the proudest prayer a boy could think of.

[35:26] Lord, make me a great composer. Let me celebrate your glory through music and be celebrated myself.

[35:37] Make me famous through the world, dear God. Make me immortal. After I die, let people speak my name forever with love for what I wrote.

[35:51] In return, I will give you my chastity, my industry, my deepest humility every hour of my life.

[36:11] Amen. He was obsessed with achievement and performance and living up to being the best.

[36:21] He's invited to play for the emperor and while the emperor enjoyed his music, there was another musician there that day that captured the attention of the emperor.

[36:31] Some of you remember who it was. Mozart. Mozart. And it was clear to Solari that he wasn't the greatest.

[36:42] He wasn't the best. There was someone greater than him and it drove him to his his destruction. Look at me.

[36:56] You are going to drive yourself to destruction spiritually if you think your acceptance with God comes on the basis of your achievement.

[37:09] It comes after salvation. You are already loved. You are already accepted because he bore you on eagle's wings. He's already achieved your salvation for you and now you obey.

[37:25] You serve. Why? Because you love him. Because you're his. Because there's no greater joy than walking with the Lord.

[37:36] Amen? And so I pray this evening we don't get the order out of order but we see that salvation comes first then it's obedience and then the blessing that comes with the obedient life.

[37:51] One last point and we'll be done. There's another important part of this marriage this covenant we cannot leave out. It's so critical. Let me give you just a few quick verses and then I'll summarize these pretty quickly.

[38:03] Look at chapter 19 in verse 3. It says Now we're jumping down to verse 7.

[38:19] Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded. The people answered together all the Lord has spoken we will do. And notice Moses reported the words to the people of the people to Yahweh to God.

[38:34] So Moses is the one telling Israel and then he's reporting back to God. Next verse You shall set limits for the people of all around saying take care not to go to the mountain or touch the edge of it because if you touch whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.

[38:49] No hand shall touch him but he shall be stoned or shot. That's pretty severe right? Whether beast or man he shall not live. When the trumpet sounds a long blast they shall come up to the mountain.

[39:02] Next verse Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people and they washed their garments. Next The Lord came down to Mount Sinai on the top of the mountain and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up.

[39:19] Are you starting to see the picture here that's happening in these verses? All of this is happening through Moses. In other words listen it's established it's established on grace it expects obedience and it's entered through a mediator.

[39:39] It's entered through a mediator. Notice the things in those verses summarized here. Only Moses is allowed to go up on the mountain. Now Aaron can later but Israel is not allowed to touch the mountain or she will die which seems harsh but notice this on the screen.

[39:56] It's not because God is not unapproachable it's because Israel is sinful. Israel is not allowed to come to God on her own. Secondly all the dialogue takes place through Moses.

[40:09] The Lord tells Moses what to tell the people the people respond and Moses tells the Lord what the people said. There's this mediator and there is a warning of death if you try to come any other way.

[40:23] In other words Exodus 19 is very clear there is only one way you enter into this covenant and that is through Moses he is the mediator of God.

[40:34] Do you see that? Say yes. Alright. What's that saying? What's that pointing us to? It's this truth you cannot get married without a mediator.

[40:45] Notice it on the screen you can't get married without an officiant and you can't be saved without a mediator. You cannot be in relationship with God without a mediator and who is that pointing us to?

[41:00] You know 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 5 there is one God and there is one talk to me mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus.

[41:14] Listen just like in Exodus 19 Israel cannot go up the mountain you cannot come to God God on your own you cannot come any other way but his way and what is that way?

[41:33] Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life and what? No one comes to the Father except through me.

[41:46] Jesus is how this marriage takes place Jesus is the mediator in which we can enter into relationship with God don't you love Exodus 19?

[42:01] This is a wedding this is a marriage it's established on grace it expects works and it's entered into by a mediator and his name is not Moses anymore his name is Jesus Christ so what is our response to this this evening three very quick things first get married get married get married listen because of what Jesus did on the cross God is offering to you today the same thing he offered to Israel in Exodus 19 that is you have the opportunity right now to be in covenant with God why in the world would you remain spiritually single when God the one you were literally created for invite you to have a relationship with him oh I did a marriage yesterday I'll do a marriage tomorrow

[43:02] I'd be glad to do one right now come to Jesus Christ by faith and enter into relationship with God and there are some of you in this room that have never done that and tonight needs to be your wedding day where you spiritually enter into relationship with your creator second renew your vows renew your vows others of you like Israel you have strayed in your love for God you've been chasing after money family success success and what has happened to you is what happened to a church in Revelation chapter 2 do you remember what was said of the church of Ephesus here it is I have this against you you've abandoned the love you had at first literally it would read you've abandoned your first love and some of you in your relationship with God tonight you've gone wayward and what this needs to be is a time where you renew your love rekindle that passion that you have for God amen

[44:21] I hope some of you get married tonight spiritually that you are united with God through Jesus Christ others of you would renew your vows third and finally is that you would just rest in his love faith family if you're a Christian you can rest in the love God has for you one more very quick observation and I'm done listen where did the wedding of Exodus 19 happen in the wilderness in the wilderness in other words oh come on preach preacher are you listening even in the wilderness of life you don't have to let your trials keep you from the love of God Israel experiences the covenant love of God in the wilderness you may not be married you may be divorced you may be going through divorce you may have an imperfect marriage know that listen in

[45:25] Jesus Christ you have someone for the rest of your life every single morning you get to wake up knowing this I'm his I'm his no matter what the wilderness brings no matter what the trials may be today I belong to God and you need to rest in that love Jerome and Sandra experienced a very unusual wedding but I'll give you one even more unusual than that God and you I mean who would have ever put those two together the answer of course is God did God brought you to himself it's not a joke it's not a misprint in fact it's specifically what the apostle

[46:31] Peter says here it is that Christ suffered once for sins the righteous for the unrighteous that he might what the exact same quote of Exodus 19 bring us to God to marry you to be in covenant with you God sent Jesus to the cross to bring you to himself the proposals been offered the only question is will you say I do and all God's people said amen let's pray Lord thank you for just a beautiful text of seeing your love of seeing your grace towards us how you bore us on eagles wings just like you did Israel you saved us not of our works but by your grace and your love and you have brought us to yourself yes to live in obedience and to enjoy the blessing of that and that only happens through the mediator between

[47:50]  God and man the man Christ Jesus the price that was paid to redeem your bride was the price of the cross and tonight we enter into a time of remembrance where we set our minds on what Jesus did for us when he paid it all to purchase his bride and I pray tonight that we would celebrate and enjoy your love as we remember in Jesus name amen