Well, good morning, church.
We are celebrating baptism this morning, as you've noticed from the giant tank up here,
right?
And we are looking at a passage from Exodus this morning that is about celebration, so
it's very fitting.
Would you turn with me to Exodus chapter 15, verses 1 through 21?
Exodus 15.
That's page 57 in the Pew Bible, if you want to turn there.
It'll be helpful to have it open before you as we look at what this passage speaks to us
today.
Exodus chapter 15, page 57, if you're looking in the Pew Bible.
Let me read this for us.
Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,
I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously.
The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise him.
My father's God, and I will exalt in him.
The Lord is a man of war.
The Lord is his name.
Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk
in the Red Sea.
The floods covered them.
They went down into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power.
Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow your adversaries.
You send out your fury.
It consumes them like stubble.
At the blast of your nostrils, the waters piled up.
The floods stood up in a heap.
The deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, I will pursue.
I will overtake.
I will divide the spoil.
My desire shall have its fill of them.
I will draw my sword.
My hand shall destroy them.
You blew with your wind.
The sea covered them.
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
You stretched out your right hand.
The earth swallowed them.
You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed.
You have guided them by your strength, your holy abode.
The peoples have heard.
They tremble.
Pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed.
The trembling seizes the leaders of Moab.
All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
Terror and dread fall upon them because of the greatness of your arm.
They are still as a stone till your people, O Lord, pass by.
Till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
You will bring them in and plant them on your mountain.
The place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode.
The sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
The Lord will reign forever and ever.
For when the horses of Pharaoh and his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea,
the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them.
But the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea.
Then Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand.
And all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.
And Miriam sang to them, sing to the Lord.
For he has triumphed gloriously.
The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
Let's pray as we consider this word together.
Oh, Lord God, we thank you that we can gather together Sunday after Sunday.
We can come together as your people.
We can sing praises to your name.
And Lord, best of all, we can hear your voice speaking to us from your word.
God, thank you that you're a speaking God.
Thank you that you're worthy to be praised.
Thank you that you call us out of ourselves to know you and to see you in all of your beauty and glory.
Lord, would you do that this morning as we consider this passage?
Would you help us to see you afresh in the power of your Holy Spirit?
Help us to see you, Jesus.
We pray in your name.
Amen.
Well, I wonder what, if anything, makes you want to sing?
You might be thinking, nothing makes me want to sing.
At least not in front of other people.
Maybe if I'm in the shower and no one's around.
Sometimes I think we sing just because we're happy, right?
Imagine the crowded stadium singing the home team's fight song when they've just scored the game-winning goal, right?
Some of you maybe experienced something like that.
Sometimes we sing for the very opposite reason, because we're sad.
Just think of all the great breakup songs that have been written, right?
And just think of all the times those songs have been sung behind the wheel of a lonely drive home, right?
Or in front of a laptop camera for display on YouTube or whatever have you.
You know, sometimes we sing just because it's the thing to do, right?
Out comes the cake, candles are lit, and suddenly all the guests break out into happy birthday to you without any instructions whatsoever.
It just happens because it's the thing to do.
How about when we come to church?
Too often I think we sing because it's just the thing to do.
If you're new to Christianity, if you're exploring spiritual things,
maybe it still feels a bit strange to you to stand in a room with a hundred or so people you've never met
who then just start singing together.
And if you're used to church, take a step back.
That is a bit strange if you think about it.
But it's more than just the thing we do.
There's actually a deep reason why we sing.
In fact, when you look across the whole Bible,
and church history for that matter,
you see all sorts of songs.
Songs of lament at times.
Songs when people are brokenhearted.
Songs of praise.
Songs that tell a story and frame how we understand ourselves.
We see people singing in their homes.
And we see people singing in the temple.
We see people singing even in prison cells in the Bible.
The people of God seem to be always singing.
And here in Exodus 15, we see a great example
of why.
Why?
Why do we sing?
Why can we sing?
At this point in the story of Exodus, you'll remember,
the people of Israel have just passed through the Red Sea to the other side.
And there they stand on the shore of the Red Sea.
Free.
Liberated at last.
God has rescued them from slavery.
And they sing.
And we know from Miriam's response in verse 20 and 21,
kind of at the end of the section we just read,
we know from Miriam's response that this song
that Moses teaches the people that they sing together
was meant to be sung again and again.
Notice in verse 1, look at just this little detail.
Notice that verse 1 says,
I will sing.
But now take a look at verse 21.
It becomes an invitation.
It becomes a command even.
Sing.
Miriam's words here,
calling out to the women and through the women,
to all the people,
telling them to make the theme of this song their own.
Sing.
Telling us to make it our own.
So what is the theme of this song of the sea,
as it's sometimes called in Exodus 15?
Well, what we see here in the song of the sea
is that there's one big main point
with two practical implications.
One big point,
two implications,
two results.
First, let's take a look at what this main point
of the song of the sea is.
And when you take a look through the first,
say, 10, 11, 12 verses of this song,
you see that God is praised here.
This is a hymn of praise to God.
And God is praised here,
not just for sort of generally rescuing the people
for bringing them out of Egypt.
He's praised for something even more specific than that.
Isn't he?
This is a song of praise,
because God destroyed the Egyptian army in the sea.
Sing to the Lord for,
because he's triumphed gloriously.
The horse and the rider,
he has thrown into the sea.
In other words,
we sing
because our enemy has been conquered.
First 12 verses of the song,
God's pictured as a mighty warrior.
Verse 3,
the Lord is a man of war.
The Lord is his name.
Now, at first,
that might make us a little uncomfortable,
right?
Are we meant to be praising
some kind of angry, vindictive deity here?
Some God who just sort of flies off in a rage
and plays favorites?
What sort of God is this?
But look again,
that's not the picture here at all.
Rather,
we're singing praise to a God
who in great might
has stood up
for the oppressed
and the poor
and has become their champion.
After all,
Pharaoh and his chariots
and their riders,
the Egyptians,
they aren't coming
to say they're sorry.
Right?
They're not coming out
to say,
oh,
400 years of slavery,
you know,
let us give you a parting gift.
They're not coming out
to say they're sorry.
They're coming out to what?
To devour.
Look at verse 9.
The enemy said,
I will pursue,
I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil.
My desire shall have its fill of them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand
shall destroy them.
Pharaoh's hand,
the hand
that had held
the people of Israel
in slavery
for generations
is now set
on destroying them.
But
there's a stronger hand.
Verse 6.
Your hand,
your right hand,
oh Lord,
glorious,
in power,
your right hand,
oh Lord,
shatters the enemy.
Imagine how it must have felt
in 1945
in London
when VE Day,
Victory in Europe Day,
finally came
when Nazi Germany
finally fell.
Imagine what it must have been like
living in fear
year after year after year,
wondering
wondering when the next
bombing raid
would strike.
Wondering year after year
when the next friend
or family member
would be lost
in combat
in some ditch
far away
on the continent.
And now imagine
what it must be like
to hear the news
that there's peace,
that the enemy
has been conquered
and the war
is over.
historical accounts
of 45
in London
tell us that
more than a million
people packed
the streets
from Trafalgar Square
to Buckingham Palace.
Is it any wonder
that they rushed
into the streets
and I'm sure
they were singing
something,
God save the queen,
whatever they could think of
king at that point.
No wonder
they packed
the streets
and rejoiced.
No wonder
the Israelites
sang on the shores
of the Red Sea.
Imagine the relief,
imagine the joy
they must have felt
to look back
and say,
there's no more enemy.
He's gone.
And yet friends,
here's what we know.
we know
that there's
an even greater
victory that's been won.
An even greater
enemy that's been conquered.
You see,
in and behind
human oppression
and injustice,
deep down
in our own hearts,
there's a power
at work,
isn't there?
And this power
makes it such
that even when
we know
the right thing
to do,
we find that
we end up
not doing it.
And the things
that we know
we ought not
to do,
well,
those are the very
things we end up
doing.
Have you ever
found that
to be true?
Good.
I'm not the only
one in the room.
Who knows
what that's like?
And here's the thing,
despite telling
ourselves again
and again,
this time
it's going to be
different.
This time
it's going to be
different.
Still,
that same
inability,
that same
power at work
in us,
deep down
in our hearts
is there.
And the trouble
with this enemy
is that we
can't seem
to externalize it
and we can't seem
to separate it
from ourselves.
Right?
Pharaoh's chariots
and horsemen
are one thing,
scary,
yes,
but able to be
conquered and
God did it.
But what about
this thing
in me?
This power
that seems
to hold
on to bitterness
when I know
I should forgive.
This power
that just
wants to look
the other way
when my neighbors
are in need,
when I know
I should probably
give them a call
or show up
or offer to
just listen
and help.
this power
in me
that always
seems to want
to bend
the truth
when I know
I should be
truthful.
If the waters
of the Red Sea
were to come
crashing down
on all that,
what would be
left of me
in the process?
Wouldn't I be
swept away
with it?
So we ask,
how could God
win this victory?
How could God
conquer this enemy?
Listen to what
the Apostle Paul
says in Romans 7
reflecting
on all these
rich themes
of deliverance
and exodus.
Paul says this,
he says,
I delight in the
law of God
in my inner being,
but I see
in my members
another law
waging war
against the law
of my mind
and making me
captive
to the law
of sin
that dwells
in my members.
Wretched man
that I am,
who will deliver
me from this
body of death?
Exactly.
Who
can rescue
us from this?
But then he says,
thanks
be to God
through Jesus
Christ
our Lord.
You see,
when sin
had pursued
us
and sought
to devour
us
and when we
were held
captive
by its power,
a power that all
of us in this room
were just nodding
our heads about,
right?
When that was
the case,
Christ
stepped in
as our champion
and as our
victor.
He
bore
the worst
that sin
had to offer
on the cross.
Standing
in our place,
identifying
with us,
taking on
our flesh,
becoming
like us
in every way
and on the cross
taking on
that power
of sin
and taking
on the judgment
that it rightly
deserved.
Letting sin
and death
pour its
cascade
over him.
And then
Christ
came through
the waters
of judgment,
victorious,
risen to new
life,
such that
now sin
has no
claim on
him
and united
to him
by faith,
sin no
longer has
any claim
on those
who trust
in him.
You see,
because Christ,
our victor,
Christ,
our warrior,
Christ,
our champion,
has stepped
in and
taken hold
of us
and gone
through the
waters
and come
out,
our sins
have been
forgiven.
The old
is gone.
The new
has come.
The horse
and the rider
he has thrown
into the sea.
Sin and death
have been
defeated
and we stand
on the shore
of the new
creation.
And that's
why
we ought
to be a
singing people.
Because the
battle has
been won
through Jesus,
our king.
That's why
Paul tells
the church
in Colossi
that we read
earlier to
sing.
He says,
let the
word of
Christ
dwell in
you richly,
teaching and
admonishing one
another in
all wisdom
and singing.
Singing
psalms and
hymns and
spiritual songs
with thankfulness
in your hearts
to God.
With thankfulness
for the word
of Christ,
for the gospel,
for the good
news that in
his grace,
God's forgiven
our sins and
triumphed over
death.
But here's
the thing,
it's not just
now that
we'll sing
this song.
It's actually
a song we'll
sing for
eternity.
It's very
interesting,
Revelation
chapter 15,
at the very
end of the
Bible,
says,
and they
sing the
song of
Moses,
the servant
of God,
and the
song of
the Lamb
saying,
great and
amazing are
your deeds,
O Lord
God Almighty.
you see,
this theme
that in
Jesus God
has conquered
our greatest
enemies and
set us
free,
this song
of deliverance,
this song
of salvation,
this song
of praise
on the shores
of the Red
Sea,
that is a
song that
the church
is going to
sing forever
with thanksgiving
in our hearts
to the Lord.
Now,
this does not
mean that
the people of
God,
that the church
never sing
songs of
lament.
It never
means that
we never
sing songs
of crying
out for help.
We sing all
of those songs,
don't we?
And yet,
running like
a current
underneath
is this
new song,
this song
of the sea
that the
horse and
the rider
God has
thrown into
the sea
for us.
You know,
this is the
good news
of the gospel,
friends.
You know,
I think most
of us,
most of our
friends,
most of our
neighbors,
you know,
underneath the
sort of
busyness of
life,
there's,
I mean,
if we're honest,
isn't there
just a quiet
rumble
of despair?
Just a
quiet,
gnawing
sense
that the
bottom's
gonna drop
out
at some
point.
You're only
gonna live
so long.
That the
sort of
tones
that are
played
underneath
every
moment of
life,
even the
joyful
moments,
end up
being a
tone of
sadness.
And yet,
here the
gospel comes
in and
says,
oh no,
that's not
the song
that underlies
everything else.
let me
take that
song of
despair from
you and
give you a
song,
give you a
hymn of
praise,
give you a
song of
victory and
triumph that
will run like a
current under all
of your sadness,
under all of your
hardship and your
moments of joy and
your moments of
struggle.
Come take this
song,
because he's done
it.
Christ is risen,
the horse and the
rider he's thrown
into the sea.
Now as Moses
continues this
song on the
shore of the
Red Sea,
he begins to
sing that of
two kind of
results or
implications.
He sort of,
he looks back
and says,
look at what
God has done,
they've sunk
like a stone.
God blew his
nose and
destroyed our
enemies.
That's one of
the only sermons
I remember from
growing up,
by the way,
in the church
that I grew up
in.
The pastor
gave a sermon
called,
what happens
when God
blows his
nose?
And it was
on this
text.
Did you
catch that?
Now I'm
sure there's
someone who
will be the
only sermon
they ever
remember here
at Trinity.
This is
God,
this is our
God,
he's so
great,
he's so
amazing,
he's like
you,
oh God.
So Moses
sort of looks
back and
then he
looks ahead
and he
sings of
two kind
of results,
two implications
of the fact
that God
has triumphed
over his
enemies.
And the
first is
this,
that the
surrounding
nations
will fear
God.
Look again
at verses
14 through
16,
in the
song of
the sea
here.
Those names,
if you're not
familiar with
those,
those are
nations in
and around
the promised
land where
God is
eventually going
to take
his people.
And Moses
says that
they're going
to hear what
God has
done and
they're going
to tremble.
God is
to hear what
God is
a God
who saves
and God
saves in
such a
mighty way
that the
nations will
see his
greatness
and worship
him.
Of course,
in the Old
Testament,
we see only
a shadow
of what this
means.
But when
the New
Testament,
when the
New Covenant
comes,
that has
unfolded in
all of its
fullness.
I've been
reading the
book of Acts
recently in
just some of
my personal
prayer time.
And don't
you see there
that people
from all
nations don't
just hear about
Israel's God,
but they come
to trust and
believe in
Jesus,
Israel's
Messiah.
They come
to trust and
believe in
him as the
world's true
Savior and
Lord.
The nations
now aren't
just trembling
because they
heard of this
mighty deed,
but now they're
trembling in
worship and
love as they
take this
God as
their own.
Moses was
helping the
people of
Israel to
see here,
something I
think is
very important
for us.
He was
helping the
people to
see and to
sing right
here on the
shore of the
Red Sea that
if God had
defeated the
Egyptians behind
them,
then the
nations in
front of
them wouldn't
ultimately be
able to undo
them either.
If God had
defeated the
enemies behind
you, the
enemies in
front of you
won't be able
to conquer
you either.
And it's
true for us
today.
If Jesus has
defeated sin
and death, if
God has made
us his children
and called us
his own, what
is there really
to fear in
what lies
ahead?
God has
to fear in
God.
Of course, this
isn't saying
that we ought
to be triumphalist.
After all, between
the Red Sea and
the Promised Land,
what is there?
There's a
wilderness.
And in that
wilderness, there's
going to be hunger
and thirst and
there are nations
waiting to attack.
There are hardships
ahead.
But here in this
song, if the
greatest enemy has
already been sunk
in the sea, then
we need not be
afraid.
So the first
result is that
the nations will
fear God.
And the second
result is that
God will bring
his people safely
to his dwelling
place.
We see this in
verse 13 and
verse 17.
Let me read
those two verses
again for us.
You have led
in your steadfast
love the
people whom
you have
redeemed.
You have
guided them by
your strength
to your holy
abode.
You will bring
them in and
plant them on
your own
mountain.
This place, O
Lord, which you
have made for
your abode, the
sanctuary, O
Lord, which your
hands have
established.
We saw this at
the very start of
our series in
Exodus, didn't
we?
That God saves
in order to
dwell in our
midst.
God rescues
us so that he
can be with
us.
That the God
of the Bible
is a God who
comes into
intimate relationship
with his people.
He's a God who
comes near, so
near that he
even dwells in
our midst.
And that
dwelling has a
future.
The future for
the people of
Israel was a
home in the
land of Canaan.
And eventually
the temple that
Solomon would build
would be the
place where God's
glory dwelt in
their midst.
But you see, the
land and the
temple, that was
just a signpost of
an even greater
dwelling place that
God has in store
for his people.
That was just a
picture of what
was to come.
The Apostle
Peter writes in
his second letter
that according to
God's promise,
we're waiting for
a new heavens and
a new earth in
which righteousness
dwells.
The promised
land of the
Old Testament
was just a
picture of a
pointer to what
God promises to
do for the
whole creation.
To cover it with
his glory as the
waters cover the
sea.
To dwell with his
people and make
all things new.
That it wouldn't
just be a little
patch of earth in
Palestine, but it
would be the whole
earth made new.
You see, the song
of the church,
friends, is a
song of victory
in what Jesus has
done, and it's a
song of confidence
in what he's doing
now in the midst of
the wilderness, but
it's also a song of
hope in what he
will do.
That if Jesus has
conquered sin and
death, then
ultimately he will
bring us safely
home, that he will
return in glory, and
all the earth will
be liberated from
evil and injustice,
sickness, and
death.
And as verse 18
says, the Lord will
reign forever and
ever.
So what, if
anything, makes you
want to sing?
The song of Moses,
as Miriam tells us,
as an invitation.
I wonder, friends,
can you sing verse
two?
Look at that verse.
The Lord is my
strength and my
song, and he has
become my salvation.
This is my God, and I
will praise him.
That's very personal,
isn't it?
my strength.
My strength, my
strength, my song, my
salvation, my God.
That's what it means to
become a Christian, to
look to Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen,
seated at God's right
hand, the very Son of
God, and to say to him,
you are my strength and
my song.
You, Lord, are my
salvation.
You are my God.
To entrust yourself
completely to him.
That's what he calls us
to do, even now.
And once you've taken
that step, once you've
made that decision, once
you can sing that as
your song, Jesus tells us
that the next step is to
make a public profession
in baptism.
baptism.
Baptism is something that
Jesus commands, and it
essentially says, I'm
identifying with Christ.
He is my salvation.
He is my strength.
He is my song.
He is my God.
And there's nothing I'm
holding back from him.
I'm going to get totally
wet.
Baptism says that he,
Jesus, has gone through
the waters of judgment for
me.
He's died and risen again,
and through faith in him,
I've come to new life as
well.
Friends, I wonder if you're
here this morning and you
can sing verse two to God,
to Christ.
Have you been baptized?
Are you ready to take on the
joy of stepping into the
waters of baptism and be
reminded and be powerfully
encouraged by what God has
done and this gift that he
gives you to be publicly
proclaiming your union with
him?
Well, this morning we're going
to invite Geneva and we're
going to invite Tricia to come
on up, and they're going to
do just that.
They're going to tell us what
God has done in their life,
how they've come to know
Christ, and then they're
going to step into the
waters and get baptized.
The elders have met with
both Tricia and Geneva, and
we've affirmed their
profession of faith, and it's
our privilege to bring them
forward for baptism.
So let me invite them to
come on up.
They're going to share their
stories, and then we'll sing,
and then we'll celebrate
baptism together.
And as they come on up,
let me pray for us.
Oh, great God, we give you
thanks that there is a hymn
of praise that rumbles
throughout history and has
met us even here.
Thank you for our Lord Jesus
Christ who has won the
victory over sin and death.
Thank you for bringing us
onto the shores of the new
creation in him.
Lord, you are our strength,
and you are our song, and we
praise you.
Lord, we pray all this in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
So Geneva, why don't you
come on up, and why don't
you share with us your story?
Good morning, church.
Good morning.
So several times throughout
the Bible, God promises to
show mercy to the descendants
of those who love him.