Humble & Gifted
Lord, keep me low. Lord, build your church. Lord, use me.
Romans 12:3-8 | Lord, keep me low. Lord, build your church. Lord, use me.
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Ok, here we are. The final words of Paul's letter to the Romans. The letter closes with a worshipful doxology, declaring that God is worthy of all glory forever. As Paul glorifies God, he reminds us of an important reality that we must cling to as we close this book: the gospel is not only the power to save us, it is the power to strengthen us as well. So as we close our series in the book of Romans, we do so with the strong reminder that God, who strengthens us in the gospel, is worthy of all glory forever.
The end of Romans has many features customary of how Paul closes a letter, but there are two unique features. One of these uniquenesses is that he interrupts his greeting section for some final exhortations and encouragements to the church. Today we look at what was so important to Paul that he interrupts his greetings to make sure he says these final words to the Romans. In this, he highlights a problem for us to watch out for, a promise for us to believe, and a prayer for us to live by.
You open to Romans 16, and what do you find dominating the first 16 verses?
Names.
27 of them to be exact.
It's easy to come to sections like this of Paul's letters and speed read through them. But we need to slow down here. What do all these names and descriptions tell us about a congregation and people known and loved by Paul? How does this section help us understand that all the gospel doctrine and ethics Paul has laid down in this letter are rooted in a deep love for the people on the other side of the letter? We have much to see here for how gospel doctrine gets lived out in the context of personal relationships within a congregation.
Paul had an ambition to preach the gospel where Christ had not yet been named. In other words, Paul lived with a passion for the gospel frontiers. He wanted to go to the places where the gospel had yet to go and announce the good news of Christ there. In this week's passage, we see Paul's eyes fixed on a new gospel frontier of Spain. As we walk through this together we want to pull out four factors for forward movement to gospel frontiers. Let's let God's word fill us with a greater zeal for the gospel frontiers in our day where the gospel must go forward!
Why witness? How should we witness? This morning we unpack the heart of witness—We witness to the glory of God, so the lost can experience our glorious God.
In the church at Rome there were some conscience controversies:
"Should we eat that or not?
"Should we drink that or not?
"Should we celebrate that day or not?"
In our congregation today there are unique matters of conscience as well. Last week we looked at Five Gospel Unifiers for us on matters of conscience. Those Five Gospel Unifiers from last week lay a foundation for us to build on as to how we practically live with one another in these matters. Today we tackle this by looking at Romans 14:13-15:13 and from this passage will make 3 resolutions to love my neighbor in matters of conscience.
It is evident how much Paul wants to drive home the reality that people who have come to believe the gospel will now live lives marked by gospel-empowered love. In this passage, Paul summarizes that to love is to fulfill the law. He also helps us see that walking in love and walking in the light go hand-in-hand. Let's look together at what a gospel-empowered life of love and light looks like.
It is evident how much Paul wants to drive home the reality that people who have come to believe the gospel will now live lives marked by gospel-empowered love. In this passage, Paul summarizes that to love is to fulfill the law. He also helps us see that walking in love and walking in the light go hand-in-hand. Let's look together at what a gospel-empowered life of love and light looks like.
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities..."
Crickets.
Really? But Paul, do you have any idea what our governing authorities are doing? Certainly this doesn't apply to us in the political climate we are in, right? Well, let's take a look at what this passage says. It is very clear. The Word here has important truth for us to understand in the political climate we live in and this election season we find ourselves in the throes of. There is no better passage for us to understand what it looks like for us to live as gospel citizens as it relates to how we live subject to our governing authorities. Buckle up...here we go.
Paul comes to what we call a "rapid fire" section of his letter. A series of commands and instructions that come quickly and pointedly in Romans 12:9-21. Though it is rapid fire, they aren't entirely disconnected. Verse 9 serves as a proper header for these verses around the theme of genuine love. Last week we looked at what genuine love for one another in the body of Christ looks like. This week we tackle what genuine love for our enemies looks like.
Paul comes to what we call a "rapid fire" section of his letter. A series of commands and instructions that come quickly and pointedly in Romans 12:9-21. Though it is rapid fire, they aren't entirely disconnected. Verse 9 serves as a proper header for these verses around the theme of genuine love. This week we look at what genuine love for one another in the body of Christ looks like. Next week we will tackle what genuine love for our enemies looks like.
Lord, keep me low. Lord, build your church. Lord, use me.
As Paul moves to his instructions for what a life shaped by the gospel looks like, he begins with an appeal. His appeal is that his readers would live as sacrifices to God. What kind of sacrifices are we to be? How does this define for us what true worship is? What would prevent us from becoming these sacrifices? What is the catalyst that leads us to this kind of gospel-shaped sacrifice? All this is answered in two really important verses of this book.
As Paul moves to his instructions for what a life shaped by the gospel looks like, he begins with an appeal. His appeal is that his readers would live as sacrifices to God. What kind of sacrifices are we to be? How does this define for us what true worship is? What would prevent us from becoming these sacrifices? What is the catalyst that leads us to this kind of gospel-shaped sacrifice? All this is answered in two really important verses of this book.
In Romans 11:25-36, Paul reveals the fuller picture of God’s plan of salvation by explaining the “mystery” that in the end, “all Israel will be saved.” He goes on to focus on the centrality of God’s mercy in the salvation of all the elect, both Jew and Gentile. Finally, in concluding this section of his letter to the Romans, Paul writes a doxology in which we are reminded that this entire plan of salvation is designed specifically for God’s glory. Our salvation isn’t the ultimate goal; God’s glory is.
God's ways are not our ways. We see this throughout this section of Romans. God is doing a great work for maximum redemption of both Jew and Gentile, and he is carrying that out in a way he knows is best. Paul says a remnant of Israel has been chosen by grace, the rest have been hardened, but we see in this week's passage how God is using even that hardening for greater salvation for Jew and Gentile alike.
Romans 10 ends a bit heavy with these words Paul quotes describing Israel's heart, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people." This leads him to begin chapter 11 with a really important question: Has God rejected his people? The answer to that is an emphatic no. God is redeeming a remnant of grace from within Israel while he is hardening the rest. But even God's hardening has redemptive purposes of which we will uncover as we make our way through Romans 11. This Sunday we sit in the glorious realities of grace and, Lord willing, will leave with deeper gratitude for the grace of God.
Romans 10:14-21 | Romans 10:14-21 helps us learn our next step in rightly responding to the good news. This passage is pivotal in shaping our understanding of what must take place in order for lost sinners to be saved by God. It is also a crucial text for supplying believers with passion and urgency to share the gospel. Through this passage, we see how God graciously breaks down the excuses we tend to make to neglect our next steps of obedience. He does this to lead us into the delight of obedience so that He may be glorified. God, be magnified through our obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The anthem over all of Romans is that the gospel is the power of God to save all who believe, both Jew and Gentile. As we come to Romans 9, we see Paul's burden for the Jewish people who are still lost and have not believed the gospel. He raises an important question: Has God's word somehow failed? Is God's promise to save not powerful enough to save so many Jews still lost? Paul's answer to this is massive as it teaches us in some of the clearest language in all the Bible of the power and beauty of God's providence to save those he is calling to himself.
The anthem over all of Romans is that the gospel is the power of God to save all who believe, both Jew and Gentile. As we come to Romans 9, we see Paul's burden for the Jewish people who are still lost and have not believed the gospel. He raises an important question: Has God's word somehow failed? Is God's promise to save not powerful enough to save so many Jews still lost? Paul's answer to this is massive as it teaches us in some of the clearest language in all the Bible of the power and beauty of God's providence to save those he is calling to himself.
The anthem over all of Romans is that the gospel is the power of God to save all who believe, both Jew and Gentile. As we come to Romans 9, we see Paul's burden for the Jewish people who are still lost and have not believed the gospel. He raises an important question: Has God's word somehow failed? Is God's promise to save not powerful enough to save so many Jews still lost? Paul's answer to this is massive as it teaches us in some of the clearest language in all the Bible of the power and beauty of God's providence to save those he is calling to himself.
Romans 8:31-39 | In Christ, we are more than conquerors. But how? As we find in Romans 8:31-39, we are more than conquerors because of God, and four specific things he has done for us.
There is no denying that this world is filled with heartaches that give us a heavenly homesickness. Last week we saw that in the groaning of our heartaches, the Lord lifts our eyes to the splendor of future glory. This week we see that not only does the Lord lift our eyes to future glory in our present groanings, but he is also so kind and good to give us very tangible help in our present sufferings. What are these helps and assurances that the Lord gives his people in the present groaning of life? Let's look at these together in Romans 8:26-30.
How do believers press on in the midst of suffering? Romans 8:18-25 provides us with great insight on this question. This text fills us as hope as we long together for God to make all things right in glory. As believers, we can allow our suffering to fuel our hope in the future glory that is to be revealed. God, we want to behold more of your glory. Show us your glory, Lord.
The God-ness of God: The Goodness of God
Psalm 106-1-6
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Isaiah 6:1–13 | God is holy. Those three words have weight. In the words of AW Tozer, "God’s holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural [person] is blind to it. They may fear God’s power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness they cannot even imagine. Only the Spirit of the Holy One can impart to the human spirit the knowledge of the holy.” Throw the book of Isaiah, let's approach the unapproachable, attempt to comprehend the incomprehensible and attain the unattainable.
Psalm 93:1-5 | We know that God is king, but what does that mean? If we could see God in his majesty, how would that change our lives? This Sunday we look to Psalm 93 to understand more deeply the majesty of God and the impact understanding his greatness has on our lives.
Genesis 37:1–50:26 | God guides his creation in ways that are both seen and unseen. He is kindly directing and perfectly working his plan for both his glory and for our good. Because of God’s sovereignty, we look ahead, trusting wholeheartedly and humbly accepting that God is skillfully carrying out His plan in His own manner and timing. We worship as we look forward, holding fast to God’s promises and His character, knowing that He’s working all things for His glory and our good.The sovereignty of God also compels us to reflect in awe and worship at how God, through His wisdom and kindness, made good on His promises and managed to knit everything together for His glory and our good. This divine sovereignty pushes us to reflect on God’s character and accomplished work.
1 John 4:7-12 | In the classic book Knowing God, J.I. Packer writes, "No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind than thoughts of God...But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it." We begin our God-ness of God Series with our eyes pointed squarely on the attributes of our God. We start with a look at his love. As we sit under the love of God, may our hearts be both humbled by his great love for us and expanded to sit in wonder of what a loving God we have.
Jesus' Heart on Display Through Prayer
John 17:1–26 | In John 17, we see Jesus praying. Through his prayer, we get to see his heart displayed. Christ is intending for his ministry to bring God glory, he is desiring that his people keep his Word, and he requests that God make us all one. This week we learn about the unity that comes with being in Christ.
John 17:1–26 | In John 17, we see Jesus praying. Through his prayer, we get to see his heart displayed. Christ is intending for his ministry to bring God glory, he is desiring that his people keep his Word, and he requests that God make us all one. This week we learn about the unity that comes with being in Christ.
APPLICATION GUIDE | SERMON SLIDES | SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES
More from this series:
John 17:1–26 | In John 17, we see Jesus praying. Through his prayer, we get to see his heart displayed. Christ is intending for his ministry to bring God glory, he is desiring that his people keep his Word, and he requests that God make us all one. This week we learn about the unity that comes with being in Christ.
John 15:1–17 | Jesus repeatedly tells His disciples to abide in Him. Today, Jesus continually invites us to abide in Him. But how do we practically abide? What does an abiding walk with Christ look like? What does an abiding walk with Christ produce? These are questions we dive into this week as we seek to grow at loving God and loving others. The key element to this love is that we would abide in Christ.
John 14:1–31 | For roughly three years the disciples followed Jesus wherever He went. Now Jesus tells them He is going somewhere they cannot go. This is troubling to them, and we can understand why. They left everything to follow Him, now He is leaving? Knowing their hearts were troubled, Jesus brings before their eyes five truths that can untrouble the most troubled hearts. We dive into these this week as anchors to cling to when our hearts are troubled, as well.
John 13:1–17 | Jesus did something absolutely shocking at a dinner with His disciples. It was a radical act of love, but one that He called them to make normal in their lives as followers of Him. Jesus took the place as the lowest servant, and He calls our lives to the same thing. This is counterintuitive to the wisdom of the world and grates against the way of the flesh, and yet Jesus says blessed are we if we follow Him in this.
John 11:1–54 | Jesus does something surprising. He waits for a beloved friend to die so that all can see that He is the resurrection and the life. What we see in John 11 is the most powerful spiritual reality we must come to terms with, culminating in a question we all have to answer, "Do you believe this?" So we look to hear what Jesus has to say and see what he has to display as The Resurrection and the Life.
John 10:1–21 | Jesus is both the door we enter for abundant life and the good shepherd we follow for abundant life.
John 8:12–59 | Have a spiritual conversation with someone and ask them questions like this:
"What does it mean to seek the light?"
"What is eternal life?"
"What is truth?"
Answers will range wildly with all sorts of ideas, opinions, and theories. The beauty is, though, if we want to know what light, life, and truth look like, we need only to look to Christ. In this teaching, Jesus shows us that He is the light, life, truth, and then definitively declares He is God! To know these truths and live in light of these truths has massive implications in our lives.
John 7:53–8:11 | What really is so amazing about grace? When we see our sin for what it is, and we see His love for us in the face of our sin, we truly will be amazed by grace. This week, we look at a story of Jesus's grace lavished on a woman caught in her sin. What does the grace of God look like personally applied to us in the face of our fallenness? We find out together in this passage.
John 6:1-71 | Talk about the best object lesson in the history of the world, Jesus fed over 5,000 people and then used it to teach us who He is as the bread of life. In His teaching, we find five truths that apply to us when we believe in Him as the bread of life. These truths will lead you to be saved if you don't know Christ, can lead you to know that you are saved if you are wrestling with that, or will simply drive your rest in Jesus and worship of Jesus to an even deeper place.
John 5:1-24 | In John 5, we see another sign that points to the authority and divinity of Jesus as He heals a man on the Sabbath. According to Jewish law, though, a mere man did not have the authority to do this work on the Lord’s day. But Jesus isn’t just any man… He is the Lord Himself. This week, we learn about a miracle Jesus performed that shows that He is one with His Father, the Giver of eternal life.
John 4:43-54 | When was the last time you came to Jesus with a desperate request? I mean desperate ... when there was no hope unless Jesus was to intervene. This is where we find a dad before Jesus in this story. Jesus is going to do something miraculous in this man's son to accomplish something even more miraculous in the whole family's hearts. We, in full faith, are believing Jesus to do the same in us through this story this week.
John 4:1-42 | How does someone known in their town as a sinful social outcast get transformed in one day to be used by God as a catalyst for revival? Answer: She met Jesus. Our look at the story of the woman at the well will bring our hearts to deeper worship of Jesus, which will overflow in a life of passionately witnessing to others about Him.
John 3:1-21 | You must be born again to see the Kingdom of God. That's it. There is no more important truth in your life than this. You must be born again. So how do we know if we are born again? And if we aren't, how is one born again? This is the most important truth to have settled in your soul.
John 2:1-11 | John tells us his purpose for writing his gospel: that we would see Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, we would have life in His name. We look this week at the first of these signs Jesus performed at a wedding in Cana. The sign itself is amazing enough, but then when we see why Jesus performed this first, it will lead our hearts to a deeper place of faith and worship.
A Priestly People
Exodus 28:1–4 | The high priest was a big deal throughout Old Testament history. He was the one who had access to God in the Holy of Holies. He was the mediator between the holy God and His covenant people. This week, we unpack the roles of the high priest and the garments he wore to reflect the glory of God. And we see the life-changing connection that Jesus came as a new, greater High Priest, so that we will forever be reconciled to the heart of our loving Heavenly Father.
Exodus 28:1–4 | The high priest was a big deal throughout Old Testament history. He was the one who had access to God in the Holy of Holies. He was the mediator between the holy God and His covenant people. This week, we unpack the roles of the high priest and the garments he wore to reflect the glory of God. And we see the life-changing connection that Jesus came as a new, greater High Priest, so that we will forever be reconciled to the heart of our loving Heavenly Father.
APPLICATION GUIDE | SERMON SLIDES | SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES
More from this series:
Exodus 33:1–34:35 | If you could have all the blessings God can give without God's presence, would you be okay with that? This is what the Israelites were faced with. God has made a way to lead them to the promised land, promised protection from enemies, and laid before them a land flowing with milk and honey, but there was one major problem. He said he wasn't going with them. They knew that was a disastrous word. Would we know that as well? This Sunday, we look at five reasons we are desperate for God's presence in our lives.
Exodus 32:7-35 | While Moses was quite literally on a mountaintop moment with God, the people back in the camp turned to another god. The golden calf idol of the Exodus story isn't just some crazy act of an ancient people, but rather everything about it reveals how our hearts make idols. More importantly, this chapter also helps us know how to break these idols. This Sunday, we look at how idols are broken in our life.
Exodus 32:1–6 | While Moses was quite literally on a mountaintop moment with God, the people back in the camp turned to another god. The golden calf idol of the Exodus story isn't just some crazy act of an ancient people, but rather everything about it reveals how our hearts make idols. More importantly, this chapter also helps us know how to break these idols. This Sunday, we look at how we make idols so that next Sunday, we can understand how we break them.
Exodus 31:1–18 | The instructions for the tabernacle are clear, but who will build it? God clearly tells Moses whom He has called for the work and how he has empowered him for the work. We might not be called to build a tabernacle, but there is work God has called us to, and if God has called us to it, He has empowered us for it. Let's find out how together!
Exodus 28:1–4 | The high priest was a big deal throughout Old Testament history. He was the one who had access to God in the Holy of Holies. He was the mediator between the holy God and His covenant people. This week, we unpack the roles of the high priest and the garments he wore to reflect the glory of God. And we see the life-changing connection that Jesus came as a new, greater High Priest, so that we will forever be reconciled to the heart of our loving Heavenly Father.
Exodus 25:1–27:21 | The tabernacle communicates something remarkable: a holy God delights to dwell with sinful people. This is truly remarkable. What is even better news is that we see God making a way to dwell with His people in all of history. This week we take a deep look into the tabernacle and how the elements show us God's desire to manifest His presence among His people. We will also see how each element of the tabernacle points us to Jesus Christ as the greater Tabernacle.
Exodus 21:1–24:18 | What do you do when you come to the large sections of the Bible that list a bunch of Old Testament laws? Have you skipped past them? Be honest! Have you skimmed them with the thought that there really isn't anything in there for you? We absolutely know that we are saved by grace through faith and not through law-keeping, but why is there so much in the inspired Word devoted to the law? What if God's law shows us God's heart?
Exodus 20:1–26 | What has been your relationship with the Ten Commandments? Are they merely a list of rules? What do they mean for us who have been redeemed on this side of the cross? If all of them have been fulfilled by Jesus, and we are now in Christ, what importance should they have in our life? We continue Part 2 of our study on the Ten Commandments seeking to understand what marks a community of God's people that love Him and love others.
Exodus 20:1–26 | What has been your relationship with the Ten Commandments? Are they merely a list of rules? What do they mean for us who have been redeemed on this side of the cross? If all of them have been fulfilled by Jesus and we are now in Christ, what importance should they have in our life? This week we seek to define the relationship between the ten commandments given to God's covenant people then and what they mean for us as His covenant people now.
Exodus 19:1–25 | After the Israelites' departure from Egypt, we find them camped out in the wilderness, looking up at Mount Sinai, and waiting for God to speak. The Lord calls to Moses from the mountain, and Moses must deliver a message to the people: to obey the covenant they will receive from the Lord. Exodus 19 tells the middle of the story between God's deliverance of Israel and Israel's dwelling with God.
Exodus 18:1–27 | Exodus 18 reveals a foundational truth to our faith. After a period of conflict, Moses shares a conversation with Jethro, a Midianite whose faith was not in God, but Jethro acknowledges the power of God on the journey of the Israelites. We learn through this chapter that people of wisdom declare God as the one true God and guide us as we guide others to believe the same.
Exodus 15:22-17:16 | We have seen God's leading of His people, but it is good to know that as God leads, He does so by providing and protecting. All of our provision comes from the Lord, and all of our protection is ultimately found in the Lord. We see the provision and protection of the Lord over His people in this week's passage, and it should bring deep worship, comfort, and trust to our hearts.
Exodus 14:1-15:21 | At the pinnacle point of the exodus from Egypt, we see how a good and mighty God leads His people out. As we study this, the Word of God will unpack for us six faith-growing truths of how God leads. This is a catalytic study for us to grow our faith in following our good and mighty God.
Exodus 13:1-22 | The command to remember is important to God. Again and again, in His Word, He tells us to remember what He has done and how he has saved us. This remembering of the past has the power to help us faithfully follow His leading in the present. This week, we see how God has called us to remember His saving work in the past and follow His leading in the present.
Exodus 11:1-12:51 | Who do you really believe is in control of your life? In this passage God will show his authority over life and death through the passover. As we examine each Passover element, we cant help but see Jesus, which leads us to greater worship!
Exodus 17:1-10:29 | God will inflict ten mighty plagues on the land of Egypt. What is his purpose of the plagues? What is He declaring? Is this just some cat-and-mouse game He is playing with Pharaoh? No, this is massive. In the sending of the plagues, God is saying something powerful we all must hear and heed.
Exodus 5:1-6:30 | Obey God and everything in life is easy, right? Well, not quite. Obedience is a blessing for sure, but we need to define what that means. Oftentimes, obeying God can make life heavier and criticism from others harsher in the near term. So why obey? Because He is worthy and because the blessings of obedience always outweigh the costs. Exodus chapters 5 and 6 are a great teacher of this.
Exodus 3:1-4:31 | The greatest need of the human heart is to bow in wonder and worship at the greatness of God. Exodus chapters 3 and 4 are a gift to this end. This week, we tackle part two of the sermon: Our Great God. May God lead us to a place of reverent worship over who He is.
Exodus 3:1-4:31 | The greatest need of the human heart is to bow in wonder and worship at the greatness of God. Exodus 3 and 4 are a gift to this end. This week, we tackle Part 1 of The Greatness of God asking God to lead us to a place of reverent worship over who He is.
Exodus 2:11-25 | A season of suffering is awful. A season of suffering with no hope of its end in sight is worse. The circumstances of suffering are hard, but it is even worse to have no hope that the suffering will end soon. What do we do when we are here? Where do we anchor our soul for rest, worship, hope, and peace? In this week's passage, there are four verbs used to describe God in the midst of His people suffering with no end in sight. These four verbs are anchors for our soul when we are in the midst of suffering that just won't cease.
Exodus 1:1-2:10 | It is not enough to know things about God. We must know God. A.W. Tozer wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." This is emphatically true. Who is God? And how do we know Him? And how does He interact with us as sinners and sufferers? As we embark on our study through Exodus, we set out on a journey to know our God. What we will find is that our God is a God who sees us in our bondage and delivers us from it so He can dwell with us as we worship Him. As we see Him for who He is, may we respond like Moses who worshipfully bows in his presence.
The Camp Between Deliverance and Dwelling with God
Exodus 19:1–25 | After the Israelites' departure from Egypt, we find them camped out in the wilderness, looking up at Mount Sinai, and waiting for God to speak. The Lord calls to Moses from the mountain, and Moses must deliver a message to the people: to obey the covenant they will receive from the Lord. Exodus 19 tells the middle of the story between God's deliverance of Israel and Israel's dwelling with God.
Exodus 19:1–25 | After the Israelites' departure from Egypt, we find them camped out in the wilderness, looking up at Mount Sinai, and waiting for God to speak. The Lord calls to Moses from the mountain, and Moses must deliver a message to the people: to obey the covenant they will receive from the Lord. Exodus 19 tells the middle of the story between God's deliverance of Israel and Israel's dwelling with God.
APPLICATION GUIDE | SERMON SLIDES | SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES
More from this series:
Exodus 33:1–34:35 | If you could have all the blessings God can give without God's presence, would you be okay with that? This is what the Israelites were faced with. God has made a way to lead them to the promised land, promised protection from enemies, and laid before them a land flowing with milk and honey, but there was one major problem. He said he wasn't going with them. They knew that was a disastrous word. Would we know that as well? This Sunday, we look at five reasons we are desperate for God's presence in our lives.
Exodus 32:7-35 | While Moses was quite literally on a mountaintop moment with God, the people back in the camp turned to another god. The golden calf idol of the Exodus story isn't just some crazy act of an ancient people, but rather everything about it reveals how our hearts make idols. More importantly, this chapter also helps us know how to break these idols. This Sunday, we look at how idols are broken in our life.
Exodus 32:1–6 | While Moses was quite literally on a mountaintop moment with God, the people back in the camp turned to another god. The golden calf idol of the Exodus story isn't just some crazy act of an ancient people, but rather everything about it reveals how our hearts make idols. More importantly, this chapter also helps us know how to break these idols. This Sunday, we look at how we make idols so that next Sunday, we can understand how we break them.
Exodus 31:1–18 | The instructions for the tabernacle are clear, but who will build it? God clearly tells Moses whom He has called for the work and how he has empowered him for the work. We might not be called to build a tabernacle, but there is work God has called us to, and if God has called us to it, He has empowered us for it. Let's find out how together!
Exodus 28:1–4 | The high priest was a big deal throughout Old Testament history. He was the one who had access to God in the Holy of Holies. He was the mediator between the holy God and His covenant people. This week, we unpack the roles of the high priest and the garments he wore to reflect the glory of God. And we see the life-changing connection that Jesus came as a new, greater High Priest, so that we will forever be reconciled to the heart of our loving Heavenly Father.
Exodus 25:1–27:21 | The tabernacle communicates something remarkable: a holy God delights to dwell with sinful people. This is truly remarkable. What is even better news is that we see God making a way to dwell with His people in all of history. This week we take a deep look into the tabernacle and how the elements show us God's desire to manifest His presence among His people. We will also see how each element of the tabernacle points us to Jesus Christ as the greater Tabernacle.
Exodus 21:1–24:18 | What do you do when you come to the large sections of the Bible that list a bunch of Old Testament laws? Have you skipped past them? Be honest! Have you skimmed them with the thought that there really isn't anything in there for you? We absolutely know that we are saved by grace through faith and not through law-keeping, but why is there so much in the inspired Word devoted to the law? What if God's law shows us God's heart?
Exodus 20:1–26 | What has been your relationship with the Ten Commandments? Are they merely a list of rules? What do they mean for us who have been redeemed on this side of the cross? If all of them have been fulfilled by Jesus, and we are now in Christ, what importance should they have in our life? We continue Part 2 of our study on the Ten Commandments seeking to understand what marks a community of God's people that love Him and love others.
Exodus 20:1–26 | What has been your relationship with the Ten Commandments? Are they merely a list of rules? What do they mean for us who have been redeemed on this side of the cross? If all of them have been fulfilled by Jesus and we are now in Christ, what importance should they have in our life? This week we seek to define the relationship between the ten commandments given to God's covenant people then and what they mean for us as His covenant people now.
Exodus 19:1–25 | After the Israelites' departure from Egypt, we find them camped out in the wilderness, looking up at Mount Sinai, and waiting for God to speak. The Lord calls to Moses from the mountain, and Moses must deliver a message to the people: to obey the covenant they will receive from the Lord. Exodus 19 tells the middle of the story between God's deliverance of Israel and Israel's dwelling with God.
Exodus 18:1–27 | Exodus 18 reveals a foundational truth to our faith. After a period of conflict, Moses shares a conversation with Jethro, a Midianite whose faith was not in God, but Jethro acknowledges the power of God on the journey of the Israelites. We learn through this chapter that people of wisdom declare God as the one true God and guide us as we guide others to believe the same.
Exodus 15:22-17:16 | We have seen God's leading of His people, but it is good to know that as God leads, He does so by providing and protecting. All of our provision comes from the Lord, and all of our protection is ultimately found in the Lord. We see the provision and protection of the Lord over His people in this week's passage, and it should bring deep worship, comfort, and trust to our hearts.
Exodus 14:1-15:21 | At the pinnacle point of the exodus from Egypt, we see how a good and mighty God leads His people out. As we study this, the Word of God will unpack for us six faith-growing truths of how God leads. This is a catalytic study for us to grow our faith in following our good and mighty God.
Exodus 13:1-22 | The command to remember is important to God. Again and again, in His Word, He tells us to remember what He has done and how he has saved us. This remembering of the past has the power to help us faithfully follow His leading in the present. This week, we see how God has called us to remember His saving work in the past and follow His leading in the present.
Exodus 11:1-12:51 | Who do you really believe is in control of your life? In this passage God will show his authority over life and death through the passover. As we examine each Passover element, we cant help but see Jesus, which leads us to greater worship!
Exodus 17:1-10:29 | God will inflict ten mighty plagues on the land of Egypt. What is his purpose of the plagues? What is He declaring? Is this just some cat-and-mouse game He is playing with Pharaoh? No, this is massive. In the sending of the plagues, God is saying something powerful we all must hear and heed.
Exodus 5:1-6:30 | Obey God and everything in life is easy, right? Well, not quite. Obedience is a blessing for sure, but we need to define what that means. Oftentimes, obeying God can make life heavier and criticism from others harsher in the near term. So why obey? Because He is worthy and because the blessings of obedience always outweigh the costs. Exodus chapters 5 and 6 are a great teacher of this.
Exodus 3:1-4:31 | The greatest need of the human heart is to bow in wonder and worship at the greatness of God. Exodus chapters 3 and 4 are a gift to this end. This week, we tackle part two of the sermon: Our Great God. May God lead us to a place of reverent worship over who He is.
Exodus 3:1-4:31 | The greatest need of the human heart is to bow in wonder and worship at the greatness of God. Exodus 3 and 4 are a gift to this end. This week, we tackle Part 1 of The Greatness of God asking God to lead us to a place of reverent worship over who He is.
Exodus 2:11-25 | A season of suffering is awful. A season of suffering with no hope of its end in sight is worse. The circumstances of suffering are hard, but it is even worse to have no hope that the suffering will end soon. What do we do when we are here? Where do we anchor our soul for rest, worship, hope, and peace? In this week's passage, there are four verbs used to describe God in the midst of His people suffering with no end in sight. These four verbs are anchors for our soul when we are in the midst of suffering that just won't cease.
Exodus 1:1-2:10 | It is not enough to know things about God. We must know God. A.W. Tozer wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." This is emphatically true. Who is God? And how do we know Him? And how does He interact with us as sinners and sufferers? As we embark on our study through Exodus, we set out on a journey to know our God. What we will find is that our God is a God who sees us in our bondage and delivers us from it so He can dwell with us as we worship Him. As we see Him for who He is, may we respond like Moses who worshipfully bows in his presence.
The Gospel of the Passover
Exodus 11:1-12:51 | Who do you really believe is in control of your life? In this passage God will show his authority over life and death through the passover. As we examine each Passover element, we cant help but see Jesus, which leads us to greater worship!
Exodus 11:1-12:51 | Who do you really believe is in control of your life? In this passage God will show his authority over life and death through the passover. As we examine each Passover element, we cant help but see Jesus, which leads us to greater worship!
APPLICATION GUIDE | SERMON SLIDES | SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES
More from this series:
Exodus 33:1–34:35 | If you could have all the blessings God can give without God's presence, would you be okay with that? This is what the Israelites were faced with. God has made a way to lead them to the promised land, promised protection from enemies, and laid before them a land flowing with milk and honey, but there was one major problem. He said he wasn't going with them. They knew that was a disastrous word. Would we know that as well? This Sunday, we look at five reasons we are desperate for God's presence in our lives.
Exodus 32:7-35 | While Moses was quite literally on a mountaintop moment with God, the people back in the camp turned to another god. The golden calf idol of the Exodus story isn't just some crazy act of an ancient people, but rather everything about it reveals how our hearts make idols. More importantly, this chapter also helps us know how to break these idols. This Sunday, we look at how idols are broken in our life.
Exodus 32:1–6 | While Moses was quite literally on a mountaintop moment with God, the people back in the camp turned to another god. The golden calf idol of the Exodus story isn't just some crazy act of an ancient people, but rather everything about it reveals how our hearts make idols. More importantly, this chapter also helps us know how to break these idols. This Sunday, we look at how we make idols so that next Sunday, we can understand how we break them.
Exodus 31:1–18 | The instructions for the tabernacle are clear, but who will build it? God clearly tells Moses whom He has called for the work and how he has empowered him for the work. We might not be called to build a tabernacle, but there is work God has called us to, and if God has called us to it, He has empowered us for it. Let's find out how together!
Exodus 28:1–4 | The high priest was a big deal throughout Old Testament history. He was the one who had access to God in the Holy of Holies. He was the mediator between the holy God and His covenant people. This week, we unpack the roles of the high priest and the garments he wore to reflect the glory of God. And we see the life-changing connection that Jesus came as a new, greater High Priest, so that we will forever be reconciled to the heart of our loving Heavenly Father.
Exodus 25:1–27:21 | The tabernacle communicates something remarkable: a holy God delights to dwell with sinful people. This is truly remarkable. What is even better news is that we see God making a way to dwell with His people in all of history. This week we take a deep look into the tabernacle and how the elements show us God's desire to manifest His presence among His people. We will also see how each element of the tabernacle points us to Jesus Christ as the greater Tabernacle.
Exodus 21:1–24:18 | What do you do when you come to the large sections of the Bible that list a bunch of Old Testament laws? Have you skipped past them? Be honest! Have you skimmed them with the thought that there really isn't anything in there for you? We absolutely know that we are saved by grace through faith and not through law-keeping, but why is there so much in the inspired Word devoted to the law? What if God's law shows us God's heart?
Exodus 20:1–26 | What has been your relationship with the Ten Commandments? Are they merely a list of rules? What do they mean for us who have been redeemed on this side of the cross? If all of them have been fulfilled by Jesus, and we are now in Christ, what importance should they have in our life? We continue Part 2 of our study on the Ten Commandments seeking to understand what marks a community of God's people that love Him and love others.
Exodus 20:1–26 | What has been your relationship with the Ten Commandments? Are they merely a list of rules? What do they mean for us who have been redeemed on this side of the cross? If all of them have been fulfilled by Jesus and we are now in Christ, what importance should they have in our life? This week we seek to define the relationship between the ten commandments given to God's covenant people then and what they mean for us as His covenant people now.
Exodus 19:1–25 | After the Israelites' departure from Egypt, we find them camped out in the wilderness, looking up at Mount Sinai, and waiting for God to speak. The Lord calls to Moses from the mountain, and Moses must deliver a message to the people: to obey the covenant they will receive from the Lord. Exodus 19 tells the middle of the story between God's deliverance of Israel and Israel's dwelling with God.
Exodus 18:1–27 | Exodus 18 reveals a foundational truth to our faith. After a period of conflict, Moses shares a conversation with Jethro, a Midianite whose faith was not in God, but Jethro acknowledges the power of God on the journey of the Israelites. We learn through this chapter that people of wisdom declare God as the one true God and guide us as we guide others to believe the same.
Exodus 15:22-17:16 | We have seen God's leading of His people, but it is good to know that as God leads, He does so by providing and protecting. All of our provision comes from the Lord, and all of our protection is ultimately found in the Lord. We see the provision and protection of the Lord over His people in this week's passage, and it should bring deep worship, comfort, and trust to our hearts.
Exodus 14:1-15:21 | At the pinnacle point of the exodus from Egypt, we see how a good and mighty God leads His people out. As we study this, the Word of God will unpack for us six faith-growing truths of how God leads. This is a catalytic study for us to grow our faith in following our good and mighty God.
Exodus 13:1-22 | The command to remember is important to God. Again and again, in His Word, He tells us to remember what He has done and how he has saved us. This remembering of the past has the power to help us faithfully follow His leading in the present. This week, we see how God has called us to remember His saving work in the past and follow His leading in the present.
Exodus 11:1-12:51 | Who do you really believe is in control of your life? In this passage God will show his authority over life and death through the passover. As we examine each Passover element, we cant help but see Jesus, which leads us to greater worship!
Exodus 17:1-10:29 | God will inflict ten mighty plagues on the land of Egypt. What is his purpose of the plagues? What is He declaring? Is this just some cat-and-mouse game He is playing with Pharaoh? No, this is massive. In the sending of the plagues, God is saying something powerful we all must hear and heed.
Exodus 5:1-6:30 | Obey God and everything in life is easy, right? Well, not quite. Obedience is a blessing for sure, but we need to define what that means. Oftentimes, obeying God can make life heavier and criticism from others harsher in the near term. So why obey? Because He is worthy and because the blessings of obedience always outweigh the costs. Exodus chapters 5 and 6 are a great teacher of this.
Exodus 3:1-4:31 | The greatest need of the human heart is to bow in wonder and worship at the greatness of God. Exodus chapters 3 and 4 are a gift to this end. This week, we tackle part two of the sermon: Our Great God. May God lead us to a place of reverent worship over who He is.
Exodus 3:1-4:31 | The greatest need of the human heart is to bow in wonder and worship at the greatness of God. Exodus 3 and 4 are a gift to this end. This week, we tackle Part 1 of The Greatness of God asking God to lead us to a place of reverent worship over who He is.
Exodus 2:11-25 | A season of suffering is awful. A season of suffering with no hope of its end in sight is worse. The circumstances of suffering are hard, but it is even worse to have no hope that the suffering will end soon. What do we do when we are here? Where do we anchor our soul for rest, worship, hope, and peace? In this week's passage, there are four verbs used to describe God in the midst of His people suffering with no end in sight. These four verbs are anchors for our soul when we are in the midst of suffering that just won't cease.
Exodus 1:1-2:10 | It is not enough to know things about God. We must know God. A.W. Tozer wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." This is emphatically true. Who is God? And how do we know Him? And how does He interact with us as sinners and sufferers? As we embark on our study through Exodus, we set out on a journey to know our God. What we will find is that our God is a God who sees us in our bondage and delivers us from it so He can dwell with us as we worship Him. As we see Him for who He is, may we respond like Moses who worshipfully bows in his presence.