ALL SERMONS IN SERIES

Summary 

Transitions in life are difficult. The birth of a child; the death of a parent/someone you love; a major change in your health; a change in marital status; graduation from school, college, university; going off to college; losing a job; starting a new job… MOVING. I could go on and on. How long has it been since your last major transition?
The Children of Israel were getting ready to make THE BIG Move: The biggest transition since God brought them out of Egypt. They were on the far side of the Jordan River when Moses spoke the words of Deuteronomy. Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, and to explain the law, he gave them…
a travelogue!
“I will bring you into the land of promise.” You will have children and you will teach your children and they will dialogue with you and they will ask questions about this religion you are teaching them and you will tell them a story. We need to get our story straight.
Your story with God through this life which involves his salvation from slavery, his continual provision for our needs and a future forever with the Lord.

Transcript   

Transitions in life are difficult.  The birth of a child; the death of a parent/ someone you love; a major change in your health; a change in marital status; graduation from school, college, university; going off to college; losing a job; starting a new job…  MOVING.  I could go on and on.  How long has it been since your last major transition??  Shelly and I have had some major transitions in the last couple yours.  Our move here, discovery of my heart disease and the loss of my job etc.  Transitioning to living in two places with my new job.

            The Children of Israel were getting ready to make THE BIG Move.  The biggest transition since God brought them out of Egypt.  They were on the far side of the Jordan River when Moses spoke the words of Deuteronomy.  Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law,  and to explain the law, he gave them…

a travelogue!  Do you know, it is an 11 day journey on foot from Horeb (Mt. Sinai) to the southern edge of the Promised Land?  40 years later, here we are!  Getting ready to cross the Jordan and confront the enemies of the Lord God.  We’re on the cusp of beginning of the fulfilment of God’s promises to Abraham. 

            “When your son asks you in time to come…”

            There will be a son!  You will survive this transition.  You will cross this river and take possession of this land.  You will have children and you will teach your children and they will dialogue with you and they will ask questions about this religion you are teaching them and you will tell them a story.   We need to get our story straight.

            Your story with God through this life has a beginning, it has progresses with many difficult transitions and it has a telos, an end, a goal. 

It begins with going From Slavery to Freedom

We started out as slaves.  “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt.” 

            The people of Israel were actually, physically, slaves.  They had no right to control their own bodies.  They were abused verbally, physically and in every other way possible.  At times their children were taken from them and killed upon birth.  

            Some of them – a lot of them – were not remembering very well.  “Things were pretty good in Egypt.  At least we always had enough to eat!!!”

God is giving them, giving us the meta narrative: “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt.” 

“I have never been a slave!”  Everyone who sins is a slave.  Whatever your heart is set on – that is what you serve.

            When I was just starting out as a pilot I flew with a captain that was determined to get rich!  Not by playing the lottery – she had a plan.  She told me what she had written on the wall above her bed.  She concentrated on it when she laid down and when she woke up.                 Gaining wealth is not in itself sinful.  But our hearts make idols.  Wealth is a big one in our society.

            All that is in this world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life.  Our hearts are like factories for the production of idols.  Now we are told that we are in the middle of PRIDE month??

Have you ever tried to stop sinning by your own willpower?  How has that worked out for you?     We need a great warrior a mighty champion.  One who can win the fight for us!

            The Lord miraculously set us free

22 And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes.  Pharaoh did not want to let them go. 

            We are not wrestling with flesh and blood.  We’re wrestling with principalities and powers in the spiritual realm.  The demons from our past do not want to let us go.

I have good news for you this morning:  

Jesus Christ came to earth to set sinners free. 

The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt to be his treasured possession.  To be a Holy Nation set apart for himself.

            He has come to you and to me to purchase us for himself that we might be his forever.

            Where are you this morning?  Do you even understand that you sin?  If you aren’t sure about that, pray and ask God to show you your sin.  It’s where we all have to start.

You won’t regret it!  Because we don’t just have a great Convictor of Sin.  We have a great Savior!

Our story with God through this life begins with going from Slavery to Freedom

And continues with the Lord’s Generous Provision   through difficult transitions

Their clothing did not wear out, their foot did not swell all those forty years in the wilderness.  God gave them water from the rock to drink.

But there are alternate stories.  Some were Vexed and Sullen?  They never had what they wanted and what they thought they needed.  They missed the meat they had in Egypt and fish they caught for free.  They missed the cucumbers the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic.  They got so tired of the bread from heaven – read the story –  “I would never get tired of bread from heaven!”  Is that so???  How are you doing with how the Lord is providing now?

I keep reading through the Bible.  I recently read the story of wicked King Ahab.  Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard that he had inherited from his fathers.  It happened to be beside Ahab’s palace and Ahab wanted to buy it from him so he could plant a vegetable garden.  Naboth answered, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”  Ahab went to his house vexed and sullen.  His wife, Queen Jezebel knew what to do.  She had Naboth killed and took his vinyard.

            Are we vexed at work and do we come home sullen?  Are we vexed at home and do our children suffer with a sullen father?  A sullen mother?  Children, are you grouchy?  Are you a sour puss?

            When the Lord lead me back to flying as a profession it was difficult to find a new home church.  We didn’t move but it became clear that we needed to worship somewhere else.  We ended up joining Safe Harbor PCA on Kent Island, MD.  I thank our Father in heaven for godly pastors.  Or Peter!  For Pastor Mark Robinson at Safe Harbor.  “A Christian should be peaceful, reasonable and light hearted.”  That resonated with me.  It’s something of a practical three-point summary of the Fruit of the Spirit and Paul’s description of Love. 

            So what is our story?  Who are you?   Who am I?  Are we wonderers in the wilderness who barely have enough to eek by?  Are we Vexed and Sullen because we don’t ever seem to get what we really want?  Or are we Peaceful, Reasonable, and Light Hearted?

Joshua and Caleb – two spies who returned peaceful, reasonable and light hearted.  “Let’s go and take it at once and occupy it!”  “Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us.  Do not fear them!”

            When the Lord is with you, it is not reasonable to be afraid to do what he leads you to do.  If the Lord blesses you with bread from heaven, is it reasonable to worry about what you will eat?

            Our fourth daughter called me from Chattanooga last week.  “I’m sorry papa that you don’t like your job.” 

            I’m sorry I have been giving mixed reports to you!  Transitions are difficult!  It’s been difficult for me to establish residence in Wilmington while trying to be here as well.  Shelly and I have finally settled in a home church in Wilmington.

It’s been difficult to think through if this is what I should plan on doing long term.           Vexed and Sullen?  Peaceful, reasonable and light hearted?

Ary you traveling with a poverty mentality?  Or traveling in the blessing of the Lord?

The traveling will not be forever:  There will be an arrival.    

            It is guaranteed because Jesus Christ is Risen

            “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’

We live after the incarnation of God the Son.  We live after the passion of Christ.  We have the whole Bible and the clear teaching of the Christ and the Apostles.  The testimonies and the statutes and the rules find their ultimate meaning in Jesus Christ.  In the perfect active and passive obedience of one Man, the Second Adam.  Could that father teach that son how to obey the law well enough to save his eternal soul?  Could that father, by the works of the law, save his own soul?  By the works of the law, no one is justified before God.

The law is given to drive us to Christ.  And yes, to show us how to live, but primarily to the law shows us that we need Jesus!  The great warrior our mighty champion. 

**  We celebrated D-Day on Thursday.  The 80^th anniversary of the Allied troops storming the beaches of Normandy and establishing a foothold in France.  160,000 troops under withering fire…  D-Day had to happen and after many terrible battles – a long story with many painful transitions, VE-Day was going to come.

Oscar Cullmann, I believe, was the first to draw the analogy between D-Day and the death and resurrection of.  We are, as it were, living between D’Day and VE-Day.  The decisive battle has been won!  But there are many battles going on right now in our lives and in this world.  Christ’s death and resurrection insure Christ physical return as Reigning King and Lord.  And it insures and our physical resurrection to be with him – in these physical bodies forever. 

            We will be raised with Jesus

            Our son Daniel recommended a recent Jordon Peterson podcast in which he talks with Alex O’Connor of the Cosmic Skeptic YouTube channel, podcast and blog.  Alex wants to understand what Jordon Peterson really believes about the Bible and Christianity. 

            “Do you believe that that Jesus rose from the dead.”  He believes that his body did not remain in the tomb.  But he does not want to say that he believes in the resurrection because he has no idea what it means.  I love his integrity!  I pray that he will learn what the resurrection means!

            He does believe that Jesus is the embodiment of the Law and the Prophets. 

We’re on the Plains of Moab.  The far side of the Jordan.  Not everything is clear. “When your son asks you in time to come…”

            You will survive this transition!  You will cross this river and take possession of this land.  There are children to teach.  What is your story?  Have you been set free?  Is the Lord providing for you today?  Will he provide for them tomorrow?

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