FHBC Sermon Notes

Rescue is a beautiful thing. We have all been in desperate situations is which we needed salvation. Nothing in the Old Testament describes a more desperate moment that the exodus from Egypt of people of God, the nation of Israel.With a mighty hand God rescued a people, but this was a work started with a nation that ended with a man, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, and his salvation for us from sin and death.

This morning we look at the mighty work done in Exodus. God is a god of salvation. A truth that He reveals throughout scripture.

Three observations on Exodus 14-15

1. The motives for God's salvation:
     a.  ... for the sake of His own glory.
This may seem like a backwards idea to those of us that have so often heard that God "saved" us, from which we to often conclude that this means that it is all about us. As if our salvation means that we are the center of that salvation, an implied praise for ourselves. Romans 1 reminds us that as sinful human beings we are on a road that seeks to glorify ourselves. To worship means to "ascribe worth" yet we so often want to deny the worth of our God, and replace it with the worth of our own lives. This is what idolatry is by definition.

We are able to see how it is for God's glory by how he saves Israel. We see Pharaoh defeated by the 10th plague, yet he still follows in pursuit. Israel is then pinned down, and God does the unheard of and parts the sea. Pharaoh pursues in pride and God stands himself before then as the pillar of fire, and then drowns them in the sea.
      b. ... because of His steadfast love.
If all about his glory, then why save us? He in doing so shows his character, in particular his steadfast love. We see from the entirety of the story, from the merciful sparing of Moses as a baby, to the making of his people; it is from his overwhelming love that he shows us thus.

Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

     c. ... to bring His people into eternal fellowship with Him.
Not for a passing moment, but for all eternity, v. 13-18. This is the hope of salvation we see here, but also what we have in Christ. We have not just be saved from hell, but saved us for eternal fellowship with himself. Not without purpose, but with an everlasting purpose.

2. The expression of God's salvation:
     a ... God defeats all of His enemies.
We see in Pharaoh a picture of the heart of man. See 14:4. Even in defeat, even in judgment, we still think we can and perhaps should rebel. We treat God like man, we believe him two-faced, and untrustworthy, and so we feel it is justified. Yet, God is true and righteous, and all of His enemies are defeated.
    b. ... God rescues His people from every harm.
To be "saved" is to be rescued, rescued from harm that we cannot save ourselves. What have we been rescued from. We have been rescued from sin, from spiritual death, but most of all from the eternal condemnation of Hell. How are we rescued? Christ died. God heaped our punishment, our sins upon Jesus. For what he did we are set free. Jesus is the one who rescued us. What does this mean?

3. The response to God's salvation:
     a. A sole and unyielding trust in God.
God is good to his word. His faithfulness is eternal and steadfast. Our own word, the words of fallen man, these are broken, yes. And so, let us trust in the Holy One, the one who is trustworthy. He is our Lord, He is our master. Our master in whom we trust not just right now, but each day, bearing all suffering with joy in the hope of his love.
     b. Unreserved and continual praise to God.
This is why we gather. This is why we sing. This is why we seek his character is his revealed word. This is why his Spirit in our lives, wells up inside and causes us to cry out, Abba Father, you are glorious, you are Good! 

Just as Jonah cried in the belly of the great fish, "Salvation is of the Lord!" Amen!