Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

2 fundamental truths about worship:

Everyone worships

Worship lasts forever

Worship is an encounter with God that leaves us changed.

Jesus loves the little children

All the children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They are precious in his sight.

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Remember that song?

Is it true?

ILLUST - the value of life

Caleigh’s school thought experiments:

You’re on a boat it will sink unless someone goes overboard - there is a very sick person on board - do you throw him overboard?

You’re hiding from Nazis with others.

A baby with you starts crying - if the baby doesn’t stop you’ll all be found.

Do you smother the baby?

CIA Approach to Bible study:

Context, Insights about God, Application

Exodus

We worship God as the Author and Redeemer of all life.

‘The foundation of the worship of Israel was redemption.

The dwelling-place of the Lord their God was founded on atonement.

All the boards of incorruptible wood and precious gold stood upon the redemption price, and the curtains of fine linen, and the veil of matchless workmanship, and the whole structure rested on nothing else but the solid mass of silver which had been paid as the redemption money of the people’

‘The foundation of the worship of Israel was redemption.

The dwelling-place of the Lord their God was founded on atonement.

All the boards of incorruptible wood and precious gold stood upon the redemption price, and the curtains of fine linen, and the veil of matchless workmanship, and the whole structure rested on nothing else but the solid mass of silver which had been paid as the redemption money of the people’

C H Spurgeon

God is the Author of all life.

God is the Author of all life.

In other words, there is no life that God is not intimately involved in it’s creation and care.

That was the truth at the dawn of time and it is true now.

It was true as the people of Israel were beaten as slaves in Egypt.

It was a life that God made that was beaten as a slave in Egypt.

It was a life that God made that was sacrificed to idols by the Canaanites.

It was the breath that God gave that was sucked out of men, women, and children in German concentration camps.

The hands that God made were the hands that were chained as African men, women, and children were forced into slavery at our nation’s beginning and it was the ears that God made through which African-Americans heard and still hear the stupid words of racism.

It is the more than 58 Million groups of cells that God uniquely forms and that have been aborted since the early 70’s.

God started the heartbeat of every child born with a special need.

God is the Author of all life.

This is why the sanctity of life is so serious to God.

And this is why the sanctity must be serious to us as well.

‘The foundation of the worship of Israel was redemption.

The dwelling-place of the Lord their God was founded on atonement.

All the boards of incorruptible wood and precious gold stood upon the redemption price, and the curtains of fine linen, and the veil of matchless workmanship, and the whole structure rested on nothing else but the solid mass of silver which had been paid as the redemption money of the people’

C H Spurgeon

Your life is not your own.

(12)

(All life belongs to God)

1 Chron 21:7

1 Chron 21:

1 Chron 21:14

V12 - The reason for the tax was not so God could get rich or fill the heavenly coffers - It was a “ransom” in order to avoid a plague.

According to what we see in 1 Chronicles, the census David commanded was a sin.

What could possibly be wrong about counting the people?

It was typical in ANE for kings to take a census and count the people mainly for taxation or military purposes.

It was done to know how much provision or power the king had - it was a matter of pride.

V12 - The reason for the tax was not so God could get rich or fill the heavenly coffers - It was a “ransom” in order to avoid a plague that would be a punishment for pride - for seeking power or provision apart from and only from God.

“Half-shekel” - while we are not sure exactly how much money it was, we know it was not a large amount of money.

This shows the tax was mainly symbolic.

“Half-shekel” - while we are not sure exactly how much money it was, we know it was not a large amount of money.

God doesn’t need the money.

God doesn’t need to count the people - he knows the hairs on their head - the half-shekel tax was a physical act for the people of Israel to have an encounter with God that would leave them changed from the ways they lived their lives before.

Your life is made for action.

(14)

Those numbered were 20yrs and up 

This was typical of a nation to find the strength of its army

Israel did follow this proscription and number themselves - they wrote a book about it - Numbers

God did not make your life so you could be served.

This act of worship came with the expectation of action.

Your life is not worth more or less than another’s.

(15)

ILLUST - I posed a moral dilemma to a coworker once - a car is on fire and a dog and a child are inside.

You only have time to save one - which one do you save?

I was shocked when he struggled to answer.

In - different sacrifices were offered based on what could be afforded -

That passage showed cost of sin - this shows equality of life

All are equal in worth

All are equal in need

All are equal in redemption

When we attempt to alter the value of a human life, we are attempting to tinker with God’s economy - we don’t set the value - God does.

Devaluing a human life is the first step toward the destruction of human life.

Equality of all human life must be displayed among the people of God or it will be displayed nowhere else 

Do you truly believe ALL life is sacred and of equal value?

TEST: would you go to the same lengths to save a person no matter their:

Age

gender

Race

Sexual orientation

Wealth

fame

ILLUST - I posed a moral dilemma to a coworker once - a car is on fire and a dog and a child are inside.

You only have time to save one - which one do you save?

I was shocked when he struggled to answer.

God is the only Redeemer of life.

(12, 15, 16)

The fact they needed atonement revealed there was a problem.

There were not many options for atonement - only one.

Money didn’t matter, status didn’t matter, nationality didn’t matter, family background didn’t matter - everyone needed atonement and redemption cost the same.

The only thing that mattered was that they came to God alone for salvation - recognizing the need and the cost of their redemption so they could have life.

These words given to the people of Israel through Moses were meant to lead the people to a knowledge and encounter of God, their need for the life only he can give, and their trust in him as the only Redeemer.

** Listen - This was only a shadow of a reality that was to come later through Jesus.

You are hearing these words today - and you know you need to hear them - because you need to have an encounter with God - Maybe you’ve been running from it, avoiding it, maybe you’ve not even been thinking about it, but now you know you need it.