Part 8: I Will Make You Jesus to Others

Hey, we are in a series through Exodus and we're studying The Exodus in light of how Jesus Rescues us and had Jesus saves us because this is really the defining Act of Salvation in the Old Testament. It points forward to how Jesus Rescues us how God Saves his people in Exodus is the same pattern by which Jesus saves us and last week. We saw that in the first step towards that Redemption Inn at Moses going into pharaoh and saying let my people go something happened to dimmer what it was. Pharaoh retaliated and he retaliated by putting greater Affliction in Greater burdens on the people who God desire to free in to redeem in that Moses was sent to help redeem and it's a pattern that happens in our own lives to some steps forward and either towards Chrysler in your sanctification or towards Redemption. Are you seeing someone else in their life and then all of a sudden just feel like I did this hard thing have to happen. I don't think that's a coincidence. I think that's the pattern of Redemption where there's an enemy who doesn't want to see God receive Glory doesn't want to see you come to trust Jesus. And so when you take that step forward towards and guess what there's another Punch coming back at you. And we saw that last Sunday you're going to see this given take all the way through until finally in a couple weeks. We're going to see where God frees his people but that's only the beginning because then they have a life time to live that out after they're finally free. Today, we're in Exodus chapter 6. We're going to start in verse 8 or 28. Excuse me. I'm skipping over some verses here because it's basically a long genealogy of names and what it's there for is to establish both Moses and Erin's lineage. They're kind of family history in their authority to to be doing this for the Lord. And so rather than we're just going to go ahead and continue with The Narrative of the story and has been called and sent by God to rescue his people but maybe like you and I do at least maybe like I do. Baby, not you about how God has sent you or how he's called you and what he sent you to do and he expresses those doubts. And it eventually God says okay fine. You have a brother named Aaron he can speak. Well, I'm going to bring him he's going to be the mouthpiece and the two of you are going to go together and he'll speak for you. And so they've gone into pharaoh and the first time was a disaster because instead of pharaoh just relenting and letting all the people go he made their lives even harder and now everybody is upset with God and they're upset with Moses and with Aaron. And inverse 28 of chapter 6 it says on the day. I'm just going to read the whole text for this morning here on the day. When the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt. The Lord said to Moses. I am the law of pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you. I think this is a recap a little bit of the call because we just had this genealogy a recap of what Moses is sent to do. Moses said to the Lord behold, I am of uncircumcised lips How Will Ferrell listen to me? If you have made you like God to pharaoh and your brother Aaron, she'll be your profit. You still speak all that. I command you and your brother Aaron shelter tell pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land, but I will harden Pharaoh's heart and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then. I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring me the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment the Egyptian some know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them Moses and Aaron did so they did just as the Lord commanded them that Moses was 80 years old and are in 83 years old when they spoke to pharaoh. Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron went feral says to you prove yourself by working a miracle. Then you shall say to Aaron take your staff cast it down before Pharaoh that it may become a serpent. So Moses and Aaron went to pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded Aaron cast on his staff before pharaoh and his servants and it became a serpent. Ben fero summon the wise men in the sorcerer's and they The Magician's of Egypt also did the Same by their secret art reach me a cast on his staff and they became servants but are instead of swallowed up their staff still Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he would not listen to them as the Lord has said, Let me pray that text together some good father. Thanks for Jesus. And thank you Jesus that you do rescue us that ultimately you are stronger that ultimately you do in the battle. And even when we attempt to follow you and we're faced with adversity and affliction and oppression. Jesus said as we continue to trust you even in the face of hardship you win in the end and we can trust you. You've been good in the past. You'll be good today. Your you'll be incredibly good in the future. Holy Spirit II pregnancy enemy of servants their Works in affects I pray that you would come teach me even as I teach speak through me as I preach and that you might change us to be more like Jesus. We love you. We pray all this in Jesus name. Amen. The first thing I want you to see her this morning. Is that we you and I we represent Jesus to other people. Did you know that we represent Jesus to other people and who's this in this case? He goes to pharaoh and he represents God to pharaoh. But look at Moses. I mean look at chapter 6 verse 28 it says this is a recap of some of the things that it happened. The Lord said to Moses king of Egypt speak for me to the king of Egypt.

He says the Lord behold, I am of uncircumcised lips How Will Ferrell listen to me? Earlier Ferrara Moses. I just talked about the fact that he's Stoddard, you know, you couldn't talk eloquently and nobody's going to listen to him talk about not wanting to talk.

Excuse, you know, I can't speak.

I wonder what's your go-to excuse see we've been sent just like Moses was sent to Pharaoh. We've been sent to our workplaces to our families to our church to our homes all those things.

What comes after the butt for you? I can't talk to Excuse excuse. I think we all probably have a few don't we? Sometimes it's I'm inadequate sometimes it's just same as Moses. I can't speak. I don't know what to say and nobody's going to listen to me fill in the blank. What's your go-to excuse? Most of us have a Mario Odyssey down. I'm not qualified keeps me from being credible.

What I did yesterday keeps me from being credible. If I do that or say that I'll lose that friend and they won't believe me.

I can't follow you. I can't give this month. It's just everything's too tired. Maybe maybe next month. Maybe next year. I don't know where I'm going to fit that in. I don't have time to go do that this week. Maybe after things open up in the summer. I don't know and I can't risk that what's your go-to excuse? Open up in your mind right now your follower of Jesus what we have excuses, but when we come back for them we come up with them. Excuse me for not doing what God calls us to do and we tend to use the same ones over and over at for some Christians. It takes them years to get past their tired old excuses of of a not going as not witnessing of not giving of not serving. There's always an excuse and maybe next time tomorrow, but guess what tomorrow the same excuse pops up again, doesn't it? Have you had that experience I have? Moses go to was I can't speak but what's Curious here? If you look at the text and God wasn't asking Moses to volunteer for this job. Would you like to go to pharaoh? I'm wondering I'm calling for volunteers. I just I'd like somebody to go speak to Pharaoh. What's he say? You will be my representative you speak for me before him. It wasn't a volunteer position. It was a command.

And this is going to be God to fair. Look at chapter 7 verse 1 the Lord said to Moses see I have made you like God to pharaoh and your brother Aaron shall be your Prophet now if you could see this in Hebrew. The word like isn't there. It's some Moses. I will make you God to pharaoh. I will make you a God to pharaoh. Such a vivid representation of me to him that you will literally in his might you be God himself is divine. He saw as a man. He was God and Jesus God to him. This is going to prove it.

Just got the Pharaoh. But you and I are Jesus to other people. And and in many ways when God sends us he says listening just like you told Moses. I'm going to make you got the Pharaoh. He says I'm going to make you like Jesus to them. It might sound kind of cliche but the reality is like for some people that you interact with that I interact with you are literally the only Jesus they're ever going to see with Flesh and Bones. Because I have to understand the gospel. They're going to need to see Jesus in you they're going to need to see you represent him and love them the way that he loves them.

But what's your excuse for not going?

She is got me and Moses got the Pharaoh. He makes you Jesus to others you've been since Jesus said his as the father sent me into the world. What's that? A lot of people invite them to follow Jesus with us and then beyond that Ambassador, we're going to see this text again here in a moment, but in 2nd Corinthians 5 chapter chapter 5 verse 20. All right, this is therefore we are ambassadors for Christ and God making his appeal through us.

Speaks through you to other people in through me to other people have sex like when I'm when I'm preaching this is this is an incredible mystery to me but one God is going to use this really messed-up guy named Moses to go in and speak for him. He's going to represent him and he's going to communicate for him. That's not just in crazy. You know, it's crazy that uses this really messed-up guy named Josh to stand up here. At least it is to me just stand up here and to represent him and to speak his word for him and Somehow I don't know what I don't understand when I Proclaim God's words are not my words. They're his words. She uses that and then you hear God speak not Josh speak. I hope more often than not a man.

So profound it makes no sense to me yet. He does the same with you when he sends you two people. You're his ambassadors. and other people We saw a few weeks ago that maybe if you have your doubts when Jesus sends you raise those doubts he's patient. He's willing to answer them, but man the sooner you go and obey the better. Sooner you go and obey the better and we see God patiently with Moses here again, cuz he answers and he says he has made you like God to Pharaoh Moses and your brother. Aaron will be your Prophet night. We represent God to others who represent Jesus to others For Better or For Worse. I don't know if I do I mean I will is if you don't go guess what if you're Christian you still represent Jesus to others and it's either going to be for for better or it's going to be for Worse. It's either you're going to give us a picture of Jesus that people are enthralled by and and run to or you're going to give a picture of Jesus that go people go eat if that's what it's about. I don't want that.

We represent got two other people we represent Jesus other people has been God's plan since the very beginning and Genesis chapter 1 we read that God said, let us make Mankind in our image after our likeness.

You represent them either For Better or For Worse? And I was your cure conduct matters. Do you just talk the talk or do you actually walk it do you actually obey are you a radically different person during the week then you are on Sunday morning. Quit poking at me Josh.

Listen to you represent Jesus other people either For Better or For Worse is it which one is it? Percentage is one who is is is powerful yet gracious and loving and kind and accepting or do you present a Jesus that is in different and distant and doesn't care and is probably mad at everyone. It's one of the other it's for better for worse. What does it like this that you're either going to be by the way, even when you're faithful in doing this? Sometimes you're a stench to people and sometimes you're a pleasant Aroma to them even when you do it really well.

He writes letters to the Corinthians is all he says in verse 15 of chapter to our lives there a christ-like fragrance fragrance. Icing up the God but this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. I'm reading from the New Living Translation to those who are perishing where a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved. We are a life-giving perfume and who is adequate for such a task. Is this it later he goes on to write inverse 20 what we just read earlier that therefore were ambassadors for Christ God's making his appeal through us so we can poor people have to be reconciled to him Jesus. Moses got the Pharaoh your Jesus to those in your influence For Better or For Worse and succeed and fail at this to varying degrees, but it doesn't change the fact that you're called in your sent to represent him if you're a follower of Jesus.

The city of Moses ended up not being really a fragrant Aroma to Pharaoh, but a bit of a stench. Because if we keep reading a chapter 7 start again in verse 1 to Lord said to Moses see I've made you like God to pharaoh and your brother Aaron should be your profit. You still speak all I command you and your brother are in some help pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land first three, I will harden Pharaoh's heart.

And though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt Pharaoh will not listen to you.

You read that verse and go. Okay. Hold on a second. What gives here Moses is sent to pharaoh? Fright. Send them to Ferentz a state for me and he's going to let everybody go and Moses is like I don't want to go work cuz he's not going to listen to me. Listen to you.

Pharaoh's heart

how does God Harden his heart doesn't he want wish that all would repent and come to him and saving faith. that cause any Langston you maybe you think of it like this. There's a quote of someone that that says and I don't know who said it originally but the same Sun that melts the wax hardens the clay. If I got saying I will harden Pharaoh's heart. I understand that as God saying listen when he sees me for who I am. He's not going to respond in faith. He's just going to get more better and hard. And my glory my goodness will actually Harden his heart.

I think that's a helpful way to understand that the same Sun that melts the wax that soften some people to the gospel also hardens with clay and some people turn away and they want nothing to do with it. And when you go to some people you're going to be a pleasant Aroma and two others, you're going to be a stench that hardens their heart.

Earl will not listen to you God said and then I will lay my hand on Egypt to bring my horse my people the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment the Egyptian still know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them. Moses and Aaron did so they did just as the Lord commanded them. God's going to work in and through Moses and Moses will be got the Pharaoh and we got offers Grace and a way out the Pharaoh if you would relent and repent and let the people go at the ultimately rejex it. Listen, she's been presented with the with the gospel with the way out the way to be free in Jesus Christ. Don't be like Sarah is an idiot.

trust Jesus his arms are wide open and he would think he would take you in a heartbeat.

Represent Jesus when you're going to people who need Jesus it's important to represent him. Well. And I touched on this a little bit earlier, but I want to touch on it for now. It's important to represent him well and to be sure then that people it if if their heart is hardened. What pharaohs was it's not hard and because of you but it's hard and because of the Gospel. They're not offended by you. They're offended by Jesus.

Kind of an aspirational one, but that's what we're going for. No sacred cows right in other words. We don't want anything to stand in the way of somebody meeting Jesus Christ Our Doctrine what we believe about the gospel about the Bible that the deity of Christ all the things that's in a tight hand and we'll swing that Festival fight over that but the style of worship whatever else it's in an open hand. It's not sacred and we'll let that go if it means more people could meet Jesus. Amen. It's a great spot for him, but it's the same for you and I individually like you need to represent him. Well, we want to remove every barrier when someone comes in so that they're not offended by by us, but they're offended by the gospel and they leave not saying I was a weird place they leave thing that was a hard saying who can accept it.

What about your life? Do you represent Jesus? Well so that they're offended at not by you. But by Jesus in other words, you know you do this to do this with Grace and with truth. Not just truth. Not just Grace Grace and Truth. There is some instruction from Paul. He writes the Timothy says the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome of each to everyone. to get into arguments

six on the side over here in arguments Jake the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to his parents. Didn't you catch last part but kind to his parents are just teasing but able to teach patiently letting us and we can all be quarrelsome. Jake's just the only one with the courage to admit it.

But we're not to be that way. We're to be kind to everyone. How about in a fusion5? Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children? You know it. Charlie's about three and a half years old now and it is frightening. Sometimes the things that come out of his mouth and if you her parents and you realize where did he hear that from me? He's an imitator of me as I loved you little little child, right? That's how we're supposed to imitate. The Lord is his beloved children to be like him walk in. Love as Christ loved us. Colossians 4 says walk in wisdom toward Outsiders making the best use of the time but your speech always be gracious seasoned with salt. The Graces that you may know how you ought to answer each person Ephesians 4:15 rather speaking the truth in love with a grow up in every way into him. Who is the head?

Represent Jesus while so that they are offended by Jesus not by you.

end up just a little little bit of a rabbit Trail here, but I started reading this book this week called the the power of the other. Henry Cloud Christian Psychologist, it's about 2 years old and a half years old and that he he talks about it through it. But in the beginning one piece stood out to me in setting up his argument and in terms of how other people influence and affect you so in like the community you you associate with the friends. You have your work environment all those things affect. You have a one piece really stood out to me and it's ending up his argument for all of this and how people affect us. He references some recent research by guy named Daniel Siegel where he describes this triangle of well-being. I'll summarize by singer three critical factors that changes for the better or for the worse. Your physical body or brain nervous system sets like the hardware if you're a computer person. your mind how you thinking process life that's like the software but the third biggest piece is relationships the connections you have with other people in this computer now as you might think of this in terms of the operator, Are the data input person the relationships you form, the people you're surrounded with will absolutely affect the way that your computer for lack of 1/4 to carry on with that analogy. You change for the better or the worse or whether or not you represent Jesus for the better or the worse? How do you spell students all the time? You become like who you hang out with? Have you ever noticed that your performance For Better or Worse is affected by the people around you. I can some situations you can do this while in other situations you can't. Too many critics in your life off and turn you into a critic or deplete your confidence to the point that you just get depressed. Or maybe you've seen the effects of one toxic person on on everything else. So, why does Rabbit Trail really briefly? What is the point if you're going to represent Jesus? Well, this is a gospel issue and it's not about you getting it right all the time because you're not it's not about you never failing because you will it's about you resting in Jesus and becoming like him and if you're going to represent in while you need to become a like him and a key in this this piece of you becoming like Jesus and representing him. Well is your relationship with him? Being with him spending time with him that relationship changes you overtime. If you're never in his word, you're never in prayer, and then you go out and I'm going to represent and it's going to be awesome and it always bombs. I can tell you why. You're not changing you're not becoming like him. You're not spending time with him. You're not letting that relationship change you.

But it's not just a relationship with Jesus that matters. It's also the relationship with your church that matters. Hanging out with other believers being involved in community. And I'm preaching to myself here cuz I struggle with this one. I like until you allow other people to love you to care for you to influence you that you're not going to grow. If you want to represent him, well, you need to be here on a Sunday morning. You need to gather but then you also need to grow you need to get connected in relationship friends. You do. I just to put it bluntly you need to get your butt to church and need to get to a 110 proof. You need to get connected. Are you will never do this? Well? That's how you're going to change and what's Curious is that that Moses follows this pattern because Moses grew to be a better and better and better representative of the Lord throughout the rest of the book of Exodus. Did you not have you noticed that as you read? And do you know what there's one key piece of that happens over and over with Moses? You see him continually? in relationship with the Lord he's meeting with him. I'm at syeni. He's he's speaking to him and praying to him about all the people and all the hardship and everything that's happening. And is that relationship grows? Guess whose influence grows? Moses the same for us that relationship those relationships plural or what's going to help you grow and to represent God will because you represent Jesus to other we wepresent Jesus to others For Better or For Worse.

Looking for 7 here. Maybe back to your go to excuse. Maybe it's that I'm too old. It's too late over 7 No Moses was how old was he? 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh. That should give you encouragement. Especially if you're growing older or if you've ever felt stuck in life are like there's no hope to change and it is never too late. Do you believe that? It's never too late you have agency. time to all this is too late to go back and do that again. You can't go back but you can change today going forward and in fact Moses, I think this probably caught him by surprise because Moses was two years old here, but did you know you probably didn't expect to live past about 80 of how do you know that Josh Moses wrote some of the songs and one song in particular as I think at every funeral I've ever had the privilege of leading and it's Psalm 90 verse 10 Moses wrote this he said

the years of her life for 70 or even by reason of strength 80 get their span is with toil and trouble there soon gone and we fly away Moses like for the best of the best they live to about 80. I don't think he expected to live much behind. That's and guess what he lives for another 40 years serving the lord. He was only two-thirds of the way done. You have no idea what the Lord has in-store for you. It is never too late you have agency you can change better said Jesus can change you as you trust him. And as you follow him deal Moody, he founded the school. I went to Moody Bible Institute. He was kind of the Billy Graham of the last century. And I did movie but I had an incredible impact in the world. He's just gives over this. He says Moses Smith 40 years thinking he was somebody because it grew up adopted by Pharaoh's daughter right for 40 years. He thought he was somebody but any murder somebody gets here on time for the Wilderness Moody says end for 40 years in the desert. He learned he was nobody. And then 40 years. He had left showing what God can do with a somebody who found out. He was a nobody.

Moses spent 40 years in Pharaoh's Court thinking he was somebody 40 years in the desert learning. He was nobody in 40 years finding out God what God can do with somebody who realizes there and nobody

it's not great news. Do the sooner you can get out of Ferris court and Into the Wilderness and trust the Lord and and Glisan just let go of your excuses the better. He'll use you. It's never too late you have agency.

I know a guy who says I'm a nobody trying to tell everybody about somebody. That's a good way to live your life. They say I'm a nobody trying to tell everybody about somebody.

Maybe that's what you would be.

We represent Jesus to others For Better or For Worse.

So trust him.

Do your best? And leave the results to him. Because ultimately the results of your representation of him if your witness, it could be a stench. It could be a perfume. But ultimately all that is in the hands of the Lord and your only Roll My Only Rule is to go into a bay and to love people in to invite them.

That's what Moses did Moses and Aaron obeyed everything the Lord told them to do Moses became a nobody who is trying to tell tell everybody about somebody. Maybe that's the way we should live our lives to look at this then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron he tells him to perform these signs will go through this quickly and call the morning. But when Pharaoh says, do you prove yourself proof of You Are by working America? Are you still say to Aaron take your staff cast it down before Pharaoh that it may become a serpent member got a given Moses these three signs to perform to to offend to Kate his message as God's representative. One of them was to take a staff into throw it on the ground and it would become a serpent. And then never Moses had like reach out and pick it up in the tail and it became a staff again. and it so they go in to do that and he does this sign and Aaron throws his staff down but then

Pharaoh it's a summoned the wise man and his Sorcerers. They came The Magicians. They The Magicians of Egypt also did the same thing by their secret Arts? So this could have just been simply by the power of the enemy because we do have an enemy who is powerful but actually just a random thing here. I saw something in the last week cuz I was studying where there was evidently a trick in ancient in the ancient near East where you can take a snake you could squeeze it behind its head really tightly with your thumb and it would become stiff. Because I thought somebody was standing on its was holding still until they would leave. And I kind of Wonder, you know, Satan is a deceiver. If it's just simply by deception. These guys had a snake and they walk out and then I got CR Staffing and they throw it down. That becomes a snake that loosens up and goes again, but then what happens to prove God's Authority and Moses and Aaron Authority their staff there surfing actually swallows the other two. pretty vivid word picture there Cracked but here it is. Almost did was obey. All he did was the best that he could Aaron in the same way your bettas. Bestie. Could they did what they were told and I left the results to God you think for a moment once he threw the staff down and then all the sudden The Magician's come out and they do the same thing. They're like a really again, here we go. Tell us the results to God and what happens he proves that he has a greater Authority. He's in control. He's ultimately in control. Mrs. Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he would not listen to them as the Lord had said friends you You & I we represent Jesus to others For Better or For Worse.

Let's do it for better. Let's do our best and leave the results to him and then And then let me pray and we're going to sing and call the morning father. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you that he is the perfect representative of who you are to us and up by your grace. You choose to have us be sent then to be your representative to other people. Which is hard to understand sometimes knowing our own false. It's clear that I was hard for Moses to understand knowing his own faults and that his task by comparison at least to my almost certainly in my estimation greater yet. You look to me and you look to us and you say no I have a plan. I have a purpose. I have a mission for you. Jesus you promise that as we represent you will be with us we can trust you do our best and leave the results to you. But if anybody hears my voice has never trusted you they've never become a Christian and never been sent.

She's afraid today that they wouldn't know if they would simply that turn from their sin and repent if that's you at it's not about you cleaning yourself up and then coming to Jesus. It's about you coming to him with all your junk and Cindy's a spirit is change me. I believe in you. I trust you I turn from these things. And the text tells us Bible tells us that if you would believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord that God raised him from the dead confess it with your mouth. You will be saved. A simple Act of Faith and I would I would so strongly encourage you to make that decision today. The rest of us Lord help us to trust you more represent you well in Jesus name. Amen.