Exodus 19

Exodus • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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This past summer I drove with Chip and Michele Hardy and a handful of youth to Texas for a youth conference and mission trip. And so we piled into this big whale of a 15 passenger van and started on our drive to Texas. Once we hit Louisiana though the weather changed. A storm was brewing. But the thing is, the clouds of this storm looked like nothing I had ever seen before.

Introduction:

It must have been the wind pushing back or holding back the dark cloud, but there was an extremely clean break from when the blue sky stopped and when the dark cloud began. It sort of looked like the clouds that formed on that movie independence day with Will Smith. The cloud looked like a huge black saucer or dome, that stretched from miles in either direction.

So this summer I drove with Chip and Michele Hardy and a handful of youth to the Anglican churches provincial assembly in Texas. It is an every other year gathering of the denomination. And so we piled into this big whale of a 15 passenger van and started on our drive to Texas. once we hit Louisiana the weather changed. A storm was brewing. But the thing is, the clouds of this storm looked like nothing I had ever seen before. It must have been the wind pushing back or holding back the dark cloud, but it sort of looked like the clouds that formed on that movie independence day with Will Smith. The cloud looked like a huge black saucer or dome.

And when we saw this we all just sat in awe of it, it was so unique and so different than any cloud formation that we were used to seeing. We start waking up some of the kids from their Dramamine coma, you have to see this. You don’t want to miss this. You have to see this.

You know whenever we see something unique or one of a kind, whether in nature or in sports or something else: that is the first time this has ever happened in so many years. Whenever we see something unique we are drawn to it.

Holiness is something like this.

Holiness is another way of saying distinct, unique, or set apart from the ordinary. But that is not how we often think of holiness.

FCF:

Some times we don’t think about holiness in positive terms.

If we even use the term holy, we usually use it negatively, they are holier than thou.

Even a book that I love, the Jesus Storybook Bible. There is this one story where it speaks of holiness in negative terms, calling the Pharisees “Holy men” but in a negative way

Or we think of holiness in a truncated way. Holiness is something like niceness, or is is just a handful of private devotional practices, like reading your Bible and praying a lot, or not drinking or smoking. And so either we try to do that really hard to do that, or we just throw up our hand and think, that's not for me. Sure so and so is holy, but not for me.

Or we thin

And when we think of ourselves it is not often that holy is the word that pops into our mind. We don’t think of ourselves as holy, I mean, just the other day I was short and grouchy with my kids, just because I had to make them grilled cheese sandwiches. It was not what I would call holy moment.

just because I had to make grilled cheese sandwiches for my kids. In that moment I did not find serving my family as perfect freedom.

But Scripture is clear. We should live holy lives. And in the Bible holiness is portrayed as a good and not only that but extremely practical, and earthy. And holiness for God’s people is in response to, it flows from his grace.

So whether we

But

But Scripture is clear. We should live holy lives. And holiness is portrayed as a good and extremely practical, and down to earth.

The Lord is

Set free for something better. A holy life.

Because the Lord is the redeemer we should live holy lives

So how do we do this?

First, what we should do is receive

His gift of holiness

In our passage, God’s people arrive at the base of the Sinai Mountain, and God tells them who they are, he gives them their identity. They are his holy people.

Look with me at verse 3

Exodus 19:3–6 ESV

while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Exodus 19:3–4 ESV

ex 19:3

Before God goes on to tell them what is required of a holy life, he reminds them of what he has done. He has rescued them, I scooped you up and brought you to myself.

You are my special people, you are my holy nation, you are not slaves, you are holy.

Now I want us to see this, the condition that we see in verse 5

Now therefore if.. is not, IS NOT about gaining God’s redemption about earning his grace, is not about earning the title of holy, holy nation and royal priest. The condition is whether or not they will live out what has already been given to them.

BEFORE the Lord gives them the law, BEFORE making the covenant here at Sinai, BEFORE the tabernacle was built, BEFORE they moved toward the promised land, Before all this God rescued his treasured possession, he claimed them as his kingdom of priests, they were to be his holy nation.

Every command and requirement that God gives in the Bible is never about earning his grace, it always flows from his grace, from his previous rescue.

Look at verse 10

Exodus 19:10 ESV

the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments

The lord through his servant Moses consecrates them. When God tells Moses to consecrate them, he literally tells Moses to go and make them Holy.

Holiness is first something given to us, done to us. Declared over us. A status that is given. An identity that is given to God’s people. It is who they truly are. God’s people are holy.

The condition that we see in verse 5 does not mean that if they obey they will BECOME his treasured possession, the condition is whether or not they will live into who they already are.

Illustration:

Someone recently sent me a song by Kacey Musgraves called “follow your arrow.” Maybe you have heard it, maybe not.

But it perfectly articulates the ethic of our society. In it she sings about what she sees as some catch 22’s

You do you

If you can't lose the weight, then you're just fat But if you lose too much, then you're on crack You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't So you might as well just do whatever you want

Be true to yourself

When the straight and narrow Gets a little too straight Roll up the joint Or don't Just follow your arrow Wherever it points

Follow your arrow, well that is just another way of saying what we hear everywhere. “Be true to yourself.” Just this week I got some stickers from Disney's frozen and one sticker said: “true to myself.”

This is the most common moral command in our society.

You do you.

Application:

And while that has all sorts of issues, as Christians we might say something a little similar when it comes to holiness.

That is be true to your true self. Be true to the status and identity that has been given to you.

In our baptisms we are washed, that is we are consecrated to God, we come out and are wrapped in garments of pure white. In Christ, we declared holy to God.

This is why we say when we welcome the newly baptized in the last couple of weeks, we say “We receive you into the fellowship of the church. Confess the faith of Christ Crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in the royal priesthood of all his people.”

In Christ you are holy. Your true self is holy. Holiness in our life is not something we live up to but something we live into. “You do you,” we might say.

It is something we live up to, but into

We don’t try to become something that we are not, we live into what God says we already are.

receive his gift of holiness

Because the lord is our redeemer we should receive his gift of holiness (Wash

You are the Lord’s treasured possession, his royal priesthood, and his holy nation.

Because the Lord has redeemed us we should receive his gift of holiness, as well as follow

His call of holiness

The Lord calls them his kingdom of priests, his holy nation. All Israel is holy to God. And this given identity comes with a mission.

God’s people are all priests and priests have a mission. As a nation of priests they are to be agents of blessing in the world. They are, by their holy lives to represent God to the nations, and bring the nations to God.

So just as the priest with arms raised over the people blesses them in the name of God, so too are all God’s people to bless the nations in the name of God. The call of holiness is about fulfilling God’s mission to bless all nations.

Because the lord is our redeemer we should follow the call of holiness

Illustration:

Some of us here at Christ the Redeemer are in Community Groups right now and are going through the book “Surprise the World” together.

The author shares the story of how early Christians were taking over the Roman Empire. He quotes the Emperor Julian who wrote about how the Christians were leading people away from the Roman pagan religion.

Julian said it is disgraceful how these Christians support not only their poor, but ours as well. He was upset that the Christians through their hospitality, and love feasts as they called them and service enticed many people away from the pagan religions.

The Emperor Julian was upset that the Christians through their hospitality, and love feasts, and the way they cared for the poor enticed many people away from the pagan religions.

And Julian tried to get the followers the people who followed the Roman God’s to do the same as the Christians.

The author of our book emphasizes that engaging in God’s mission means that Christians should live questionable lives.

Application:

The author of our book emphasizes that engaging in God’s mission means that Christians should live questionable lives.

That is Christians should live in such a way that evokes questions from their neighbors.

This is really just another way of saying Christians are called to live holy lives. For it is holiness that raises questions.

And the thing about this book that I love is that it is throughly practical.

And it is not a matter of being nice.

It is about living in such a way that is different, which reflects the holiness of God.

And as we see in our book it is thoroughly practical. It is about eating with people, listening to others, blessing others.

It is about how you rest. How you relate to the mentally challenged, it is about economic justice, employment rights, your sexuality, your sense of humor, the respect you show your parents and elders. How you use technology, how you engage with entertainment. Holiness is not about a few devotional practices it is a way of life and one that is practical.

The call of holiness is a call to be different and set apart from the world.

The call of holiness is a call to be different

Parents

Living questionable lives

set apart from the world, for the sake of the world

Because the Lord is our redeemer we follow his call of holiness to bless the nations.

We should also rejoice in his

Provision for holiness

In our passage the Lord reminds them of what he has done and who they are and then the rest of this passage is a going back and forth between the Lord and Moses and the people about how to come near to God.

Until the Lord descends on Mount Sinai so all the people can hear his voice.

Then the Lord descends to his Holy Mountain

Look with me at verse 16

Exodus 19:16–18 ESV

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.

Ex 19:16-

The Lord descends on it in fire, and the mountain shakes and cooks it so that smoke is all around.

God’s people are coming before the Lord in his holiness. And this is threatening, and also alluring at the same time.

Exodus 19:21–22 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.”

Ex 19:21-

So here the Lord dwells with his people, but there is still a barrier.

And while God calls his people holy there is still a division.

This is not how Adam and Eve walked in the cool of the day with the Lord.

God’s people don’t go up, Moses goes up for them. Moses was the mediator of the covenant that the Lord is establishing with his people at Mount Sinai.

It was for their provision that the Lord spoke to Moses and Moses to the people.

But as great as Moses was, there was one who was greater to come.

So that with a better mediator of a new covenant God’s people may come to his holy mountain without fear.

Look with me at Hebrews chapter 12 page 1009 in your pew Bible.

Hebrews chapter 12 verse 18

Hebrews 12:18–24 ESV

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Hebrews 12:18-

Jesus is a better mediator than Moses, you see in verse 24. Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant.

Jesus is a better mediator than Moses

Because the lord is our redeemer we should rejoice in his provision of holiness, Jesus is a better mediator than Moses

Identity as a calling

Identity

As the Lord told Moses that he would break out against any who came up the mountain.

So when Jesus who identified himself with sinful humanity broke through and went up the mountain, not Sinai, but Golgotha to the cross, it was there the wrath of God broke out over him.

Identifying himself with sinful humanity he ventured

And he standing in our place took it all. He took it all so that you don’t have to.

it was the wrath of God broke out over him. And he took it all, in our place. He died so that you don’t have to. So that we might come to the holy mountain of God without fear, but in joyful celebration.

So that we might come to the holy mountain of God without fear, the mountain no longer trembles, the fire of his wrath has been quenched. The light has shown in the darkness, We come to the mountain in joyful celebration, in a festal gathering.

The provision that the Lord has given his people, is himself in Jesus. So that we might have communion with the Lord.

There are no more limits set up around the holy mountain of God, we are all brought up the mountain into the very life of God through Jesus the mediator of a new a better covenant.

Conclusion:

And so let us go the the mountain of God, the city of the living God. This morning we will ascend this mountain, our hearts will be lifted to the city of the living God by the Spirit of God.

Identity and obedience flow from grace

And we will join our voices with the innumerable angels in festal gathering, with all the saints enrolled in heaven as we say Holy Holy Holy Lord God of power and might.

Whatever missional calling we have in our lives flows from the grace of God

Holiness is set in living among them

And we come to the dwelling of God by his provision, by Jesus the mediator of a better covenant, by his body and by his blood, we are ushered up the mountain of God, to his dwelling.

Through Jesus' sacrifice we now communion with God.

Israels election serves God’s misson

And we feast, eating and drinking the body and blood of Jesus in our heart by faith in celebration, a celebration that we are his, that we belong to him, the Lord, the redeemer the Holy One in the midst of his holy people.

Set free for something greater

Moses went up the mountain of God on behalf of the people and the mountain shook

Jesus went up the mountain of God on behalf of his people and the whole earth shook.

So that we are washed of our sins

You hae not come to what cannot be touched

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