5th Sunday in Lent – Sermon 174

13th February 2011 Off By Derek Buckthorpe

Prayer to start

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ

AMEN

Introduction

 

“For as through the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners – so through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous”

Do we believe it?

Do we Adam and Eve it?

Do we really believe that Jesus can set us free?

Obedience and disobedience are two key words in our OT reading too –in the story of Moses & Aaron confronting Pharaoh – to demand the release of God’s people from slavery

They too must have pondered the same question – do we really believe that God can set us free?

Well with the help of our readings we will look at this question – and see what the two readings are telling us – about our behaviour and salvation before God –   


First Point       Moses & Pharaoh-

 

The word Pharaoh – means ‘Great House’ – used – in the Bible as a title for the – kings of Egypt – although very rarely are their names identified –

The earliest Pharaoh mentioned is in Genesis 12 – encountered by Abraham when he was afraid for Sarah’s safety when he went to Egypt –

The next prominent Pharaoh was the one encountered by Moses – in our OT reading –
who made life really unbearable for the Jewish slaves – His brutality towards them and his hostility towards God was clearly evident in his actions and his refusal to respond to Moses’ & Aaron’s requests

As we see in the story – it was Moses who was called by God to be the leader and who He would speak through – to Pharaoh –

The first encounter involves a miracle with Aaron’s staff – when it was changed by God into a monstrous snake –

The court magicians did the same thing using magic or slight of hand – but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs –

All this served to harden the heart of the Pharaoh even more –

God sent Moses and Aaron back the next day – this time to use the staff to turn the river Nile – and its rivers and canals – into blood

The fish died and the waters began to stink – so much so that no one could drink the water – It even affected the wooden bowls and the stone jars – which were dawbed with Egyptian idols –

but again Pharaoh’s magicians were able through magic or slight of hand – to turn water into blood – and the Pharaoh dismissed Moses claims – and walked away – leaving the people to forage as best they could – for drinking water –

This was the first of three plagues that affected both Israelites and Egyptians – It took a further six plagues – sent on the Egyptians only – to change the heart of the Pharaoh –

The reading contrasts the obedience of Moses with the stubborn disobedience of Pharaoh – who refuses to accept what he has been told – or what he sees –

In fact all four groups of players – Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron, the magicians – and the people – have the opportunity to see God’s power in action – and each react differently to Him –

The people look after their own interests as best they can – accepting as fate whatever is handed out to them

The magicians do their best to ridicule and contradict what they see before them – their only – interest is their own standing in Pharaoh’s court –

Moses receives and believes the truth and speaks it to Pharaoh – despite rejection and the opposition – against him –

and Pharaoh’s refuses outright to accept God’s direction – dismissing it from his mind –

Sometimes we can be equally as stubborn when it comes to following God’s directions –

the truth of the situation can have limited impact – on us – it falls on deaf ears –
but by speaking the truth Moses holds out hope – that some sort of understanding or realization of the truth will eventually prevail –

As God’s servants we too are required to do the same – and trust in the guidance and direction that He gives-

In the process of these events and the plagues that followed – Israel underwent a transformation from being the servants of Pharaoh – to being the people of God – They became bound together as a community – under God’s sovereign and gracious acts – and began their journey of freedom together – trusting in the future that God promised them – how they got on – of course is another story – 
 

Point 2    Adam and Jesus-

 

which brings us to our NT lesson and – Paul’s comparison of Adam and Jesus – Adam – in Hebrew – means “mankind” –

Whether we believe there was a real Adam and Eve or not – orthink it was just an inspired story – to explain why our relationship with God was spoiled
For Paul – Adam and the consequences – of his disobedience – were just as real as Christ – and the results of His obedience –
In his letter – he addresses the Jewish Christians in Rome – and its the Jewish point of view that is uppermost in his teaching-

In fact as far as Paul was concerned – without the failings of Adam – the work of Christ makes little sense at all –

Paul says that all men have sinned in Adam – and that in Adam sin and death entered the world – and we as part of the tribe of Adam – have inherited Adam’s sinful nature – and its consequences –

The Jews of Paul’s day – considered themselves as part of a nation – or clan – if one was hurt or harassed – it was the duty of the rest to respond – in a similar way if one was tarnished – the rest of the tribe was tarnished –

In the case of Adam – his sin therefore had tarnished all Jews – hence – all mankind – and Paul believed that the only way this could be reversed – is through Jesus Christ

So Paul applies Adam’s logic in reverse –
just as mankind can be solid with Adam – and therefore condemned to death – so mankind can be solid with Christ and acquitted to life –

From our very beginnings we’ve all had a choice make – to choose the way of the world – or the ways of Jesus Christ – to follow our natural instincts – and accept whatever comes – or to follow God’s way to salvation – and live in His love and Grace –

God gave His only Son Jesus Chrsit – to – die on the cross for our sins – once and for all – so we can be forgiven and brought back to Him – He sent Jesus – to rescue us – from Adam’s fate –

through Jesus – he promises to bring us out of the slavery of sin – and into His saving community of Grace

For Paul – there is no better word to explain what Christ has done for humanity than grace – God’s Grace cannot be earned but is given freely in Jesus Christ

If someone presents us with an unexpected gift – or helps us out in some way – we often feel embarrassed – or indebted – ‘you shouldn’t have done that’ we might say or ‘ I can’t possibly accept that’ – and our natural response is to want to do something in return –

but God’s gift -through Jesus is different – for us there is no requirement to prove our worth – in fact there’s no equivalent we could ever offer – God’s grace vastly exceeds anything we can do – and all He asks is that we receive in faith and follow the ways of His Son –

Through Christ’s example of self giving – we are given an example by which we are called to live – and through which we receive both righteousness and eternal life-   

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

So coming back to that all important question – do we really believe that Jesus can set us free?
Well – like the Israelites and the Christians at Rome – we too have a choice to make –
Slavery to sin – or freedom in Christ –

Our salvation is given freely to us in Jesus Christ – its there for us to accept – and Jesus is there for us to follow –

The truth is that there’s only one way to freedom – one Saviour -and one hope for sinners –

and its through the one man on the cross – that we have the gift of forgiveness and the promise – that we too will be lifted up and become one with Christ- 
 
 
Prayer to Finish

 Lord God, we thank you for gathering us together through your Son Jesus Christ, who opened wide His arms on the cross, and gave His life to bring us peace.
Send your Holy Spirit among us so that your love may live in us, so we may set each other free from pain and hate and things misunderstood and fill the earth with laughter and offer back to you a wholesome harvest
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord

AMEN