Downtown Church: Memphis, Tn

Main Idea: Trust God because the light of God’s goodness will overcome the darkness of the world. 3 Lies Satan tells: God is holding back from you. Sin carries no consequences. You can be your own God. 1. God Calls. Verse 9 2.God Crushes. Verse 15

Big Idea: Because God’s Glory is Revealed in His Faithfulness, we must live as a Holy Nation. Because God’s Glory is Revealed in His Faithfulness, we must deepen our intercession. Because God’s Glory is Revealed in His Faithfulness, we must depend on His covenant/promise. Because God’s Glory is Revealed in His Faithfulness, we must desire to dwell in the Temple of God.

"an idol is anything more important than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything you seek to give you what only God can give." Tim Keller Main Idea: The need for control is a lack of faith that displeases God. 1. Our need for control and lack of trust creates false worship. V. 1 - 6 “In the beginning God created man in his own image and we have been trying to return the favor ever since by creating God in our own image.” Voltaire Jeremiah 17:9 the heart is deceitful above all and desperately sick. 2. False worship ignites God’s wrath V. 7 - 10 3. God’s wrath is appeased by THE INTERCESSOR and REDEEMER V. 11 - 14 “Jesus is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since he always live to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25 “Jesus was raised to life and is interceding on our behalf before the throne." Romans 8:34

Today's Scripture Exodus 24:12-18 Main Idea: Because God graciously chose to live near His people, we should honor His presence with our lives. Point #1 God's old residence Genesis 1-2 Point #2 God's new residence Exodus 25-31 Point #3 God's better residence John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. Colossians 1:19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:50-51)

1. Everything Comes from God Feast of Unleavened Bread Deut. 16:3 – "Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt." Feast of Weeks (or Feast of Harvest) Deut. 16:11-12 – "And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees." Lev. 23:43-44 - "Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God." 2. Share what you have (it’s not yours!) Exodus 23:

Main Idea: God's exclusive love for His people radically changes how we love Him and others Point #1 God expects us to remember the foundation of his love for us. (vv.1-2) And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery Point #2 God expects a primary and unshared love with Him. (vv.3-11) Point #3 God expects us to show off His love to other people. (vv.12-17)

D.T.R. = Defining the Relationship Big Idea: God's special relationship with his people is a result of His love, which should motivate us to worship and obey him. Point 1 God initiates our relationship with His redeeming love (v.4) ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Point #2 God strengthens our relationship through His presence and wo

God is faithful to keep his promises, save and deliver his people, and prove that he has no rivals. The Problem: God uses trials & tests to DEEPEN and REFINE our trust in Him. The Answer: In the midst of a trial, trust in Jesus the Rock, who will keep you lifted up. “Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord.” (Exodus 14:31) “Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. and the people grumbled against Moses.” (Exodus 15:22) "The whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Saying “would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill us with hunger.” (Exodus 16:2) “Do

Bottom Line: "God didn't save you to keep you the same but for you to continually grow in holiness." Exodus 11:4: "About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die." 1. Salvation: Salvation is found by seeking refuge in the Blood of Christ. 2. Sanctification: God’s salvation is given for us to pursue Holiness. 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ our passover lamb has been sacrificed.” Holiness is doing things that please the Lord and not doing things that displease the Lord.

1. Evil is real and powerful “he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water because they could not drink the water of the river.” (Exodus 7:23-24) 2. God is real and more powerful Plague 1 –Nile River Plague 2 – Frogs Plague 3 – Gnats Plague 4 – Flies Plague 5 – Animals Plague 6 – Boils Plague 7 – Hail Plague 8 – Locusts Plague 9 – Darkness Plague 10 – Death 3. Follow God – oppose evil out there and in here “pharoah’s heart was hardened, as the Lord had said” Exodus (7:22) (8:15) (8:19) (9:12) (9:35) “After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. And the LORD did what Moses asked.” (Exodus 8:12-13) “Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, and the LORD did what Moses asked.” (Exodus 8:30-31) “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘See, I have made you like God to Pharoah.’” (Exodus 7:1) “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, t

Today's Scripture: Exodus 5:1-7, 22-23, 6:1-6 Big Idea: We can be encouraged in hard seasons because God is too good to forget about His people. #1 The reality of our seasons of suffering. (5:1-7, 22-23) Ephesians 6:12 Isaiah 55:8-9 #2 A few reminders during our seasons of suffering. (6:1-6) “a suffering savor can comfort a suffering people” -Lisa Fields Jude 3 Project

Big Idea: God wants His people to confidently obey Him because of His power, patience, and provisions. I. We should confidently obey God because he’s all powerful. (vv.1-9) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) II. We should confidently obey God because he’s graciously patient with us. (vv.10-14a) III. We should confidently obey God because of his loving provisions for us. (vv.14b-17)

Central Idea: What God reveals of Himself strengthens our faith and deepens our hope. I. God reveals that He is a Holy Creator. (Exodus 3:1-6) II. God reveals His Immanence. (Exodus 3:7-12) III. God reveals His Name. (Exodus 3:13-15)

Repeated Message: Trust God because He is Faithful to keep his promises, save & deliver His people, & prove that he has no Rivals. Repeated Question: Whom will you serve? The God of Israel or idols? 1. Misplaced fear is destructive and oppressive. 2. Our fear of God fuels our faithfulness in hard times. 3. God is working even when He is quiet!

Main Idea: We need Jesus to save us from religious self-deception that leads to eternal destruction I. Our empty words towards Jesus will ultimately be exposed Matthew 7:21-23 II. Our unwise confidence in self will not stand the test of time Matthew 7:24-27 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39) III. Our humble submission to Jesus’ authority is our only hope of being saved. Matthew 7:28 “A person who claims to be God must belong to one of three categories: First, if he claims to be God and yet in fact is not, he has to be a madman or a lunatic.Second, if he is neithe

Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” (Daniel 10:12-14) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:11-12) Main Idea: Keep your eyes on Jesus so that you won’t be fooled by false teachers. 1. Jesus warns us not to choose and walk the wrong path. Verse 13-14 2. Jesus warns us against following the

Big Idea: God has authority over all truth, so we must pray for wisdom from God. 1. We Must Pray For A Knowledge Of Truth vv.7-8 2. We Must Learn The Nature and Character Of Our God vv.9-11 3. We Must Pray For Our Neighbors Welfare v.12

“But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another (5:15).” “…when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews (2:14)?” “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (Jn 3:16).” I. The gospel of works fuels division precisely because it is rooted in works not faith. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder…But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire (Mt 5:21-22).” “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has alre

I. Jesus is not commanding us to not make judgments, instead He is directing us how to do so redemptively…in a way that actually helps others. II. The first step to becoming some good to others is to open your eyes to your own self. III. The second step is to lovingly, humbly help others with their specks.

Main Idea: Seek God! Because God is TROUBLE for your trouble and promises to meet your every need. 1. Seek God! Because seeking anything else is wasting your life. Vs. 19-24 2. Seek God! Because God is capable, caring, and concerned to meet your needs. Vs. 25-30 4 Reasons not to worry: Life is more than food and clothing Vs. 25 God takes care of the birds. Vs. 26 Worry doesn't do good but can harm. Vs. 27 God knows what you need. Vs. 32 3. Seek God! Because God is TROUBLE for your trouble. Vs. 31-34