Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Have you ever had the experience of meeting someone for the first time and they turn out to be different to your expectations?
- Personal example
- Expectations and reality can be different
- An insight into what is happening in Exodus
- Moses is coming face to face with someone he thinks he knows - Yahweh
- Moses is going to discover God in speech and acts
- We are going to discover what Moses discovered as God acts
- When reading the Old Testament we must look at the detail
- Ask the question - why?
- Three amazing signs
The Rod - God is in Control
- "What is that in your hand?" (v2)
- A shepherd's staff:
- Practically - defence, his strength
- Representative of his identity
- "Cast it on the ground" (v3)
- Take the one thing you trust in and let go of it
- Example - "My boyfriend means everything to me"
- Example of the Rich Young Man
- Are we willing to let go of "our staff"?
- God only deals with people with empty hands
- "It became a serpent" (v3)
- A serpent represents evil (the Garden of Eden)
- A serpent represented the power of Egypt
- Moses had been running from Egypt for years
- "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail" (v4)
- You want to catch a snake by the head
- God is asking Moses for a step of faith
- "It became a rod in his hand" (v5)
- Lesson 1: God is in control
- This should be an encouragement to us
The Leprous Hand - God restores completely
- "His hand was leprous, like snow" (v6)
- Leprosy was an incurable, infectious death sentence
- People were terrified of it
- People were cast out
- Moses would have been terrified when he pulled his hand out
- "It was restored like his other flesh" (v7)
- Lesson 2: God restores completely
- Personal example of the painting in Cape Town
- Example of testimony from team member
- This should be an encouragement to us
Water poured on the Land - God has power over life and death
- "The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land" (v8)
- The river Nile - they depended upon this for life, transport
- The Egyptians worshiped the Nile
- Blood represents life and death
- I shall take something the Egyptians worship and turn it into death
- Lesson 3: God has power over life and death
- A scary sign
- This impacts us in 2016 in as much as 'who are we trusting in?'
- Are we looking elsewhere: careers, homes, 'faith in something'
- If we are looking in the wrong place - this is lethal
- This should be an encouragement to us
Closing Remarks
- 'How do you know?'
- Look at the empty tomb
- Look at the risen Lord Jesus Christ
- All three lessons are seen in Jesus
- Our peace is in a risen Jesus