This exposition of Exodus 11:1-10 by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, September 2, 2018.
Intro:
There is no shortage of church gurus or consultants ready to help churches draw a crowd.
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That’s somewhat understandable given the times in which we live. Baptisms are down, church attendance is down, churches are closing their doors in record numbers. I heard a report just 2 weeks ago talking about the rapid decline in churches and the rise of secularism. The report said that in 1950 96% of Quebec Canada was Roman Catholic and regularly attended services. Today it is only 11%. From 96% to 11% in a single generation. Many of Quebec’s stately churches have become night clubs or art galleries and one is a cheese factory! I read last week about a church in California that their strategy, as a church, was to build a brewery, meet in it for services, sell their beer and give half the proceeds to Planned Parenthood! Just this week I read that within the Southern Baptist Convention with all of our emphasis on church planting convention-wide when you count the number of churches closing their doors, we have a net increase of just 99 churches a year. The ship seems to be taking on water faster than we can bail. We are in trouble. That being said I think I understand why some churches are willing to do almost anything to survive. Before we panic, before we give in, let me just remind you - the Lord Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell cannot stop it!” The Church, capital “C,” isn’t going anywhere until the Lord Jesus says so. Now, that doesn’t mean we just keep on doing what we’ve always done. It doesn’t mean we do not adopt new methods or strategies. We must speak the language of the culture if we are to reach the culture. If you are seeking to reach the Chinese it does not good to speak Portuguese. We must communicate the gospel in language that is understood. The gospel does not change but our words might, our methods might. Though it may look and sound different the message must be the truth once and for all given to the saints. We must preach the biblical gospel.
The Exodus is the message of salvation. It is about God’s redemption of his people. It is about God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. We’ve said the big picture of Exodus is that God is sovereignly at work, saving a special people for his own glory. With each new plague God is striking another blow declaring, “I am God. I am sovereign of everything include you, O king. Let my people go so that they might serve and worship me.” It is a battle between the will of God and stubborn, entrenched unbelief. Let’s be clear, this was not a “fair” fight. God even said to Moses, “I am doing all this so that you can tell your sons and grandsons how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians.” I’m doing this so that you can tell them how I “toyed” with, made sport of the mighty Egyptians. God was in complete control through all of this. This morning we come to chapter 11. Exodus 11 is a lengthy introduction to the 10th and final plague. As we work through it we find two necessary components of the biblical gospel.
Text: Exodus 11:1-10
Thesis: In a world long on tolerance and short on truth, it is imperative that the church faithfully preach the biblical gospel.
We must preach both the terrifying reality of God’s judgment and his tender mercies.
One without the other is not the gospel!
It’s not just unbalanced - it is no gospel at all.
2 essentials for the biblical gospel.
- The biblical gospel tearfully warns of the devastating, righteous judgment of God on the unrepentant. (11:1, 4-6, 8)
2 truths are reflected in this -
–He is LORD of life and death
He is God of justice - The biblical gospel passionately proclaims the tender mercies of God toward his own. (11:1-3, 7)
Conclusion:
This is what I want you to see: It is possible to be familiar with God, his Word and his ways without ever giving him your life. You can be interested in the Christian faith, enjoy reading the Bible, attending services and even respect and appreciate the work of the church without ever surrendering to Christ. It is good to attend church. It is good to read the Scripture and get acquainted with the faith but that’s not enough. That will not get you to heaven.
Getting to heaven requires:
Repentance and faith.
It demands trust and reliance.
Sinners need to leave Egypt, leave their sin and pursue the Lord Jesus.
Times are changing but we cannot forsake the gospel. In a world that is long on tolerance and short on truth we must preach the biblical gospel. A gospel that tearfully warns of the devastating judgment of God on the unrepentant and passionately proclaims the mercy of God towards his own.
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