© Eric M Schumacher — Preached January 29, 2012 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Audio will be available here.
A central issue in our passage this morning is unbelief. We are still in the same scene that began in chapter 3, the Lord’s appearance to Moses in the burning bush.
The Lord has spoken. He has revealed his purposes to redeem Israel from Egypt and to bring them to the Promised Land. Central to this is the Lord’s call on Moses, as the one he will send to Pharaoh and through whom he will bring the Hebrews out.
Thus far, Moses has offered two humble “objections” to the Lord’s call. The first question was, “But who am I?” to which the Lord answered, “I will be with you.” The second question was, “But who are you? What is your name?” to which the Lord answered, “I AM WHO I AM”—an amazing statement of absolute sovereignty.
This week, Moses offers his third objection: “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘Yahweh did not appear to you.’”
Read that objection in light of the Word of the Lord given in Exodus 3:18: The Lord has told Moses—“They will listen to your voice.” Moses responds in direct contradiction—“But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘Yahweh did not appear to you.’”
The irony in this is that Moses is accusing the Israelites of unbelief—an accusation that, itself, flow from unbelief! For he is failing to believe what the God who appeared to him said!
The reason Moses needs these signs is the same reason Israel will need them—they walk by sight and not by faith in God’s word.
We’ll talk next week about the various ways that Christians follow in the footsteps of Moses’ unbelief. But for now, let’s look at the signs that the Lord gives, accommodating Moses’ weakness.
SignsA central issue in our passage this morning is unbelief. We are still in the same scene that began in chapter 3, the Lord’s appearance to Moses in the burning bush.
The Lord has spoken. He has revealed his purposes to redeem Israel from Egypt and to bring them to the Promised Land. Central to this is the Lord’s call on Moses, as the one he will send to Pharaoh and through whom he will bring the Hebrews out.
Thus far, Moses has offered two humble “objections” to the Lord’s call. The first question was, “But who am I?” to which the Lord answered, “I will be with you.” The second question was, “But who are you? What is your name?” to which the Lord answered, “I AM WHO I AM”—an amazing statement of absolute sovereignty.
This week, Moses offers his third objection: “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘Yahweh did not appear to you.’”
Read that objection in light of the Word of the Lord given in Exodus 3:18: The Lord has told Moses—“They will listen to your voice.” Moses responds in direct contradiction—“But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘Yahweh did not appear to you.’”
The irony in this is that Moses is accusing the Israelites of unbelief—an accusation that, itself, flow from unbelief! For he is failing to believe what the God who appeared to him said!
The reason Moses needs these signs is the same reason Israel will need them—they walk by sight and not by faith in God’s word.
We’ll talk next week about the various ways that Christians follow in the footsteps of Moses’ unbelief. But for now, let’s look at the signs that the Lord gives, accommodating Moses’ weakness.
In verses 2-9, the Lord responds by giving Moses three miraculous “signs” to perform which will cause the Israelites to listen to Moses—a direct answer to his objection.
What is a “sign?” In verses 8-9, the Lord calls these miracles “signs.” The Lord says “If they will not…listen to [the voice of] the first sign…If they will not believe even these two signs.” Signs are to be “listened to” and “believed.” That means signs speak; they speak a message that is to be believed.
These “signs” are not clever parlor tricks. They are miraculous meaningful, messages. Therefore, the question we must ask is, “What do the signs signify?”
Sign #1 - The Serpent Staff
In verses 2-3, the Lord draws attention to Moses’ staff and commands him to throw it to the ground. When Moses threw it down, the staff became a serpent, probably a deadly serpent, as Moses ran from it in fear.
In verse 4, the Lord tells Moses to put out his hand and catch it by the tail. Moses obeys and, when he caught it, it became a staff again.
What does it mean?
The Staff. Egyptian culture and belief saw the staff as a symbol of authority, leadership and power. The Egyptian magicians boasted of their ability to turn inanimate objects into living things through the use of magic staffs. Numerous Egyptian scarabs depict scenes of magicians using magic staffs that turned into snakes—much like the scene we will see later in Exodus.
The Serpent. The serpent was also an important symbol in Egypt, a sign of resurrection (see Commentary on the NT Use of the OT). The serpent was worshiped as a god of healing, wisdom and fertility (sources: Ryken; Bunson).
Therefore, the serpent became a symbol of Pharaoh, who was himself considered to be a god. The Pharaoh often wore a serpent on his crown and had a scepter (staff) in the form of a serpent (see Larsson).
So, we can begin to hear the significance of this sign. It is not just a cool miracle. Moses’ staff signifies Yahweh’s authority—authority aimed directly at the gods of Egypt, at Pharaoh in particular. Moses’ serpent-staff demonstrates that Yahweh possesses sovereignty over Pharaoh and over the gods of Egypt. He is about to crush the head of the serpent.
Sign #2 - The Leprous Hand
The Lord next tells Moses to put his hand inside his cloak. When he does and pulls his hand out, it was white with leprosy. Then the Lord told him to put his hand back inside his cloak. When he did and withdrew it, it was restored to health, like the rest of his flesh.
“Leprosy” is a word used to signify a variety of skin diseases in the Old Testament (and is not necessarily “leprosy” as we know it today). Leprosy was understood to be incurable—it was a living death. In the ancient Near East, especially in Egypt, such a disease was seen a punishment or curse, inflicted by the gods.
The fact that the incurable curse of the gods was instantly cured signifies the power of Yahweh, who is working through Moses, over life and death—even over what might be the curse of Egyptian gods.
To Believe
In verses 5 and 8, the Lord indicates that the purpose of these signs is to encourage the Israelites to believe Moses and his message. Specifically, they are to believe that Yahweh appeared to him, which includes believing what he promised in that appearance to do—to deliver them from their enemies to the Promised Land.
Sign #3 - The Bloody Nile
Finally, the Lord says that if they will not listen to these first two signs or to Moses’ voice, then he should perform a third sign: “you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the ground, and the water that shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”
This sign could not be demonstrated in the wilderness but only in the land of Egypt, for the water he was to use was to be specifically from the Nile. This indicates that it was no mere miracle with water, but a statement of God’s sovereignty over this particular river.
It is almost impossible to overemphasize the importance of the Nile to Egypt. The Nile made life possible in Egypt. The Nile was the reason for the prosperity, wealth and power of Egypt. Every year, as the Nile flooded, it deposited several feet of rich, black soil in the normally dry land, making farming possible.
Very little water was available in Egypt, except from the Nile and its branches, canals and shorewells. Therefore, the vast majority of the Egyptian population lived near it, making it one of the most densely populated regions in the world.
So, naturally, in this pantheistic culture, the Nile was a god. It was believed that all creation sprouted from the Nile and was preserved by the Nile. The name for the Nile (Hapi) was the exact same name as that of the Nile-god—the god and the river were indistinguishable.
But, a river of blood is a sentence of death. You cannot cook with, irrigate with, bathe in or drink blood. Imagine what life would be like in America if, every drop of water available to us were suddenly turned into blood.
Therefore, we can understand the meaning of this sign: Yahweh is sovereign over life and death, over the great life-giving, life-sustaining god of Egypt—the Nile itself. To threaten the Nile was to strike at the very heart and lifeblood of Egypt. To destroy the Nile was to destroy Egypt (cf Ezek 29:9;30:12; Zech 10:11). (Sources on Nile: Motyer; Currid; Stuart)
So, what is point of these three signs? It is this:
Yahweh is the God of gods, King of kings, Lord of lords.
The signs all speak as witnesses to the fact that Yahweh has spoken to and called Moses. But, they say something more: They speak of who Yahweh is, especially in relation to how he will deliver them from their enslavement. The promised Exodus requires not only that Yahweh be a true God—but that he be a God greater than the gods of Egypt.
These signs are meant to demonstrate that Yahweh reigns sovereign over the enemies of his people, is able to deliver them and therefore will keep his promise to do so.
Do We Have a Sign?
That’s cool, but I’m not a Hebrew slave in Egypt. So, what does this mean for us?
Does this mean that, as we have our Members Meeting tonight, Pastor Ben is going to do some miracles to convince you that God has led your elders?
Does this mean that you should ask God to give you miraculous signs and wonders, warm-fuzzy feelings, or instructions from heaven when you face difficult choices and need God’s leading?
Wouldn’t it be great if in every struggle you had, God gave you a sign like one of these?
Has God given us such “signs” to assure us that he has appeared, that he reigns over our enemies and that he can and will deliver us?
The answer is “Yes. He has given us the same kind of sign he gave Moses.” The next question is then: Where? What is the sign that God is the King of kings and Lord of Lords, the God who has conquered “the god of this world” and will deliver us?
The Resurrection of Jesus
In Matthew 12, the scribes and Pharisees told Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign.” He condemns them for needing a sign, instead of hearing the Word with faith. (We’ll look at that condemnation more next week.)
But, notice the sign that he says will be given: “But no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
In John 2, when the Jews asked for a sign, Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up,” speaking of his death and resurrection.
The ultimate sign that Jesus gives is his crucifixion, burial and resurrection on the third day. This proves that he is the Messiah. This sign has a remarkable connection with the signs the Lord gives to Moses.
Moses’ signs all deal with Yahweh’s sovereignty over life and death. And what greater sign of such sovereignty over life and death could there be but Jesus’ resurrection!
Moses’ signs all deal with Yahweh’s sovereignty over Egypt, the enemy of God’s people Israel. Jesus’ resurrection communicates his sovereignty over the enemies of God’s people—sin and death. His death on the cross makes payment for our sin—that which enslaves us. And, if sin is removed, death has lost its sting and the grave cannot hold us.
Moses’ signs deal with Yahweh’s sovereignty over the gods of Egypt. Likewise, Jesus’ resurrection signals the overthrow of the “god of this world,” who is Satan, and all his demonic host.
In John 12, as Jesus prepared for his “glorification” (his death, resurrection and ascension), he proclaimed, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of the world be cast out.” In the same way that Moses’ signs put to shame the gods of Egypt, Colossians 3 says that in the cross, “[God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in [Christ].”
The sign that Jesus Christ is God of gods, King of kings, Lord of lords—and that he can, has, and will deliver us from our enemies—is his resurrection from the dead.
That is to say: the proclamation of the Gospel—the historical event of Jesus’ death and resurrection—is our sign that Jesus reigns over sin, death and the devil, able to deliver us. But, let me give you a second, related sign:
The New Life of Believers!
Where else do we see God reigning in this way? We see it in conversion and new life of believers.
Where does the “god of this world” reign? What does he do? Consider 2 Corinthians 4:3-4:
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
The “god of this world” blinds the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing God’s glory in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, how does God reign? Paul continues (4:6):
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Through the proclamation of the Gospel—the death and resurrection of Jesus—God reigns over Satan, by giving sight where Satan has kept them from seeing, by giving understanding where Satan has blinded the mind.
And this sight, gazing on the beauty of Jesus with an unveiled face, is what transforms us into the image of Christ. And such transformed lives in the church function as a sign. Hear Paul in Philippians 1:27-28:
And this sight, gazing on the beauty of Jesus with an unveiled face, is what transforms us into the image of Christ. And such transformed lives in the church function as a sign. Hear Paul in Philippians 1:27-28:
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction but of your salvation, and that from God.
Christians living lives that display the worth of the Gospel—specifically, Paul mentions, Christians unified in the church, striving together for the gospel and not frightened of opponents—is a “sign” of the opponents’ destruction and God’s salvation of the believer.
How the Sign Changes Us
So, when you hear the Gospel and see its effects in a unified, Gospel-centered local church, you are seeing a “sign” that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.
How does that translate into living? Let me give a broad answer and then a specific example.
Speaking broadly: The way to fight fear, anxiety, unbelief, and disobedience is often to take your eyes off the obstacle and focus on who God is for us in Jesus Christ.
When a self-esteem-lacking, excuse-making, disobedient Moses, expressing all his fears and anxieties about what he is called to do in life, sits down in Yahweh’s office, what is Yahweh’s “counseling strategy?” He repeatedly takes Moses’ eyes off of Moses—and refocuses them on the Lord.
How the Sign Changes Us
So, when you hear the Gospel and see its effects in a unified, Gospel-centered local church, you are seeing a “sign” that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.
How does that translate into living? Let me give a broad answer and then a specific example.
Speaking broadly: The way to fight fear, anxiety, unbelief, and disobedience is often to take your eyes off the obstacle and focus on who God is for us in Jesus Christ.
When a self-esteem-lacking, excuse-making, disobedient Moses, expressing all his fears and anxieties about what he is called to do in life, sits down in Yahweh’s office, what is Yahweh’s “counseling strategy?” He repeatedly takes Moses’ eyes off of Moses—and refocuses them on the Lord.
“Who am I?” “I will be with you?”
“What if they ask…” “I AM WHO I AM. I will…”
“But they won’t believe me!” “Here are three signs that show who I am.”
The resurrection speaks to us of all God’s power and glory and might to deliver us. The resurrection speaks to us of all God’s power to change and conform us into the image of Jesus Christ.
Too often our fear and anxiety come from fixing our eyes on our task, the obstacles, our enemies or ourselves, instead of on our Christ. Our disobedience to God’s commands—to love one another, to forgive, to share the Gospel, to make disciples, and so on—springs from unbelief; we don’t believe that God will supply what is needed or make up for what is sacrificed or do what he has said.
Let me make this more specific: Let’s say you’re facing a situation where you’re called to obey one of the commands given to Christians in the New Testament, such as:
Too often our fear and anxiety come from fixing our eyes on our task, the obstacles, our enemies or ourselves, instead of on our Christ. Our disobedience to God’s commands—to love one another, to forgive, to share the Gospel, to make disciples, and so on—springs from unbelief; we don’t believe that God will supply what is needed or make up for what is sacrificed or do what he has said.
Let me make this more specific: Let’s say you’re facing a situation where you’re called to obey one of the commands given to Christians in the New Testament, such as:
- Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands...
- Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
- Do not let the sun go down on your anger…
- Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
- Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
- Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
- …let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…
- Obey your leaders and submit to them…
- Shepherd the flock of God that is among you …
- Honor the emperor.
- Preach the word….
- Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...
Or any of the other instructions laid out for Christians in the New Testament regarding how to put on Christ. How does this “sign” encourage obedience?
Let’s take the command that we have that relates most closely to Moses’ task—preaching the Gospel. Moses’ was to preach the promise of Yahweh’s salvation. We are commanded to preach the promise of God’s salvation in the person of Jesus Christ—whether to a neighbor, an angry teenager, an antagonistic college professor, by volunteering in the benevolence ministry, teaching Sunday School, etc.
We often fail to obey that command because of unbelief and fear. We see that unsaved person, we know they need the Gospel, and we might even want to share the Gospel with them. But, we hear that voice in our heads, saying,
Let’s take the command that we have that relates most closely to Moses’ task—preaching the Gospel. Moses’ was to preach the promise of Yahweh’s salvation. We are commanded to preach the promise of God’s salvation in the person of Jesus Christ—whether to a neighbor, an angry teenager, an antagonistic college professor, by volunteering in the benevolence ministry, teaching Sunday School, etc.
We often fail to obey that command because of unbelief and fear. We see that unsaved person, we know they need the Gospel, and we might even want to share the Gospel with them. But, we hear that voice in our heads, saying,
“Yeah but he is so highly-educated; I could never convince him the Gospel is true!”
“Yeah but she hates Christianity with a passion; she would never listen to me!”
“Yeah but he has gone through so much pain and abuse in life; I can’t say anything to that!”
“Yeah but she is so entrenched in her sin; nothing I could say would convince her to repent!”
We all say things like that—and it leads to disobedience to a clear command.
Notice first of all that all those excuses are self-centered. “I could never…” Who does that reveal your faith is in? You! Your excuses reveal who your god is.
Notice second that each of those declares the impossibility of the Gospel message doing the very thing that God’s Word says the Gospel message does: “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Such disobedience flows from unbelief—from a flat out denial that God will do what God has said he will do! Your excuses for your disobedience demonstrate what you think about the God you profess to know.
So, how do you battle such disobedience and unbelief? First, by examining your excuses—and repenting of your idolatry! Second, by hearing with faith the sign that God has given us. The fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that God will save people through the Gospel. The message of the God who conquers the god of this world in his resurrection demonstrates his power to overcome the blinded, sin-entrenched, Christ-hating, suffering-burdened, lofty-minded enemy of the Gospel.
And, you see this truth in the unified, side-by-side striving for the Gospel, confident local church. When you are battling unbelief that leads to disobedience in evangelism—look at Christ’s work in the local church. A unified, Gospel-centered local church is a sign that this Gospel saves.
Consider who Northbrook Baptist Church is, in light of who we once were. We are a congregation of people who were once enslaved to sin.
In our membership are people who were sexually immoral: people who were fornicators, living in sexual sin outside marriage, indulging in pornography; people who were adulterers, breaking their marriage vows in affairs; people who struggle with homosexual desires. But, by the grace of God, they now fight against these desires, repent of these sins, strive to live lives of sexual purity and marital faithfulness.
In our membership are people who were drunkards. We have members who used to deal with their problems by getting drunk, smoking pot, doing crack, cocaine, meth. But God saved them. And now, they fight against that, repent of that, resting in the Lord.
In our membership are people who were greedy and swindlers. We have members whose greatest goal in life used to be to amass as much wealth and fame as they possibly could. They would steal and lie to get ahead, to gain a reputation, to profit themselves, even at the expense of others. But now, they repent of that, confess it, fight it and make it the aim of their life to make a name for Jesus Christ.
In our membership are people who were idolaters. We have members who, in a variety of ways, lived their lives hoping in false gods, some even worshiping false gods literally. We have people in our church who literally built alters in their home to Satan and called out to demons for guidance and help. But today, their eyes have been opened and they worship Jesus Christ as the only God in heaven and earth.
In our membership are people who were haters of one another. We have members who used to be racists. They would have viewed certain members of our church with disgust, simply for their ethnicity. We have members who used to be sexual predators; men who would have viewed every woman in the church as a target of sinful pleasure, valued only for her body. But now, the racist calls the man he once hated “brother.” Now, the predator treats as a “sister” the one he would have treated as an object. Those they used to hate and abuse, they now strive side-by-side with for the truth of the Gospel.
In our membership are people who have suffered abuses, losses, disappointments, betrayals—the kind of things that causes people to give up all hope, to curse God and die. But today, they fight the fight of faith, they call upon Jesus in the dark of night. They are afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair.
All these people are here in this church. They are not perfect. They are not what they shall be. But, they are not what they once were. “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”—a sign of the power of the Gospel.
So, how does faith change us?
Unbelief says, “That person cannot be convinced the Gospel is true.” God says, “Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation.”
Unbelief says, “Someone like that could never believe and be saved.” The church says, “We are the ‘someones’ like that—and God saved us.”
You look at the Gospel—and you look at the people of the Gospel. And you say to your soul, “Your excuses for disobedience are a lie. The Gospel has saved him and her and him and her and them—and, therefore, God can save him and her too. And then, hearing God’s Word with faith, we march out in faith to obey.
The reason that we disobey the clear command to preach the Gospel is not because we are in a church that fails to emphasize the need to strive after obedience. We all know that we should share the Gospel. The reason we disobey is because we disbelieve. We don’t believe God is who he says he is.
We fight disbelief, not by demanding miraculous signs about who to share the Gospel with, but by hearing the truth with faith. We fight disobedience, not by trying harder to obey the next time, but by severing the root of unbelief by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Two More Things
This, of course, means two things must be true:
Notice first of all that all those excuses are self-centered. “I could never…” Who does that reveal your faith is in? You! Your excuses reveal who your god is.
Notice second that each of those declares the impossibility of the Gospel message doing the very thing that God’s Word says the Gospel message does: “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Such disobedience flows from unbelief—from a flat out denial that God will do what God has said he will do! Your excuses for your disobedience demonstrate what you think about the God you profess to know.
So, how do you battle such disobedience and unbelief? First, by examining your excuses—and repenting of your idolatry! Second, by hearing with faith the sign that God has given us. The fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that God will save people through the Gospel. The message of the God who conquers the god of this world in his resurrection demonstrates his power to overcome the blinded, sin-entrenched, Christ-hating, suffering-burdened, lofty-minded enemy of the Gospel.
And, you see this truth in the unified, side-by-side striving for the Gospel, confident local church. When you are battling unbelief that leads to disobedience in evangelism—look at Christ’s work in the local church. A unified, Gospel-centered local church is a sign that this Gospel saves.
Consider who Northbrook Baptist Church is, in light of who we once were. We are a congregation of people who were once enslaved to sin.
In our membership are people who were sexually immoral: people who were fornicators, living in sexual sin outside marriage, indulging in pornography; people who were adulterers, breaking their marriage vows in affairs; people who struggle with homosexual desires. But, by the grace of God, they now fight against these desires, repent of these sins, strive to live lives of sexual purity and marital faithfulness.
In our membership are people who were drunkards. We have members who used to deal with their problems by getting drunk, smoking pot, doing crack, cocaine, meth. But God saved them. And now, they fight against that, repent of that, resting in the Lord.
In our membership are people who were greedy and swindlers. We have members whose greatest goal in life used to be to amass as much wealth and fame as they possibly could. They would steal and lie to get ahead, to gain a reputation, to profit themselves, even at the expense of others. But now, they repent of that, confess it, fight it and make it the aim of their life to make a name for Jesus Christ.
In our membership are people who were idolaters. We have members who, in a variety of ways, lived their lives hoping in false gods, some even worshiping false gods literally. We have people in our church who literally built alters in their home to Satan and called out to demons for guidance and help. But today, their eyes have been opened and they worship Jesus Christ as the only God in heaven and earth.
In our membership are people who were haters of one another. We have members who used to be racists. They would have viewed certain members of our church with disgust, simply for their ethnicity. We have members who used to be sexual predators; men who would have viewed every woman in the church as a target of sinful pleasure, valued only for her body. But now, the racist calls the man he once hated “brother.” Now, the predator treats as a “sister” the one he would have treated as an object. Those they used to hate and abuse, they now strive side-by-side with for the truth of the Gospel.
In our membership are people who have suffered abuses, losses, disappointments, betrayals—the kind of things that causes people to give up all hope, to curse God and die. But today, they fight the fight of faith, they call upon Jesus in the dark of night. They are afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair.
All these people are here in this church. They are not perfect. They are not what they shall be. But, they are not what they once were. “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”—a sign of the power of the Gospel.
So, how does faith change us?
Unbelief says, “That person cannot be convinced the Gospel is true.” God says, “Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation.”
Unbelief says, “Someone like that could never believe and be saved.” The church says, “We are the ‘someones’ like that—and God saved us.”
You look at the Gospel—and you look at the people of the Gospel. And you say to your soul, “Your excuses for disobedience are a lie. The Gospel has saved him and her and him and her and them—and, therefore, God can save him and her too. And then, hearing God’s Word with faith, we march out in faith to obey.
The reason that we disobey the clear command to preach the Gospel is not because we are in a church that fails to emphasize the need to strive after obedience. We all know that we should share the Gospel. The reason we disobey is because we disbelieve. We don’t believe God is who he says he is.
We fight disbelief, not by demanding miraculous signs about who to share the Gospel with, but by hearing the truth with faith. We fight disobedience, not by trying harder to obey the next time, but by severing the root of unbelief by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Two More Things
This, of course, means two things must be true:
First, we must know the Gospel. We must know who God is for us in Jesus Christ. We must know about the person and nature of Jesus Christ. We must know what he did and how he lived. We must know how and why he died. We must know of his resurrection and his ascension. We must know of his promises. We must know the theological doctrine that relates to all of that. We must know of the implications for us who believe in all of that.
We must know and meditate on the riches of the Gospel, so that we can hold it up like a shield of faith to extinguish the flaming darts of disbelief shot by the evil one.
Second, we must see the power of the cross in church. I mentioned last week that a great weapon against abortion is a unified, healthy local church that is filled with the aroma of grace, mercy, peace and new life in Jesus Christ. The same is true in fighting disbelief leading to disobedience in evangelism.
We need to see and hear the testimonies of each other. We should humble ourselves and be transparent about who we were and how God saved us. This doesn’t mean we need to have everyone get up on the platform and share all the dirty details of their life. There are places that are more and less appropriate, given the circumstances.
But, we should be inviting each other into our homes and having Gospel-conversations—whether it is as couples, in small groups or one-on-one. Instead of “How is work?” and “How about those Hawkeyes?” and “You like Scrabble?”—all of which are good! How about, “Let me tell you who I used to be and what Jesus did.” And “How did God save you? What were you like before you were a Christian?” (Those conversations might take small-talk about work, the Hawkeyes and Scrabble to get there. But get there!)
And right now you’ve got an opportunity to apply this. Because right now you’re saying, “Oh no. I could never share with others what I once was! They would never respect me. They would all think badly of me. They would never let me minister or participate in church again! They would all look down on me. They would ostracize me. Every time they look at me, they would think about ___.”
Doesn’t that reveal something of who our god is? What does it say when we’re so concerned about our personal reputations in the church, that we’re willing to hide what God has done? We rob him of fame to protect ourselves.
And, more than that, we rob others of a sign of God’s power to save.
Brothers and sisters, God has given us a sign that he is able to conquer what has enslaved us, that he is able to deliver us. He has given us the death and resurrection of his Son—preached in the Gospel, visible in the Spirit-indwelt church (the pillar and buttress of the Gospel).
This sign is sufficient; we need nothing more. It is not wrong to believe because of this sign—for this sign is one and the same with the Word of God, the Gospel, preached to us.
Let us not ask for something more—like an evil and adulterous generation that walks by sight.
Let us receive this word with faith. Let us walk by faith. And so, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, our lives and fellowship will be rendered pleasing to our God and Father.
We must know and meditate on the riches of the Gospel, so that we can hold it up like a shield of faith to extinguish the flaming darts of disbelief shot by the evil one.
Second, we must see the power of the cross in church. I mentioned last week that a great weapon against abortion is a unified, healthy local church that is filled with the aroma of grace, mercy, peace and new life in Jesus Christ. The same is true in fighting disbelief leading to disobedience in evangelism.
We need to see and hear the testimonies of each other. We should humble ourselves and be transparent about who we were and how God saved us. This doesn’t mean we need to have everyone get up on the platform and share all the dirty details of their life. There are places that are more and less appropriate, given the circumstances.
But, we should be inviting each other into our homes and having Gospel-conversations—whether it is as couples, in small groups or one-on-one. Instead of “How is work?” and “How about those Hawkeyes?” and “You like Scrabble?”—all of which are good! How about, “Let me tell you who I used to be and what Jesus did.” And “How did God save you? What were you like before you were a Christian?” (Those conversations might take small-talk about work, the Hawkeyes and Scrabble to get there. But get there!)
And right now you’ve got an opportunity to apply this. Because right now you’re saying, “Oh no. I could never share with others what I once was! They would never respect me. They would all think badly of me. They would never let me minister or participate in church again! They would all look down on me. They would ostracize me. Every time they look at me, they would think about ___.”
Doesn’t that reveal something of who our god is? What does it say when we’re so concerned about our personal reputations in the church, that we’re willing to hide what God has done? We rob him of fame to protect ourselves.
And, more than that, we rob others of a sign of God’s power to save.
Brothers and sisters, God has given us a sign that he is able to conquer what has enslaved us, that he is able to deliver us. He has given us the death and resurrection of his Son—preached in the Gospel, visible in the Spirit-indwelt church (the pillar and buttress of the Gospel).
This sign is sufficient; we need nothing more. It is not wrong to believe because of this sign—for this sign is one and the same with the Word of God, the Gospel, preached to us.
Let us not ask for something more—like an evil and adulterous generation that walks by sight.
Let us receive this word with faith. Let us walk by faith. And so, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, our lives and fellowship will be rendered pleasing to our God and Father.
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