Exodus 19 – Come to the Mountain

Key Text:    Exodus 19:1-6    Ephesians 2:1-10  ( Well, all of Ephesians 😉)

We have reached the halfway point in our walk through the book of Exodus. We have reached the point that the Hollywood films usually finish with – in fact, they often finish just the other side of the Red Sea.

In our sermon this week we have reminded ourselves that God draws the people out of Egypt to draw them into relationship. God rescues families to form them into a people, a nation, a kingdom of priests.

We also noted that having arrived at the desert of Sinai with its imposing mountain, the people will remain there for the rest of the book. Our walk, our physical journey, finishes here. We will walk no further. It is at this moment that we transition from the Greek name for the book – the Exodus – to the Hebrew name – these are the people – the names.

We move from God intervention and rescue of a people to God’s declaration of a nations identity. An identity based in relationship with the living God.

Exodus 19:1-6 acts as an introduction and a summary for the rest of the book. God makes clear in this handful of verses the pattern of redemption revealed repeatedly in the book:

• God rescues – God reveals the rules – God’s rules provide the boundaries for glorious relationship.

This is where the pattern of Exodus is so helpful to us in the here and now.

We know that we have been saved by grace – we were dead in our sin (Ephesians 2), but we also know that we are called to live our lives within certain boundaries (rules/laws) Ephesians 4:1.

Over the years churches have tended to oscillate between two extremes – Iegalism and licence:

• Legalism – I need to keep all the rules to keep safe, to stay saved, for God to love me.
  Fruit of legalism? Insecurity, fear, judgment of others, self righteousness.

• Licence – cheap grace – God loves me because he loves me – if I sin more grace will abound, it doesn’t matter what I do!
  Fruit of licence – lack of integrity, lack of authority, spiritual attack, creation of demonic strongholds – damage to self, damage to others, damage to witness of the church

How do we walk this tightrope between legalism and licence?

Some questions to help you think this through and discuss it with others:

• Which extreme are you more likely to drift towards?
  
  
• Why?
  
  
• How might Ephesians 5:15-21 help?
  
  
• What application might you draw out of these verses?
  
  
• How do we preach a gospel that is grace centred, but doesn’t obscure the centrality of obedience and dying to self?

This Everyday Devotions was written by Simon Elliott, our Lead Elder.

If you would like to listen to the whole of this week’s sermon on Exodus 19 – Come to the Mountain, why not download the Everyday Church App or visit our website, YouTube Channel and at our Online Church Services.

This Everyday Devotions is accompanied by a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube Channel.

Join us as we walk through the book of Exodus by following our daily Exodus Bible Reading Plan.

Follow our Everyday Devotions Playlist for some songs to help you worship God in Spirit and truth this week.