It's Time to Throw Down!
A sermon based on Exodus 7:8-13
Sunday, September 6, 2009 - Pentecost 14B
Moe had been dreading the fifth grade all summer. But it was even worse than he thought it would be. There was a bully in his class that just transferred in. He picked on Moe and all the other kids relentlessly making thing miserable for them all. One day Moe saw the bully stealing lunch money from a third-grade girl and he knew what he had to do. But who was he to fight this bully? He was a scrawny wimp. He couldn't win. But he couldn't stand by and ignore the problem anymore. So he worked up his courage walked over and said with the most authoritative voice he could muster, "Leave her alone!" He did what was right. He defended the defenseless. ...And then the bully declared, "It's time to throw down!" and gave Moe two black eyes and a broken nose.
Do you ever feel that way? You build up the courage to do what you know is right, to confront your dishonest co-worker, to finally go talk to that neighbor and introduce yourself, to share the gospel with a friend. You risk rejection and humiliation, but step up anyway, declare, "It's time to throw down and meet this challenge!" and put it all on the line. And then it backfires. Your co-worker pins it on you, your neighbor is rude, and whenever your friend sees you coming, he now runs the other way. Sometimes these encounters can leave us crying out to God, "What gives?! I did it your way! I did what was right! And this is what happens?! Why'd you have me go through all this for nothing?!"
Do you ever feel that way? You build up the courage to do what you know is right, to confront your dishonest co-worker, to finally go talk to that neighbor and introduce yourself, to share the gospel with a friend. You risk rejection and humiliation, but step up anyway, declare, "It's time to throw down and meet this challenge!" and put it all on the line. And then it backfires. Your co-worker pins it on you, your neighbor is rude, and whenever your friend sees you coming, he now runs the other way. Sometimes these encounters can leave us crying out to God, "What gives?! I did it your way! I did what was right! And this is what happens?! Why'd you have me go through all this for nothing?!"
If you've been there, know that you're not alone.
The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. But God heard the cry of his people and was ready to act. So one day God announced to Moses that he would rescue them and bring them out of Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey. And before Moses could think, "That's nice, but how does this concern me?" God told him, So go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt."
Now put yourself in Moses' sandals for a second. What a job! Remember Moses ran away from Egypt and the courts where he was prince because he'd murdered a man. As it is in our law, there was no statute of limitations on murder. And now this wanted fugitive is supposed to march before the most powerful man in the world and demand that he release all of his work force without a struggle and expect nothing in return.
So in Exodus 3, we hear all sorts of excuses that Moses came up with: "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?" "Who are you to send me on such an assignment?" "Why in the world would anyone listen to me, when I have faltering lips? ...let alone Pharaoh." But God told him to go! And he told Moses the plan: 8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." (Exodus 7:8) ... 5 "This... is so that they may believe that the LORD... —the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you." (Exodus 4:5)
So in Exodus 3, we hear all sorts of excuses that Moses came up with: "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?" "Who are you to send me on such an assignment?" "Why in the world would anyone listen to me, when I have faltering lips? ...let alone Pharaoh." But God told him to go! And he told Moses the plan: 8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." (Exodus 7:8) ... 5 "This... is so that they may believe that the LORD... —the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you." (Exodus 4:5)
Imagine what that must have sounded like to Moses. "My staff will become a snake?! Is that all? God, I need an army here. I need some firepower! Do you realize what Pharaoh could do to us? He could crush us! He could have us killed, or worse, thrown into prison to be tortured! God, you've got to be kidding, right?"
But finally, Moses, eighty-year old, stuttering fugitive that he was, built up his courage and went back to Egypt to do what was right, to throw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and demand that he let God's people go! 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. But what was the result? It backfired. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. And even after this miraculous display... 13 Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
But finally, Moses, eighty-year old, stuttering fugitive that he was, built up his courage and went back to Egypt to do what was right, to throw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and demand that he let God's people go! 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. But what was the result? It backfired. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. And even after this miraculous display... 13 Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
So what does give? Why did God have them go through all of this? Was is it really worth it to risk rejection and humiliation, even life itself, only to have Pharaoh harden his heart against God and against them?
Is it really worth it for us to go through what we do?
After all we get some pretty crazy sounding commands from God too. Maybe he doesn't tell us to throw down in a contest with the President, but he does tell us to contest with the unbelieving world around us. And maybe he doesn't tell us to throw a staff that will become a snake. But to throw out the Word and let it work. And we might be tempted be just as incredulous, "Just talk? Just word? Is that all, God? Just water sprinkled on a head? I need something more here, God. God, do you know what people are going to think about me if I tell them believe that bread and wine are really body and blood? Do you realize what they'll say if I let on that I believe Jesus life and death 2,000 years ago effects my life right now? Do you what they'll do when I tell them what I believe about creation, or church fellowship, or God's roles of men and women? God I'll be ridiculed, ostracized, even demoted! God, you've got to be kidding, right?" And we come up with all sorts of excuses just like Moses.
But God says, "My Word works. It will not return to me empty. It is my power. It will accomplish what I will have it accomplish." And so we throw down our reason that stands in opposition to God's Word. And we step up and finally say, "Okay, God, I'm ready to throw down and have this confrontation. I'll throw out your Word and see what happens."
But then what? What about when it doesn't work? When church visitors don't return? When the numbers shrink? When friends laugh at you and co-workers avoid you? What about when you step out on a limb to do what you know is right and it backfires and others only harden their hearts? What then?! Where's God? What's he doing?
Really, the problem isn't with God. It's with our expectations. God never promises that we will get the results we want. He still grants others free will. And for using the results we see (or don't see) as an excuse to stop throwing the Word of God out there for people to hear, for giving in to our fears and holding back on sharing the full truth of his Word, and for offering our excuses for keeping quiet when we should speak up, we deserve to have God harden our hearts.
If Moses thought God wasn't acting through this encounter with Pharaoh, he was wrong. Though Pharaoh didn't repent and have a change of heart, the encounter was not a failure. God had foretold that Pharaoh was going to harden his heart against this message. But Pharaoh wasn't the target. Moses and Aaron, the Israelites, and even you and I were. You see, by this encounter, God was showing his mighty power--his power to deliver and save. In this encounter he was giving them and us a shadow of things to come. Thought Pharaoh wasn't converted, the victory God would give was anticipated.
When Pharaoh's sorcerers mimicked God's miracle by their secret arts, God said, "Bring it on!" There was a throw down between God and Pharaoh, between God's power and the satanic forces behind the counterfeit miracle. And the decisive victor was obvious. Moses "staff" swallowed the others whole! The message was loud and clear. God trumps Pharaoh. God trumps satan. And this was a shadow of things to come: of the victory the Israelites would see in the plagues, in the Passover, and in the middle of the Red Sea.
And it was a shadow of the victory that we have in Christ...
Satan had a claim on all the souls of mankind. On your soul and mine. You see, we rightly belonged to him for doubting God's power, for offering God excuses instead of obedience, for refusing to believe his Word that sometimes seems ridiculous. But Jesus threw down with satan when he went to the cross. And there he crushed satan's head like God crushed Egypt. He swallowed up death quicker than Aaron's staff swallowed the sorcerers' snakes. He shattered the gates of hell and threw them down.
Now you and I are forgiven for our excuses, our cowardice, our apathy, our lack of trust, and our inaction. God credits Jesus courage, his love, his action, his perfect obedience to God to you and me. We are holy and sinless before God and as such, we have heaven to look forward to as our certain expectation.
And our response? We're eager to step up and face the challenges we encounter. In unending thanks to Jesus, we're ready to "throw down," not with a fistfight or with staffs and snakes, but with the Word. We're eager to throw down our pride and our fear that stand in the way of getting God's work done. We eager to fight our sinful nature, letting God's Law and Gospel knock it down again and again. We're eager to throw down anything that stands in opposition to God's will and throw out the Word for all to hear.
And when it seems like it's only backfiring and people are hardening their hearts against the message, well... we bodily speak the truth in love anyway. We don't need to be confrontational and challenge others to throw down, but we do what we can. It can be as small as holding open a door or offering a smile. You can pay for the coffee of the stranger in line behind you or invite the neighbors over to dinner. We'll gladly share our Savior's love and look for opportunity to share his Word and throw it out there. We may be rejected by others. But we gladly take the risk for our Savior's sake. After all, by his grace, we'll never be rejected by him. And even if we don't see the immediate victory of converted, we anticipate the victory of heaven that's our through him. In Jesus' name, dear friends, let's get to work! it's time to throw down! Amen.
Is it really worth it for us to go through what we do?
After all we get some pretty crazy sounding commands from God too. Maybe he doesn't tell us to throw down in a contest with the President, but he does tell us to contest with the unbelieving world around us. And maybe he doesn't tell us to throw a staff that will become a snake. But to throw out the Word and let it work. And we might be tempted be just as incredulous, "Just talk? Just word? Is that all, God? Just water sprinkled on a head? I need something more here, God. God, do you know what people are going to think about me if I tell them believe that bread and wine are really body and blood? Do you realize what they'll say if I let on that I believe Jesus life and death 2,000 years ago effects my life right now? Do you what they'll do when I tell them what I believe about creation, or church fellowship, or God's roles of men and women? God I'll be ridiculed, ostracized, even demoted! God, you've got to be kidding, right?" And we come up with all sorts of excuses just like Moses.
But God says, "My Word works. It will not return to me empty. It is my power. It will accomplish what I will have it accomplish." And so we throw down our reason that stands in opposition to God's Word. And we step up and finally say, "Okay, God, I'm ready to throw down and have this confrontation. I'll throw out your Word and see what happens."
But then what? What about when it doesn't work? When church visitors don't return? When the numbers shrink? When friends laugh at you and co-workers avoid you? What about when you step out on a limb to do what you know is right and it backfires and others only harden their hearts? What then?! Where's God? What's he doing?
Really, the problem isn't with God. It's with our expectations. God never promises that we will get the results we want. He still grants others free will. And for using the results we see (or don't see) as an excuse to stop throwing the Word of God out there for people to hear, for giving in to our fears and holding back on sharing the full truth of his Word, and for offering our excuses for keeping quiet when we should speak up, we deserve to have God harden our hearts.
If Moses thought God wasn't acting through this encounter with Pharaoh, he was wrong. Though Pharaoh didn't repent and have a change of heart, the encounter was not a failure. God had foretold that Pharaoh was going to harden his heart against this message. But Pharaoh wasn't the target. Moses and Aaron, the Israelites, and even you and I were. You see, by this encounter, God was showing his mighty power--his power to deliver and save. In this encounter he was giving them and us a shadow of things to come. Thought Pharaoh wasn't converted, the victory God would give was anticipated.
When Pharaoh's sorcerers mimicked God's miracle by their secret arts, God said, "Bring it on!" There was a throw down between God and Pharaoh, between God's power and the satanic forces behind the counterfeit miracle. And the decisive victor was obvious. Moses "staff" swallowed the others whole! The message was loud and clear. God trumps Pharaoh. God trumps satan. And this was a shadow of things to come: of the victory the Israelites would see in the plagues, in the Passover, and in the middle of the Red Sea.
And it was a shadow of the victory that we have in Christ...
Satan had a claim on all the souls of mankind. On your soul and mine. You see, we rightly belonged to him for doubting God's power, for offering God excuses instead of obedience, for refusing to believe his Word that sometimes seems ridiculous. But Jesus threw down with satan when he went to the cross. And there he crushed satan's head like God crushed Egypt. He swallowed up death quicker than Aaron's staff swallowed the sorcerers' snakes. He shattered the gates of hell and threw them down.
Now you and I are forgiven for our excuses, our cowardice, our apathy, our lack of trust, and our inaction. God credits Jesus courage, his love, his action, his perfect obedience to God to you and me. We are holy and sinless before God and as such, we have heaven to look forward to as our certain expectation.
And our response? We're eager to step up and face the challenges we encounter. In unending thanks to Jesus, we're ready to "throw down," not with a fistfight or with staffs and snakes, but with the Word. We're eager to throw down our pride and our fear that stand in the way of getting God's work done. We eager to fight our sinful nature, letting God's Law and Gospel knock it down again and again. We're eager to throw down anything that stands in opposition to God's will and throw out the Word for all to hear.
And when it seems like it's only backfiring and people are hardening their hearts against the message, well... we bodily speak the truth in love anyway. We don't need to be confrontational and challenge others to throw down, but we do what we can. It can be as small as holding open a door or offering a smile. You can pay for the coffee of the stranger in line behind you or invite the neighbors over to dinner. We'll gladly share our Savior's love and look for opportunity to share his Word and throw it out there. We may be rejected by others. But we gladly take the risk for our Savior's sake. After all, by his grace, we'll never be rejected by him. And even if we don't see the immediate victory of converted, we anticipate the victory of heaven that's our through him. In Jesus' name, dear friends, let's get to work! it's time to throw down! Amen.
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