The Power and Patience of God

Transcript

– Morning, church family. Please turn, if you will, in your copy of God's word to the book of Exodus, chapter four. We will continue in our sermon series through the book of Exodus this morning as we turn into a new chapter. And our sermon text this morning will be Exodus chapter four, verse one down through verse 17. Exodus four, verses one through 17.

Let's read that passage together now. This is the word of the living God. "Then Moses answered, 'But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, the Lord did not appear to you.' The Lord said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' He said, 'A staff.' And he said, 'Throw it on the ground.' So he threw it on the ground and it became a serpent. And Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, 'Put out your hand and catch it by the tail.' So he put out his hand and caught it.

And it became a staff in his hand, that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob has appeared to you. Again, the Lord said to him, 'Put your hand inside your cloak.' And he put his hand inside his cloak. And when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then God said, 'Put your hand back inside your cloak.' So he put his hand back inside his cloak. And when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.

If they will not believe you, God said, or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. And the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground. But Moses said to the Lord, 'Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.' Then the Lord said to him, 'Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf or seeing or blind?

Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.' But he said, 'Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.' Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. And he said, 'Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you.

And when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people and he shall be your mouth. And you shall be as God to him.

And take in your hand this staff with which you shall do the signs.' This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. You may be seated. And I ask that you join me now in prayer at this time. Father in heaven, we love you and we thank you for the wonderful opportunity we have to come this morning and to sit under the authority of your word.

Would you please give us eyes to see and ears to hear? And would you please build us up in the truth of your gospel from this very passage of scripture? And we ask all of this in Christ's holy name. Amen. Well, as we move into chapter four of Exodus this morning, we have the opportunity of seeing the conclusion of the great dialogue between God and Moses at the burning bush.

A few weeks ago, Pastor Matt helped us to see how God's hearing and seeing the suffering of his people, which is communicated at the end of Exodus two, is picked right up at the beginning of Exodus chapter three. And God's hearing and seeing the affliction of his people as he tells Moses there is the very basis for his appearing to Moses and commissioning him to do the work that he will do. God has remembered his promises and he will rescue his people. And then in the second half of Exodus chapter three, Pastor Scott and his sermon helped us to see how God's holy character is the basis for this work of salvation that he is getting ready to do. So by the end of Exodus chapter three, we know this.

We know that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has seen the affliction of his people. He has appeared to Moses at the burning bush, commanding him to go and to do this great work. He has revealed to Moses who he is through his covenantal name, Yahweh, and he has given Moses a task and a very specific and clear set of instructions for how he needs to go about doing this work. And of course, the great hope in all of this is that Yahweh has in fact seen, he has heard, he has remembered, and he is being faithful to his people. And all of that, for any believer, should be very encouraging.

That should put joy in our hearts and that should give us a great zeal to obey the commandments of God and to praise him for his faithfulness. So of course, we turn right into Exodus chapter four and we find an eager and ready Moses who is ready to obey the Lord with great joy. Of course, that's not what we find at all. Rather, we see Moses here as disobedient, unbelieving, and even finding himself presented with the very wrath of God that has been kindled against him. And this comes from the same Moses who, to quote Hebrews chapter 11, by faith, chose to be mistreated with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, even refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter because he considered the wealth of Christ far greater than the treasures of Egypt for he was looking to the reward.

That same Moses, that same man of faith, he is here now seen as obstinate, unbelieving, and he finds himself in the presence of Almighty God who is angry with him. It's only natural for us to see that in the text and ask this question, how did he get here? How did Moses get from that true and saving faith to unbelief, disobedience, and even pleading with God in verse 13? Please, just send someone else. So I submit to you from the very outset this morning that one of my goals in this sermon will be to help us understand how Moses got there.

Because if we can understand how that happened, then by God's grace, we can hope to learn from his example and seek to avoid committing the same sin. But additionally, there is much that we can learn about God's faithfulness and his power and his patience in this passage. And if Moses' example tells us what not to do, then God's interaction with Moses here and the demonstration of his power and his patience should tell us exactly what we should do, which is to be amazed at who God is, to believe his promises, and to obey him. That is our true and proper worship. And I pray that God would give us grace to respond to these words in that exact way.

Now, as we work through these verses together this morning, we find two main sections, verses one through nine, and another in verses 10 through 17. Both sections begin with a stated objection by Moses, and both sections conclude with a lengthy response from God. And although there is an objection of sorts that is raised again in verse 13, we're gonna see how God's response to that particular objection is really just a continuation of the same objection that he raised in verse 10. So what we have here in the literary style of this text is two sets of the same two-fold outline. We see an objection raised and a response.

Then again, we see an objection raised and a response. That's the basic outline that we'll follow this morning as we work through the text. In each objection, we'll see the sin of Moses begin to rise to the surface. And we'll see how each objection escalates in severity. And in each response of God, we're gonna see how the Lord patiently deals with Moses and demonstrates his power and his faithfulness in doing so.

So with all of that in mind, look with me now to verse one, where we're gonna see this pattern begin to unfold from the very first verse of the passage. Look with me there to verse one. The first objection raised by Moses in verse one reads this way. But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice for they will say the Lord did not appear to you. And we know how God responds to this objection.

He responds by giving Moses three signs, all of which prove that God really did appear to him and that the message that Moses is going to deliver is true. We need to remember, especially in a day like ours, that is littered with the influence of the charismatic movement, that we as biblical Christians are not to be amazed by signs, but rather look to the message that the signs confirm. That's the purpose of the signs. That's why God gives Moses these. And so these signs ultimately are for that purpose, to confirm that God did visit him and that his message of salvation is true.

But if Moses's objection is, Lord, they won't believe because they'll say he didn't appear to you. And if God's basic answer to this is, okay, well, I'll give you these signs to prove that, then the anticipated pushback that Moses is preparing to receive from the people of Israel can really be summed up in those two words, prove it. That's what Moses is anticipating. He's anticipating going to the people of Israel, going to the elders, just like the Lord told him, and they're responding and saying, fine, prove it. Prove to us that God appeared to you, prove it.

Now, before we jump into critiquing Moses, we have to admit that on the surface, this seems like a perfectly fair thought. It just seems like he wants to be able to actually prove what they're asking. That makes complete sense. We can follow that line of thinking. There's just one problem.

Look at verse 18 in chapter three. Look at verse 18. I'm gonna read the first words of that verse, and then I'm gonna read to you verse one of chapter four again. Exodus 3.18, God speaking to Moses says, "And they will listen to your voice." Here's verse one of chapter four. "But behold, they will not believe me "or listen to my voice." Hear it again, chapter three, verse 18.

"And they will listen to your voice." Moses says, "Oh, but Lord, they will not listen to my voice." Do you see the problem? Despite however reasonable this objection may seem at the surface, the reality is that Moses is not believing the word of God. This is simple unbelief. This is a true man of the Lord who is a born-again believer. I think Hebrews 11 allows us to believe that, who here in this instance is not believing God's word.

Church family remember this. The call to believe God's word is not just a command for unbelievers unto salvation, but it is also a command for believers unto sanctification as well. Although every unbeliever is obviously guilty of the sin of unbelief, we Christians can also struggle with the sin of unbelief, even when we're put face-to-face with the very word of God. You and I have never stood before the burning bush, but we have stood before the pages of Holy Scripture. And if we know that true and saving faith, when properly applied, always produces obedience, then you and I can know that every single time that we sin, we are not truly believing the way that we should.

Every single person in this room who is a born-again believer struggles with this sin. This is not unique to Moses. This is the common sin of unbelief. And that's what Moses is wrestling with here. And the source of that struggle seems to be this.

Rather than focusing on who God is, which is exactly what God has just revealed himself to be back in chapter three, Moses' thoughts run first to the anticipated unbelief of Israel, not the identity of who God is and what he has promised to do. He has the wrong starting point. And anytime God commands us to do something in his word, we too can anticipate potential pushback from somebody or something that could pop up in many different ways. Our fallen sinful nature in our flesh is so good at distracting us with these anticipated pushbacks or trials or hardships or whatever they may be, even to the point to where we forget who God is and what he has promised. That's what's taking place.

Moses has forgotten that, even in this short conversation, and it shows itself in unbelief. So how does the Lord respond? Two ways. He patiently deals with Moses, which is amazing in and of itself. And then he further equips Moses for the task at hand.

But we notice something else as well, and this is truly amazing. Furthermore, he reminds Moses of who he is and what he's going to do, which is exactly the very thing that Moses seems to have forgotten. And therefore is the very thing that Moses needs to be reminded of at this time. And you say, Pastor Dillon, we just read that passage together. I don't see that there in that text where the Lord reminded him of who he was and what he's going to do.

I don't see that in verses two through nine. Well, it's there in the giving of the signs. If we understand exactly what these signs are and why these signs are given, and if we understand the symbolism behind these signs, we'll see this is exactly what God is doing. God is giving him these signs so that the people of Israel will believe and know that the message is true, but it's helpful to Moses as well because he will understand the symbolism of these signs. So just think about what they are for a moment.

In verses two through five, we read of Moses' staff turning into a snake and then turning back into a staff again. In verses six through eight, Moses' hand becomes leprous when he first puts it in the cloak, pulls it out, and then puts it back in and is restored back to health. And then in verse nine, the final sign is that of water being turned into blood. Why these signs? The Lord could have given Moses any number of signs.

He could have said, "Moses, I'm gonna give you this sign. "You're gonna go and tell them this, "and every word I told you is gonna appear in the air "in Hebrew, and then they'll believe it." He could have given him any number of signs. Why these three specifically? It's because of what they symbolize. The symbolism behind the first sign should be obvious enough.

Pastor Scott even mentioned this in one of his most recent sermons. I believe it was in Exodus two. The serpent was understood in this day and especially in Egypt to be a symbol of the power of Pharaoh. Furthermore, serpents were regularly utilized in the pantheon of Egypt's false gods. So for Moses to be able to demonstrate in this miracle one in which a serpent appears and then immediately disappears is a miracle that shows that the God who sent him, Yahweh, is perfectly able to control and do and undo the power of the serpent.

And therefore communicates that the only power that Pharaoh and Egypt has is power that God has granted them to have and he can take it away whenever he wants. The second sign, that of the leper's hand, is very similar. To quote one commentator, "There was a strong association in ancient Egypt "of thinking that disease was attached to the activity "and the power of the gods," end quote. In other words, for a disease to come meant that this was done by the hand of the gods or by a specific God. And for a disease to be cured meant that the gods or a specific God had worked to remove that disease.

So for Moses to very quickly bring about that disease and show it and then immediately do away with it is to communicate this message that Yahweh is the God over sickness and health, not any of the false gods of Egypt. And then finally note this in the third sign, in water being turned into blood. Please note a careful reading of the text in verse nine. God does not say, "Go grab some water." He doesn't say, "Go grab your canteen." He doesn't say, "Go to this well and grab some water." The text very clearly says, "You shall take some water from the Nile." It had to be from the Nile. The God of the Nile River, Hoppe in Egyptian worship was one of their most beloved and important gods.

The Nile for the Egyptians was everything and of course their belief was that Hoppe blessed the Nile and therefore blessed them. The Nile provided abundant water to a desert region and made the land around the Nile fertile and therefore able to produce crops and support people living there. Without the Nile, the people of Egypt would have absolutely nothing, nothing at all. So how powerful of a sign is it then that Moses will take water from the Nile, pour it on the ground and it becomes blood. The symbolism is very clear.

Not only does the blood symbolize judgment and death to come, which also foreshadows the coming of the first plague where the entire Nile River will be turned into blood, but it proves that Hoppe is no God at all. And it proves that the God over the Nile is Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now later in our study of the book of Exodus, we'll come to Exodus chapter 12. And there's a very important verse in Exodus chapter 12. It's verse 12.

This is how Exodus 12, 12 reads, quote, this is the Lord speaking. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and on all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgments. I am the Lord. That is what God is communicating in the giving of these signs. He is going to pour out his judgment on Egypt, which if we remember is how God rescues Israel from Egypt, and it's done on this basis, the same basis that Pastor Scott preached last time at Exodus three, I am the Lord.

That's the basis. And the amazing thing to consider is that Moses, now seeing and experiencing these signs before the very presence of God would now be reminded of who God is and what he's purposed to do, which is the very thing that he forgot. And that's the very thing that he needs to remember. Brothers and sisters, isn't the wisdom of God amazing? It's not just here in the giving of these signs that he's giving this to Moses so that Israel can believe the message.

It definitely is that, but it's also his giving these signs to Moses to encourage him to believe what he should believe. That's the wisdom of God put on display here. The question is, do we marvel at that? Do we marvel at the power of God to so easily overcome all the powers of Egypt? And then even to present it in such a way that will greatly help his people, it will terrify the people of Egypt, and in this moment, it will help Moses.

That is amazing. And God should be worshiped for it. Now with that amazing response now given and received, we expect a faithful response, right? After hearing all of that and being reminded of what God's going to do, Moses ought to hear that and say, yep, let's go to Egypt, we'll make this work. Verse 10, oh my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servants, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.

In other words, oh Lord, I've never been good at public speaking and even after talking to you now, I'm still not any good at all. Now, there's a whole lot wrong with that. Hopefully by now, you're starting to pick up on what some of these issues are. There are at least in that response three main problems, and I'll give them to you briefly. Number one, look at the word Lord in the text that is used in verse 10.

Moses here does not use the term Yahweh. He says, oh my Lord, and then the use of the word Adonai. Back in verse one, he anticipated that the people of Israel would use that word saying the Lord, saying Yahweh did not appear to you. Moses anticipates that after the people of Israel hear the message, they'll use the term Yahweh, but here now in responding, he doesn't use that term, which is the very name that God has just revealed himself to Moses to be, a covenantal name for him to be remembered throughout all generations. Moses doesn't use that title.

That should tip us off that something is wrong. Something is wrong in the heart of Moses. Here's a second problem. Remember the content of the objection, which is basically, I can't speak any good. I can't speak well, I fumble over my words.

Just like with what we saw back in verse one, at surface level, this seems like a perfectly legitimate concern. After all, Moses is gonna have to go into the court of Pharaoh. He's gonna have to speak authoritatively to the man who at this time was the most powerful man in the known world. I think you and I can agree that if we're gonna send somebody for that task, you don't want someone going that's gonna fumble over their words. You want someone who's confident.

You want someone who's gonna stand up bold and proud and look that man in the eye and speak to him directly. Here's the problem. Who has Moses been talking to this whole time? Just think about that for a moment. Think about how utterly ridiculous of an objection this is when you think about this, that the same God who is Lord and King over all creation, who's now revealing himself to be faithful to his promises, who's going to rescue Israel out of Egypt, who's gonna pour out his judgment on all the gods of Egypt and make them look like nothing.

Moses doesn't have any problem talking to that God. He doesn't even have any problem pushing back on his will. But then God says I need you to go talk to Pharaoh and now we've got a problem. As a matter of fact, there are many commentators who will look at this and see in the coming chapters how effectively Moses speaks to Pharaoh and will note that God says here in this text that he will help Aaron speak as well and will actually make the argument that Moses really didn't have a speech problem at all. This is just a manifestation of his unbelief.

That is highly problematic. And to make matters worse, here's the cherry on top, if you'll allow me to use that phrase. Of course, in a bad way with his sin, but here is the cherry on top. Allow me to quote Philip Reichen, whose commentary on this section is very, very good. Philip Reichen says quote, not only was Moses' objection irrelevant, but it was also irreverent.

Notice the wording of the complaint. I am not eloquent either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant. This comment was really a criticism. Moses was blaming God for not giving him the gift of utterance. When he said I am not eloquent either in the past, he was complaining about the way that God made him.

And when he said, or since you have spoken to your servant, he was implying that if God really wanted him to go to Pharaoh, he would cure his impediment right then and there, end quote. He's complaining against God. He's blaming God for this problem. This speech problem that evidently he doesn't even have when he's actually talking to the God of all creation, somehow is God's fault. His sin is much clearer now than it was before.

His unbelief is rising to the surface. But just as he did before, God in his amazing patience endures with Moses and he reminds him of who he is. Here's God's response. Verse 11, who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf or seeing or blind?

Is it not I, the Lord? In other words, do you not understand that I'm in control of every tongue, of every ear and every eye? Do you not remember who I am, Moses? Do you not remember who you're talking to? And then look at verse 12.

Now therefore go and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak. That is amazing. I mean, just imagine this. Imagine you could go to every gospel preacher in the world right now and say, "What if God could be your speech therapist?" And teach you how to speak and give you the words and then he actually guide you through how you're going to speak. What an amazing blessing.

God is basically saying, "Moses, don't worry about it. "I'm gonna teach you. "I'm gonna show you how to do this. "I'm gonna give you the very words." And what's amazing about that, not only is that God is gonna condescend and help him, but now Moses has no excuse for his disobedience. None at all.

All the excuses are gone. Verse 13, "Lord, please send someone else." Do you see the unbelief and the sin escalating? God just went out of his way to prove to him that there are no more excuses at all. Moses' response, "Lord, please just send "somebody else." When you feel the weight of that and you understand the unbelief and you understand the sin that is being presented here, then you go to verse 14 and you read, "The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses." And you say, "Yeah, that sounds about right." That sounds about right. Moses is doing the same thing now that he was doing before.

He's thinking about all the potential problems and all the ways that different people will respond and he's not focusing on who God is. And he's not focusing on who God has revealed himself to be and he's not focused on what God has promised to do. It would be so easy at this point for the wrath of God from that burning bush to just be unleashed against Moses for this sin. And if that had happened, every person would have understood that that was just and fair. But once again, the amazing power and the patience of God to endure with Moses and respond by saying, "But there's your brother, the Levite, he can speak.

"I'll send him to you, he'll be a helper to you. "As a matter of fact, you will be like God to him. "You'll put the words in his mouth and he'll speak." Which by the way, reminds us of the role and the function of a prophet. A prophet was only to receive the word of the Lord and communicate what God had said. Not give his own word, but communicate God's own word.

And so God condescends again with great power and patience and mercy bearing with him and says, "I'm still going to help you for this task "despite your sin, despite your unbelief." Now let me show this to you. I mentioned this to the pastors before the service. I think this is comical. I'm a big believer that there are times in scripture that we often miss when God is actually comical. I really do believe that.

We can skip it sometimes and not really see that it's happening, but I think it shows up here in this text. Now this is gonna be a bit of a paraphrase, but it's accurate to the text. Look at verse 13. Look at the very last word that Moses has in this dialogue with God. His last word, here's what he says.

Lord, please send someone else. I don't wanna go. Please send someone else. Here's God's last word, verse 17. Be sure and take that staff with you when you go.

Isn't that good? Please send someone else. I hear you, Moses. Make sure you take the staff. That's gonna be helpful for you in this task.

Here's God's grace-filled answer. You ready? No. How's that an answer to prayer for you? No.

And here's why the answer is no, because God has been raising Moses up for this task for a long time. This is his preordained plan and will. This is why he preserved him as an infant and through the murder of the Egyptian that he hid in the sand and through Midian and even here now to this moment. He's preserved him because this is the man that God has chosen to be his instrument of salvation. Now you hear that and you look at this sin and you look at this unbelief and if you had this thought, you'd be perfectly right.

If you're looking at all this and you say, Pastor Dylan, I've gotta be honest with you, Moses now kind of seems like the last person that we would pick for this job. If you and I are picking somebody for this job, we're gonna pick a great man of faith. We're gonna pick a man who doesn't stumble with his words and we're gonna pick a man who is quick and ready to obey the commands of God. That's who we're gonna pick, but Moses isn't showing any of that right now. He's not showing faith at all.

So why this man? I know it's God's will and it's his purpose, but why this man? Here's why. Here's why Moses is the man for this. This is the wisdom of God's sovereign plan put on display.

Here's why. Because seeing this sin now lets us know that when we see later Israel walking victoriously out of Egypt with plunder in their bags and Egypt and Pharaoh broken behind them, that that salvation was not based on Moses. That's why this is happening. The only reason at all that Israel will be saved is because of who God is and what he will do. It will be entirely his salvation.

It will be entirely his work and he will receive all the glory for it. That's why. Because it's his plan and because using Moses this way will glorify him. So with all of that in mind, taking all of that theology, setting it in front of us on a very practical level, what do you and I do with this? What do you and I do with this as born again believers in the year 2026?

Well, first we need to learn from the sin of Moses. When commissioned to do this task, he thought first of other people, other sinners, and he even thought first of himself and all the problems that that would produce. He did not think first of the power and the glory of God. And he did not think about what God promised he was going to do. Brothers and sisters, could it be, this is just a thought, could it be that we often find ourselves slow to be obedient because our first thought and considering God's command is how others will respond or what others will think and even thinking of ourselves and being hyper-fixated on all of our sinful tendencies, but not dwelling on who God is.

The title of Pastor Scott's last sermon was this, the ground of redemption. And as you'll recall, the ground of redemption, the ground of salvation is who God is. Could it be that the ground and the foundation of our obedience and our sanctification and our assurance even is not anything that we do, but who God is and what he has purpose to do, it's just a thought. But I think that's absolutely what the Lord is revealing to us here in this text. And each of us struggles again with this sin every single day and as we're struggling against our sin, we need to remember that the grounds of our sanctification is who God is.

So we need to have a theology proper, not to have a head that's full of knowledge, but a heart that is ready to worship and to adore the God who has saved us. And second, remember that this passage does not come to us in isolated form. As has been said many times already in this series, the great message of the book of Exodus is this, God is saving a people for himself. That's why God has appeared to Moses at the burning bush and given him this commission because he is starting that work of salvation. But as we all should know by now, Israel's greatest need is not salvation from Egypt, it's salvation from sin.

And the salvation that Israel experiences here is a foreshadowing of the ultimate salvation that will come when God's chosen pass over lamb. The Lord Jesus Christ comes in the flesh, dies on the cross for the sins of his people and then gives up his blood as an atoning sacrifice that God's wrath might pass over us and that we might be made new in him. The grace and hope of this passage is God's faithfulness to save his people and that is the hope of the gospel. And he has finished that work in our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And the same almighty and powerful God who conquered sin and death forever in his son is the same God who patiently endures with his saints in their sin to this very day.

What Moses needed to do in this situation was to remember who God was, to believe his gospel promises and obey his commands. That's what he needed to do. Brothers and sisters, what we need to do is to remember who God is, believe his gospel and keep his commandments. But lest any of us ever be charged with the sin of preaching moralism, I wanna conclude with this simple thought. If I leave you with that charge, remember who God is, believe his gospel, keep his commandments, I have utterly failed as a minister of the gospel.

Because I know right now on your own effort and in your own flesh, you have absolutely no ability to do that. None whatsoever. The only hope that you and I have is that God will be gracious to keep his promises and to save his people for his glory. If you and I are ever going to believe that gospel, it will be because of God's grace and through the preaching of the biblical gospel and our hearing that turning away from our sins by grace and placing our faith and trust in Christ, which is a gift of his grace. For us to do any of this, we are entirely dependent upon God who is gracious.

And for us to grow in this gospel, we are entirely dependent upon a God who will be patient with us and equip us with his word. Now the good news is that that is exactly who God is. And the good news is that most of you in this room who are members at Praise Mill have already been saved by God's grace and you've turned away from your sins and you've placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. So what do you do with this text? Here's the answer.

Repent and believe the gospel. If you're here this morning and you're not in Christ, what do you do with this text? Here it is. Repent and believe the gospel. The application is the exact same.

The message is clear. Almighty, powerful, and sovereign God has come to save his people. He is faithful, he is patient, and he will do exactly what he has set out to do. The question for you and I is, will we, by God's grace, repent and believe the gospel unto salvation and unto sanctification? And I pray that God would give us great grace to do so as we respond to this text.

Let's pray. Father in heaven, we love you and we thank you so much for your word. We thank you so much for your grace that is more than able to take dead sinners and draw them to yourself through the hearing of the gospel and make them new in your son. Father, thank you so much for your patience toward us. Thank you, Father, that you have not unleashed your wrath against us.

When we look squarely at your word and still sin and still find ourselves not believing and still disobey you. So Father, we thank you for who you are. We thank you for your grace. We thank you for your patience. We thank you for your gospel.

And we conclude now by simply asking this, that you would buy your grace for any person in this room who's not in Christ, that you would allow them to believe the good news of the gospel, that you did send your son, that he did die on the cross to pay the price for the sins of his people, that he did rise again from the grave and that any person who turns away from their sin and believes that gospel will be saved. Father, please save sinners today by the preaching of your word. And Father, for the born again believers and saints here at Praise Mill Baptist Church, would you please build us up in the truth of your gospel. Help us to love and treasure your word that always reminds us of who you are and reminds us of your grace and reminds us of your patience. Lord, build us up in that truth.

And even as we move now to continue in worship through giving, help us to give because you have so graciously given your salvation to us. May you be honored and glorified as we continue in worship through giving now. Please bless these funds to fulfill the ministry needs of the life of this church and to advance your kingdom here in this community and throughout this state and throughout our nation. We ask all of this in Christ's holy name, amen.