EXODUS 35:4-40:33

God commanded. The people obeyed. They were blessed. That’s the summary of what’s happening in this section of Exodus. Chapters that describe the construction of the Tabernacle in painstaking detail. Emphasizing all throughout how God’s people listened to him, back then, so that we’d take great care to listen to him today. Stressing the importance of obedience in our lives. Because, while there is grace for our disobedience to God, grace does not take away our need to obey God. The grace God gives in the gospel not only comes to forgive us for sin, but to fuel us for faithful service to him. And when we do what he commands us to do, we are blessed.

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EXODUS 34:29-35

As Moses came down the mountain to tell the people the covenant had been renewed, his face was radiating glory. The people saw his shining skin and they ran away in fear. They saw glory and it was scary. Why? Because even though God fixed the covenant they broke, there remains something broken in them. They need to be changed so they can gaze upon glory without fear. But this change won’t come through beholding the face of Moses. It only comes through beholding the face of Jesus. When sinners like them, and us, behold his glory in the gospel, we become glorious as he is.

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EXODUS 34:10-28

Through the golden calf rebellion, Israel broke her covenant with God. Amazingly, in Exodus 34:10-28, God renews his relationship with them. We come to an ancient vow renewal ceremony and the promises and terms of the covenant are rehearsed and restated all over again. God repeats himself. He says what Israel already knows. And he does so because they are a people who need constant reminders of what is true. And we are, too. In our lives, it’s so easy to forget even the most important things. Not that the facts of the gospel just go flying out of our heads. But that the reality of who God is, who we are, and all he’s done for us fails to be felt, cherished, and central in our hearts. So we come to this scene in the Exodus story to remember what are lives are all about. Being reassured, above all else, “God is ours and we are his.”

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EXODUS 33:18-34:9

The story resumes and the mediator's prayer requests keep on coming. Having received God’s assurance he would go with the people, Moses asks for one more thing. And it’s the greatest thing he - or anyone else for that matter - could ever ask for. He says, "Please show me your glory." The one who spoke with God "as a man speaks to his friend," prays, "Lord, disclose even more of yourself to me!" The one who pled with God to maintain his presence among the people asks to experience that presence in a way he never has before. God says, "Yes," his glory passes by, and Moses catches a glimpse  while sheltered in the rock and covered from the full sight. But, a day would come when that glory would shine forth most fully in the face of Jesus Christ. A day that has dawned for us.

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EXODUS 33:1-17

The story of Exodus took a tragic turn in chapter 32. Israel should've built God a house but they bowed down before a golden calf instead. 3,000 fell by the sword, the rest were visited by a plague, and the chapter concluded with an unresolved tension. No atonement has yet to be made. No forgiveness has been given. Israel’s relationship with God has yet to be repaired. So, in Ex 33, Moses prays. He asks God to be gracious them, go to the Promised Land with them, and stay with this stiff-necked and rebellious people. And amazingly, God says "yes." Their story goes on. And the way it all works out has everything to do with our stories too. Teaching us how to pray. Pointing us to the Savior who prays for us.

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EXODUS 32:1-35

It’s hard to hear this story and not say to ourselves, “How did things go so wrong so fast?” It’s been just over a month since Israel’s marriage to God and she’s already broken her vows! Making an idol, bowing to an image, and trifling with the worship of his holy name. Which leaves us thinking, “How could they do that?” “How could they do the exact opposite of what God had so explicitly commanded them not to do?” They really thought it would be a good ideal to worship the golden calf. And if this seems ridiculous it should. That’s exactly the point. Sin doesn’t make sense. The high-handed crime of idolatry should be unthinkable. But we live in a world where the unthinkable happens every day. Where we find ourselves so prone to reach for something that isn’t God to relieve our fears, bear our hopes, and satisfy our souls in all sorts of ways. Exodus 32 comes to expose what’s happening in our hearts and point to the only One worth reaching for.

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EXODUS 25-31

We've heard the phrase, "There's no place like home." And whatever our experience of "home" has been like, we get what it means. There's nothing like being where you're supposed to be. There's no place like home, but, in this life, there's really no such place as "home." On this side of man's fall into sin, we never really come all the way home. And, even when we're at home, we realize there's something more we're looking for. Another world. Another place. A life in which everything really is the way it's meant to be. In the story of the Bible, the construction of the tabernacle is a step in the direction of this capital "H" Home.

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EXODUS 24:1-18

In Exodus 24 the action of the story resumes. God has been speaking and revealing who he is and what life with him will be like for the past 4 chapters. But now it’s time for Israel to respond. To seal the deal on their special relationship with God. To make it official. This is done through a solemn ceremony that most resembles a wedding. It’s got an altar, vows, and a special symbol which represents the union. And it shows us that the kind of relationship God wants with us calls for the kind of devotion and commitment we find in marriage. A formal, serious, and all-in relationship. And while it’s true that we can be afraid of commitment, God is not. Because the same God who calls for all of us gives us all of him. Through the story of Exodus and gospel of Jesus, we’re invited us to draw near to the God who will never be done with us. To be happily wedded to the Savior who will never withdraw his love.

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EXODUS 23:20-33

The Book of the Covenant ends with a promise. A promise that God would give his people a place to live out their special relationship with him. To bring them into the land he'd long ago promised Abraham. A land that would be a new sort of Eden. A land to plant this fledgling nation. A land out of which he'd one day bring a blessing that would extend to all nations. But in order for them to enter in, they'd have to be ready for a fight. Yet, just as we saw in the victory over Egypt, the battle belongs to the Lord. Even more, this battle back then has everything to do with our fight of faith here and now. Because we, like Israel, are also on our way to a promised land.

*Due to technical issues, the audio might be hard to hear. We’ve got the sermon manuscript to help you follow along.

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MATTHEW 28:16-20

On Sunday, Pastoral Intern Robert Lopez preached the gospel to us one more time before heading off to Pastors College. His parting words were the same the Lord Jesus left with his disciples in Mt 28:16-20. And what the Risen Christ left to them was - and remains - the most extraordinary mission that's ever been given! As he prepared to ascend to heaven, he gave them the task of advancing his Kingdom all across the earth. Making disciples of all people everywhere. Welcoming the world into the goodness of his saving reign and then teaching them how to walk in his righteous ways. And, what’s so amazing about it all, is that he chose the people he did to do it. People like the denying and doubting disciples back then. Ordinary, unimpressive, and struggling people like us now. Yet, far from this overwhelming or discouraging us, it actually brings us hope. Because the success of the Great Commission doesn’t ultimately depend on us. It depends on the Savior who saved us, sent us, and promised always to be with us. He will give us all we need. He will get the job done.

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