This blog contains:
- Introduction to the series
- Community group/family study
- Daily bible studies
- You can listen to all the messages at: Link to audio content
- You can watch this blog in video form if you go to our Facebook page: CCP FB Page
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES
During this series on the journey of Israel we will be covering:
1.
THE IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE (7/1/18)
Exodus
14:1-15:21 – The Journey begins and is continued by God’s grace
2.
FAITH UNDER PRESSURE (14/1/18)
Exodus
15:22-17:7 – Our faith will be tested and grown through challenge
3.
VICTORY THROUGH PRAYER AND FAITH-ACTION (21/1/18)
Exodus 17:8-16 –
The journey requires prayer and faith-action
4.
LEARNING ABOUT TEAM (28/1/18)
Exodus 18 –
Moses needed a team and so do you
5.
PUT GOD FIRST (4/2/18)
Exodus 19-32 – Exchanging
God for idols is an ever-present danger
6.
FOLLOWING GOD’S PRESENCE (11/2/18)
Exodus 33-40
& Numbers 9:15-23 – Let’s learn to follow the Spirit
LET’S
LEARN FROM EVERY STEP
God
has given us the riches of His word to teach us how to live. We are in a
culture that, at it’s worst, despises wisdom, encouraging us to live reckless,
godless, self-centred lives. We all start life’s journey with so much
potential, which is squandered if we don’t allow God to teach us
Paul
tells us that the story of Israel’s journey has been recorded in order to teach
us so that we don’t have to learn from making the same mistakes,
‘Now these things occurred as
examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they
did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written:
“The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” We
should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day
twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as
some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of
them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as
examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the
culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be
careful that you don’t fall!’ (1 Cor. 10:6-12)
God
invites us to join Him and His community on life’s journey. God has much for us
to inherit but there is much to distract us. This is a journey that will be
satisfying for us, but it’s also for the good of the community around us as
they see God’s work in us, and are invited go ‘come with us and we will do you
good’. If you were going on holiday there would be a lot of planning and effort
involved – going on holiday is not just an exciting idea, it also requires
investment and preparation. I hope this series will in some way help prepare you
for the journey that God has for you.
Overview:
COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY 1: THE IMPOSSIBLE
ESCAPE
God leads the people (around 2 million!) out of Egypt
but He has three things in mind and this shapes the map of their journey:
Firstly, He knows the weakness of their faith and so takes them on a way that
will be easier and make them less inclined to return to Egypt when the going
gets tough (13:17); secondly, He desires to bring Himself glory as He works
miracles to defeat the Egyptians and release the people (14:4, 31); thirdly God
desires to bring judgment on Pharaoh for his sin (14:28). Our journey in life
is often by ways that seem mystifying, but, if we are honestly seeking to
follow God, He draws our map with great wisdom. Read Exodus 14:1-15:21 and pray that God would speak to you out of
this amazing event.
THE IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE TO SALVATION
- How is this story a great picture of salvation?
- The devil works to make us doubt our salvation. How do you deal with this?
- What does Exodus 15 teach us about how we are to respond to our salvation and why is this practice vital for a healthy Christian life?
- Part of our church vision is to be ‘Gospel-centred’ how are you doing at worshipping God for the gospel each day?
THE IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY
- Read Romans 6:1-11 – Why are we no longer slaves to sin and how is this symbolised by baptism?
- How are we to respond and so live in our freedom? (v.11)
NOW PRAY AND WORSHIP TOGETHER
•
Pray for those you’d love see make the ‘impossible
escape’ to salvation.
•
With appropriate people, share and be prayed for about
your struggles with sin
TESTIMONY
OF TRUSTING GOD FOR THE ‘IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE’ TO SALVATION
Debra Osborn wrote,
‘My
Dad was a staunch atheist and he made it VERY CLEAR that I wasn't to talk to
him about God. I Pleaded with God not to let him die without knowing Him.
When he became
ill I managed to get to him in Australia (where he had emigrated) and had just
one day with him before he died, and had one brief chance talk to him, which I
believe was enough!
I am involved, with others in evangelism and prayer
on streets. As someone who was so shy and not good with conversation, I've
totally had to trust God and be courageous in going out on the streets. But it
made it so easy as I know it has to be a ‘God thing’, so I just have to be
obedient and go, and God does the rest.’
DAILY BIBLE DEVOTIONAL
PERSONAL BIBLE STUDIES WEEK 1 – EXODUS 14:1-15:21
MONDAY: GOD’S WAYS DON’T ALWAYS MAKE SENSE TO US
Exodus 14:1-4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites
to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are
to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The
Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the
desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will
gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will
know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.
Sometimes
God’s ways do not seem to make sense to us. God’s word can seem out of step
with the world, and the ways of God in our lives, sometimes, are not what or
when we would do things. God is wise. Will you choose to trust God and walk
with Him today?
TUESDAY: WE HAVE A REAL ENEMY WHO IS CHASING US
Exodus 14:5-9 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had
fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What
have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” So
he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred
of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers
over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that
he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. The Egyptians—all
Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and
overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
Israel
had an enemy and we to will face enemies. There are spiritual enemies who will
accuse and temp us; there are also physical ‘enemies’ - things that seem to
oppose us in life. Let’s hear God’s word for us:
Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that
when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand.
Faith
in God and His promises are the armour of God, don’t let opposition rob you of
your trust in God.
WEDNESDAY: BE AWARE OF, AND BEWARE FEAR
Exodus 14:10-12 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites
looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were
terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there
were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you
done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt,
‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us
to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
The
people lash out in their fear. Fear magnifies the things that are going wrong
and diminishes our vision of God. Fear grows and blinds us to hope. Are you
fearful at the moment? Are you lashing out at people and God? Take a
moment to confess your sin and turn to the love of God.
THURSDAY: WILL YOU RESTORE FAITH?
Exodus 14:13-18 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.
Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The
Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you;
you need only to be still.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are
you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff
and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the
Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of
the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through
Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians
will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and
his horsemen.”
Good
leaders and good friends help us to trust in God again. Pray and look for
opportunities to be a restorer of hope. God will give you opportunities to
be a good friend as you help them to remember God’s goodness.
FRIDAY: REMEMBER YOUR MIRACULOUS ESCAPE
Exodus 14:29-31 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry
ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the
Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians
lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the
Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their
trust in him and in Moses his servant.
If you
are a Christian, you have had, like Israel, a miraculous escape. Jesus’ death
has freed you from death. Let’s ‘see
the mighty hand of the Lord displayed’ through the death and resurrection
of Christ. See the enemies scattered and deposed of all power over you. Let’s ‘fear the Lord and put our trust in Him.’ Meditate
on these wonderful words of Jesus,
John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and
believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has
crossed over from death to life. Faith in Christ has caused you to ‘cross over’ the sea into
salvation.
SATURDAY: IS YOUR SOUL SINGING OF YOUR SALVATION
Exodus 15:1-21 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to
the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly
exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. “The
Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my
salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s
God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his
name… Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like
you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
Is
your soul singing? Salvation leads to praising of our great Saviour as
Peter says,
1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a
people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but
now you have received mercy.
0 comments:
Post a Comment