Sermon Cloud

Exodus 18:

Turning things inside out

 “One day whilst out enjoying the sunshine Narcissus came upon a pool of water. As he gazed into it he caught a glimpse of what he thought was a beautiful water spirit. He did not recognise his own reflection and was immediately enamoured. Narcissus bent down his head to kiss the vision. As he did so the reflection mimicked his actions. Taking this as a sign of reciprocation Narcissus reached into the pool to draw the water spirit to him. The water displaced and the vision was gone. He panicked, where had his love gone? When the water became calm the water spirit returned. “Why, beautiful being, do you shun me? Surely my face is not one to repel you. The nymphs love me, and you yourself look not indifferent upon me. When I stretch forth my arms you do the same; and you smile upon me and answer my beckonings with the like.” Again he reached out and again his love disappeared. Frightened to touch the water Narcissus lay still by the pool gazing in to the eyes of his vision. He cried in frustration. He did not move, he did not eat or drink, he only suffered. As he pined he became gaunt loosing his beauty. “

What an echo  of our culture?! Perfect self-obsession.  It’s the facebook world, where we get to decide exactly how we present ourselves sto others – no-one picks out a bad photo for their profile… maybe you’ve even googled yourself – the modern day equivalent of getting stuck at Narcissus’ pool – searching for our own reflection.

How do we break the mirror?

How can we be freed from this self-ism?

Week by week, page by page we’ve been walking through the 2nd book of the Bible, Exodus. 

Paul Blackham notes that Exodus is

“the biggest prophecy of the cross”.

 1^st half – How God defeats his enemy, frees his people by the blood of a Passover Lamb and bringing them from death to life through the Sea of Reeds.

2^nd half – The blueprint for humanity’s relationship with with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – in The Tabernacle.

All of this showing us the God who is jealous for his own reputation, and in love sends his Son to save his people.                         `This morning: Chapter 18.

1. YOU NEED TO HEAR OF JESUS READ 18v1-12

V1. Jethro. Midianite.

Descended from Abraham like the Israelites.

Not an inheritor of God’s promises, not in the line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Like the Amalekites who went to war with God’s people as we saw last week, descended from Abraham but not inheritors.

Has a Christian daughter, Zipporah, and son-in-law, Moses.

V1. There has been a global event.

Like Swine Flu, the death of Michael Jackson or 9/11.

Word spreads even before 24 hour news.

God has rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt.

What do you do when you hear about that?

Fight like Amalek?

Melt with fear like Canaan?

Or, you can come and investigate the claims of this God, the LORD, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God of a small ethnic group who has overthrown a superpower. Find out more!

V2-6. He comes with GERSHOM and ELIEZER.

In the Bible naming is important. God names in creation, Adam names animals and his wife. Parents name sons. Moses’ sons are:

V3. Gershom – Stranger in a foreign land.

V4. Eliezer – The LORD is my deliverer.

They come to Moses – whose name means Saviour, up out of the water. The names tell the story.

Jethro comes, curious to find out more – like you?

V7. Met with a friendly welcome.

Jesus said that “by this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”

Our self-obsession is the opposite of that – we can’t be other-centred on our own. But Jesus is. Our selfishness can be put to death and we can take up a new life in him. Where we will develop genuine care and curiosity for others.

Moses offers a warm welcome, but Jethro hasn’t just come for conversation, he wants to find out what’s the LORD is doing, and Moses is the man to tell him.

V8.  Moses tells all that the LORD had done _ how the LORD had delivered them.

It’s Theology! It’s talk about God and what he has done. It’s good to talk Theology. Christians are a people who love to talk about Jesus who is God. Moses loves to speak of Jesus’ rescue of his people.  Notice what Jethro didn’t hear. It wasn’t a message about Jethro’s needs or Jethro’s sins. Moses told what the LORD had done.

2000, Adam Crozier was Chief Exec of the Football Association.: “What was interesting when I arrived was how little time people spent talking about football. All the commercial stuff iis all very well but it is to generate money to put back into football. Football is the essential thing.”  Very revealing!

Like Moses, Jesus should be our subject. For Moses it must be like telling the story of Wilberforce ending the slave trade, but on a greater scale, with greater significance.  Deliverance of Israel from Egypt is only a picture, painted on the canvas of international politics of a greater deliverance…  God the Father sent his Son into the world to set us free from our slavery to sin, in the process displaying his love and his justice to his creation. This is what He has done.  

How should we  respond to such news?

V9, V10, Jethro REJOICES for all the good that the LORD had done, and blessed the LORD.

God’s people are a singing people, and Jethro joins the choir, pointing away from himself to the LORD.

V11. Jethro says: Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods… 

Everyone is a worshipper. We find ourselves at Narcissus’ pool. We bow before the mirror and define our own paradise. Our false worship shows itself when we say “I’d rather die than…”  or in the immortal words of the Backstreet Boys:“I want it that way” . Jethro hears what the LORD has done and gets it. The LORD Is greater than all gods.

V7-12. BURNT OFFERING IN THE TENT

1^st picture – the story Moses has told a Passover Lamb and passing through the Sea of Reeds.  2^nd picture - The burnt offering. Hardly normal life for us!? Next book of the Bible Leviticus, explains it.

Seven aspects of BURNT OFFERING (Lev 1:3-9).

1. Male animal without blemish  -  We’re all stained by the rebellion of our first parents, Adam & Eve, and by our own rebellion against God. All humanity is marred and corrupted – not necessarily as bad as we might be, but marred in every part, opposed + unwilling to turn back to God. An unblemished sacrifice  dies in the place of the guilty.

2. Before the LORD  -  Sacrifice given to God, because God has a problem. His anger must be turned asider, or we perish.

3. Leans on it - Jethro identifies himself with this substitute – it represents him. Neil Armstrong represented us all as he took a giant leap for mankind 40 years ago last Friday.  Jethro leans on “It will be accepted in my place”. But can the blood of an animal cannot take away sin?

4. It is killed - The life is laid down, helpless. Death is horrible, it is the curse of sin. The LORD leans on the animal to bring death, the curse of sin.  Everyone will see the warm crimson blood, its life taken away.
5. Blood is spread  - Bonar: “the life being taken away the sinners naked soul is exhibited.” – This is what the offerer deserves.

6. Cut up and burned up - God’s favour creates, his wrath de-creates – and the animal is taken apart. This is appropriate. We try to justify and play down our sin, but God sees it for what it is and rightly responds.  His enemies deserve destruction. The consuming fire of his holiness consumes the offering

7. A pleasing aroma  – We find here the meaning of the cross of Jesus. The Father sends the Son, in a plan formulated in the heart of God before creation to satisfy wrath and secure his favour. He looks on at the completed event and takes delight in it.

We do not offer a burnt offering because Jesus has already offered himself as the perfect sacrifice, once for all time for us, guaranteeing the abundant unwavering favour of God forever!

That’s Jethro, where are you?

1, Jethro hears about Jesus. Like us, by songs, prophecy, my words. Thoughtful investigation.

2. Jethro get’s it and responds with joy, and praise. He looks to Jesus death to save him. Do you need to make that response today? You might have Qns, might say I doubt I can believe it. Tim Keller observes that whenever we doubt, we always doubt by believing something else.  Usually saying no to Jesus saving and yes to me saving me. Sounds noble but doomed to fail.

3. Jethro is later called Reuel which means Friend of God. God deals with our guilt and past, so that we can come + be his friends forever – if Jethro can, anyone can. And Knowing Jesus changes everything. Not just the ABC, it’s the A-Z.

2. WE NEED LOOK LIKE JESUS READ 18v13-27

God sent 60 people to Egypt. He brings out over 2 million out. Massive increase! Problem, one man can’t lead 2 million on his own…  Early church had the same challenge as they grew rapidly from 120 people to 10,000. The principles they use seem to derive from what we find here. Useful for us.

Moses is running the show. He brings God’s saving word to the people in every matter, like Jesus representing them before God.   Jethro states the obvious (v18): you’ll burn out soon. You can’t do it alone.

God’s work isn’t one man’s work. It can’t all orbit around just one person – no room for personality cults or for running yourself into the ground. It’s God’s work and the image to think of is a body – a body with many parts working together.

We’re designed in God’s image, in relationship.  We’re made like the Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Our God is not just one person, but One God in Three Persons, The Triune God, The Trinity.

Christian leadership isn’t a one man show, nor is it a democracy. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit don’t vote on what do to, they do the Father’s will, and he enacts his will by his Word, Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  There are roles and order. Those who know Jesus are to look like him.

Jethro tells Moses to find, v21, TRUSTWORTHY men to be made, v25, HEADS over people. Two words capture the gist of what is said here.  Why Trustworthy Heads? 

These are men like Christ to whom the Father gave all authority, knowing that he would be the Trustworthy Head of the church.

The Father knows his son will not usurp him, he is trustworthy.  Those entrusted with service in the church don’t use it overthrow others. And those who show themselves trustworthy, before being given a role, find that trustworthiness recognised.

The Father entrusts his Son with the church – he doesn’t abuse her, he cherishes and nourishes her.  Having trustworthy leaders means Andy can be away today knowing no-one will need to say to him “you wouldn’t have liked what happened when you were away”.  Trust is given not to be abused but exercised.

God’s plan doesn’t just rescue people alone, he creates a people – the church. A family on mission like God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the ultimate missionary family.

To close, Four Ways We can Look like Jesus

1. Trustworthy men as elders in the church. Trustworthy Heads over people. Not just pragmatic to spread the load but to look like F, S & HS. We all lead or are led, or both. Displaying Jesus in different ways..
2. In marriage, husbands are to be T.H.’s like Christ who laying their lives down for their wives. Wives are Trustworthy in not usurping that God given leadership. As a church family let us encourage and support that pattern, rather than undermining it.
3. At work too. A Christian is Trustworthy as Employer or Employee, not because they’re good but because they become like Jesus. Christian staff should be sought after,  reliable +dependable, not argumentative or lazy.
4. Church, not just our ordering but our mission echoes God. The divine family is on mission, overflowing in love for the world. Autumn: back-to-back .The Bible doesn’t say how many meetings to have, but does say who God is. So we create a new seat next to every person already here = more opportunities for people to come + investigate Jesus’ claims.

God has disturbed the water to draw us away from staring at ourselves. His church is a place that looks like Jesus – open to all, ordered to look like Jesus. His church is a place that will sounds like Jesus,  Jesus’ name always on the lips of the church – a people who can’t help but tell of all that Jesus has done.

PRAY.