Exodus: From Bondage to Liberty

Sunday, June 11 th 2023

Exodus 17:8-18:27
Introduction
God Empowers Us to Overcome, Share the Gospel and Care for Others
I. God Empowers Us to Overcome (17:8-16)
v.8 – “Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.”
Sometimes we may think trials we are experiencing can’t get any worse, but guess
what…they can!
v.9 – So Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose for us men and go out and fight with Amalek.’
v.14 – “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in
the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
.v.15 – “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, ‘The Lord is My Banner’
(Jehovah Nissi) saying ‘A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The LORD will have war
with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Look at what Moses wrote concerning this situation: Deuteronomy 25:17,18
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he
attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.”
II. God Empowers Us to Share the Gospel (18:1-12)
v.1 – “Jethro, the priest of Midian…”
What type of priest was Jethro? Was he a pagan priest or a God fearer? Much debate
v.10 – “Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.”
v.11 - “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they
dealt arrogantly with the people.
“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ in whom you have sent.” John 17:3
v.12 - And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, brought burnt offering and sacrifices to God;
and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father in law
before God.”

Sharing a meal was the highest form of fellowship. A meal in Moses' day was a symbol of the highest form of fellowship, intimate fellowship, and this meal was not just any meal but it had a "special Guest" for it was before God 
III. God Empowers Us to Care for Others (18:13-27)
v.13 – “The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around
Moses from morning till evening.”
v.21 – “Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are
trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs, of
thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. And let them judge the people at all
times.”
They would bring the major issues to Moses and the rest they would handle themselves and judge correctly.

‘every member a ministry church.’

Our Scripture and Focus for the Year: Psalm 37:5

“Commit your ways to the Lord, trust in Him and He will act.”

Committed

“To Bring Our Time, Talents, and Treasures into Full Alignment with God’s Will and Purpose”

How can you serve? Pray about it!
God Empowers Us to Overcome, Share the Gospel and Care for Others