1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,720 You are listening to City Church Manchester. We are a church that invites 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:09,780 everyone to enjoy Christ for the glory of God. If we can serve you in any way 3 00:00:09,780 --> 00:00:16,400 then visit our website at citychurchmanchester.org to find out more. 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:31,760 Our reading for the day. It's found in Exodus 21 verses 1 to 6. These are the 5 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:37,200 laws you are to set before them. If you buy a Hebrew servant he is to serve you 6 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:42,600 for six years but in the seventh year he shall go free without paying anything. If 7 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:48,900 he comes alone he is free to go alone but if he has a wife when he comes she 8 00:00:48,900 --> 00:00:54,120 is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or 9 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:58,880 daughters the woman of her children shall belong to her master and only the 10 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:04,120 man shall go free. But if the servant declares I love my master and my wife 11 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:09,340 and the children and do not want to go free then his master must take him 12 00:01:09,340 --> 00:01:14,240 before the judges. He shall take him to the door or to the door post and pierce 13 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:19,560 his ear with an awl then he will be his servant for life. This is God's word. 14 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:26,040 Thanks Cami and good afternoon everyone. Welcome to City Church and particularly 15 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:32,680 warm welcome to you if you are new or this is your very first time. You're 16 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:39,240 joining us at the very beginning of our kind of new series on the book of Exodus 17 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:45,000 we've kind of done chapters one through to 20 and so we're picking up on a 18 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:52,440 second go of the book of Exodus looking at chapter 21 onwards. Why don't I pray 19 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:59,720 before we dive into what is a very very strange passage. Heavenly Father we do 20 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:05,040 thank you so much that you you are a God who speaks to us as your word is open 21 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:11,320 and we come before you now with every confidence and every anticipation that 22 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:16,240 your spirit will reveal to us your truth. May you speak to every single one of us 23 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,040 here knowing the details of our circumstance the life that we have lived 24 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:28,560 and our week ahead. We pray that as we unpack these words none of us would leave 25 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:37,520 this place unchanged. Amen. So we're back in the book of Exodus and for those of 26 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,840 you who were with us last week I gave you a little bit of a summary of the 27 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:46,040 book of Exodus a bit like a kind of teaser campaign a little bit of a trailer 28 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:52,080 to remind you but effectively for those of you who have no idea about the book 29 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:59,040 of Exodus it begins in Exodus chapter 1 where the Israelites are slaves in Egypt 30 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:05,360 they've been slaves for about 400 years and then God rises up a leader called 31 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:14,040 Moses who challenges Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh says no there's a 32 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:19,040 whole bunch of plagues and eventually Pharaoh agrees and Moses leads the 33 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:23,920 Israelites out of Egypt through the parting of the Red Sea that many of you 34 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:29,200 probably be familiar with and then out into the wilderness on their way to the 35 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:35,600 promised land. So here we are in the wilderness the chapter we're starting 36 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:40,080 with chapter 21 we are in the wilderness we've escaped from Egypt we're heading 37 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:47,160 to the promised land but we're in the wilderness and God in chapters 21 to 24 38 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:56,560 gives the Israelites some instructions on how to be a new community and what we 39 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:02,200 have in chapters 21 to 24 are a selection an excerpt of different 40 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:08,000 instructions that God had given the Israelites and Moses who's put this 41 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,880 book of the Bible together has interwoven a selection of those 42 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:17,640 instructions and these instructions over these chapters and you'll be relieved 43 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:24,400 we're not doing kind of all or three chapters over our time together but God 44 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:29,680 has given these instructions in order for the Israelites to become a community 45 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:36,720 who will showcase God's goodness his wonder his kindness his love his 46 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:43,840 compassion to the whole of the world and trust me these chapters are anything 47 00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:51,880 but dull you see the whole thing kicks off with these six verses that Cami has 48 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:57,720 just read to us they're gonna set the tone of all of the chapters to come and 49 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:02,600 they're gonna help us interpret all of the other instructions but I wanted to 50 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:09,160 focus on just these six verses because they kind of kick it all off and the way 51 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:14,480 that I want to do this is over our time together we're gonna have one strange 52 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:19,320 story in these six verses that I'm going to unpack for you but I'm gonna give you 53 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:24,640 three considerations three moments I'm just gonna pause the story I'm gonna 54 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:29,480 step out of it and then I'm gonna explain a little bit so that's what's 55 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:36,480 gonna be happening we're gonna travel fast it's a seat belt song okay let's go 56 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:41,120 well we begin our strange story particularly in verse 2 look with me at 57 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:50,000 verse 2 in your Bible God declares that at the end of the six years a slave can 58 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:55,600 go free the end of six years a slave can go free now in the ancient Near East 59 00:05:55,600 --> 00:06:02,280 slavery was as commonplace in the ancient economy as a meal deal is for 60 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:08,520 lunchtime in Manchester it was just something that happened in all of the 61 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:13,000 different communities and economies at the time and so what we see here in 62 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:21,240 verse 2 is God seems to be creating what we might describe as a back door a back 63 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:27,960 door out of slavery and when we look at that it must be for us as 21st century 64 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:33,280 readers a massive fist pump because we're thinking to ourselves yes this 65 00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:37,280 community that God is forming in the wilderness that he's rescued from 66 00:06:37,280 --> 00:06:41,520 slavery in Egypt they are about to be a community that are gonna be really a 67 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:45,360 light to the nation so they're gonna live differently to the nations it's gonna 68 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:54,880 be a community of goodness and justice and blessing to the world but let me 69 00:06:54,880 --> 00:07:00,960 pause there let me pause our story there for our very first consideration before 70 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:09,400 we go any further let me ask this question surely if God was inventing a 71 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:17,840 brand-new community why didn't he just ban slavery from the beginning it's not 72 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:23,120 interesting questions why building a back door to slavery rather than just 73 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:31,920 abolish it all together well think about it like this when Jesus is asked in 74 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:41,040 Matthew chapter 19 verse 8 okay about 1300 years after our passage when Jesus 75 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:45,920 is asked in Matthew 19 verse 8 about divorce he's challenged on the subject 76 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:53,000 of divorce Jesus says that the community that Moses led so the israelite 77 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:59,040 community that we're reading about in Exodus it describes how they had a 78 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:03,760 function of writing significant certificates of divorce they write a 79 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:08,000 certificate of divorce for this and they wrote a certificate of divorce for that 80 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,680 and if you needed a divorce for something over here you could have one 81 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,440 and if you needed a certificate of divorce for something over here you could 82 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:21,920 have one there but Jesus says Moses gave permission for the Israelites to write 83 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:27,640 these certificates not because God in all of his might and wisdom has a very 84 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:33,880 low view of marriage but Jesus said that they had these certificates of divorce 85 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:43,600 because the Israelites were hard-hearted people meaning that the 86 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:50,960 community that Moses was leading in Exodus wasn't given instructions for a 87 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:54,940 perfect community it wasn't the instructions for how to build a 88 00:08:54,940 --> 00:09:00,280 community that was absolutely flawless like the one in Eden before the fall or 89 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:06,880 the one in the new creation that is to come no no no these instructions that we 90 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:13,120 have in Exodus they're like damage limitation for a community of Israelites 91 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:19,240 who were already broken who were already sinful a community of Israelites who if 92 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:24,960 they were left to their own devices would be as cruel as the Egyptian slave 93 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:30,520 masters that just come from or they would be as violent as the Canaanite 94 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:36,040 communities that were around them in the wilderness so what we'll see in 95 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:41,880 chapters 21 to 24 of Exodus you are going to see the blueprints for a new 96 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:47,560 community but it will have aspects as you read through those chapters that 97 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:55,000 will make us feel as 21st century readers a little bit uncomfortable but 98 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:59,720 though these instructions themselves were written for a very specific group 99 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:06,880 of people all those years ago actually the principles behind these instructions 100 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:13,680 the principles behind these laws actually they sing a beautiful melody 101 00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:20,760 that was begun in Eden and that will reach its climax in the new creation and 102 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:25,600 that is what we have to particularly pay attention to when we apply these 103 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:32,600 instructions to us today okay so that's consideration one as we look at these 104 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:39,960 laws so back to our strange story in verses one to six look at me at verse 105 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:45,360 five in your Bibles verse five in your Bibles suddenly we see in this verse 106 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:52,080 something utterly confusing happens do you feel the drama of this particular 107 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:59,720 situation we're told that a slave who has perhaps sold themselves into slavery 108 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:05,160 because life has been turned upside down and in a desperate attempt to not to 109 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:12,080 starve to death they have sold themselves to a master when that slave 110 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:18,360 we're told has worked for six years they now have the opportunity to walk away 111 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:25,120 as free back into society they're free to make their own decisions again they're 112 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:33,200 free to no longer have to obey a master as property yet and here's the 113 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:42,400 surprising moment just at the moment they were allowed to walk away free they 114 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:51,840 are given the opportunity to say well actually I'm gonna remain bonded to my 115 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:59,560 master actually I could walk away but I'm gonna choose to stay it's not 116 00:11:59,560 --> 00:12:06,800 remarkable now this passage gives us two reasons why someone who's been a slave 117 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:11,920 might choose to to stay someone might choose to make this absolutely 118 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:16,800 eye-popping remarkable decision and the first one is that their family was still 119 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:22,080 slaves what if they were were a slave and then they got married whilst they 120 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:27,280 were a slave and they had children whilst they were slaves well that might 121 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:33,120 be a reason to choose to stay themselves but of course you're probably sitting 122 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:38,080 there thinking well hang on a minute why didn't the guy then just wait for his 123 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:43,480 wife and his family to do their six years and then they would be free all 124 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:48,680 together as a family it's a little bit like someone doing a prison sentence but 125 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:52,020 after they come out of prison then we can be the family or someone doing a 126 00:12:52,020 --> 00:12:59,200 tour of military duty a long campaign but when they come back then then we can 127 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:04,640 be family surely just a little bit more patience would mean that everything 128 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:11,200 would be okay why give up your freedom for that well the second reason that 129 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:15,760 someone in our story might give up their freedom for the rest of their life it's 130 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:21,800 for the rest of their life well do you see it in that in that passage that 131 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:29,720 we've had read I love my master I love my master that's the second reason 132 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:36,520 someone might extraordinarily choose to be a slave in fact it kind of makes sense 133 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:40,840 of the whole motivation here let me let me put it like this because you know 134 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:44,960 we're 21st century people in Manchester the idea of slavery is a strange thing 135 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:50,840 but let me put it like this what if a slave comes to the end of their six 136 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:56,800 years and they realize that nobody cares for them quite as well as their master 137 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:03,400 or they realize that actually nobody provides for them as bountifully as 138 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:10,920 their master did or maybe no one shows them as much dignity or humanity as the 139 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:16,440 way that their master treated them or perhaps no one looked after their 140 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:21,920 family or invested in their marriage like their master did or what if no one 141 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:29,360 gifted them clothes or ample food perhaps a safe place to live no one did 142 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:36,040 that for them to the same extent that their master did what if in a world of 143 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:45,680 danger and uncertainty nobody offered them protection as a family like their 144 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:52,000 master did by a master whose resources were so large he would never be 145 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:57,120 desperate and by a master whose character was so trustworthy he could 146 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:07,280 always be counted on well then maybe then you would have someone who loved 147 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:12,080 their family and their master so much that the best decision that they could 148 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:19,680 make in the ancient world to see their family flourish was to choose to bond 149 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:29,360 themselves to their master for the rest of their life in fact this very 150 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:35,800 instruction is repeated in Deuteronomy chapter 15 verse 16 and the reason given 151 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:41,800 in Deuteronomy 15 for someone doing this is stated as I do not want to leave you 152 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:50,520 because my family is well off with you do you see if you trust the master then 153 00:15:50,520 --> 00:16:00,400 actually what looks abhorrent actually suddenly possibly makes sense now let's 154 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:06,600 pause here for a moment and step out of the story and and ask ourselves as 155 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:12,720 21st century people living in Manchester how do we feel about this well of course 156 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:18,200 we're repulsed aren't we by the idea of slavery that a human could own another 157 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:27,120 human and yet as we peer through the lens of this passage into a community 158 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:35,480 3,300 years ago and we see someone being offered a safety that they've always 159 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:41,440 longed for a sense of belonging that they've always craved for an environment 160 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:46,240 that they always knew their family needed and a security for their future 161 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:55,240 they always dreamed of even us right as 21st century Mancunians though we dare 162 00:16:55,240 --> 00:17:06,240 not even utter it deep down do we not kind of understand why someone 3,300 163 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:18,920 years ago might say actually I'll stay well back to our strange story for the 164 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:25,800 strangeness continues that the master the master takes the man before the 165 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,640 judges now this would have been a very public thing it would have been 166 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:32,880 probably in a kind of main communal square everyone would have seen and he's 167 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:39,440 taken to the judges if he's decided to go ahead with this crazy decision in 168 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:43,200 order to make sure that it's all legal that it's all above board it would be 169 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:48,440 like seeing your personal life broadcast on the BBC News website for everyone to 170 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:57,320 see because it's publicly saying I forevermore will not be my own but I 171 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:02,440 will belong to another imagine saying that publicly before everyone and once 172 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:09,400 that happens look with me at verse 6 because verse 6 tells us it describes 173 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:15,760 to us one of the weirdest acts in the whole of Exodus because this ritual 174 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:22,440 contains three things an ear and all and a door post you see that very strange 175 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:27,360 isn't it very strange well come with me to consideration number three let me 176 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:33,760 pause there for a moment let me step out of the story here's a point of note 177 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:37,520 whenever you read something in the Bible particularly you'll often find it in the 178 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:43,160 Old Testament that just seems to be random or strange or very odd you need 179 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:48,440 to remember that the Bible is an ancient literature it is designed to be read and 180 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:54,280 reread and read again over and over and over for a lifetime so that you can make 181 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:59,360 links from one passage to another because as you make links from this 182 00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:04,960 passage to this passage to this passage to this passage suddenly things that 183 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:11,000 were very strange begin to make sense so let me show you how that works in this 184 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,200 passage here let's get a little bit Sherlock Holmes about this shall we clue 185 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:23,680 number one the ear the ear now there is an there isn't actually very much said 186 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:27,960 about ears in the first five books of the Bible you might be surprised to hear 187 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:33,440 that now the very first books of the Bible are written by Moses and ears 188 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:42,720 don't come up very much but there is one mention of particular note in Leviticus 189 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:52,920 14 also written by Moses where the induction of a new priest a new priest 190 00:19:52,920 --> 00:20:00,840 is told that he had to rub oil on his big toe that's right this is another 191 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:05,000 strange set of rituals right on his big toe because that symbolized that he 192 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:12,240 would walk in the way of the Lord right secondly he had to put oil on his thumb 193 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:16,440 because that would show that he was set aside to do the works of the Lord and 194 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:24,760 thirdly and this is for us he had to put oil on his earlobe because that would 195 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:33,040 signify that he was listening only to the Lord so in our Sherlock Holmes 196 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:38,760 trail of evidence in our so that strange strange story today we've got to bank 197 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:44,160 the first clue and the first clue is this the ear equals who you will obey 198 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:53,680 okay the ear equals who you will obey clue number two the all okay AWL now 199 00:20:53,680 --> 00:21:01,000 this is a kind of pointy tool as you can see to pierce or to mark leather or wood 200 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:08,000 or other materials and for those of you who are a bit squeamish like me piercing 201 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:13,720 really is a theme right throughout the whole of the Bible in Genesis 40 verse 202 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:21,200 19 Pharaoh's Baker was pierced as a wooden pole was was thrown right through 203 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:28,800 the middle of him as a humiliating and gruesome punishment piercing right 204 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:33,280 throughout the rest of Scripture commonly refers to someone being killed 205 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:39,200 in a horrible and humiliating way but Moses remember Moses is the writer of 206 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:47,640 our passage in Exodus he actually uses this word pierce in Leviticus 24 and he 207 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:52,400 uses it to describe someone in the Israelite community who says something 208 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:59,440 bad about God says something to humiliate God our word blasphemy that we 209 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:07,080 would have translated in our own Bibles literally means in Hebrew to piss the 210 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:19,080 name of God so an all is to pierce someone and our clue is to pierce 211 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:27,080 someone equals to hurt and humiliate someone now come with me to clue number 212 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:33,360 three on our Sherlock Holmes trial clue number three is the doorpost that's 213 00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:38,240 right the game is afoot now this clue many of you be thinking now this is the 214 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,640 easy one because you're thinking where have I heard doorpost before where have 215 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,240 I heard it in something that Moses would have written wherever I heard it in 216 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:51,000 Exodus well on the night that the Israelites left Egypt you'll remember 217 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:57,560 you'll remember God sent the angel of death to kill all of the firstborns of 218 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:04,160 every household unless they took the blood of a lamb and they put the blood 219 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:09,960 on the doorpost so unless you had blood dripping down your doorpost you were in 220 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:16,520 great danger if you were the firstborn and so in our passage when we see a 221 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:23,040 ritual that requires human blood to be dripping down a doorpost that's what 222 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:30,280 you'd get if you pierced an ear isn't it we know a doorpost equals a life for a 223 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:39,080 life exchange so back to our strange story what does this all mean let's 224 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:44,040 piece the clues together how can I describe it to you well I want you to 225 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:51,160 imagine in our story an Israelite slave called Jacob yeah an Israelite slave 226 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:56,840 called Jacob he's done his six years and so he decides actually rather than go 227 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:02,320 free he wants to be bonded as a slave for his master for the rest of his life 228 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:07,480 and as Jacob goes before the judges of his community and everyone's watching 229 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,880 like they are now and there's sniggers and laughter perhaps heckling from the 230 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:20,880 balcony there it is well Jacob would have to remind himself that his true 231 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:26,200 identity as an Israelite was not his freedom it was not his status within 232 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:31,960 society his true identity as an Israelite was he was loved by God as one 233 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:41,760 of God's special people that's who he really was and as Jacob as Jacob's head 234 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:50,040 is placed against the wood of the doorframe and his earlobe is white hot 235 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:57,840 in pain as the metal point of the all slices through the soft flesh and 236 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:03,040 pierces through it and act at the very front of a house or a tent or a dwelling 237 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:08,040 with all of the neighbors watching absolutely dumbfounded by anyone would 238 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:15,660 want to do this or why anyone who would agree to be humiliated like this well 239 00:25:15,660 --> 00:25:23,400 Jacob Jacob would have to remind himself that from now on his attention would not 240 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:33,000 be focused on the crowd not focused on the heckling from the balcony his focus 241 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:40,000 would only be listening to the voice and instructions from now on from his 242 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:46,640 master because he knew that his master was trusted and was good and would have 243 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:53,840 the best intentions for him and his family and think about it like this is 244 00:25:53,840 --> 00:26:02,200 his master as his master hears Jacob's shriek of pain as the all goes right 245 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:08,480 through his ear piercing it pinning him to the doorpost and his master watches 246 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:17,160 the blood gush from his ear down the wood well his master would know that 247 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:23,440 this man was giving up his freedom that this man yaka was dying to himself 248 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:31,920 exchanging his life to devote himself entirely to his service not because he 249 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:41,240 had to but because he chose to and I wonder I do wonder for those who sniggered 250 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,240 for those who laughed for those who mocked for those who said who would 251 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:50,400 ever do such a thing I I kind of wonder whether they thought themselves as they 252 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:56,560 watch that do you know I kind of wish I loved and trusted someone so much that I 253 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:05,200 was willing to do that for them or I wish that I was loved I wish that I was 254 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:13,720 trusted so much that someone would be willing to do that for me this is an 255 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:19,720 obscure passage isn't it exodus 21 verses 1 to 6 it's the introduction to 256 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,560 all of the other instructions in the book of Exodus about how people should 257 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:27,600 live in a community with each other and it begins with this very beautiful and 258 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:33,480 very rare ritual that sets the tone and template for every other instruction 259 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:38,920 that you will read but what does it mean for us that's the big question isn't it 260 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:43,640 what does it mean for us well let me speak to those of you who is sympathetic 261 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:47,560 to the gospel you know you've come to City Church you're not a member here you 262 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,480 wouldn't even describe yourself as a Christian but you are sympathetic to the 263 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:55,440 gospel but the thing that holds you back is the obedience thing to God because so 264 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:59,760 many of the things that Christians seem to live by just don't seem to make sense 265 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:07,880 in the 21st century and that puts you off well if that's you let me say two 266 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:13,400 things firstly pretty much all of the laws that exist today that protect the 267 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:17,840 values that you enjoy whether it's justice for the vulnerable compensation 268 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:22,800 for victims fairness in business restitution when trust is broken they 269 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:28,800 all find their route and they all ultimately flow out of Exodus 21 to 24 270 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:35,080 and without them our civilization would be built on the foundations of survival 271 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:42,160 of the cruelest so be thankful number two all of the laws and instructions that 272 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:47,820 you will find weird in Exodus the ones you'll find difficult or even 273 00:28:47,820 --> 00:28:52,960 downright offensive even in the Bible they all flow out they all flow out of 274 00:28:52,960 --> 00:29:02,240 God's heart to create a community built on love trust and self-sacrifice now 275 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:08,240 this is relight community is not hear me it is not the ultimate expression of 276 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:12,960 love trust and self-sacrifice we don't get that until we get to the new 277 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:17,120 creation as described in Revelation 21 but this is the equivalent of like a 278 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:24,520 duplo Lego set version of that community it gives you a sense of the masterpiece 279 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:29,240 that is to come but only in the very basic building blocks and that doesn't 280 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:33,040 mean that when we read some difficult things in the Bible we shouldn't feel 281 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:36,920 uncomfortable it doesn't mean that we shouldn't ask questions about it but it 282 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:42,280 does mean that verses 1 to 6 give us the blueprints of actually where these 283 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:47,200 things written for a community three thousand three hundred years ago where it's all 284 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:53,520 ultimately heading but finally let me talk to those of you who have put your 285 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:59,880 faith in Jesus those of you here you think actually it's very easy to be a 286 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:03,320 Christian surely God just wants me to tick the box that I want to be forgiven 287 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:07,320 for the rest of my life and it's job done I'm a Christian that's really it 288 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:13,440 that's all I'm signing up for well this passage teaches us that such an 289 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:20,160 attitude where it's just what I can get from God well that is a shallow husk of 290 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:26,200 a faith it's like going to the turquoise blue ocean of a Caribbean island and 291 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:33,000 only paddling in a puddle because you think actually wading into the sea water 292 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:42,120 is just too intense for you it's not a shame you see some of you here have been 293 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:47,080 remaining on the fringe of a Christian community perhaps it's this one perhaps 294 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:52,680 it's another one somewhere else and you intentionally have chosen never to be 295 00:30:52,680 --> 00:31:03,280 known always to do church in the shadows because you think it allows you to be 296 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:08,360 devoted to the Lord without being bonded to him it allows you the freedom to do 297 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:14,280 what you want Monday to Saturday and because you tip your toe into the pool 298 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:18,400 of church on Sunday you think actually well I'm fine I'm not a spiritual 299 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:25,280 orphan I have some commitment to the Lord a foot inside the camp but not 300 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:31,360 accountable to anyone if that's you that is not the picture of spiritual health 301 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:38,360 that Exodus 21 verses 1 to 6 paint for if you were a believer if you are a 302 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:45,800 believer you have bonded yourself to God in a more radical way than this three 303 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:52,760 thousand three hundred year old ritual foreshadows and just as the ear of a 304 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:59,800 slave was willingly pierced when you committed to a relationship with Jesus 305 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:08,280 it changes everything everything it means that if you know that you're in a 306 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:12,840 relationship that doesn't honor the Lord that is not the way that God describes 307 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:17,440 how relationships should be in his word but all of the voices around you are 308 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:22,680 saying it's absolutely fine if you are committed to Jesus his voice is the only 309 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:29,160 one you should be listening to even if it's hard to obey or for those of you 310 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:34,380 who are involved in a practice at work that you know is not honoring to the way 311 00:32:34,380 --> 00:32:38,880 that the Lord has asked you to live but all of the other voices around you are 312 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,540 saying look you better do it because if you don't your reputation is going to be 313 00:32:42,540 --> 00:32:50,520 utterly destroyed the only voice you should be listening to is the Lord's 314 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:54,960 because when you committed to following Jesus whenever that was for you it was 315 00:32:54,960 --> 00:33:02,160 as radical it was as public it was as stigmatizing and it was as permanent as 316 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:09,600 having your ear nailed to a doorpost now perhaps this passage of such radical 317 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:13,120 commitment actually reveals to you that your heart has grown a little bit cold 318 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:18,400 to the Lord and perhaps you don't love him as you ought to well the key to 319 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:23,640 remember that God is worth trusting and it's worth remembering that he never 320 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:32,120 asks us to do something that he hasn't done first for us you see 1300 years 321 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:39,360 after our Exodus passage Jesus went before the judges because he chose to 322 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:45,360 bond himself for us he went before the judges and they condemned him and the 323 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:50,800 community of Israelites considered him a man of shame and sorrow his freedom was 324 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:57,240 taken from him and Jesus allowed his flesh to be pierced and as he saw his 325 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:02,000 blood run down the wood not of a door but of a cross he knew that he was 326 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:09,680 giving up his life so that he can serve those he loves namely you you see the 327 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:13,640 remarkable message of Exodus 24 verses 1 to 6 is that Jesus chose to be nailed 328 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:22,640 to a piece of wood so that he could bind himself to you forever that's where this 329 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:32,520 passage ultimately points and only when we see our King do that for us first it 330 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:39,960 leads us to willingly pledge our lives to him second let me finish by it by 331 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:46,000 saying this I wonder if you've heard the story of Genesius of Rome he was a he 332 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:52,360 was a playwright and an actor during the time of Diocletian he wasn't a Christian 333 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:57,320 and he heard that Diocletian was coming to town and he thought this is my chance 334 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:01,880 he was a famous playwright and writer he thought this is my chance to totally 335 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:09,280 make my career he wanted to write a comedy about how ridiculous Christians 336 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:15,360 were how ridiculous they were and so he wanted to do some research he snuck into 337 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:20,600 a Christian community and he sat with them when they gathered at their weekly 338 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:26,400 service and he even mouthed along to the songs he even learned their doctrines 339 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:30,880 and he could say the right things he even got known by them and some of them 340 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:39,240 even called him their friend but he never had allegiance he was never loyal 341 00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:45,300 he was just going through the motions just serving himself and when the 342 00:35:45,300 --> 00:35:49,760 Emperor came to town he was ready the play was set and he walked away from 343 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:55,000 that Christian community ready to make his fortune he got onto the stage 344 00:35:55,000 --> 00:36:01,520 Diocletian the Emperor was there at the back and he performed his piece it was 345 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:07,120 hilarious it took the mick out of Christians it showed them to be surely 346 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:13,360 ridiculous people who followed ridiculous instructions from a ridiculous 347 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:21,160 old scripture but in the midst of his performance he actually came to faith 348 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:25,800 the Lord Jesus revealed to himself there and then when he was on stage and he 349 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:31,680 ended up saying to the Emperor on stage put your trust in Jesus it's not 350 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:38,280 remarkable you see the Lord has a great sense of humor doesn't he he was dragged 351 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:41,200 away and they said look you can have your freedom back but you need to 352 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:47,280 renounce what you said and he said no I can't I can't I belong to Jesus they 353 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:51,840 said we will torture you and kill you unless you renounce you can walk away to 354 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:57,480 the life that you had just say it's not true and he said I can't so they tortured 355 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:05,000 him and just as he was about to have his head chopped off this is his final words 356 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:10,960 there is but one King I know it is he that I love and worship if I were to be 357 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:18,080 killed a thousand times for my loyalty to him I would still be his servant 358 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:24,560 Christ is on my lips Christ is in my heart no amount of suffering will take 359 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:30,480 him from me it's haunting words isn't it if I were to be killed a thousand times 360 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:43,040 for loyalty to him I would still be his servant every one of us here is 361 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:54,160 currently facing a micro death something that if we if we choose it 362 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:58,560 perhaps it will do well for us but it will not be as God asked us to live and 363 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:02,560 if we turn away from it perhaps it will cost us something that's very dear to us 364 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:08,440 and very precious to us and it will hurt every one of us faces a tiny death 365 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:21,720 today whatever that might be in your life will you turn to serve yourself or 366 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:34,000 will you turn to serve Christ your master I wonder what you'll do let's 367 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:43,960 pray heavenly father we we praise you and thank you that you are a good God and we 368 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:51,960 do ask we do ask that you would help us see how trustworthy you are how your 369 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:58,440 love for us is more extravagant remarkable and to our world ridiculous 370 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:06,160 than we could ever imagine and yet it moves us it moves us to commit ourselves 371 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:14,160 whatever the suffering whatever the stigma whatever the agony to serve you 372 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:37,160 no matter what amen