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September 29, 2024
The Story | Can I Say "No" To God? | Chapter 4
Beginnings: How God Got Things Started, A Chosen People.
As we continue journeying through the Story of God, you may find yourself encountering things you didn't expect. Bible ‘heroes’ who eat the forbidden fruit, get drunk, betray their brothers, and this week, one who does everything he can to avoid joining God in rescuing His people. There aren’t many Bible heroes, just a bunch of failing humans. God is not deterred. He has and will do everything He can to rescue people, even if it’s just by the skin of their teeth. It’s all quite marvellous and mysterious.
Songs for this week: Spotify
Chapter 4: Exodus 3:1-14
- Share a time when you were asked to do something (whether by a parent, a boss, or even God), but you didn’t want to do it. What happened? How did things turn out?
- What were some of the excuses or objections that Moses raised when God called him to lead?
- How might God be calling you/us to help lead others to freedom? Begin by identifying some of the ways people in our world might be caught in bondage.
- Who is someone in your life you are praying will come to know Jesus?
Is there an opportunity to connect with them—by listening, sharing a meal (or coffee), serving them in some way, or talking about your faith?
Which of these—praying, listening, eating, serving, and sharing—comes naturally to you? Which ones challenge you the most? - Has God provided you with an "Aaron"—someone to walk alongside you in this journey? Identify that person, and consider asking them to pray with you as you step into this assignment.
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Recent Sermons
Ezra 3:10-13 - The book of Ezra tells the story of the return of God’s people from exile. The account details the extra care that was taken by the returnees in doing their best to reproduce what they once had. Very quickly, they got the old altar operational and began to rebuild the temple. Our story is about what they chose to do on the day the foundation of the new temple was in place. There was a party that didn’t feel like a party for everyone, and that’s just honest!
Daniel 6:1-24-The book of Daniel is all about the Sovereignty of God. The God of Israel proves himself sovereign even in faraway Babylon: boys receive foreign favour and are released from having to eat rich and potentially unkosher food. Young men are saved from a fiery furnace, and old man Daniel doesn’t get eaten by a den of hungry lions. God proves he’s not limited by international borders, arrogant kings or wild beasts. All of this points forward to Jesus, who demonstrated his sovereignty (he is God, after all!) in different ways.
Ezekiel 36:22-28- The people of God deserved to be in exile in Babylon. They had betrayed their relationship with God by worshipping idols and committing horrible acts of violence. But instead of giving up on his people, God goes with them into exile. He shows up with a message of hope: he will bring them back, clean them up, and make them new. It was good news for the Israelites, and it’s good news for us today.
Isaiah 6:1-10 - Most of Isaiah’s writings don’t have a timestamp on them, but one event does. The day that he had his most profound encounter with God was shortly after King Uzziah died. King Uzziah would have been on the throne long before Isaiah was born and would have been the only king that Isaiah knew. That’s a big loss. Sometimes, God is able to meet us best when we’re tender from loss or grief.
1 Kings 18:16-39 - Elijah lived at odds with his culture. An evil king (and queen!) wanted him dead, so he went into hiding. After 3 years, God prompted him to set up a showdown: Yahweh vs. Ba’al, good vs. evil, a battle to the death. Sadly, good’s triumph barely left a mark on the life of his country. Thankfully, there was another good vs evil showdown years later, and its impact is still being felt around the world.
1 Kings 12:1-16: King Rehoboam continues the descent that has been the story of the kings since the throne was established. No one seems to be able to get it right. Leadership is tough. It requires listening to God and keen self-awareness. Rehoboam’s legacy is that he divided the people of God. May that never happen again.
