Exodus 19:1-6 - One People Throughout History

Exodus 19:1-6 - On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Message: One People Throughout History

Time: Moses is the most likely author of this book. His education and early tradition make him the likely author and it says in Exodus 24:4 that he wrote what the Lord said. The title Exodus means departure of Israel from Egypt by the hand of God. The book covers 80 years, from 1526 to 1446 with the events at Mount Sinai. God fulfilling promises and his story of redemption are the central ideas. 

What the Lord is Saying: 

The Apostle's creed states a belief in the church, the true Christian true at all times and in all places and the communion of the saints. I'm reminded of the conversations I've been having the past several years now with pastors and lay people throughout Africa. For the most part I don't know if these churches have affiliations with denominations. Some may but as I converse with these folks, what is central is people's relationship with God. We share scripture and study it and I'm encouraged. And know that we are all part of the church. Thus, there is unity. 

And yet as I've discussed there isn't unity. There are disagreements. And yet as I've grown up my mom was always listening to different pastors and teachers, like Chuck Swindoll regularly and Focus on the Family. Chuck was part of an EV Free church in Fullerton, California. Focus was in California and then later Colorado Springs. And even when I worked at Bibles Plus and saw all of these author's. There seemed to be a real unity among Christians in these books and teachings. That it didn't matter much what church you attended or led or maybe it wasn't talked about. What mattered was the doctrines and in this way it made the invisible church visible. And that seems to be what is being emphasized today. 

Ephesians 4:1-16 speaks of this unity. I looked at these verses yesterday and am reminded again of verse 2 and 3 - bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Again, this I believe is the church at large and goes beyond our local assemblies. I see this often as my mission with the online ministry I have been involved with -- GMO -- to bear with one another in love and maintain unity. And then in verses 11 and 12 realizing that different people have different gifts and all are there to help us grow and be equipped - And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. Again, we are a bigger team than only our local assembly. Even myself, and the friends I have, like Bobby who attends a non-denominational church and Fred, who attends a different one, and Scott in Oklahoma, and Lance in Oklahoma, and Craig who is at the Presbyterian church and Karl and my brother T and his wife Brooke and Tyson and Megan and Brandon at their church in Colorado and my mom when she was alive and attended a different Baptist church and Janice (and Walt when he was alive) in Grand Junction -- everyone is at different places and yet involved in equipping me and building up the body of Christ. 

Even the church of the Old Testament days and the church in the New Testament times, the church throughout the next 2000 years and the church today - we all make up this Church Body, striving to become visible while we know that God is the one that defines us all together as the invisible church. 

And this brings us to our reading today, how this old testament people or church is with us today and part of us today -- you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Yes, Jews and Gentiles are distinct but we are also one and there can be unity among us that share the same doctrines and truths. 

Summary: We can see how the invisible church can be made visible. People in all walks of life, different parts of the world, different churches and assemblies, from old testament times to today - we are all part of the Body of Christ and all united as one Body.  

Promise: God has only one people, the promises He makes under each covenant to the corporate body apply to all of His people.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the church. Thank you for reminding me of the scope and breadth of us all, from the people we read about to the people we read to the friends and family members I have that you have called - we are all one Body. We are all part of the Body of Christ that you have established. Thank you for this. Thank you for the excitement and joy of connecting with people and learning from them and being encouraged by them and sharing life with them. Thanks for making us bigger than one place and joining us all together. It is all because of You and You bring us together. Thank you for them and for including me. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am now working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of August is about the Body of the Lord - the Church recovered in the Reformation; July was the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation, Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.  

Christ's Body

The Body of Christ - The Church is the Body of Christ and Christ loves the church. We are to imitate Christ and see that the Church is how Christ carries out His purposes in the world. The Head of the Church - Christ is Head of the church and he only has final authority and gives life to the church. Life is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. - The Church We Can See - Belonging to a church is not optional, for anyone. We are meant to live in a community with other believers, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow. The Church We Cannot See - What we see is the Visible church, the invisible church only God knows because He is omniscient and that is the Church we cannot see. 

Truths about the Church from the Apostles Creed

Church Unity - The church is bigger than our local assembly; there are core beliefs among the invisible church.