Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Salvation Belongs to God

The Story of Scripture: Salvation Belongs to God
Exodus 14:10-31, Luke 21:5-19, Revelation 7:7-19

Superbowls belong to the Steelers.
Cheesesteaks belong to Pat’s.
Cars belong to Ford.
Soft drinks belong to Pepsi.
Big box stores belong to Walmart.

Or is it that
Superbowls belong to the 49ers.
Cheesesteaks belong to Geno’s.
Cars belong to Chevy.
Soft drinks belong to Coca Cola.
Big Box stores belong to Target.

Make no mistake: Salvation belongs to God. And there is no second choice. There is no competition.

Story of Scripture so far: creation, prohibition ignored, family dysfunction, start over in Noah, Abraham given covenant. Isaac son of promise, Jacob and Esau more dysfunction, Joseph’s providential care, the Hebrews in Egypt, Moses’ miraculous birth.

This week: some of the things I’ve been thinking about include:
· A church directory from 1991 in which Kirk Bingamen’s pastors article talked about the sacred being attacked by the secular. But Salvation does belong to God.

· In our study of World Religions during Friday Bible Study:
Hinduism: oppression of the caste system and the karma:
But Salvation Belongs to God.

· In preparation of this sermon: Egypt acts as the oppressor and enacts slavery upon the Hebrew people. But salvation belongs to God.

· Watching television, I caught the last episode of God in America: Exodus was the inspiration for MLK, and how one time they prayed, and then walked through the cops without harm.
Salvation belongs to God.

Exodus: Salvation Belongs to God.
Exodus is the salvation event of the Hebrew Story.

The Exodus is the central part of the story of God’s saving the Hebrew people:
Promised land. Slavery. Promised Deliverence. Wilderness. Promised land.

The Exodus becomes a model of salvation we find in Christ,
Promises of God. Freedom from slavery. Salvation by Christ. Journey through wilderness, kingdom of God.

· The darkness of the dilemma: v 10-12
· The vision from Moses 13-14
· God’s command and plan 15-18 (also note: Why are you crying out to me?)
· The cloud of God’s protection 19-20
· The waters divide, the people cross and the Egyptians are overcome 21-28
· The testimony 29-31

Salvation belongs to God.

Luke: Salvation Belongs to God, not the ways of the world
The beauty and majesty of human achievement does not save. 5-6
The false promises of teachers does not save. 8-9
The skewed plans of the nations do not save 10-11
The plans of evil men will not save 12

In the midst of these things, God will save. We live in the world answering to the name of our God (12). We witness about this God to the world (13). We know this God throughout difficult seasons (14). We find wisdom from this God to navigate difficult decisions (15). Some might even give the ultimate sacrifice for this God (16). You might be hated and disregarded because of this God (17). But in this God, not a hair of your head will perish (18). And standing firm upon this God leads to everlasting life (19). Salvation belongs to God.

Revelation: Salvation Belongs to God in Christ

The diversity of the saved in their new home (9)
The song of the saved (10)
The connection to redeemed creation (11)
The song of the cosmos (12)
Remembering what we have been rescued from (13-14)
What salvation means (15-17)
· Before God’s throne
· Service day and night forever
· No more…hunger, thirst, heat
· With the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ
· Led to springs of living water
· Every tear wiped away.


Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech was originally entitled “Normalcy, never again”. This is a great description of the life we are called to live for the Lord.
Salvation belongs to God. He will see it through. It is real. It is coming. There is no competition. There is no second choice.

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