Sermon
#1343[1] Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: “REMEMBER”
Text: Deuteronomy 15:15
Subject: Bondage and Redemption - The
Motivation of Grace
Date: Sunday Morning -
Tape # V-24b
Introduction:
You will
find my text in Deuteronomy 15:15. If you are taking notes, the title of my
message this morning is “REMEMBER.”
Deuteronomy
In
the Word of God we are constantly told to remember what we are by nature and
what the Lord God has done for us by his almighty grace in Christ. The reason
for this is both simple and clear. Everything
in the
In
his autobiography William Jay
tells of a visit he had with John
Newton in his study at Olney. He noticed that Mr. Newton had this text
of Scripture written in large letters and hanging on the wall over his desk. As
that faithful man prepared his sermons these words were constantly before him: "Thou
shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the
“I am
glad to see you,” Mr. Newton said to his guest. I have a letter here from
May
God the Holy Spirit now bring to our memories the amazing grace of God in
delivering our souls from bondage and melt our hearts before the throne of
grace. As I remind redeemed sinners of our experience of grace, I pray that
some of you who are yet in bondage may be brought this day into “the glorious liberty of the sons of God.”
Proposition:
That which motivates and governs the lives of God’s saints is their remembrance
of redemption and grace in and by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Divisions:
Let me call your attention to four things in this message. As we consider these
four things, I trust that our hearts will melt in devotion and love before the
Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.
1. The Picture of Grace
2. The Bondage of Sin
3. The Redemption of Our Souls
4. The Remembrance of Mercy
I.
First, I want to call your
attention to THE PICTURE OF GRACE set before us in the redemption of Israel
out of Egyptian bondage.
As
you read the history of the children of Israel in the Old Testament, you cannot
help noticing that great care was
taken by God that the Jews never forget what he did for them in
bringing them up out of the house of bondage. He intended for them to be
reminded of it everywhere they turned and commanded them to remember it
forever. "Thou shalt remember that
thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed
thee."
A. The month of their deliverance was made the first
month of the year to them
Exodus 12:2 "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you."
B. A special ordinance was established to be kept by
the children of Israel perpetually, throughout their generations, until the
coming of Christ.
·
Exodus 12:3-14
The
Passover was ordained by God to be an annual New Year’s celebration of
redemption.
·
“A Lamb for an House” (v.3)
·
“Your lamb shall be without
blemish, a male of the first year” (v.5). - An Innocent Victim in the Prime of Life -
Christ!
·
Kill It.
·
Sprinkle the Blood.
·
Eat the Lamb.
Exodus 12:13 "And the blood shall be to you for a
token upon the houses where ye are: and
when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon
you to destroy you, when I smite the
land of Egypt."
C. In addition to the Passover ceremony, they were
required to instruct their children in the matter of redemption.
The
gospel was to be handed down orally, from father to son, generation after
generation.
Deuteronomy
6:20-21 "And
when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies,
and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? (21) Then thou shalt say unto thy son,
We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a
mighty hand:"
If
this was the responsibility of parents in those days, how much more is it our
responsibility to instruct our sons and daughters in the gospel of Christ.
Seize every opportunity to do so. Explain to them...
·
Why we come to the house of God. - "We
remember that we were bondmen in the land of Egypt, and the LORD our God
redeemed us."
·
Why we give to the cause of Christ. - "We remember that we were bondmen in the land of Egypt, and the
LORD our God redeemed us."
·
Why we preach the gospel. - "We
remember that we were bondmen in the land of Egypt, and the LORD our God
redeemed us."
·
Why we build our lives around the worship of God. - "We remember that we were bondmen in
the land of Egypt, and the LORD our God redeemed us."
D. Even in the giving of their law, they were commanded
to remember their redemption from Egyptian bondage by the hand of God.
Exodus 20:1-3 "And God spake all these words, saying, (2) I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (3) Thou
shalt have no other gods before me."
Repeatedly,
throughout their history, the Jews were commanded by God, "Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of
Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee." They were carefully
instructed to do so and how to do so. Yet, their deliverance and redemption was
only typical. How much more shall we heed this word from our God! "Thou shalt remember that thou wast a
bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
Our redemption by Christ and our experience of grace in him must always
be held in the forefront, never cast into the background.
In all our worship, in all our preaching, in all our teaching, in all
our singing, in all our praying, in all our witnessing, in all our living, in
all our thoughts, REDEMPTION MUST ALWAYS BE THE PRIMARY MATTER OF
CONSIDERATION.
1. When Paul endeavors to promote peace between Jew and
Gentile, he does so by reminding us of our redemption. - (Ephesians 2:11-14) "Wherefore
remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by
hands; (12) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no
hope, and without God in the world: (13) But now in Christ Jesus ye who
sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (14) For he is our
peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us."
2.
When he challenges us to
godliness and devotion he does so by reminding us of our redemption. - (Romans 6:17-18) "But God be thanked, that ye were the
servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which
was delivered you. (18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants
of righteousness." -----------------(1
Corinthians 6:19-20) "What? know ye not that your body is
the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are
not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
3.
When
he seeks to promote mercy, brotherly love, kindness,
and forgiveness among saints, he reminds us of and motivates us by our
experience of redemption and grace in Christ. -------------------------
(Ephesians 4:32-5:1) "And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath
forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children."
Redemption and grace by Jesus Christ is
not the primary thing in our doctrine. It is everything! That is the
reason why I preach to you as I do. I am determined to know nothing among you
save Jesus Christ and him crucified. In all my doctrine, in all my preaching,
my motto is - “God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” My object in preaching
is to honor Christ, get you to know Christ and worship him, and to help you
keep your heart focused upon Christ and redemption and grace in him.
II. Therefore, second, I want us to consider THE
BONDAGE OF SIN from which we have been redeemed by the mighty hand of our
God.
Man’s
natural bondage in sin was very well pictured by the bondage that the Jews
experienced in Egypt. We were all
“children of wrath” by nature. We were all the servants, the slaves, of our
lusts and of Satan by nature. Paul states it plainly - “Ye were the servants of sin”
(Rom. 6:17, 20).
A. Before God saved us by his grace, we were enslaved
by a power against which we were without strength.
I do
not suggest that we all behaved as wickedly as we could. I am simply declaring
that we all walked in the path of sin and rebellion against God. Some were
highhanded, openly profligate rebels. Others were sneaky, hypocritical rebels.
Some were very immoral. Others were very moral, after the judgment of men. But
all were the servants of sin.
Were had no will to righteousness. Yet, even if we had had the will to
escape the power of Satan and the slavery of our lusts, we were without
strength to do so. Have you forgotten that time “when we were yet without strength?” We
were without strength...
·
To Keep God’s Law.
·
To Resist Satan’s Temptations.
·
To Obey the Gospel.
B. Our Bondage was such that we had no heart, desire,
or even inclination to escape it.
I am
a Southerner. I am so much a Southerner, that if I were not a Southerner, I
would be ashamed. But the greatest blight upon our Southern heritage is that
terrible inhumanity that many still try to defend - Slavery. It is one of those
things I wish had never happened, or could somehow be erased from memory. But
that cannot be. Slavery is one huge, ugly, oozing sore on the side of the South
that will forever mar the beauty of the South.
One of the worst aspects of
slavery is the fact that it so degraded men that they frequently became content
to be slaves. Such contentment is a moral castration of manhood. He is not
truly a man who is content to be a slave. Yet, such was our spiritual condition
by nature that we were content to be in bondage and slavery to sin and Satan.
We hugged our chains and kissed our manacles, as if they were ornaments of
beauty!
C. Satan is
a hard task-master.
As
Pharaoh made Israel to serve with rigor, making them make bricks without straw
and compelling them by brutality to build his pyramids, so Satan is a hard
task-master. Of all tyrants, sin and Satan are the most cruel. It is a costly
thing to serve your lusts.
1. First, they debase you.
2. Next, they bankrupt you.
3. In the end, they destroy
you.
D. At last,
our bondage brought us into misery.
Do
you remember when the Lord brought you down, when he caused your soul to feel
the weight of guilt and the bondage of depravity? Like Israel in Egypt, you sighed and cried, you moaned and groaned by
reason of your bondage. And, just as God heard the groanings of Abraham’s
children in Egypt and remembered his covenant (Ex. 2:24), so he heard the
groaning of your soul and visited you with his salvation.
Like
Pharaoh, Satan’s aim was our destruction. The strong man armed would not let us
go. Though our hearts were pricked by the preaching of the Word, though we were
deeply moved by the gospel, we simply could not escape the captivity in which
we were held. Then, O blessed, blessed
day, One stronger than he, the Lord Jesus Christ, the almighty Son of God,
broke into our hearts, bound the devil, threw him out of the house, took
possession of our souls, and set us free! Glory be to God, we were bondmen
in Egypt, but the Lord our God redeemed s! Let his name be praised!
Illustration: Try
to picture Joshua or Caleb telling the story of redemption to their children
and grandchildren.
·
See these Scars. –The Bondage!
·
See these Stones --The Covenant!
·
See this Lamb. –The Sacrifice!
III. Third, I want us to
think about THE REDEMPTION OF OUR SOULS.
There is no subject like this. There is
nothing I prefer to think about, study, discuss, preach, or hear preached. Redemption is my joy. Redemption is my
song. And redemption is my message. The Lord God redeemed Israel by blood,
by power, and by bringing them into the possession of all that was promised to
them in his covenant in the land of Canaan. In all these things, their physical
redemption was typical of and a picture of our spiritual redemption in Christ.
A. Redemption by Price
First, as the Jews were redeemed
from Egypt by the blood of the paschal lamb and by the blood of the Egyptians
themselves, so too we have been redeemed by blood.
1.
Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, by the shedding of his blood as our Substitute to make atonement for our
sins, has redeemed us from the curse of the law.
1 Peter
1:18-20 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver
and gold, from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers; (19) But
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot: (20) Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you,"
1 Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his
own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
2.
Having sacrificed his
darling Son to save us, the Lord God will not hesitate to sacrifice anything or
anyone, even as he did the firstborn in Egypt, Pharaoh, and his armies, to save
his elect.
Isaiah 43:1-4 "But now thus saith the LORD that
created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have
redeemed thee, I have called thee by
thy name; thou art mine. (2) When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee; and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (3) For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave
Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and
Seba for thee. (4) Since thou wast
precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee:
therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life."
Romans 8:32 "He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?"
B. Redemption by Power
The
word “redemption” implies far more
than merely the paying of a ransom price. Whenever you think about Christ’s
great work of redemption, always remember that all for whom the ransom price
was paid shall be delivered. In Bible
terms “redemption” means deliverance as well as ransom.
We have been redeemed by the
ransom price of Christ’s precious blood. And we have been delivered from the
bondage of sin, Satan, and the law by the irresistible power of God’s sovereign
grace in regeneration and effectual calling. This too is illustrated by the
redemption of Israel out of Egypt. As God brought Israel out of Egypt with a
mighty hand and stretched out arm, so he brought us out of the house of bondage
by almighty grace and irresistible power.
·
As he made them willing to come out, so he made us willing to come out!
·
As he made them able to come out, so he made us able to come out!
·
As he brought them out, so he brought us out of the house of bondage!
Not a hoof was left behind. And there was not a feeble one among them (Ex.
10:26; Ps. 105:37-38).
Exodus 10:26 "Our cattle also
shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we
take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the
LORD, until we come thither."
Psalms 105:37-38 "He brought
them forth also with silver and gold: and there
was not one feeble person among
their tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon
them."
1. Our redemption was
accomplished by divine intervention. - “The
Lord thy God redeemed thee.”
2. Our redemption has been
personally experienced. - “The Lord thy God redeemed thee.”
3. Our redemption cannot
possibly be accounted for except in these terms. - “THE LORD THY GOD REDEEMED THEE!”
But
there is more to come. Just as the nation of Israel was at last brought into
the possession of the land of promise and all the blessings of the covenant God
made with Abraham, so too, our redemption will be complete only when we
enjoy...
C. Redemption by Possession.
There
is a day coming when every chosen, ransomed, called sinner shall enter into the
full possession of heavenly glory and inherit all the blessings promised by God
to Christ as our Surety in the covenant of grace before the world began. God’s Israel shall inherit their
Promised Land. Just as Joshua brought Israel into the full possession
of all God’s promises to that nation, so our great Joshua, the Lord Jesus
Christ, will bring the Israel of God into the full possession of all God’s
covenant promises to his elect, his chosen nation.
Joshua 23:14 "And, behold, this day…ye know in all
your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the
good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass
unto you, and not one thing hath
failed thereof."
1. We were chosen and
predestined to that end.
2. We were redeemed to that
end.
3. We have been sealed to that
end (Eph. 1:14).
4. We shall attain that end.
5. That will be for us the day
of redemption (Eph. 4:30).
IV. Now, fourth, I want to lead you briefly in THE
REMEMBRANCE OF MERCY.
Deuteronomy
15:15 "Thou shalt remember that thou wast a
bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I
command thee this thing to day."
The
remembrance of God’s mercy toward us, remembering our bondage and his
redemption, ought to have a constant and profound effect upon our lives. The remembrance of God’s mercy and grace in
the redemption of our souls...
A. Ought to Make us Humble. --
We would all be in hell today, were it not for God’s sovereign, saving grace.
1 Corinthians
4:7 "For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that
thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?"
B. Ought to Make us Thankful. --It
is not likely that anyone here has everything he wants. Some may even have
great needs that no one knows about but them and God. But, my brothers and sisters,
we are redeemed. Is that not enough to make us thankful?
C. Ought to Make us Patient. --Run
with patience the race that is set before you. This is not the place of our
honor. Wait awhile. The Lord’s promise is sure. He will fulfill it in his time.
Trust him and be patient.
D. Ought to Make us Content. --Any
man who remembers the galling bitterness of spiritual slavery, who has been
brought into the liberty of Christ, will find a way to be content in his
freedom, whatever the circumstances of that freedom may be.
Philippians
4:12-13 "I know both how to be abased, and I
know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be
full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth
me."
E. Ought to Make us Kind and
Gracious. --That is the matter at issue
in Deuteronomy 15. Liberated slaves ought always be the most kind, gracious,
tender-hearted men in the world.
·
Ephesians 4:32-5:1
F. Ought to Make us Hopeful.
Romans 5:10 "For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life."
1 John 3:1-3 "Behold, what manner of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the
world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (3) And every man that hath this hope
in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
G. Ought to Make us Zealous for Christ.
Illustration: When John Newton was an old man and his health
was failing, he was often asked why he did not retire. His answer was, “What?
Shall the old African blasphemer leave off preaching Christ while there is
breath in his body? No, never!” He “remembered that he was a bondman in the
land of Egypt, and the LORD his God redeemed him."
Application: If you will carefully read
Deuteronomy chapters five through twenty-six, you will find that this matter of
redemption was the motive the Lord gave his people for everything he required
of them.
·
For Worship (6:14).
·
For Separation (7:6-14).
·
For Obedience (8:10-11).
·
For Supreme Loyalty to God (13:5).
·
For Keeping the Passover (16:1).
·
For Generosity in the Worship and Service of God (16:10-12; 26:7-8).
·
For Charity and Generosity to the Poor (24:17).
Allow me the liberty, as your pastor,
to use this glorious gospel of grace, this message and remembrance of redemption
to motivate your hearts and my own in the worship and service of our great God.
·
When the saints of God
gather in his house for worship, “Remember
that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed
thee."
·
When the offering plate is
passed, “Remember that thou wast a bondman in the
land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
·
When the building needs
attention, “Remember that thou wast a bondman in the
land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
·
When the church house needs
cleaning, “Remember that thou wast a bondman in the
land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
·
When someone is needed in
the nursery,
“Remember that thou wast a bondman in the
land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
·
When you have opportunity to
show hospitality, “Remember that thou wast a
bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
·
When you have opportunity to
speak to someone about Christ, “Remember
that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed
thee."
·
When it is time to make a
decision between right and wrong, “Remember
that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed
thee."
·
When you choose your
companions,
“Remember that thou wast a bondman in the
land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
·
When you have opportunity to
help someone,
“Remember that thou wast a bondman in the
land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
This
is God’s word to you and me - “REMEMBER!”
Deuteronomy
15:15 "And thou shalt remember that thou wast
a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I
command thee this thing to day."
[1] See #1239 –Preached at Danville, Sunday A.M. 7/7/96. This Message Preached At: Whitehouse, NJ - 4-28-99 – Spring Lake, NC 6-4-99.