2 “Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the Lord? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2

At the opening of the chapter we find a hardened Pharaoh who says ”I don’t KNOW the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” The world today, including many in the church, completely lack an understanding of the spiritual battles and plans of the Lord because they do not KNOW GOD! In Greek we find a deeper definition of what it means to KNOW God. We must “Ginosko” which is to have a first hand experience and relationship with him. Our God is a relational God who desires us to come to him and personally experience his goodness.

4 Pharaoh replied, “Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their tasks? Get back to work! 5 Look, there are many of your people in the land, and you are stopping them from their work. 6 That same day Pharaoh sent this order to the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen: 7 “Do not supply any more straw for making bricks. Make the people get it themselves! 8 But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy.” Exodus 5:4-5

Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron, “why are you DISTRACTING the people from their work?” He claims the people of Israel are getting LAZY. The evil acts of Pharaoh had gotten worse because he demanded more work to be done within the same amount of time. Likewise, Satan is actively devising a scheme to DISTRACT believers around the world alike with unbelievable acts of evil so that the people will be so DISTRACTED that they will become LAZY.

He intends to keep us busy and DISTRACTED so that we will become LAZY in reading the word, LAZY in seeking God, LAZY in the actions of prayer, LAZY in fighting the demonic schemes, strategies and plans Ephesians 6:12 speaks of! If you remain DISTRACTED there will be no focus and no hope!

12 So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt in search of stubble to use as straw. Exodus 5:12

As a result of the distraction what do we find happens? The people SCATTERED throughout the land. Yes, Satan is trying to SCATTER the people of God! Genesis 2:18 says “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” God designed us from the very beginning to live in companionship and unity. If you don't believe this is a demonic strategy just look at how high the divorce rate is in America today.

First marriage divorce rate is 30% to 50%
Second marriage divorce rate is 60% to 70%

Divorce does nothing more than cause thousands families and millions of people to SCATTER. They get lazy in the fight to keep what God has put together. There is no love, and they give up because the battle is too much!

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” But when we look at church attendance, look at all those falling away from the faith!

A Gallup poll in March of 2021 showed this:
1999…70% belong to a church
2018…50% belong to a church
2020…47% belong to a church

How do we encourage one another when we cannot even worship together? If we cannot fellowship together, if we cannot hear the word and learn together, if we cannot be overcome by the testimony? Very simply, we have allowed Satan to SCATTER the Lord's people by refusing to give him time in his own house.

Hebrews 10:25 says “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Yet, we as a people are so distracted and have become so LAZY that we say: I don’t need church, so, we SCATTER!

Meanwhile, the Egyptian slave drivers continued to PUSH HARD. “Meet your daily quota of bricks, just as you did when we provided you with straw!” they demanded. Exodus 5:13"

Satan’s schemes and or agendas are PUSHED HARD without relent or wavering. He uses television, social media, music, video games, billboards, comic books, concerts, absolutely nothing is off limits! Consider the depth of pride and mental health issues which are avenues of Satan's agenda.

He wants you to stay busy trying to figure out how to fix your mental state. He wants more doctor visits, more counselors and every different type of therapy you can imagine with more to come. He wants us PUSHED and distracted by Talk Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Supportive Therapy which includes Animal Assisted, Art & Music Therapy, Motivational Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy. Yet, all the while Satan is the one who is pulling the puppet strings and attacking the MIND all at the same time.

2 Corinthians 4: 4 says “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” 1 Peter 5:8

Father may your children never be blinded by the schemes of Satan. Give us an understanding of who you are so that we may KNOW you. Amen.

Exodus 5:16 “We are given no straw, but the slave drivers still demand, ‘Make bricks!’ We are being beaten, but it isn’t our fault! Your own people are to blame!”

You may be thinking, “The Israelites were not to blame for their own slavery!”. And you are correct, it was not the fault of the Israelites however,  Satan will have all who refuse to listen to the truth embrace this phrase! There will be no accountability for sin. If you cannot be accountable to it, you cannot confess it. And if you cannot confess it you cannot be saved or forgiven.

The list goes on and on: Murder, lies, hatred, pride, idols, adultery, sexual sin, homosexuality- “none of it is our fault.” The upcoming generations will use this phrase as a badge of honor and will expect the world to understand….its not my fault, I didn’t feel safe! It is simply NOT MY FAULT!

We do not need to repent of our sins BECAUSE IT'S NOT OUR FAULT! They will believe this and live this lie so that there will be no repentance which will ultimately culminate in receiving the mark of the beast. (Revelation 13:16-17)

The Israelite foremen could see that they were in SERIOUS TROUBLE when they were told, “You must not reduce the number of bricks you make each day.” Exodus 5:19

The WOKE agenda is bringing upon a WRATH of SERIOUS TROUBLE that many are not and will not be prepared for because they are blinded from the TRUTH and do not KNOW GOD. THIS WOKE AGENDA IS IN GREAT OPPOSITION TO THE DISCERNMENT AND WISDOM THAT GOD GIVES!

 It is a distraction and a lie. It is a version of the great dragon sucking the soul from our youth. It feeds their every emotion of anger and unhappiness and fear. It makes them comfortable to change into something different instead of surrendering themselves to God. The woke agenda is tangible to them when God seems so far away along with the TRUTH, but only Jesus saves!

The woke agenda is also an effort to reduce the numbers of Christians, the true followers of Christ. It causes division and pride which God detest! Exodus 5:21 says “The foremen said to them, “May the Lord judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!” We must put our hope in God alone, only he will judge and punish with the sword all that deceive and follow the agenda of sexual immortality and idols and pride!

Revelation 19:11-16 says “11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in[a] blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!” Exodus 5:23  
 
Exodus 6: 2 And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the Lord.’  I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’[b]—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them.
We serve and believe and hope and are protected and loved by- Yahweh, Jehovah, El Shaddai. THE GREAT I AM!

 “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. EXODUS 6:6

The great I Am will free us from this brutal oppression and we will be redeemed! God’s powerful arm and great acts of judgment shall prevail!

 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. Exodus 6:7

CLAIM GOD TODAY!! CHOOSE THE God as your savior today and He will be your God!
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8

Exodus 6:99 So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery. Satan wants you to be discouraged and refuse to LISTEN!

12 “But Lord!” Moses objected. “My own people won’t listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I’m such a clumsy speaker!”

LISTEN comes up again…. Listen to that still small voice that is calling you to COME!

Matthew 11: 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

13 But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders for the Israelites and for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.

God is ordering you to COME! COME to him…the only ONE that can save and heal and repair and restore and revive and renew YOU

We are in a series entitled “The Dwindling Hour”. This past week we laid the groundwork for the urgency that we as believers must carry in every single step that we take.

We talked about the fact that today matters: every second matters and perhaps there comes a point in our lives even through suffering that God brings us to fo a purpose, to carry out what he intends for us to do.

15 So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15-16

The word of God says don't act thoughtlessly, ensure every step you take, every breath you breathe is intentional. But it also says to “understand what the Lord wants you to do”.

This is incredibly important because I believe everyone in this room understands what they desire, and what they want to see from this life. We all have our own goals, dreams, aspirations. Many of those things may be very good things to aspire to do. But are these things what the Lord wants us to do?

And you may be thinking to yourself how am I to “understand” what the Lord wants me to do?

As the year began the Lord put on my heart this deep hunger and desire to grow in knowledge about what wisdom was. And because that is another sermon for another time, I won't go too deep into everything the Lord showed me. But what I learned was that wisdom is always connected to understanding.

Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Proverbs 2:2

For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:13

So I believe it is safe to say that when God says “ 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” he's asking us to seek his wisdom. He desires us to have the wisdom of his purposes for our life, the wisdom of his promise and the wisdom of his goodness. So you think well Pastor Juan, first you're talking about time, then you're talking about understanding and now you're talking about wisdom, which one is it? Well, it's all of them.

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Somehow, someway, his word is saying that our understanding that the hour is dwindling is connected to the wisdom he desires us to have. If you have ever desired to be wise, if you've ever desired to have an understanding of God's purpose for us- then you must understand the shortness of our time. For those of you who may still not understand, let me continue to share the wisdom of his word.

11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. Romans 13:11-14

I found it amazing how this passage parallels the night, the darkness with the life we live when we do not acknowledge the brevity of life. These verses say “wakeup”, the night is almost gone, remove your dark deeds, don't participate in the darkness. You know why this struck me? It seems to say live in the light not the darkness.

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

We can't be royal priests and live unrepented lives. We can't be a holy nation and walk around living in disobedience and carrying backpacks of unforgiveness and hurts. We cannot give ourselves to God as his very own possession and believe that we are worthless. This is what God desires us to understand.

God desires to awaken his church today to the shortness of our life so that we will act in urgency, understandinding what he wants us to do which is walk in the light and do the things that are pleasing to him.

So God gave me two examples of understanding this holiness we are talking about. When it comes to Moses and the burning bush most of the time when we hear about this story the emphasis is put on the burning bush. But what I want us to see here are moses sandals.

4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. 5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father[c]—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. Exodus 3:4-6

Why did God require Moses to remove his sandals? Physically Moses was to approach God with reverence. Often Times we can become so casual about Gods holiness and of his presence that we just rush right in with little to no reverence for who he is.

But it was also symbolic, actually symbolic of what we have been looking at today. Now that moses was standing in the presence of God, now that he was to walk in the holiness of God, he couldn't stand there with the dirtiness and filthiness that his sandals carried.  Moses had to strip away what was dirty to trade it for what was holy.

12 So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.

 It wasn't until Moses stripped his sandals off that God could reveal his purpose to moses. “7 Then the Lord told him”. As a holy nation we must strip off the dirtiness of our old lives, we must throw to the side everything that is holding us back from walking in the holiness of God and of his purposes.

11 Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting. 12 One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” 13 If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.” 14 The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.” 15 Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. 16 How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.” 17 The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:12-17

God desires to awaken his church today to the shortness of our life so that we will act in urgency, understandinding what he wants us to do which is walk in the light of his holiness and do the things that are pleasing to him.