HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-02-16, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017. PAGE 13.
From the Minister's Study
Follow Jesus, don't be a slave to sin
By Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Blyth Christian Reformed
Church
The second book of the Bible, the
book of Exodus, has a fascinating
structure. The book begins with the
Israelites suffering as slaves under
ruthless Egyptian rule. We see the
Egyptians using their slaves to
develop their nation so that they, the
Egyptians, can become even more
rich and powerful. Slavery, in any
form, whether it be the slavery of
ancient Egypt or the slavery of
recent America or the slavery that
still exists in various forms in our
country, is dehumanizing.
In the book of Exodus, we see the
king of Egypt, Pharaoh, taking the
position of a god over the Israelites.
He fully believes that he has the right
to determine the destiny of this
suffering people, even to the point of
killing their infant boys so that the
Israelites cannot grow strong as a
people group. Pharaoh believed that
he had full right to do with the
Israelites as he saw fit with no regard
for their wellbeing.
As the story unfolds, we see God
acting through the person of Moses
to enter into combat with Pharaoh.
Ten terrible plagues are unleashed
upon the land of Egypt, completely
devastating the land until at last
Pharaoh decides to release the
Israelites. When he changes his mind
and pursues them, he and his army
lose their lives by drowning in the
Red Sea.
God takes credit for the Israelites'
escape from Egypt, and he promises
to continue to care for his people. He
enters into a relationship with them
through a covenant (much like a
marriage covenant), and he commits
himself to the wellbeing of the
Israelites. They, in response, are
invited to join him in this
relationship, signifying their
acceptance of the terms by agreeing
to obey his commands. The Israelites
are pleased to do so, trusting that
God will bless them as they live
obediently before him. At the end of
Exodus, God enters into their midst
by making himself present in a
temporary temple, a tent called a
tabernacle. From that place he will
bless his people, giving them food,
protection and peace. He promises to
look after their wellbeing, unlike
Pharaoh who cared nothing for the
wellbeing of his slaves.
The book of Exodus is structured
to show us how God is ready and
willing and able to free people from
slavery and oppression and bring
them under his care. Freedom, in
Exodus, is not defined as being able
to do whatever we want, but rather
the opportunity to live in security
under a compassionate God.
The pattern or structure of Exodus
is a small picture that shows us what
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Thomas Bailey -
Creation
Ministries
Small Group • Tuesdays 7:30 pm at R&S Howson's, Blyth
Coffee Break Women's Bible Study •Wed. 10 am at Blyth CRC
Youth Group • Wed. 6:30.8:30 pm at Huron Chapel EMC, Auburn
10:30 a.m. - Worship & Sunday School
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848
getlivingwater.or j
God is doing on a larger scale. God
is bringing people from slavery to
sin to freedom in Jesus Christ. The
images that the New Testament uses
to show us what God is doing reflect
the Exodus from Egypt.
The Bible guides our
understanding to show us that the
problems we have in this world are
not the way God intended it to be.
Rather, we have voluntarily placed
ourselves under the reign of God's
adversary, the devil himself. The
devil, contrary to many
contemporary depictions of him, has
only one purpose and that is to
destroy everything that God has
made. By pitting people against each
other, he creates violence and war.
By making us feel insecure, he
institutes systems of greed and
hoarding. By enticing us with
feelings of entitlement, we begin to
believe that we have the right to
pillage the earth of its resources with
little regard for others both now and
into the future. He wants only one
thing: to destroy all that God holds
dear. Because of the devil, we are an
oppressed people, enslaved to the
kingdom of darkness, bound by sin.
God, however, hears our cries, and
he does something about our
situation. He has sent Jesus to this
world to defeat the devil. The cross,
a symbol of torture and death,
becomes a place where the devil is
conquered and the empty tomb a
sign that death is vanquished. All
who believe in Jesus experience an
exodus from the oppression of the
devil. We gain freedom.
But freedom is not the opportunity
to do whatever we like. Freedom is
best experienced under the loving
care of a God who will provide for
our needs. If we know that someone
will take care of us, only then can we
live freely. If, on the other hand, we
have no one to care for us, no one to
provide for us, we become enslaved
to our own need to provide for
ourselves. True freedom is knowing
that we don't have to worry about
BRUSSELS
'' United Church
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
66
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Everyone welcome
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div. - 226-963-1175
At GLICAIN
41BLYTH
AI
PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS
BRUSSELS
Trinity St. John's
( 9:15 am 11:15 am
Church Office Church Office
,,,
i 519-357-4883 519-887-6862
Everyone Welcome!
COME WORSHIP WITH USI
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19
We invite you to join our church family in:
Worship & Sunday School - 11 am
Coffee & Snacks following the service
Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Soup & More 2
- a free community meal held in Melville's basement, and
made possible by the Brussels churches working together.
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Nursery care available
519-887-6687
IA Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11:00 a.m.
Sunday, February 19
t
Rummaging
through the
Lost and Found
MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div. & OFFICE: 519-523-4224
anything, for we can trust that God
will provide through Jesus Christ.
It is rather sad that we have lost
this concept of freedom. I see so
many people living in fear and
insecurity because they have decided
to go it alone, without God. In
eliminating God from their lives,
they don't have any assurance at all
that things will work out in the end.
All they can do is have a faith hope
that perhaps they will.
Those, however, who have given
their lives to Jesus know that they
can't do whatever they want. A
follower of Jesus Christ, one who
has trusted in him, voluntarily
submits him/herself to the direction
and guidance of God. But they do so
knowing that as they live obediently,
God will care for them.
To live in slavery to sin is
dehumanizing. To live in submission
to Jesus Christ enables us to live life
to the fullest. We are confident that
God has our wellbeing in mind.
Through Jesus we can leave slavery
and live a life of true freedom.
Jou re e�nvited a join Ifs c9n 61-Co7s/ip
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
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You're Invitee(
to come worsht p
with us
Sunday, February 19
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers
during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service.
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
UT -LIVE
YOUR_ ==
Always A Place For You - SUNDAY @ 10:30 in AUBURN
huronchapel.com
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph's
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.