PASTOR’S NOTES
You shall not follow a crowd to do evil.”
Week after week we see a perfect Father in this part of the Exodus story. A Father that cares about all things, knows the importance of order in the lives of children, and a Father committed to discipleship. The Book of the Covenant is all about the perfect picture of God the Father! A model of perfect parenting.
This week, our Father warns us not to go astray from what we have been taught. Not to go astray, even when others choose to do so.
This week’s text is a reality that all of us will experience at some point as believers. There will be times when we have been taught by God’s word how to live, but are invited to go in different directions by those who desire other lifestyles.
In this week’s scripture, the words “crowd” and “many” are the temptation that breaks many of God’s people. Freedom and faith can be a lonely place to live at times because very few people choose this lifestyle. “Many” will go with the “crowd” to chase after worldly idols and pleasures of the world. This is why the Bible calls us to be “Aliens.”
This word “Alien” is a descriptive word showing that faithful believers will standout and often times be alone in a world full of “many.” Very few desire such a label.
Once again, picture the story of a Father and a son. This Father has raised, taught, and walked with His child. Now the Father is speaking to His child about staying strong and faithful, even if this means being lonely.
“Don’t stray away son, even if everyone around you does.” What a hard message!
People today not only face this temptation from peers, but also by the culture around them. Many are invited to walk away from their faith by those who live in their own home as well those who they have never met on the T.V.
This is why the church is so important! Going all the way back to the book of Acts, we see that our Father gave us the church exactly for this reason.
The church was given for many reasons, but near the top was to give His children a family of faithful brothers and sisters to encourage each other to keep fighting the good fight. Even in our loneliness, we have Jesus and are filled by His Spirit. As a church, we are called to remind one another to keep running, keep fighting! Jesus is worth it and is more than enough!
Jesus is better than the crowd!
SCRIPTURE TO GO ALONG WITH THE MESSAGE
Read 1 Peter 2:11-12 on the topic of staying faithful in a broken world.
HIGHLIGHT IN YOUR BIBLES
Highlight verse 2 & 8 in this weeks text in Exodus.
