Staying Faithful [15:55m]:
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Exodus 22:16-31 [+/-]Exodus 22:16-31
[16]"If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and
lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and
make her his wife. [17]If her father utterly refuses to
give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-
price for virgins.
[18]"You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
[19]"Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.
[20]"Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD
alone, shall be devoted to destruction.
[21]"You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for
you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. [22]You shall not
mistreat any widow or fatherless child. [23]If you do
mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear
their cry, [24]and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you
with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your
children fatherless.
[25]"If you lend money to any of my people with you who
is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and
you shall not exact interest from him. [26]If ever you take
your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him
before the sun goes down, [27]for that is his only
covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else
shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I
am compassionate.
[28]"You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your
people.
[29]"You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of
your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The
firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. [30]You shall
do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days
it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall
give it to me.
[31]"You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall
not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you
shall throw it to the dogs. (ESV)
Have you every heard that the Christian faith is potentially always just one generation away from extinction. Although I understand the thrust of such teaching, doesn’t it strike you at all as a bit arrogant; as if the preservation of what God produced depends on the ones for whom it was produced rather than on the One who produced it. The Bible is clear that God will protect and preserve His reputation upon the earth; He will not give His glory to another. The propagation and proclamation of the work of God upon the earth will never die. God will always keep alive and active a group of witnesses to His Name. That is not the issue. The issue is how we are to stay alert to the activity of God in our lives so that we do not compromise or contort what it means to be committed to Him…
Learn more about this message by downloading the sermon notes here!
