Well, I want to start off this morning by asking a series of overarching questions, and it's, why do you go to church? Right. Why do you go to church on a Sunday morning? Why do you choose to wake up, get dressed? Get the kids dressed, scramble in in here and, and come on a weekend. Why do you practice your faith? And, and not just the church he answers, but like on a practical basis. Why, why do we pursue God in this way? I want to ask the question here is that over the next 30 minutes, we want to break this down, is that, do you want relief? Or do you want redemption? Now redemption sounds churchy, and we're gonna break down this term this morning, but when I asked the question, do you want relief or redemption? I think many of us, if we're being honest, just simply want relief. Why? Well, relief eases the pain, right? You're having a hard week, going through a hard time. God, just throw me a bone here, right? Like just give me, give me a little encouragement, give me my little spiritual vitamin for the weekend and let me go on my week, right? But while relief eases pain, redemption actually releases purpose. But relief at its core is really treating symptoms. And redemption actually is an exchange of ownership. Right, if you've ever sold your car. Uh, or about how like there's, you got to sign over the title. And anytime you sell something, there, there's a cost. There is a cost. And the higher the value, the higher the cost. Let me give you an example of a low value. My first car. I, I bought off of a neighbor named Jay Ware. I bought the car for $500 and it was broken when I got it. Like it was not good, and it was like an old Chevy, um, Cavalier. It was, it was not good. It, it, it was spray painted. It's great to start. It had the ceiling that was coming down, you know, that we had the thing. Um, it had a hole in the muffler, um, and so the exhaust went out the hole, not the muffler, so it sounded great. It sounded like a race car. And, uh, and it, but it was not good, and I didn't want to put any money into it. I was a teenager. I'm like, no, I'm just so happy I had a car, and it was, it was like, and so I, if anything broke, I just left it. So like, the air conditioner or the heat went, gone, I'll wear a jacket. Uh, the defrost went, I'll just wipe down the window, and I'm only going from like home to school and back or home to practice, so I'm not taking it far. Uh, the tire was bad and I was like, oh, I can rent it out on a spare for a little bit. But it got to the point where it was just so bad. I was like, OK, this really isn't safe, so I can't even sell it to anybody. And so we'll turn it into a junkyard just for parts, right? Do you know how much I got for the entirety of my car that day? $35. I think I spent more money getting to the junkyard than what they gave me for it. Anyway. But I wanted that money, like there was a cost involved, there's an exchange of goods. Well, OK, the higher the value, the higher the cost, right? OK, when you think about signing. Uh, for college or school, there's a high cost there when you think about purchasing a house, that's like paperwork and paperwork and paperwork. Why? Because the higher the value, the higher the cost, right? When someone's getting married, right, they're processing through the, the intensity of that lifelong commitment, right? But it's because they value that relationship, that person so much. Well, here's why I say this, because we like the idea of redemption, but the reality is redemption costs something. Right. And so this morning's message is entitled The Price of Redemption, because there is a cost to freedom. There is a cost to bring back, but I'm telling you, it's so much more valuable. Than what we think we want, which is simply relief. OK. If you're taking notes, I encourage you to write this down, that redemption comes through God's rescue in our repentance. Redemption comes through God's rescue in our repentance. OK, well, what actually is redemption? Well, to give you a working definition, is that redemption is God paying the price to bring his people back to Himself. Right? God's rescue our repentance. God is paying the price, the value of worth to bring his people back. Have you ever given out or loaned something to a friend and then you don't get it back for a while? Right? Think right now, do you have something that you loaned out to somebody and you're like, man, I, I need to get that back. And can I tell you, if you can't think of something, you might be that person that hangs on to stuff. Maybe you're on the other side, maybe someone gave you something, maybe it's a sibling or a friend, like a, a, a garden tool, or if it's a sibling like or sister or something gave you like a, a jacket that you like, and you're like, man, I really hope they don't remember that, right? And we keep it. Um. It's redemption is not just simply getting the thing back from the person, but it's, it's, it's actually having to purchase it at a deeper level. You see, there's a couple uh words that in the Bible that we have for redemption in Hebrew, there's the word, and I can't pronounce words, but you know that by now, uh, so you've accepted me. But the Hebrew word is gel, which means to reclaim, rescue, or buy back something that belongs to you. And then the Greek word is alpatrusis, which is to release secured by payment, often used in freeing slaves. So what would happen then is that you didn't have digital currency like we have today, or loans in charge of interest. And so if you needed Resources, what would happen in many cases is that if you could pay back the money that you owed, that you would be taken into slavery to pay off your debt. But a lot of times someone would go into slavery to somebody else to pay off a debt that they couldn't pay. And so a family member who is called a kinsman redeemer, and so would come in and then pay the debt that was owed to then bring that family member back to himself. And so there is a cost involved, there is a debt involved, and somebody has to pay the debt, but then there is, once the debt is paid, it then is released and put and brought back into freedom. How does that apply to you and I today? Well, first, let's walk through our story of Exodus. In week one, we studied chapters 1 and 2. And we shared that it's hidden seasons that God does his deepest work. And that Exodus doesn't come out with fanfare and fireworks. It actually starts out in silence and in waiting and in suffering. And so the people of God were enslaved in Egypt for over 400 years. And Pharaoh was afraid that the people were going to multiply so quickly that they would overtake them. So he ordered the killing of infants. So this is a group of people, by the way, that is just practicing outright evil. And that's important to keep in mind that they're oppressing the people of God, that they are killing the people of God. And so when we get to these plagues here in a few minutes, that it's an act of justice, not just a punishment for people who aren't that great. Like, no, they're killing people, oppressing, worshiping other gods, uh, and, and really uh persecuting the people of God. And so it's in this place that Moses is preserved first in a basket, then he's preserved in a palace, and then he's even developed in a desert. And then in week two of our series, we studied Exodus chapter 3 and 4, and we shared that excuses delay what obedience actually delivers. And so God speaks to Moses in a burning bush and he says, I'm gonna send you, you're gonna be my chosen instrument to go back and bring my people out to freedom. And Moses responds with 5 excuses. Well, well, wait a second, God, I can't do that. Me? And, and I encourage you to go back and watch that message, but. But in those excuses, God doesn't affirm Moses, God actually affirms God. And he says, I am who I am, like I am sending you. Who made your mouth, Moses, I'm gonna give you the words to say. I'm gonna give you the signs to perform. I'm gonna give you the power and the strength to do the job that I've called you to. And so after processing through all these excuses, finally, with his brother Aaron, goes back and says, OK, God, we're gonna obey and we're gonna challenge Pharaoh. And so this is where we pick up our story in Exodus chapter 5. OK. Exodus chapter 5 verses 1 and 2. Afterward, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. In other words, saying, let my people go to worship me. Verse 2. But Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? Right there is the challenge of Pharaoh and honestly, the common voice of today's culture. Right? God says, follow me. And most people respond, well, who is God? I don't believe that God, maybe your God, not my God. He says That I should obey his voice and let Israel go? No. I do not know the Lord. And moreover, I will not let Israel go. Like, I'm not just gonna let the people go and give up my power and give up my authority because some God told me to. Says, uh, you know what, let me tell you what I'm gonna do, Moses. Verse 6, the same day, Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, you shall no longer give people straw to make their bricks, as in the past. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks that they made in the past, you shall impose on them, that you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore, they cry, let us go and offer sacrifice to our God. But verse 9, let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regards to lying words. Says, you know what? Not only am I not gonna let your people go, I'm gonna make it tougher on them. We're gonna see how strong you really are, and we're gonna, we're gonna see how strong your God really is. So what does Moses do? Well, like any human, we're like, wait a second, God, that's not what I signed up for, right? We're gonna be going back and forth, their context, our context, OK? Let me ask you a question. Have you ever obeyed God and then life got harder? Have you ever obeyed God and and said, OK, God, I'm gonna do what you told me to do, and you walk in and you stand up for justice, and you stand up for truth, and you have the hard conversation or you forgive, or you or you, you save yourself for this, and all of a sudden, life gets harder. You get passed over for the promotion, that person doesn't forgive you, you get taken advantage of, you get made fun of, your reputation gets tarnished, you get betrayed. You're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, God, I did not sign up for this. You give me a command, I follow, I get hashtag blessed, and then everyone sings Kumbaya and it's great. Right? That's how we think it should work, right? But what happens is God gives us a command, we obey, and sometimes obedience makes your life harder. But God hasn't called us to be comfortable, right? What is that? Comfort is relief, but it's not redemption. You can remember, redemption always costs something. We don't go around the valley of the shadow of death, we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. So Moses is, is having a very human conversation. He's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, God, this is not the plan. Verse 22. Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, Oh Lord, why have you done evil to these people? He's, he's calling God evil. Right? Come on, parents of teenagers, you've had like, have you ever told your teen to do something and they're like, oh. You're the worst, right? This is Moses being the teenager to God, except he's 80, so it's a little awkward. Right? It's like, butan, you said. That's just how I translate the Hebrew, um. He's like, why did you even send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to these, these people, and you have not delivered your people at all. But God's response is so powerful. And we're gonna camp out in verse 6, but I want to give you the context for this, that if you get even just a glimpse of this truth, I'm telling you, it can literally transform your life. Uh, notice the gracelessness and the power with which God speaks. Like if I'm God in that instance, I'm like, oh, OK, Moses, done. Next. Aaron, your turn. You, you, you, you try. But no, the grace with which he speaks and the power and the authority and the presence and the promise of God is so transformative. It's awesome. Just, just track with me here. Verse 2. God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name, the Lord, I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners or strangers. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Now here's where it gets so good. Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am the Lord. I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with outstretched arm and great acts of judgment. Hang on to that phrase for about 5 minutes, OK? I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I'm the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will bring you into the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession, for I am the Lord. Quick reminder, how did God create the world? He's spoken into existence. So understand this, that when God speaks, even nothingness obeys him. Right? When God speaks, things happen. He never has, never will break a promise, and so there is power in that promise. But let's break this down. I want you to notice the redemptive um pattern here in verse chapter 6, or chapter 6, verse 6. And the pattern is this, God reveals, God rescues, God releases, God redeems. God reveals, God rescues, God releases, God redeems. Here's how the breakdown works. OK, first. Revelation. God says, I am the Lord. Some of you want transformation, but you've yet to receive a revelation. Because he's not saying, work harder, work harder, work harder, and maybe you'll be loved. He starts with God. That every act of deliverance is an act of grace. Right? And so again, he's not affirming Moses. Preach harder, yell louder, do more things, he says, when he starts to question the plan, God starts off by saying, I am the Lord. And he gives him revelation. So much in life can be freed. When you, when you go like from this to this. Right? By starting by recognizing it's God's word, it's God's presence, it's God's promise that's going to change anything. So revelation, he reveals himself. He says, I am the Lord. But second, he says, rescue, I will bring you out. I see you, I know you, I've heard your groans, and I'm gonna do something about it. I will bring you out. That's rescue. Again, redemption is God's rescue, our repentance. God's rescue, our repentance. Then he goes in and says, I will deliver you. Right? I will release you from bondage. Today we tend to think of like deliver like DoorDash, right? But in this case, God is DoorDashing freedom here, OK? Um, and, but there is a cost involved. He says, I will bring you out, and then I will deliver you. OK, I will bring you out of Egypt, but then I'm gonna deliver Egypt out of you. And then he gets to this place of redeeming. It's only the 2nd time the word's used in the Bible. The first time was in Genesis 48, story of Joseph, but it's really the first time we get this meta narrative or arc of scripture that from this point on, we see this theme of redemption throughout the rest of the Bible. And it's so cool if you just stick with me here. He says, I will redeem you. I will purchase back your freedom with what? He says, with an outstretched arm and with a great act of judgment and justice. Outstretched arm is like a power stance, right? You have a pharaoh, you have a king, you have Caesar, you have these historical figures of leadership, right? They have a sword, a scepter or something that boom, my power, right? So with outstretched arm, I'm gonna show you my authority, OK? Hang on to that. And how am I gonna show my authority? Well, it's gonna be with a judgment against you because you've been blatantly disobeying, obeying me and not in a foolish way, but in an evil way. And a good God is a just God, and a just God has to have a just judgment. Does that make sense? Hang on to that phrase, outstretched arm, act of judgment. It's, oh it's so good. OK, all right, just stick with me. I, sorry, I get excited, nerd out, and if no one else is excited, that's OK, but maybe someone else will be. OK. So redemption comes through God's rescue in our repentance, OK? Now, for time's sake, we don't have time to go through all of chapters 7 through 11. I encourage you to go ahead and read this, but let me give you a way to understand the 10 plagues. OK, is how do we understand these 10 plagues? Well, the plagues were not random punishments. They were targeted confrontations of Egyptian idols and gods. OK. It is going, it's going directly out of the heart of the pagan gods of Egypt. Let me walk through this quickly here with you. The first plague that he sends a judgment on Pharaoh. Again, the same person who was killing babies and blatantly rejecting God and oppressing his people. So this is an evil situation. This is not just like, oh, he's not nice, so like, no, this is wiping you like I'm glad we have a God of justice, OK? And so we have the first one, he turns water into blood, he turns in the, it's really directly challenging Hapi, the God of the Nile. He starts at the source. He says so much of your power comes from life and the economy, from the river. OK, gone. The second plague, the plague of frogs, the god of Hicket or the god of fertility who is symbolized by the frogs. So the, the Nile turns to blood, all the frogs have to leave the Nile, and now it just, it's just creepy too, by the way, imagining millions of frogs just hopping around like one frog, cute, like millions, not cool. And so it's hopping around, but again, it's challenging the god, the goddess of fertility. Third plague, gnats. It now the gnats or some say lice come in and then it makes the Egyptian priests ceremonially unclean. Now at this point, the other like sorcerers and magicians can kind of replicate little magic trick kind of things and so Pharaoh's like, well, my, my people can do that. And he says, really? So your priests are unclean. They get attacked they're covered by that. The 4th plague flies, uh, Capri, it's the god of creation. At this point, God sends the attack of these flies here everywhere. Just, uh, I mean, I get annoyed with one fly. Like I, did anyone else track with me? Like you're enjoying a nice walk or like a sunset and you hear and like you're like, like God is so good. You know what I mean? Like I can't imagine like millions, OK, coming in. But he's attacking the Egyptian god of creation. And now at this point, it's the Egyptians receiving, but not the people of God. The 5th plague, death of livestock. It's attacking the, the Egyptian god who had sacred animals. I said, OK, you think your priests can worship your pagan gods? They're unclean. Your animals that you sacrifice to these pagan pagan gods, they're gonna die. And it's just, it's just one by one, attacking these false gods. Plague number 6, boils. It attacks the Egyptian god of healing. It's like, oh, you think you're in control? How about if you all have boils? If it's the flies and the gnats and lives that, now you got nastiness everywhere, OK. Plague number 7, hail, it's attacking the uh the goddess of the sky. He says, OK, this is gonna destroy everything. After it destroys everything, there's this little remnants of what's left behind. So then he sends in plague number 8, locusts, which is the god over storms and chaos. So now it's destroying everything. Everything's stripped down, the economy, the religion, the, the power that you think you have. What, again, in Egypt, in the desert, we can relate here being in Arizona, what was the highest power god? It was the sun god, right? Ra. So then what's the next plague? Darkness. And so he's continuing on and just taking down all of these plagues, one by one till he gets to the highest point where now he's gonna take on Pharaoh himself, who thought of himself as a god. And so we're gonna save that plague for next week. Don't, oh, it's next week's gonna be so good. OK, don't, don't miss next week, OK? When it talks about Passover, where that comes from. And so he's gonna challenge Pharaoh himself, who by the way, was it the Pharaoh before him was the one who ordered the killing of all infants. And so why did he do all these plagues? Because here, here's what we need to understand. God doesn't negotiate with idols, he dethrones them. Right? God doesn't play games. It's not like, well, If, if you come, then I'll come, maybe we can show up and I'll. He's like, oh, you think that's God? See you. 00, you think your identity is in money? No. Oh, you think your identity is in health? No. Oh, you think your identity is in. A title? No. God doesn't negotiate with idols, he dethrones them. And then Pharaoh's response was over and over and over again. He like starts to relent because he wants relief. He's like, OK, OK, your God wins, I, I, I, I give. But then as soon as he gets respite from that, and the plague stops, he's like, wait a second, I don't want that. Let, let me just give you a couple of examples. Again, this happens after every plague, but let me just give you two verses to show you what I'm talking about. Uh, chapter 8, verse 15, so after the frog's plague. It says, but when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, like so the frogs that plague ended. He hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. It's like, wait a second, no, I'm not gonna let my people go. After the 9 plagues. He comes in there in Exodus chapter 11 verse 10, says Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land. Here's the reality, don't we do that though? Right? How many of us sitting in this room. I had life go one way and life started lifeing, you know what I mean? And sometimes life is life and real hard, right? We don't make good choices or somebody else doesn't make good choices and it starts going and we start negotiating with God a little bit. OK, OK, God, OK, I know I haven't been in church. I know I haven't read my Bible. I know these things haven't gone, but if you would just. Then I'll, then I'll come back, right? And we make these commitments to God, right? And you would come in and we're like, OK, God, OK, God. But then what happens? Things ease up a little bit, and then what do we do? We turn right back to the things of the world, don't we? And then we come back, OK, God, I need you, Lord, I need you. Oh, I need you. And then Monday comes, I'm good. Right? Don't we do this over and over again? Here's the thing that we don't like to admit, is that we have pharaohs in our own heart. We have idols and things that we value more than God in our own heart, that is actually enslaving us. But we don't wanna confront the idols. That's why I say redemption is costly. Like relief eases the symptoms for a little bit, redemption's gonna cost you something, and that's called repentance. Where, where is, where is redemption today? Where's redemption today? Well, think about this pattern. God reveals, God rescues, God releases, God redeems. And when this clicked for me, woo, I got excited. You might have missed it. But this is so good. OK God says, I am the Lord. I will bring you out. I will deliver you. I will redeem you, right? I will purchase back what's rightfully mine. How with an outstretched. And in an act of justice and judgment. Where is that in the New Testament? Why don't we see plagues in the New Testament? Why don't we see all these radical things that we saw in the Old Testament? Is it a different God? No. Because in the New Testament, same plan, same redemption, God goes outstretched hand, acts of judgment. On the cross. He says, I will take the plagues. I will take the wrath. I will take the justice that you deserve. I will come down in the humility of a man. I will give you the promise of Christmas. I will give you the proof of Easter, and I will take on the entire weight of the world and the weight of the wrath and the justice of God. I will take it on so that you can go free. The price of redemption is my life, and I give it for you. This is why in places like in John 12, it talks about the Son of Man must be lifted up, right? He lifts his hand out. It's the same power, it's the same judgment, it's the same justice, but he steps in and says, enough, I will take it. And when you see this, there's redemption all over in the New Testament, everywhere you look, you can't escape it, and it's so mind blowing and eye-opening. Let me just read a couple verses for you. I might get a little excited, but here we go. Mark chapter 10 verse 45, says even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. What to give his life as a ransom for many. Romans 3:23-26 says for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, that's us. But are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, but whom God put forward as a propitiation, that's a fancy word for payment, by his blood to be received by faith. This was to show that God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance, oh, hey, please come back next week, OK? Forbearance passing over at lamp. Oh, there's, OK, just come back, it's good. Passover, that's next week, OK. Verse 26, it was to show the righteousness at the present time so that he might be both, check this out, just and the justifier. God is the prosecutor, God is the judge, God is the juror. He is just, he is justifier. He is holy, He is good. He is merciful. Why? Because with his outstretched arm and his act of judgment, he took it all on the cross for your sins and for mine. Says for the one who has faith in Jesus, Colossians 1:13-14, he has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom what? We have the redemption of the forgiveness of sins, Ephesians 1:7. In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace. Galatians 3:13 and 14, for Christ's Redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree, so that in Christ Jesus, that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. First Peter 1:18-19 says, knowing that you were ransomed from the feudal ways inherited from your forefathers, not by perishable things such as Silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, that of a lamb, oh, come on, next week, I'm telling you, you gotta come back of a lamb without blemish or spot, and I could go on and on and on. The story of Exodus is actually our story, that the God of Exodus is our God, that the God who purchased their freedom purchased your freedom, except we don't experience the plagues that they experienced. Why? Because Jesus took it all. Amen. But redemption. Comes through God's rescue, and then our repentance. The response to God is not, yeah. The response to freedom is not, OK, God, I, I'll take it from here. The response to God is to say, take my life. The idols that I've clung onto, I need to give to you. The things that I thought were important are not that important. That the temporary relief is not worth the eternal glory that I received through your redemption. Here is my life Here is my heart. So let me ask you, Do you want relief or redemption? Look, God, God can encourage you, right? The verse of the day, it's a nice little vitamin to give yourself, but understand. That Christ didn't come down to be like, that a, that a boy, that a girl, you got this. Christ came down in the cosmic story of eternity to say, sin took my people away, separated them from me, I'm gonna buy back what's mine. With outstretched hand, an act of justice and mercy, I will pay for your sins, and I will pay for the sins for the people who hurt you. So you don't have to carry that around either, by the way. So what idol is God confronting in your life? Are you willing to give that up? That's what the 10 plagues were for. God doesn't negotiate idols, he dethrones them. Because you've received redemption in your life that Jesus paid the cross, paid the payment on the cross, and rose again on the 3rd day, understanding that freedom is possible, forgiveness is possible, hope and love and joy, even in the valley, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I can experience that. Why? Because you are with me. So the final thing then is, will you respond to God's rescue with repentance? Will you stop playing Pharaoh in your own heart saying, well, who is God? Or saying, OK, God, I'll I'll, I'll relent, but then as soon as things are good, I go back to my old ways. Instead, can you be like the people of God who receive his word, receive his redemption, receive the fact that Jesus gave his life. He loves you so much, that he values your life so much that he gave his for yours. In the greatest exchange in history. That he takes our sin, we take his name. That we get to go as, as more than conquerors. So that we would head into Monday like what you think sickness is gonna stop me? You think brokenness of this world's gonna stop me? You think my past is gonna stop me? No. Yeah, I might have a scar from the past, but I know where I'm going. And I know who's taking me there, I know who paid for it. God loves you. God redeems us. But we got to be willing to repent of the idols that we have in our lives, to receive that because that cost him his life. So let me end this morning by asking you this question. Is what you're living for worth Christ dying for? As you process that, let me pray for you. Do you ever have any father Thank you for the story of Moses, the reluctant leader who questioned you along the way, but God, you used him to bring about. Freedom With your outstretched hand and your authority and your power and judgment through those plagues, you ultimately brought freedom to your people. That today we don't see those plagues like we do. We, yes, you, you're good and you are just, and we see things around the world. We know that ultimately though, you paid the ultimate price for our lives, for our freedom on the cross. Help us receive that redemption today. Help us to worship you today and to live as free people for your glory. We love you, God. It's in your sins and we pray. Amen.