God Our Rescuer

3 September 2014

Opening Prayer/Worship

Hymn: Let Us With A Gladsome Mind

Theme: God Our Maker

Topic: God Our Rescuer

Reading: Exodus 3:1-15

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ²There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. ³Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ ⁴When theLord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁵Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ ⁶He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. ⁷ Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, ⁸and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁹The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. ¹⁰So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ ¹¹But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ ¹²He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’ ¹³ But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you”, and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ ¹⁴God said to Moses, ‘Iam who I am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.” ’ ¹⁵God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”: This is my name for ever, and this my title for all generations.

Introduction

The Lord knows when we are in distress, and always comes to our rescue.  God hears when we cry unto Him, and He always answers.  The challenge sometimes is that we feel that the situation is beyond redemption, that it has been the same for too long, or that we do not deserve to be helped by God.  While we may feel tired of life’s challenges and underserving of the Lord’s mercies, Scripture describes God as a loving, covenant-keeping Father.  Similar to the experience of Israelites in Egypt, God’s promise to us is not that tough times will not come, but that he will rescue us from them.  As we bring our worries and needs to God in prayers and supplication with a thankful heart, let us pray with a believing heart that He will answer us.  We serve an unchangeable, covenant-keeping God, who hears our prayers and rescues us from trouble.

Questions/Discussion

1. Discuss how the Lord is our Rescuer.  

Psalm 46:1-11

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
   though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
³ though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
   God will help it when the morning dawns.
⁶ The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
   he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.
⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord;
   see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
   he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ ‘Be still, and know that I am God!
   I am exalted among the nations,
   I am exalted in the earth.’
¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Psalm 107:1-43

¹ O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
² Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
   those he redeemed from trouble
³ and gathered in from the lands,
   from the east and from the west,
   from the north and from the south. 

⁴ Some wandered in desert wastes,
   finding no way to an inhabited town;
⁵ hungry and thirsty,
   their soul fainted within them.
⁶ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he delivered them from their distress;
⁷ he led them by a straight way,
   until they reached an inhabited town.
⁸ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
⁹ For he satisfies the thirsty,
   and the hungry he fills with good things. 

¹⁰ Some sat in darkness and in gloom,
   prisoners in misery and in irons,
¹¹ for they had rebelled against the words of God,
   and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
¹² Their hearts were bowed down with hard labour;
   they fell down, with no one to help.
¹³ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he saved them from their distress;
¹⁴ he brought them out of darkness and gloom,
   and broke their bonds asunder.
¹⁵ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
¹⁶ For he shatters the doors of bronze,
   and cuts in two the bars of iron. 

¹⁷ Some were sick through their sinful ways,
   and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
¹⁸ they loathed any kind of food,
   and they drew near to the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he saved them from their distress;
²⁰ he sent out his word and healed them,
   and delivered them from destruction.
²¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
²² And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
   and tell of his deeds with songs of joy. 

²³ Some went down to the sea in ships,
   doing business on the mighty waters;
²⁴ they saw the deeds of the Lord,
   his wondrous works in the deep.
²⁵ For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
   which lifted up the waves of the sea.
²⁶ They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
   their courage melted away in their calamity;
²⁷ they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
   and were at their wits’ end.
²⁸ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he brought them out from their distress;
²⁹ he made the storm be still,
   and the waves of the sea were hushed.
³⁰ Then they were glad because they had quiet,
   and he brought them to their desired haven.
³¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
³² Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
   and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 

³³ He turns rivers into a desert,
   springs of water into thirsty ground,
³⁴ a fruitful land into a salty waste,
   because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
³⁵ He turns a desert into pools of water,
   a parched land into springs of water.
³⁶ And there he lets the hungry live,
   and they establish a town to live in;
³⁷ they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
   and get a fruitful yield.
³⁸ By his blessing they multiply greatly,
   and he does not let their cattle decrease. 

³⁹ When they are diminished and brought low
   through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
⁴⁰ he pours contempt on princes
   and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
⁴¹ but he raises up the needy out of distress,
   and makes their families like flocks.
⁴² The upright see it and are glad;
   and all wickedness stops its mouth.
⁴³ Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
   and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Daniel 6:1-7, 10-16, 19-23

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom, ²and over them three presidents, including Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss. ³Soon Daniel distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. ⁴So the presidents and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. ⁵The men said, ‘We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.’ ⁶ So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, ‘O King Darius, live for ever! ⁷All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. ¹⁰ Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open towards Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously. ¹¹The conspirators came and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. ¹²Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, ‘O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human, within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions?’ The king answered, ‘The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.’ ¹³Then they responded to the king, ‘Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.’ ¹⁴ When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him. ¹⁵Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, ‘Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.’ ¹⁶ Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!’ ¹⁹ Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. ²⁰When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, ‘O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?’²¹Daniel then said to the king, ‘O king, live for ever! ²²My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.’ ²³Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

2. What are the lessons for us in Matthew 16:21-28 regarding trust that the Lord rescues us from trouble? 

Matthew 16:21-28

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ²²And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ ²³But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ ²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ²⁶For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? ²⁷ ‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. ²⁸Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’

Isaiah 40:27-31

²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob,
   and speak, O Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord,
   and my right is disregarded by my God’? 
²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
   his understanding is unsearchable. 
²⁹ He gives power to the faint,
   and strengthens the powerless. 
³⁰ Even youths will faint and be weary,
   and the young will fall exhausted; 
³¹ but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
   they shall walk and not faint.

3. Discuss factors that hinder us from deliverance of the Lord.  How do we overcome these obstacles? 

Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c

¹ O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
   make known his deeds among the peoples.
² Sing to him, sing praises to him;
   tell of all his wonderful works.
³ Glory in his holy name;
   let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
⁴ Seek the Lord and his strength;
   seek his presence continually.
⁵ Remember the wonderful works he has done,
   his miracles, and the judgements he has uttered,
⁶ O offspring of his servant Abraham,
   children of Jacob, his chosen ones. 

²³ Then Israel came to Egypt;
   Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
²⁴ And the Lord made his people very fruitful,
   and made them stronger than their foes,
²⁵ whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,
   to deal craftily with his servants. 

²⁶ He sent his servant Moses,
   and Aaron whom he had chosen.
⁴⁵ that they might keep his statutes
   and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!

Isaiah 59:1-16

See, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save,
   nor his ear too dull to hear.
² Rather, your iniquities have been barriers
   between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
   so that he does not hear.
³ For your hands are defiled with blood,
   and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies,
   your tongue mutters wickedness.
⁴ No one brings suit justly,
   no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
   conceiving mischief and begetting iniquity.
⁵ They hatch adders’ eggs,
   and weave the spider’s web;
whoever eats their eggs dies,
   and the crushed egg hatches out a viper.
⁶ Their webs cannot serve as clothing;
   they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their works are works of iniquity,
   and deeds of violence are in their hands.
⁷ Their feet run to evil,
   and they rush to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity,
   desolation and destruction are in their highways.
⁸ The way of peace they do not know,
   and there is no justice in their paths.
Their roads they have made crooked;
   no one who walks in them knows peace. 

⁹ Therefore justice is far from us,
   and righteousness does not reach us;
we wait for light, and lo! there is darkness;
   and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
¹⁰ We grope like the blind along a wall,
   groping like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
   among the vigorous as though we were dead.
¹¹ We all growl like bears;
   like doves we moan mournfully.
We wait for justice, but there is none;
   for salvation, but it is far from us.
¹² For our transgressions before you are many,
   and our sins testify against us.
Our transgressions indeed are with us,
   and we know our iniquities:
¹³ transgressing, and denying the Lord,
   and turning away from following our God,
talking oppression and revolt,
   conceiving lying words and uttering them from the heart.
¹⁴ Justice is turned back,
   and righteousness stands at a distance;
for truth stumbles in the public square,
   and uprightness cannot enter.
¹⁵ Truth is lacking,
   and whoever turns from evil is despoiled. 

The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
   that there was no justice.
¹⁶ He saw that there was no one,
   and was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm brought him victory,
   and his righteousness upheld him.

Romans 12:9-21

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. ¹¹Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’²⁰No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

We serve an unchangeable, loving, covenant-keeping God, who hears our prayers and rescues us from trouble.

Closing Prayer (Collect for Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost)

Author and Giver of all good things, graft in our hearts the love of your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us in all goodness, and of your great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.