Leaving Egypt (Pt.2)

(Part 2)

 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”-John 1:29

Freedom from sin begins with the lamb that was slain and Jesus is our lamb. The blood of the lamb was placed on the doorposts of the Israelites homes to save them from certain death. By faith, you and I can accept the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross and His blood is applied to the doorposts of our hearts to save us from certain death. Romans 6:23 definitively states that the wages of sin is death; the penalty we would have all faced if Jesus hadn’t chosen to be our passover lamb!

“And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.”-Revelation 13:8 

Before Jesus came to this earth, as a babe born in a manger, He had already chosen to lay down His life for us. The cycle of sin cannot be broken off of your life without placing your faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. When you put your faith in Him, He will break those chains off of you like 400 years of bondage off the children of Israel. However, once those chains are broken, you got to come out and come out quickly! 

 I find it interesting that when God gave Moses the specifications for the Passover meal, He included this instruction to pass on to the Israelites:

“These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover.”-Exodus 12:11

Why would God tell them to be fully dressed, have their shoes on and walking sticks in hand? Because he didn’t want them to hesitate. The moment that the chains were broken He wanted Israel to be prepared to come out. The moment Pharaoh loosened his grip, God expected them to flee. God was declaring: Be hasty not hesitant when fleeing from bondage. 

He didn’t want them moseying away, he wanted them to exit with urgency. To flee Egypt, like their lives depended on it. The problem is we don’t prepare people to come out quickly. Believe it or not, even though folks have been in bondage for years and the concept of freedom is attractive, they are often hesitant to leave it, because it’s all they’ve known. Everything they know is rooted in their bondage and we as the Body of Christ don’t help matters any by trying to ease the blow of leaving their sinful past lives.

Coming to Jesus means leaving everything to follow Him, that includes our sinful lives. Yet, because people seem hesitant, we’ve tried to make the gospel more attractive, by communicating that coming out of sin quickly and all at once isn’t necessary and that it’s alright to come out little by little. Funny, that was Pharaoh’s plan. He kept trying to get Israel to leave little by little instead of all at once. I wonder why? That doesn’t sound much like an exodus. It sounds like conceding. You want to break the cycle of sin from off your life and find real freedom? You have to come out of it quickly and come out completely. No hesitation! 

We don’t come out little by little, because Jesus didn’t sacrifice Himself little by little. He purchased your redemption in full at Calvary. You aren’t on a payment plan. He didn’t shed His blood a pint at time as you determine when and how quickly you want to leave Egypt. When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and He breaks the grip of sin off of your life, it’s time to come out. Come out quickly and come out completely! 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Leaving Egypt (Pt.1)

11 “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover. 12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! 13 But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.”-Exodus 12:11-14 

The story of Israel coming out of Egypt is a historically significant event that is packed with a ton of spiritual truth. Israel’s exodus out of Egypt is a type or shadow of you and I coming out of sin. Have you ever considered why it takes some people so long to find freedom once they've been set free? 

Israel’s exodus gives us a lot of answers. Did you ever do the math and consider why it took Israel so long to reach the promise land? A journey that should have taken them three weeks lasted 40 years. Some people’s journey out of sin, seems to reflect the same cycle of events that kept Israel wandering in circles.

Over the next several weeks we want to break that cycle and help people find the freedom Jesus secured for them at the cross:

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”-Galatian 5:1 

We will do this by examining three things that Israel had to overcome to break the cycle: hesitation, frustrations, and false expectations. 

Before we fully understand the significance of the passover that we read about in Exodus 12:11-14 we need to understand the history. Israel had been in Egypt for over 400 years. They fled there during a time of famine when Joseph (one of Jacob’s sons) was second in command of all of Egypt. However, scripture tells us that after Joseph died another Pharaoh arose who knew not Joseph and was intimidated by the number of Jews occupying the land. So he subjugated them and made them slaves. This was there lot for hundreds of years. Bondage was all Israel knew. Entire generations were raised that never knew what freedom looked like or felt like, until God called a man by the name of Moses to lead them out. 

However, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the people of Israel go. So, God brought 10 plagues against the land of Egypt. You would have thought, after the first  plague or two, that Pharaoh would have relented, but it was not until the final plague (the death of all the firstborn) that Pharaoh relented and let Israel go. 

We read in Exodus 12, how God instructed to Moses to slay a lamb and apply the blood to the doorposts of their homes. When the death angel passed through, he would see the blood and “passover” the children of Israel’s homes. God did many miracles leading up to Israel’s deliverance, but they didn’t come out until the lamb was slain! It was the blood of the lamb that brought them out. 

Somebody needs to hear this today. You’ve tried everything, yet you still feel like you are in bondage. You feel trapped in a never ending cycle of sin. You fear you will never find freedom, however the the blood of the lamb can bring you out. Freedom from sin begins with the lamb that was slain. Jesus is our lamb! 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Courageous Generosity (Pt.3)

(Part 3)

“Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!” The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.-Mark 15:24-32 

 

True generosity will always take you outside what’s comfortable. Jesus not only taught that, He lived it. Jesus didn’t just give, He gave until it hurt. Jesus was under no obligation to die for our sins, yet He took on our penalty and shame. He paid a great price and in doing so, did more than what was expected. Why? 

 

 “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Himendured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”-Hebrews 12:2

 

He did it for the joy set before Him. What was this joy set before Him? What caused Him to endure the cross? You and I! Remember what Paul said about the churches in Macedonia: “they were filled with abundant joy, and that joy overflowed in rich generosity.” Jesus for the joy set before Him, overflowed in rich generosity towards us. He gave until it hurt because he felt the value of that which He was giving His life for was greater than that which He was holding. What are you holding on to?

 

Remember, Jesus gauges generosity not on what we have to give from, but rather what we have to give up. He laid down his life, so that we could have an eternal future with God. That is the heart of generosity. 

 

The woman with the two mites didn’t give generously based on what she had. She only had two mites and no surplus. Her generosity was not calculated on what she possessed, it was calculated on everything she would be giving up when she released what she was holding on to. Courageous generosity means giving even when it frightens us. It is motivated by love and compassion, not compulsion or obedience. 

 

It is when the joy of what is set before us is greater than what we are holding on to, we will learn what it means to give until it hurts. 

 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Courageous Generosity (Pt.2)

(Part 2)

“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”-Matthew 7:2

 

 When we are motivated by love and compassion we measure with a shovel rather than a teaspoon. Our motivation for giving determines how we measure out our offerings. Love and compassion will always give far more than obedience and obligation. It is the difference between whether we sow hours or minutes into something. It is the difference between whether we will sell off a car to help meet a need or just give the change that’s in the cup holder.

 

 When our giving is motivated by love, it not only causes us to give more, but to fear less: 

 

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.”-1 John 4:18. 

 

One of the greatest hindrances to generosity is fear of not having enough to meet our own needs. However, let’s be reminded of what the Apostle wrote to the church in Corinth: 

 

“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.”-2 Corinthians 9:6-11

 

This passage affirms that God will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. You will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. God promises to make certain that our needs our met, so that we can be a conduit of blessing to others in need. It is a principle Jesus, himself, taught:

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”-Luke 6:38 

 

With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Your ability to be generous is directly tied to you willingness to be generous. True generosity will take you outside what’s comfortable. Jesus not only taught it, he lived it. Jesus gave until it hurt.

 

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Courageous Generosity (Pt.1)

(Part 1) 

“While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”-Luke 21:1-4

Generosity is showing a readiness to give more of something than is necessary or expected. However, it goes far beyond just giving. Generosity is a reflection of God’s character, a tool for bringing honor and glory to God, and a way to point people to Christ. 

Generosity has far more to do with the condition of our heart than it does the abundance of our bank accounts. That is precisely what Jesus is teaching us in Luke 21:1-4. Jesus is well aware of our giving and whether our giving was shared out of our abundance or out of our need. Jesus was careful not to associate generosity with abundance. Instead Jesus gauges generosity based not on what we have to give from, but rather what we have to give up. 

The rich, obviously, gave more numerically, however they only gave a tiny portion of their surplus. They were not going to miss a meal or have to adjust their monthly budget to make room for their gift. The widow, by comparison, gave far less, but she gave everything that she had. There was no safety net. Giving, knowing that you will have to give something else up to give it takes courage. 

The Apostle Paul recognized this in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 as he recounts the generosity of the churches in Macedonia: 

“Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

The church were being tested by many troubles. Many of them were just trying to put food on the table and provide a roof over their family’s head. They were very poor Living paycheck to paycheck at best.  

Yet, they gave not only what they could afford, but the scripture says they gave far more. How often do we base our giving on what we can afford? Some may argue, Well, isn’t that being a good steward? Certainly, but how many things have we obligated ourselves too that have crippled our ability to be generous? 

When was the last time any of us actually sat down and said, if we give up “this” and “that” for the next month we can give towards the need of another? Here is what made them stand out to Paul. No one had to tell them to do it. They did it of their own free will. According to Paul, they did more than was even hoped. That kind of giving did not come easy. 

How many know that it cost them something? There were things that they had to give up, in order to participate in the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. What does generosity look like? It’s people in need giving generously to bless others in need.

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Courageous Prayer (Pt.3)

Part 3 

“Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.” So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night. Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.”-Daniel 6:14-23

King Darius, obviously, had a lot of respect for Daniel. Scripture tells us that, upon leaving the lion’s den, Darius didn’t eat or sleep that entire night and refused to be entertained. When morning dawned, he rushed out to see if Daniel’s God had rescued him. When the stone was rolled away, not a scratch was found on him, for Daniel had trusted in his God. 

The last key to a courageous prayer life is trust. Courageous prayer trusts God. Remember, that when they came and took Daniel into custody, they found him in prayer asking for God’s help.

I don’t know how he envisioned that looking, but as they were tossing him in the lion’s den it may have appeared as if God didn’t answer. When the stone was rolled over the top sealing him in, it may have appeared that the Lord didn’t answer. When the King sealed the stone with his signet ring ensuring that no one could come and save Daniel, it may have appeared that God didn’t answer. When the first lion roared and bore his teeth it may have appeared that the Lord didn’t answer. 

If it were me, my prayer life would have found new life in that moment. How many would have been throwing out every prayer you could pray? However, Daniel didn’t learn to trust God in the moment, he learned to trust God three times a day, seven days a week, in his upstairs room with the windows open toward Jerusalem. If you can’t trust Him to show up in your prayer closet, you will never trust Him to show up in the Lion’s Den. Daniel didn’t learn the value of prayer in the Lion’s den. He learned it in his prayer closet. 

Daniel, did however, experience the value of prayer in the lion’s den, because of the value he put on prayer when he was petitioning God from his upstairs chamber. 

Sometimes we stop valuing prayer because we didn’t see God show up when or how we expected. We stop trusting God, when in reality we should stop trusting our weak prayer lives. Let’s be honest, we want to experience the miracles Daniel did, but we don’t want to pay the price. We don’t want to develop the discipline of consistent prayer, we don’t want to sacrifice our comfort to make prayer a greater priority, we don’t want to learn the value of prayer in our prayer closets, we just want to experience it when we need it. 

Courageous prayer takes consistency, priority and trust. 

Pastor Scott Burr

Courageous Prayer (Pt.2)

“Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help.”-Daniel 6:11

They found him praying! When’s the last time someone found you praying? When was the last time your kids found you praying? Your spouse find you praying? Your co-worker find you praying? I’m not talking about praying in a way that draws attention to yourself.  I talking about giving enough time to prayer that people, without prompting, can tell that prayer is a priority in your life.

Daniel’s accusers didn’t just stumble upon him praying. The scripture says that they went looking where they knew they would find Daniel praying. If you and I are going to have a courageous prayer life we are going to have to make prayer a priority. You don’t think that something had to take a backseat three times a day when Daniel stopped to pray. You don’t think that other things had to be pushed back or left undone so that he could build that consistency in his life. 

Daniel wasn’t working a 10 a.m.-3  p.m., Monday-Friday, with weekends off kind of job:

“Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.”-Daniel 6:1-3

Daniel didn’t try to fit prayer into his day, he scheduled his day around his prayer time. What you schedule your day around will become your priority. They knew that his prayer life was a priority. They knew that even if the king issued a decree declaring that anyone caught praying to any other person or god would be thrown to the lions, that Daniel would not sway in his prayer life. 

“ 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. 12 So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?” “Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”13 Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”- Daniel 6:11-13

When prayer is a priority, it’s going to take more than a death threat to stop you. What have you allowed to be the “decree” that has crippled your prayer life? Think about that. Darius decreed death to those who prayed to anyone else or any other god, yet Daniel was still not deterred in his prayer life. 

Some of us need to repent because we have abandoned prayer for far less. We will binge watch 16 hours of Stranger Things on Netflix while not giving a single solitary hour to prayer. We will stand in line at Universal Studios for two hours to ride the Fast & Furious, but not sit and pray for an hour with the saints of God, because it’s too long, too boring, or too uncomfortable. 

I am thinking if we can endure two hours in line to experience five minutes of fun, surely we can endure an hour prayer meeting to see people experience eternity. It is in prayer where people’s lives are changed, saved, healed, delivered, and restored.

 It takes courage to make prayer a priority. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church