We thank you, O Lord, for your presence among your people. This is your people. You have gathered these people for your glory. We ask for your blessing, O Lord, that you will help your servant to deliver your message to your church. In my weakness, oh Lord, speak to these people. Speak to your people, oh Lord. Help me to speak clearly. So your name can be glorified and Christ can be exalted in this place. Give us ear to hear, oh Lord, what you have to say to us. Please help us. Holy Spirit, help us. Work in us. Work in our hearts. Bless this church, oh God. We wanna do your will. We wanna honor you, Lord. I thank you for all that you are doing with us. And for the word that you're going to give us today. May your name be glorified in this place. We ask these things in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen. You may be seated. I need a bottle of water. The text that we just read, it's one of the three songs that are attributed to Moses. One of them can be found in Deuteronomy 32. The second one is found in Psalm 90. And the third one, it's this one that we just read in Exodus 15. All three songs proclaim the glory of God. It exalts His salvation, His provision. It exalts His name, His love, His mercy. These songs serve as a profound reminder to believers of the way in which God has acted on behalf of hopeless people. They remind us that we have been redeemed from the hands of our enemies by our mighty and great God. This is why the Bible over and over commands God's people to sing to the Lord. To sing to the Lord. The Bible contains more than 400 reference about singing to the Lord. 50 of those times, it's a direct command to God's people to sing to Him. Psalm 47, verse six, it says, sing praises to God. Sing praises, sing praises to our God and King. Sing praises. Psalm nine, verse one, it says, I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praises of your name almost high. Psalm 96, verse one and two. It says, sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord all the earth. Psalm 104, verse 33. It says, I will sing to the Lord all my life. I will sing praises to my God as long as I live. So, as you can see, Christians are a singing people. We love to sing. We love to sing to the Lord. No other religion in history of the world is known for being a singing people. Only Christians can sing in every situation. In persecution, we sing. In affliction, we sing. In jail, we sing. When faced good news, we often express our joy through singing, through songs. And even in the face of death, Christians have the courage to sing. Consider the example of Paul and Silas when they were being persecuted and then they were thrown in jail. In Acts 16, it is noted that at midnight, despite their circumstances, Paul and Silas were singing with great joy. One might ponder the reaction of the other prisoners. Surely, they thought Paul and Silas were crazy. Who, after all, can sing during times of afflictions? Who possesses the strength to sing in times of uncertainty? Only Christians. Reflecting on the accounts of the first century martyrs, we see that entire Christian families, they were being persecuted. and they were cast into the Roman Coliseum to face the lions. Yet, rather than renouncing their faith, they entered the arena singing, rather than denying the faith in their Savior. Recently, I came across a video of a Christian woman in her last final moments. Before taking her last breath, she expressed the desire to sing, surrendered by her family. This raises an intriguing question. How can believers endure such profound afflictions, yet still experiencing joy, even in moments of desperation? What enables Christians to navigate trials and tribulations while maintaining a heart capable of singing? The answer can be found in the following statement. We have come to know the most high and mighty God who is in our favor. We sing as an expression of our understanding of God's nature and the profound impact He has done in our lives. We sing because we recognize Him as our Redeemer. We sing in celebration of the eternal life we have found in Him. who has delivered us from our adversaries. We taste the richness of His grace because He is our Savior. He has triumphed over death, over Satan, over sin, which once held dominion over us. We sing, beloved, as a celebration of the gift of eternal life. comforting in the assurance that no one will snatch us out of his hand. I mean, think about that. We are secure in the Father's hand. Who can separate us from the love of God? neither tribulation, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor danger, nor sword, neither dead, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor present circumstances, nor future uncertainties, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. That is wonderful. This is why the redeemed people of God have a heart to sing to the Lord. And this is what we see here. in the text, our main text that we just read this morning. We see here an expression of joy, a song that expresses praise and honor to God. This song is not about Moses. It's not about the Israelites. It's not about Aaron. This song is about the Lord. In the context of this passage, we read that the Israelites were the ones singing this song. They burst out in great joy. And the reason why we see such a joy in these people, it is because God had delivered them from the hands of their enemy. God acted in their favor. They saw with their own eyes the power of God, the salvation of God, the faithfulness of God, the mercy of God. I mean, think about this. For 430 years, these people were living in oppression. Oppressed, in bondage, hopeless, living under their enemy. 430 years without hope. But one day, the grace of God, the mercy of God, and the divine providence of God was manifested to these people who were living in great bondage, desperation, hopeless. We read in the previous chapters of our main text how God wonderfully set these people free from their enemy. You see, no man could have saved the Israelites. Yes, we read that Moses, we read about Moses being the leader of the Israelites, but Moses was just an instrument of the hands of the Lord, in the hands of the Lord, in the hands of a mighty God. This is why we don't see here this song in Exodus 15, exalting Moses, but rather exalting God and God alone. Why? Well, think of the following. It was God who provided His prophet for these people. It was God who was sending his prophet to these people. And this prophet had the duty to deliver a good news to the Israelites who were living hopeless. The good news that they were going to be rescued from their oppressors. The good news that God himself was descending from heaven to take these people from their misery to the promised land. The good news that they were going to be God's people, that they were going to be blessed by him, that they were going to be under God's protection. So it was God who appeared to Moses and sent him to the Israelites to deliver this great news of salvation. Secondly, it was not only God who initiated the rescue for these people by sending his prophet to deliver the good news, but it was also God himself who established the plan of this rescue. Did you see here how God in God alone is working in this salvation, in this rescue for these people? First, sending his prophet to deliver the good news. Secondly, this good news is about the plan he established, how he was going to save and rescue these people. During the final of the 10 plagues that the Lord unleashed upon Egypt, God warned the Israelites of his impending judgment, which will result in the dead striking every household in the land of Egypt. The specter of dead was going to be knocking on every door, every home. However, Through his prophet, God forewarned the Israelites of this coming judgment and he provided a mean of salvation when the angel of death approached their doors. The plan of salvation involved the slaughtering of a lamb. in the application of its blood on the doorpost, serving as a sign that the inhabitants had placed their trust in God and his messenger. So when the angel of death descended upon Egypt to execute judgment, he will pass over any home marked by the blood of this lamb on the doorpost. And this plan was divinely orchestrated by God to save his people. It was not a plan of Moses. It was not the idea of Moses. But rather, this plan emerges from God's will. Moreover, this song attributes all glory to God, not only because He provided His prophet sending the good news, not only because He executed His own plan of salvation, but also because God Himself promised to bless His people, granting them the privilege of being called His own. and allowing them to dwell in the land flowing with milk and honey. Here in Exodus 15, prior to the singing of this song, we observe the Israelites as they emerged from Egypt, journeying toward the promised land and preparing to enter However, they soon encounter a significant obstacle that impedes their progress, the Red Sea. But in the other hand, we also see Pharaoh's army advancing with vengeance, with hatred, planning to destroy God's people. So this was a moment of uncertainty for the Israelites. But these stories serve as a reminder for God's people that as we strive, as we are marching to our heavenly destiny, as we are marching to heaven, we will encounter And we will face challenges, afflictions, tribulations, obstacles that will test and challenge our faith. I mean, think about this. It was a moment of testing the faith of the Israelites from a human perspective. It seems like they had no hope. But from a divine perspective, we see that the Lord opened a way where there was no way. In times of despair, God will never abandon his people. He promised to be with us even in the most difficult times. He promised to never abandon us nor forsake us. He promised to be with us always until the end of time. So in this passage, we observe that the Israelite was facing with this challenge, with this challenge, and it was essential For God's people to place their trust in Him, in God, once again. Think about this. Their lives were in danger. Their entire families were in danger. From a human perspective, escape appear impossible. And hope seems to be lost. It seems futile to continue pressing forward. It seems like a crazy idea to confront the enemy. The temptation to surrender, it was evident. Why fight? What are we going to do? We are in time of desperation, uncertainty. Yet just when all seemed hopeless, the Bible reveals that God once again extended His grace and mercy. The Lord intervened and came to the rescue of His people, demonstrating His unwavering commitment to their salvation. He demonstrated his great power once again, parting the waters of the sea so the people of Israel can cross over, walking in dry land. And until the last of the Israelites was in the other side, God closed the waters of the sea, killing all Pharaoh's army. And when the Israelites saw this great power of God, And what he did on behalf of these hopeless people, suddenly we come to chapter 15, and we see here that they burst out singing this song in Exodus 15, praising God for this salvation. Over a million people lifting up their voices in adoration to their God. The people who He redeemed for His glory are proclaiming these words. Notice how they were singing to the Lord. They were exalting the Lord. They were exalting His power. Notice verse 1 to 3. Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, I will sing to the Lord. For He has triumphed gloriously. The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him. My Father is God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a man of word. The Lord is His name. Beloved, these serve as a reminder that our worship should be centered around God. When we gather in the house of the Lord, Our primary purpose is to worship Him. We come together to sing praises to Him, not to any individual or the leaders or the pastor, but to God and God alone. You can clearly see that this song is a theocentric song. focusing on the Lord and celebrating the magnificence of His salvation. As noted in verse 2, the song emphasizes that the Lord is a strength and must be the source of our joy. The redeemed people of God can only find true strength in Him. It serves as a reminder that without God, we are nothing. Without God, We remain hopeless. Without God, we lack salvation. And you see here, the captivity of the people of Israel and Egypt, being slaves and oppressed by their enemy, has a parallelism with the way People live in the world and how the world needs God's intervention. Israel was oppressed by a nation, but man is under the oppression of something much worse, something spiritual. It's oppressed by a number of adversaries. It's oppressed by sin, Satan, and death. The Bible mentions in Romans 6, verse 20, and in John 8, verse 30, that all who commit sin is a slave for sin. In Romans 6, verse 23, it tells us that the wage of sin is dead. So sin is our enemy who destroy our lives, destroy our relationship with our Creator. Dead is our enemy who take us away from the presence of God. But that's not it. Ephesians chapter two is a reminder that Satan also is our enemy. And that he is working in the people to destroy them. To capture their hearts and their minds and to take them away from the only hope of salvation they have, and that is Christ. He came to kill, to steal, to destroy. That is the number one mission of our enemy, Satan. That is his goal, to destroy and manipulate your life, take you away from the only hope of eternal life that is found in Christ. But God did something for sinners like us, people living in bondage, First, He sent someone greater than Moses to deliver us great news for these oppressed people. Someone greater than Moses came to deliver this great news, and that is Jesus, His dearest Son. He Himself is the good news. In Luke 4, verse 18, we read that this period of the Lord is upon me, it says, the Lord, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives in recovering of the sight to the blind, set a liberty to those who are oppressed. In John chapter 10, verse 10 says that, He came that we might have life and have it abundantly. In John chapter 14, verse 6, he says, I am the way, the true and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me, says the Lord. So Jesus is the greatest demonstration of God's love and mercy towards sinners like us. Secondly, Not only has God sent someone greater than Moses to deliver this profound message of good news, of salvation, but he also providing something surpassing the Passover lamb given to Israel and Egypt. God has offered the true lamb who takes away the sins of the world. That is His Son. His sacrifice on the cross, the shedding of the blood in Calvary. It's a reminder that God has done something on our behalf. He provided His lamb for people like us to redeem us, to save us, to rescue us. We too were a people oppressed by our enemies, hopeless, destined to spend eternity in hell. But thanks be to God who intervened in our situation, has provided an impeccable plan to rescue us from our sin. And now, just as that judgment struck Egypt, a greater judgment is coming to this world. And it's essential to recognize that God continuously extends an invitation for the sinner to take refuge in the lamb that he provided. It is vital to understand that when the divine judgment occurs, those who do not bear the mark of the lamb or the lamb's blood upon their lives will face consequences as the angel of dead will approach their doors. This precious blood must be applied through your life to ensure safety. The blood of the Son of God that was shed on the cross provides a pathway of salvation. Therefore, seek refuge in Him. Trust in God. Trust in Christ. Know that judgment is coming for this world. But God's still calling sinners to repentance. But we clearly see that not only God sent a prophet greater than Moses, who is Jesus, to deliver us this great new, who keeps calling you and saying, come, take refuge in me. Judgment is coming. I am the way, the true, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Come! Not only the Lord provided His sacrificial lamb, but also we can clearly see that He made promises to bless us abundantly In the book of Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3, the Bible says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. You see, we have passed from being a people under oppression to be God's people. We have passed from condemnation to have everlasting life in Christ. God has applied to us all these wonderful promises, and it was because of Christ. Because of Christ, we are called children of God. Because of Christ, we have within us the Spirit of God. Because of Christ, we will live forever with Him. Because of Christ, we are blessed. We are blessed. So tell me, Who is the one who deserve of the glory and honor? Who is the one who needs to be exalted in the gathering of the saints? Is it not our God and Savior? This is why His people have a heart that sings to Him, to the Lord, We serve a mighty God. We serve a miracle worker. We serve a God who sustained His people. No one will snatch us out of His hands. We are safe in the Father's arms because of Christ. In Christ alone, our hope is found. He is our light, our strength, and He is our song. So let us keep praising our Lord and Savior. Let us keep giving praise to Him. To Him be the glory and the honor forever. Father, we thank you for reminding us that we are Your people, who you have purchased with the blood of you, Lamb. We are blessed because of Christ. We lift your name in high. You are worthy of all praise and honor. Worthy is the Lamb of God. Worthy is the Lamb of God. who takes away the sin of the world. For in Christ alone, our hope is found. To you be the glory.