the journey to freedom.

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THE JOURNEY TO FREEDOM.
T
he early books of the Bible are dominated by the story
of the Israelites’ journey from slavery in Egypt to
freedom in the Promised Land. In this story we can
see similarities to our lives and the journey that God calls
each of us to go through toward freedom.
No matter how long we’ve been following
Christ, we all have areas of our lives where
we need more freedom. Here are what some
parts of the Israelites’ journey represent to
us:
THE JOURNEY
EGYPT.
Egypt represents life far from God. It’s a
place of bondage where there is little hope.
PHARAOH.
Pharaoh represents the enemy who seeks
to destroy us. He doesn’t want us to experience freedom and would rather we spend
our lives in slavery.
MOSES.
Moses is a foreshadowing of Jesus who came
to lead us away from the enemy and out of
bondage. He put His life on the line so that
we can experience complete freedom.
THE RED SEA.
The crossing of the Red Sea represents a specific time and
place where God shows up in a way that only He can. It is here
where we make a decision to receive everything that God has
for us. In that moment He sets us
free and the enemy is destroyed. This
is when we experience salvation.
NO MATTER
HOW LONG
WE’VE BEEN
FOLLOWING
CHRIST, WE
ALL HAVE
AREAS OF OUR
LIVES WHERE
WE NEED MORE
FREEDOM.
THE DESERT.
The time the Israelites spent in
the desert represents a process of
growth and development. It is a
time of being pastored and helped.
Although the Israelites were out of
Egypt, they needed this time to get
Egypt out of them and to get their
hearts right with God.
POSSESSING THE
PROMISED LAND.
After the long journey and many
obstacles, the Israelites finally
settled in the Promised Land. For
us this means growing in Christ and
understanding our God-given abilities. As we do that we will come to
realize that part of our life needs to include going back to
Egypt to help someone else come out.
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QUESTION: What has your spiritual journey been like
to this point? Can you look back and recognize
these parallels in your story?
WHERE WE GET STUCK
As we think about this spiritual journey toward freedom,
many of us get stuck somewhere along the line. It could be
because of a heartbreak, a disappointment, an addiction, or
even a damaging relationship, but something is keeping us
from moving forward. Let’s take a look at some of the places
we may get stuck.
1. FAR FROM GOD.
î î See Ephesians 2.12
Some of us are stuck in a place we know we shouldn’t be.
Although we may look okay on the outside, inside we know
we are far from God. It’s a bad spot without much hope.
IF WE ALLOW HIM TO, GOD
WILL TAKE US THROUGH THE
JOURNEY THAT WILL BRING
US TRUE FREEDOM.
2. IN BONDAGE.
Some of us are trapped and don’t know how to get out.
Romans 6.16 tells us that it is because of our choices that we
end up in bondage. However, it also gives us hope that we
can get unstuck through God’s help.
3. LIVING WITHOUT PURPOSE.
î î See Ephesians 2.10.
Some of us may seem really successful and with it to those
around us. But although we love God and love people, we’re
really just going through the motions. On the inside we’re
not really living.
4. WITHOUT ETERNAL HOPE.
Still others of us may not even be on the journey to
freedom yet. We may know we’re supposed to be close
with God, but aren’t sure if we are or how to get there.
We’re stuck. I John 5.12–13 tells us that we can know that
we have eternal life through Christ.
QUESTION: Are you stuck in your journey to true
freedom? In which of these places are you stuck?
What hope can you gain from the Bible passages
listed above?
GOD’S PROMISE
Now that we’ve seen where we might be stuck on our journeys, let’s look at how God will get us unstuck and where
He wants to take us. In Exodus 6 God communicates a very
important message to His people. He tells them four things
that He will do for them if they will allow Him to:
“I am the Lord, and I will [1] bring you out from under
the yoke of the Egyptians. I will [2] free you from
being slaves to them, and I will [3] redeem you with an
outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will
[4] take you as my own people, and I will be your God.”
~Exodus 6.6–7
This incredible story of the Israelites’ deliverance is what
God wants to do in our lives as well. If we allow Him to,
He will take us through the journey that will bring us true
freedom. He wants to do for us the four things mentioned in
the previous passage as well:
1. BRING US OUT.
God desires to set us free and manifest his salvation in our
lives. Salvation means so much more than just a ticket out
of Hell. It means deliverance, preservation, ransom, rescue
and safety. God wants to get us entirely out of Egypt and
give us all these things.
î î See Acts 4.12
2. SET US FREE.
Being set free is not just about getting out of a place where
things are bad. It’s also about getting free of the oppression
of that place. Sometimes, although we have been saved, we
still act like we are slaves. We still let sin call the shots and
temptations win. All of us are under construction, and God
wants to help us deal with our issues.
î î See Romans 8.1–2.
Galatians 5.1 says, “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.”
Again, this makes it clear that we have a choice to make. It
is our choice to be burdened again or to get unstuck and on
our way to freedom.
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GOD’S PLAN IS TO
REDEEM US. HE WANTS TO
BRING US BACK TO OUR
ORIGINAL PURPOSE AND
SPECIFICATIONS.
God is doing great things, and that is why He needs us
unstuck and moving on the journey. He wants to use us. He
has brought us out of slavery and into freedom so that we
will go back and get others out.
QUESTION: How has God gifted you? How can you use
that gift to help others out of bondage? When was
the last time you invited someone new to church?
What was their response?
3. GIVE US PURPOSE.
God’s plan is to redeem us. He wants to bring us back to our
original purpose and specifications. That is the whole goal of
Christianity. We are saved for a specific plan and purpose.
We are all gifted somehow and God wants to use us to bring
others to freedom.
î î See I Peter 2.9
4. BE OUR FATHER.
We are welcomed into God’s family and have the assurance
that Jesus is all we need. Our freedom does not depend
on our abilities, giving, good works or prayer life. It is all
thanks to Jesus.
î î See Ephesians 2.15
Edgar Gomez is a friend of Engedi and pastor at the Holland campus of
Resurrection Life Church.
This Think Sheet is a free resource to aid in personal devotion or group study.
For more Think Sheets, or to listen to teachings, go to engedichurch.com.
Engedi Church © 2013
710 Chicago Drive Suite 300
Holland, MI 49423-3074
616.796.6799
engedichurch.com
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