Sermons

Today's passage deals with the story of Aaron as he left Egypt with Moses. As Moses' spokesman, Aaron delivered God's word to the people and performed signs, yet his own name stayed hidden behind Moses'. Even when Moses received all the glory, he was not jealous but humbly served the leader God had appointed.

But Aaron too was a weak human being. While Moses was up on the mountain and the people wanted an idol, he gave in under threat and made a golden calf. This sinful act was a grave, unforgivable sin, but God saw the heart with which Aaron had quietly devoted himself without ever challenging Moses' authority. God covered Aaron's failure, appointed him high priest, and showed him amazing grace.

How should we regard the attitude of the heart that God sees, rather than visible results or recognition?

This passage deals with the scene in which the Israelites faced a life-or-death crisis, with the Red Sea blocking the way ahead and the Egyptian army pursuing them from behind, and Moses commanded the people not to be afraid but to stand still and see the salvation that Yahweh would work. The people were full of hardship and complaining, but Moses urged them to believe and acknowledge that God himself would fight, not through anything they did. Here, 'stand still' means the faith that gives up human methods and acknowledges God's work.

The sermon explains that this event of the Exodus foreshadows the salvation of Jesus Christ. All people are sinners and fall short of the glory of God, but we have been justified freely by the blood of Jesus. Believers must acknowledge by faith the salvation that God prepared on his own initiative, not by their own merit. It is like putting a seal on a contract: the moment a person acknowledges Jesus Christ, a house in the kingdom of heaven becomes that person's own.

The sermon emphasizes that receiving the body and blood of Jesus at Holy Communion is becoming one with him. But it warns against having a heart like that of Judas Iscariot, who meant to betray Jesus even while receiving the bread and the wine. Believers should regard everything they eat and drink as communion, immediately repent of the sins they cannot help committing in their weak flesh, and live each day as though dying daily. The sermon asks what believers are holding on to, and what kind of life they should live by that faith.