Today concludes our study of the book of Exodus.
Next week we will begin to look at Worship. I want to walk us through what worship is, what it looks like, and why we do it.
This week, I want to look at the last few verses of the book as a way to tie it all together.

I want to answer two seemingly unconnected, but incredibly important questions this morning. How does the Exodus story Mirror the Gospel, and what does the Exodus have to do with which bathroom you should use?
Components of The Exodus and the Gospel:
Slavery: Egypt=sin
Good News: Moses=Jesus
Deliverance: Passover=The Cross
Salvation: Covenant=Justification
Obedience: Covenant=Sanctification
God’s Presence: Tabernacle=Heart
What does this Have to do with a Bathroom?
Ok, so here is where I want you to go on a journey with me for a moment. Think about what it means to be a Christian for a moment. What practice is at the core of the life of a Christian? What is the basic posture of a follower of Jesus?
Look for a second at Acts 2:22-47
Here we have two things that Peter tells the people to do to be identified as Christians, repent, and be baptized.
So, what, is repentance? It means to change your mind. Inherent in the act of repentance is the acknowledgment that there is something that needs to be addressed in ones thinking. There is something that is true that you are not seeing correctly and that thinking needs to be changed. Look at Romans 1:18-25. This text says that these people became futile in their thinking and their hearts were darkened. To be a Christian is to be one who has had their eyes opened to the foolish thinking that has caused a darkened heart. So, if you can boil it down, to be a Christian begins at least at a very basic level with the declaration that your thinking about yourself, your life, the world and God has been wrong. We should never be surprised when we see evidence of foolish thinking and darkened hearts. Because if you are a Christian, you have walked in that same foolishness and darkness. It may have looked different, but it was at its core the same. Because at its core, it is pride. Look at verse 29… So that is what it means to repent, to say, “I am wrong, God is right, I will change.”
So, what does it mean at its core to be baptized? look at Romans 6:1-11
In this text, Paul is explaining to the Romans that your baptisms is more than a public declaration of an inward reality. In many ways, your baptism is the beginning of a lifelong display of union with Christ. You are saying as you go into the water that your old self has died, and that you are being raised IN CHRIST, to be ruled and led by Him. You are uniting yourself with Him in His death, and in His resurrection. As important as your birth into the world declares that a new life has begun, so your baptism declares that there is something altogether different that is taking place in your life. New life has begun, and you are totally made new! The old affections and loyalties to self were crucified with Christ. The pride and arrogance of self determinism was laid to rest in the grave, and now you have been raise to a life determined and led by Christ.
SO, in a very real way, the call to life as a follower of Jesus is one of repenting of prideful thinking and dying to ourselves in order to live a life that glorifies God.
This message flies in the face of all that our culture says to us. We live in a self determining culture. Our culture says, “whatever you feel is your truth. Follow that, be true to yourself.” Christianity says, “There is a God, you are not Him, Your self determination will never fulfill, only God’s presence will bring you peace, repent of your foolish thinking, and throw all of your life at the feet of Jesus. He is worth it all!”
Why do I share all this, when I haven’t said anything about Bathrooms? Because I want you to be smarter than all the self righteous outraged Christians out there. You are smarter than that. What we are seeing is no different than what Paul wrote about in Romans 1. People’s rejection of truth has a natural trajectory, and it is destruction. I am not saying don’t be upset at ridiculous laws. I am saying, don’t be surprised. I am also not saying we should fight this! because this is not an “us verses them” type of thing. Please, let me implore you for a moment, when you see people who are advocating lifestyles that are contrary to the word of God, don’t fall into the trap of hatred. It is self righteous and sinful. Have compassion on people who have suppressed the truth an are currently in a state that you once were as an unbeliever. Were it not for the grace of God, you would be in no less need of the message of the cross. What we need to be doing as ambassadors of Jesus Christ is bringing the conversation back to the truths and the simple message of the Gospel. Don’t get caught up in who uses what bathroom, be reminded that the root of the issue is that all people need to see that their thinking about all of life is flawed, and they need a savior.
Look again in Romans 12:9-21