In this impactful message, Pastor Ed Hamilton addresses the congregation on the importance of prayer following the recent election. With 1 Timothy 2:1-4 as the anchor text, Pastor Ed encourages believers to prioritize prayer, interceding for those in authority and seeking God’s will for leaders and nations alike. Reflecting on biblical figures—from Adam and Noah to Paul and Jeremiah—he reminds us of God’s sovereignty over human governance and the believer’s call to peace, godliness, and prayer. Through scripture and practical exhortation, this sermon highlights the Christian responsibility to engage in intercession, no matter the political climate.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes:
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks be made for all men,
1 Timothy 2:2 For kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge
of the truth.
Adam: Good man but problems with his wife. Also one reference told of how
his wife enjoy walking nude in the woods.
Noah: Former pastorate of 120 years with no converts. Prone to unrealistic building
projects. Has been guilty of public drunkness.
Abraham: Though the references reported wife-swapping, the facts seem to
show he never slept with another man’s wife, but he did offer to share his own wife
with another man.
Joseph: A big thinker, but a braggart, believes in dream-interpreting, dreams too big
and too much, plus has a prison record because of an attempted rape charge
Moses: A modest and meek man, but poor communicator, even stuttering at times.
Sometimes blows his stack and acts rashly. Some say he left an earlier congregation
over a murder charge.
David: A talented musician and composer of music and a great lyricist. The most
promising leader of all until we discovered the affair he had with his neighbor’s wife
and he may have had a part in her husband’s death and now they are even married.
Jonah: Refused God’s call into ministry until he was forced to obey by getting.
swallowed up by a great fish. He told us the fish later spit him out on the shore
near here. We hung up!
Solomon: Smartest man in any room and a great preacher with excellent wisdom to
share but he has a wandering eye and not just for several women but for a thousand
Ezekiel: Widower who is known for strange behavior such as lying on his left side for
390 days and then lying on his right side for 40 days. He cut off his hair and burned
one-third of it, chopped one-third of it, and scattered the other third to the wind. He
claims the Lord told him not to mourn his own wife’s death. Paranoid schizophrenic?
Jeremiah: Emotionally unstable, alarmist, negative, always crying over something,
and reported to have taken a long trip to bury his underwear on the bank of a
foreign river. He also claims God told him to wear a yoke around his neck.
Isaiah: On the fringe? Claims to have seen angels in church. Has trouble with his
language. He claims God told him to walk around naked and barefoot for three years.
Enough said.
Hosea: A tender and loving pastor and a family man with a wife and three children,
but it is unclear if Hosea is even the biological father of the children. Our people
could never handle his wife’s occupation — rumor is she is a working prostitute.
John: Says he is a Baptist, but definitely doesn’t dress like one. Has slept in
the outdoors for months on end, has a weird diet, and provokes denominational
leaders..Another jail bird.
Paul: Powerful CEO type leader and fascinating preacher. However, short on tact,
unforgiving with younger ministers, harsh, too deep and has been known to preach
all night. Long prison record also.
Peter: Too blue collar. Has a bad temper–even has been known to curse a lot.
Had a big run-in with Paul in Antioch. Aggressive, but a loose cannon. Known for
saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Judas: His references are solid. A steady plodder. Conservative. Good connections.
Treasury experience so knows how to handle money. We’re inviting him to preach
this Sunday. Possibilities here.
Romans 3:4 “Let God be true but every man a liar.
Some say you can’t legislate morality
Morality will always be legislated, the question is whose morality.
I. THE GENERAL CALL TO PRAYER.
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks be made …”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus for you.
II. THE LIMITLESS RANGE OF PRAYER.
1 Timothy 2:1 “… be made for all men,
We will never run out of people and needs to pray for.
III. THE SPECIFIC PRAYER FOR LEADERS.
1 Timothy 2:2 For kings and all who are in authority …”
Psalm 109:8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when
a wicked man rules, the people groan.
Charles Stanley – Praying for Leaders
“Whether or not the man who leads your country is one you have personally
chosen is not the issue. Once a leader is elected or placed in a position of authority,
each of us has a responsibility to pray for that individual. You need to be committed
to pray for his personal relationship with Christ and his willingness to seek God’s
wisdom for every decision. Pray that your leader would learn to hate evil and love
righteousness. Only then can true justice be administered in the maze of government
and politics.
Be committed to pray that your leader’s convictions will be based on God’s Word
and not preferences founded on the unstable ground of political consensus.
Ask God to protect his family, and pray that each family member would be given
the opportunity to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Rulers often think they
are in control of their country’s circumstances, but God is quick to point out that
He is Lord over all. Men and nations are under the control of God and not the
House of Representatives, the Senate, Parliament, or any superior court.
You may feel as though your prayers are insignificant, but they are vital links to
God’s throne room where eternal decisions are made on a daily basis.”
IV. THE PEACE FOR THE “PRAY-ERS”.
1 Timothy 2:2 “… that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
reverence.
The greatest threat to truth and virtue in this country is the government
Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity!
Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes.
V. THE PRAYERFUL DESIRE OF SALVATION FOR ALL.
1 Timothy 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge
of the truth.
Acts 26:27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”
Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
Acts 26:29 And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me
today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
Theophilus of Antioch AD 181 was the bishop of Antioch in the second century.
Theophilus of Antioch wrote, “The honor that I will give the emperor is all the greater
because I will not worship him, but I will pray for him. I will worship no one but the
true and real God for I know that the emperor was appointed by Him. Those give real
honor to the emperor who are well disposed to him, who obey him, and who pray
for him.”
VI. THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS PRAY.
1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
Ezekiel 18:23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord
God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?
Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God.
Therefore turn and live!
Acts 17:30 “God … commands all men everywhere to repent.”
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks be made for all men,
1 Timothy 2:2 For kings and all who are in authority,
1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge
of the truth.
John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;”
1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,…”
Ephesians 1:4 Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world …”
John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you …”
In this powerful sermon, explore the biblical perspective on the right and responsibility to vote. Drawing from scripture, we delve into how God has always given His people the power of choice, from naming animals in Genesis to choosing leaders in Acts. Discover why voting is not just a civic duty but a divine gift, and how making the right choice aligns with God’s will. We also address the consequences of not voting or voting wrongly, and why every vote matters in shaping our future. Be inspired to engage in the democratic process, understanding that your vote can be an act of faith and obedience to God.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes
Psalm 25:12 Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He
chooses.
Isaiah 7:15 “… Know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
Isaiah 56:4 “… Choose what pleases Me,”
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that
I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life,
that both you and your descendants may live;
Luke 11:23 (NLT) “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t
working with me is actually working against me.
We’re free to choose but we’re not free not to choose.
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner
of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day
approaching.
Choices lyrics
I’ve had choices since the day that I was born
There were voices that told me right from wrong
If I had listened, no I wouldn’t be here today
Living and dying with the choices I’ve made
I. THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
VOTING IS A GREAT GIFT GIVEN TO US BY OUR GOD.
Voting and Choosing Names
Genesis 2:19 So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and
all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call
them, and the man chose a name for each one.
Genesis 2:20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the
wild animals.
Voting and Choosing Sides
Joshua 24:15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves
this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that
were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land
you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Voting and Choosing Deacons
Acts 6:2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said,
It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
Acts 6:3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation,
full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
Acts 6:4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the
word.”
Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man
full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and
Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
Voting and Choosing Evangelism
Acts 15:1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren,
Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.
Acts 15:2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute
them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go
went up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
Acts 15:4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church
and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with
them.
Acts 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is
necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
Acts 15:6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.
Acts 15:7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them:
Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by
my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
Acts 15:8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the
Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,
Acts 15:9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Acts 15:10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the
disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be
saved in the same manner as they.”
VOTING IS A GREAT GIFT GIVEN TO US BY OUR FOREFATHERS.
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no
authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
The Church must always remain the conscience of the state.
Benjamin Franklin said, “I have lived a long time, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live,
the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men.”
Luke 19:13 “… Occupy till I come.”
II. THE RIGHT TO VOTE RIGHT.
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that
I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life,
that both you and your descendants may live;
Deuteronomy 30:20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His
voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days;
and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Missouri Right To Life website
1. Legalizes abortion in Missouri for the entire 40-week term of pregnancy, up to
the moment of birth.
2. Adds the phrase “pregnant person” (Instead of “woman”) to the Missouri
Constitution.
3. Removes parental notification and consent requirements, allowing minors to
undergo an abortion without informing their parents or guardians.
4. Allows taxpayer funded abortions in Missouri.
5. Prevents women from suing if they or their baby are harmed during pregnancy
or during an abortion.
6. Eliminates ultrasounds. Abortionists habitually deny that the unborn child is nothing
but “tissue” or “a blob of cells.” Ultrasounds prove them wrong.
Luke 1:41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe
leaped in her womb; …
Luke 1:44 “… the babe leaped in my womb for joy
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
III. THE RIGHT TO VOTE WRONG.
Numbers 13:1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
Numbers 13:2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the
children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one
a leader among them.”
Numbers 30:26 Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the
congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they
brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit
of the land.
Numbers 13:32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which
they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land
that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great
stature.
Numbers 14:6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were
among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
Numbers 14:7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying:
The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
Numbers 14:8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it
to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.
The Israelites VOTED 10 to 2 NOT to go into the PROMISED LAND.
What are the consequences of a wrong choice? Death!
Numbers 14:23 They certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers,
nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.
First you make your choice; and then, your choice chooses for you.
IV. DO THE RIGHT THING — VOTE!
Psalm 25:12 Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He
chooses.
Isaiah 7:15 “… Know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
Isaiah 56:4 “… Choose what pleases Me,”
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Edmund Burke said,”The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men
to do nothing.”.
Gun owners and NRA members vote at 16%
They can have my gun when they pry it from my cold dead fingers
Noted pollster Dr. George Barna recently conducted a study measuring likely voting
trends among people of faith in the 2024 election.
* Less than 51% of people of faith are likely to vote in the 2024 election. That means
almost half of all people of faith are unlikely to vote in the 2024 election.
* Barna found that 32 million Christians who regularly attend church are unlikely to
vote this November.
* During the 2020 presidential election, the margin of victory in the nine swing
states was roughly 600,000 votes.
* However, The Barna Poll projected that 5 million additional Christians would
likely vote if their pastor encouraged them to do so.
George Barna said, “These 32 million Christians sitting in the pews each week who
refuse to vote are a gamechanger. It’s low hanging fruit for pastors should they try
to motivate their congregants to carry out their civic duty by honoring God through
their influence for things that matter in our culture. If pastors simply encouraged
their members to vote, it could make a major difference in the upcoming elections.
Pastors have a First Amendment right and responsibility to speak about biblical issues
and encourage members to vote.”
Now, after the election is over, we can predict (and guarantee) the following results:
1. God will still be on His throne
2. Jesus will still be King of kings and Lord of lords.
3. The Bible will still have all the answers to every problem.
4. The tomb will still be empty.
5. Jesus will still be the only way to heaven.
6. Prayer will still work – it will still make a difference and God will still answer prayer.
7. The cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.
8. There will still be room at the cross.
9. Jesus will still save anyone who places their faith and trust in Him.
10. God will still be with us always – He will never leave us or forsake us.
You’re not free not to choose.
Matthew 12:30 He who is not with Me is against Me …”
Luke 11:23 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with
Me scatters.
Luke 11:23 (NLT) “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t
working with me is actually working against me.
For people in not choosing, they have already chose.
By not choosing, we are choosing against.
“Ghost Stories” delves into Biblical accounts of supernatural or ghostly encounters to reveal greater truths about faith and fear. With passages like Matthew 14, where Jesus walks on water, and Luke 16, recounting the rich man’s appeal from Hades, this sermon contrasts common fears of ghosts with the Biblical command to fear and revere God alone. It encourages listeners to replace fear of the unknown with confidence in God’s power and presence.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes:
Matthew 14:25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking
on the sea.
Matthew 14:26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were
troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
Matthew 14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer!
It is I; do not be afraid.”
Most people believe that ghosts are the spirits of the living dead, and over 40%
of American adults claim to have been in contact with someone who’s died.
Of these, 78% claim that they saw a ghost, 50% heard one, and 18% claim to have
actually talked with them.
Students in a writing class were challenged to pen two sentence horror stories:
“Every night at midnight, I’d hear a faint cry for help until one night I let my curiosity
get the best of me and followed the voice. I ended up staring at a headstone with
my name engraved on it.” -Savannah Fernandez, ninth grade
“After working without rest, I finally opened my mother’s door and I lay there leaning
my head upon her cold shoulders. It was time to leave before the groundskeeper
found me, so I got up and reburied her.” -Jaser Flores, 12th grade
I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. As I stood in front of
the mirror, there was no one staring back at me.” -Lucas Smelser, ninth grade
GHOST STORY #1: Jesus Appears as a Ghost to His Disciples.
Matthew 14:25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking
on the sea.
Matthew 14:26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were
troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
Matthew 14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer!
It is I; do not be afraid.”
Luke 23:46 (KJV) “… and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Ghost or Phantom definition
1. Something apparently seen, heard, or sensed, but having no physical reality;
2. The soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as
appearing to living people
3. Something that is not real and exists only in a person’s mind.
Matthew 14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer!
It is I; do not be afraid.”
GHOST STORY #2: The Rich Man, Lazarus and a Ghostly Request.
Luke 16:19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine
linen and fared sumptuously every day.
Luke 16:20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was
laid at his gate,
Luke 16:21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.
Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luke 16:22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to
Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar
off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:23 (MSG) In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the
distance and Lazarus in his lap.
Luke 16:23 (TLB) And his soul went into hell. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in
the far distance with Abraham.
Luke 13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves
thrust out.
Luke 16:24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame.’
Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received
your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and
you are tormented.
James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.
Luke 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed,
so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from
there pass to us.’
No one (spirit or ghost) can pass from heaven to hell or from hell to heaven.
Luke 16:27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him
to my father’s house,
Luke 16:28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also
come to this place of torment.’
Samuel Clemens “Mark Twain” said in a speech (quote)
A dying man couldn’t make up his mind which place to go to — both have their
advantages, “heaven for climate, hell for company!”
Luke 16:29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them.’
Luke 16:30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from
the dead, they will repent.’
The torment of the dead is that they cannot warn the living,
Luke 16:31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.
A Woody Allen movie character said:
“If only God would speak to me–just once. If he would only cough. If I could just
see a miracle. If I could see a burning bush or the seas part. Or my uncle Sasha
pick up the check.”
1 Corinthians 1:22 (NIV) Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
1 Corinthians 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles
GHOST STORY #3: Dead Saints are Raised and go to Jerusalem.
Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Matthew 27:51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to
bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
Matthew 27:52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had
fallen asleep were raised;
Matthew 27:53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into
the holy city and appeared to many.
Our problem is we are afraid of things we should not be afraid of and we are
not afraid of things we should be afraid of.
Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
“The Ransom Payment and The Census Plague” is part of the “Paying Ransoms and Making Deals” sermon series. This message focuses on the instruction given to Moses in Exodus 30 regarding the census and the ransom payment required for each person. Through a deep dive into key Biblical passages, the sermon emphasizes that God owns the lives of His people and establishes the need for atonement. It highlights the equal ransom price for all, rich and poor, symbolizing that everyone stands equally before God and needs redemption. The message connects the Old Testament concept of ransom to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s sacrificial death, shedding light on the significance of atonement, repentance, and God’s divine ownership.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes:
Exodus 30:11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
Exodus 30:12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number,
then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number
them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.
Exodus 30:13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give:
half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs).
The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.
Exodus 30:14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty
years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord.
Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than
half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for
yourselves.
Exodus 30:16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel,
and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a
memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for
yourselves.”
I. THE CENSUS COMMAND.
Exodus 30:11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
Exodus 30:12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number,
1. God Owns The Lives Of His People.
A.W. Pink comments:
When God numbers or orders anything to be numbered, taking the sum of them
denotes that they belong to Him, and that He has the sovereign right to do with
them as He pleases. The action itself says of the things numbered. ‘These are
Mine, and I assign them their place as I will.”
Isaiah 40:26 “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.”
Job 14:5 “Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.”
Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom
II) THE WAR PREPARATION.
Exodus 30:14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty
years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord.
Numbers 1:2 Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their
families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male
individually,
Numbers 1:3 from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel.
You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
This is one place where the Scripture indicates that ONLY MEN should serve as
military combatants.
1 Chronicles 21:1 Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number
Israel.
1 Chronicles 21:2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number
Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.”
1 Chronicles 21:3 And Joab answered, “May the Lord make His people a hundred
times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants?
Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?”
1 Chronicles 21:4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore
Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
1 Chronicles 21:5 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David.
All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and
Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.
Zechariah 4:6 …’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
Ephesians 6:10 … be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
1 Chronicles 21:14 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men
of Israel fell.
1 Chronicles 21:17 And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people
to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep,
what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my
father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”
A prisoner in the DC correctional facility said, “I am living among the biggest
crybabies in the world. Everybody here blames somebody else for putting him in jail.
One says, ‘I had a mean father; he put me here.’ Another says, ‘I went to a tough
school, the other kids put me here.’ Somebody else says, ‘Rich people put me
here, prejudiced police put me here, the establishment put me here.’”
They are all crybabies. I know who put me here. I put me here.”
Ezekiel 18:20 (NLT) “… The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the
parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded
for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own
wickedness.
III. THE RANSOM PRICE.
Exodus 30:12 “… then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, …”
Matthew 20:28 Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many.”
1. The Ransom Must Be Given For Their Life To Avoid Death.
Exodus 30:12 “… when you number them, that there may be no plague among them
when you number them.
Exodus 12:12 “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike
all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods
of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.
Exodus 12:13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are.
And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you
to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
2. The Ransom Price Was Divinely Fixed.
Exodus 30:13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give:
half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs).
The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.
3. The Ransom Is The Same For All, Whether Rich Or Poor.
Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than
half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for
yourselves.
Alexander MacLaren states –
Thus there is but one Sacrifice for all; and the poorest can exercise faith and the
richest can do no more.”
Psalm 49:6 Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches
Psalm 49:7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God
a ransom for him—
Psalm 49:8 For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever—
Psalm 49:9 That he should continue to live eternally, and not see the Pit.
Hebrews 9:21 Then likewise he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels
of the ministry with the blood.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed
with blood …
Hebrews 9:21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the
vessels of the ministry.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood,
and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on
the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life
that makes atonement”
In its rejection of Christ, the plagues in the book of Revelation will come upon the world.
Revelation 15:1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven
angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
Revelation 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed
the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and
give Him glory.
4. The Ransom Money Pictures Christ.
1 Peter 1:18 Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver
or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
1 Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot.
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
“Our Substitute” is part of the “Paying Ransoms and Making Deals” sermon series, focusing on the central theme of Jesus Christ as the ultimate substitute for humanity’s sins. Drawing from Isaiah 53 and other key scriptures, the sermon emphasizes that no religion, human effort, or sacrifice can replace the perfect substitution of Jesus on the cross. Through His willing sacrifice, Jesus bore the punishment for sin that we deserved, offering salvation to all who believe. The message explores how Christ fulfilled the role of substitute in both prophetic and sacrificial symbolism, making Him the only one who could redeem mankind.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes
Isaiah 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we
esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our
iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes
we are healed.
1 Peter 2:24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having
died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become
a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for
the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God,
might taste death for everyone.
I should have been crucified, I should have suffered and died
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace, but Jesus God’s Son took my place
Romans 8:31 “… If God is for us, who can be against us?
I. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE SUBSTITUTE.
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that
they may be saved.
Romans 10:2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not
according to knowledge.
Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness
of God.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
who believes.
Religion is no substitute for the Substitute.
John 16:2 ” … Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers
God service.
Mark 10:18 “… No one is good but One, that is, God.
Human effort is no subsitute for the Substitute.
Galatians 2:21 “… if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
The worst form of badness is human goodness when that human goodness
becomes a substitute for the new birth .
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like
filthy rags;
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God,
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Acts 2:23 Him, …you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
II. THE SINNER MUST HAVE A SUBSTITUTE.
Genesis 3:21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and
clothed them.
The ram substituting for Abraham’s son Issac symbolized Jesus.
Genesis 22:11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and
said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”
Genesis 22:12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything
to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son,
your only son, from Me.”
Genesis 22:13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him
was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram,
and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
The animal sacrifices symbolized the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus.
Leviticus 1:2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of
you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—
of the herd and of the flock.
Leviticus 1:3 ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male
without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle
of meeting before the Lord.
Leviticus 1:4 Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it
will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.
The Scapegoat was a symbol of the Substitute Jesus.
Leviticus 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and
the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
Leviticus 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat,
and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their
transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall
send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Leviticus 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not
inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
W.D. Davies in his book “Paul and Rabbinic Judaism,” says that in the Temple
at Jerusalem, every year there were sacrificed 1,093 lambs, 113 bulls, 37 rams,
and 32 goats.
Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take
away sins.
III. JESUS IS THE SINNER’S ONLY SUBSTITUTE.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for
the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God,
might taste death for everyone.
1 John 1:7 “… and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Bruce Springsteen (quote)
“As I grew older, sometimes I wondered who went in my place. Somebody did.
What was his fate? Did he live? I’ll never know. Maybe it was another dose of
my survivor’s guilt … over those who went and fought in my place.”
IV. JESUS WAS THE WILLING SUBSTITUTE.
John 10:17 “… I lay down My life that I may take it again.
John 10:18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again.This command I have received from My Father.”
