This is Why We Need to Be Reminded... -- Voddie Baucham

0:51 I am the Lord. That's enough. He says it at the beginning and the end, but in the middle, again, remember three times I am the Lord. And in the middle of that, seven promises, another very important number in the scriptures.

1:15 Look at those promises. I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians what's their worry you spoke to Pharaoh and our burden got heavier I'm God I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians number two I will deliver you from slavery to them number three I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. Number four, I will take you to be my people. Number five, I will be your God and you shall know that I am the Lord your God who has brought you out from under the burden of the Egyptians. When I do it, you'll know I did it. Number six, I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Number seven, I will give it to you for a possession.

2:13 I'm not just going to bring you out. I'm going to bring you in. I'm not just going to bring you out and bring you in, but I'm going to bring you out, take you as my own, be your God uniquely, specifically, and bring you into this land that I promised. And how does he end it? I am Yahweh. why do we doubt?

2:43 we doubt because we forget who God is because if we remembered who God was there would be no room for doubt we doubt because we forget what God has done. Because if we remembered what God has done, if we remembered God's covenant, if we remembered God's redemption, again, where would there be room for doubt?

3:13 And then thirdly, again, we do. We forget what God has promised. we forget that God is not done with us we forget that Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you amen that there is more ahead we forget that he's coming again the judge the living and the dead and that he will make all things right we forget that that's why we doubt because we forget that but lest we be flippant and think oh yeah that's right yeah all i have to do is just have those facts look at what happens because they get those facts and they don't get those facts they get those facts from god god says to moses i am the lord and you're gonna know me better than abraham isaac and jacob knew me i'm revealing myself and my character to you in ways that they couldn't even comprehend.

4:12 I'm God. You need to know me as God and you won't doubt. Secondly, you need to remember what I've done. Remember the covenant that I made. I'm the God who made that covenant. I'm the one who came and got you. You didn't come and get me, Moses. You were keeping sheep on the other side of the mountain. I came and got you. I made that bush burn. I got your attention. You didn't get mine. thirdly tell the people that this is what i'm going to do and moses comes down armed with the word of god and armed with the word of god the prophet of god speaks to the people of god this powerful word reminding them of who god is what he's done and what he's promised and the people of God respond. Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. God spoke directly to Moses.

5:13 And Moses brought that word to the people. because of their broken spirit and because of their circumstances. they wouldn't believe what Moses said. This heavy burden, this is real. Your promise is not real right now, Moses. Pharaoh, he's real Your God is not real now, Moses Your God says he's going to do ABC and XYZ Pharaoh did what he was going to do We got no straw, man This is real That's pie-in-the-sky stuff This is real My pain is real My heartache is real My circumstances are real.

6:11 My frustration is real. My fear is real. And right now, it's more real to me than who you say God is and what you say God has done and what you say God has promised. That's you and me. that's where the rubber meets the road. That's the real Christian life. That's us. And because we don't understand that this is the real Christian life, here's what happens. We get to that place and we think there's something wrong with us. There's something wrong with me. Because if there wasn't something wrong with me, I wouldn't respond this way. Listen, same thing's wrong with you. That was wrong with them. You're falling. And living in this world is difficult. information and rebuke that's not enough granted we need information granted we need rebuke but that's not enough we need the presence and power of the spirit of god in our lives and we need him to act mercifully and we also need to be reminded.

7:29 Israel would have to hear this same thing again and again and again and again and again. Listen, saints, don't think so much of yourself that you get frustrated because you have to be reminded. That's arrogance. What's the matter, fellow Christian? Oh, I'm just down. Why are you so down, fellow Christian? Well, because something happened in my life and I doubted again. Really, fellow Christian? Because Christians doubt things, yes, but I should be more mature than that by now. I should be at a place in my life where I stop right now. Are you saying, dear Christian, that you should be at a place in your life where you don't need to be reminded again and again and again?

8:21 Don't say that. First, let me read some things for you. Romans 15, 15. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder because of the grace given me by God. First Corinthians 4, 17. This is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach them everywhere in every church. First Corinthians 15 1. Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preached to you which you received in which you stand. Second Corinthians 10 7. Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. 2 Peter 1, 12 and 13. Therefore, I intend always to remind you of these qualities. 2 Peter 3, 1, 2, no, let me, let me finish it, 12 and 13. Remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right as long as I am in this body to stir you up by way of reminder.

9:41 2 Peter 3.1. This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them, I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder. And finally, Jude 5. Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. Reminder, reminder, reminder.

10:19 Why do we need to sit under the ordinary means of grace every week in church? because we need to be reminded. why do we need to be reminded of the gospel because we forget faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of christ why do we need to read the word regularly pray the word regularly sing the word regularly why do we need to come before the lord's table week in and week out because we need to be reminded again and again and again because the yoke of your oppression is a constant reminder and you need the word of God as a constant reminder because the difficulties that you face every day are a reminder and so you need the word of God as a reminder.

11:18 The hardness of life is a reminder and so you need the preaching of the gospel as a reminder. the disappointment of your sinfulness is a reminder so you need the majesty of christ put forth before you again and again and again as a reminder christianity is not a class you take and pass It's your life. It's your breath, your health, your strength, your everything. And you must be reminded. I must be reminded. Because every time difficulty smacks you or me in the face, our natural tendency is not to remember who God is, what he's done, and what he's promised.

12:13 Our natural tendency is to say, this is too much for me. I just can't believe right now. This is why there's no such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian. You can't do this on your own. You weren't meant to do this on your own. You're not capable of doing this on your own. You need someone to remind you. You need to remind yourself, and you need to remind somebody else. Amazing things happen when we remind other people of things. This happens all the time. One of the things, you know, as pastors, we talk about all the time how, you know, you're sitting and you're dealing with some situation. And you're helping someone with some situation. And you're looking at these things objectively. And you're reminding these people of these things objectively. And all of a sudden, in the middle of being the objective voice, reminding people of these things, you go, you know, you're doing really good.

13:13 This is sometimes while we're talking to you. You're doing really good talking to them. That's awesome, man Where was all that stuff The other day? when you had your own difficulties and your own doubts. you know what that means?

13:37 It is a blessing to be part of the body, to have people remind us again and again and again. It is a blessing when we gather as believers to be reminded again and again and again. But it is also a blessing to remind your brothers and sisters in Christ because oftentimes you need to hear those words fall out of your own mouth. so that you can remember why the wheels fell off.

14:11 Why did I say that thing I shouldn't have said? Here's why. I wouldn't hold it on to this. Why did I do that thing I shouldn't have done? Here's why. Because I wouldn't hold it on to this. Why did I act the way I shouldn't have acted? Here's why. because I wasn't holding on to this. who is God what has he done what is he promised my prayer for you, for me, for all of us, is that as we walk through the difficulties of our lives, and our lives will be fraught with difficulties, that as we face each one of them, we will ask ourselves, who is God?

15:06 What has he done? What has he promised? I'm struggling with something right now. It's hurting me. What do I need to do? You need to ask yourself, who is God? What has he done? What has he promised? I got some news that overwhelmed me. How do I face it? You ask yourself, who is God? What has he done? What has he promised?

15:36 I've got a task in front of me that I have no idea how I can accomplish. What do I do? You ask yourself, who is God? What has he done? And what has he promised? And what happens when that doesn't work? Rinse and repeat. it's just real easy to get caught up in this idea of this christianity that makes us invincible it's really easy to get caught up in this kind of christianity that never has a bad day or at least never admits it it's real easy to get caught up in this christian how are you i'm blessed and highly favored and never answer the question with, man, I'm struggling today.

16:35 the problem with getting caught up in that myth of Christianity is that it leaves you nowhere to go in your dark days but to your darkness you can't admit that you're struggling you can't ask for help when you're struggling and you can't get out of your struggle because all you have is your struggle and the idea that there's something wrong with you because you're a Christian who's in the midst of a struggle. let that go let that go and rejoice in the fact that God has given you this one day in seven that he has given you your Bible that he has given you your brothers and sisters in Christ and so much more in order to remind you again and again and again and again why?

17:42 because we need it We need it. we need to be reminded Christ died for sin once for all the just for the unjust in order that he might bring us back to God we need to be reminded of that we need to be reminded that because we have come to him in repentance and faith that we are part of the covenant people of God that we are saved and that we are in the process of being sanctified and we will one day be glorified we need to be reminded that Christ will, he who began a good work in you, is able and faithful to see it through to completion. You need to be reminded of that, Christian. and if you're not a christian you need to be reminded of that because if you're not a christian that means you're trusting in something other than the completed work of christ and you're failing and it's failing and it's not enough for you to just fail you need to be reminded over and over and over again why you're failing because Christ is your only hope.

19:01 Flee to him, cling to him, trust in him and nothing else. And don't leave here another week without embracing and walking in that reality.