Stubborn

Jul 26, 2026

God’s standard is perfection, and the consequence for falling short is separation from God—but the sermon emphasizes that Jesus has already paid that price on our behalf. Like Moses leading Israel out of slavery, Jesus is presented as the greater, “new Moses” who comes to set His people free. The right response isn’t trying to bargain for a better deal with God, but receiving what Christ has done as ours.

Using Exodus 7–10, the sermon walks through the repeated pattern of Pharaoh’s stubbornness during the plagues. God sends Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh with a clear command: “Let my people go so they can worship me.” Each plague escalates the pressure—water to blood, frogs, lice, swarms, livestock disease, painful boils, devastating hail, locusts that strip the land, and darkness so thick it immobilizes people. Over and over, Pharaoh tries to negotiate (only certain people can go, worship here not there, make a deal and then break it), and when relief comes, he hardens again. The point is that Pharaoh is attempting the impossible: negotiating from a position of control when he isn’t actually in control.

The sermon highlights why God acts this way in the story: so Pharaoh, Egypt, and Israel will “know that I am Yahweh,” and so future generations will have a story to tell about God’s power and deliverance. The plagues also expose the emptiness of Egypt’s supposed gods (even darkness confronts Egypt’s sun-god), while showing God’s ability to protect His people (Goshen has light while Egypt is in darkness).

The takeaway is personal: Pharaoh becomes a mirror for how people resist God—clinging to control, making half-surrenders, delaying obedience, and trying to bargain their way out of what God is calling them to do. Just as Pharaoh couldn’t negotiate his way around Yahweh, we can’t negotiate a “discount” into God’s kingdom through performance or deals. The invitation is to stop resisting, stop bargaining, and surrender—trusting that Jesus has already done what we could not, and asking where we’ve been stubborn or evasive instead of simply letting go and following God’s call.

00:00 - Pre-sermon

00:19 - Exodus series introduction

01:44 - Humorous crowd engagement about modern plagues

03:10 - Plagues, purpose, and Exodus study

04:57 - Moses called by God to confront Pharaoh

06:44 - Moses vs. Pharaoh: whose god wins?

08:33 - Plague showdown incoming

10:07 - First plague, hardened heart

11:56 - Frogs, chaos, and a reluctant Pharaoh

13:42 - Plagues of frogs and lice, Pharaoh's stubbornness

15:08 - Plague patterns and God's distinction between Egypt and Goshen

16:53 - Pharaoh breaks promises as plagues intensify