Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10220 - Together In The Fight - Exodus 17

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#10220 - Together In The Fight - Exodus 17 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
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To learn more about the many resources available through
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Abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
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visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now.
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Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Open your Bibles with you to
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Exodus chapter 17. I've entitled our Bible study
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Together in the fight, together in the fight.
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The nation of Israel at this point in their lives are in the
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middle of the greatest thing really to ever happen to them.
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They were delivered from Egypt, from bondage, from slavery.
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Not only that, their deliverance was an answer to their prayers.
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The deliverance was an answer to prayer.
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They were crying out to God, remember.
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And God said, I've heard your cries.
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And he sent Moses the deliverer, who was perfectly trained.
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And don't, isn't that your heart?
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Like you're just thinking, I'd like to be perfectly trained.
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I'd like to be prepared. But you remember Moses. 1/2 of.
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Or a third of his life, but up to this point, 1/2 of his life
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before was training in the wilderness.
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And you're like, well, you know, if the school's the.
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Wilderness, maybe. I don't want to be trained so
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much. I'd rather read a book or get
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us, you know, some MP threes or watch something on YouTube
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that's I'll be trained that way. But life's experiences are
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training us. And for 40 years of his life, he
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was on the backside of the desert, in obscurity, in a
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position in a place I'm sure he didn't expect.
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And God was using that. The children of Israel receive
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what they asked. For.
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Dramatically, powerfully delivered.
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But even the good things in life, which is where they are,
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even the good things in life deliverance.
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Powerful, dramatic, everything you've ever wanted.
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Even the good things in life will draw out from us the
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realities of our hearts. You know, it's easy to say and
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we see this to be true. It's easy to say that trials
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reveal difficulties show up. They, you know, they, they
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reveal in us what was really there.
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Like, you might be going through something.
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You're just so angry. And then you're like, well, I
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wouldn't be angry if it wasn't for this trial.
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But the anger has been in you for a long time.
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It's the trial that's drawn it out.
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But it's not just trials and difficulty.
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Good things are also used by God to reveal.
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And this good thing for the nation here was hard and arduous
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and difficult. They suffered from hunger and
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thirst, discomfort, tiredness, and yes, complaining and
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murmuring. They're experiencing the
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miraculous. But remember, we don't live.
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By the dazzling movement of miracles.
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We live by faith, simple faith, trusting God day by day.
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So notice with me as the testing.
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Continues verse 1, chapter 17. Then all the congregation of the
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children of Israel set out on their journey from the
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wilderness of sin according to the commandment of the Lord,
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encamped and refered them. But there was say with me there
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was no water for the people to drink.
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A major part of the wilderness experience, the wanderings was
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testing. First it was no food.
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And what did God do? He gave a manna, faithful food
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with all the needed nutrients to keep their bodies strong.
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God graciously provided. Now it's another test, the test
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of thirst. These are real things.
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These are basic things. These are not like luxuries.
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Food and water are basic and essential to life.
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And here they are tested again with thirst.
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And we stopped in verse 1 so we could think, hey, surely they've
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learned. They've got manna in their
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teeth. You know, they didn't floss.
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They got manna between their teeth and the faithfulness of
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God on their hearts. Surely they'll learn.
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Surely it's they're going to turn to the Lord right away.
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They know He's going to provide. As with the waters of Mara,
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you'll remember this isn't the first Test with water.
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They were at the waters of Mara. What does Mara mean but
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bitterness? And God was dealing with them.
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He came through there from the waters of Mara.
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Where did they go? They went to Elam, where the
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city of Palms, the wells of water were there, and the shade
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of the. Palms, they have manna breath
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from his supply. Surely they're going to trust
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him here. And it isn't that the story of
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our lives from time to time. I mean you, you, you look at
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your life at any amount of time, both as a believer, even as an
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unbeliever. How good?
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And gracious and caring. I mean for.
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Those of us that got. Saved a little later in life and
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maybe lived, you know, some rough, stupid, sinful decisions.
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I think back of how many times God literally spared my life, of
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what I got myself involved in and the choices that I made.
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He spared my life. He provided you know when, when
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I really, I don't know that I would have voiced this, but the
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Bible says that I lived a life of animosity, enmity toward God.
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That's the position for anyone listening to me right now that
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are not in a right relationship with God.
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You are literally an enemy of God and while you may not be
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able to articulate that or even choose those words, I'm going to
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help you along the way because it's an important for you to
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understand the posture that you've taken toward.
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God. Who's been gracious to you?
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I mean, even if we never got anything ever, we we receive
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life and that day by day. You don't need to worry about
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your heart beating. God's taking.
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Care of that for you. You don't need to worry about
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breathing that. Even if you held your breath
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right now, you would pass out. You would pass out.
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You held your breath into I'm just going to hold my breath and
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that's you're going to pass out so that your your mind can shut
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down and you can start breathing.
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You'll start breathing in again. God is so gracious to you.
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Oh, I know the life has been hard and difficult, but you have
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to understand the difficulty of life.
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It's because of the failure of. Sin.
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Sin is the source and the root. Of the pain that you experience,
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it's because a man's rebellion against God.
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Not only have we experienced the pain of sin, but some of us have
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inflicted pain in people. 'S lives because of our own.
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Sin. Sin is devastating and God has
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given a remedy for sin and your enmity.
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He sent us on Jesus Christ to die on the cross to shed His
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innocent blood, so that by faith in Him, the work of your
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salvation is complete. All you need to do really, God
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is inviting you even now. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
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for the forgiveness of your sins.
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That you would trust him with your life.
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You go, well, I don't know. I don't know about that kind of
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belief, pastor. I don't know.
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I don't know that I could really live that kind of belief.
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Listen, you live by faith in so many different ways in your life
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right now. Did you know that?
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How many of you by wave hands and of course, if you're online
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or radio drove or were driven to church tonight, How many?
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Yeah, most. And you know, some of you
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walked. You had the same thing.
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So you drove. I want you to understand
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something. You drove here with a tremendous
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amount of faith, amazing amount of faith.
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And this is one of the. I mean, I'm sure there's layers
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of it, but let me just give you 1.
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I don't want to freak you out for the rest of your life, but
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you got to hear this, OK? You drove here believing that
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the other person that was going 40 miles an hour on the other on
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the other side of the road in his car, and you were coming on
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this side of the road 40 miles an hour in your car.
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Can you imagine the collision that would take place 40 miles
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an hour at each other? You drove here by faith that the
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double yellow lines down the middle of the asphalt mean the
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same thing to the anonymous drivers that they do to you.
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You don't ever think about that. You don't want to.
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I hope they believe. I hope they believe.
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I hope they believe. I hope to believe.
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It is a part. It's so much a part of you don't
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even think about it anymore. And that's God's will for you
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that relate to Him, that you believe in Him so much that it's
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not even a thought anymore. Because you know the Lord, you
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know him personally. Because of the provision of
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forgiveness, his graciousness because if he was gracious and
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he was to all of us when we rebelled against them.
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You know, the Bible says how much more now in Christ in
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relationship. Surely water, palm trees, manna
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deliverance, faithfulness. A leader provided out of
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nowhere, surely? The children of Israel have
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learned just like you, right? All of you have learned so.
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Well, and become so mature with all your experiences.
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Well verse 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses and
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said, Give us water that we may drink.
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And Moses said to them, Why do you contend with me?
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Why do you tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there
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for water. And the people murmured against
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Moses and said. Why is it that you have brought
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us up out of Egypt to kill us? And our children and our
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livestock with thirst. Same song, different tune.
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Complaining and murmuring. And again, I've mentioned this
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in previous studies, but it's good to be reminded those of you
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in spiritual leadership because of your proximity to people that
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are dealing with deep. Issues in their life, you will
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often be the one they're most upset with when you really
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haven't done anything but represent God well.
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So you're like man, why are you mad at me?
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And whether it's spoken or not. They should just say because
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you're the one in front of me. That's why it's your fault.
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And ultimately, when we murmur and complain about the
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circumstances of our lives in a real way, we're murmuring and
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complaining against God, who's allowed them, and that's what
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they're doing here. But Moses gets the full brunt of
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it. And here's their problem when it
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comes to Moses. And here's our problem.
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If we're looking to human leadership, God, even God's
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appointed leaders, even good. Again, I want to be clear, I'm
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not talking about abusive leadership or like sinful
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leadership or. I'm just talking about like.
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God, good godly men and women that God has given us imperfect.
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But really love the Lord. Leading us but we get upset with
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them or we take it out on them or whatever.
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Here here's the thing. Their problem was the same
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problem we see today within the body of Christ and.
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Is that they expect. From a human leader, only what
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God can provide, they expect from a human leader only what
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God can provide, which is often a real difficulty within the
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church because you're going through a trial difficulty.
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You make an appointment with the pastor.
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You want to sit down and all the pastor's trying to do is get
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your eyes on the Lord, get your eyes on the Lord, get your eyes
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on the Lord, and you get so mad at them as if you don't
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understand. I need this and I want you to do
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this. I know you don't understand what
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that and was like. No, man, we just need to pray.
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No, it's not enough. All right, well, what do you
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need? I need water.
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And then the pastor gives you water.
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Now what? And I need and before you know
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it, you're complaining against things that you want your
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marriage saved. No pastor is going to save your
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marriage. Jesus, can you want help with
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your anger? No pastor is going to be able to
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solve your anger problem, but the Lord can.
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You're living a loveless life or you feel like you just don't
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love anyone. You're upset with people.
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No pastor's going to be able to solve that problem, but the Lord
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can to get your eyes. Back on the Lord, Moses, what's
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your problem? I can't believe it.
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There's millions of us and you've got no water for us.
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No. How is Moses supposed to come up
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with this water? You remember is David was
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tending the sheep, maybe beginning to think about his own
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needs and his own struggles and his own issues, his own fears,
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his own anxieties. He begins to write what's on his
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heart. You remember what he wrote.
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The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
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That's the place of safety and security.
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Remembering that the Lord is our shepherd and that's the choice.
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When we choose to lean or trust on man's abilities, then we are
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limited by what man can do. I mean maybe sit down with a
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pastor to give you good advice, but we can't do it for you.
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We might show you a. Scripture, but we can't read it
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for you. You know, we might even get you
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out of a little bind. Maybe you need a little help
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here and there and we can help you.
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But we can't get you out of the next one or the next.
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We can't help you with the fundamental foundational issues
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that are related to your disconnected life with God.
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Only you can do that. Only you can.
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So we can lean on man's abilities looking to man, or we
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can lean and trust on God and His omnipotence for us and
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knowing that He, you see, God has ways that you and I don't
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know anything about. He has resources that you and I
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don't know anything about. He has knowledge about our lives
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that you and I don't know anything about.
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He has a purpose and a plan that's being revealed.
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And up to this point, he's revealed to us where we are, but
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he's has plans up ahead that we know nothing about.
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He has people He wants to reach through your life and situation
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that we know nothing about. I just want you to pause for a
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second. Just come back to the.
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Text real briefly and just think about this.
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Do you think for a second, millisecond that the
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complaining, murmuring, a nation of Israel here thinks, you know
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what, my story's really going to bless people 5000 years from
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now? I don't think they're thinking
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that at all. You know what?
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I think they're thinking, where's my water?
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I mean, what's going on, Moses? You're a lousy leader.
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Because here we are again. How we should have stayed in
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Egypt. You're a lousy man.
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We don't want to fall. You're going to kill our kid.
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I mean, that's where they're at. But what do we see now with 2020
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eyes? We're just like you and I like
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we can look back a few times in our own lives and see, oh, I
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remember that trial. I remember that trial like it
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was yesterday. And now I can see what I didn't
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see in the trial. God had 52 people.
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He wanted to reach. And I pray.
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For them my name every day or you know three people or he had
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a situation he wanted to reveal my heart.
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I didn't even know that was in my heart.
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See God has ways and things and people and places.
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He has solutions, He has strength, he has hope.
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He has peace tucked away that no man could ever provide for you
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or woman. By that no human being can
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provide to you what only God can.
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And I don't want to. Develop this, but it's important
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that I say it out loud just so you hear it and receive it and
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take it to the Lord. You ready?
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Complaining is a sin. The Bible tells us to do all
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things without murmuring and complaining.
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So complaining is a sin. Philippians chapter 2 and it's
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just one of those areas that you want to crucify before the Lord
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because it's counterproductive to your spiritual growth.
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Next time you feel like complaining that God isn't fair,
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he doesn't bless, just remember how good God has been.
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Be careful lest you ever say to God, give me what I deserve.
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Tell us first so we could step back a few steps just so like
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never ask for that. Instead, come to the Lord with
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Thanksgiving. Be anxious for nothing, but in
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all things by prayer and supplication.
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We always forget this when we quote that verse with
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Thanksgiving. Make your request be made known
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to God and what the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
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will guard your hearts and your minds.
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Isn't that where the spiritual warfare is?
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Spiritual warfare is always at the emotions and always at the
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beliefs, the mind and the heart, emotions and our thinking.
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That's where it all takes place because that's where our
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emotions mess with our beliefs and bad beliefs lead to what bad
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behavior? And what's the Bible word for
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bad behavior? Sin.
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And that's the warfare. It's not as complicated as it
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seems. As you sort it all out, they
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complain. But I think there's a good
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chance, you know, we don't want to be too judgmental of them
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because we complain and put ourselves in this situation.
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We may have been caught up in it as well and that the Lord would
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deliver us first four. So Moses cried out to the Lord,
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that was a good choice, saying, what shall I do with these
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people? They're almost ready to stone
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me. And the Lord said to Moses.
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Wipe them out. No, he didn't.
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He didn't. Or some pastors listening, what
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are the Lord they're going to they, what are you going to do
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with these people? And some pastors think, well,
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you just go to another church. No, there's people there too,
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and people there too. Notice his answer.
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Go before the people. Verse 5, take with you some of
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the elders. Take in your hand a rod which
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you struck the river, and go, Behold, I'll stand.
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Before you there at the rock horrid, and you shall strike the
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rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.
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And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
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And so he called the name of the place Masa in Maribah, because
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of the contention of the children of Israel, and because
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they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not?
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So he takes some of the leaders that were with him.
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The elders of the tribes, so they might see the glorious hand
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of God, they get to witness this want, take this rod which wants
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as a instrument of judgment, and strike the rock.
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The rod of judgment now becomes a symbol of provision and mercy.
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And you can jot these down if you'd like the rock.
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Is often a picture and symbol of God Himself.
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Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse 4 Psalm 28, verse one six Psalm
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62, verse 2. A rock strong, stable, the rock
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durable. In the midst and the.
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Cleft of the Rock their. Safety.
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And this one is a picture of Jesus himself.
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They drank in First Corinthians chapter 10 verse four.
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They drank of that spiritual rock that followed them.
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That rock was Christ. Out of the rock came forth
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water. It refreshed the people.
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Jesus said in John 7 verse 38, He who believes in me, as the
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Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living
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water. And we read through very quickly
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and there's great provision. God provides, Moses obeys, which
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you guys that are Bible students know.
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That this will this. Scenario will come up again, but
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Moses will respond in anger and because of his anger, a man with
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all these years of faithfulness, ups and downs.
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A man that's described in the Bible as the one that's most
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humble, a true humble man. I don't believe he was bragging
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because of his anger. He doesn't enter into the
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promised land. And on one of our trips to
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Israel, we were in Jordan looking at standing up on Mount
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Nebo, looking over the haze. We couldn't see it clearly, but
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the hazy promised land in a similar place that Moses.
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Would have looked to see the land but never go in.
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I just think about my own life in a practical way, what all
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that God has. Promised me I don't want to be
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in a position to. Stand and look at it but never
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get it like to come that's. Far.
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I was just. Speaking with the men today, we
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were talking about ministry, our pastors in particular in our
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personal pastors meeting that we have.
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And we're just talking about being used to the Lord and what
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a blessing it is and what a season of ministry.
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And it's, it's just so good. And I looked at him at the end
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and I'm like, OK men, please don't disqualify yourselves
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because then you won't be able to enjoy this.
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We won't if we choose, Obviously, stay away from the
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sin that will knock you out, man.
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Stay away and pray against temptation.
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Please don't disqualify yourselves because then you
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won't be able to enjoy this. You won't be able to enjoy not
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only what's happening now, but what God has.
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And I say that to you is my brothers and sisters in the
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Lord, please do not disqualify yourself from enjoying the
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blessings of God. Don't live a hypocritical life,
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don't dabble and sin that will defile you.
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Don't steal, don't lie, don't commit adultery, don't commit,
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don't flirt, don't get involved with pronology.
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Don't. I beg you.
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These are the days for strong believers, committed believers,
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humble believers, repentant believers, believers that stand
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strong by the grace of God. And we want to enjoy these last
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days. We don't want to watch them pass
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us by. We don't want to get all bitter
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and angry and caught up in things.
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We're like, well, you know, like, is there a lot of bitter
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Christians there? You know, a lot of upset, You
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know, it's like, all right, they're all, all you hear from
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them. And I don't like this.
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I don't like that. I mean, what do you like?
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And I'll tell you if they were honest, this is what they say.
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I like myself, myself, That's it.
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I like myself. I like everything about me.
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I'm the perfect one and everyone else is a failure.
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But they're disqualified. What good are they bringing the
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body of Christ? What good and?
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What, what, what? Fruit of the spirits being
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displayed. Lovejoy, peace, patience,
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kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control.
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I'll tell you what most people are if they, you know, again,
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maybe I'm speaking to someone directly and, and you just got
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to understand what one thing you're going to find out with
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that kind of attitude is that people will depart from you.
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They don't want to be around that.
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You go. No, no, no.
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I got a lot of new friends. I know.
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Let me correct that. You got a lot of new bitter
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friends because now you have something in common.
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But you're far from the Lord. He has so much for you if you
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just come to him. Don't disqualify yourself.
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Church, begin to pray about those temptations.
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Don't ignore them. Shut down anything that might be
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leading you away. Ask for a brother or sister to
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stand in the gap with you for prayer.
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Live in your fresh new identity in Christ.
24:36
Learn. Who you are in Christ and all
24:39
that He's done. One of the attributes, let me
24:42
just say, one of the attributes that you and I have in Christ is
24:46
that we are new creations. Old things that passed away,
24:51
Behold, all things have become new and you can live in the
24:55
newness of life. Put off.
24:57
I was just reading recently in my DeVos put off the old man.
25:01
Like a old. Dirty piece of garments, you
25:04
know, shirt or pants and put on the new man and live in the
25:09
newness of life now. Great victory.
25:12
They get the water. Guess what happens after
25:14
victory? There's a fight.
25:17
Great progress always brings great resistance.
25:19
Notice verse 8. Now Amalek.
25:22
So they just pause here. And when you're reading the
25:24
Bible, you go, what do you mean now?
25:25
When is now? That's a time word.
25:27
When is now? After the great provision of
25:30
God, after the blessing of God, after they are completely a
25:35
rock, is giving them water. They are tasting of the living
25:41
water that's to come in a new covenant.
25:43
They, they, they are rejoicing. And then maybe some of them are
25:46
going. I'm so sorry, Moses.
25:47
What's our you know? Like it is, it's it's a fresh
25:50
cleansing of the people inside and out.
25:52
Water is there that that, that it's over.
25:55
The complaining is over, whether they repent it or not.
25:58
You know how that goes when when you know, when you're brought to
26:00
the place where you see your own folly, you either say it out
26:04
loud or you feel. It inside, but you recognize
26:07
that you were in the wrong and the nation is like yes, that's
26:11
now the time of great blessing of God, the provision of God.
26:15
Amalek, which is a type of the flesh two people group came and
26:20
fought with Israel in Refadim. There's always a fight in the
26:25
midst of the blessing of God. There's always a fight to steal
26:29
your joy and to diminish your faith.
26:35
And Moses verse nine said to Joshua, choose us some men and
26:39
go out fight with Amalek Tomorrow I'll stand on the top
26:42
of the hill with the rod of God in my hand and mark these
26:46
phrases is the best thing for us to learn how to do the best
26:49
obedience, immediate obedience. So Joshua did as Moses said to
26:55
him, fought with Amalek verse 10.
26:59
And Moses, Aaron and her went up to the top of the hill.
27:03
And so it was when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed,
27:07
and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
27:10
But Moses hands became heavy, so they took a stone and put it
27:14
under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hearst supported
27:18
his hands, one-on-one side, the other on the other side.
27:22
And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
27:25
So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the
27:29
sword, and there is victory once again.
27:33
Amalek, the Amalekites, they are descendants of Esau Edomites.
27:39
They arch enemies of Israel. And this attack comes so very
27:43
quickly after they responded by faith and received the provision
27:48
of God. And there's a battle going on
27:51
there. And the Amalekites, the
27:52
Amalekites, the Amalekites were also known as going after the
27:56
weak ones. The weak ones hold your places
28:00
here. You're, since we're so close,
28:02
turn over to Deuteronomy chapter 25.
28:04
I want to show you this in our final minutes.
28:07
There's such, so much in this text, but I do want to give you
28:10
some of it. Deuteronomy chapter 20.
28:12
Five notice in verse 17, they the Amalekites were known to
28:18
attack from behind. Notice.
28:24
Remember verse 17, chapter 25, what Amela did to you on the way
28:30
as you were coming out of Egypt? He met you on the way and
28:33
attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear when
28:39
you were tired, weary, and did not fear God again so much.
28:45
I don't. I'm not going to spend some time
28:47
developing it, but mark this and meditate on it.
28:49
Here are places that make you and me vulnerable, not even
28:54
necessarily sin. Like for example, when you're
28:57
tired, watch out, when you're weary, watch out.
29:03
That's why God gives us the pattern, doesn't he?
29:06
Six days you work, 7th day you rest.
29:10
That's an important pattern and we even have the privilege in
29:15
our work relationships five days too.
29:18
Some of you don't have a different schedule, but you want
29:20
to value those days off and rest, rest mentally, physically,
29:25
emotionally, tired and weary. Another thing, notice they were
29:28
stragglers. Stragglers.
29:31
Now, you know, it may be a place where you know, you're not
29:34
pressing into the things of God. You're not really too serious.
29:37
I mean, I think here on a midweek study or you're
29:39
listening to the radio, that kind of speaks to your desire to
29:42
press in. But there are those within our
29:45
fellowship family, there are those in our families, There are
29:48
those in the broader body of Christ that aren't pressing in
29:51
and they make themselves vulnerable.
29:54
They're vulnerable. Again, it doesn't necessarily
29:58
need to be sinful, just kind of, you know, coasting and not
30:02
really, really, you know, I'm, I'm living off past string like
30:05
it, it can be become sinful. But you got to understand right
30:09
when there's provision, right when there's blessing, and when
30:11
your faith is being built up, you want to make sure you're not
30:14
tired, you're not weary, and you're not lagging behind.
30:18
Because that's where the enemy is going to go first.
30:22
The spiritual parallel that those who lag behind are the
30:25
first ones that get hit. And I have found over the years
30:31
that the real target is on you and on me to take us out.
30:36
But when that isn't successful, when you and I are able to stand
30:40
strong, the enemy will go after those that are closest to you,
30:44
those that you love, those that you care about.
30:49
Because he's nasty, The devil. He doesn't care about us.
30:56
He doesn't care about our families, our singleness, our
31:02
kids, our grandkids, our marriages.
31:04
He doesn't care. And so it doesn't make sense,
31:08
does it, Church, for you not to care.
31:13
It doesn't make sense for you and I not to pay attention to
31:16
our families and to our kids and to our church and to our
31:19
brothers and our sisters. The devil doesn't care about our
31:22
city. So it doesn't make sense that
31:26
you and I wouldn't care about. We don't want to align ourselves
31:31
with the demonic forces that want to destroy.
31:33
We don't want to align ourselves with the attitude and the
31:38
mindset that we don't care about our those that are closest to us
31:42
because the enemy's going after them, because if he can get the
31:45
ones closest to us, then we're going to pull back.
31:51
It's when you're close to the Lord that you are much stronger.
31:56
You're not, you know, like invincible, but you're so much
32:02
stronger now. Notice that there was direction
32:09
given by Moses as a leader. First of all, he told Joshua to
32:14
choose some men and go fight, and that was his role.
32:19
And we don't find in Joshua resistance or questioning.
32:23
The relationship between Joshua and Moses was one of faith and
32:26
trust on one another. And because Moses loved God and
32:31
loved the people, Joshua loved God and loved the people.
32:39
And you imagine if you're just human here, Joshua, you go down
32:45
and put your life on the line and I'll just go up on the hill
32:49
over here for a while and watch you.
32:52
I mean, just put yourself like like some of you, you know, you
32:55
cop an attitude on that. What you'll go where?
33:00
Nothing like that. It's pretty rapid in me.
33:03
And this is a real war scene here.
33:05
We're going to pull some the applications out of it for our
33:08
lives. But this is like life and death.
33:10
But isn't that true spiritually, the things we go through?
33:12
This is life and death stuff when it comes to the people that
33:16
God is allowed in our lives. So Joshua, he goes down and he
33:19
does exactly what he asks. And then Moses and Aaron and
33:21
her, they go up to the hill and Moses stands there with his
33:25
hands up in a paw in a position of prayer, really surrender.
33:35
And the fight was won on the mountain and experienced in the
33:40
plains. The fight was won by prayer and
33:46
dependence, by cooperation. This is important for us because
33:51
we do battle every day. And the reason why Israel was
33:54
hit was because of their God. And the reason you're hit is
34:01
because of your God and your love for God, because you know,
34:06
you get tired of spiritual warfare and all that.
34:08
It's like, I don't know, I'm tired, tired, tired.
34:10
Well, you love God and the hatred that the world has and
34:15
the devil has for your God is experienced by those that love
34:20
God. And as your friend and pastor, I
34:24
need to remind you, the spiritual warfare in your life
34:27
will never end. Never end.
34:33
Even if you decided to walk away, turn your back on the
34:35
Lord, you're going to have a different kind of warfare as a
34:38
prodigal. It's like, what am I doing here?
34:42
I can't go back. What am I doing here?
34:44
I can't go. Oh, God.
34:45
And then you. Now you're battling shame and
34:47
guilt, and the warfare is real. But you're stronger when you're
34:51
closer to the Lord. You're stronger when you're in
34:54
the fight, you're stronger when you are where you need to be.
34:59
Joshua gets them in and go fight.
35:01
I'm going up. Aaron and her you, you come up
35:04
with me. Maybe there was some
35:05
communication. So there they are.
35:07
And notice as Moses he was, his hands were up.
35:10
Like any of us, our arms will get heavy.
35:13
I mean, you, you experience this sometimes when we're given
35:15
instruction by Pastor Andrew, Sean or our guest worship and
35:18
they say put your hands up and then you're up there and your
35:21
hands can't even last. A song.
35:24
I mean, it's kind of like like, not that you're done
35:26
worshipping, it's just this hurts.
35:28
And then all you watch it go down.
35:31
I might as well just go down and somehow Aaron and.
35:39
Her notice it. I've developed this passage in
35:44
other times as a picture of leadership.
35:47
And again, you can get those studies online or on the app,
35:52
but enough to say that Aaron and her were so in tune with God and
35:57
Moses that without a word, they came and made sure they noticed
36:02
something. His arms up victory, arms down,
36:06
defeat. And they came to the conclusion,
36:09
I think we need to help a brother, our leader.
36:13
I need to keep his arms up. They get out of rock, they sit
36:17
him on it. And they stood there and held
36:20
his arms up until victory came. That's a great lesson for us,
36:25
learning how to hold each other's arms up, support one
36:28
another, how to be the men and women that God called us to be
36:33
for the sake of the victory. They didn't do this for Moses as
36:36
much as they did it for the Lord.
36:39
They didn't do it for Joshua. But perhaps you know, the more
36:41
motivation was not Moses, but Joshua, because his life was on
36:44
the line. But there was a there was a
36:47
beauty of. Of intimacy and oneness and, and
36:50
again, I don't want to read into it how we might experience a day
36:53
because we're not in a war scene, but there was.
36:55
Just a oneness among the leadership there, and that's
36:59
where victory came. And that's an important
37:02
principle for us here in our church, like mindedness and
37:08
making sure that we lock Shields together so that we're fighting
37:11
the right enemy and not one another, because the enemy will
37:14
just take us out when we're fighting each other.
37:17
Moses goes up and he's there battling, crying out to the
37:22
Lord. Joshua and Aaron support him.
37:25
I mean in we, you know, you look here in in verse 12, it says
37:30
Aaron and her were with him and we're like, where did her come
37:34
from? Like where, where did he show up
37:36
from? We don't know, except that once
37:40
we're introduced to him, he becomes just as important as
37:44
Aaron. Equal in every way in this sense
37:48
scenario. Just as important and when there
37:53
was a need. Her just showed up to meet it
37:59
and how much I appreciate that in the body of Christ, just so
38:03
many things being taken care of so many things happening.
38:06
We wouldn't, we don't have time to go through all of the
38:09
testimonies of faithfulness in the in your workplace, at your
38:13
house, in your neighborhood, as you're going down to the
38:16
hospital to volunteer, as you're maybe collecting supplies to
38:20
send to North Carolina or the floor.
38:23
Like all the things, all the things.
38:27
You're just there because of your love for God and your love
38:30
for people. And I would say fan the flame,
38:35
take the position of support and support the Lord by supporting
38:39
those that you put in your life in leadership.
38:42
Now I know there's a pastor sharing this.
38:44
It might sound a little self-serving, but bear with me
38:47
for a moment. God's will for our lives is to
38:51
be and to do who he has called us to be and do.
38:55
And God has given us leaders in our lives.
38:57
Until my pastor went home to be with the Lord, he knew and I
39:01
very often communicated to him that God put me in his life to
39:07
help him even 1000 miles away. And I wanted him to know that
39:14
how much I love and appreciate him because of how God used him
39:17
in my life and if he had my name ever came up.
39:21
Or he ever thought about me, or I came up on a prayer meeting.
39:24
He would just know you don't need to worry about me.
39:27
I got your back. And I would never allow sin.
39:31
I would never overlook sin. I'm not a yes man.
39:34
But you know what? From my relationship with my
39:37
pastor, not once was that ever required of me or requested of
39:41
me because he lived a life of integrity.
39:44
He was an easy man to hold up his arms.
39:48
And so leaders, we have a responsibility to live a life of
39:51
faithfulness. So it's easy for us to come
39:54
together and serve. You know you're serving with
39:58
somebody, a guy or a gal right now that's always talking about
40:00
their. Authority.
40:01
Their authority or their authority?
40:04
I don't know. That's not really relationship.
40:07
Can you imagine parents? Because that's all your kids
40:10
heard every day of your life. Not when they're in trouble.
40:13
Sometimes they're in trouble. Hey, there's only one man in
40:15
this house. I get that, but that's.
40:16
Like one or two conversations your whole life.
40:19
Can you imagine every of your kids?
40:20
I just want you guys to know I'm an authority.
40:23
OK, Dad, I just want you to know that's my milk.
40:29
I work for IT and I'm an authority.
40:32
OK, Dad, what kind of kid you think you're going to raise if
40:36
you raise them like that? No way.
40:39
You're like, this house is your house.
40:42
I love you. You need more milk.
40:45
I'm at the store. You need food.
40:49
You don't even worry about it. I'm going to.
40:50
Not only you're going to have food, but I'm going to find out
40:52
what you like and I'm going to surprise you with it.
40:55
That's love. And that can happen within the
40:58
body of Christ, where we mutually love one another and we
41:01
become the her. And sometimes it's dirty and
41:04
sometimes it's hard, right? If you think about Moses here,
41:07
he's got his arms up and now he's sitting like this.
41:12
And so I don't believe to take a position if Aaron and her came
41:15
and try to hold his arms, I don't think they also took a
41:17
place of weakness so that their arms become heavy trying to keep
41:21
it. I think they did something like
41:22
this. They came up right under and
41:24
held him up in a place where they could support him.
41:28
And what that where does that put them?
41:30
Right in his armpits. And they don't have like right
41:33
guard or Old Spice. You know, on that day, that was
41:37
a nasty place to be in a real way.
41:41
Those armpits, they stinketh in the old King James.
41:46
But lives were at stake here. Lives were at stake, so everyone
41:52
did what they needed to do. For the sake of others.
41:57
And that's where victory came. And if we can learn this as a
42:00
church, and I think we're learning, we could learn it even
42:02
in better ways, right? Because how did the chapter
42:05
start? Murmuring and complaining.
42:07
How does the chapter end Victory?
42:11
Why? Because from the murmurs and
42:14
complainers that picture, God shifts the scene and says, Now I
42:19
want you to see the integrity of the leadership that the people
42:22
are dealing with. Not perfect, the integrity of
42:25
the leadership, Moses, Aaron, her and verse 13.
42:33
Don't you miss that. So Joshua defeated Amalek and
42:38
his people with the edge of the sword.
42:41
And in reviewing this as I prepared this study, I had it
42:44
ready before I was, I left for a season.
42:47
And reviewing it today and just thinking about it, it was a
42:51
moment of appreciation for all the men and women that have come
42:55
through the church over the years and are here right now for
42:58
the last 25 years that have really been a blessing to the
43:02
ministry and brought victory after victory after victory
43:06
after victory after victory for the name of Jesus Christ in
43:10
Aurora, Co and beyond. Isn't it great?
43:13
It's just so good to think of all the great things that God
43:18
has done through the really difficult tasks of ministry, of
43:25
service, of sacrifice, of counting the cost.
43:31
Somehow God's going to sort it all out in heaven at the Bema
43:34
seat, right? To think of all that we get to
43:36
be a part of, and then somehow we're going to be rewarded by
43:40
God himself. For the ministry that he gave to
43:44
us, the strength that he gave to us, the empowering that he gave
43:48
to us, the people that he gave to us, yes.
43:53
There'll be that moment like, oh Lord, come on.
43:57
And we just cast them back at his feet.
43:58
They belong to Jesus. He's the Good Shepherd.
44:03
He's the Good Shepherd. Well, notice it says in verse
44:09
14. Now the Lord said to Moses,
44:11
write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the
44:15
hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance
44:19
of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, a
44:23
place of worship after victory called its name.
44:26
The Lord is my banner, or some of you might have jotted down in
44:30
your Bible Jehovah Nisi. He's my banner, my banner, the
44:35
banner over me is. Love and victory for, he said,
44:39
because the Lord is sworn, the Lord will have war with Amalek
44:44
from generation to generation. Why?
44:48
Because the battle continues. Enjoy the victory, because the
44:52
battle continues. And you know, this is the thing
44:56
though, a lot of times, and it's my final thought for us today, a
44:58
lot of times we think the battles are going from defeat to
45:02
defeat and we get into that mindset.
45:05
No, another failure here, another failure here, another
45:07
failure here, another failure here.
45:09
And then we just kind of like now all we can see are our
45:13
failures. But I want you to notice that it
45:15
says the battles from generation from generation.
45:18
But the last thing that God said about Israel was what?
45:22
Victory. So battles really in Christ go
45:27
not from defeat to defeat, but from what?
45:30
Victory to victory, victory to victory because the battles
45:38
already been won. The cross of Christ held Jesus
45:45
himself. He died buried, and for the
45:48
final word for all humanity, he rose again from the dead and
45:54
ascended into heaven. He's at the right hand of the
45:57
Father even now. So, Lord, we are grateful for
46:01
the finished work of the cross and these victory.
46:05
You know the best way to fight is together.
46:10
We're not alone. We have Aaron and her and Moses.
46:16
We have Joshua. And so, Lord, to pour out your
46:20
spirit on us tonight that we might be men and women who don't
46:23
complain, don't murmur, but we fight the good fight.
46:29
We watch each other's backs. We lock Shields, we pray for
46:33
like mindedness, we tell the truth to one another.
46:37
We don't cover sin. We don't are not yes men or yes
46:40
women, but we grow together in grace and trust in you to do
46:44
what only you can do in our lives.
46:45
And we look to you above man to supply all of our needs
46:49
according to our your riches in Christ Jesus.
46:52
And if you're here today and you need to give your life to Jesus
46:54
Christ very simply, would you stand to your feet?
46:57
You've already heard the gospel. You already know the condition
47:00
of your life, so today is your opportunity.
47:02
I invite you to follow Jesus, knowing that you've sinned
47:06
against him and asking God to forgive you.
47:09
If that's you, just stand where you are.
47:11
I want you to acknowledge that need, and I want you to pray for
47:15
forgiveness tonight, right now, anyone among us.
47:22
This is God's appointment for you.
47:25
Watching online, listening on the radio, maybe downstairs.
47:30
Today's the day, this is it, this is the moment, this
47:36
evening, this place, this is your invitation, Jesus said.
47:47
Come unto me. All you are wearing heavy Laden.
47:51
I'll give you rest. The invitation is to him, not to
47:55
us, not to a church, not to a religion.
47:59
Jesus invites you and bids you to come.
48:03
There's actually a place in the Bible, for those of you who
48:04
don't know, there's a place in the Bible where Jesus is there
48:07
knocking on the door of a church saying let me in, I want to come
48:15
in. And a lot of times we look at
48:17
that kind of like a picture, like God knocking on the door of
48:20
your heart saying let me in. It's just kind of a cool picture
48:24
to think that God would want you and he does.
48:31
So for anyone that would say, you know, that's me, I would
48:34
just invite you to do what the Bible says.
48:36
Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus believe in your heart.
48:39
God raised him from the dead. And so you could say, God
48:43
forgive me of my sins for there are many.
48:49
I repent and turn away from them today and ask you to forgive me
48:56
because of what Jesus Christ has done for me.
49:01
And I choose to. Follow you from this day forward
49:06
to learn from You, to yield my life to You.
49:15
Help me to turn away from all of my sinful past and follow You.
49:22
Father, I pray for anyone that would turn to You tonight that
49:25
you would hear their prayers, that it would be real and
49:28
sincere and that new life would be among us.
49:33
I pray that over us, Lord, even as we think about some of the
49:36
topics in our study today, You just make them real that we
49:39
might. I think you know, I just get
49:41
that strong word. No disqualification.
49:45
I just forsake sin. It's not like, like you said,
49:54
like no one that's enlisted in an army is going to take on the
50:00
things of the world. And so we want to live a life
50:06
that honors you. Bless your church tonight.
50:09
Lord stir us up into love and good works in Jesus name, Amen.
50:14
We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible study
50:17
delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
50:20
prayer. Call us at 87730 grace that's
50:25
877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
50:31
integrity or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
50:35
online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
50:40
Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
50:43
this week.