Sermon Tone Analysis

Pyramids

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-Today I want to give you all the opportunity to be a part of the message

-I want to read to you from Matthew chapter 7

-and I simply want to open it up to you all

-what do you think that verse means?

-it’s not a trick question.

-Today I want us to jump in to our Pyramids series on the Book of Exodus

-and just to bring you all up to speed in the story

-at this point God has delivered the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians

-through the red sea

-and last week we looked at this beautiful song that they sang in praise to God

-they praised God

-they worshipped God

-they declared their faith to Him

-that he was going to lead them

-and the point of last weeks sermon was simple

-The israelites sang to God

-So we should also sing to God

-They did a good thing

-we should copy them

-That was pretty much the entire point of last weeks message

-I could have saved everyone 30 minutes and just said that

-because that was the point

-That will be the one and only time in this entire series where I tell you to copy the Israelites

-The only time

-Because from this point in the story moving forward

-from now all the way to chapter 40 we’re about to witness a train wreck

-like if the book of Exodus ended at that song

-it would be a really good story

-it would be a feel-good story about a rag-tag bunch of sheep herders who were held captive in Egypt

-and God delivered them and saved them

-and they finally learned how to have faith

-and they all lived happily ever after

-That would be a really nice ending to the story

-it would make a great hallmark movie

-but it’s not the end

-in fact where we’re going to pick up at verse 22 is just the very beginings of a dumpster fire

-so hold on to that song we read last week

-hold on to those feel-good moments and I want you to compare what we read just one page ago to what we’re about to read now

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Contentment

-3 days

-they made it a full 3 days

-before they went right back to whining and complaining

-and maybe if you’re a savvy reader you might be thinking to yourself

-well, I don’t know, 3 days is a long time without water

-in the desert, it gets really hot

-they were probably on the verge of death

-Maybe they were so dehydrated that it was a life or death situation

-I can understand how they would be upset

-I want to tell you from the outset, they were fine

-First of all, 3 days is the original amount of time that they asked pharaoh so that they could go and worship

-that was the original plan, remember?

-they wanted a 3 days weekend to go out and do their sacrifices

-so they were prepared for 3 days

-that was the whole plan to begin with

-we’re gonna go out for a long weekend to do some sacrifices

-plan on a three day trip

-so don’t think that this story is about how God miraculously saved the israelites from the verge of death

-because it’s not

-It’s a story about a bunch of people who got a little thirsty and complained about it

-That’s what this story is about

-but in spite of their grumbling in spite of their complaining God hears them and answers them

-I want you to pay attention to how this plays out

-Here are some of the questions that you should be asking yourself as you read this passage.

-Number 1, you should be asking yourself

-what wast the point of the whole branch thing in the bitter water

-if there was an Oasis just a little ways up the road?

what was the point of that whole miracle

-God could have just lead them to the springs and accomplished the exact same thing

-And I think in order to answer that question

-you have to answer the question

-Number 2, what does verse 26 mean?

I am the Lord who heals you

-What do they need to be healed from?

-they don’t have any diseases

-they don’t have any illnesses

-at least the bible doesn’t tell us that they did

-As is often the case, when God does things in the Bible that don’t quite make sense to us

-he’s trying to teach a lesson

-He’s trying to show them what they need to be healed of.

-We’ve already established that it wasn’t dehydration

-they weren’t on the verge of Death or anything

-so what did they need to be healed from?

Contentment

-they were suffering from a lack of contentment

-That’s why God took the bitter water and made it sweet for them first

-he helped them with their contentment by making their situation a little bit more bearable.

-And God, out of his mercy and patience

-made their water more palatable

he made it so that it was a little bit easier to be content with that water

-Part of Ask and you shall receive is being able to recognize when God has already provided you with what you need

-you just want more

-So I think as we ask the question “what does ask and you shall receive” mean we have to think about contentment.

-one of the biggest fears that I had when I decided to become a minister was the cut in pay.

-because you have to understand, before I did this for a living

-before we sold our house and moved to nebraska,

-and I started Going to college

-and all of that stuf

-Lindsay and I were making a fairly comfortable living.

-Not rich by any means