Turning the Bitter Waters Sweet
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Introduction
Introduction
(thank them for the opportunity)
our key passage will be found in Exodus 15:22-25
(Papa Roy illustration.)
his condition
we played checkers
He passed away (October 29th)
this was not my first encounter with bitterness in life and it would not be my last! And when we begin reading from our key passage this morning we find the Israelite people facing their own moments of bitterness!
(Read Key Passage)
POINT ONE: THERE WILL BE BITTERNESS
POINT ONE: THERE WILL BE BITTERNESS
The Israelite people were in a tough situation! They had gone three whole days in the wilderness without any water! When we say it out loud that doesn’t seem like a big deal at first, but lets not underestimate the trouble that they were in. Most of us in this room have not even gone one single day without having something to drink.
do you know how long a human can survive without water?
about three days...
this means that the Israelite people were in serious life endangering trouble! and all life had to give to them was bitter, undrinkable water.
Really that passage sums up their whole life!
most of them had been born into a life of slavery in Egypt.
when they needed freedom, Pharaoh ordered that all of their first born sons be killed.
when they needed rest, Pharaoh increased the work that they had to do.
8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
this was part of their passover tradition and they would take part in this every year. The bitter herbs are meant to represent the bitterness of the slavery they faced in Egypt.
when they finally get to leave bondage, Pharaoh sends his army and pins them against the Red Sea.
Now after escaping that difficulty here they are in yet another life threatening situation and all they have is water so bitter that its undrinkable.
Can I tell you something friend? Life here is going to be full of trouble!
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
It’s a promise from scriptures we are going to face difficulties!
and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to acknowledge this as true for the world that we live in!
right now we have war raging between Ukraine and Russia, Gaza and Israel.
fathers and mothers are losing their sons and daughters. Sons and daughters are losing their mothers and fathers.
sickness plagues us
Here in the U.S. the price of living has skyrocketed and people are struggling to just make ends meet.
It seems like the Human experience is just not complete unless you experience soul crushing anguish first!
The worst part is that we deserve way more than what we are facing.
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Israelite people were slaves to Pharaoh, and without Christ. we are in bitter slavery to sin.
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
Everything was fine in the Garden until sin entered into our story.
17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”
Guys… let it be known to us today that sin is the root behind all of our problems.
What is left for us then? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? Where is the thing that tells us it will all be OK in the end? Where is the end to this dark night?
Where is hope?
POINT TWO: CALL OUT TO JESUS
POINT TWO: CALL OUT TO JESUS
For Moses in our key passage when he is facing trials and difficulties with the Israelite people he turns his attention to God.
25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,
before this when we find the people of Israel pinned between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army we see Moses again turning to God.
for Moses, he had hope in those times of trouble and difficulty!
When John was beginning his Gospel message he wrote
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
We have a hope! One singular hope! One promise that darkness will not be victorious in the end! one light that shines brightly in the night! and his name is Jesus Christ!
Some of us here in this room are weighed down by the things that we are facing in life right now. Some of us have a heavy burden of anxiety, fear, depression, and sorrow. You don’t know where, or who to turn to.
Jesus said,
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
It reminds me of the woman with an issue of blood who knew that she could hope in Jesus.
20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.
and also of the thief on the cross who cried out to Jesus and said,
42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Friend if you are without hope this morning, If you are facing things you do not know how to bear on your own, if you are full of anguish. you can cry out to Jesus. You can cry out to the one person who truly provides hope in the hopeless situations of life.
in fact Paul writes and calls it,
19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Its a hope that is an anchor for our soul… and it is not a hope that is in vain because, yes there will be bitter moments in life, but we can call out to Christ and when he enters into our story, he turns the bitter waters sweet.
POINT THREE: THE SWEET WATERS
POINT THREE: THE SWEET WATERS
For the Israelite people:
it was God who stepped into their situation and delivered them from that horrible bondage in Egypt. By sending Moses to Pharaoh with the words, “Let my people go, on his lips.”
It was God who reached down and made a way for them by splitting the Red Sea itself.
It was God who made the bitter waters of their life sweet. who provided them with water when they were in danger.
The same God who worked in the lives of the Israelite people in the OT works in our lives in the NT!!
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I serve A God who, although I am just a spec in the universe, and although he is the author of creation, sent his son, to step down from the throne of heaven, to be born in a lowly manger, to bear my sin and shame, and to die a death that belong to me!
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
And as he was bearing my shame on the cross, as he is surrounded by those who would persecute him and nail him to that tree, the words on his lips were,
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Its because of Jesus that I have hope this morning.
I thank God this Morning that God did not give me what I deserved!
In the end of our key passage, God begins to give them some of their first instructions. In fact, most of the book of Exodus after this point deals with the Law and the commandments.
this is significant for us because it means that the Israelite people did nothing to earn God’s grace!!!
The law was given to them after they were saved out of bondage in Egypt so they couldn’t have earned God’s favor by abiding in it!!
for us today scripture says in
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
19 We love because he first loved us.
Friend if you are waiting to get your life in order before you place your faith in Christ you will never accomplish that goal.
If you are trying to be good enough to earn God’s grace and favor before turning to him you will never get there.
God steps into our lives while they are messy. His grace is undeserved and if you want it in your life, repent and place your faith in him.
Earlier on in chapter 15 from exodus the Israelite people say this to describe themselves,
16 Terror and dread fall upon them;
because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone,
till your people, O Lord, pass by,
till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
And just like the Israelite people, if we place our faith in Christ, we too have been purchased out of our slavery to sin and bitterness.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we are drawing our time together to a close I want to share with you one last verse.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
This is the promises from God’s word. This is God stepping into our lives and turning something that is unbearably bitter, into something that is unimaginably sweet. This is the christian hope, that one day, no matter how bad the situation may seem, God will set everything right, God will wipe away every tear.
I know where my Grandfather is this morning. I know that I will see his smile again some day, That I will enjoy his company once more. God has turned that bitterness sweet.
(concluding invitation.)
ask band to come.
take a moment to pray, to come to God.
if the spirit is working in your life don’t ignore him but come and accept the promises of Christ today
(Billy Graham statement)
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
