God Knows Our Attitude

Story: Angry man throwing deodorant

Leading mission trip to Costa Rica

Man at ticket counter was so angry that he screamed, threw his deodorant straight up in the air and stomped away

SHOW PICTURE OF DEODORANT

I've never thrown my deodorant in a crowded airport. BUT...

I have been so angry I pitched a fit

I have been so angry I yelled at someone I care about

I have been so angry I made a fool out of myself

And all of those moments have 1 thing in common...

I forgot to keep my eyes focused on Jesus.

Let's be honest, when we get the most angry...

It's because we're most concerned about someone embarrassing us

It's because we're most wrapped up in our own plans getting messed up

It's because we're feeling sorry for ourselves

My attitude always suffers when I take my eyes off Jesus and focus on myself.

Focus on my travel plans - or even my lunch plans

Focus on my yard

Focus on my ______

This morning, we're going to spend some time feeling the weight of the Israelites' emotions...and once we understand their plight, I am praying that the Holy Spirit will remind you that He is STILL THE KING.

PRAY

The suffering isn’t over quite yet…

Exodus 5:1–6:8 (NIV)

Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’ ”

Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”

Typical response that a broken world gives.

Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”

That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’ ” So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”

Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”

The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

Have you ever felt like this?

Why God???

What is your plan???

You haven’t done ANYTHING!!!

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”

Knowing what I know of God, I feel like Pharaoh should have been terrified at this moment…

God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”

God’s plan began moving and at the very first sign of resistance, they quickly blamed God. But God didn’t waver from His plan…

Story: Andrew in the video store

Will someone tell my dad to calm down???

God doesn’t cause brokenness or suffering but He certainly allows moments to get our attention so He can remind us of who He is and who we need to be because of Him…

God corrects the attitude of His people by:

1 - Focusing on His character.

“I am the Lord.”

No matter what you go through…or what the world throws at you…God is still God.

The enemy might be trying everything he can think of to wreck your life but when you look up from the carnage and chaos of this life, God is right there reminding you that He is STILL THE KING.

2 - Focusing on His covenant.

“I also established my covenant with them…”

Remember the covenant??? God does…

“I have remembered my covenant.”

No matter what happens…

In your culture…God’s covenant with you remains untouched.

In the next few weeks of politics…God’s covenant with you remains unchanged.

In your physical or mental health…God’s covenant with you remains unbroken.

3 - Focusing on His commitment.

“I will give [the land] to you as a possession.”

No matter what happens in your fears…God’s commitment is unwavering.

No matter what happens in your worry…God’s commitment is unfailing.

Exodus 7:3–5 (NIV)

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

God moves even when His people falter.

Even when we don’t feel strong in our faith that God will come through…He still comes through.

God begins to bring His “mighty acts of judgment” - you call them plagues - against the Egyptian nation and eventually, the king says, “GO.”

But then he quickly changes his mind and sent his army after them…

Exodus 14:10–18 (NIV)

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

They misplaced their focus AGAIN and wound up with a pretty terrible attitude for a people who had just been begging to be saved.

Surely we never have attitudes like that, right???

How often have you…

Begged God to open an opportunity for you but then complained as soon as the opportunity required you to change something?

Longed for God to lead you in a new way but then griped as soon as the new way looked different than the old way?

Called out to God to rescue you from your current situation but then pitched a fit because you missed parts of the old situation?

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

Because their focus was so misplaced…

army // sea // desert // exhaustion // hunger

…their attitude was suffering and their hope was gone.

But God was about to remind them…

There is no army big enough to threaten the throne of King Jesus.

He said, “The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord…” But actually, I think “the Israelites” needed to know just as much as the Egyptians did.

The question is not, “Will God be with His people?”

HE ABSOLUTELY WILL BE!!!

The question is, “Will you choose to FOCUS as God is with His people?”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Why do you think the Israelites reacted with anger and blame towards Moses and Aaron when they faced more difficult tasks after asking Pharaoh to let them go?

Can you think of a time when you reacted negatively in a difficult situation

What could you have done differently?

How does God's reminder of His covenant provide comfort and/or strength when we face challenges?

What are some specific promises from God that give you hope during tough times?

In Exodus 14:10-18, the Israelites were afraid and questioned Moses when they saw the Egyptians approaching. What does this tell us about human nature, especially when we're faced with fear or uncertainty?

How do you typically respond when faced with fear or uncertainty?

Do you have ways to refocus your thoughts?

We’re reminded that God corrects the focus and attitude of His people. What practices can you implement in your daily life to keep your focus on God rather than your circumstances?

What are some practical ways you can focus on God's character in our lives today?

How can you focus on His covenant?

How can you focus on His commitment?

How can we ensure that our attitude remains positive, even when things don’t go as planned or when we feel like God is not hearing our prayers?

What strategies can you adopt to remind yourself of God's presence and faithfulness when faced with disappointment?