Dependent in the desert

Introduction

Thank Pastor/Search team for inviting me to speak

Express appreciation to people

It’s been great getting to connect with people from New Hope over the last 24 hours and I’m looking to meeting more of you today and this afternoon. You’ve got a great team here. Your elders adn staff are doing an amazing job and especially the volunteers.

Twog roups of people that deserve shout outs every time and when I visit a church I like to acknowldge them, let’s show some appreciation to the a/v team back there today. Most of the time they don’t get thanked but they do get those awkward looks if something goes wrong.

Then there are the saints laying up piles of treasure in heaven each week. THe ones working thsi morning might not hear us but the rest of you that are, let’s show the nursery workers some appreciaiton this morning.

Alright, I’m looking forward to sharing God’s Word with you today.

I pray it will be an encouragement and help to you as I believ eI will be speaking to a place where each of us can find oursevlves daily in one area of lives or another.

I want you to feel loved by God today and understand Him more so that you can trust Him more.

Have you ever seen the movie Aladdin? Not the live action…the original from the, as my kids affectionately call them, 1900’s.

Do you remember when he jumps off jasmine’s balcony onto the flying carpet? She walks over after he pops back up and after a quick exchange he says to her “do you trust me?”

Now, if you’ve seen the movie you know that’s the second time he has said this to her but she didn’t know it was him…well I think she was catching on once he said that and she knew she could trust him because he had already proven himself trustworthy before.

Can I ask you a question about God this morning? And I want you to verbally respond to me.

Has God proven Himself trustworthy to you in the past?

Great. Me too.

Then, why is it when we get into a situation, a difficulty, or a trial, we doubt His ability or willingness to step in and prove Himself this time?

It’s as though God has come through 1000 times but on the 1001st, he’s gonna fail or not come thorugh.

When we find ourselves waiting for God to do something, or waiting for answer to prayer, is when we begin to have these types of doubts the most.

This is no different than when the ISraelites interact with God in the desert.

God has been doubted since He has interacted with people. It’s nothing new for Him. But do you have to doubt God or can you trust Him?

Can you trust Him in the trial? Can you worship in the waiting?

Today I want to help you understand how to do just that.

Open your bible’s please to Exodus 17 and we will read that shortly.

Character- Complainer

As your turning there, let me tell you a story. I currently live in Bristol, CT. Anyone here from or ever beent o New England?

Ok, I was born and raised in NE Tn, went the Marine Corps for 9 years where 99% of my time was spent in hot climates except for 2 training exdercises in Bridgeport California, and about 6 years ago God called me to be a pastor in Bristol, Ct. Home of ESPN. That’s not all it’s the home of though.

It’s also the home of snow, ice, rain, clouds, and darkness at 4:30pm in the middle of winter. I don’t mean sun is setting, I mean pitch black dark.

You go to work it’s dark ,you come home, it’s dark. It’s terrible.

Since living there I’ve had to fight complaining about those things.

Now, you all are spiritual people that never complain I’m sure but my heart has to work at daily, especially during the 18 months of winter that we have, to not complain over these things.

I finally made a deal with God. I said God, I won’t complain about the cold and rthe snow but this 430pm darkness…can we talk about that?

We all have things we complain about don’t we? Or am I the only one?

Kids have tons to complain about don’t they? they have to take trash out, do dishes, eat veggies. EWWWW right kids?

When our kids complain to us how do we feel parents? Frustrated right. Why? Becuase we are providing what they need. We can solve their problems if they would just ask, rather than complaining about it, right?

Some of us more difficult situations to complain about. Health scares. Parents with health problems. Financial worries. Family problems. Prodigal children. Prodigal parents. An unknown future.

Problem-Not my way

The problem with complaining is not that you have something to complain about. We could all complain about something. Humidity in summer time? Economy? Traffic? Taxes.

See it’s not a problem to have something to complain about. The problem is that we are choosing to complain rather than going to the one who can solve the problem.

And whenw e complain, we are often complaining becuase something isn’t our way.

Have you ever complained becuase everything was going just the way you want?

I’ve never told someone “I cna’t believe it’s 70 degress with no humidity and clear skies. I can’t beleive they lowered property taxes. I can’t beleive they gave me a clean bill of health.”

I only complain when something isn’t my way or is uncofmortable.

Agitated-Never satisfied, selfish, seeking my way leads to no where

And this complaining spirit that we are going to see in the Israelites in just a moment, exists in us today.

IF we aren’t careful we will complain ourselves to goin no where and doing nothing for God. We will complain our way into the problems we want to avoid. We will complain our children out of a relationship with us. We will complain our employment away.

Complaining comes from discontentment

But Paul wrote Philippians 4:11 “11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.”

Paul was content and when he asked for things or prayed for things, it was from a place of contentment.

Solution-Trust the provider, not their provision

How was Paul content in prison? After being stoned? After being shipwrecked?Was it because he was able to see God in the provision around Him? No. He was content becuase he was trusting the provider over the provision.

Guide-Moses, God

This is how Moses approached God as the Israelites came to him with their complaints, from a place of contentment. He knew God could handle it…Moses wasn’t too happy he had to handle the people though. You see throughout the journey in the desert the ISraelites got on his nerves from time to time. Now I’m sure when someone complains to you, you never let them get on your nerves. But moses did.

And when He goes to God, He does so from a place of contentment.

Journey- Exodus 17:1-7

How did they come to trust God, becuase God had proven himself.

AS we look at Exodus 17 I want you to see how the Israelites handled things and with the three points I’m going to give you I want you see how to be dependent in the desert.

Lets start with Exodus 17:1-4

Exodus 17:1–4 CSB

1 The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord’s command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So the people complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why are you complaining to me?” Moses replied to them. “Why are you testing the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water and grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you ever bring us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me!”

1. Cry out to the provider

EXEGETE:

Let me give you the backstory real quick.

Moses has been called by God to lead the ISraelites out of Egypt. He goes to get them, there are 10 plagues, the last one kills the all the first born of egypt excetp for thsose who put lambs blood on the top and sides of their doors as God commanded, Pharaoh didn’t, his first born dies and he finally releases them, and they head off into the desert. Pharoah follows them with an army and catches up to them at the red sea.

Now you have to remember this is not a small group of people. This is 2-2.5 million people.

God parts the red sea, the population of houston tx walks across.

This same population within a month complains about bitter water at a place, and then God makes it drinkable. then, they complain about food, and God gives them food. Now here we are a very short time since all of this ahppened but prior to the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai, and they are complaining again.

I’m starting to notice a trend here.

They have now come out of what is known as the wilderness of sin adn are camped at a place called Rephidim (REF eh DIM).

And now they are thirsty.

Makes sense. I’ve been in 120 degree weather in the desert before and I promise you, you can feel parched.

What is it these people do the moment they face a difficult desert moment after: being delieverd from salvery, walked through the red sea, had bitter water turned potable, and manna appear each morning? They complained to moses.

While this amy sound like a reasonable thing to do. We need to udnerstand a little more of what is meant by the word complain to grasp the severity of their actions.

ILLUSTRATE:

So instead of your child complaining by saying I don’t like this , I want that. It’s more like “Mother, father, you have purchased the foul regular milk that causes me great disdain. Your choice of how to provide me nourishment is insufficient to my liking and I demand you rememdy this abhorrent sin against me post haste!”

First off, if your kid is talking like that, put them in law school now. You’ve got your retirement set.

Notice the difference in attitude. The heart difference there.

The word is used in Deuteronomy 25:1 “If there is a dispute (rîb) between men and they go to court...” (Legal conflict.)

They are nost just saying “hey moses, can you go to the store and grab some water, we re out.” They are bringing a complaint against him and God that accuses them of not caring for them, o wanting them to die, of not being present with them, or caring for them.

Apply:

then how do we go to God and complain or cry out? What is the proper stature of our hearts when we enter a desert moment and need Jehova Jireh, God the provider?

Do what MOses did and what David did in Psalm 13: cry out in trust.

Psalm 13 gives an example of this:

Psalm 13 “For the choir director. A psalm of David. 1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long will I store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day? How long will my enemy dominate me?

Assesment: Notice this complaint? It isn’t accusatory. It’ is from a broken heart. From a place of longing for the presence of God. It’s not accusing God of not being there, it is a confession of raw emotion.

3 Consider me and answer, Lord my God. Restore brightness to my eyes; otherwise, I will sleep in death. 4 My enemy will say, “I have triumphed over him,” and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

Assessment: David continues his cry with a plea. God this is where I am emotionally, this is what I’d love for you to do about it.

5 But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. 6 I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously.”

Assessment: Then trust. This psalm is a confession to GOd that simply goes: I’m hurting, I’m in pain, I’m in a position I don’t want to be in. God I know you can do something about it. I trust that you will deliver me.

When you are in that desert moment, cry out to the Provider, cry out in trust, not turmoil.

Then,

2. Carry out the Provider’s Will

Exodus 17:5–6 CSB

5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff you struck the Nile with in your hand and go. 6 I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

EXEGETE:

The Lord Responds to Moses and gives him instruction. Yet, it wasn’t the isntruction I would expect.

If I’m asking someone for water I’m expecting an answer like “Here’s a bottle.” or during the times of the exodus “Head this way, find a fresh stream”

Not, get everyone together and go hit a rock.

But, that’s exaly waht the Lord does. He tells Moses “Get the elders with you, take the staff that turned the Nile to blood, go to the rock of Horeb where I’ll be standing, then hit, and you’ll have water.

If there was ever a passage that exemplified “Your ways are higher than my ways” This is it.

ILLUSTRATE:

Have you ever prayed for God to give you an answer to prayer or to do someting, and then when he makes it happens you set back and go “ That is NOT what I was expcting”

I’ve heard of the kingdom of God often referred to as the upside down Kingdom because God does things opposite of how the world does

1 Corinthians 1:27 (CSB)

"Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong."

1 Corinthians 1:28-29 – "God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence."

Had God told them to go to the river, moses could had just found it with some next level wayfinding.

No, this was a God moment.

Ever had one of those?

The school my kids attend of in Ct, has been there for many years. Our kids started attending there in 2019. It was old and it looked it. The people, the teachers, the staff, they were and are amazing though. We overlooked the appearnce knowing that place was where God wanted our kids.

Over the last 6 years it has seen explosive growth. in 2019 there were 120 some kids k4-12. Now, there are over 450.

While completing construction on parts of the school that needed upgraded, well..some parts becuase the whole thing needed a face lift. Something happen with a weld and there was a fire. IT did quite a bit of damage.

My pastor got the call from the principle and he went over there to see the fire departmetn going in and caring for the fire. He is standing there watching this place go up in smoke with tons of damage and the budget wasn’t what it needed to be at the time, it rarely is, right?

And in those moments he said he walked to the sie of the building to be alone with God, got a big grin on his face, and said “Lord, This isn’t my problem. This si your problem. I can’t wait to see what you are going to do with it.” Well, that problem turned into a $353,000 answer to prayer becuase the smoke damage forced the insurance to pay for the remodel of like 80% of the schools floors, walls, cafeteria, etc. It got the facelift it needed and looks amazing now.

On top of that, the roof had been damaged and in desparate need of repair for YEARS. I mean buckets in the hall or class when it rained bad.

Becuase the school didn’t have to spend money on those other items and the insurance covered it, they got the roof repaired a year or two sooner than expected.

They had prayed for God to provide. He didn’t say “call this guy, get a bid, take a vote.” God said “FIre. insurance company. Let me handle it.”

Apply:

What is your desert moment? What are you going to God for right now? Is your heart growing bitter and discontent as you are trying to solve all the problems yourself.

The Israelites not having water wasn’t the Israelites problem. If God is their provider then it si his problem to provide.

The Isralites problem and had been in other parts of this journey, is that they had a problem with the provision.

We don’t get to decide how God provides. We get to trust and be grateful that He is providing.

When we can be grateful for His provision, then we can press on.

When we do this…WE get the greatest provision of all, His presence.

3. Enjoy the Providers Presence

Exodus 17:6–7 CSB

6 I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites complained, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

EXEGETE:

God didn’t just tell them to go and strike the rock. He said He would be there.

The statement at the end shows what the real test or accusation toward God was “Are you even with us?”

He not only provided what they needed, he gave them His presence.

Scholars are divided as to whether this was a physical appearance of God through a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ).

The Apostle Paul, however, directly connects the rock to Christ, saying in

1 Corinthians 10:4: ‘They drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.’

Charles Spurgeon expands on this, stating,

‘The Rock in the wilderness was Christ, and that the water which flowed from it was that living water whereof, if a man drinks, he shall never thirst again.’

Whether physically or spiritually present,

God was unmistakably among them, answering their question, ‘Is the LORD among us or not?’ with a miraculous outpouring of grace.

Some say it was just a spiritual presence and look to Paul in1 Cor 10:4 for support of this: 1 Cor 10:4

1 Corinthians 10:4 CSB

4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.

Whether there physically or spiritually, what’s important to recognize is even after this third complaint and accusation against God, He is still there for them.

Illustrate:

As followers of Jesus, this is our hope. This truth is what makes our faith different than all others. Because of Christ, because of the gospel, we have the privelage and honor of direct access to our Heavenly father…even when we feel our most alone. Even after we have been the ones to put ourselves in that situation. Even when we have chosen to complain about His grace in our lives and His provision. He still makes himself available to us.

Have you ever offended someone? I mean really offended them?

Let me ask another question: Have you ever asked for someones forgiveness? Then recieved it? Even more than receiving it, did they embrace you, love you despite your failure or mistakes.

When we put our faith in Jesus that’s exactly what He does. He forgives, He embraces, and He loves.

Apply:

When your in your dessert moments, when your feeling as though God is far from you, don’t look to the provision around you for proof of His presence. The Israelites were expecting God to provide everything to them exactly as they wanted….but we serve God not a genie.

and that God loves you, that God cares for you, and that God does not want you to keep your self separated from Him in your darkest moments, He wants you to go to Him. Not accusing Him of not being there or providing, but crying out to Him ready to be with Him and follow Him in His way.

Resolution- Find Refuge in the Provider

God’s ways are higher and better. But they aren’t always easier.

The israelites got the promised land after 40 years, Job got a great life after his sufgfering, the Israelites returned from captivity after 70 years, DAvid became king after running from Saul.

Our situation and provision may not be what we want or how we want it, but we serve the same God as Paul, Moses, and the Israelites who does not change and will provide in His way and in His time.

Will you find your refuge in the provision around you or the Provider who saved you?

Impact-Neg: selfish, complaining, nevet content. Pos: content, at rest, faithful

Negative: Choosing to look to the proivions will keep you complaining becuase the provision is never what you want it to be. Most people live wanting more, mor moeny, more time, more health, better job, better this and better that. I get it. I’ve done it. But when that gets stripped away…what then? The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. What will you do when the Lord decides to take the thing you’ve put your trust in? Your home? your 401k?

Postive: however if you decide today that every day you will be grateful for the provision God gives you, in the way He gives it, because you trust the provider over the provision, you can live from the a place of rest and contentment.

Matthew 11:28 CSB

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

It’s time to rest Christians.

Time of Response