Wednesday Night Prayer
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I want to welcome you again to our online service tonight.
As I thought and prayed about what I’d share with you tonight, my mind and heart kept going back something our Worship Director, Kelly Wilkens, said during our team prayer time Sunday morning.
We were talking about the wilderness journey of the Israelites as they journeyed towards the Promise Land, and as we talked about it, Kelly made this statement, “What should have been an 11 day journey took 40 years.”
And ever since Kelly said that, that phrase has stuck with me.
And so what I want to do tonight is take a few moments and look at the story of the Exodus, because I believe it has some relevance to what we are currentlygoing through as a nation, as a people, and as a community of believers.
If you’re not famialir with the story, it’s a story found in the OT in the book of Exodus. A story that begins with the birth of a man named Moses during a time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. A slavery that resulted from the Egyptians feeling threatened by the Israelites. In Exodus 1 we read:
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
So, as you can see, not a great situation for the people of Israel. But what it did do is cause them to start crying out to God for help. A cry that God heard. Because if we jump to Exodus 3, from the story of the burning bush, God makes this statement to Moses:
7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
In this moment God acknowledges the cry of His people and promises a deliverance that will eventually lead them to the Promised land. A land that God says flows with milk and honey.
And make good on His promise He did. Because if we took the time to read it, from there God sends Moses to confront Pharoah and demand that Pharoah let God’s people go. A command that Pharoah did’t initially obey, but 10 plagues later, and with Egypt at the brink of ruin, he complies with Moses request and releases the people. In Exodus 12 we read:
31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”
And so, this is obviously good news for Israel, because now they are a free people. Now they can go to the promised land that God has promised them.
But little did they know, the journey to the promised land wouldn’t be the journey that had anticipated. In fact, God had no intention of taking them directly there. We know that because in Exodus 13 we read this:
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.”
The writer says God took them on the long route to the Promised Land, not the short route.
So, why is God taking them on a longer route? Why not just take them directly there? Well, the writer just told us. God didn’t lead them there directly because they weren’t ready to face the opposition of the Canaanites, the people who were currently occupying the Land.
You see, what you have to realize is they’ve been slaves for 400 years. They didn’t have any training in battle. They didn’t know what it meant to be a nation or a people. In a way, they’re like children who first need to be taught and instructed. And so instead of taking them directly to the Promised Land, God takes them to a mountain in the wilderness called Mt. Sinai where through Moses, He reveals Himself to the people, gives them laws to live by, and prepares them for the Promised Land. In Exodus 19 we read:
1 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
An so it’s in this place that God prepares His people. And what’s amazing about their journey to the moutain, is along the way to Mt. Sinai, God protected them and provided them with everything they needed for the journey.
It all started back in Exodus 14 as the people were leaving Egypt, and Pharoah decides to go after them, in that moment, God puts a cloud of fire between Israel and the Egyptians. He then parts the Red Sea and the people of Israel cross on dry ground and are saved from the Egyptian army.
It continued as they journey towards Mount Sinai, and they don’t have water, so God provides water from a rock.
But it doesn’t stop there as the people exhaust their food supply, and God begins to provide bread from heaven called Mana. In Exodus 16 we read:
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven on you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day...’” Exodus 16:4a (ESV)
The point here is, despite being in a Wilderness with no water of food, God took care of His people as they journeyed towards the Promise Land. What an amazing God.
But unfortunately, the people of Israel didn’t see it that way. Because along the way, they often became disgruntled and grumbled against God.
In Exodus 15, they grumbled because they didn’t have any water, even though God had provided water.
In Numbers 11, they grumbled because they didn’t have the food they wanted as they grew tired of the Mana. Check this out:
4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
For the people of Israel, it was never good enough. Yes, water was miraculously coming out of rocks. yes, food was falling from the sky. But they grumbled.
And what’s even more amazing, is when they finally get to the entrance to the Promise Land, they send spies into the land in order to see what the land was like. But when the report comes back, they refuse to enter. Why? Look at what the writer tells us:
25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
The writer says after spying out the land, they agree, it’s a good land the Lord wants to give us. However, the people who dwell there are great. The cities are fortified. And the people are bigger than they are. It doesn’t look good.
And it’s at that point the people respond, once again, in grumbling. Look at what the writer tells us:
1 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel.
Is that not amazing. God had delivered them from Egyptian slavery. God had parted the Red Sea. God had brought water out of a rock. God had provided food from heaven. God has met every need on the way to the Promised Land. And now, once there, all they can see are the obstacles and what they don’t have. And so once again, they begin to complain and grumble against God.
But this time God has had it. This is the last time He will tolerate the grumbling. Because listen to how God responds to their grumbling:
26 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die.”
God says, “That’s it. It’s obvious you’re not going to trust me to take you into the promised land. So guess what, you can stay in the wilderness, and there you will die. And instead of you entering the land, it will be your children.”
And God was true to His word. Because 40 years would pass until a new generation of Israelites would stand once again at the entrance to the Promised Land. A generation that would trust God. A generation that would inherit the promise.
And so what could have been an 11 day journey, turned into a journey that took 40 years.
That’s quite a story, right?
So, a great question at this point would be, “How exactly does this apply to us?”
To be honest, it applies in a number of ways. But based on our current circumstances with the Corona Virus, I think it applies in some specific ways.
The first way I’d like to suggest it applies, is while we aren’t slaves in the sense they were, like the Israelites we have been living in bondage. And the bondage I’m referring to is the downward spiritual spiral of our nation and our culture.
A downward spiral that has led to a post Christian nation.
A downward spiral that glorifies sinful living and sexual immorality.
A downward spiral that uphold the rights of a mother over the life of an unborn baby.
A downward spiral that says men can be women and women can be men.
A downward spiral that puts sports and activities ahead of spiritual matters.
A downward spiral that removes God from schools and government buildings.
A downward spiral that has left many Christians and churches crying out to God to intervene. Crying out to God to send revival. Crying out to God to do something to end the madness.
You see church, we have been living in the mist of bondage, and it’s only getting worse. Which is why for many years now, many churches and Christians have been crying out to God for revival.
And then along comes the Corona virus, a plague of sorts. Something that brings America too its knees. Something that removes many of the false gods our nation serves. Something that forces us to stop and reflect on what is happening.
You see, what I’d like to suggest, is maybe, just maybe, what is happening in the world and in our country is a direct result of the people of God crying out to God as we ask Him to intervene and Ask Him to get involved.
And you know what, I think He’s heard our cry. I think He’s responding.
And if that’s the case, maybe what it’s led us to as the people of God, is a wilderness journey. A journey of faith. A journey that has taken us out of our comfort zones. A journey that is longer than we anticipated. But a journey that is meant to prepare us for what God is about to do. A journey of promise. A journey of revival. A journey of renewal. A journey that will result in a great harvest of souls.
You see, I believe through this virus, God has a plan of redemption. A plan of restoration. A plan that is meant to bring our country back to God. That God is leading us and preparing us for what’s to come. And it starts with us. It starts with the people of God. It’s starts with us recognizing that God is involved in this, and that maybe this is an answer to our cry for help.
But in the midst of God answering our prayer, there are some dangers:
The first danger would be, that along the way, that instead of looking up at what God is doing, we would to look around and begin to grumble. Grumble about what we don’t have anymore. Grumble about our circumstances. And that in our grumbling, we would begin to look back and long for the way it used to be. Back when people were too busy to go to church. Back when people were focused on everything but God. Back to a culture bent on inventing new ways to sin.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to go back to that. In fact, as I think about the country opening back up, I hope we don’t go back to business as normal. Because before the virus, our country was on a downward spiral. I would even say this, before the virus, there were a lot of Christians who had become too distracted and too invested in the world. You see, I pray we don’t go back to that normal. Because it was a normal that was spiritually destroying our nation.
So, that’s the first danger.
The second danger would be, in our grumbling of what we’ve lost, we’d lose sight of what God has given us.
I know I’ve struggled with this. I’ve struggled with the loss of a normal Sunday morning service.
I’ve struggled with the inability to connect with people.
I’ve struggled with the governing officials God has placed over us and the decisions they’ve been making.
I’ve struggled with the circumstances I find myself in where I’m not in control.
And as a result, I’ve grumbled.
And in my grumbling, I’ve been so focused on what I’ve lost, what I don’t like, and what I don’t have, that I’ve lost sight on what I do have and what God has provided.
Because in the midst of this wilderness journey, God has provided.
For one, He’s provided amazing technology and equipment that allows us to continue to reach people, but in a different way.
He’s continued to provide financial support through the faithfulness of our attendees, even though we haven’t been able to physically met.
He’s allowed us to reach people we would have never reached before through a online venue.
He’s opened up doors of opportunity that would have never been able to open any other way.
You see, in the midst of the wilderness journey, God has provided everything we need as a church to survive and keep moving forward.
And unless I miss my guess, He’s done the same for you in your personal life. No, maybe you didn’t get toilet paper when you needed it most. Maybe you didn’t get all the food your accustomed to getting or your favorite brand when you went shopping. Maybe you’ve had some hours cut. And Maybe you’ve even been laid off.
But God has provided, hasn’t He? You haven’t gone without a meal, right? Your bills are getting paid and in some cases deferred. you recieved $1200 per adult and $500 per child in your checking account last week, right? Somehow water has been coming from rocks and mana has been fallen from heaven.
To be honest, there’s nothing for any of us should be grumbling about. Because God is taking care of His people.
And what a danger it would be for us not to recognize that. What a danger to grumble in the midst of God’s provision.
The final danger we could run into in our grumbling, would be to miss out on what God is trying to prepare us for, and in the process, extend our wilderness experience.
Because I believe through our current wilderness experience, God is preparing you and He’s preparing our church for a great harvest of souls. A harvest like we’ve never seen before. But if all we’re doing is grumbling about our circumstances. If all we’re doing is complaining about what we don’t have and can’t do. If all we’re doing is focusing on the restrictions and the obstacles before us. Then we might not be ready for what God wants to do.
And what a tragedy that would be. What a tragedy it would be, to be right at the brink of what God wants to do in our personal lives and in our church, but in our grumbling we miss the opportunity. In our grumbling we don’t have the ability or faith or understanding to step forward.
And what a tragedy it would be then, to not be the generation that makes a difference. To not be the generation that steps into the promises that God has for this church. But too instead, wander around in a wilderness that leads to no change, no impact, and no new life. To be the church that goes back to the way it used to be.
Because I’m going to tell you right now, if all we do is grumble, and all we do is long for the way it used to be, then we’re going to miss out on the new that God wants to do.
And instead of walking into a new promise, we’re going to walk back into an old wilderness. Back into a lifestyle and a way of living that doesn’t please God. back to spiritual complacency. Back to too many activities and distractions. Back into a world that is spiraling out of control.
And then, what could have been a short journey, is going to become a much longer journey. A journey where God waits to raise up a new generation of Christians who are ready and willing to walk into His promises.
Because the fact is, God isn’t going to force us to walk into His promises. God isn’t going to force us to become the church He wants us to become. Instead, He brings us to the brink of it, and then he lets us make a choice. Will we trust Him to walk into the unknown and the uncertain. Or, will we grumble about our circumstances. Will we complain and long for the bondage we just came out of. Will we miss out on the opportunity God is presenting to us?
My prayer is that we won’t. My prayer is that I won’t. That starting tonight, you and I would make the decision to end the grumbling. That we would stop grumbling about President Trump. That we would stop grumbling about Nancy Pelosi. That we would stop grumbling about the Governor. That we would stop grumbling about the restrictions.
And that instead, we would begin rejoicing. Rejoicing that God has positioned people to be open to the Gospel. Rejoicing that God has given us the technology and equipment we need to keep moving forward. Rejoicing that God has met all of our needs. Rejoicing that in the midst of the wilderness that God has continued to provide.
And finally, that we would begin to focus on being prepared for the promises that are soon to come. That we would be more fervent in prayer. More committed to reading the Bible. More open to the leading of the Spirit. More ready than we’ve ever been to walk into the new promises God has for our personal lives and our church. Because I believe a promised land lies ahead. I believe we are on the brink of something supernatural that God wants to do.
And my prayer is, that in the midst of our current circumstances, we wouldn’t turn an 11 day journey into a 40 year journey.
Church, let’s embrace the journey. Let’s trust that God in control, has a plan, and is preparing us for the greatest harvest we have ever seen. Let’s walk out of this wilderness pandemic into the promises of God.
Let’s Pray.