Untitled Sermon (2)

Sermon 2

The God who Cares - Pt 2

Exodus 2:23-25

Exodus 16:1-12

Main Idea: The God who heard and delivered Israel is the same God who hears us and delivers us in the midst of our fears, worries, and unknowns of life.

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How to care for a homeless person with wisdom and grace?

Don't give them money

Meet a need (Blessing bag - gift card - basics - gospel) food -clothing - shelter

Show them you care

Invite them to return

Be wise - mental illness is normal so always have a b uddy with you and if you dont be careful.

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Last week: What is the most repeated command in scripture? Do not be afraid

The tone - makes the difference. -

Phil 4:6 - Dont be anxious (worried)

V.5 The Lord is near

The God who cares is the God who hears our prayers and acts for our good and His glory.

God is not a once then done God. I saved you out of Egypt but now your own!

God is always actively involved in His people's lives.

Scripture is saturated with one central message: God is faithful and we can trust him

“Open your Bibles anywhere and you will land on a story of God’s faithfulness”

Psalm 36:5

5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds.

God does not hear us because of the quality of our prayers or even the character of His people but because He is the God who hears and the God who delivers.

The Exodus was the event that God staked His reputation on until Christ came and brought with him a eternal deliverance.

How does God deliver us in our daily lives? What might it look like? Does it always look like what we expect?

The God Who Daily Delivers

The Mannah Principle - Ex 16:1-

Israel's deliverance began when they left Egypt.

Their groaning didn't end but really began when they were delivered.

Like a baby who knows who to cry to help so Israel was constantly crying out and constantly forgetting their past deliverances

Life is hard- The journey is long - food ran low - water ran out… Are we there yet!

Exodus 16:9-12

The God who is near - Ex 16:9-10

9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’ ” 10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

God’s glory is God presence with His people

Unless we know God is near and present we cannot be comforted.

God is omnipresent so when God speaks of being near he means He is working on behalf of His people.

God with us means he is for us actively protecting, comforting and guiding.

The issue is we are still fearful, still doubting, still prone to use the worlds means to care for ourselves.

The God who tests - v.1-4

What are they anxious about - Food - their hungry

What’s the root issue? Will they trust and obey?

God does not play mind games with His people

No, God is forging a relationship with us and no relationship is lasting unless it is built on trust.

Ex: Metalworking - forging takes heat and pressure, its not easy nor pleasant - Sword-making

God desires to reveal divided affections

The truth is though we love our Lord we also find ourselves worrying and depressed.

James 1:2-8

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

God loves us enough to reveal to us that much of our lives are characterized by fear, anxiety, and worry.

God reveals our heart so we might grow in our trust in Him

There is a root desire that is not being met by anything we put in it; relationship, material things, occupations.

God’s love is a revealing love and the greatest gift he gives us is the ability to see ourselves and then offer us Himself.

God ordains the challenges of life with a purpose.

Proverbs 16:4

The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Proverbs 16:9

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

The God who delivers does so in a way to reveal our fears in order to teach us to trust him

The God who Perfectly provides

Physical Provision - Only enough for today - Ex 16:16-20

16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’ ” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.

The Manna principle: God will gives us what we need for today and today alone.

Take all that you want today, but not one crumb for tomorrow

Christ’s lesson for his disciples: Mark 6:7-9

The lesson is not to starve us tomorrow but that tomorrow He gives us all that we need.

Matt 6:25-34 - The futility of worry if God really cares and delivers, daily

Daily/weekly Rest -

The faith of sleep

When we go to sleep we declare, we are human, we are not in control.

Psalm 127:2 - the vanity of sleeplessness

2 It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious toil;

for he gives to his beloved sleep.

The faith of the Sabbath - Ex. 16:23-27

, 23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’ ” 24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.

The Sabbath day of rest comes into view during the Manna story

The reality: This was an agrarian culture: No crops = no food, no money, no life.

What happens if your crop ripens on Friday and needs to be picked on Saturday the Sabbath? What if it overripens? What if I Iose part of my harvest?

The Sabbath was a big deal for farmers?

Do you see the test? Do you believe I care and will provide for your needs?

They rested precisely because God does care and he is always working.

After the Fall God went back to work and He is still working!

“Worry and fear are about danger, perceived needs, and being in control.” - Welch

The Sabbath was a visible confession that God is in control and we can trust Him.

Yet, as we come into the New Covenant the cross makes us aware we have a greater need.

Spiritual provisions

God made us physical and he cares for us physically but we are also a spirit and he cares for us spiritually.

Spiritual people need spiritual food.

Matt 4:4 - Jesus in the wilderness

Phil 4:12

How are you spiritual feeding?

Do you physically eat once day a week or do you eat a twinkie a day and call it a meal?

Don’t we eat regularly and sufficiently to stay healthy and happy people?

So it is with your spirit.

Many physical problems in life comes from our spiritual neglect.

When we neglect God’s Word, God’s Community, and God’s purpose (mission) our lives will become hollow and meaningless.

2 Peter 1:3-11 (Also Now What passage)

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So What

How do we navigate the fear, worries, and unknowns of life?

Six steps we can use today to manage our own worries and help others manage there's. (David Powlison)

Recognize you are depressed, anxious, tense or you are beginning to have hopeless, anxious thoughts.

Learn your/others' cues. Ex: I struggle on Monday’s

What Am I worried about specifically?

Make a list 1-3

Be specific Ex: Old age -No - Alzeimers

Which things on the list can i do anything about?

Global warming, Russia invasion

What are my today's pressures

Gather your reasons to trust God more than your fear.

We all have reasons to worry or be depressed

We have greater reason to hope in our ever-present God

You may need help with the gathering. Ask!

What is currently controlling my heart?

What does my worry say I want more than anything

There’s something to repent

Have an honest conversation with God.

Don't puke on other first; Be honest with your God first

Be real, be honest, Be thankful and PRAY - Phil 4:6

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Do what needs to be done today.

Create victories (Easy wins)

What’s Best Next

God will give more grace for tomorrow

Will we trust the ever-faithful God?

Lam. 3:22-26

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

26 It is good that one should wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.