LISTEN
This sermon was preached by Rob Mumford at the Ladybarn site of Christ Church Manchester on Sunday 21st July 2019.
SERIES
This message was part of the ‘SERIES NAME’ series, preached at Christ Church Manchester’s church in Withington in EARLY/MID/LATE YEAR. The full series included the following sermons:
BIBLE VERSES
This sermon was based on Exodus 17:1-7
Water from the Rock
1All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
KEY POINTS
Exodus is Our Story
- The Israelites were slaves to ungodly Egypt and it was impossible for them to worship God. We were slaves to sin and it was impossibe for us to worship God.
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The Israelites were protected from God’s wrath by the blood of a lamb and we are protected from God’s wrath by the blood of the lamb.
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They were freed from slavery to begin a journey into worship and on to the promised land, just as we are.
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They were lead by a shepherd and the Holy Spirit on a journey through suffering and a dry and barren land. They learnt to follow and worship God. God spoke to, provided for and healed his people. All of this is our own experience too.
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Finally they were lead into the promised land. We will be lead into our promised eternal home where Christ has prepared a room for us!
God Lead the Israelites into Suffering
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Experiencing suffering does not mean you are doing something wrong!
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God provides in surprising ways.
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God is prepared to suffer for us to secure our provision.
The Warning
- In 1 Corinthians 10 we are told that these things took place as examples for us. So we are to learn from the failings of the Israelites in this story.
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Wrong perspective failing 1 – God is not with us. The reality God is not just with us he is in us
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Wrong perspective failing 2 – What we have left behind.
- Wrong perspective failing 3 – Where we are going.
What should we Do?
- Recognise where we have come from.
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Seek and find God where we are.
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Look forward to God’s promised destination.
MORE SERMONS
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