First Sermon of 2018

First Sermon of 2018

Provisions for the New Year

Exodus 16,17 

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that seemed insignificant at the time, but had profound influence on the rest of his life.  The winter he was nine, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no-nonsense uncle.  As the two of them reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him.  He pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and true as an arrow’s flight, and then young Frank’s tracks meandering all over the field.  “Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again,” his uncle said.  “And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal.  There is an important lesson in that.”  Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how this experience had greatly contributed to his philosophy in life.  “I determined right then,” he’d say with a twinkle in his eye, “not to miss most things in life, as my uncle had.”

We all have moments in our life (spoken or unspoken) when we try to determine if the Lord can meet our needs? – sure we know the Heaven part (or at least we think we do)

Today my assignment from the Lord is cover three vital places in our lives that He will in 2018 meet our needs – dramatically these are presented to us in quick fashion in Exodus 16-17.

These are so dramatic that prophets and leaders continues to point back to What God accomplished

Nehemiah 9:15

You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger,

And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst,

And told them to go in to possess the land

Which You had sworn to give them.

I’m Hungry!

Provisions to meet our hunger

(16:4) Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.

Ex: manna provided (and here’s a secret the plan was in place before the people began to complain)

Complaining people – 16:3 Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

(Hangry is now a noun…and you don’t just need a snicker bar.)

AP: Physical hunger is a symptom of a deeper hunger for spiritually in our lives.  

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

The food for our spiritual lives is found in the Word of God –

Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure;

He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’

I’m Thirsty!

Exodus 17:3 …the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses

17:6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink

(Thirst picture of dehydration – need for water is real)

The hydration for our lives is found in the Fresh Spirit of God -

Really a matter of Willingness to SURRENDER and TRUST

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track. (The Message)

NLT:  5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

6 Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

I’m Scared!

Personal Protection – enemies are out there… (17:8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel)

17:9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. 

Prepared to Stay in the Fight

(We need to learn to fight for one another).  

Prepared to Stay in the Fellowship

(We need to learn to pray for one another).

17:12-13 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Meet Jehovah Nissi – the Lord is My Banner in 2018

This is no normal religion –

Walnut Fork Baptist Church is not a normal church

– we are not trying to build a name for ourselves or our church

We are under the BANNER!

Matthew 11:28-30  The Message -

28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Whenever there is a separation between values and practice, things break down.  In ancient China, the people desired security from the barbaric, invading hordes to the north.  To get this protection, they built the Great Wall of China.  It’s 30 feet high, 18 feet thick, and more than 1500 miles long!  

The Chinese goal was to build an absolutely impenetrable defense-too high to climb over, too thick to break down, and too long to go around.  But during the first hundred years of the wall’s existence China was successfully invaded three times.

It wasn’t the wall’s fault.  During all three invasions, the barbaric hordes never climbed over the wall, broke it down, or went around it; they simply bribed a gatekeeper and then marched right in through an open door.  The purpose of the wall failed because of a breakdown in values.~ James Emory White