The 3rd week of Lent at Tapestry Church in Stevens Point. In Exodus 17:1-7 we see Israel and Moses not really respond in faith, but the gospel isn’t about our faith. It is about the faithfulness of Jesus.
Lenten 3 – 3 12 2023 – exodus 17 1-7.mp3
Auto Generated Transcript
00:00:00 Robert
Would you join me in prayer?
00:00:04 Robert
Father, may we be near to you.
00:00:07 Robert
We know that doesn’t come from our actions.
00:00:09 Robert
It comes from your faithfulness and your steadfastness.
00:00:12 Robert
So help us to be near to you.
00:00:15 Robert
I pray this in your son’s name. Amen.
00:00:18 Robert
Please have a seat if you’d like.
00:00:21 Robert
11 way to kill it? I mean way to kill it 2 some of you had the mystery of the Lord’s Supper ruined for you as you saw me suddenly realize that I had left the grape juice out in the vehicle and run outside to get it and then have to cut it out of the package of Welches.
00:00:40 Robert
I’m going to use that because I am a preacher and therefore everything is always an illustration, but I’m going to use it actually.
00:00:47 Robert
With the music.
00:00:47 Robert
Cause one just did.
00:00:49 Robert
I mean, yes, they did an amazing job.
00:00:51 Robert
But you let us and I appreciate that.
00:00:52 Robert
And I don’t know about you, but I enjoy that moment where it’s like.
00:00:58 Robert
I’m in this.
00:01:00 Robert
And it’s easy to get into that moment and enjoy that feeling because that is a feeling that we don’t just have at church.
00:01:05 Robert
You may have been at a concert before or at a musical.
00:01:09 Robert
Pam and I will go to Les Mis next year because Les Mis is coming to Appleton.
00:01:13 Robert
Kaylee apparently knows that cause.
00:01:15 Robert
She is smiling greatly and when they get up there and start waving the flag and singing.
00:01:21 Robert
The songs of Angry Man.
00:01:22 Robert
I’m going to feel like going outside and fighting for something.
00:01:27 Robert
We enjoy that feeling.
00:01:30 Robert
It’s purpose and connection.
00:01:37 Robert
But singing in the church, while it does produce that feeling is not about that feeling.
00:01:44 Robert
People want just that sometimes.
00:01:46
There was.
00:01:47 Robert
Real worship, because we experience that feeling but singing in the church is so that we say the same thing at the same time so that we help each other to remember. It teaches us our theology. It reminds us of God’s faithfulness singing in the church.
00:02:00 Robert
Which is so that when you are in the midst of that pit in the midst of that darkness, you have words that come back to you and you say nearer to God and my God to thee.
00:02:11 Robert
When you don’t feel like his presence is anywhere around you at all.
00:02:16 Robert
Singing in the church is about.
00:02:19 Robert
Leading to life.
00:02:21 Robert
And the feeling comes with it.
00:02:23 Robert
But it’s never just about the feeling.
00:02:24 Robert
Our concerts and our plays are about the feeling.
00:02:27 Robert
The reason I bring it up is the Lord suffers the same way.
00:02:31 Robert
I get these warm fuzzies with.
00:02:33 Robert
The Lord’s supper.
00:02:36 Robert
When I when I say the words or when I hear someone else say the words, whenever you do this, do this in remembrance of Maine.
00:02:42 Robert
It produces that feeling in me, but the Lord’s supper, while it does produce those feelings, is never just about those feelings.
00:02:51 Robert
It’s about reminding us of what the Lord has done.
00:02:54 Robert
So that we remember, he will do it again.
00:02:56 Robert
It’s about uniting us in that group. I talked earlier about the church growing at its fastest time period from 100 to 300 a day.
00:03:04 Robert
It’s really remarkable if you look at the coinage of the Roman Empire and 100 Caesars are on the coin and 300 suddenly Christian Saints are on the coins.
00:03:16 Robert
The largest empire in the world has changed by 120 people in an upper room.
00:03:22 Robert
Over 300 years, it’s remarkable.
00:03:26 Robert
And that’s not because they got warm fuzzies for the Lord’s supper. It’s because the Lord’s Supper prepared them to live that lifeout.
00:03:33 Robert
So what we’re about to do, hopefully you feel unity and when you see this on video, you feel unity and that’s a good feeling.
00:03:39 Robert
Don’t hear me say that it’s wrong.
00:03:41 Robert
It’s not.
00:03:42 Robert
But it’s not just about that feeling.
00:03:43 Robert
It’s about.
00:03:45 Robert
Producing in us the life that follows Jesus, it’s about producing us the life that remembers that he is faithful, even when we don’t feel like following him.
00:03:57 Robert
It’s always coming back to life.
00:03:59 Robert
It’s never just about the emotional element.
00:04:01 Robert
The emotions are meant to help encourage that.
00:04:04 Robert
But it’s always about coming back to, well, I always think of Nacho Libre when I say this phrase to the nitty gritty, OK.
00:04:14 Robert
It’s about the stuff that happens outside of this when we don’t have the warm fuzzies.
00:04:20 Robert
So we’re going to do the Lord’s Supper.
00:04:23 Robert
And for that reason, I’m kind of glad that the mystery was broken, that I forgot to take the bread out of the plastic bag that the hotties put it in.
00:04:32 Robert
Because when everything goes right.
00:04:34 Robert
It’s easy for us to focus on the emotions.
00:04:39 Robert
When it doesn’t go right.
00:04:42 Robert
We have to remember what it’s actually all about.
00:04:48 Robert
So what is this all about?
00:04:50 Robert
It’s about us remembering the Lord’s death until he comes.
00:04:54 Robert
It’s about us remembering that he took a bunch of scallywags, a bunch of people who had no worth in and of themselves, the weak and the people who were perceived as strong but were actually weak.
00:05:05 Robert
The people who others thought had resources and were rich but actually saw themselves as fallen.
00:05:11 Robert
And him making a family out of that brothers and sisters.
00:05:18 Robert
They aren’t warm emotions that happen with that.
00:05:21 Robert
But the daily life is the important thing.
00:05:25 Robert
So therefore.
00:05:29 Robert
Let’s remember.
00:05:32 Robert
Paul tells us in the 11th chapter of his letter to the Corinthians that he gave the Corinthians what the Lord had given to them.
00:05:41 Robert
And that was that.
00:05:42 Robert
On the night that he was betrayed.
00:05:45 Robert
When he was about to go to be crucified and he he knew his death was coming, he took elements that were around him for a remembrance of God’s setting the captives free from his from Egypt.
00:05:59 Robert
He took those elements and he then used them as a way to remember his death until he comes to unite a new family.
00:06:05 Robert
That would no longer just be made of the chosen people, but would be able to declare chosen those who had been thought unworthy.
00:06:14 Robert
So on that night.
00:06:17 Robert
He took the bread.
00:06:19 Robert
He gave thanks for it.
00:06:21 Robert
He broke it.
00:06:24 Robert
And he shared it with his friends.
00:06:27 Robert
And he said whenever you eat this.
00:06:30 Robert
It is a reminder of my body.
00:06:32 Robert
Remember my death.
00:06:34 Robert
Until I come.
00:06:38 Robert
In the same manner.
00:06:42 Robert
Took the cop that was in.
00:06:43 Robert
Front of him.
00:06:46 Robert
And he said whenever you drink this cup.
00:06:50 Robert
As a reminder of my blood.
00:06:52 Robert
Blood of the new covenant.
00:06:54 Robert
Which was shed for you.
00:06:57 Robert
He said this to people that had promised that they would be with him to the end and yet they ran away in fear.
00:07:06 Robert
He said this to people who said you are the chosen one.
00:07:09 Robert
You are the Messiah and yet they sold him for 30 pieces of silver.
00:07:15 Robert
And he said it in love.
00:07:19 Robert
Not an irony.
00:07:21 Robert
He said it in love to every person there who he would wash their feet literally.
00:07:30 Robert
This is not about your faithfulness.
00:07:32 Robert
It is not about you getting it right.
00:07:34 Robert
You will never get it right.
00:07:35 Robert
I will never get it right.
00:07:39 Robert
This is about the steadfastness of Jesus.
00:07:43 Robert
He loves you and he loves me.
00:07:48 Robert
So would you join me in prayer in asking the Lord’s blessing as we remember him? And then when you are ready, come up here.
00:07:55 Robert
I will serve the first person.
00:07:56 Robert
I’ll give you a piece of bread.
00:07:58 Robert
I will ask you to take that piece of bread and dip it into the juice.
00:08:01 Robert
And as you taste, the tartness of the grapes and you feel the texture of the bread, I ask that you remember.
00:08:07 Robert
And I will say remember and what are you remembering? You’re remembering the Lord’s death until he comes.
00:08:14 Robert
Because that death and that resurrection make us family, and we now get to live that family out.
00:08:20 Robert
And that is the greatest witness of the.
00:08:22 Robert
Way of Jesus.
00:08:24 Robert
When they’re forsaken or claimed, when people who have nothing in common other than Jesus say that is all that’s necessary and we come together as a family.
00:08:36 Robert
We remember his death.
00:08:38 Robert
We proclaim his resurrection, and we know that he will come back again.
00:08:47 Robert
So would you join with me in prayer?
00:08:54 Robert
Most gracious father.
00:08:59 Robert
We desperately need your help to remember.
00:09:03 Robert
We have promised again and again that we would.
00:09:10 Robert
But since the fall, our hearts are bent towards unfaithfulness rather than faithfulness.
00:09:18 Robert
But your character is always the same.
00:09:24 Robert
You are the God who accepts us.
00:09:25 Robert
When we are prodigal and run back to you, and we barely ever take a step to you before we realized that you were running towards us.
00:09:36 Robert
So today.
00:09:39 Robert
Even if only for a brief moment.
00:09:43 Robert
Help us to remember.
00:09:46 Robert
I pray, father that you bless us through this bread and through this juice.
00:09:52 Robert
You bless us with memory.
00:09:55 Robert
I pray this in your son’s name.
00:10:02 Robert
When you were ready, come and remember.
00:12:51 Robert
11.
00:13:15
Thank you.
00:13:16 Robert
I’m gonna steal my stool from you.
00:13:22 Robert
Also, you are a very brave man.
00:13:28 Robert
So we’re in the third week of the Linton season and I am not a very creative person most of the time.
00:13:38 Robert
I think I.
00:13:40 Robert
Every now and then to into thinking that I’m a creative person, but I basically just repeat the same stuff over and over and over again.
00:13:50 Robert
And that’s what’s going to happen today.
00:13:52 Robert
But I’m going to begin by telling you a story.
00:13:56 Robert
Most of you can tell even though.
00:13:58 Robert
Like this is.
00:13:59 Robert
We’re low attendance today because of daylight savings time and snow.
00:14:04 Robert
But we’re a young church.
00:14:06 Robert
I mean, it’s it’s really weird to me.
00:14:08 Robert
I was talking with somebody this week on a church.
00:14:10 Robert
That’s a good bit bigger than us and and as a result of the age we have like.
00:14:15 Robert
Probably 4 times as many kids as they do.
00:14:17 Robert
It’s it’s really kind of weird in the history of the church.
00:14:22 Robert
I have performed one funeral.
00:14:25 Robert
Because like Pam and I today are the senior adults in the room.
00:14:29 Robert
OK, we don’t have very many, and I’m thankful for the ones we do.
00:14:33 Robert
My mother and Jan and Jan, if you’re watching this, we miss you.
00:14:36 Robert
We need you back here soon.
00:14:38 Robert
I’m glad you’re someplace warm.
00:14:39 Robert
But we need you back here soon.
00:14:41 Robert
But we’ve done a lot of weddings, a whole lot of weddings.
00:14:47 Robert
Part of that, maybe because if you’re active in the church, I tell people I don’t want you to pay me anything.
00:14:51 Robert
You can give me a gift, but I don’t want you to pay me.
00:14:54 Robert
And so a gift is not like.
00:14:57 Robert
Here’s a check the gift.
00:14:59 Robert
So like one of my favorite gifts ever was somebody gave me a fishing lure and they bought a fishing kit from World Vision and the fishing lure was just the way they told me about it.
00:15:08 Robert
It was wonderful. Made my day. If you see it. So I did Nathan Elizabeth’s wedding. And if you ever see me riding, I have pain ears.
00:15:17 Robert
Which are the bags that you put in the back of my bike?
00:15:20 Robert
Because they gave me those as my wedding gifts, my wedding gift?
00:15:23 Robert
That sounds weird.
00:15:25 Robert
My quote.
00:15:27 Robert
Efficient fee.
00:15:31 Robert
So one of the first weddings I did for the church was for somebody.
00:15:33 Robert
Who helped start the church and his name is Anthony.
00:15:38 Robert
He lives in Stevens Point and I what I I honestly don’t really enjoy doing weddings.
00:15:46 Robert
I enjoy helping people prepare marriages.
00:15:48 Robert
There’s a difference.
00:15:49 Robert
OK, so I love premarital counseling.
00:15:51 Robert
Love it?
00:15:52 Robert
It’s the most fun thing.
00:15:54 Robert
I don’t like even for people outside the church is like, here’s what I charge for you outside the church for me to do the fee or do the wedding cause I just don’t want to.
00:16:02 Robert
But I don’t charge a dime for premarital counseling like I do that for free.
00:16:06 Robert
I don’t want.
00:16:07 Robert
Any money for?
00:16:08 Robert
That, and I did all their premarital counseling.
00:16:10 Robert
It was just really into it.
00:16:14 Robert
Did the wedding.
00:16:15 Robert
The wedding went off without a hitch.
00:16:16 Robert
It was wonderful.
00:16:17 Robert
Everybody comes up afterwards and you know, with the preacher, what you do is you walk.
00:16:21 Robert
That’s just really good, preacher.
00:16:22 Robert
It’s just really good, really good.
00:16:24 Robert
I just appreciate it.
00:16:25 Robert
And people were just real thankful.
00:16:26 Robert
And then we went to the banquet.
00:16:31 Robert
And Anthony got up and he did this.
00:16:33 Robert
Just lovely speech.
00:16:38 Robert
And he started saying before we eat, we’re going to ask somebody to thank the Lord for the food.
00:16:44 Robert
And what you need to know is this is somebody who has just has really meant the world to me and my my faith in Jesus and.
00:16:53 Robert
Has also meant a lot to my bride.
00:16:57 Robert
He’s just helped us so much in preparing for our our marriage.
00:17:01 Robert
Not only our wedding, but our marriage.
00:17:04 Robert
And we are so thankful for him.
00:17:07 Robert
And I gotta be honest and say I started to turn red at this point and I started to get a little embarrassed.
00:17:13 Robert
And Anthony kept on talking.
00:17:16 Robert
You ever hear somebody?
00:17:18 Robert
Praising you and you’re just like I just want.
00:17:20 Robert
Him to kind of stop.
00:17:25 Robert
And Anthony goes well, we’re going to ask him in just a second to come up here and thank the Lord for the food because we’ve been so thankful for his prayer.
00:17:32 Robert
And I finally had just reached a point like I am turning bright red and I stood up and said, Anthony, you, it’s enough.
00:17:39 Robert
I will gladly come and say the prayer for the meal for him to say.
00:17:45 Robert
I’m sorry, Robert.
00:17:46 Robert
I was talking about Uncle Joe.
00:17:52 Robert
Oh yeah.
00:17:55 Robert
This is not a preacher story.
00:17:57 Robert
This is completely true.
00:18:04 Robert
Everybody in the room staring at me.
00:18:06 Robert
One sweet little old lady at another table looks over at me and goes.
00:18:10 Robert
I thought he was talking about you too.
00:18:18 Robert
I want you to think while we’re reading the scripture.
00:18:23 Robert
Of a time where you just completely didn’t get it.
00:18:29 Robert
Where you were sure you knew what was going on and you just did not get it.
00:18:36 Robert
Because that’s what I was feeling at that moment.
00:18:38 Robert
So this is what the word of the Lord says.
00:18:40 Robert
This is from the.
00:18:40 Robert
17th chapter of.
00:18:43 Robert
The Book of Exodus.
00:18:45 Robert
We’re going to read verses one through 7.
00:18:49 Robert
This is what the word Lord says.
00:18:50 Robert
Can you operate it for me?
00:18:51 Robert
Thank you, Sir.
00:18:53 Robert
The whole Israelite community set out from the desert of sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded.
00:19:00 Robert
They camped at Rafidi M Rafidi M, but there was no water for the people to drink, so they quarreled with Moses and said give us water to drink.
00:19:11 Robert
Moses replied.
00:19:12 Robert
Why do you quarrel with me?
00:19:14 Robert
Why do you put the Lord to the test?
00:19:18 Robert
But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses and they said, why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?
00:19:33 Robert
Then Moses cried out to the Lord.
00:19:36 Robert
What am I to do with these people?
00:19:39 Robert
They are almost ready to stone me.
00:19:42 Robert
The Lord answered Moses go out in front of the people, take with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile.
00:19:52 Robert
And go.
00:19:53 Robert
I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.
00:19:57 Robert
Strike the rock and the water will come out of it for all the people to do.
00:20:02 Robert
So Moses did this in the sight of the Elders of Israel, and he called that place Masa and Miraba because the Israelites quarrelled, and because they tested the Lord saying, is the Lord among us or not.
00:20:18 Robert
Now think of that passage that we just read.
00:20:21 Robert
The people of Israel.
00:20:23 Robert
Have just come out of just absolute slavery.
00:20:27 Robert
They’re in the desert, wandering around now, but they’ve been set free and they have seen God do miraculous things.
00:20:34 Robert
And that’s important because our faith is a faith of miraculous things also.
00:20:39 Robert
OK, it is not just giving us good intellectual.
00:20:43 Robert
Basis for things.
00:20:44 Robert
It’s not about ethics, it’s not for us to just come here and think through things.
00:20:48 Robert
We call upon the Lord and we ask him to do the impossible because we have seen him do the impossible before, and the Israelites case.
00:20:57 Robert
Here’s just some of the things that they had seen him do.
00:21:01 Robert
OK, Charles.
00:21:04 Robert
There we go.
00:21:05 Robert
Was that you or was that me?
00:21:07 Robert
That was you.
00:21:07 Robert
Go ahead.
00:21:08 Robert
So here’s a few of the things just pop them for a few times.
00:21:12 Robert
They’re freed from slavery.
00:21:14 Robert
Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land.
00:21:16 Robert
So think of this.
00:21:18 Robert
They were not just freed from slavery by nobody.
00:21:21 Robert
They were not freed from slavery by a group of people that were about to fall.
00:21:24 Robert
This was Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world.
00:21:27 Robert
At that time.
00:21:29 Robert
And the Israelites were held captive, and God made it possible for them to not only be set free, but set free where they they literally looted the Egyptians as they were leaving, not by purposely taking their stuff, but by the Egyptians giving them stuff, giving them gold that they eventually turn into a false idol.
00:21:49 Robert
Giving them things while they’re leaving.
00:21:53 Robert
They are set free and then as they think they’re about to be attacked and killed, they cry out to the Lord and the Lord makes a way for them to make it across on dry land in the midst of the red or the Reed Sea.
00:22:08 Robert
Next one place.
00:22:09 Robert
While he’s doing that, he not only uses the dry land.
00:22:13 Robert
To make it to where they’re able to go free, but he then reverses the process and destroys the most powerful army at the time in front of them, without them having to do anything.
00:22:22 Robert
Next one place, they complain saying we have nothing to eat after they have just seen God do all of this and God provides them with manna, which.
00:22:33 Robert
One of the best words in all of Scripture.
00:22:35 Robert
Does anybody know what manna means?
00:22:37 Robert
What is it?
00:22:39 Robert
And apparently it tasted really good.
00:22:41 Robert
But it’s just I love the work.
00:22:43 Robert
What is it?
00:22:45 Robert
God provides food out of nothing for them.
00:22:49 Robert
And they eat this and they get their fill, and he provides every day for them, and then they begin to complain, saying we need meat.
00:22:57 Robert
Next one, please.
00:22:58 Robert
And what does he do?
00:23:00 Robert
He provides them with quail. They have seen this again in matter of fact, if you look at the previous two chapters, we just read 171516 and 17.
00:23:10 Robert
All three are God meeting needs as the people of Israel grumble, and what I don’t want you hearing here is this mindset of.
00:23:19 Robert
Oh my gosh.
00:23:20 Robert
They just forgot what terrible people they are.
00:23:23 Robert
They should have remembered.
00:23:24 Robert
Let’s see if it works this time.
00:23:26 Robert
It does not go ahead and hit it.
00:23:28 Robert
They should have remembered all that God had done.
00:23:30 Robert
But the reality is since the fall, our bent is not towards faithfulness but towards unfaithfulness.
00:23:39 Robert
We forget things right and left.
00:23:43 Robert
God did incredible things, but those things were in the past, and the thing we’re facing right now seems so big because the miraculous things that were done in the past, they shrink in our memory.
00:23:55 Robert
And the things we face right now.
00:23:57 Robert
Seem so monstrous.
00:24:00 Robert
People of Israel are no different than we are.
00:24:05 Robert
Maybe they’re different from you, but I forget all the time I have seen God do incredible things.
00:24:12 Robert
I have cried out to him for help and he has more than provided.
00:24:19 Robert
And I still forget.
00:24:25 Robert
One of the things I love about Lent is it’s a reminder of discipline, but one of the things I hate about Lent is it’s very easy for us to think that the message of the gospel is about discipline.
00:24:36 Robert
I need that reminder of discipline.
00:24:37 Robert
OK, I know that my life works better when I wake up earlier.
00:24:41 Robert
As much as I don’t like daylight savings time, and I really don’t like it now.
00:24:45 Robert
Because Mariah gave me 3 reasons more to despise it.
00:24:49 Robert
I know that because I woke up earlier today and I shoveled my driveway, my life will be easier when I go home and there’s still more snow and the stupid plow truck.
00:24:59 Robert
And please forgive me for saying stupid kids, but I really don’t like the plow truck.
00:25:04 Robert
OK, the the the plow truck will have come by and there will be a big.
00:25:09 Robert
Mound on the front of my driveway and I know it’s not going to be enjoyable, but I know because of the fact I had the discipline this morning to to shovel.
00:25:17 Robert
It’s going to be better.
00:25:20 Robert
Discipline isn’t good.
00:25:23 Robert
But the temptation is to think.
00:25:27 Robert
It’s about our discipline.
00:25:30 Robert
The disciplines of lent, the things we give up, the things we take on, can very easily be if I do all of this, I will remember.
00:25:42 Robert
And the story of Israel again and again and again is.
00:25:47 Robert
They forget, but even more importantly, the story of Israel again and again is how did God respond when they forgot?
00:25:59 Robert
He provides water.
00:26:02 Robert
He provides meat.
00:26:04 Robert
It provides manna to people that are complaining.
00:26:08 Robert
Going did you just bring us out here to die?
00:26:11 Robert
It’s not even like we can really compare and contrast with Moses, which hit the next slide place.
00:26:16 Robert
Moses doesn’t do a great job here either.
00:26:19 Robert
This is Moses’s prayer. OK, it says he cried out. Excuse me. This is their prayer. Would you hit the next line or their statement and then hit the side after that?
00:26:29 Robert
It says cried out to the Lord. What does it mean to cry out to the Lord? That’s prayer. Moses’s prayer here is not God. I’ve seen you do remarkable stuff before.
00:26:42 Robert
You’ve brought these people out.
00:26:44 Robert
I need you to do it now.
00:26:46 Robert
He expresses just frustration.
00:26:48 Robert
What am I to do with these people?
00:26:50 Robert
They’re almost ready to stone me.
00:26:53 Robert
This is not a stellar moment for most.
00:26:56 Robert
He’s supposed to be their.
00:26:57 Robert
Leader and he’s just like I.
00:26:59 Robert
Am fed up with them.
00:27:01 Robert
He’s the one that God has expected to stand up all the time, saying you have to protect these people because it reflects on your name.
00:27:09 Robert
We’ve seen God call him to that again and again, where Moses has said Father, you have to take care of your people.
00:27:17 Robert
It reflects on you, but that’s not what he’s doing here.
00:27:22 Robert
He’s forgotten too.
00:27:24 Robert
Moses is no different than the people of Israel.
00:27:27 Robert
He’s just as big a failure.
00:27:29 Robert
He messes up just like everyone else.
00:27:34 Robert
That’s why I love Lent, but I see the danger of Lent to I mentioned this image that Sarah Reeve sent to actually sent it to Pam to share.
00:27:45 Robert
To me this past week I’m going to do it just because I think it’s fine about Lent.
00:27:49 Robert
Would you hit the next slide?
00:27:49 Robert
It says this.
00:27:50 Robert
You come from dust.
00:27:51 Robert
You will return to dust.
00:27:53 Robert
That’s why I don’t dust.
00:27:54 Robert
It could be somebody I know.
00:27:58 Robert
We focus on Lent because in, in Lent we remember that we came from dust and we will return to dust.
00:28:05 Robert
But the answer to that that is not.
00:28:07 Robert
I will work harder to be faithful.
00:28:10 Robert
The answer to that is I depend on God’s steadfastness.
00:28:14 Robert
I depend on his faithfulness.
00:28:17 Robert
Yes, we should try to discipline ourselves.
00:28:19 Robert
But you are going to fail.
00:28:21 Robert
I am going to fail.
00:28:23 Robert
One time I’m not going to shovel my driveway and we all know what happens then it’s just going to get worse and worse.
00:28:30 Robert
And when you don’t shovel your driveway once and the mound forms, it becomes all the more difficult to shovel it later on.
00:28:38 Robert
This is the time of season where if you look around at driveways, what happens is people say I’m not shoveling anymore.
00:28:46 Robert
And it builds up until it finally gets warm enough to melt it.
00:28:50 Robert
They go.
00:28:51 Robert
I’m just going to depend upon the sun to do.
00:28:54 Robert
The beauty is in our faith, while God calls us to be faithful, he understands that our bent again and again and again is towards unfaithfulness.
00:29:03 Robert
We are constantly saying, did God really say this to use the words of the serpent?
00:29:10 Robert
It’s what the people of Israel were saying.
00:29:13 Robert
He brought us out of that, but he brought us here to die.
00:29:18 Robert
Did he really say he was going to set us free?
00:29:21 Robert
Lent is a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness.
00:29:26 Robert
Which is the next line now in in the Christian tradition, this story, the rock is a reminder of Jesus.
00:29:35 Robert
And why is it a reminder of Jesus?
00:29:36 Robert
It’s a reminder of Jesus, because Jesus talks about how he will give to us living water.
00:29:42 Robert
If you remember, we were going through the Gospel of John before.
00:29:46 Robert
Lent began, and we read through the 4th chapter of the Gospel of John the two weeks before Lent began.
00:29:54 Robert
And in that passage.
00:29:57 Robert
Jesus goes and has a drink of water with a Samaritan woman.
00:30:03 Robert
He asked her for a drink but tells her that he can give her water.
00:30:06 Robert
He can give her water that will fill her up for the rest.
00:30:10 Robert
Of her life.
00:30:12 Robert
And the Christian tradition has come back and and looked at the story and realized that Moses could not take care of his people.
00:30:19 Robert
He could not free them, they could not remember and.
00:30:22 Robert
The call was.
00:30:23 Robert
Just to simply hit the rock.
00:30:25 Robert
And if you hit the rock, water comes.
00:30:28 Robert
Out of it.
00:30:29 Robert
And therefore the church has constantly come back and said the rock is a symbol of Jesus because that’s what we do on Lent.
00:30:38 Robert
The reminder of Lent is not to say discipline yourself harder, even though we need the discipline, it is not to say you have sinned and you have to pull yourself out of that, even though we need to remind you that we have.
00:30:49 Robert
End the discipline and the reminder of Lent is that Jesus Christ is the one who.
00:30:55 Speaker 2
Gives us.
00:30:56 Robert
That he is the one we fall upon, and living water comes out.
00:31:00 Robert
He is the one we hit, and living water comes and that’s the whole purpose of church.
00:31:04 Robert
Every Sunday is not to beat us up and make us think how terrible we are, but to realize that we have a need and to come and to hit the rock.
00:31:13 Robert
And sometimes you hit the rock much like the prodigal son.
00:31:16 Robert
Who runs and falls into the arms of the father?
00:31:20 Robert
We hit the rock literally just by collapsing on Jesus.
00:31:23 Robert
And yet water still comes forth.
00:31:26 Robert
It doesn’t come forth because you are so great that you go.
00:31:28 Robert
I will study Jesus well enough to get hope from him.
00:31:34 Robert
It comes because Jesus is the one who just gives us living water.
00:31:39 Robert
He gives us hope.
00:31:41 Robert
It’s never about our faithfulness.
00:31:43 Robert
It’s always about his.
00:31:48 Robert
And you can think of times right now.
00:31:52 Robert
Where you knew you weren’t faithful.
00:31:57 Robert
Where you knew you had every reason to believe that Jesus was going to take care of the situation he was going to give you the hope he was.
00:32:03 Robert
Going to help you to make it through it.
00:32:05 Robert
And you were still going?
00:32:17 Robert
Did I just come here to fall down?
00:32:22 Robert
Did I come here to die here?
00:32:26 Robert
We are all like Israel.
00:32:30 Robert
But Jesus Christ is always faithful.
00:32:36 Robert
Regardless of what you’re going through now.
00:32:39 Robert
Worry, anxiety, feelings of inadequacy.
00:32:48 Robert
He is always faithful.
00:32:53 Robert
It’s a simple message.
00:32:54 Robert
There’s nothing life changing about it.
00:32:58 Robert
Except for the fact it’s completely life changing.
00:33:02 Robert
The world will say work harder.
00:33:05 Robert
The message of the gospel is.
00:33:08 Robert
That the Lord is with you.
00:33:12 Robert
If you look, the people of Israel ask that at the end, would you hit the next sign?
00:33:18 Robert
Is the Lord among us or not any interesting?
00:33:25 Robert
They’re longing for water. They’re thirsty, and their question is, is the Lord among us or not? Because if the Lord’s there, they know that he’ll provide.
00:33:33 Robert
We just forget far too easily.
00:33:35 Robert
And what we always have to try to remember, and we have to trust that even when we can’t remember it, he will still be faithful.
00:33:40 Robert
Is that the answer is always yes.
00:33:45 Robert
Always yes.
00:33:48 Robert
So you come to church today, you watch the video today with your struggles.
00:33:53 Robert
And what I want you to do.
00:33:57 Robert
Is if you can’t hit the rock and receive the living water, allow somebody else to hit the rock and remind you of the living water.
00:34:05 Robert
Because when we approach Jesus and fall on him, he.
00:34:08 Robert
Always provides hope.
00:34:13 Robert
So before I close this out, does anybody have anything to add?
00:34:18 Robert
Go for it, Juan.
00:34:23
Like they weren’t Moses, so they didn’t have.
00:34:26 Robert
The privilege of talking.
00:34:27
Directly to God.
00:34:28
And they saw.
00:34:29
A lack of needs and needs not being met.
00:34:35
So they were in a dire.
00:34:37
Situation just to see if he.
00:34:38
Has always great things to have.
00:34:43
Like I find myself kind of empathizing with.
00:34:45
The Israelites here because.
00:34:48
You know, I have been in a desert without water.
00:34:51 Robert
Yeah. Yeah, metaphorically.
00:34:56
You know.
00:34:57 Speaker 2
Is it is wrong or?
00:34:59
What could be Israelis have?
00:35:01
How could they responded better other than?
00:35:04
You know the obvious, sort of just.
00:35:05
Like try not to.
00:35:06
Sell your leader.
00:35:08
Turning back on that, but like.
00:35:12 Robert
All right.
00:35:14 Robert
And and wanting to be honest and say what I’m struggling with is the word wrong there.
00:35:18 Robert
Because I think Scripture shows again and again.
00:35:22 Robert
Jesus is really OK with us coming and doing things that we would think we’re wrong with other people.
00:35:26 Robert
Like, oh, if you love me, you would trust me type thing and he seems to be OK with that a lot.
00:35:32 Robert
One of the things I actually love is.
00:35:35 Robert
The Israelites come to Moses and come to God, even though they’re doubting them, they still come to Moses and come to God, and we see examples of that.
00:35:43 Robert
You actually see examples of that Jesus and the garden of Jasmine is like I don’t want to do this and he’s he’s arguing with the father to some extent.
00:35:51 Robert
But you have examples of this and some of the heroes of the faith.
00:35:54 Robert
One of my favorite actually is.
00:35:56 Robert
This is Theresa Varvil.
00:35:58 Robert
She has a dream with Jesus.
00:36:01 Robert
No, this is a dream.
00:36:02 Robert
OK.
00:36:02 Robert
This is not scripture, but she’s interpreting scripture through her dreams and her dream basically as her complaining.
00:36:10 Robert
Saying I don’t like this situation at all and Jesus saying Theresa, this is how I treat my friends and her response is Lord.
00:36:17 Robert
No wonder you have so few.
00:36:20 Robert
And the thing that I like that the the Israelites are doing here is they’re not trusting while trusting at the exact same moment.
00:36:28 Robert
You only complain to the person saying.
00:36:30 Robert
Why aren’t you doing this when you expect that person to do that?
00:36:34 Robert
If that makes any sense.
00:36:36 Robert
So I I struggle with the word wrong there because.
00:36:39 Robert
He knows who we are.
00:36:41 Robert
We never kind of sneak up on him and and suddenly surprise him with our fallen and untrustworthy nature.
00:36:47 Robert
He knows exactly who I am.
00:36:49 Robert
The fact that I I can trust very easily at one moment and then I struggle with an entirely different moment.
00:36:54 Robert
That truthfully for other people may seem insignificant, and for me it’s this mountain that I just can’t get over.
00:37:01 Robert
And so were they wrong.
00:37:02 Robert
I don’t know.
00:37:03 Robert
What I know is that even in their unbelief, they still somehow believed.
00:37:08 Robert
And and I don’t want to point it out like they failed.
00:37:12 Robert
Probably they didn’t, but they didn’t succeed either. It’s completely about God’s success in the sense of his character is he’s there.
00:37:21 Robert
I mean literally one of his names is Emmanuel.
00:37:24 Robert
God with us.
00:37:25 Robert
When he chose to give us a name.
00:37:27 Robert
Part of that name is just this constant reminder of, oh, I’m there.
00:37:31 Robert
Ohh I’m there.
00:37:32 Robert
Think of the the the really holy names of God.
00:37:34 Robert
It’s so much about who he is.
00:37:36 Robert
I am that I am.
00:37:38 Robert
He gives names that say this is his character and one of his names is.
00:37:42 Robert
I’m with you even when you don’t think I’m there.
00:37:46 Robert
So I know I’m not answering your question, but is that kind of answering your question?
00:37:52
It’s just hard not to put yourself in.
00:37:54
The shoes of the Israelites.
00:37:59
Obviously they’re the ones.
00:38:00
That we’re supposed to be kind.
00:38:08 Robert
That’s so.
00:38:11 Robert
Part of the danger of of Linton practices and spiritual disciplines is it can make it come back to if you do the right things, then you’ll remember.
00:38:19 Robert
And that’s never the message.
00:38:20 Robert
So I, to be honest, I kind of hope you fail with your Lenten practices.
00:38:24 Robert
I I have.
00:38:25 Robert
OK, it’s part of the beauty of like I can’t do.
00:38:28 Robert
I can’t even do this simple thing.
00:38:30 Robert
I can’t even give up social media effectively.
00:38:33 Robert
I can’t even do that.
00:38:35 Robert
So how am I going to do the big things?
00:38:39 Robert
And it’s not like I don’t have to do anything.
00:38:42 Robert
It’s that I can’t do anything really significant.
00:38:46 Robert
And he knows that.
00:38:46 Robert
And he loves that.
00:38:47 Robert
And he still calls me to be holy.
00:38:49 Robert
He still calls me to try, but.
00:38:50 Robert
He knows I’m gonna fail.
00:38:52 Robert
I’m going to forget that he not only forgave me, but he overcame this big thing in the past.
00:38:57 Robert
This probably bigger than what I’m dealing with right now.
00:38:59 Robert
He’s overcome that in the past.
00:39:02 Robert
And he knows I’m going to forget that and I’m going to focus on this other thing.
00:39:05 Robert
That may be a really big deal right now, but I have every reason to believe that he will take care of it.
00:39:10 Robert
I’m going to forget that.
00:39:11 Robert
And he’s not going to turn his back on.
00:39:14 Robert
I think the temptation so often is to think that God reaches a point of that’s it.
00:39:19 Robert
I’ve had enough.
00:39:21 Robert
I am over it.
00:39:23 Robert
The covenant was.
00:39:24 Robert
You will be my people and I will be your God and you have not been my people.
00:39:27 Robert
So I’m not going to be your God anymore, but the story of the gospel again and again and again is that he will be our God regardless of whether or not we live as his people, though he’ll still call us to be like to to live as his people.
00:39:41 Robert
He is faithful when all others, including me, myself and I, fail to be faithful.
00:39:50 Robert
You got anything you want to add to that?
00:39:54 Robert
And what I love is that really is good news.
00:39:58 Robert
Because it it makes our burden, the one we receive from Jesus really light.
00:40:04 Robert
And that yoke.
00:40:05 Robert
Very easy and all the other burdens.
00:40:08 Robert
Are really difficult.
00:40:12 Robert
Anybody else got something?
00:40:16 Robert
OK, then I’m going to end with with this cheesy little joke that everybody in the room is too young to to get, and I don’t think my wife knows rock music enough well enough to know this.
00:40:27 Robert
This is all about timing here, Charlie.
00:40:29 Robert
If I had my clicker so the Israelites ask is the Lord among us or not?
00:40:35 Robert
And the answer is.
00:40:36 Robert
Always. Are you ready?
00:40:41 Robert
This is the 1970s band, Yes.
00:40:46 Robert
Did you know who they were?
00:40:48 Robert
Ohh, aren’t you spiffy?
00:40:51 Robert
Would you join with me in our closing prayer, please?
00:40:57 Speaker 2
Praise God from whom all blessings from praise him.
00:41:08 Speaker 2
All creatures here be lo.
00:41:14 Speaker 2
Praise him.
00:41:16 Speaker 2
Above ye heavenly ho.
00:41:23 Speaker 2
Praise Father, son and Holy Ghost.
00:41:40 Robert
When you failed this week, when you fail this Linton season.
00:41:44 Robert
When you don’t remember.
00:41:47 Robert
Hopefully one little small speck of you will remember that he does.
00:41:53 Robert
He is still there with you.
00:41:55 Robert
He is always gracious.
00:41:58 Robert
It’s who he is.
00:42:00 Robert
I hope that brings hope to you and I hope that is good news to you.
00:42:05 Robert
Cause it is to me.
00:42:07 Robert
Have a great week.
00:42:09 Robert
Those of you on video, thanks for joining us.
00:42:11 Robert
Have a great week everybody be safe.