https://my.bible.com/events/48912545

The Wanderers Part 4: “The Commandments”

Welcome to our summer teaching series “The Wanderers” Over the last few weeks we have traced the story of God’s people as they were brought up out of Egypt and began their journey through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. It’s a story full of God’s Grace, Mercy, and Faithfulness. It’s also a story of God’s patience with people. An idolatrous, unfaithful, and quick to complain group of people that God desired to enter covenant relationship with.‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:1-4‬‬And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:7-8‬‬“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:12-21‬‬“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. “You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery. “You shall not steal. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. We are called to be a God-centric community. We are called to be an other-centric community.‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:36-40‬‬“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” We are saved by the One who fulfilled the law. Overview of Exodus This video gives a brief overview of the book of Exodus, helping us frame it within the biblical narrative. This link is for Part 1, make sure to watch Part 2!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH_aojNJM3E

http://bible.com/events/48910222
The Wanderers Part 3: “God Provides”

Welcome to our summer teaching series “The Wanderers” Over the next several weeks we will trace the story of God’s people as they were brought up out of Egypt and began their journey through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. It’s a story full of God’s Grace, Mercy, and Faithfulness. It’s also a story of God’s patience with people. An idolatrous, unfaithful, and quick to complain group of people that God desired to enter covenant relationship with. Two important themes present throughout the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness:1. God loves you2. God tests you‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16:1-15‬‬The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’ ” While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud. The Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ” That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16:31-35‬‬The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’ ” So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.” As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved. The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. One of the biggest questions from this story: Why? If God loves His people, why does He continue to test them in this way? The Lord provides the answer in verse 4:”Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.’ ” (Exodus 16:4)So what is God testing? Why is He testing them? He is teaching them what it’s like to trust that He is their Heavenly Father. He is their ultimate provider. The bottom line: Can you think of anything you need God can’t provide?‭‭John‬ ‭6:35‬‬Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Overview of Exodus This video gives a brief overview of the book of Exodus, helping us frame it within the biblical narrative. This link is for Part 1, make sure to watch Part 2! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH_aojNJM3E

The Wanderers
The Wanderers Part 3: “God Provides” Welcome to our summer teaching series “The Wanderers” Over the next several weeks we will trace the story of God’s people as they were brought up out of Egypt and began their journey through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. It’s a story full of God’s Grace, Mercy, and Faithfulness. It’s also a story of God’s patience with people. An idolatrous, unfaithful, and quick to complain group of people that God desired to enter covenant relationship with. Today in Exodus 16, we are joining the Children of Israel once again in the desert, facing another opportunity to trust God as their Lord and provider. Already it seems like the story is building towards something. In fact, it’s not an overstatement to say that the story of The Wanderers is one of the most important accounts in world history. And we get to re-live it. Even if we didn’t know how it ends, we already see themes of God’s leading, of His provision and grace with his people, his miraculous power. We see God revealed as trustworthy and faithful. But we also sense the people haven’t completely gotten this idea in their heads or their hearts yet.Even after witnessing time and time again God’s faithfulness- at the next challenge- they grumble and complain against the Lord.‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16:1-3‬‬The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Having traveled for a while now, they were using up their food supplies and they could see that starvation was a very real possibility on the horizon. As they became hangry- they lost sight of the opportunity to call out to the Lord in his faithfulness In these difficult moments, they essentially turn their back on God’s plans for them-“This journey stinks, I want to go back.”“ It’s too hard, I don’t like it, and I’m done.” Those very real feelings were rising to the surface in their hearts and their actions. They were so done with it all in this moment that they even accuse the Lord of bringing them out to the desert just to die.“ If we could have just stayed in Egypt at least we would have had food to eat” From our vantage point, we can recognize the absurdity of these comments in light of the whole story- but they couldn’t. What should we take from that today?‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16:4-5‬‬Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” The Lord promises to rain down bread from heaven, the food they need will come to them in a miraculous way .Not only were they getting what they never expected, it was coming in a way they never imagined- directly from heaven. Contained within this provision of bread from heaven is a test, a daily opportunity, if you will, to trust God. The people are only to gather what they need for one day, except for the 6th day in anticipation of the sabbath day. They will need to trust God every day to supply their needs.This testing or training was not entirely all about their ability to follow instructions, but it was as much designed to reveal the leaning of their hearts.‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16:19-20‬‬Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16:27-28‬‬Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?Within our own lives today we can face this same challenge- will we obey even when the rules or requests don’t make sense? Each time the Lord asks something of us that doesn’t seem like “That big of a deal”- our heart posture will reveal itself One of submission or one of selfish rebellion. Let’s conclude by zeroing in on what the Lord DIDN’T do in this story.- The people are disobedient- The people regularly complain – it seems like every time we check in on them they are grumbling about something.- They don’t trust the one most trustworthy. And when they complain about being hungry, God doesn’t give them what they deserve. He doesn’t punish them or scold them or turn His back on them. HE FEEDS THEM Now that same God is here today and He’s listening to you. What do you need? Do you imagine God will turn His back on you because you are so undeserving? Or- will you trust that he is gracious and cares deeply for you? As you would think about your story today, your desert experience, what is it that you are crying out to the Lord for? Is there really anything in your life that he hasn’t already provided? Overview of Exodus This video gives a brief overview of the book of Exodus, helping us frame it within the biblical narrative. This link is for Part 1, make sure to watch Part 2!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH_aojNJM3E