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I just got told by the choir
that I threw them onto the bus.

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So.

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But anyway, they've now left
Anna on her own to bear it all.

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So earlier this week, I found
myself having a conversation I never

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expected to have, because it
was a conversation I know nothing

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about, but it was about the
Presbyterian assembly buildings in

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Belfast.

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And if you don't know what
they look like, that's what they

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look like.

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And I was speaking to someone
who was talking.

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That's what they looked like.

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There we go.

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See everything with time.

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But we were talking about
these buildings in the center of

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Belfast, and we were talking
about how over a number of years

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ago, all of the stonework had
to be redone because the stone on

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the front of this building is sandstone.

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And the personal was really
bemoaning to me about the amount

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of money that had to be paid
to have the stonework done.

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Because over the hundred or so
years that it's been there in Fisherwick

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Place, with all of the traffic
and just the weather, the stonework

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hasn't survived well.

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And, you know, I kind of
surprised myself because as I was

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standing there listening, I
found myself falling into the mindset

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of a true morn man.

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Because as the person
continued to speak of all of the

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problems that the sandstone
had caused, the only voice I could

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hear in my head booming
loudly, was, if only you'd used Morne

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granite then this wouldn't
have happened.

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Now, whether the little voice
in my head was right or not, I don't

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know, because Pamela will tell
me the little voices in my head are

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often not right, and she is
there to correct me.

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I'm no expert in stone, and I
couldn't tell you if Morne granite

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would have been any better or not.

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But we'd all want to think it
would be.

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Maybe over time it would have
presented the same issues, maybe

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many hundreds of years, you
know, like the pyramids that you

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saw there.

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But it felt the right thing to
think in that moment.

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Because my only experience of
mourn granite is when digging in

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the garden, two enemies of
mine, slugs and morn granite.

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Because whenever you dig in
the soil, you all of a sudden hear

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a clank and you know you've
hit something and it doesn't budge.

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And so you have to dig around
it, and before you know it, you discover

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something that's bigger and
heavier than you thought.

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And it's now going to take you
much longer to get your bed ready

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for whatever you want to plant.

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And so I guess that's why
mourn granite has been used in so

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many different ways around
this part of the because it does

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exactly what it's supposed to
do, it stays strong, it lasts its

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superior quality of other
stones so that indeed we will know

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what it is to use it and use
it well.

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And maybe the reason why it
did spring into my mind was because

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of the passage that we have
before us today in Exodus 17, because

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we come to the third of the
grumblings of the children of Israel

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after they left Egypt.

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Remember, the first grumbling
was in chapter 15 at Marah, where

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the water was too bitter to drink.

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And after coming before the
Lord, Moses was told to throw a piece

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of wood into the water and it
became drinkable.

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After this, the people were
then led on to Elam, and where there

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there was enough water to
drink, and there was also shade from

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these palm trees that
demonstrated that there was an overflowing

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supply of water beneath the ground.

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But after this we move into
chapter 16 and they moved into the

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desert of sin, and there they
grumbled about not having enough

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to eat, and their response was
that they should have stayed in Egypt,

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where there was food enough to eat.

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But the Lord once again
provided for them with manna and

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quail, and we were told that
the manna would be with them for

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the 40 years of their wanderings.

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But there were going to be
limits with this, and God himself

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said that this was to be a test.

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Would they trust God enough
not just to provide them for the

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food that they needed each
day, but would they trust him in

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that?

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On a on a Saturday they would
have to or on a Friday they would

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have to collect double, so
they would have no work to do on

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the Sabbath.

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And yes, sure enough, once
they got into the rhythm of when

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the manna would come, they
obeyed the word of the Lord, even

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though some initially did not.

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But now, as they continue to
travel through the desert of sin

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and move on from place to
place, as the text says, they come

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to a place called Rephidim,
and they camp there.

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And once again they're unable
to find water to drink.

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But by this stage, the people
are becoming more and more exasperated

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and more and more angry.

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And it's verse two that tells
us how bad the situation is for them.

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And so we discover that once
again, these are a quarreling people.

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We're moving on from grumbling
now to quarrelling, although we're

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told they do grumble as well.

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So there is a difference
between quarreling and.

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And grumbling.

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And this is what verse two says.

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So they quarreled with Moses
and Said, give us water to drink.

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Moses replied, why do you
quarrel with me?

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Why do you put the Lord to the test?

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Now, we've already seen the
accusations that they hurl at Moses

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and at the Lord.

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But as I've just said,
quarreling is different.

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To quarrel is to argue
heatedly about a situation.

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So just as they had accused
him of bringing them out of Egypt

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to kill them with hunger, they
now accuse him of doing so to kill

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them with thirst.

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But this is not the response
that they should have given.

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There's a key word for us in
verse one that we can easily overlook,

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because the first half of the
verse tells us the whole Israelite

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community set out from the
desert of sin, traveling from place

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to place as the Lord commanded.

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That's the word that we could
easily overlook.

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You see, the Lord has
commanded them.

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He's commanded his people to
travel to this place, and with the

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Lord's command, they should
have trusted him.

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This is their God, as we
discovered last week.

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This is their God who has
provided water, manna, and quail

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for them.

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And so their trust should have
been in Him.

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But they are a forgetful
people, and so they simply blame

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him for not providing for them
immediately when they expect it.

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That's why Moses responds as
he does in verse two, because he

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now is once again exasperated
with them that they quarrel with

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him, but more importantly,
that they put the Lord to the test,

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just as Moses had told them
their real complaint was against

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the lord in Exodus 16, 7, 8.

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He now tells them the same is
true here.

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But remember, the Lord was the
one testing Israel in the previous

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two situations to see whether
they would trust him obediently.

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Well, now in chapter 17, it's
the Israelites who are testing God

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to see whether he is truly
faithful or not.

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And if we're honest, if we're
really honest with ourselves, we

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can find ourselves in the same situation.

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The problem is, we try to fit
God into our human molds by expecting

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him to act as human beings do
and consider him simply there to

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respond to our wants.

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And when we don't get what we
want, then we too question Him.

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And our questions generally
form in this way.

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We question his love towards us.

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We question if he really,
truly cares.

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We question if he indeed is
able, all the while forgetting what

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he has done for us.

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See, Even in the 12 hours of
this day already, it is the Lord

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who has kept us, and it is the
Lord who has already sustained us

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with food, shelter and clothing.

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But it's also the Lord who has
given us a way of salvation through

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his Son Jesus.

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It is the Lord who has
promised us a home in heaven if we

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trust in him rather than
reject him and become a rebellious

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people.

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That's why Jesus challenges
the Satan in the wilderness.

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In Matthew 4.

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7, you'll recall that Jesus is
taken into the wilderness and there

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he is tempted by the devil.

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And Jesus replies to the Satan
in Matthew 4.

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7.

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Is it also written or.

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It is also written, do not put
the Lord your God to the test.

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Taken from Exodus 17.

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Here is Jesus, as we know in
this account from the Gospels, replying

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to the Satan with Scripture.

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And what we have here in
Matthew 4 is something of the wilderness

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wanderings of the children of
Israel repeated because Satan is

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tempting Jesus to test God as
he brings Jesus to the holy city

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and tells him to throw himself
off the highest point of the temple,

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saying that the Lord will
rescue him by sending angels and

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they will lift him up so no
harm will come to him.

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But you see, what Satan is
presenting to Jesus isn't a serious

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test.

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The Satan is actually mocking
the Lord.

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And so it is a test of mocking
so that Jesus will obey the Satan

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rather than trusting in the
Lord to keep him.

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That's why Jesus says what he does.

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It is also written, do not put
the Lord to the test.

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You see, what this tells us is
that God's ways are better for us

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than rather than listening to
the lies of the Satan.

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And he'll want to tell us
every single lie.

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He'll want to tell you you're
not adequate.

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He'll want to tell you you're
not good enough.

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He'll want to tell you that
you're the worst Christian ever.

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But he'll also want to tell
you that you're the best human being

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so that you'll ignore the sin
that's in your life that will kill

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you.

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You see, the writer of wisdom
assures us in Proverbs 3, 5, 6, that

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we are to trust in the Lord
with all your heart and lean not

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on your own understanding in
all your ways, every way before you

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acknowledge him, and he will
make your paths straight.

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See, our invitation this
morning is not to quarrel with the

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Lord by listening to the lies
of the Satan and the little whispering

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in the ear that he has been
doing since Genesis, chapter three,

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trying to pull us away, not to
make us against God, but to make

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us think we're okay on our own
merits, so that we will ignore the

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promise of salvation.

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So this invitation is not to
quarrel with the Lord simply because

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we don't get our way Rather,
we are to trust in the Lord, that

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He knows what he is doing and
that his actions are for our good

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and his glory.

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So as we move on in this
passage, we see that this quarreling

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people, and I've made
reference to this already, they're

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also a forgetful people.

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And we see this clearly in
verse three.

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But before we get to that
verse, that's what quarreling against

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the Lord does.

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In our quarrelling, we forget
the past because we're so consumed

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with the present.

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And there are many people
today who will say that we are to

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forget the past and only think
of the present and the future, live

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for today and plan for what's ahead.

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But you see, it is in our past
that we know how we have been shaped,

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whether that be for better or not.

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It is in our past experiences
that tell us who we really are in

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the present and who we believe
God to be to us.

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And the people had forgotten this.

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They had forgotten all that
God had done.

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And verse three demonstrates
it by saying, but the people were

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thirsty for water there, and
they grumbled.

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Another grumbling against Moses.

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They said, why did you bring
us up out of Egypt to make us and

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our children and livestock die
of thirst.

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Here they are again looking
back to Egypt and considering it

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to be a great place to have lived.

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They again hint at having
enough food to eat and water to drink

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back in the land, but this is
only seen through their current circumstances.

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And they forget about the
agony and the hardship of slavery.

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The last time they grumbled
and wanted to be back in Egypt, it's

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because they had enough food
to eat, because they were hungry

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thinking of their stomachs,
whereas now they were thinking of

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death.

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And they would rather have
enslavement than trusting in the

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Lord to rescue them.

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See, they've even forgotten
their own cry to the Lord for rescue

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and salvation.

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They've chosen to forget the
waters of the Red Sea parting and

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their walking on dry ground,
something that they could not have

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done by themselves.

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And here they are looking back
and thinking that Egypt was great.

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They might have even
considered the Egyptians at that

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00:13:46,950 --> 00:13:50,630
moment, after having all of
the plagues of punishment upon them,

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still had enough to eat and to drink.

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And of course, we know they
didn't because the plagues wiped

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out their harvest.

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00:13:57,510 --> 00:14:01,950
So the Egyptians were starving
just as much as the children of Israel.

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00:14:01,950 --> 00:14:04,630
But looking back, it just all
looked so much better.

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00:14:06,630 --> 00:14:10,310
You see, to think back to
Egypt was to consider slavery again

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00:14:11,110 --> 00:14:14,240
rather than the salvation of
the Lord.

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00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:21,120
And for Christians, there can
be moments of thinking, is the Christian

246
00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,360
Faith really worth it.

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00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,280
At times we think it's too
hard because of what is expected

248
00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:31,360
of us by way of church
attendance and involvement, Bible

249
00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,560
reading, prayer service and fellowship.

250
00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,480
Or we look around just as the
people look back to Egypt and we

251
00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:42,440
think that non Christians have
it so much better and have the freedom

252
00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:47,680
to do whatever they want and
consider Christianity as being no

253
00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:48,600
fun at all.

254
00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:50,440
Live your life now.

255
00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:51,400
Enjoy it.

256
00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:55,000
And so we look back as if
we're looking back to Egypt and thinking

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00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:59,080
that that life of sin was much
better than the life of true hope.

258
00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,240
Christians believe sometimes
that they would have more of what

259
00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:09,560
they want while being in their
sin, because Christianity seems to

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00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,410
be the only place of suffering hassle.

261
00:15:13,610 --> 00:15:16,850
Please don't allow the
poisoned words or thoughts of the

262
00:15:16,850 --> 00:15:19,610
devil to make you believe that lie.

263
00:15:20,650 --> 00:15:26,810
Being apart from Christ is not
salvation, it is condemnation.

264
00:15:27,850 --> 00:15:29,610
Just like the example I've
used before.

265
00:15:29,610 --> 00:15:33,930
A fish can jump out of a
fishbowl and think it has all the

266
00:15:33,930 --> 00:15:39,440
freedom in the world, but it
will soon die out of the water.

267
00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:46,240
The Christian life may at
times seem too constraining because

268
00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:48,320
you know, you don't want to
cut corners.

269
00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,120
You know you want to do what's
right, but it just seems to be hindering

270
00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:52,480
you.

271
00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:58,560
But the truth is, the only
freedom that we can know is in Christ

272
00:15:58,560 --> 00:15:59,440
and in him alone.

273
00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,960
That's why Jesus says what he
does in John 14:27.

274
00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:07,020
He's just told the disciples
that after he leaves the earth, Jesus

275
00:16:07,090 --> 00:16:09,330
to go and prepare a place for
them in heaven.

276
00:16:09,330 --> 00:16:12,130
The comforter will come, the
Holy Spirit will come.

277
00:16:12,130 --> 00:16:15,770
And then he tells them in the
next verse, peace, I leave with you.

278
00:16:15,770 --> 00:16:17,010
My peace I give you.

279
00:16:17,170 --> 00:16:19,570
I do not give to you as the
world gives.

280
00:16:20,050 --> 00:16:24,610
Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid.

281
00:16:25,410 --> 00:16:29,170
You see, the Lord Jesus is the
only one who can see us through our

282
00:16:29,170 --> 00:16:34,530
times of difficulty by looking
back and not forgetting his faithfulness

283
00:16:34,530 --> 00:16:38,910
to us and trusting him to keep
us in the present.

284
00:16:40,190 --> 00:16:45,430
God's testing of his people is
ultimately for their good and so

285
00:16:45,430 --> 00:16:47,230
is to be seen positively.

286
00:16:48,190 --> 00:16:50,790
But as we've discovered in
this passage, the people are wanting

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00:16:50,790 --> 00:16:51,870
to test God well.

288
00:16:51,950 --> 00:16:56,670
Their testing of God expresses
unbelief in his presence and care,

289
00:16:56,910 --> 00:16:58,670
and is seen negatively.

290
00:16:59,390 --> 00:17:04,430
You see, God deserves our true
worship of him for all that he does

291
00:17:04,430 --> 00:17:10,100
give us so that we can be his
for all eternity as we trust in Him.

292
00:17:11,300 --> 00:17:16,860
Is the Christian faith worth
it even when things seem weary and

293
00:17:16,860 --> 00:17:17,700
burdensome?

294
00:17:19,460 --> 00:17:20,340
Absolutely.

295
00:17:21,540 --> 00:17:27,060
Because to be apart from
Christ is condemnation and punishment

296
00:17:27,060 --> 00:17:28,340
for all eternity.

297
00:17:29,460 --> 00:17:29,900
Yes.

298
00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:34,140
These three score and ten
Years may be weary and hard, but

299
00:17:34,140 --> 00:17:37,210
that's because of the sinful
condition of the fold.

300
00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:43,360
But yet there is glory waiting
when Christ will come and take us

301
00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:43,680
home.

302
00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:49,920
And we will know true eternal
rest and eternal power in the realms

303
00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:50,400
above.

304
00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:53,280
Don't make shipwreck of your faith.

305
00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:58,960
Keep going even in the hardest
of days, because Christ will indeed

306
00:17:59,120 --> 00:17:59,840
keep you.

307
00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,160
So they are a quarrelling people.

308
00:18:04,850 --> 00:18:08,690
They're a forgetful people,
but because of the Lord God, they

309
00:18:08,690 --> 00:18:10,690
are a rescued people.

310
00:18:12,050 --> 00:18:16,290
In verse four, we once again
see Moses now cry out to God.

311
00:18:17,010 --> 00:18:19,410
He wants to know what to do
with the people.

312
00:18:19,650 --> 00:18:26,010
And rather than keep Moses in
a pity party, God again graciously

313
00:18:26,010 --> 00:18:30,050
provides for them to
demonstrate his love towards them.

314
00:18:30,940 --> 00:18:35,180
Moses is told by God to walk
ahead of the people and to take some

315
00:18:35,180 --> 00:18:37,100
of the elders of his people
with them.

316
00:18:38,060 --> 00:18:41,620
He is also to take with him
the staff that he had in Egypt.

317
00:18:41,620 --> 00:18:46,619
And that's significant because
then God says in verse six, I will

318
00:18:46,619 --> 00:18:50,380
stand there before you by the
rock at Horeb.

319
00:18:50,940 --> 00:18:56,100
Strike the rock and water will
come out of it for the people to

320
00:18:56,100 --> 00:18:56,460
drink.

321
00:18:57,380 --> 00:19:01,620
So Moses did this in the sight
of the elders of Israel.

322
00:19:02,980 --> 00:19:07,660
Remember the staff, the staff
that Moses had in Egypt, when it

323
00:19:07,660 --> 00:19:11,780
struck the waters of the Nile,
it made it putrid.

324
00:19:12,260 --> 00:19:16,020
But this time, instead of
turning the water putrid, Moses strikes

325
00:19:16,020 --> 00:19:20,060
the rock and fresh water comes
flowing out of it in abundance, enough

326
00:19:20,060 --> 00:19:21,220
for the people to drink.

327
00:19:21,860 --> 00:19:26,780
And this took place at the
rock in the region of Horeb, presumably

328
00:19:26,780 --> 00:19:30,420
ahead of where the people
were, so that they would stand and

329
00:19:30,420 --> 00:19:35,940
see the Lord's work, his
manifesting presence in a spectacular

330
00:19:35,940 --> 00:19:39,860
way at the rock, so that it is
clear that he is the one causing

331
00:19:39,860 --> 00:19:42,220
the water to flow and not Moses.

332
00:19:42,220 --> 00:19:47,500
By some sleight of hand, the
people will see this act of the Lord,

333
00:19:48,380 --> 00:19:52,100
and so they will trust him for
the water they have to drink.

334
00:19:52,500 --> 00:19:56,540
And so Moses obeys the Lord's
command in front of Israel's elders,

335
00:19:56,540 --> 00:20:00,500
who then presumably will be
able to report back this miraculous

336
00:20:00,500 --> 00:20:01,380
deed to the people.

337
00:20:01,860 --> 00:20:05,700
And once again God
demonstrates his covenant keeping

338
00:20:05,700 --> 00:20:06,820
love for his people.

339
00:20:06,980 --> 00:20:10,660
And they will not die in the
desert as they believe.

340
00:20:11,540 --> 00:20:15,060
And I read this this week by
the commentator Ian Do Good.

341
00:20:15,540 --> 00:20:19,300
The miracle could have led to
the places being called glory or

342
00:20:19,300 --> 00:20:23,580
the Lord provides, but instead
it is called massa, that is testing

343
00:20:23,580 --> 00:20:29,100
and Meribah quarreling,
etching the Israelites sinful behavior

344
00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:31,980
into the nation's collective memory.

345
00:20:31,980 --> 00:20:34,620
I thought that was that summed
it all up.

346
00:20:35,340 --> 00:20:39,060
It summed it up that here was
a place of the Lord's provision Here

347
00:20:39,060 --> 00:20:41,740
was a place of the Lord's
glory demonstrated.

348
00:20:42,540 --> 00:20:48,060
Yet for this forgetful people,
as they knew rescue once again well,

349
00:20:48,060 --> 00:20:49,500
they had to be reminded.

350
00:20:50,060 --> 00:20:53,180
And so rather the names of
glory the Lord provides.

351
00:20:53,580 --> 00:20:57,260
It's called the place of
testing and the place of quarreling.

352
00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:01,900
So that as they were told
their wilderness journey, they would

353
00:21:01,900 --> 00:21:05,260
remember what they did towards
the Lord.

354
00:21:07,340 --> 00:21:10,700
See, they're going to be
reminded of their response to Him.

355
00:21:11,260 --> 00:21:15,340
And as much as it was a place
of provision, it was also that place

356
00:21:15,340 --> 00:21:19,100
of the people testing God and
quarreling against Him.

357
00:21:20,460 --> 00:21:26,340
But it was also a place of
rescue, because from the rock came

358
00:21:26,340 --> 00:21:27,740
flowing waters.

359
00:21:28,380 --> 00:21:33,820
Flowing waters to refresh, to
comfort and to assure the people

360
00:21:34,300 --> 00:21:38,370
that their faith in God was
indeed well placed.

361
00:21:38,530 --> 00:21:41,970
And throughout Scripture, the
word and the image of a rock is used

362
00:21:42,210 --> 00:21:44,210
to demonstrate the Lord's salvation.

363
00:21:44,610 --> 00:21:49,490
In Psalm 40, verse 2 we read,
he lifted me out of the slimy pit,

364
00:21:49,570 --> 00:21:51,090
out of the mud and mire.

365
00:21:51,330 --> 00:21:56,050
He set my feet on a rock and
gave me a firm place to stand again.

366
00:21:56,050 --> 00:22:01,330
Psalm 62 and verses 1 to 2 we
read, My soul finds rest in God alone.

367
00:22:01,490 --> 00:22:03,490
My salvation comes from Him.

368
00:22:03,730 --> 00:22:07,420
He alone is my rock and my
salvation, he is my Father.

369
00:22:08,050 --> 00:22:09,250
I will never be shaken.

370
00:22:09,570 --> 00:22:12,770
In the Gospels, Jesus tells
the parable of the wise and foolish

371
00:22:12,770 --> 00:22:16,290
builders, with the wise person
building their lives on the solid

372
00:22:16,290 --> 00:22:17,250
rock of Christ.

373
00:22:17,810 --> 00:22:21,690
And if you are inclined to
think about salvation matters, then

374
00:22:21,690 --> 00:22:24,130
it is only to Jesus to look.

375
00:22:25,010 --> 00:22:27,570
You cannot save yourself.

376
00:22:28,050 --> 00:22:31,970
Just like the people couldn't
get water for themselves for their

377
00:22:32,130 --> 00:22:37,330
physical salvation, it was
from the solid rock that water came.

378
00:22:37,730 --> 00:22:42,450
And it is only on the solid
rock of Christ that we can know salvation.

379
00:22:43,810 --> 00:22:47,330
Like sandstone that in time
will wear down.

380
00:22:48,050 --> 00:22:52,170
You cannot trust other things
for salvation because they won't

381
00:22:52,170 --> 00:22:52,610
save.

382
00:22:53,730 --> 00:22:59,010
No amount of money or
education, of good reputation, or

383
00:22:59,010 --> 00:23:04,030
indeed of self righteousness
or of good works will save you.

384
00:23:04,750 --> 00:23:06,670
It is only Christ.

385
00:23:07,790 --> 00:23:11,870
Just as mourn granite stands
for generations and generations,

386
00:23:12,350 --> 00:23:14,830
so too will our salvation in
Jesus Christ.

387
00:23:15,310 --> 00:23:21,870
Because we all need him this
day to keep us and to provide for

388
00:23:21,870 --> 00:23:22,190
us.

389
00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,600
The children of Israel were a
quarreling people.

390
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:35,960
They were a forgetful people,
but they were a rescued people.

391
00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:39,880
We too quarrel against God.

392
00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:44,040
We too forget what he has done
for us.

393
00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,240
But we can know great rescue.

394
00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:56,290
So don't test him, don't even
try, because he is the one to whom

395
00:23:56,290 --> 00:23:58,210
we are to look and to trust.

396
00:24:00,130 --> 00:24:01,730
Don't forget what he's done.

397
00:24:02,610 --> 00:24:07,570
Count your many blessings,
name them one by one, and it will

398
00:24:07,650 --> 00:24:10,530
surprise you what the Lord has done.

399
00:24:11,090 --> 00:24:13,370
What he's done for you already
this day.

400
00:24:13,370 --> 00:24:17,130
And trust me, in my heart, I
need to be reminded of this whenever

401
00:24:17,130 --> 00:24:18,770
things aren't going the way I want.

402
00:24:19,590 --> 00:24:21,590
I need to remember his truth.

403
00:24:22,070 --> 00:24:26,390
I need to hide his word in my
heart so that I will know what he

404
00:24:26,390 --> 00:24:27,430
has done for me.

405
00:24:27,430 --> 00:24:29,430
And I urge you to do the same.

406
00:24:31,830 --> 00:24:34,390
In many ways, I'm the worst
minister ever.

407
00:24:34,789 --> 00:24:38,550
Well, you might have already
assessed that yourselves, but I can't

408
00:24:38,550 --> 00:24:40,150
remember scripture and verse.

409
00:24:40,630 --> 00:24:43,510
If you tell me to quote a
particular passage, I can't do it.

410
00:24:43,510 --> 00:24:45,110
I just don't have that recall.

411
00:24:46,190 --> 00:24:50,350
But what I do know is I can
take my best guess at what Scripture

412
00:24:50,350 --> 00:24:52,750
has told me of what I know
deep down.

413
00:24:52,750 --> 00:24:55,430
Maybe not getting all the
words in the right order, maybe not

414
00:24:55,430 --> 00:24:59,110
getting to the right passage
of where it is, but yet God's word

415
00:24:59,110 --> 00:25:00,670
still sustains me.

416
00:25:01,309 --> 00:25:04,190
And it is God's word that will
sustain you.

417
00:25:05,710 --> 00:25:07,790
So hide his word in your heart.

418
00:25:08,110 --> 00:25:12,890
Know that tomorrow, no matter
how good or bad the day is, he provided

419
00:25:12,890 --> 00:25:17,010
for you today, and he will
provide for you the next day.

420
00:25:17,410 --> 00:25:21,490
So trust in him to see you
through the difficulties and know

421
00:25:21,490 --> 00:25:22,210
his rescue.

422
00:25:22,210 --> 00:25:26,370
Simply come to him and believe
in his only way of salvation, and

423
00:25:26,370 --> 00:25:30,610
you will truly be saved from
all of the lies, all of the hurt,

424
00:25:30,610 --> 00:25:32,770
and all of the suffering of
this present age.

425
00:25:33,090 --> 00:25:37,690
Because it's Jesus Himself who
brings us this idea of water and

426
00:25:37,690 --> 00:25:38,410
food together.

427
00:25:38,410 --> 00:25:42,990
In John 7, where on the last
and greatest day of the feast, coming

428
00:25:42,990 --> 00:25:46,390
out of that great feast of
Passover, Jesus stood and said in

429
00:25:46,390 --> 00:25:52,270
a loud voice, if anyone is
thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

430
00:25:52,990 --> 00:25:59,470
Whoever believes in me, as the
Scripture has said, streams of living

431
00:25:59,550 --> 00:26:03,150
water will flow from within him.

432
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:11,760
The wilderness wanderings
shows us the grumbling spirit and

433
00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:16,960
heart of the people, their
forgetfulness, but also how great

434
00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:18,760
a rescue God gives.

435
00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:25,600
And if you're feeling as if
your soul is dry, that you're in

436
00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,680
a desert well, come to Jesus.

437
00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,280
Receive the living water he gives.

438
00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:36,400
Because whoever believes in
Me, he says, as the Scripture has

439
00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,740
said that word hidden in our
hearts, so streams of living water

440
00:26:40,740 --> 00:26:48,420
will flow from within him,
flow from within us as we trust in

441
00:26:48,420 --> 00:26:49,140
the Savior.

442
00:26:54,020 --> 00:26:58,820
That's why we opened with the
words that we did in that second

443
00:26:58,820 --> 00:27:00,900
verse of oh, how good it is.

444
00:27:01,620 --> 00:27:05,670
There are those here who are
joy filled this day, but there are

445
00:27:05,670 --> 00:27:07,790
those who are weary and sad
and hurting.

446
00:27:08,670 --> 00:27:12,910
And each of us stand before
God because of Jesus.

447
00:27:13,630 --> 00:27:17,990
To know healing, to know
refreshment, and to know by the very

448
00:27:17,990 --> 00:27:22,110
words of Jesus, this
invitation to come to him and no

449
00:27:22,110 --> 00:27:22,750
living water.

450
00:27:24,110 --> 00:27:28,590
Don't settle for anything else
please don't settle only for Christ.

451
00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:35,640
Know him and true assurance of
salvation in heaven because apart

452
00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:39,320
from him there is only condemnation.

453
00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:41,240
Let's pray.

454
00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:46,840
Our Father God we thank you
that you rescued your people yet

455
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:51,440
again so that we would see
your glory and your glory was shown

456
00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:56,200
before the people there in the
Exodus and we see your glory displayed

457
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:57,720
to us in the person of Jesus.

458
00:27:59,090 --> 00:28:01,730
So we ask this day we will
know refreshment of our souls.

459
00:28:01,970 --> 00:28:08,010
We will know that living water
we will know what it means to truly

460
00:28:08,010 --> 00:28:13,330
trust in you that even though
the hurts are real and the burdens

461
00:28:13,330 --> 00:28:17,930
are heavy even though we find
it hard to take one step in front

462
00:28:17,930 --> 00:28:21,410
of the other, you remain
faithful and good.

463
00:28:22,530 --> 00:28:27,670
So Lord indeed may we know you
as our true Savior and may we know

464
00:28:27,670 --> 00:28:31,310
in our hearts that deep
refreshment of our souls as we look

465
00:28:31,310 --> 00:28:33,950
ever to Christ and it's in his
name we pray.

466
00:28:34,750 --> 00:28:35,390
Amen.