Podcasts about Rephidim

“When You Can't Hold-Up Any Longer”Exodus 17:8-16 [ESV]8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne[a] of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

“Who Gets the Glory?”Exodus 17:8-16 [ESV]8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

“They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God” (Exodus 19:2-3).The mountain in question is Mount Sinai. It's where God gave the 10 Commandments to the people through Moses. The traditional location of the … Continue reading Neutralized from outside sources

“Grace for Grumblers”Exodus 17:1-7 [ESV]1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

“God On Trial”Exodus 17:1-7 [ESV]1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

Media information about this sermon Title: The Water At Rephidim And The Battle At RephidimTitle in Tamil: ரெவிதீமிலே வந்த தண்ணீரும் ரெவிதீமிலே நடந்த யுத்தமும்Type: MediaAuthor: Brother V. DhinakaranLanguage: TamilEvent: Bible StudySession: EveningTotal Duration: 1 Hour 25 Minutes Note: For any questions, please reach us from here

Message from Elder Ronnie Loudermilk on March 23, 2025

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Philip Morrison provides commentary on Ex 19:1-25; 20:18-20. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.” On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.'” And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” So Moses went down to the people and told them. Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” Ex 19:1-25; 20:18-20

Why was complaining a temptation for Israel after they left Egypt, and why is it still a struggle for us today? The Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing (Professor of Theology & Ministry, Paul Edwin F. and Esther L. Laatsch Chair of Old Testament Studies, Director of the Pre-Seminary Program, and Director of The Center for Biblical Studies at Concordia University St. Paul) joins Andy and Sarah for a series on his book Deliver Us: God's Rescue Story in Exodus to talk about Israel's relationship with shame in Exodus, why complaining is such a temptation, what is significant about Rephidim, the role of Mount Sinai in the Exodus story, and how God's redemptive activity is for all creation. Find Deliver Us: God's Rescue Story in Exodus here. As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let's be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Philip Morrison provides commentary on Ex 17:1-16. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Ex 17:1-16

Exodus 17 – Water from the Rock and Victory Over Amalek Exodus 17 is a crucial chapter in Israel's journey through the wilderness, showcasing God's provision and power. It highlights two key events: the miraculous provision of water from the rock at Rephidim and Israel's victory over the Amalekites through divine intervention. After leaving the Wilderness of Sin, the Israelites camped at Rephidim, where they found no water to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, demanding water, and accused him of bringing them out of Egypt to die of thirst. Moses, distressed by their complaints, cried out to the Lord. God instructed him to take his staff—the same one used to part the Red Sea—and strike the rock at Horeb. When Moses did so, water gushed out, providing for the people. This place was named Massah (testing) and Meribah (quarreling) because the Israelites tested the Lord by questioning whether He was among them. Soon after, the Amalekites attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses instructed Joshua to choose men and go out to fight, while he stood on a hill with the staff of God in his hand. As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed, but when he lowered them, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Seeing this, Aaron and Hur supported Moses by holding up his hands until sunset, ensuring Israel's victory. After the battle, God commanded Moses to write the event down as a memorial and declared that He would blot out Amalek's memory from under heaven. Moses built an altar and named it Jehovah-Nissi, meaning “The Lord is my banner,” signifying God's power and protection over Israel. Exodus 17 teaches profound lessons about God's faithfulness and the importance of trust, obedience, and intercession. The provision of water illustrates that God sustains His people even when circumstances seem impossible, pointing to Jesus as the ultimate “rock” from which living water flows (1 Corinthians 10:4). The battle against Amalek demonstrates that victory comes not merely through human effort but through dependence on God. The image of Moses' upheld hands symbolizes prayer and intercession, highlighting the need for spiritual perseverance and communal support. This chapter encourages believers to trust in God's provision, rely on His strength in battles, and uphold one another in faith.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

No "I" in TEAM In Exodus 17, we see two powerful moments that reveal how God's provision and victory are often tied to the people He places around us. First, at Rephidim, Israel complains about their thirst, testing God rather than trusting Him. Moses, overwhelmed by their grumbling, turns to God—who provides water from the rock at Horeb, a foreshadowing of Christ, our ultimate source of life. But right after this provision, a new challenge arises—the Amalekites attack, targeting the weak and weary at the back of Israel's camp. This battle wasn't won by one man's strength but by teamwork—Joshua fought, while Moses lifted his hands in intercession, supported by Aaron and Hur. The lesson? No one wins alone. Whether we're in a season of testing or battle, we need the right people around us—people who hold us up, fight alongside us, and remind us of God's faithfulness. So, who's holding up your arms? And whose arms are you lifting? Let's talk about it in today's conversation. Exodus 17  Discussion topics Who in your life has been like an “Aaron or Hur” to you—someone who has supported you in a tough season?  Read Deuteronomy 25:17-18. The Amalekites attacked the weak and stragglers. How does this relate to how the enemy tries to attack us today? What "battle" are you facing right now where you need people to lift you up in prayer and encouragement?  Moses built an altar and called it “The Lord is My Banner” (Exodus 17:15). What does it mean for God to be your banner in daily life? Identify one person this week who you can support in prayer, encouragement, or practical help. Reach out and be their Aaron or Hur! Check out our other audio series and video playlists that can help you find Jesus in every moment and then discover what's next

Islington Baptist is a church for the Islington and wider Newcastle community sharing the life-changing message of Jesus. Our sermon / Bible teaching is a central part of our gatherings. Exodus 17:1-7 1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” 3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” 4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 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, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Title: "Leadership Passed Down: Moses and Joshua" Be Fruitful & Multiply Series   Introduction * Moses and Joshua's relationship offers a powerful biblical example of mentorship and succession. Their dynamic demonstrates the importance of intentionally preparing the next generation to accomplish God's mission. We are called to leave a legacy—not just to achieve for ourselves but to invest in others, passing on wisdom, faith, and leadership that will continue to impact the world long after we are gone.   I. Moses' Perspective: The Mentor   1. Recognizing the Potential in Joshua   * Exodus 17:8-13: Exodus 17:8-13: 8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Moses trusts Joshua to lead the Israelites in battle against Amalek.      * A mentor recognizes the potential in a disciple and actively creates opportunities for their growth. Success is not a solo endeavor—we can only go as far as our team. If we operate alone, our capacity is limited. For actual multiplication, we must intentionally choose trustworthy individuals who, in turn, will disciple others with integrity. The body of Christ thrives only when all its members function together in unity and purpose. As leaders, our foremost responsibility is to identify the right people, position them effectively, and empower them to carry out the work with excellence.   2. Teaching Through Example   * Exodus 24:13-18: 13 Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. 14 He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.      * A mentor invites their disciple into God's presence and demonstrates spiritual leadership through example. The goal of discipleship is not to draw people closer to themselves but to lead them closer to the Lord. We are not seeking to create replicas of ourselves; we aim to help others become more like Jesus. Discipleship is about more than transferring knowledge—facilitating encounters with God. Transformation happens as we behold the glory of the Lord, and worship is one of the primary ways God reshapes us. The effectiveness of our leadership and the grace we carry depend significantly on our ability to practice and dwell in the presence of God.   3. Empowering for Leadership   * Numbers 27:18-23: 18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,[a] and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command, he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command, they will come in.” 22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.      * A mentor ensures that their disciple is well-prepared and accepted by others. Effective discipleship results in others recognizing the same wisdom, authority, and grace in our disciples that they see in us. Through Christ, we can impart what He has entrusted to us into the lives of those He places before us. Standing alongside those we have raised affirms our support and signals to others that these individuals are worthy of their trust and leadership. Commissioning is a powerful act that releases God's anointing and calling upon the individual, inspiring confidence and alignment among those who will follow them.   4. Releasing with Confidence    * Deuteronomy 34:9: 9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit[a] of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So, the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.   *   * Effective discipleship involves entrusting the disciple with opportunities to lead. The more individuals carry what the Lord has imparted, the further His work can reach. However, just as a vessel cannot be filled until it is emptied, disciples must be led to surrender themselves entirely to God. Only then can they be genuinely filled with the Spirit and fully embrace their calling. When we see those we disciple walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and firmly placed in the Lord's hands, we can confidently trust that they will fulfill their God-given mission.   II. Joshua's Perspective: The Disciple   1. Learning Through Service   * Exodus 33:11: 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua, son of Nun did not leave the tent.      * Time spent alone in God's presence is the most vital preparation for fulfilling the divine purpose of our lives. As ambassadors of Christ, our primary responsibility is to reflect His character and represent Him to the world. The depth of our impact is directly tied to the depth of our relationship with Him; the more intimately we know Christ, the more effectively we can carry out His mission.   2. Observing and Emulating   * Numbers 11:28-29: 28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”      * Joshua speaks up and tries to stop leaders who were prophesying; Moses rebukes Joshua, displaying his heart that he wished all of his leaders could prophesy. Joshua may have thought only Moses should be prophesying, for this was the first occurrence of anyone else operating in this gift. Yet Joshua's perspective did not fit the heart of Moses or God. A disciple learns humility and patience under a mentor's guidance.   3. Growing in Courage    * Joshua 1:6-9: 6 : “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or the left. Then, you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”      * A disciple must embrace their calling with unwavering confidence and courage, fortified by the preparation and guidance of their mentor. In this passage, God emphasizes three essential principles for spiritual leadership:     a. Obedience to God's Word: Success comes from diligently knowing, meditating on, and applying God's instructions. A leader's strength lies in their alignment with God's truth.     b. Faithful adherence to mentorship: Joshua is urged to follow Moses's instructions, recognizing the wisdom passed down through godly mentorship.     c. Dependence on God's presence: True courage flows from the assurance that the Lord is always with us, empowering and guiding us every step of the way.   * Spiritual leaders are not called to rely solely on their abilities but on God's promises and presence. Time spent alone with the Lord and a commitment to His Word prepares leaders to step boldly into their divine purpose.   * 4. Carrying the Vision Forward   * Joshua 24:14-15: 14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”      * A disciple's success is measured by their faithfulness and ability to inspire and lead others to follow God wholeheartedly. Spiritual leaders are not focused on drawing people to themselves but on pointing them to the Lord. Joshua sets a powerful example of spiritual leadership by explicitly declaring that his allegiance and that of his household is to the Lord. He challenges the people to make a definitive choice, laying out the stark consequences of serving idols and the blessings of serving God. Leaders must similarly emphasize the urgency and gravity of choosing whom to serve. As disciples of Christ, we are called to lead others toward complete devotion to Jesus, rejecting any allegiance to idols or worldly influences. True discipleship prioritizes Christ as Lord, ensuring that those we guide are rooted in faithfulness to Him alone.   III. Lessons for Modern Discipleship 1. For Mentors:   * Identify and invest in potential leaders.   * Walk alongside disciples, modeling a life centered on God.   * Empower and release them with faith that God will continue the work through them. 2. For Disciples:   * Serve faithfully in preparation for leadership.   * Learn from the mentor's strengths and weaknesses.   * Seek God's guidance as you step into more significant responsibilities.   Conclusion * The relationship between Moses and Joshua demonstrates the power of discipleship to ensure the continuation of God's work. * Actual multiplication happens when leaders invest in disciples who, in turn, become leaders themselves. * Challenge: Who are you mentoring, and who is mentoring you in your walk with God?   -- Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights  Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church  (609) 927-4560(w

The Covenant at Mount Sinai (Exodus): After rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Yahweh invited them into a covenant relationship at Mount Sinai. In one of the most crucial chapters in the Bible, we find that the great, big beating heart of God behind all his saving work is this: to have a real, intimate, and life-giving relationship with people — people who have been separated from a holy God by their sin — but people who are still greatly loved and are precious to God. Recorded on Dec 15, 2024, on Exodus 19 by Pastor David Parks. This message is part of our Exodus series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation — of God working to rescue and redeem a people for himself, freeing them from slavery and leading them to the land he promised to the family of Abraham and Sarah. Exodus is also a picture of the gospel and the Christian life. In Christ, we, too, are freed from captivity to sin and death and led through the wilderness of life by God's Word and Presence as we make our way to the Promised Land of the world to come. Join us as we make this journey to find true and lasting freedom. Sermon Transcript Since September, we've been working through the book of Exodus in a sermon series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation, of God rescuing and redeeming a people for himself. After freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Yahweh God led them through the desert wilderness by his word given through the prophet Moses and by his own holy Presence in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. The Israelites struggled and grumbled; it was tough, and the people barely trusted the God who had just rescued them from Egypt. But Yahweh proved faithful and good. Last week, we considered when Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, visited them at Rephidim. He heard everything Yahweh had done for the Israelites and had a conversion experience. But he also offered a suggestion about the leadership structure that probably saved Moses from being crushed under the burden of leading all these people. Well, today, after months of traveling through the desert wilderness, we finally get to Mount Sinai and discover the purpose of God behind this dramatic rescue of the Israelites from Egypt. Why did he do all this? What was God's heart behind rescuing and redeeming a people for himself? Well, here, we find that the great, big beating heart of God behind all of creation and salvation is to have a real relationship with people — people who have been separated from a holy God by their sin — but people who are still greatly loved and are precious to God. This is the defining story of Israel, but this is also our story in Christ. So, if you have your Bible/app, please open it to Exodus 19:1. Exodus 19:1–6 (NIV), “1 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. 3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” Everything in the Exodus story has led up to this point when Yahweh God invited the Israelites into a covenant relationship with him at Mount Sinai. And this is just so significant. Yahweh had promised he would do this for the family of Abraham and Sarah some 430 years earlier. He repeated the promise down through the generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Jethro and Moses (Exodus): Whether you have an official leadership role or title, everyone can influence someone for good. When Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, visited the Israelites, he realized Moses would be crushed without some serious help. He advised Moses to invite others to share the leadership burden with him. God's people needed good and godly leaders to help them live lives that bring glory and honor to him. Recorded on Dec 8, 2024, on Exodus 18 by Pastor David Parks. This message is part of our Exodus series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation — of God working to rescue and redeem a people for himself, freeing them from slavery and leading them to the land he promised to the family of Abraham and Sarah. Exodus is also a picture of the gospel and the Christian life. In Christ, we, too, are freed from captivity to sin and death and led through the wilderness of life by God's Word and Presence as we make our way to the Promised Land of the world to come. Join us as we make this journey to find true and lasting freedom. Sermon Transcript So, we're working through the book of Exodus in a sermon series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation, of God rescuing and redeeming a people for himself. After freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Yahweh God led them through the desert wilderness by his word given through the prophet Moses and by his own holy Presence in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. But, we've seen that things didn't get much easier for the Israelites on the other side of the famous parting of the Red Sea. The Israelites struggled and grumbled through a series of desert tests before being viciously attacked by the Amalekites at Rephidim. It was tough, and the people didn't display a very impressive amount of faith in the God who had just rescued them from Egypt. But Yahweh proved faithful and good and provided what they needed despite their grumbling and quarreling. Today, we have one more stop to make, one more chapter in our story, before we get to the fireworks of Mount Sinai, the giving of the Law, and the establishment of the covenant between Yahweh and Israel. When Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, meets them, he offers a suggestion that would help Moses lead the people well and not be crushed by the burden. This chapter offers many leadership lessons. Now, whether you have an official leadership role or not, everyone can influence others for good. And this is what good leadership is all about. We need these lessons. So, if you have your Bible/app, please open it to Exodus 18:1. We'll read through this and unpack it as we go. Exodus 18:1–7 (NIV), “1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her 3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”; 4 and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.” 5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. 6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.” 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.” Moses doesn't record when, but at some point between leaving Midian with his family and his time in Egypt during the Ten Plagues, he sent his wife Zipporah and their sons back to live in Midian with her father, Jethro. He doesn't say why, and some have speculated that they were having trouble in their marriage. But it doesn't say that. And once the Israelites reached Mount Sinai,

Exodus 19:1–8 (ESV): 19 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.

The Amalekites (Exodus): Battles, struggles, conflict, and strife are just part of the fabric of this broken world. As followers of Jesus, how do we fight our battles? When the Amalekites attacked the Israelites at Rephidim, the people, led by Joshua, had to fight. But the Lord brought the victory through the intercession of Moses, acting as a mediator. In our battles, we must trust our Mediator, lean on our friends, and find our victory in Yahweh Nissi (the Lord is my Banner). Recorded on Dec 1, 2024, on Exodus 17:8-16 by Pastor David Parks. This message is part of our Exodus series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation — of God working to rescue and redeem a people for himself, freeing them from slavery and leading them to the land he promised to the family of Abraham and Sarah. Exodus is also a picture of the gospel and the Christian life. In Christ, we, too, are freed from captivity to sin and death and led through the wilderness of life by God's Word and Presence as we make our way to the Promised Land of the world to come. Join us as we make this journey to find true and lasting freedom. Sermon Transcript So, we're working through the book of Exodus in a sermon series called Journey to Freedom. Exodus is a story of liberation, of God rescuing and redeeming a people for himself. After freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Yahweh God led them through the desert wilderness by his word given through the prophet Moses and by his own holy Presence. For the last three weeks, we saw three tests in the desert on the way to Mount Sinai designed to teach the Israelites to listen to God, obey his word, and learn to follow his way (whether they understood it or not). But the Israelites didn't pass any of the tests. In our text for today, the Israelites don't just have a need; they're in real danger when the Amalekites come and attack them. Have you ever felt like you were in a battle? Have you ever realized you needed God to save you? Battles, struggles, conflict, and strife are just part of the fabric of this broken world. Sometimes, there's real violence, but sometimes, the battle is in your mind, heart, or relationships. Sometimes, the battle is physical, but often, it's spiritual, too. As God's people, as followers of Jesus, how do we fight? How do we win? Our text today offers many lessons on what to do on the day of battle. If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Exodus 17:8. Exodus 17:8–9 (NIV), “8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” It turns out there were more dangers in the world than Pharaoh and his army. Now, we know four things about the Amalekites: First, they descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, so they were distant cousins of the Israelites. They should've been allies, not enemies. They should've helped Israel, not come to steal, kill, and destroy. Second, they lived in the desert. The Israelites struggled to survive, but the Amalekites knew what they were doing. They were like the Fremen in Dune. These were desert people, which didn't bode well for a battle with them in their home. Third, the Amalekites carried out this unprovoked attack on the Israelites here at Rephidim. Maybe they heard this huge mass of people, animals, and possessions had somehow escaped Egypt and thought they'd be an easy target. Or maybe this was just a normal day for violent people who survived in a tough environment by being tougher than anyone or anything else. (Maybe both?) Later, Moses reminded the Israelites about this attack, saying, “When you were weary and worn out, they [Amalekites] met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.” (Dt 25:18). Fourth, the Amalekites would be enemies of Israel for hundreds of years — all through the time of the Judges a...

Judges 7:15-23 The Western Church in this hour wants method and process.  If the Church down the road marches around the walls AND God gives them the victory, we write a book on it “How to take a city for God!”  But in the valley on the borders of Moab, God had His people dig ditches!! In the wilderness of Tekoa, the people praised the Lord! At the Red Sea, He had them stand still!  On the hilltop in Rephidim, Moses held up his hand to God! Friends, you can't make a method out of this, our eyes must be towards the LORD!!!  Oh the that God might perform a work in this hour as He did in the days of Gideon.  A work that our only boast may be in the Lord saying; by His right hand and by His holy arm has He gotten Himself the victory!

The people of God engage in their first battle after the Amalekites attack them at Rephidim. But, instead of going into battle depending on their own strength, Joshua and the men of Israel fight in dependence on God's strength. Join us to see how this battle illustrates the need to have the kind of faith in God that is willing to rest in dependence of His power to save.

19 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lordhad commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, 10 the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot;[a] whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.” 16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lordcame down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.'”24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

17 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah[a] and Meribah,[b] because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” 8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne[c] of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[c] the throne of the Lord,[d] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” We battle together: Committed to Community Forged in Proximity Empowered in HIS Victory Deuteronomy 25:17-18 17 Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt.18 When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. Committed to Community 9 Moses said to Joshua,“Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. Forged in Proximity 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. Empowered in His Victory 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. Colossians 2:9-15 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised byChrist, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Back in my old school days, we used to do an experiment in science class. When I told my then teenage sons about this, they were very surprised to find out that there was a science class when I was in school! But there was and we used to dissect the triceratops and the tyrannosauruses. There was this little experiment we would do for real. Maybe you remember it. There's this little hand crank. You know, sort of a generator. And you'd crank it as fast as you could, and it would make a light bulb slowly light up. If you cranked fast enough, you could get a pretty bright light in that bulb. But as you started to wear out, you slowed down and the bulb started to dim and go out. That little hand crank method was okay for the limited demands of a light bulb, but, man I'd hate to run my whole house that way, huh. I mean, there's the stove and the microwave, the computers, and the TV. Fortunately all of those are not plugged into some little hand crank system when we're trying to get as much juice out of it as we can. That would make you cranky for sure. We plug into this tremendous current and voltage that flows through our house; into a much bigger source really. Now, it's amazing how many folks are trying to run everything in their life by a hand crank. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Prayer That Wins Battles." Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Exodus 17; we'll begin at verse 8. "The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, 'Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.' As long as Moses held up his hands that day, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning." Now, that's interesting! The difference was made by the leader holding up the staff of God. What's the deal with the staff? Well, it represented and in a sense contained the power and the presence of the Lord. What it really means is given to us after the battle is won and in later verses where it says, "Moses built an altar and called it 'the Lord is my banner.' He said, '...for hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord." See, Moses standing on that hill holding high God's power, represents a leader interceding for his troops. And when he is, there's victory, and when he isn't, there's defeat. You're probably in a leadership role of some kind; I mean you've got influence in your family, or maybe with a group of friends, or in your church or at work. Your number one responsibility is to hold high the power; to keep the focus on prayer, on intercession as the way to win the battles. Now, our tendency? Well, it's to trust in hand-cranked power; yeah, the power of planning, committees, money, and the power of good ideas and experts, and how smart we are. But human generators cannot meet all the demands of our complex lives. We need the kind of voltage that only prayer generates. We tend to feel that we're not doing anything when we pray. It may seem like it's kind of passive. Well, Moses might have said, "Well, you know, I'm not fighting the battle. I'm not doing anything." But intercession determines whether all the other weapons will win or not. Prayer doesn't make a difference; it makes the difference. It's not just a glancing prayer. No, you keep at it relentlessly until that battle is won. You don't stop; you don't give up. Look, are you leading the people around you to make prayer their first resort; not their last resort? Are you modeling for them, asking big with great faith in a great God? Do you model that prayer is a power lifestyle for your family? Do you model to your family that prayer is your primary method of getting things done? Do you pray with people; not just for them, but with them? Stand like Moses stood above the fray; interceding, reminding your troops regularly where the voltage comes from, and hold high the power!

Jim and Miles pose more questions at Joanne before being led to a point of interest, from there the group continues their pursuit of RJ, Dan Winters and the cabin.

What if you could experience the Torah as if it were given today? Join us on a compelling exploration of Parshas Masei, where we trace the 42 unique stops our ancestors made from the Exodus to the brink of Canaan. Together, we'll uncover the hidden gems in Moshe's careful documentation, including unforgettable moments like the water crisis at Rephidim, and ponder why monumental events, such as the revelation at Har Sinai, are absent from this narrative.Guided by Rav Moshe Feinstein's profound insights, we will challenge the notion of Torah as an ancient, static text and learn to embrace it with renewed passion and immediacy. Rav Moshe teaches us that the Torah should feel as fresh and invigorating as if it were given today, urging us to keep our spiritual connection dynamic and alive daily. Take advantage of this enriching episode that seamlessly blends faith, history, and timeless wisdom, reminding us of the enduring vitality of our sacred texts.Support the Show.Join The Motivation Congregation WhatsApp community for daily motivational Torah content!Elevate your impact by becoming a TMC Emerald Donor! Your much-needed backing is crucial for our mission of disseminating the wisdom of the Torah. Join today for just $18.00 per month. (Use your maaser money!) https://buy.stripe.com/00g8xl5IT8dFcKc5ky---------------- SUBSCRIBE to The Weekly Parsha for an insightful weekly talk on the week's Parsha. Listen on Spotify or 24six! Access all Torah talks and listen to featured episodes on our website, themotivationcongregation.org ----------------Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com

Hebrews 4:1-2 (NLT)James 2:14, 18-20 (NLT)James 2:26 (NLT)Matthew 7:20 (NLT)Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)Matthew 7:21-24 (NLT)Acts 19:11-20 (NLT)Hebrews 4:3 (NLT)Hebrews 4:4-5 (NLT)Hebrews 4:6-7 (NLT)Hebrews 3:7-8 (NLT)Hebrews 4:8-9 (NLT)Hebrews 4:10-11 (NLT)Numbers 14:21-23 (ESV)(1) Lacking faith before the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11–12)(2) Complaining over the bitter water at Marah (Exodus 15:24)(3) Complaining in the Desert of Sin (Exodus 16:3)(4) Collecting more manna than they were supposed to (Exodus 16:20)(5) Attempting to collect manna on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:27–29)(6) Complaining over the lack of water at Rephidim (Exodus 17:2–3)(7) Engaging in idolatry in the golden calf incident (Exodus 32:7–10)(8) Complaining at Taberah (Numbers 11:1–2)(9) Complaining over the lack of food (Numbers 11:4)(10) Failing to trust God and enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:1–4)Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT)Hebrews 4:1-2 (NLT)

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________EasterIf then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Christ our PassoverPascha Nostrum - BCP p. 83Alleluia.Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; *therefore let us keep the feast,Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, *but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; *death no longer has dominion over him.The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; *but the life he lives, he lives to God.So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.Christ has been raised from the dead, *the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.For since by a man came death, *by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.For as in Adam all die, *so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia. Psalm 26Judica me, DomineGive judgment for me, O Lord,for I have lived with integrity; *I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.Test me, O Lord, and try me; *examine my heart and my mind.For your love is before my eyes; *I have walked faithfully with you.I have not sat with the worthless, *nor do I consort with the deceitful.I have hated the company of evildoers; *I will not sit down with the wicked.I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, *that I may go in procession round your altar,Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving *and recounting all your wonderful deeds.Lord, I love the house in which you dwell *and the place where your glory abides.Do not sweep me away with sinners, *nor my life with those who thirst for blood,Whose hands are full of evil plots, *and their right hand full of bribes.As for me, I will live with integrity; *redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me.My foot stands on level ground; *in the full assembly I will bless the Lord. Psalm 28Ad te, DomineO Lord, I call to you;my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry; *lest, if you do not hear me,I become like those who go down to the Pit.Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, *when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the evildoers, *who speak peaceably with their neighbors,while strife is in their hearts.Repay them according to their deeds, *and according to the wickedness of their actions.According to the work of their hands repay them, *and give them their just deserts.They have no understanding of the Lord's doings,nor of the works of his hands; *therefore he will break them down and not build them up.Blessed is the Lord! *for he has heard the voice of my prayer.The Lord is my strength and my shield; *my heart trusts in him, and I have been helped;Therefore my heart dances for joy, *and in my song will I praise him.The Lord is the strength of his people, *a safe refuge for his anointed.Save your people and bless your inheritance; *shepherd them and carry them for ever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsExod. 19:1-16On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites." So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: "Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do." Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. Then the Lord said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after." When Moses had told the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to Moses: "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and prepare for the third day, because on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, 'Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Any who touch the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch them, but they shall be stoned or shot with arrows; whether animal or human being, they shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain." So Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, "Prepare for the third day; do not go near a woman." On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. 21. You are GodTe Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord; we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory,the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us freeyou did not shun the Virgin's womb.You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people,bought with the price of your own blood,and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Col. 1:1-14Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. 16. The Song of ZechariahBenedictus Dominus Deus - Luke 1: 68-79Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old,that he would save us from our enemies, *from the hands of all who hate us.He promised to show mercy to our fathers *and to remember his holy covenant.This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *to set us free from the hands of our enemies,Free to worship him without fear, *holy and righteous in his sightall the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,To give his people knowledge of salvation *by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God *the dawn from on high shall break upon us,To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. Third Sunday in EasterO God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionLet us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia. Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.Ephesians 3:20,21

Exodus 19:1-8On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________EasterIf then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Christ our PassoverPascha Nostrum - BCP p. 83Alleluia.Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; *therefore let us keep the feast,Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, *but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; *death no longer has dominion over him.The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; *but the life he lives, he lives to God.So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.Christ has been raised from the dead, *the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.For since by a man came death, *by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.For as in Adam all die, *so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia. Psalm 20Exaudiat te DominusMay the Lord answer you in the day of trouble, *the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;Send you help from his holy place *and strengthen you out of Zion;Remember all your offerings *and accept your burnt sacrifice;Grant you your heart's desire *and prosper all your plans.We will shout for joy at your victoryand triumph in the Name of our God; *may the Lord grant all your requests.Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; *he will answer him out of his holy heaven,with the victorious strength of his right hand.Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, *but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God.They collapse and fall down, *but we will arise and stand upright.O Lord, give victory to the king *and answer us when we call. Psalm 21Domine, in virtute tuaThe king rejoices in your strength, O Lord; *how greatly he exults in your victory!You have given him his heart's desire; *you have not denied him the request of his lips.For you meet him with blessings of prosperity, *and set a crown of fine gold upon his head.He asked you for life, and you gave it to him: *length of days, for ever and ever.His honor is great, because of your victory; *splendor and majesty have you bestowed upon him.For you will give him everlasting felicity *and will make him glad with the joy of your presence.For the king puts his trust in the Lord; *because of the loving-kindness of the Most High, he will not fall.[Your hand will lay hold upon all your enemies; *your right hand will seize all those who hate you.You will make them like a fiery furnace *at the time of your appearing, O Lord;You will swallow them up in your wrath, *and fire shall consume them.You will destroy their offspring from the land *and their descendants from among the peoples of the earth.Though they intend evil against youand devise wicked schemes, *yet they shall not prevail.For you will put them to flight *and aim your arrows at them.Be exalted, O Lord, in your might; *we will sing and praise your power.] Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsExod. 17:1-16From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?" But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried out to the Lord, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." The Lord said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?" Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some men for us and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the sun set. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write this as a reminder in a book and recite it in the hearing of Joshua: I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." And Moses built an altar and called it, The Lord is my banner. He said, "A hand upon the banner of the Lord The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. 21. You are GodTe Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord; we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory,the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us freeyou did not shun the Virgin's womb.You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people,bought with the price of your own blood,and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. 1 Pet. 4:7-19The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?" Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. 16. The Song of ZechariahBenedictus Dominus Deus - Luke 1: 68-79Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old,that he would save us from our enemies, *from the hands of all who hate us.He promised to show mercy to our fathers *and to remember his holy covenant.This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *to set us free from the hands of our enemies,Free to worship him without fear, *holy and righteous in his sightall the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,To give his people knowledge of salvation *by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God *the dawn from on high shall break upon us,To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. Second Sunday in EasterAlmighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionLet us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia. Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.Ephesians 3:20,21

Exodus 17:8-168 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne[a] of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Exodus 17:8-16 records the attack of Amalek on Israel at Rephidim. God gave Israel victory, “And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner” (Exodus 17:15). God fights for us, but we must go to Him in faith.

Exodus 17:1-7All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah[a] and Meribah,[b] because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

"And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not? Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." Exodus 17:1-13

We aren't made to do life ______________.   [Psalm 92:12-15 CSB] The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. [13] Planted in the house of the LORD, they thrive in the courts of our God. [14] They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green, [15] to declare, "The LORD is just; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him."   We don't just _______ to church, we _________ the church.   [Exodus 17:8-13] While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. [9] Moses commanded Joshua, "Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand." [10] So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. [11] As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. [12] Moses' arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. [13] As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.   Everyone should have a ______________ and a ______________________.   [Hebrews 10:24-25] Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. [25] And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.   If you aren't ___________________ others, then you're doing it wrong.   [1 John 4:11-12] Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. [12] No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.   The closer we get to ______________, the more we need to love ______________.   [Ecclesiastes 4:12] A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.   Together we can accomplish _____________ ____________ for God's Kingdom.

Father, we thank you for your holy word and we thank you that you are a holy God and we have transgressed your holy law. And it's because of our rebellion. It's because we do have, every single one of us, a problem with authority, a problem with your authority in particular when you call us to do things that go against our own will. And Lord, you didn't leave us in our sins and trespasses. You didn't leave us in our rebellious, recalcitrant, our stubborn stiff-neckedness. Instead, you sent your son Jesus Christ, who submitted perfectly to every single facet of the law, every single tenant of the law, every single law. And you submitted Jesus to the will of the Father like no one before you, like no one after you. And you did that in order to provide a way for us to be saved. And you went to the cross instead of experiencing the blessing that you deserved for your law keeping, you took the curse that we deserve for our lawbreaking.And Lord, you were crucified, you died and you were buried. And we thank you that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you were resurrected. And now you call every single one of us to repentance in particular the areas of our life where we do want to seek our own will instead of yours. You call us to repent and not be stiff neck and I pray today, soften our hearts, soften our necks, soften our wills, and make us a people that long to obey you because your will is good and your will is perfect and your will is holy. You do not call us to anything that is short of your blessed will. Everything you call us to is for our good and it's ultimately for your glory. And when we glorify you the most, that's when we experience your presence the most and we experience the joy that you would have for us.Lord bless our time, the holy scriptures today. Holy Spirit, we love you. If there's any places in our lives where we are grieving you or where we are in our obstinacy, turning from your leading, I pray today, Lord, make us filled with the Holy Spirit to keep in step with the Spirit. Doing nothing to grieve your spirit. Lord bless our time in the holy scriptures and give us grace and give us your presence. We pray this in Christ's name, amen. We're continuing our sermon series through the Gospel of Mark called the Gospel of Mark and the Secret of God's Kingdom. And the title of the sermon today is Beware Stiff Nakedness. A few years ago, my third daughter at Katharina, Ecat for short, she started a dog sitting business and she got this dog that was small yet incredibly strong to watch for a few days and she loves dogs and she loves dog sitting.And dog sitting is the closest that she's going to get to having a dog, although she is hoping for a miracle and praying for one. So though it was Ecat's responsibility to watch this dog, I don't know what happened, but it wasn't her walking the dog, it was my second daughter, Elizabeth, went out to give the dog a walk and it was winter time, it was cold outside and 20 minutes goes by, she's not home in 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and we got to worrying and we went to look for her and we found her stuck on a street corner trying with all her might to drag this dog, to turn this dog in the direction of home to no veil. She tried talking to the dog, pleading with the dog, cajoling the dog, bribing the dog with snacks. And every time she would pull on the leash to turn her home, the dog stiffened its neck and dug in. And it took a strong word of command to get the dog to come, a stronger yank of the leash to get the dog to turn right.And from the side, if you saw what was happening here like that looks like excessive force, but it wasn't excessive and force was the only thing that the dog could understand, it was actually loving force. What was the goal? The goal was to get the dog home where it's warm and toasty and by itself the dog wouldn't make it out on the streets. The dog was stiff-necked. And that's the same phrase that God uses to describe the behavior of unbelieving people, people who see God's work, see sign after sign and don't take God at his Word. People who intentionally reject God's Word to do their own will. There's a curious passage in Nehemiah where Nehemiah summarizes quick in a pithy way the history of the people of Israel. In Nehemiah 9:13, speaking of God, "You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, and you made known to them your Holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses, your servant.You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst. And you told them to go into possess the land that you had sworn to give them. But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refuse to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you've performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding and steadfast love and did not forsake them." You read this and you say it's unbelievable. These people saw miracle after miracle with a crescendo of parting the Red Sea and they walked through and the armies of the Egyptians, they were swallowed up by the water.They saw miracle after miracle, they heard the voice of God, they saw the evidence of God's work. And then as soon as they realized that to be free from captivity means to be in submission to God and his word, they say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I prefer slavery. And they appointed a leader to bring them back. And you say, how could they ever do that? Well, friends, just look into your own heart, look at your own history, how often do we come to Christ, have our sins forgiven? And then the Lord says, "Repent, believe, and follow me." And we start following and realize, "Oh, this is so much harder than I'd ever anticipated. The sacrifice is so much greater than I'm willing to make." And you turn back to sin, the word of God presents hardheartedness as the root cause of stiff nakedness. Why?Because in the scriptures, the heart isn't just the seed of emotions, it's the center of the will. So you end up doing exactly what you love most. And if you love yourself more than you love God, you place yourself in the position of God. And if you take God's rightful place on the throne of your life, the very life that God gave you, then there will never be evidence enough for the existence of God, for the veracity of his word, for his clear commandments. God is the ultimate authority. And to believe in God is to love His authority. To believe in God is to submit to His authority no matter how we feel about the commandment. Even when every fiber in your being bristles with rebellion, at those moments, we must cry out to the Lord. Lord, soften my heart, Lord relax my stiff neck.And those sticking points are the places where if we receive God's will, the absolute greatest transformation happens in our lives. However, if the Lord reveals a point in our lives where our necks have stiffened up against His will where we remain recalcitrant, when he pulls on the leash, there is potential for the neck to break. Proverbs 29:1 says, "He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck will suddenly be broken beyond healing." And today we approach a text where Jesus deals with the hard hardness of the stiff nakedness of those who should have known better, the Pharisees, the religious leaders, the politicians, those who followed Herod and the Herodians. And then he turns His attention to the disciples and He says that rebellious spirit that you see in the Pharisees and the Herodians, watch out that that spirit does not grow in your hearts. So today in Mark 8:11-22, would you look at the text with me?"The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, seeking for him a sign from heaven to test Him. And He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?" "Truly I say to you, no sign will be given this generation" and He left them, gotten to the boat again and went to the other side. Now, they had forgotten to bring bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them saying, watch out, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus aware of this said to them, why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes, do you not see and having ears?Do you not hear? And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They said to Him "twelve." And the seven for the 4,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? And they said to Him, "Seven". And He said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" This is the reading of God's holy, inert and fallible authoritative word. May he write these eternal truths upon our hearts, three points of the frame up our time, be not a stiff-necked sign seeker. Second, beware the leaven of stiff-neckedness. And three battle hardheartedness by remembering. First be not a stiff-necked sign seeker. After Jesus feeds the 4,000 Gentiles, Mark tells us that he gets in the boat and they went to the region of Dalmanutha on the western, more Jewish shore of the lake.And that's where the Pharisees meet Him. And that's verse 11. The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven to test him. Now, if you haven't been with us, the Pharisees, just a quick recap, were the religious leaders. They're the gatekeepers of the Jewish faith. They're the self-proclaimed representatives of God. So when Jesus shows up and starts telling people the Pharisees, He starts telling them that he's the promised Messiah and actually he's the Son of God. While they've got concerns. He can't be God they reason. Why? Because they know God. God is on our side, they figured. We have God figured out. We're the professionals here, Jesus. Moreover, if Jesus is right, then they're wrong, but they can't be wrong, not this wrong, not this wrong about the most important question in the universe. Who is God and what does He demand of me?And moreover, if Jesus is right, then they have to change their lives and they don't want to change their lives. They like their lives. They like their prestigious, lucrative positions. They like the honor that the people give them. They like the glory they receive and the praise from the people. Moreover, Jesus is preaching not just that they are to obey God more, he's preaching that they can't save themselves at all. He's preaching that apart from repentance, that they have no standing before God. He's preaching repentance, which means a change of life, but they don't want to change their life. And also Jesus, who are you to teach us about God? You didn't even go to rabbinical school and we don't even know who your father is. And they cast all kinds of insinuations upon Him. So they come to Jesus and they begin to argue with Him.This is a phrase that's used with a nuance of hostility. They're saying, "Jesus, prove your authority. Prove that you are who you say you are. And prove it in exactly how we say it." Here's the marching orders, Jesus, obey them dutifully and then maybe we'll follow you. But here's the thing, God doesn't take commands from us. We can pray to God and we can bring our requests to God, but we can't command God. And by definition, God does not obey humans and the posture of their heart behind this phrase "Prove to me that you're God," well, it's a posture of authority over a subject. They're standing in authority over Jesus, Jesus we're telling you what to do if you want us to believe. He's God and which means He doesn't obey us, we obey him. And the very second he starts to obey us is the very second we usurp his throne, which He doesn't allow.They came to test Him seeking from him a sign from heaven what Jesus had just been doing, sign after sign after sign. Perhaps they weren't privy or witness to the sign of feeding of the 4,000, but they had definitely heard about it. If you feed 5,000 men, if you give 5,000 men a free lunch, it doesn't even have to be that great, a free mediocre lunch, they're going to tell everybody about it. I got a free lunch. It was awesome. It was free. Partially our strategy behind feeding people. February 4th is our first monthly community lunch, make sure to come at 1:00 PM February 4th and bring your friends so they tell all their friends about it. No. And then also they saw some of the miracles. They saw the exorcism in chapter three. Jesus cast out a demon from a person and the Pharisees charged Jesus with doing this spiritual work by the power of Satan himself.And Jesus calls them out and says, "No, no, no, you are on the side of Satan actually and you've blasphemed the Holy Spirit," and seeking a sign despite the existence of previous signs, despite the eyewitness accounts of different signs. What the Pharisees do is they demonstrate that they're spiritual heirs of the disobedient wilderness generation, the generation that was led out of captivity from Egypt and led into the wilderness and they did not believe God, and God turned from them. In the Old Testament, it's not always a mark of disobedience to request a sign from God. If you remember Gideon, he famously laid a fleece before the Lord to ascertain whether God was going to choose him as an instrument in military deliverance. Hezekiah asked for a sign and received it that he would be healed of his grave illness. Isaiah seven, God insists that Ahaz actually asked for a sign from heaven and God sends it.In other places, signs seeking is presented negatively in particular with false prophets. God did warn that false prophets will come and they will try to verify their teaching with signs and miracles, but if they give signs and lead people into apostasy, those people aren't from God. Deuteronomy 13:1-5, "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder and the sign or a wonder that he tells you comes to pass. And if He says, let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord, your God, is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him and keep His commandments and obey His voice and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.But that prophet or that dreamer of dream shall be put to death because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst." And perhaps this was at the heart of the strategy of the Pharisees to accuse Jesus of being a false prophet. So that was their assumption that you're teaching something false, something against the scriptures, and here's the sign that you did. Therefore, Deuteronomy 13, we have reason to condemn you. They were seeking a sign to test Him. And this phrase to test is a phrase that's used often to describe Satan. Satan was a tester of the tempter in Matthew chapter four, where Jesus has been fasting for 40 days.Satan comes to tempt Jesus Christ with signs. He said, take these stones and turn them into bread to prove that you are who you say you are. And then Jesus responds with a quotation of Deuteronomy chapter 6:16, which is a reference to the incident at Massa and marimba. We'll get to that. But Deuteronomy 6:16, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test as you tested Him at Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God and His testimonies and His statutes, which He has commanded you." You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, he's the one that gives us tests. He's the one that puts us to the test. We don't return the favor. Sometimes people ask me, you want to go bungee jumping? You want to go jump out of a plane with a parachute?And I say, I don't have enough faith. I don't have enough faith in that stuff. And my verse that every time that comes to mind, whenever that whole category of I don't want to put the Lord to the test, like, oh, this is a great opportunity. That's not what he's talking about, he's talking about don't test the veracity of God's word, especially if God's already proven it time and time and time again, don't test Him. And this wasn't a request, it was a test similar to the testing of God by the Israelites at Massah and Meribah in Exodus 17. So Exodus 16, God sends manna from heaven, an incredible miracle, people see that God is providing. And then chapter 17, they test Moses again, they want water. And their question is, does God love us? Is God even with us? And they're testing God.And the same phrase that's used here in Mark where the Pharisees test God, peirazō, peirazein, that same saying, that same phrase is used in Exodus 17 in the Septuagint which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Exodus 17:1, "All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of sin by stages according to the commandment of the Lord and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore, the people quarreled with Moses and said, give us water to drink. And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me?" "Why do you test the Lord?" But the people thirsted there for water and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried to the Lord, "What shall I do with these people?"They're almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said to Moses, "Pass on before the people taking with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand, the staff, with which you struck the Nile and go." "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb and you shall strike the rock and the water shall come out of it and the people will drink." And Moses did so on the sight of the elders of Israel and he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, because they tested the Lord by saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?" Is the Lord among us or not? After miracle, after miracle, after miracle and they were just fed with manna the day before, but it's just a human need, thirst, they suffer just a little bit and all of a sudden they're questioning God.They're grumbling against the Lord. And we see that all throughout the scriptures. This episode is brought to the forefront just to remind the people of Israel do not be like your forefathers. Psalm 95:7-11, "For He is our God and we are the people of his pastor and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness. When your father's put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For 40 years, I loathed that generation and said, "They are people who go astray in their heart and they have not known my ways." Therefore, I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest." The parallels are clear between what Jesus was doing here and Mark and what God was doing with the people of Israel.Moses fed people with manna, in the same way Jesus feeds the 5,000 and then the 4,000, and then we have this text about not testing God and not being stiff-necked. Numbers 14, God swears that the wilderness generation that tested him will not enter Canaan. So in a sense you can diminish blessing from your own life by testing God. Through our own stiffness we actually keep ourselves from blessings that the Lord would have for us. The people resisted God and were stiff-necked against God and they missed out on the promised land. Numbers 14:21, "But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these 10 times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers and none of those who despise me shall see it."And the Lord was keeping track 10 times, he says they were stiff-necked and didn't obey. And why? Because they weren't just testing Moses, they were testing God. To test God is to undermine his authority and to undermine his authority is to hate him. And in our text, the Pharisees weren't just testing a representative of God, they were testing God himself, God incarnate. Psalm 78:17, "Yet they sinned still more against Him, rebelling against the most high in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness?" He struck the rock so that the water gushed out and streams overflowed. "Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?" What's Jesus' reaction to their testing? Verse 12, "And He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." He sighed deeply in His spirit. If you remember when He healed a deaf man before He healed the deaf man, he looked up to heaven and he sighed deeply, partially because He is exasperated by the consequences of the fall, the repercussions of the fall, which includes sickness. And here He's exasperated at their unbelief, people that should have known better, people who have received God's Word and God here is exasperated with them. Scripture teaches us to not grieve the Holy Spirit, meaning when the Holy Spirit tells us what to do, it leads us in a certain direction and we say no, we're stiff-necked against the Holy Spirit. He does grieve. He is grieved by our disobedience and we are told not to quench the spirit or grieve the spirit but be filled with the spirit.Similar reaction Jesus feels in the next chapter where a gentleman comes and he says to the disciples of Jesus, "Can you cast out a demon from my son?" And the disciples couldn't do it. Jesus comes down the mountain of transfiguration and He says this in Mark 9:19, "Oh faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?" The stubborn refusal to believe lay at the root of the Pharisees attitude. To those in such a state of unbelief, even a sign, if it was given, it wouldn't convince because a lack of belief, the root cause of the lack of belief in God is not a lack of evidence, and it's not a difficulty of the intellect or the reason. No, it's a difficulty of the will. John 7:17 says, "If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I'm speaking on my own authority."And Jesus is saying, "Do you want proof that the words that I'm saying are true?" Well, do you want to do God's will? Because if I prove to you that God exists but you don't want to do God's will, it's actually more condemnation. I don't want to give you illumination that will lead to more condemnation if you want nothing to do with God's will. And certainty in the faith deepening of the faith, it is a gift of those who are obedient to the Lord. Is your will to do God's will, and that is the way to deepen your faith. The Pharisees were blind and as someone said, none are so blind as those who will not see. That's their attitude and such an attitude of sign seeking runs diametrically opposed to the biblical concept of the nature of faith. Jesus told Thomas when Thomas said, "Until I put my hands in the wounds of the resurrected Christ, I'm not going to believe."And then he sees Christ and Christ showed him the wounds he didn't even have to touch. He believed and he said, "Blessed are you Thomas." But more blessed are those who have not seen. You've seen and you've believed, but more blessed are those who have not seen and believe. Why? Because if you see a miracle, if Jesus gave the Pharisees another miracle, another sign at this moment, it's not faith that leads them to believe in God. No, it's just a logical conclusion. Of course this is God. Of course I'm going to place my faith in God because I've seen the evidence. It's a logical conclusion and the Lord wants a deeper faith and he wants us to take a step of faith given the evidence that he's given us. And he says, "This generation, truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."And that's a phrase that's used before the flood in Genesis six where there's an evil and adulterous generation and same phrase that's used for Israel in the wilderness. And he says that you're not going to get a sign. Another translation says, God forbid that a sign should be given you. Perish the thought that I would do such a thing. There's an intense emotion. And what He's saying is, "No, I'm not doing it." God's not in the business of sending authenticating signs on demand. God isn't a pinata. God isn't a vending machine. God clearly tells us these are the terms on which you come to me, and you don't get to dictate the terms. Jesus has given them all the evidence they need to come to faith. The Pharisees are without excuse.,They can't plead ignorance, nor can they say that God hadn't given them enough information.You're alive. Why are you alive? Where did you come from? Where did life come from? You live in a material world, where did all of this come from? It didn't come from nothing. Nothing can come from nothing. And then on top of that, the moral law is written on your heart. When you read the 10 Commandments, you're like, yes, life would be better if everyone lived like this. And no, I have not lived like this. So what's the penalty for transgressing on the holy law of God? The penalty is damnation. The penalty is to be rejected by God. Therefore, I need grace. And this is exactly what they were unwilling to ask for. And it's not as though these people are unintelligent, on the contrary, they were probably some of the smartest people in Israel at the time. They knew the prophetic passages about the Messiah and Jesus fulfilled them perfectly.But they refused to believe. Why? Partially because Jesus called them out for their self-righteousness. You present yourself as righteous, but you are far from it and it's all facades of righteousness and it's all hypocrisy. And Jesus called them to repentance and they didn't want to be called to repentance. You're calling us sinners, Jesus, we're not sinners, we do all the right things, you're probably the sinner. A lot of us, today, we want miracles to believe in the Lord. And sometimes it is fine to ask for a miracle. It's fine to ask for a sign from the Lord. It really depends on what posture of heart that you ask the miracle with which you ask for the miracle. And then the point, are you looking for a miracle so that you can deepen your obedience and submission to the Lord? Or are you looking for an excuse to rebel against him?We do have miracles. We experience miracles every time a person comes to faith, especially in a place like Boston, one of the greatest miracles, the fact that anyone would turn from sin and believe in Jesus Christ. Regeneration incredible miracle. Another miracle is the holy scriptures, the word of God, the Bible, two million miracles, two million words, give or take order of magnitude. 66 books, 1,189 chapters written by 40 different authors over 1,500 years, three different languages used Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, every jaw, every tittle of it given by the inspiration of God that holy men of old Roe as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. It's incredible through the centuries that the Lord has preserved the holy scriptures. This is the miracle. It's right before us, right before us supervised by the Holy Spirit and it tells us everything we need, everything we need to know about God, who he is, about the person of God.It tells us everything we need to know about how we can be reconciled with Him, saved from sin, saved from eternal damnation and tells us how we are to live in order to glorify God and honor him. Mark 8:13, "And he left them and got into the boat again and went to the other side." So in the beginning of the passage, Jesus crosses over from gentile land to Jewish land, exchanges a few sentences with the Pharisees. They're like, "We want to sign?" They're like, "I'm not giving you a sign." Gets in the boat and leaves. And here it is just a reminiscent of the departure of God and Deuteronomy where He turns his face away from rebellious people. Deuteronomy 32:20 and He said, "I will hide my face from them and I'll see what their end will be for they're a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness."Point two is beware the leaven of stiff-neckedness. Here now Jesus turns from the Pharisees to His own disciples. In verse 14, now they had forgotten to bring bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat and he cautioned them saying, "Watch out. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." The word leaven, it's not synonymous with yeast. In ancient times, yeast was rare. Dough was rather made by leavening or mixing into a small amount of dough, a piece of the previous week's dough that had been leavened. It was kept back for that purpose. If you make yogurt at home, it's the same process. Kombucha, kombucha, really delicious, really good for you apparently. But it's like you make a batch but you save a little bit of that batch to make the next batch, that's what the leaven is.And the power of the leaven is that it has power to permeate the whole dough. This is what Jesus is talking about. And in context of the Hebrew scriptures, during Passover, they had unleavened bread and they would cleanse their house from any leaven because the leaven was a sign of something that could permeate the whole thing. And here in this context that leaven is evil, it's stubbornness, it's stiff ness. And Jesus saying, "Disciples, be careful if even a little bit of this bitterness in your heart, even a little bit of the stiff-neckedness in your heart and any tiny aspect of your life because it has the power to take over. Unbelief because of non-submissive hearts is the unseen pervasive influence. 1st Corinthians 5:6 says, "Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump?" Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump as you really are on leaven for Christ?Our passover lamb has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. So he says, be careful of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Herodians. In verse 16, they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. They just witnessed Jesus feed 5,000 men and then they witnessed Jesus feed 4,000. Jesus is clearly talking about spiritual matters, but they missed the point. To show us just how far they are from understanding who Christ is completely what his ultimate goal was in coming, which is to save us from the leaven of sin within, to give us new hearts that long to obey God. And in response to their misunderstanding, Jesus unleashes a series of questions. He ask eight questions, five critical questions that echo passages from the Old Testament, then two additional questions that recall the two miraculous feedings and then a final critical question.But the point is watch out, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. "Watch out, beware." It's a double warning meaning this is how important it is to heeded this warning. Beware that you do not get infected with the stubborn unbelief. The stiff-neckedness of the Pharisees and the Herodians. Both were stiff-necked but seemingly in opposite waves. If you look at the surface, if you just look at their appearance and their lives, it seemed like the Pharisees were the religious ones. The Herodians wanted nothing to do with religion. But Jesus calls both of them stiff-necked. The Pharisees played the religious game. They pretended to be followers of God, they pretended to do all the right things. They pretended to go through the motions, but they weren't following God's law, they were following human interpretations of God's law and they were following human traditions, thus proving that they didn't love God, nor did they want to submit to his authority.They thought that they knew God, but when God showed up, they didn't even recognize Him. And here the word is particularly relevant for those who have been in the church for a while or perhaps you've grown up in the faith or perhaps you come from a Christian family where your parents believed or your grandparents believed. You know the lingo. You know what to say, when to say it, you know how to behave in church, how to behave around believers, but deep down inside your stiff-necked and you want nothing to do with God. And here the lesson is, don't stiffen your neck when the Lord corrects you or when he corrects your traditional thought patterns. Patterns that we inherit from the world, inherit from the school system, inherit from the university system. Where you learn one pattern or thinking and you come to the scripture and you're like, "Whoa" it rubs you the wrong way.You're offended by it. And what do you do at those moments of offense? Do you stiffen your neck or do you say, "Lord, help me understand, Lord, give me eyes to see? Lord, help me receive your word." Don't say, I could never believe that. Don't say, I could never believe in a God that commands that. Herod, on the other hand, he didn't even pretend to be obedient to God. He was the king, who was God to tell him what to do? He did as he pleased. He was Allah unto himself. When John the Baptist confronted King Herod, king Herod loved the sermons. He's like, "Oh, great sermon John, Mr. Baptist, now you're imprisoned. I'll call you again when I want another sermon." And John shows up again and Herod's like, "Give me a different sermon." He's like, "Nope, I got one sermon for you, Herod, repent of your adultery, you shouldn't do this." And Herod wanted to listen to the sermons, but he wanted nothing to do with submitting to God.John called him to repentance, which assumed a change of lifestyle, Herod wanted nothing to do with that. Both the Pharisees and the Herodians had the same leaven, a refusal to release power over their life and a stubborn refusal to believe and obey. So how do we fight the hardheartedness, the stiff-neckedness? This is 0.3, battle hardheartedness by remembering, remembering what? Remembering the work of God in your life. We are to document the work of God in our life. We are to remember, force ourselves to be reminded. Verse 17 and Jesus aware of this said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?" Jesus is warning the disciples against being infected by the same evil impulse that the Herodians and the Pharisees were infected with.But He gives them questions which assumes that there is hope for them to learn. He doesn't just rebuke them and say, "You are hardhearted." He asks them, "Are you hardhearted?" Because at that moment their hearts perhaps were hard, but they didn't think the hearts were hard. Just like it shows us the blinding effect of sin to its own reality in our lives, it is a blind spot. When you are in sin, until someone confronts you of that sin, usually you don't even realize. And He does assume that they're going to grow. He's given them evidence upon evidence and He continues to do so. But until now, if you just think about how much they've seen, they witnessed Jesus heal, they witnessed Jesus cast out demons. They witnessed Jesus comma storm. They witnessed Jesus confound the Pharisees as He ate with tax collectors and sinners. They heard about Jesus preach about the kingdom.They even preached sermons themselves. They went on a mission trip. They preached the word of God. But here in the presence of Jesus Christ, it's almost like all of that has been wiped clean. This shows us that spiritual amnesia is real. It's almost like we have a physical memory what happens in our life and then we have a spiritual memory. What happens in our soul? What happens when the Holy Spirit moves us, the work of God and our lives? And it's almost as if sometimes the spiritual memory just turns off. It's wiped clean. Back in the day, I remember there was a movie called Men in Black with Will Smith and they're like the memory thing, the memory stick, it's like you just don't remember anything. It's like Satan has this stick and he comes to us and like I have been born again, I have experienced God.I love the word of God. I go to church, and say, "Am I even a believer?" Does God even exist? That's what Jesus is getting at, that this is real and we are to remind ourselves of the realities of God's work in our life. Verse 18, "Having eyes, do you not see and having ears? Do you not hear and do you not remember?" Do you not remember? And he's calling them to remind themselves of the work of God in their lives. Jesus questions echo Moses words and to Israel and Deuteronomy 29:2. And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, you have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants and to all his land. The great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders. But to this day, the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.And we see the same themes of the insensitive heart, the blind eyes and the deaf ears. Same references we see in Jeremiah 5:21. "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but see not who have ears but hear not. "Do you not fear me," declares the Lord? Do you not tremble before me?" Ezekiel was told this in Ezekiel 12:2, "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house who have eyes to see but see not and have ears to hear but hear not for they are a rebellious house." And do you not remember... At our community group a couple of weeks ago, someone said, we do whenever there's new people, we say name, where you're from. And then someone said, tell us the date you were baptized. And I was like, you know what? That's a great question. I should know exactly the date that I was baptized.And for me it was October 29th, 1996. I was baptized at age 16 outside in a lake in Connecticut, in Ashford, Connecticut. I was raised in a Russian Baptist church. The lake was freezing. There was little bits of ice. And the pastor told me, well, it's better than hell. And then he baptized me. So that was my upbringing. But you should know, you should know when the Lord called you to himself. You should know when you were baptized, you should know about how God has answered prayer in your life. A prayer journal is very useful where whatever your prayers are, you write them down and then go back to the prayer journal three, six months, a year, and it's uncanny how God answers prayer sometimes precisely everything we asked for and precisely the same way. Sometimes he answered the prayer and it was absolutely the opposite of what you asked for.But you're like, oh, given time has passed, this is exactly what I would have prayed for had I known everything that the Lord knows, and it's incredible. We are to remind ourselves, I can't help but think of the words of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy when the people of Israel are about to enter the promised land and they're standing on the planes of Moab and Moses is explaining, your life is going to change dramatically. You're no longer going to have the provision of the manna that the Lord was sending you on a daily basis, but you are entering into the promised land, the land of splendor that's flowing with milk and honey. And he says, when you do and when you get comfortable, make sure at those moments and particularly those moments that you remind yourself of where you came from and what it took to get you here.Deuteronomy 8:11, "Take care lest you forget the Lord your God, by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them. And when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who led you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know. That he might humble you and test you to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.You shall remember the Lord your God for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm his covenant, that He swore to your fathers as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God." We are to remind ourselves of the great work of God in our life. And then when the people of Israel passed over the river, Jordan, Joshua who was the military leader, he sets up memorial stones in the river and on the bank of the river. Why? Because he says, when your children, the next generation, when they come to you and say, "Hey, what are those stones all about?"And you are to remind them and say, those stones are to remind us of the mighty acts of God that we have witnessed his greatness. He's done it in our generation. He will do it in your generation if you keep submitting. And we love the song, come Thou Fount, I love that song. It's tremendous. Come Thou Fount of every blessing. And there's a line about Ebenezer and everyone always thinks about Ebenezer Scrooge. That's not in the Bible, but the Ebenezer stone is and it just means stone of help. And it's a story where Samuel is bringing sacrifice to the Lord and then the Philistines descend upon Israel and the people of Israel go to Samuel and say, pray for us. He continues to pray for them. And then when they're about to get defeated, wiped out, the Lord miraculously intervenes and saves them from disaster.And they realized at the moment when they were outmanned, outgunned, outnumbered outmaneuvered. That's when the Lord showed up in the nick of time precisely the way they needed the help at the precise moment. And the stone of Ebenezer was to remind them, yes, God showed up before exactly as we had asked and he will show up again. Mark 8:19, Jesus continues. "When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to Him "Twelve". "And the seven for the 4,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said "Seven." He did the feeding twice. One time there were 12 baskets, the second time there were seven. And just in case the disciples forgot that there was seven, he gives them the answer in the question. And the number seven we know is important because the number seven is number of completion.The number 12 is important. The 12 tribes of Israel, 12 disciples and Jesus, impartially I think he did that so they would remember, I fed the 5,000, there were 12 baskets. I fed the 4,000, there were seven baskets. It's to say when you needed the Lord, He came through and He came through in a way that you couldn't even imagine with leftovers. And then verse 21, He said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" The phrase here not yet implies the disciples will eventually understand. One of the truths about holy scripture is we never know the way we ought to know. There's always room left for growth. In 1st Corinthians 8:2 it says, "If anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know as he ought to know." The very second you believe I got it, I read the Bible, I know this story.You don't know the way you ought to know. And I do this on a weekly basis, on a professional way, it'll make professional hours spent studying the word of God. The more I study, the more I read, my goodness, there's so much to know. And then I get blown away by how perfect scripture is. For example, here in this text, the seventh question, the last word of the seventh question is the number seven or God's just winking at us? Yeah, it is my book, I wrote it. So there's always room for growth. And Philippians 3:2 tells us, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.Let those of us who are mature think this way. And if anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you, only let us hold true to what we have attained." He's saying the mature believer always understands that I have not known God the way I ought to. You're always pursuing God, you're always pursuing sanctification. You're always pursuing holiness. He's saying the immature person thinks that they've arrived and he says, but the Lord will reveal that also to you assuming they need revelation. The problem is the disciples have a hard heart because they don't realize the depth of the ministry of Jesus Christ. He isn't just a messiah who came just to fulfill prophecy and just to reinstate the glory of Israel and just to bring Gentiles to himself. No, he's come to save sinners. And the assumption there is sinners who can't save themselves.Pharisees cannot save themselves no matter how much they posture themselves as being religious. Herodians, they can't save disciples. You can't save yourself. Jesus came to save us from sin, which assumes that we need saving in a way that we cannot save ourselves. Why did Jesus cast out demons? To prove to us that there's a greater power than us out there vow of Satan, the power of demons. And if we are not protected by the Holy Spirit, we are vulnerable and susceptible to the attacks and oppression and even possession. Why did Jesus heal certain illnesses in the public settings? To prove that in the same way that the blind man can't give himself sight, we can't give ourselves sight of God. We need Him to do a miracle in us. Why does Jesus challenge the Pharisees on their self-righteousness? To show them that their self-righteous isn't enough to entrust them to God.It's not enough to bring them to heaven, they need to trust in Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ didn't just preach, repent and believe, he also mirrored, he showed us the example of what it means at the breaking point, the moment where you do not want to obey what to do, Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, he knows exactly the mission that God has given. God, the Father gave him the mission to go to the cross and bear the penalty for the sins of all the elect, all who were trust in Him. And Jesus at that breaking point, He told the disciples, go pray for Him because this is the breaking point. There's so much stress that Jesus was enduring that says that the capillaries in his face were bursting and the blood mixed with sweat. It's as if he was sweating blood. He understood the immense pressure of what it means, not just to bear the excruciating pain physically of the crucifixion, but to bear the condemnation from God the Father for all of our sins.Jesus knew all of that. And He's on his knees and He says, father, if there's any other way, if there's any other way, let this cup pass for me. What's going on in his own heart? The same battle that goes on in our own hearts when we don't want to obey. He said, F, let this cup pass for me. And then what does he say? Not my will but yours be done. That's it. He didn't stiffen his neck and he went to the cross and he went to the cross to die, to be broken, for the blood to be shed, to provide a way for us to have grace, have access to grace. For all the times that we would not obey, for all the times that we said, Lord, not your will, my will be done. And that's the essence of sin. So, friend, today, if you are not a Christian, a follower of Christ, if you have not ever repented of your sin today, we're calling you today, accept the grace of Jesus Christ.Today accept the mercy of Jesus Christ. And when Jesus tells you that you're a sinner, just know He's telling you because he loves you. He's saying, you are sinner. You're a sinner, you're my beloved sinner. I love you so much to tell you you're a sinner. So repent, believe, and obey. Don't harden your heart. When you hear that message, don't stiffen your neck. I'll close it with the words of Isaiah, the prophet in Isaiah 55. Come everyone who thirsts, come to the waters and he who has no money, come by and eat. Come by wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me and eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear and come to me; hear that your soul may live and I'll make with you an everlasting covenant,My steadfast, sure love for David. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this incredible word, a word of rebuke, but it's a loving rebuke because you want the best for us. And Lord, make us the people that when we hear your word, when we study your commandments, when we study your law, that we are quick to soften our hearts, that we are quick to soften our necks and say, yes Lord, your will be done not mine. And Lord, whenever we have doubts about if your will is good, let us quell those doubts by looking to the cross of Jesus Christ. Well, of course His will is good. Look how much He loves us, that he was willing to suffer in our stead on the cross. Lord Jesus, continue to give us the power of the Holy Spirit to be people who walk in the manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray all this in Christ's name. Amen.

Father, we thank you for your holy word and we thank you that you are a holy God and we have transgressed your holy law. And it's because of our rebellion. It's because we do have, every single one of us, a problem with authority, a problem with your authority in particular when you call us to do things that go against our own will. And Lord, you didn't leave us in our sins and trespasses. You didn't leave us in our rebellious, recalcitrant, our stubborn stiff-neckedness. Instead, you sent your son Jesus Christ, who submitted perfectly to every single facet of the law, every single tenant of the law, every single law. And you submitted Jesus to the will of the Father like no one before you, like no one after you. And you did that in order to provide a way for us to be saved. And you went to the cross instead of experiencing the blessing that you deserved for your law keeping, you took the curse that we deserve for our lawbreaking.And Lord, you were crucified, you died and you were buried. And we thank you that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you were resurrected. And now you call every single one of us to repentance in particular the areas of our life where we do want to seek our own will instead of yours. You call us to repent and not be stiff neck and I pray today, soften our hearts, soften our necks, soften our wills, and make us a people that long to obey you because your will is good and your will is perfect and your will is holy. You do not call us to anything that is short of your blessed will. Everything you call us to is for our good and it's ultimately for your glory. And when we glorify you the most, that's when we experience your presence the most and we experience the joy that you would have for us.Lord bless our time, the holy scriptures today. Holy Spirit, we love you. If there's any places in our lives where we are grieving you or where we are in our obstinacy, turning from your leading, I pray today, Lord, make us filled with the Holy Spirit to keep in step with the Spirit. Doing nothing to grieve your spirit. Lord bless our time in the holy scriptures and give us grace and give us your presence. We pray this in Christ's name, amen. We're continuing our sermon series through the Gospel of Mark called the Gospel of Mark and the Secret of God's Kingdom. And the title of the sermon today is Beware Stiff Nakedness. A few years ago, my third daughter at Katharina, Ecat for short, she started a dog sitting business and she got this dog that was small yet incredibly strong to watch for a few days and she loves dogs and she loves dog sitting.And dog sitting is the closest that she's going to get to having a dog, although she is hoping for a miracle and praying for one. So though it was Ecat's responsibility to watch this dog, I don't know what happened, but it wasn't her walking the dog, it was my second daughter, Elizabeth, went out to give the dog a walk and it was winter time, it was cold outside and 20 minutes goes by, she's not home in 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and we got to worrying and we went to look for her and we found her stuck on a street corner trying with all her might to drag this dog, to turn this dog in the direction of home to no veil. She tried talking to the dog, pleading with the dog, cajoling the dog, bribing the dog with snacks. And every time she would pull on the leash to turn her home, the dog stiffened its neck and dug in. And it took a strong word of command to get the dog to come, a stronger yank of the leash to get the dog to turn right.And from the side, if you saw what was happening here like that looks like excessive force, but it wasn't excessive and force was the only thing that the dog could understand, it was actually loving force. What was the goal? The goal was to get the dog home where it's warm and toasty and by itself the dog wouldn't make it out on the streets. The dog was stiff-necked. And that's the same phrase that God uses to describe the behavior of unbelieving people, people who see God's work, see sign after sign and don't take God at his Word. People who intentionally reject God's Word to do their own will. There's a curious passage in Nehemiah where Nehemiah summarizes quick in a pithy way the history of the people of Israel. In Nehemiah 9:13, speaking of God, "You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, and you made known to them your Holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses, your servant.You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst. And you told them to go into possess the land that you had sworn to give them. But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refuse to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you've performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding and steadfast love and did not forsake them." You read this and you say it's unbelievable. These people saw miracle after miracle with a crescendo of parting the Red Sea and they walked through and the armies of the Egyptians, they were swallowed up by the water.They saw miracle after miracle, they heard the voice of God, they saw the evidence of God's work. And then as soon as they realized that to be free from captivity means to be in submission to God and his word, they say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I prefer slavery. And they appointed a leader to bring them back. And you say, how could they ever do that? Well, friends, just look into your own heart, look at your own history, how often do we come to Christ, have our sins forgiven? And then the Lord says, "Repent, believe, and follow me." And we start following and realize, "Oh, this is so much harder than I'd ever anticipated. The sacrifice is so much greater than I'm willing to make." And you turn back to sin, the word of God presents hardheartedness as the root cause of stiff nakedness. Why?Because in the scriptures, the heart isn't just the seed of emotions, it's the center of the will. So you end up doing exactly what you love most. And if you love yourself more than you love God, you place yourself in the position of God. And if you take God's rightful place on the throne of your life, the very life that God gave you, then there will never be evidence enough for the existence of God, for the veracity of his word, for his clear commandments. God is the ultimate authority. And to believe in God is to love His authority. To believe in God is to submit to His authority no matter how we feel about the commandment. Even when every fiber in your being bristles with rebellion, at those moments, we must cry out to the Lord. Lord, soften my heart, Lord relax my stiff neck.And those sticking points are the places where if we receive God's will, the absolute greatest transformation happens in our lives. However, if the Lord reveals a point in our lives where our necks have stiffened up against His will where we remain recalcitrant, when he pulls on the leash, there is potential for the neck to break. Proverbs 29:1 says, "He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck will suddenly be broken beyond healing." And today we approach a text where Jesus deals with the hard hardness of the stiff nakedness of those who should have known better, the Pharisees, the religious leaders, the politicians, those who followed Herod and the Herodians. And then he turns His attention to the disciples and He says that rebellious spirit that you see in the Pharisees and the Herodians, watch out that that spirit does not grow in your hearts. So today in Mark 8:11-22, would you look at the text with me?"The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, seeking for him a sign from heaven to test Him. And He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?" "Truly I say to you, no sign will be given this generation" and He left them, gotten to the boat again and went to the other side. Now, they had forgotten to bring bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them saying, watch out, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus aware of this said to them, why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes, do you not see and having ears?Do you not hear? And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They said to Him "twelve." And the seven for the 4,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? And they said to Him, "Seven". And He said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" This is the reading of God's holy, inert and fallible authoritative word. May he write these eternal truths upon our hearts, three points of the frame up our time, be not a stiff-necked sign seeker. Second, beware the leaven of stiff-neckedness. And three battle hardheartedness by remembering. First be not a stiff-necked sign seeker. After Jesus feeds the 4,000 Gentiles, Mark tells us that he gets in the boat and they went to the region of Dalmanutha on the western, more Jewish shore of the lake.And that's where the Pharisees meet Him. And that's verse 11. The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven to test him. Now, if you haven't been with us, the Pharisees, just a quick recap, were the religious leaders. They're the gatekeepers of the Jewish faith. They're the self-proclaimed representatives of God. So when Jesus shows up and starts telling people the Pharisees, He starts telling them that he's the promised Messiah and actually he's the Son of God. While they've got concerns. He can't be God they reason. Why? Because they know God. God is on our side, they figured. We have God figured out. We're the professionals here, Jesus. Moreover, if Jesus is right, then they're wrong, but they can't be wrong, not this wrong, not this wrong about the most important question in the universe. Who is God and what does He demand of me?And moreover, if Jesus is right, then they have to change their lives and they don't want to change their lives. They like their lives. They like their prestigious, lucrative positions. They like the honor that the people give them. They like the glory they receive and the praise from the people. Moreover, Jesus is preaching not just that they are to obey God more, he's preaching that they can't save themselves at all. He's preaching that apart from repentance, that they have no standing before God. He's preaching repentance, which means a change of life, but they don't want to change their life. And also Jesus, who are you to teach us about God? You didn't even go to rabbinical school and we don't even know who your father is. And they cast all kinds of insinuations upon Him. So they come to Jesus and they begin to argue with Him.This is a phrase that's used with a nuance of hostility. They're saying, "Jesus, prove your authority. Prove that you are who you say you are. And prove it in exactly how we say it." Here's the marching orders, Jesus, obey them dutifully and then maybe we'll follow you. But here's the thing, God doesn't take commands from us. We can pray to God and we can bring our requests to God, but we can't command God. And by definition, God does not obey humans and the posture of their heart behind this phrase "Prove to me that you're God," well, it's a posture of authority over a subject. They're standing in authority over Jesus, Jesus we're telling you what to do if you want us to believe. He's God and which means He doesn't obey us, we obey him. And the very second he starts to obey us is the very second we usurp his throne, which He doesn't allow.They came to test Him seeking from him a sign from heaven what Jesus had just been doing, sign after sign after sign. Perhaps they weren't privy or witness to the sign of feeding of the 4,000, but they had definitely heard about it. If you feed 5,000 men, if you give 5,000 men a free lunch, it doesn't even have to be that great, a free mediocre lunch, they're going to tell everybody about it. I got a free lunch. It was awesome. It was free. Partially our strategy behind feeding people. February 4th is our first monthly community lunch, make sure to come at 1:00 PM February 4th and bring your friends so they tell all their friends about it. No. And then also they saw some of the miracles. They saw the exorcism in chapter three. Jesus cast out a demon from a person and the Pharisees charged Jesus with doing this spiritual work by the power of Satan himself.And Jesus calls them out and says, "No, no, no, you are on the side of Satan actually and you've blasphemed the Holy Spirit," and seeking a sign despite the existence of previous signs, despite the eyewitness accounts of different signs. What the Pharisees do is they demonstrate that they're spiritual heirs of the disobedient wilderness generation, the generation that was led out of captivity from Egypt and led into the wilderness and they did not believe God, and God turned from them. In the Old Testament, it's not always a mark of disobedience to request a sign from God. If you remember Gideon, he famously laid a fleece before the Lord to ascertain whether God was going to choose him as an instrument in military deliverance. Hezekiah asked for a sign and received it that he would be healed of his grave illness. Isaiah seven, God insists that Ahaz actually asked for a sign from heaven and God sends it.In other places, signs seeking is presented negatively in particular with false prophets. God did warn that false prophets will come and they will try to verify their teaching with signs and miracles, but if they give signs and lead people into apostasy, those people aren't from God. Deuteronomy 13:1-5, "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder and the sign or a wonder that he tells you comes to pass. And if He says, let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord, your God, is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him and keep His commandments and obey His voice and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.But that prophet or that dreamer of dream shall be put to death because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst." And perhaps this was at the heart of the strategy of the Pharisees to accuse Jesus of being a false prophet. So that was their assumption that you're teaching something false, something against the scriptures, and here's the sign that you did. Therefore, Deuteronomy 13, we have reason to condemn you. They were seeking a sign to test Him. And this phrase to test is a phrase that's used often to describe Satan. Satan was a tester of the tempter in Matthew chapter four, where Jesus has been fasting for 40 days.Satan comes to tempt Jesus Christ with signs. He said, take these stones and turn them into bread to prove that you are who you say you are. And then Jesus responds with a quotation of Deuteronomy chapter 6:16, which is a reference to the incident at Massa and marimba. We'll get to that. But Deuteronomy 6:16, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test as you tested Him at Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God and His testimonies and His statutes, which He has commanded you." You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, he's the one that gives us tests. He's the one that puts us to the test. We don't return the favor. Sometimes people ask me, you want to go bungee jumping? You want to go jump out of a plane with a parachute?And I say, I don't have enough faith. I don't have enough faith in that stuff. And my verse that every time that comes to mind, whenever that whole category of I don't want to put the Lord to the test, like, oh, this is a great opportunity. That's not what he's talking about, he's talking about don't test the veracity of God's word, especially if God's already proven it time and time and time again, don't test Him. And this wasn't a request, it was a test similar to the testing of God by the Israelites at Massah and Meribah in Exodus 17. So Exodus 16, God sends manna from heaven, an incredible miracle, people see that God is providing. And then chapter 17, they test Moses again, they want water. And their question is, does God love us? Is God even with us? And they're testing God.And the same phrase that's used here in Mark where the Pharisees test God, peirazō, peirazein, that same saying, that same phrase is used in Exodus 17 in the Septuagint which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Exodus 17:1, "All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of sin by stages according to the commandment of the Lord and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore, the people quarreled with Moses and said, give us water to drink. And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me?" "Why do you test the Lord?" But the people thirsted there for water and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried to the Lord, "What shall I do with these people?"They're almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said to Moses, "Pass on before the people taking with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand, the staff, with which you struck the Nile and go." "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb and you shall strike the rock and the water shall come out of it and the people will drink." And Moses did so on the sight of the elders of Israel and he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, because they tested the Lord by saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?" Is the Lord among us or not? After miracle, after miracle, after miracle and they were just fed with manna the day before, but it's just a human need, thirst, they suffer just a little bit and all of a sudden they're questioning God.They're grumbling against the Lord. And we see that all throughout the scriptures. This episode is brought to the forefront just to remind the people of Israel do not be like your forefathers. Psalm 95:7-11, "For He is our God and we are the people of his pastor and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness. When your father's put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For 40 years, I loathed that generation and said, "They are people who go astray in their heart and they have not known my ways." Therefore, I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest." The parallels are clear between what Jesus was doing here and Mark and what God was doing with the people of Israel.Moses fed people with manna, in the same way Jesus feeds the 5,000 and then the 4,000, and then we have this text about not testing God and not being stiff-necked. Numbers 14, God swears that the wilderness generation that tested him will not enter Canaan. So in a sense you can diminish blessing from your own life by testing God. Through our own stiffness we actually keep ourselves from blessings that the Lord would have for us. The people resisted God and were stiff-necked against God and they missed out on the promised land. Numbers 14:21, "But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these 10 times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers and none of those who despise me shall see it."And the Lord was keeping track 10 times, he says they were stiff-necked and didn't obey. And why? Because they weren't just testing Moses, they were testing God. To test God is to undermine his authority and to undermine his authority is to hate him. And in our text, the Pharisees weren't just testing a representative of God, they were testing God himself, God incarnate. Psalm 78:17, "Yet they sinned still more against Him, rebelling against the most high in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness?" He struck the rock so that the water gushed out and streams overflowed. "Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?" What's Jesus' reaction to their testing? Verse 12, "And He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." He sighed deeply in His spirit. If you remember when He healed a deaf man before He healed the deaf man, he looked up to heaven and he sighed deeply, partially because He is exasperated by the consequences of the fall, the repercussions of the fall, which includes sickness. And here He's exasperated at their unbelief, people that should have known better, people who have received God's Word and God here is exasperated with them. Scripture teaches us to not grieve the Holy Spirit, meaning when the Holy Spirit tells us what to do, it leads us in a certain direction and we say no, we're stiff-necked against the Holy Spirit. He does grieve. He is grieved by our disobedience and we are told not to quench the spirit or grieve the spirit but be filled with the spirit.Similar reaction Jesus feels in the next chapter where a gentleman comes and he says to the disciples of Jesus, "Can you cast out a demon from my son?" And the disciples couldn't do it. Jesus comes down the mountain of transfiguration and He says this in Mark 9:19, "Oh faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?" The stubborn refusal to believe lay at the root of the Pharisees attitude. To those in such a state of unbelief, even a sign, if it was given, it wouldn't convince because a lack of belief, the root cause of the lack of belief in God is not a lack of evidence, and it's not a difficulty of the intellect or the reason. No, it's a difficulty of the will. John 7:17 says, "If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I'm speaking on my own authority."And Jesus is saying, "Do you want proof that the words that I'm saying are true?" Well, do you want to do God's will? Because if I prove to you that God exists but you don't want to do God's will, it's actually more condemnation. I don't want to give you illumination that will lead to more condemnation if you want nothing to do with God's will. And certainty in the faith deepening of the faith, it is a gift of those who are obedient to the Lord. Is your will to do God's will, and that is the way to deepen your faith. The Pharisees were blind and as someone said, none are so blind as those who will not see. That's their attitude and such an attitude of sign seeking runs diametrically opposed to the biblical concept of the nature of faith. Jesus told Thomas when Thomas said, "Until I put my hands in the wounds of the resurrected Christ, I'm not going to believe."And then he sees Christ and Christ showed him the wounds he didn't even have to touch. He believed and he said, "Blessed are you Thomas." But more blessed are those who have not seen. You've seen and you've believed, but more blessed are those who have not seen and believe. Why? Because if you see a miracle, if Jesus gave the Pharisees another miracle, another sign at this moment, it's not faith that leads them to believe in God. No, it's just a logical conclusion. Of course this is God. Of course I'm going to place my faith in God because I've seen the evidence. It's a logical conclusion and the Lord wants a deeper faith and he wants us to take a step of faith given the evidence that he's given us. And he says, "This generation, truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."And that's a phrase that's used before the flood in Genesis six where there's an evil and adulterous generation and same phrase that's used for Israel in the wilderness. And he says that you're not going to get a sign. Another translation says, God forbid that a sign should be given you. Perish the thought that I would do such a thing. There's an intense emotion. And what He's saying is, "No, I'm not doing it." God's not in the business of sending authenticating signs on demand. God isn't a pinata. God isn't a vending machine. God clearly tells us these are the terms on which you come to me, and you don't get to dictate the terms. Jesus has given them all the evidence they need to come to faith. The Pharisees are without excuse.,They can't plead ignorance, nor can they say that God hadn't given them enough information.You're alive. Why are you alive? Where did you come from? Where did life come from? You live in a material world, where did all of this come from? It didn't come from nothing. Nothing can come from nothing. And then on top of that, the moral law is written on your heart. When you read the 10 Commandments, you're like, yes, life would be better if everyone lived like this. And no, I have not lived like this. So what's the penalty for transgressing on the holy law of God? The penalty is damnation. The penalty is to be rejected by God. Therefore, I need grace. And this is exactly what they were unwilling to ask for. And it's not as though these people are unintelligent, on the contrary, they were probably some of the smartest people in Israel at the time. They knew the prophetic passages about the Messiah and Jesus fulfilled them perfectly.But they refused to believe. Why? Partially because Jesus called them out for their self-righteousness. You present yourself as righteous, but you are far from it and it's all facades of righteousness and it's all hypocrisy. And Jesus called them to repentance and they didn't want to be called to repentance. You're calling us sinners, Jesus, we're not sinners, we do all the right things, you're probably the sinner. A lot of us, today, we want miracles to believe in the Lord. And sometimes it is fine to ask for a miracle. It's fine to ask for a sign from the Lord. It really depends on what posture of heart that you ask the miracle with which you ask for the miracle. And then the point, are you looking for a miracle so that you can deepen your obedience and submission to the Lord? Or are you looking for an excuse to rebel against him?We do have miracles. We experience miracles every time a person comes to faith, especially in a place like Boston, one of the greatest miracles, the fact that anyone would turn from sin and believe in Jesus Christ. Regeneration incredible miracle. Another miracle is the holy scriptures, the word of God, the Bible, two million miracles, two million words, give or take order of magnitude. 66 books, 1,189 chapters written by 40 different authors over 1,500 years, three different languages used Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, every jaw, every tittle of it given by the inspiration of God that holy men of old Roe as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. It's incredible through the centuries that the Lord has preserved the holy scriptures. This is the miracle. It's right before us, right before us supervised by the Holy Spirit and it tells us everything we need, everything we need to know about God, who he is, about the person of God.It tells us everything we need to know about how we can be reconciled with Him, saved from sin, saved from eternal damnation and tells us how we are to live in order to glorify God and honor him. Mark 8:13, "And he left them and got into the boat again and went to the other side." So in the beginning of the passage, Jesus crosses over from gentile land to Jewish land, exchanges a few sentences with the Pharisees. They're like, "We want to sign?" They're like, "I'm not giving you a sign." Gets in the boat and leaves. And here it is just a reminiscent of the departure of God and Deuteronomy where He turns his face away from rebellious people. Deuteronomy 32:20 and He said, "I will hide my face from them and I'll see what their end will be for they're a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness."Point two is beware the leaven of stiff-neckedness. Here now Jesus turns from the Pharisees to His own disciples. In verse 14, now they had forgotten to bring bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat and he cautioned them saying, "Watch out. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." The word leaven, it's not synonymous with yeast. In ancient times, yeast was rare. Dough was rather made by leavening or mixing into a small amount of dough, a piece of the previous week's dough that had been leavened. It was kept back for that purpose. If you make yogurt at home, it's the same process. Kombucha, kombucha, really delicious, really good for you apparently. But it's like you make a batch but you save a little bit of that batch to make the next batch, that's what the leaven is.And the power of the leaven is that it has power to permeate the whole dough. This is what Jesus is talking about. And in context of the Hebrew scriptures, during Passover, they had unleavened bread and they would cleanse their house from any leaven because the leaven was a sign of something that could permeate the whole thing. And here in this context that leaven is evil, it's stubbornness, it's stiff ness. And Jesus saying, "Disciples, be careful if even a little bit of this bitterness in your heart, even a little bit of the stiff-neckedness in your heart and any tiny aspect of your life because it has the power to take over. Unbelief because of non-submissive hearts is the unseen pervasive influence. 1st Corinthians 5:6 says, "Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump?" Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump as you really are on leaven for Christ?Our passover lamb has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. So he says, be careful of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Herodians. In verse 16, they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. They just witnessed Jesus feed 5,000 men and then they witnessed Jesus feed 4,000. Jesus is clearly talking about spiritual matters, but they missed the point. To show us just how far they are from understanding who Christ is completely what his ultimate goal was in coming, which is to save us from the leaven of sin within, to give us new hearts that long to obey God. And in response to their misunderstanding, Jesus unleashes a series of questions. He ask eight questions, five critical questions that echo passages from the Old Testament, then two additional questions that recall the two miraculous feedings and then a final critical question.But the point is watch out, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. "Watch out, beware." It's a double warning meaning this is how important it is to heeded this warning. Beware that you do not get infected with the stubborn unbelief. The stiff-neckedness of the Pharisees and the Herodians. Both were stiff-necked but seemingly in opposite waves. If you look at the surface, if you just look at their appearance and their lives, it seemed like the Pharisees were the religious ones. The Herodians wanted nothing to do with religion. But Jesus calls both of them stiff-necked. The Pharisees played the religious game. They pretended to be followers of God, they pretended to do all the right things. They pretended to go through the motions, but they weren't following God's law, they were following human interpretations of God's law and they were following human traditions, thus proving that they didn't love God, nor did they want to submit to his authority.They thought that they knew God, but when God showed up, they didn't even recognize Him. And here the word is particularly relevant for those who have been in the church for a while or perhaps you've grown up in the faith or perhaps you come from a Christian family where your parents believed or your grandparents believed. You know the lingo. You know what to say, when to say it, you know how to behave in church, how to behave around believers, but deep down inside your stiff-necked and you want nothing to do with God. And here the lesson is, don't stiffen your neck when the Lord corrects you or when he corrects your traditional thought patterns. Patterns that we inherit from the world, inherit from the school system, inherit from the university system. Where you learn one pattern or thinking and you come to the scripture and you're like, "Whoa" it rubs you the wrong way.You're offended by it. And what do you do at those moments of offense? Do you stiffen your neck or do you say, "Lord, help me understand, Lord, give me eyes to see? Lord, help me receive your word." Don't say, I could never believe that. Don't say, I could never believe in a God that commands that. Herod, on the other hand, he didn't even pretend to be obedient to God. He was the king, who was God to tell him what to do? He did as he pleased. He was Allah unto himself. When John the Baptist confronted King Herod, king Herod loved the sermons. He's like, "Oh, great sermon John, Mr. Baptist, now you're imprisoned. I'll call you again when I want another sermon." And John shows up again and Herod's like, "Give me a different sermon." He's like, "Nope, I got one sermon for you, Herod, repent of your adultery, you shouldn't do this." And Herod wanted to listen to the sermons, but he wanted nothing to do with submitting to God.John called him to repentance, which assumed a change of lifestyle, Herod wanted nothing to do with that. Both the Pharisees and the Herodians had the same leaven, a refusal to release power over their life and a stubborn refusal to believe and obey. So how do we fight the hardheartedness, the stiff-neckedness? This is 0.3, battle hardheartedness by remembering, remembering what? Remembering the work of God in your life. We are to document the work of God in our life. We are to remember, force ourselves to be reminded. Verse 17 and Jesus aware of this said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?" Jesus is warning the disciples against being infected by the same evil impulse that the Herodians and the Pharisees were infected with.But He gives them questions which assumes that there is hope for them to learn. He doesn't just rebuke them and say, "You are hardhearted." He asks them, "Are you hardhearted?" Because at that moment their hearts perhaps were hard, but they didn't think the hearts were hard. Just like it shows us the blinding effect of sin to its own reality in our lives, it is a blind spot. When you are in sin, until someone confronts you of that sin, usually you don't even realize. And He does assume that they're going to grow. He's given them evidence upon evidence and He continues to do so. But until now, if you just think about how much they've seen, they witnessed Jesus heal, they witnessed Jesus cast out demons. They witnessed Jesus comma storm. They witnessed Jesus confound the Pharisees as He ate with tax collectors and sinners. They heard about Jesus preach about the kingdom.They even preached sermons themselves. They went on a mission trip. They preached the word of God. But here in the presence of Jesus Christ, it's almost like all of that has been wiped clean. This shows us that spiritual amnesia is real. It's almost like we have a physical memory what happens in our life and then we have a spiritual memory. What happens in our soul? What happens when the Holy Spirit moves us, the work of God and our lives? And it's almost as if sometimes the spiritual memory just turns off. It's wiped clean. Back in the day, I remember there was a movie called Men in Black with Will Smith and they're like the memory thing, the memory stick, it's like you just don't remember anything. It's like Satan has this stick and he comes to us and like I have been born again, I have experienced God.I love the word of God. I go to church, and say, "Am I even a believer?" Does God even exist? That's what Jesus is getting at, that this is real and we are to remind ourselves of the realities of God's work in our life. Verse 18, "Having eyes, do you not see and having ears? Do you not hear and do you not remember?" Do you not remember? And he's calling them to remind themselves of the work of God in their lives. Jesus questions echo Moses words and to Israel and Deuteronomy 29:2. And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, you have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants and to all his land. The great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders. But to this day, the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.And we see the same themes of the insensitive heart, the blind eyes and the deaf ears. Same references we see in Jeremiah 5:21. "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but see not who have ears but hear not. "Do you not fear me," declares the Lord? Do you not tremble before me?" Ezekiel was told this in Ezekiel 12:2, "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house who have eyes to see but see not and have ears to hear but hear not for they are a rebellious house." And do you not remember... At our community group a couple of weeks ago, someone said, we do whenever there's new people, we say name, where you're from. And then someone said, tell us the date you were baptized. And I was like, you know what? That's a great question. I should know exactly the date that I was baptized.And for me it was October 29th, 1996. I was baptized at age 16 outside in a lake in Connecticut, in Ashford, Connecticut. I was raised in a Russian Baptist church. The lake was freezing. There was little bits of ice. And the pastor told me, well, it's better than hell. And then he baptized me. So that was my upbringing. But you should know, you should know when the Lord called you to himself. You should know when you were baptized, you should know about how God has answered prayer in your life. A prayer journal is very useful where whatever your prayers are, you write them down and then go back to the prayer journal three, six months, a year, and it's uncanny how God answers prayer sometimes precisely everything we asked for and precisely the same way. Sometimes he answered the prayer and it was absolutely the opposite of what you asked for.But you're like, oh, given time has passed, this is exactly what I would have prayed for had I known everything that the Lord knows, and it's incredible. We are to remind ourselves, I can't help but think of the words of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy when the people of Israel are about to enter the promised land and they're standing on the planes of Moab and Moses is explaining, your life is going to change dramatically. You're no longer going to have the provision of the manna that the Lord was sending you on a daily basis, but you are entering into the promised land, the land of splendor that's flowing with milk and honey. And he says, when you do and when you get comfortable, make sure at those moments and particularly those moments that you remind yourself of where you came from and what it took to get you here.Deuteronomy 8:11, "Take care lest you forget the Lord your God, by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them. And when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who led you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know. That he might humble you and test you to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.You shall remember the Lord your God for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm his covenant, that He swore to your fathers as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God." We are to remind ourselves of the great work of God in our life. And then when the people of Israel passed over the river, Jordan, Joshua who was the military leader, he sets up memorial stones in the river and on the bank of the river. Why? Because he says, when your children, the next generation, when they come to you and say, "Hey, what are those stones all about?"And you are to remind them and say, those stones are to remind us of the mighty acts of God that we have witnessed his greatness. He's done it in our generation. He will do it in your generation if you keep submitting. And we love the song, come Thou Fount, I love that song. It's tremendous. Come Thou Fount of every blessing. And there's a line about Ebenezer and everyone always thinks about Ebenezer Scrooge. That's not in the Bible, but the Ebenezer stone is and it just means stone of help. And it's a story where Samuel is bringing sacrifice to the Lord and then the Philistines descend upon Israel and the people of Israel go to Samuel and say, pray for us. He continues to pray for them. And then when they're about to get defeated, wiped out, the Lord miraculously intervenes and saves them from disaster.And they realized at the moment when they were outmanned, outgunned, outnumbered outmaneuvered. That's when the Lord showed up in the nick of time precisely the way they needed the help at the precise moment. And the stone of Ebenezer was to remind them, yes, God showed up before exactly as we had asked and he will show up again. Mark 8:19, Jesus continues. "When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to Him "Twelve". "And the seven for the 4,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said "Seven." He did the feeding twice. One time there were 12 baskets, the second time there were seven. And just in case the disciples forgot that there was seven, he gives them the answer in the question. And the number seven we know is important because the number seven is number of completion.The number 12 is important. The 12 tribes of Israel, 12 disciples and Jesus, impartially I think he did that so they would remember, I fed the 5,000, there were 12 baskets. I fed the 4,000, there were seven baskets. It's to say when you needed the Lord, He came through and He came through in a way that you couldn't even imagine with leftovers. And then verse 21, He said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" The phrase here not yet implies the disciples will eventually understand. One of the truths about holy scripture is we never know the way we ought to know. There's always room left for growth. In 1st Corinthians 8:2 it says, "If anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know as he ought to know." The very second you believe I got it, I read the Bible, I know this story.You don't know the way you ought to know. And I do this on a weekly basis, on a professional way, it'll make professional hours spent studying the word of God. The more I study, the more I read, my goodness, there's so much to know. And then I get blown away by how perfect scripture is. For example, here in this text, the seventh question, the last word of the seventh question is the number seven or God's just winking at us? Yeah, it is my book, I wrote it. So there's always room for growth. And Philippians 3:2 tells us, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.Let those of us who are mature think this way. And if anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you, only let us hold true to what we have attained." He's saying the mature believer always understands that I have not known God the way I ought to. You're always pursuing God, you're always pursuing sanctification. You're always pursuing holiness. He's saying the immature person thinks that they've arrived and he says, but the Lord will reveal that also to you assuming they need revelation. The problem is the disciples have a hard heart because they don't realize the depth of the ministry of Jesus Christ. He isn't just a messiah who came just to fulfill prophecy and just to reinstate the glory of Israel and just to bring Gentiles to himself. No, he's come to save sinners. And the assumption there is sinners who can't save themselves.Pharisees cannot save themselves no matter how much they posture themselves as being religious. Herodians, they can't save disciples. You can't save yourself. Jesus came to save us from sin, which assumes that we need saving in a way that we cannot save ourselves. Why did Jesus cast out demons? To prove to us that there's a greater power than us out there vow of Satan, the power of demons. And if we are not protected by the Holy Spirit, we are vulnerable and susceptible to the attacks and oppression and even possession. Why did Jesus heal certain illnesses in the public settings? To prove that in the same way that the blind man can't give himself sight, we can't give ourselves sight of God. We need Him to do a miracle in us. Why does Jesus challenge the Pharisees on their self-righteousness? To show them that their self-righteous isn't enough to entrust them to God.It's not enough to bring them to heaven, they need to trust in Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ didn't just preach, repent and believe, he also mirrored, he showed us the example of what it means at the breaking point, the moment where you do not want to obey what to do, Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, he knows exactly the mission that God has given. God, the Father gave him the mission to go to the cross and bear the penalty for the sins of all the elect, all who were trust in Him. And Jesus at that breaking point, He told the disciples, go pray for Him because this is the breaking point. There's so much stress that Jesus was enduring that says that the capillaries in his face were bursting and the blood mixed with sweat. It's as if he was sweating blood. He understood the immense pressure of what it means, not just to bear the excruciating pain physically of the crucifixion, but to bear the condemnation from God the Father for all of our sins.Jesus knew all of that. And He's on his knees and He says, father, if there's any other way, if there's any other way, let this cup pass for me. What's going on in his own heart? The same battle that goes on in our own hearts when we don't want to obey. He said, F, let this cup pass for me. And then what does he say? Not my will but yours be done. That's it. He didn't stiffen his neck and he went to the cross and he went to the cross to die, to be broken, for the blood to be shed, to provide a way for us to have grace, have access to grace. For all the times that we would not obey, for all the times that we said, Lord, not your will, my will be done. And that's the essence of sin. So, friend, today, if you are not a Christian, a follower of Christ, if you have not ever repented of your sin today, we're calling you today, accept the grace of Jesus Christ.Today accept the mercy of Jesus Christ. And when Jesus tells you that you're a sinner, just know He's telling you because he loves you. He's saying, you are sinner. You're a sinner, you're my beloved sinner. I love you so much to tell you you're a sinner. So repent, believe, and obey. Don't harden your heart. When you hear that message, don't stiffen your neck. I'll close it with the words of Isaiah, the prophet in Isaiah 55. Come everyone who thirsts, come to the waters and he who has no money, come by and eat. Come by wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me and eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear and come to me; hear that your soul may live and I'll make with you an everlasting covenant,My steadfast, sure love for David. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this incredible word, a word of rebuke, but it's a loving rebuke because you want the best for us. And Lord, make us the people that when we hear your word, when we study your commandments, when we study your law, that we are quick to soften our hearts, that we are quick to soften our necks and say, yes Lord, your will be done not mine. And Lord, whenever we have doubts about if your will is good, let us quell those doubts by looking to the cross of Jesus Christ. Well, of course His will is good. Look how much He loves us, that he was willing to suffer in our stead on the cross. Lord Jesus, continue to give us the power of the Holy Spirit to be people who walk in the manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray all this in Christ's name. Amen.

This study we cover Exodus 17 in which we see Israel move from the desert of sin to Rephidim where they once again are without water. Rather then seeking the Lord the Israelites complain and quarrel with Moses, ready to stone him. Despite this God provides through the struck rock of Horeb (what is that a picture of?). We then study the story of Israel's battle with the Amalekites. Outline: 01:36 - overview and background of Exodus 17 03:17 - Exodus 17.1-7 04:43 - Ex 17.1-7 Where is this? Desert of Sin, Rephidim, Horeb, Massah & Meribah. 07:23 - Israel was led by a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. (Ex 13.21 and 40.36-38) 08:26 - Ex 17.1-4 - Another test, no water at Rephidim. 11:19 - Ex 17.6 - Strike the rock at Horeb, Massah & Meribah. 14:11 - Application of the Rock at Horeb - Facing a trial, James 1.12-15, Revelation 3.19-20, 1 cor 10.13 19:34 - Exodus 17.8-16 21:53 - Ex 17.8 - Who are the Amalekites? (Gen 36.12, 1 Sam 15.2-3, 1 Chronicles 4.41-43, Deuteronomy 25.17-19) 27:33 - The Egyptians knew the Amalekites as Khabbati aka “plunderers” 27:58 - Ex 17.9 - Who is Joshua? (Joshua 1.1, Exodus 24.13, Numbers 13-14, Joshua 1.1-9, 24.15) 38:14 - Ex 17.9 - Who is Hur? (Neh 3.9, Num 31.8, Ex 17:9, Ex 24.13-14, Ex 31.2 Grandfather of Bezalel) Article mentioned: https://www.gotquestions.org/Hur-in-the-Bible.html 42:23 - Ex 17.11-13 - Why does Moses raise his hands and how does that have an effect on the battle? Prayer: Psa 28.2, 63.4, 1 Ki 8.22,38, 1 Tim 2.8, Mat 6.5-8 Power in the staff? Ex 9.22, 10.12, 14.16 Anoint Moses? A picture of Christ? 55:11 - Jesus in Exodus 17.6? (1 Cor 10.1-4) 57:11 - Ex 17.14 - God brought victory 58:12 - Ex 17.15 - Israel is God's chosen people (Gen 12:2-, Zech 12.1-9) Support Iron Sheep Ministries: https://Ironsheep.org/donate Listen to the podcast: https://anchor.fm/ironsheep Contact Dave & the ISM team: info@ironsheep.org Be notified of each new teaching, join the email list: http://eepurl.com/g-2zAD Books used or referenced: Dave reads from an NIV (New International Version) of the Bible. Barker, Kenneth L.. Kohlenberger, John R. III. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Abridged, Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. Purchase: https://www.christianbook.com/expositors-bible-commentary-abridged-edition-volumes/kenneth-barker/9780310255192/pd/54975?event=ESRCG Wiersbe, Warren W.. The Bible Exposition Commentary, Old Testament, The Pentateuch. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2001. https://www.christianbook.com/the-bible-exposition-commentary-6-volumes/warren-wiersbe/9786125030474/pd/030474?event=ESRCG --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ironsheep/support

2023-01-14 A Covenant Offeredby Pastor Chris BergScripture Reference: Exodus 19:1-20:2119 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, 10 the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot;[a] whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.'” 24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

 In this episode as Mrs. Shue takes her young students on an adventure through the desert with a lesson from the Bible. Learn how the Israelites faced the challenge of finding water and discover the surprising twist at the end of the story. Plus, find out how the Shoebox Kids handle their own thirst on a hot day at the sand dunes. Will they find relief? Listen to find out!Bible Text: The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 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, and go.  I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.  And he called the place Massah[a] and Meribah[b] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”Exodus 17 (MSG)If you're interested in any other books published by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, please visit adventistbookcenter.com or call 1-800-765-6955.Visit our website: www.kathyskidsstorytime.org We'd love to hear from you. Write to us at:Kathy@kathyskidsstorytime.orgorKathy's Kids StorytimePO Box 44270Charlotte, NC 28215-0043

Bible Text: The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 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, and go.  I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.  And he called the place Massah[a] and Meribah[b] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”Exodus 17 (MSG)If you're interested in any other books published by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, please visit adventistbookcenter.com or call 1-800-765-6955.Visit our website: www.kathyskidsstorytime.org We'd love to hear from you. Write to us at:Kathy@kathyskidsstorytime.orgorKathy's Kids StorytimePO Box 44270Charlotte, NC 28215-0043

Notes are here:https://esm.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/11.25.23-Service-Notes-Cong-TM-2.pdf______________________________________________________________Vayetze (and he went out)Genesis 28:10-32:3Hosea 12:13-14:10John 1:41-51Genesis 28:1-5 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him,and said unto him, You shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealedunto Daniel, and the word was true, even of a great warfare, and he gaveheed to the word and had understanding of the vision.Exodus 17:8,9a Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight withAmalek.Luke 21:25 And there WILL BE SIGNS in the SUN, and in the MOON,and in the STARS, and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity.

Exodus 19-20 (English Standard Version) Israel at Mount Sinai 19 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, 10 the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.” 16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.'” 24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them. The Ten Commandments 20 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 17:8-18:27 (English Standard Version) Israel Defeats Amalek 8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Jethro's Advice 18 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” 12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

In our series through the Book of Exodus, we are in Chapter 17.  Exodus 17:1–7 (CSB) 1 The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord's command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So the people complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why are you complaining to me?” Moses replied to them. “Why are you testing the Lord?” […]

Once again, God tested the Israelites. They arrived at Rephidim and there was no water to drink. They did not call out to God for provision. Instead, they grumbled to Moses and blamed Him. God spoke with Moses and water was provided when Moses followed specific instructions from God. God has had a plan all along to provide us with the living water through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. This living water flows freely for those who choose to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Is there someone you know that is not drinking freely of the living water? Find time today to pray for them and ask that God would put people in their life to help them find the way to Jesus. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whengodwhispers/message

Exodus 15:22-26 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.  23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.)  24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.  26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”   Exodus 16:1-30 The 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.  2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.  3 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.” 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. 5 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.” 6 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, 7 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?”  8 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.” 9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.'” 10 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. 11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “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.'” 13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.  15 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.  16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.'” 17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. 19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” 20 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. 21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses.  23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'” 24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.” 27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.  28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.   Exodus 17:1-7 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” 3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” 4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 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, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”   In order to not go back, you must not become consumed by complaining.

We continue to take a listen to audio excerpts from our latest Thinking Man Films Lecture, “Searching for the Mountain of God,” with Ph.D. Environmental Geographer, Dr. Glen Fritz.     This Bible affirming lecture (the full video version) is now available for Pre-Order via this link:     https://store.patternsofevidence.com/collections/dvds/products/searching-for-the-mountain-of-god     In this snippet Dr. Fritz shares where he believes the campsite of Rephidim was located, as well as what he believes to be the rock in Horeb that Moses struck.     Is this the site of a great miracle, showing God's greatness and provision for the Israelites in the wilderness? Learn the geographical clues that point Dr. Fritz to this area.     You can see the video version of this sneak peak episode by joining our Patterns+ subcription program, where we release new, engaging video series on different biblical archaeology topics  and Bible affirming evidence each month:     https://digitalpatternsofevidence.vhx.tv/checkout/subscribe/purchase     ➡️ HELP US FUND THE NEXT FILM

With family: Numbers 33; Psalm 78:1–37 Numbers 33 (Listen) Recounting Israel's Journey 33 These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the LORD, and these are their stages according to their starting places. 3 They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4 while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them. On their gods also the LORD executed judgments. 5 So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. 6 And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. 7 And they set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. 8 And they set out from before Hahiroth1 and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they went a three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. 9 And they set out from Marah and came to Elim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10 And they set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. 11 And they set out from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 And they set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13 And they set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 And they set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15 And they set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. 16 And they set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. 17 And they set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18 And they set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19 And they set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. 20 And they set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. 21 And they set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 And they set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23 And they set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 And they set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25 And they set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26 And they set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 And they set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 And they set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29 And they set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 And they set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. 31 And they set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. 32 And they set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. 33 And they set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34 And they set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. 36 And they set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh). 37 And they set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom. 38 And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the LORD and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39 And Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the people of Israel. 41 And they set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 And they set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 And they set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. 44 And they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the territory of Moab. 45 And they set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. 46 And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. 47 And they set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48 And they set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho; 49 they camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab. Drive Out the Inhabitants 50 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. 53 And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54 You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. 56 And I will do to you as I thought to do to them.” Footnotes [1] 33:8 Some manuscripts and versions Pi-hahiroth (ESV) Psalm 78:1–37 (Listen) Tell the Coming Generation A Maskil1 of Asaph. 78   Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!2   I will open my mouth in a parable;    I will utter dark sayings from of old,3   things that we have heard and known,    that our fathers have told us.4   We will not hide them from their children,    but tell to the coming generation  the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,    and the wonders that he has done. 5   He established a testimony in Jacob    and appointed a law in Israel,  which he commanded our fathers    to teach to their children,6   that the next generation might know them,    the children yet unborn,  and arise and tell them to their children,7     so that they should set their hope in God  and not forget the works of God,    but keep his commandments;8   and that they should not be like their fathers,    a stubborn and rebellious generation,  a generation whose heart was not steadfast,    whose spirit was not faithful to God. 9   The Ephraimites, armed with2 the bow,    turned back on the day of battle.10   They did not keep God's covenant,    but refused to walk according to his law.11   They forgot his works    and the wonders that he had shown them.12   In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders    in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.13   He divided the sea and let them pass through it,    and made the waters stand like a heap.14   In the daytime he led them with a cloud,    and all the night with a fiery light.15   He split rocks in the wilderness    and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.16   He made streams come out of the rock    and caused waters to flow down like rivers. 17   Yet they sinned still more against him,    rebelling against the Most High in the desert.18   They tested God in their heart    by demanding the food they craved.19   They spoke against God, saying,    “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?20   He struck the rock so that water gushed out    and streams overflowed.  Can he also give bread    or provide meat for his people?” 21   Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath;    a fire was kindled against Jacob;    his anger rose against Israel,22   because they did not believe in God    and did not trust his saving power.23   Yet he commanded the skies above    and opened the doors of heaven,24   and he rained down on them manna to eat    and gave them the grain of heaven.25   Man ate of the bread of the angels;    he sent them food in abundance.26   He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,    and by his power he led out the south wind;27   he rained meat on them like dust,    winged birds like the sand of the seas;28   he let them fall in the midst of their camp,    all around their dwellings.29   And they ate and were well filled,    for he gave them what they craved.30   But before they had satisfied their craving,    while the food was still in their mouths,31   the anger of God rose against them,    and he killed the strongest of them    and laid low the young men of Israel. 32   In spite of all this, they still sinned;    despite his wonders, they did not believe.33   So he made their days vanish like3 a breath,4    and their years in terror.34   When he killed them, they sought him;    they repented and sought God earnestly.35   They remembered that God was their rock,    the Most High God their redeemer.36   But they flattered him with their mouths;    they lied to him with their tongues.37   Their heart was not steadfast toward him;    they were not faithful to his covenant. Footnotes [1] 78:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 78:9 Hebrew armed and shooting [3] 78:33 Hebrew in [4] 78:33 Or vapor (ESV) In private: Isaiah 25; 1 John 3 Isaiah 25 (Listen) God Will Swallow Up Death Forever 25   O LORD, you are my God;    I will exalt you; I will praise your name,  for you have done wonderful things,    plans formed of old, faithful and sure.2   For you have made the city a heap,    the fortified city a ruin;  the foreigners' palace is a city no more;    it will never be rebuilt.3   Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;    cities of ruthless nations will fear you.4   For you have been a stronghold to the poor,    a stronghold to the needy in his distress,    a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;  for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,5     like heat in a dry place.  You subdue the noise of the foreigners;    as heat by the shade of a cloud,    so the song of the ruthless is put down. 6   On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.7   And he will swallow up on this mountain    the covering that is cast over all peoples,    the veil that is spread over all nations.8     He will swallow up death forever;  and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,    for the LORD has spoken.9   It will be said on that day,    “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.    This is the LORD; we have waited for him;    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”10   For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain,    and Moab shall be trampled down in his place,    as straw is trampled down in a dunghill.111   And he will spread out his hands in the midst of it    as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim,    but the LORD will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill2 of his hands.12   And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down,    lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust. Footnotes [1] 25:10 The Hebrew words for dunghill and for the Moabite town Madmen (Jeremiah 48:2) sound alike [2] 25:11 Or in spite of the skill (ESV) 1 John 3 (Listen) 3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears1 we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's2 seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. Love One Another 11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers,3 that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,4 and God5 in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. Footnotes [1] 3:2 Or when it appears [2] 3:9 Greek his [3] 3:13 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 14, 16 [4] 3:24 Greek him [5] 3:24 Greek he (ESV)