17 May “don’t call it a comeback | part four “what you really need for every stage of life”

Key Verse: EXODUS 17

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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TUNE INTO WATERSCHURCH.TV FOR SCHEDULED EVENTS TO KEEP YOU INFORMED AND TO ENTERTAIN AND FOR YOUR KIDS TO TEACHINGS FROM WATERS KIDS

Online Giving** Regardless of where and when we will able to gather again, we continue to run our ministries and support our missions which bring the Gospel to a lost and frightened world. We are looking to our church family to continue faithfully giving. For those of you who give manually, please consider giving online at https://waterschurch.org/give/. Otherwise, you can mail checks to Waters Church, 57 John L Dietsch Square North Attleborough, MA 02760 and place your campus’ name in the notation field. We are very thankful for your support and understanding!

LIFE GROUP LIVE ONLINE: Time has changed to Monday’s and Friday’s at 7:00p. If you are interested in hosting let me know.

SGL.WATERSCHURCH.ORG EMAILS: I have created these for some of you (Leaders) so you can use Google Meets (Googles meeting business acct), I will be giving every leader eventually.

41411 – text waterschurch (all one word) to stay updated with info.

ALL CLASSES ARE CHANGING TO BE DONE ONLINE – I WILL GET YOU THAT INFO

Waters Church Facebook Page now has groups set up for each campus and a group set up for Life Groups.

To join the groups, just go to the Waters Church FB page and go to groups and join the ones you want. Make sure you join the Life Group (group) so we can get people interested in joining a Life group. The Heach Coaches and I will be moderating the group and adding topics for discussion.

CLASSES; Baptism class is every 4th Sunday of the Month. at 11:30 / Growth Track runs the first 3 Sundays every month at 11:30 – this is a one and done registrants only need to attend one session / Starting Point runs every 1st and 3rd Sunday at 11:30 – details and descriptions can be found on the registrations which are located under Events on the SGL Hub.

 

 

TELEPHONE LIVE STREAMING – this is now available.  The number to dial is 1-855-352-9749.

We can’t learn from other people’s experiences.  We learn through Real Life Experiences.  The wilderness is an experience intended to teach us.

 

Exodus 17:1 (ESV)

Egypt is a symbol of sin, who we are before Jesus. Egypt was in bondage crying out for deliverance.  This picture of the Israelites is a picture of us,  we come out of sin by God’s saving grace.  Jesus came to bring us out of slavery and lead us to glorious redemption. 

First, the Israelites only had bitter water, then they had no food, and now they are at wits end once again because they have no water to drink at all.  They have upped their ‘complain game.’

Q. What do you find yourself complaining about and how have your complaints evolved through this crisis (have you upped your complain game or lessened your complain game)?

God does not lead us back he leads us forward into new places.

Life happens in STAGES.

It is amazing what can change in our lives when we know we have a greater presence going with us into each change and phase of life.

The Israelites go from one stage to the next.  This is life, it’s a series of stages.  In this crisis we are going through stages – the ‘it’s nothing’ stage, the ‘it’s serious stage’, the ‘we are going to die stage’, ‘is it safe to go outside’ stage, etc. We tend to embrace a particular stage and hold on to it and think this is our life forever, but at some point we need to get comfortable into ‘normal living stage.’  This crisis is a picture of our lives. We need to kick down the door of our fears and embrace the new stage.

Q. What stages in life have you held onto that had kept you from not moving forward (in this current crisis or something else)?

Exodus 17:1 – they moved on by stages according to the commandment of the Lord.

God moved them on. God is going to move us on. We cannot hold onto the things from our past – example our relationships, jobs, positions, authority, our kids, our stuff, our health.  We cannot hold on to anything and God is in the business of moving us. We don’t do well with new stages but we need to grasp this now so we can handle the next stage.

When Israel struggles with THIRST: FIRST: They get DEMANDING.

Exodus 17:2 (ESV)

Thirst will make us a demanding people.  The Israelites demanded Moses get them water to drink.  Thirst makes us argumentative and demanding of people that have been good to us.

Q. What demands have you made on others (on God) during this crisis or in other struggles you have been through?

When Israel struggles with THIRST: SECOND: They get DISPARAGING.

Exodus 17:2b (ESV) And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?”

When we are thirsty we get nasty. ‘Quarrel’ means more than argue.  What they are really doing is bringing the Lord to court, putting God on trial. They are trying him by their expectations. This is what Americans are famous for doing. We may say ‘I don’t understand how God could…’, or ‘I can’t believe in a God that would do this…’, etc.

Q. What expectations do you have that you think God has not met (during this crisis or another struggle) and so they have caused you to put God on trial?

We are thirsty.  It is an inner thirst that nothing can satisfy.  Our anger could be that we are spiritually empty. 

When Israel struggles with THIRST: THIRD: They get DESPAIRING.

Exodus 17:3-4 (ESV)

This is our Corona complaining – ‘we are going to die’, ‘our children are going to die…’

When we are spiritually thirsty we assume the worst about our lives. Our feelings are real, but it really is that there is a need deep down inside us, a desire for something the world cannot give us.

Q. What, if anything, in your life have you assumed the worst about and despaired over?

1.  God is PATIENT with us because He KNOWS our REAL NEED in new stages.

In these moments when we are at our worst, God is at his best.

Exodus 17:5-6 (ESV)

This is the third time they are complaining and God shows his mercy. He did not have Moses strike them, he had Moses strike the rock and provide water! Why does He provide for them – because He is patient and merciful.

Q. What ways have you witnessed God being patient and merciful when you thought he should have been angry at you or someone else?

Psalm 86:15 (ESV)

2.  God provides our REAL NEED by taking the JUDGMENT we DESERVE.

Exodus 17:6 (ESV)

Q. How is God showing his steadfast mercy or patience to you during this crisis (maybe you are angry, flipping out…)?

This is not just about Israel and the water, it is about Jesus.  It’s not about a wilderness miracle, it’s about Jesus.

1 Corinthians 10:4 (ESV)

The Rock was Christ.  Moses takes the staff that judged the Nile (turned it into blood) and has Moses strike the rock with it (God’s rod of judgment) and the water flows.

This story was fulfilled for us at the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus took our judgement that we deserved for our terrible spirit and bore the judgment we deserved.  The Roman Centurion sticks a spear in His side and what comes out is blood and water.  Christianity is the only religious system that has an answer to the problem of evil. The God who made the world came into he world and bore the evil of the world to save us. We cannot look at the cross and say God is not there.  He was struck for us!

3.  God gives the SPIRIT (our real need) in EVERY STAGE in LIMITLESS measure.

God in Jesus made it possible for us to receive His Spirit. He died to take our sins away so He could give us His Spirit.

John 3:34 (ESV); John 4:14 (ESV); John 7:38–39 (ESV)

Q. How has the Holy Spirit guided you through every stage of this crisis?

The REAL NEED you have in EVERY STAGE is the SPIRIT of God in you made POSSIBLE by the DEATH of Christ FOR YOU.

It is important to have the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Romans 8:27 (ESV)

Ask God to fill you with His Spirit,  to give you a fresh infilling of His Holy Spirit.