Part 15: Grumbling, Grace, & A Choice

We're going to be in Exodus chapter mostly in chapter 16 today. Let me pray for Jesus. Thank you for your grace for your goodness. Thank you for your faithfulness throughout all time diesel. Sometimes we we wrongly think about you is only being in the picture or after Christmas. Reality your Eternal and you were there at creation you are there before creation and that you lead your people and redeem your people all throughout scripture. And that one day you'll have us to be with you forever this morning. Holy spirit with you teach through me and frites through me even teach me as I teach that we pray against the enemy as servants their Works in a taxi take your word and twist it and cause us not to believe we're to doubt or in the case of the Israelites this morning to Grumble and to complain but instead to see your grace. Remember your goodness make us like Jesus in his name. We pray all of these things. amen We taking a break over the last few weeks from our series.

Call just to take you through the whole story briefly had spent four.

Egyptians were afraid of them. A pharaoh and his insecurities Afflicted them and place heavy burdens on them and they cried out to God for help us here in this mess and graciously raised up and miraculously raised up a man by the name of Moses to rescue his people and Moses was far from a righteous man had faults and issues of his own just like we all do and in fact, he was a murderer. He was a coward at times he failed to obey God at times when we're going to see over the next few weeks.

And yet God used him.

That's the only kind of people uses other than Jesus himself. That's all uses broken messed up people like us and so this was a murder at the age of 80.

a most people know the account where it where Godly

from Pharaoh's Army his

and the sea

Chase Bank

what's the

this is my opinion. This is where I'm at today, but I really think there's some good evidence that Sinai Saudi Arabia.

picture of where I think they are potentially you can decide for yourself as you study the text but they just crossed the Red Sea that that kind of

for we pick up the story this morning and we're going to be in Exodus. We're going to start actually a little bit in Exodus chapter 15 verse 22

text says this then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea. And they went into the Wilderness of shur they went three days in the wilderness and they found the water now, we're talkin about likely upwards and potentially over a million people and to go three days in the desert without water.

Not great. Would you agree and we were able to carry with them in like goatskins. Another thing. I was probably used up by this point. And so as you can imagine you read the verse 23 when they came tomorrow, they could not drink the water of marah because it was bitter therefore. It was named Amara.

and so they named this place better cuz the water is bitter at

How many minerals are sulfur or iron or something in it orange, and you let it run for a little while before and maybe that's the case here will the people verse 24 they grumbled against Moses?

I cried to the Lord and the Lord showed him a log and he threw it into the water in the water became Suites.

Or not going to spend a lot of time here. short path from scientific account to figure out all the chemical properties that you know

Hear that that God wants us to understand and so and then you enter rule ends there. He tested them.

this morning

And here's here's what it is. He says, yes, you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God. and if you will do the

I am the Lord your healer another word. She sang listen from here and if you listen to me.

If you will listen to me. and even when it doesn't make sense

I will pour out my blessing. Herman making it up just seeing the text. All right 27 they came then they went from there. They came to edilean where there were 12 Springs of water and and they by the water Let me see a picture of where some people believe aleem actually is this isn't Oasis just across from that place. I showed you where they were. I believe they crossed the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. Is there a freshwater and this is potentially the very site where God's people can on their way to Mount Sinai. Put continue in Exodus 16. They set out for me and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the Wilderness of scene and Hebrew that would have been pronounced scene. They came to the Wilderness of sin, which is between elim and Sinai on the 15th day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. So since it's a half months now, since they left Egypt that they've been wondering are not wandering but in route to Mount Sinai. After two and a half months of that. Can you imagine in a large Caravan of people walking through the desert? You have no water and then you get some water and it's better but thank God provides freshwater and finally make it to this Oasis and you can just relax and rest for a while and get some water and now we set out again.

What refers to the whole Congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness They murmured they complained that grumbled. You know, when you look at this in light of everything that's happened. It's really pretty incredible. Isn't it? That God's people would Grumble against Moses. Let's just consider where they've been.

They Grumble against Moses and Aaron. Little bit before we could take him too much. This is still pretty common in.

a lot of times after

the Grumble started a slow murmur You know kind of like the that dog on Hanna-Barbera Muttley and then it just grows and grows.

simple pattern of grumbling or complaining

By God's grace. I hope we we do exactly that and and avoid that pattern. But don't look down on the Israelites as if they messed up somehow or that we're better than them because the reality is we're just like him. And we all do it. Look at first three of the people of Israel said to them by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt. I mean

Then we should go back to East.

and soft bread and Eddy

they grumbled.

Moses mind right here

You were beating you had afflictions like nobody's ever had.

Times that the reality is that grumbling and complaining his sin and sin makes us delusional. and in our sin that we remember things not the way they were but in a different way that maybe benefits our story and our cause And that's exactly they they just have selective memory. You know, it's kind of like when we talk about the good old days weren't that great.

Write some things were good, but there's a lot that wasn't that great. They just complain that you brought us out into this Wilderness to kill the whole assembly with Hunger. You just going to starve us Moses. Well versed for then the Lord said to Moses behold pay attention in other words. I'm about to rain bread from heaven for you and the people should go out and gather a day is portion every day. That I may test them. What was the test back in 15 if they would listen to my voice and Obey he would he would shower them with blessing, right? But I may ask them whether they will walk in my law or not. God's going to respond graciously to their grumbling in order to test them. So on the sixth day when they prepare what they bring in and it down the sickbay it'll be twice as much as I gather daily because they want to work on that day. So God's going to give him a double portion on the sixth day. So I don't have to go out and I'm Moses in the air and they said to the people of Israel at evening. You still know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt and in the morning, you will see the glory of the Lord because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. I want a way that you Grumble against us. I want you to see this is going to become a pattern in their lives and left unchecked. It will bring ruin to their lives. But the first thing the noticer verse 7 and 8 is God hears our grumbling. Here is it? And I don't I don't believe there's a person in this room including the one on the stage that hasn't or doesn't at X Grumble and complain.

Do you know God hears your grumbling? Here's your complaining. Here's your murmuring.

Here's that the Moses adverse 8 when the Lord gives you in the evening need to eat in the morning bread to the fall. Because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you Grumble against and they like what are we here? What are you confined to ask for? Your grumbling is not against us against the Lord. I just a few few things are grumbling is before God. He hears it. It's in front of him there. There's nothing he doesn't know. There's nothing he doesn't see.

But ultimately look at this are grumbling is against God It's on number 7 and verse 18 verse 9. Moses is for what are we why are you complaining to us?

fire everyday that big

you're complaining against him. He's the one we eating.

Nope, no Moses takes the brunt of it cuz he's the leader. Right? And if you've LED in any way shape or form, you know what that's like, you know that sometimes when grumbling and complaining comes up it it may not be your fault face of everything going on.

And this seems to happen in a big way spiritually, like maybe you let a small group. Are you letting our student Ministry and you just have this grumbling and complaining against you because what happens is you become kind of the face of God to people spiritually.

And it gets pointed at you.

You know, maybe maybe moms and dads you had this experience with your kids the issue really isn't you the issues in their heart, but the complaining whose it comes to comes to you and so. People hear their issue ultimately is with God, but it's all coming on to Moses as the face. Look at what a guy responds and Numbers Chapter 14 verse 27 how long he says she'll this wicked congregation Grumble against me. How long will they Grumble against me to the Grumble to Moses But ultimately it was against God. Are grumbling or complaining? before God and ultimately it's against God.

Then Moses said to Aaron stay to the whole Congregation of the people of Israel come there before the Lord for he's heard your parents. You might appreciate this verse a little bit to think about it cuz it was happening here and there.

What you say?

before the Lord

and as soon as Aaron spoke you rebuke them to the whole Congregation of the people of Israel.

glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud

So don't miss it. Got even present the entire time. It's just at this point he decided to reveal himself. He's before our gambling is all before him. He hears it and it's against him now. It's Grace. God God in his grace is about to test them with a black thing. And is he does this instruction?

Call Dad about the old testament's we don't pay attention to it nonsense. In fact, look at 1st Corinthians chapter 10 of them dead and how they were destroyed by serpents nor destroyed. Now these things Paul Rice happened to them.

But they were written down for our instruction on him the end of the age of scum.

for me

and the person we've seen as God hears our

respond

God hears our grumbling but he responds with Grace and it's it's going to be a test. The mosasaurus alive and I've heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. in the morning

in the evening coil came up and cover the camping in the morning dew lay around the camp. So it what's going to happen. Here is God is going to provide a meal for them of quail that night and then beginning the next morning this this weird stuff called man is going to begin appearing on the ground and the people have been thirsty and God provided water when they needed it and they're starving and are hungry and I was providing food just when they need it and when pastor says it like this. Gives you just enough just in time. And that's what we see here. It goes. I'm just enough just in time. And in the evening Quail came out to cover the camp and in the morning dew lay on the ground and when they do have gone up there was on the face of the Wilderness of fine, like like thing fine as frost on the ground, maybe if we get into the fall and you start seeing frost on the ground will be reminded of this passage in the Israelites grumbling and our call not to Grumble, but to be thankful when the people of Israel saw that they said to one another

What is that are they didn't know what it was?

What is it?

I don't know what it is at what at give me some of that.

What is it knows it's just this miraculous thing that provides for them. One of you as much as that each of you has in his tent and the people of Israel did so they gathered some more some left just enough for what they needed. But when they had measured it was an Omer whoever gathered much had nothing left over and whoever gathered little Had No Lack each of them gathered as much as he could eat. God provided every need for them didn't he? Call talk later about Jesus being as a provider of spiritual manner to us spiritual food and in Philippians. He says God Will Supply every need of yours. According to his riches in Christ Jesus. Now this is all happened and they're about to face the test. Here comes the test and end the test that God lays in front of them is a test that will be laid in front of them over and over throughout their time now on their way to the promised land and it can be summarized.

choose blessing

choose to sin. choose to suffer If you choose to God's words, he's going to bless you yet if I choose to send I choose not to obey what am I choosing? I'm choosing to suffer.

little bit when we choose to obey we receive lesson when we choose to send we're actually choosing to suffer. Welcome back to this. Let's keep reading those assets to them. Let no one leave any of it over until the morning sun.

What should you not do? What you doing at the end of the day if you don't eat at all?

suffer a real simple illustration

And Moses was very angry with.

Understandably, they chose to send they chose to suffer. Good morning by morning. Then they have learned from this immediate illustration guy gives them morning by morning. They get together twice as much bread to the leaders of the congregation.

And all that's left over last night to be kept till the morning.

Toilet, but after I get on that 6 day, you're going to get a double portion to keep over for the Sabbath day. So they'll decide till the morning and it did not stay and they receive blessing on that 6 day and there were no worms in it and eat it today for today is the day you will not find it in the field 6 days you're so there will be none.

especially for followers of Jesus Christ It's part of God's grace to us know when you will pay him He blesses you and when you don't. You suffer. Why the discipline you?

for it to be I know that's a hard thing to hear. But when you choose to sin you choose to suffer.

trusting Christ

call you know, what is a helicopter parent is a helicopter parent.

Why does my child get that great, but he's smarter than that. I know he's very smart. Hover, and they interfere in every aspect and you would think as the child grows older and into college that that gets less and less but in reality because they're losing control rock you can attest to that teaching of Grace. That's not a helicopter parent where you going to come in?

we try to install this and Charlie are three-year-old but using these terms as a

Adobe consequences and then when he does something wrong that he knows he shouldn't have done it, but we don't have to have consequences.

I do that which God do you?

Bright eyes. I disobey what he's laid out for me to do. consequences, right Just the same Josh just to suffer. Just obey the in that suffering is so that you might learn to choose to obey. Hennessy blessing D&D Toronto me Moses plays all this out later. I have it on the skin and not going to read it all but know this in verse 5, he says no Then in your heart that has a man discipline to send the Lord your God disciplines you And this whole principles is a piece of discipline. He got here's our grumbling yet. He responds with Grace with a test. Why so that we choose Jesus and obey? Is testing the Israelites here so that they would choose to obey that they would taste and see that the Lord is good looking verse 27 on the 7th Day. Some of the people went out together, but they found none. But I'm not to do so don't go gather on the 7th Day why I told you what to do if you know you're going to be tomorrow. They go out. There's nothing there.

And then the Lord said to Moses. How long? Will you refuse to keep my Commandments in my loss?

How long do you just refuse to obey? How long do you refuse? I sent it to Moses to everyone but you know.

chapter 11 cleaning about

today He really does. Like you said that maybe Moses said it in a prayer to God.

He was he was just as guilty.

How long will you refuse to keep my Commandments in my log? See the Lord's giving you the Sabbath are four of the six that he gives you bread for 2 days. For the people rested on the seventh day and there's some summer.

Now the house of Israel called its name Nana. It was like coriander seed White and the taste of it was like Wafers made with honey. I like to think it so it kind of tastes like funnel cakes. The pretty good place it before the war to be kept for your generation. And as Lord commanded Moses and placed it before the testimony to be kept. The people of Israel ate the Manna for 40 years. Did because they didn't learn because their grumbling became a lifestyle they're going to end up out here in the wilderness for 40 years. So kind of foreshadowing what's coming. Until they came to a habitable man that ate the man until they came to the border of the land of Canaan and over as a tenth part of an ether.

Here's what I would say is we close your choices today will determine your reality tomorrow their choices in the moment determine that for forty years. They would spend a lifetime wandering in the wilderness still grumbling not trusting not exercising faith not being thankful.

But it wouldn't be helpful for me to just a quick complaining.

What's the antidote to complaining and grumbling?

Thankfulness thankfulness, and it's the idea of choosing friends. God told Moses to tell Aaron to put an Omer and keep it in the testimony in front of the people as they worship so that they would remember God's goodness and they would be thankful for all the things you done trusting him for more in the future the antidote to complaining and grumbling is thankfulness. It's choosing to be thankful. Someone a 7 verse 8 says let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love the new King James Version.

my man, that means men and

Every clothes. I wonder if you'd seen the movie Castaway.

You were going to movie came out on the year. 2000. Tom Hanks is a Fedex pilot is plane goes down the Pacific Ocean and he gets that washed ashore to this deserted island. And he learns to live there on his own for a number of years before getting rescued in did you also know that that story that might be more familiar to many here, but did you know that story is actually based on a much older story called Robinson Crusoe written by a guy by the name of Daniel Defoe in 1790, and I had to read it for my Brit lit class in college. And then dinner in Robinson Crusoe. He's on a trading ship and the ship becomes Shipwrecked and it washes ashore and the entire crew of the ship except for Robinson dies. And he finds himself on this deserted island. And so the novel is an account of this and by the way of the book you've maybe even read it. I don't know. What's it's the most translated. It is translated into more languages than any other book other than the Bible. Did you know that?

Here's what he writes. He says we find them on an island all by himself and here's his journal entries as I now began to consider seriously my condition and the circumstance that I was reduced to and I drew up the state of my Affairs in writing not so much to leave them to any that were to come after me for I was like to have the few errors. Nobody's going to find me in to deliver my thoughts from daily pouring upon them in the flipping my mind. That's why I wrote it to get out of my head and is my reason begin now to master my despondency. Cuz I came to my senses and other words, I began to comfort myself as well as I could and to the good against the evil. But I might have something to distinguish my case from something worse. And I stated it very impartially like a debtor and creditor the Comforts. I enjoyed versus the miseries I suffered. That's what we're going to see is Robinson here. He's riding the

I'll let's just weigh these things and you're going to see him choose to be thankful. Check this out first.

Thankful.

Horrible desert island void of all. Hope of recovery

pretty good thing to crumble. Would you agree? What is thanks I'm thankful that I'm alive. And that drowned is all my ship's company was.

But thankful that I'm single doubt to from all the ship's crew to be spared from Death God who miraculously saved me from Death can deliver me from this condition also. Back to the grumpy last I have no clothes to cover me. Thanks, but I'm in a hot climate where if I had clothes I wouldn't wear them anyway.

I have no soul to speak to or to relieve me. Thanks, but God wonderfully sent the ship Inn near enough to the store that I've gotten out so many necessary thing as well either Supply my wants or enable me to supply myself.

Whatever your circumstances thankfulness is a choice. You can choose it. She gots how long will you refuse to keep my commands and laws in a grumble? You can choose to be thankful. He hears your grumbling Eddie responds with grace to text you that you would choose to obey Jesus.

1st Thessalonians 5 says this Rejoice always pray without ceasing give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Let's pray father. Thank you for Jesus.

I got into the habit of praying that to where it is wrote so many times in a Lord's but as a reminder to me of your grace to me to remind me that as I pray, even if I'm about to pray and complain. That I have much to be thankful for Christ in you. Or Jesus. Thanks for the example you give us of the Israelites.

What help us to learn from it help me to learn from it. That's a think that it's it's all been updated and of no relevance.

But that it was written down for my instruction. But I pray for those who hear my voice today. You've never trusted. You've never put their faith Jesus in you that today might be the day they turn from their sin and turn to you. And then Lord, I pray for all of us that we would choose thankfulness. I just as before we saying in clothes this morning.

Keep your eyes closed. It takes some time to think here with me.

Ask yourself these questions just in the quietness of your heart. Your eyes closed not looking around.

Am I thankful person? You're thankful person.

Are you complaining and grumbling in?

Not to say you don't have things to complain about that. Are you thankful you turn your eyes towards what you can be thankful for that ask yourself this too. Am I seeing the blessings of thankfulness in my life? My choosing to obey and Susan blessing or am I choosing to sin and choosing to suffer?

And I finally am I choosing thankfulness over grumbling and complaining Moment by moment. See my make the choice right now, but I guarantee you a half hour hour 2 hours from now. You'll be faced with something to complain about. Play choosing it Moment by moment. It's a choice friend. Jesus help us to choose to have a choose. Choose to be faithful. To your name we pray.