Strength in Community: Trusting God Through Battles
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound lessons from Exodus 17, where the Israelites faced a battle against the Amalekites. This passage serves as a powerful reminder of how God works in our lives, especially during times of struggle and uncertainty. We began by reflecting on the unexpected challenges that life throws our way, much like the Israelites who found themselves without water in a place they expected to be revitalized. This mirrors our own experiences when we face trials in areas where we anticipated peace and restoration.
The story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur on the hilltop illustrates the importance of spiritual support and community. Moses' hands grew weary, but with the help of Aaron and Hur, he was able to keep them raised, ensuring victory for the Israelites. This teaches us that we cannot fight our battles alone; we need the support of others who can lift us up when we are weak. It also emphasizes the necessity of holding onto God's promises and relying on His strength, even when our circumstances seem overwhelming.
We also discussed the significance of the staff of God, representing the spiritual realm and the power of drawing down heaven to our earthly experiences. This is a call to maintain a spiritual perspective while handling our earthly responsibilities. Just as Moses went up to the mountain to seek God's intervention, we too must seek divine guidance and strength in our battles.
Furthermore, we were reminded of the importance of gratitude and remembering God's past provisions. The Israelites were quick to forget the miracles God had performed for them, focusing instead on their immediate problems. We must guard against this tendency and continually remind ourselves of God's faithfulness in our lives.
Finally, we were encouraged to be proactive in our faith, to not only play defense but to take the offensive in our spiritual battles. By holding onto God's word and promises, we can face our challenges with confidence, knowing that He is our banner and our victory.
Key Takeaways:
- Community and Support: Just as Moses needed Aaron and Hur to support him, we need a community to help us through our battles. Isolation can be detrimental, and having people who can lift us up and provide a rock to sit on is crucial. [33:13]
- Spiritual Perspective: Balancing our earthly responsibilities with a spiritual perspective is essential. We must go up to God while taking care of our duties down here, as the spiritual realm influences our earthly experiences. [26:20]
- Gratitude and Remembrance: It's easy to focus on our current problems and forget God's past provisions. We must cultivate gratitude and remember how God has been faithful in the past to strengthen our faith for the present. [23:46]
- Proactive Faith: We are called to be proactive in our faith, not just playing defense but taking the offensive in our spiritual battles. By holding onto God's word, we can face our challenges with confidence and expectation. [39:09]
- God's Timing and Provision: God often comes through at the breaking point, teaching us to trust Him. His timing is perfect, and He provides what we need to handle the battles ahead. We must wait on Him and renew our strength in His promises. [18:01]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:57] - Introduction and Personal Story
- [03:30] - Facing Battles
- [04:14] - Opening Prayer
- [05:19] - Reading from Exodus 17
- [06:44] - The Lord is My Banner
- [09:12] - Spiritual Battles
- [11:19] - Expectations and Disappointments
- [13:09] - Trusting God in Difficult Times
- [15:02] - Complaints and God's Provision
- [18:01] - God's Timing
- [21:19] - One Thing After Another
- [23:46] - Remembering God's Grace
- [26:20] - Balancing Earthly and Spiritual Responsibilities
- [33:13] - Importance of Community and Support
- [39:09] - Proactive Faith and God's Word
- [41:22] - Call to Action and Prayer
- [48:00] - Closing Remarks and Announcements
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Exodus 17:8-15
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Observation Questions:
1. What was the significance of Moses holding up his hands during the battle against the Amalekites, and how did Aaron and Hur assist him? [06:00]
2. How did the Israelites' expectations of finding water at Rephidim contrast with their actual experience, and what was their reaction? [11:19]
3. What role did the staff of God play in the events of Exodus 17, and what does it symbolize in the context of the sermon? [17:48]
4. How did the Israelites' past experiences with God's provision influence their response to the challenges they faced in Exodus 17? [19:27]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur illustrate the importance of community and support in spiritual battles? [33:13]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that maintaining a spiritual perspective can influence our earthly responsibilities and challenges? [26:20]
3. How does the sermon encourage believers to remember and be grateful for God's past provisions, and why is this important for facing current challenges? [23:46]
4. What does it mean to be proactive in faith according to the sermon, and how can this approach impact our spiritual battles? [39:09]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a significant challenge. How did the support of others help you through it, and how can you be that support for someone else now? [33:13]
2. Consider your current responsibilities. How can you balance them with a spiritual perspective, ensuring that you seek God's guidance in all areas of your life? [26:20]
3. Identify a past situation where you experienced God's provision. How can remembering this instance strengthen your faith in your current circumstances? [23:46]
4. What are some practical ways you can be more proactive in your faith this week, taking the offensive in your spiritual battles rather than just playing defense? [39:09]
5. Think about a situation where you are waiting for God's timing. How can you actively trust and prepare for His provision while you wait? [18:01]
6. How can you cultivate a habit of gratitude in your daily life, ensuring that you focus on God's faithfulness rather than your immediate problems? [23:46]
7. Is there a specific area in your life where you feel isolated? How can you seek out community and support to help you through this season? [33:13]
Devotional
Day 1: The Power of Community in Spiritual Battles
In times of struggle, the story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur in Exodus 17 reminds us of the importance of community and support. Moses' hands grew weary during the battle against the Amalekites, but Aaron and Hur were there to support him, ensuring victory for the Israelites. This illustrates that we cannot face our battles alone; we need others to lift us up when we are weak. Isolation can be detrimental, and having a community that provides support and encouragement is crucial for spiritual growth and victory. [33:13]
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"
Reflection: Who in your life can you reach out to for support in your current struggles? How can you also be a source of strength for someone else today?
Day 2: Balancing Earthly Duties with Spiritual Awareness
The story of Moses on the hilltop with the staff of God highlights the need to balance our earthly responsibilities with a spiritual perspective. While we handle our daily tasks, we must also seek divine guidance and strength, recognizing that the spiritual realm influences our earthly experiences. Just as Moses sought God's intervention, we too must maintain a spiritual perspective, drawing strength from God to navigate our earthly challenges. [26:20]
Colossians 3:2-3 (ESV): "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Reflection: What is one practical way you can incorporate a spiritual perspective into your daily routine today?
Day 3: Cultivating Gratitude and Remembrance
The Israelites' tendency to forget God's past provisions and focus on their immediate problems serves as a cautionary tale. We are reminded of the importance of gratitude and remembering God's faithfulness in our lives. By cultivating gratitude and recalling how God has provided for us in the past, we can strengthen our faith and trust in Him for the present and future. [23:46]
Psalm 103:2-5 (ESV): "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
Reflection: Take a moment to list three specific ways God has been faithful to you in the past. How can this remembrance encourage you in your current situation?
Day 4: Embracing Proactive Faith
We are called to be proactive in our faith, not just playing defense but taking the offensive in our spiritual battles. By holding onto God's word and promises, we can face our challenges with confidence and expectation. This proactive approach involves actively seeking God's guidance and stepping out in faith, trusting that He is our banner and our victory. [39:09]
James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Reflection: What is one specific action you can take today to actively live out your faith in a challenging area of your life?
Day 5: Trusting in God's Timing and Provision
God often comes through at the breaking point, teaching us to trust in His perfect timing and provision. The story of the Israelites in Exodus 17 reminds us that God provides what we need to handle the battles ahead. We must learn to wait on Him and renew our strength in His promises, trusting that He knows what is best for us. [18:01]
Isaiah 40:31 (ESV): "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust God's timing and provision? How can you actively wait on Him today?
Quotes
"Lord, there are people in here who need to be healed. There are people in here who need situations to turn around. There's people in here who have wayward children that need to come back. There's marriages in here that want to survive, not just survive but to flourish, Lord, but we need you. We're facing battles left and right. We need you." [00:04:30]
"But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until sunset. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." [00:06:02]
"God will put you on pause because he needs to work some things out, and that's just the way that it is. So he took two daddy to church, and I know how it's going. Two daddy took out his key and unlocked the door. He opened the door, they both walked in. Tony Evans sat down as the audience because ain't nobody else there." [00:02:18]
"Some of us are so earthly bound that we're no heavenly good, and some of us just flying in the sky, just talking all the spiritual language, walking around looking all churchy, but you can't be used on earth. He's saying you gotta go up and grab the spiritual perspective while taking care of your responsibilities down here." [00:26:25]
"God provided the water before Amalek showed up. See, he knows what's coming, and he'll make those provisions so that you're ready to handle it. If you forget what he's given you for what you're going through, you'll be a complainer and not a survivor. Everybody's got something in this room they can say and talk about or how they're going through one thing after another." [00:23:56]
"Joshua said, Moses rather said to Joshua, go be responsible and fight hard, and that's what we're going to do. And I want to tell somebody out there, go be responsible and go fight hard. Go fight hard, but don't you let go of your father's hand because he determines the end result." [00:32:49]
"Some of us in here said, man, it might be better for me just to go back to my old life. It might be better for me just to go back to my old way of thinking, old way of operating, because I'm not getting no provision over here. But don't forget in 14, you were between a rock and a hard place, but the sea opened." [00:19:36]
"His word says in John 15 that if you abide in me and my word abides in you, you can ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. That's what your word says. His word says in Mark 11 that if you pray believing, you will be receiving. That's what his word says." [00:39:10]
"Some of us are waiting on God, and God is saying, I'm waiting on you, and I got more time than you. You gonna run out first. He's saying there's a battle that has to be fought. You got to go be responsible. You can't complain about it. You got to go fight against it." [00:25:56]
"Because we have to fight as individuals, as families, as churches. We got to fight. Life is full of fights. It's full of battles. Like my dad said a week or two ago, Job 42:10, when Job prayed for his friends, then he was restored. So this is definitely not about you doing for us. We're looking forward to do for you." [00:42:38]
"Because we know we're not the only ones who were fighting this battle. It was a nation of people who had to enter the war, and because of this spiritual perspective, in the middle of this battle, Moses' arms start hurting. They got heavy, and then the Bible says verse 12 says that Aaron and Hur took a stone and put it under him and had him sit on it." [00:35:40]
"Because we have to have a strong hold. Even two years later, my son Camden at four years old, I said, okay, you're four now, go ahead and go on down the stairs. He said, daddy, hold my hand, daddy. That's what he said to him. I said, you four, man, you can go down the stairs. He knew better now." [00:29:54]
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