14/2/18 – Exodus 15, Exodus 16 Matthew 28:1-20 Psalm 21:8-13

Ex 15:25 and 27

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.

…

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

So they travel for 3 days with no water. Not in the North East of England, but the Judean Wilderness… the dessert! Through hot sun, beating down like it’s trying to fry you.

3 days they had gone without! 3 days of hot walking in the sun. Then in the distance, they see water.

Can you imagine the relief?

I can just picture the relief upon their faces. It’s a real answer to prayer! So desperate for water and then just in time we see this place!

Perhaps someone, the first there – got down on his hands and knees and took a well needed drink! And… urgh! No it’s not right!

Can you imagine how they felt?

Have you ever had a situation where you felt like, this is it God – this is the answer to my prayer! Where you feel God’s come through for you – everything is going to be ok… but instead what you taste is just bitter water?

But God came through – God got them through this hard time – He made the water clean.

God can do the same in your time of distress. And it’s only for a time – only for a moment.

They didn’t know it then, but Elim was right around the corner.

They rested in Elim but they learned more in Mara.

Elim is great. But in marah is where we see miracles.

Elim is lush ad wonderful. But Marah is where we have the encounter.

When we get to the end – the story doesn’t end with Mara. The focus isn’t Marah.

It’s Elim – that’s where we stay and rest. But in Mara we grow.

Ex 16:19-21

And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

God provided miraculously for Israel. Manna – this strange bread like substance that came down from Heaven. Amazing! Wonderful!

When we are in need – God provides! God performs miracles to get us by!

But you know… those miracles to sustain you are just that – to sustain you. Israel couldn’t keep the Manna fro the day before, they had to rely on and trust in God each and every day for it still to come.

Yesterday’s manna was no good.

Are you trying to get by on yesterday’s manna? It’s no good for today. What God did to sustain you in the past was for the past. Don’t get lost in past breakthroughs and miracles – for his blessings are new every morning. Thank God for what He did in the past, but look to what He’s doing today.

Matt 28:19-20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

That’s the assignment we’ve been given.

Make disciple of all nations. That means not just getting people to put up their hand, or say the sinners prayer – but to become someone who follows Jesus.

We baptise them – in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit – to put a seal on that decision. To display it publicly. And then we must teach them to obey all that Jesus commanded – to learnt o be transformed more and more into His image. To do all this knowing that Jesus IS with us, through HIs Spirit every step of the way.

That’s the assignment of the church. It also the assignment of each believer.