Testing Times are Training Times

Well, pleased to have a seat and a very good morning to everyone.

Just so good. I just found it so refreshing to sing songs about the glorious gospel,

about God's provision, about his goodness and his kindness.

And as we'll see, I'm so fitting for what we're about to look at.

But let's just still ourselves for just a moment and let's pray.

Father God, we thank you so much for the truths we've been singing.

And Father, we ask that you would come and that you would abide with us.

Thank you for our time together this morning.

Help us now as we turn to your words to fix our hearts upon you

and to fix our eyes upon your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Well, I wonder just by show of hands, who here has done a marathon?

Wow. Okay, there's about five.

Robert, what marathon have you done?

Edinburgh.

Paris.

Yeah.

There's a hand over here.

Did I imagine that?

Fiona.

A little bit of a marathon.

Excellent.

So did anyone watch the London marathon last week?

Bits of it.

It was on during church, so I hope you got the highlights.

But I noticed this guy called Rob Young.

Did anybody hear about him in the news this week?

So Rob Young, last week at the London marathon, broke a world record.

Now, does anybody know why or how?

So since last year's London marathon, he decided that for every single day

until this year's London marathon, he would run a marathon.

365 marathons he ran.

Just imagine the blisters on that.

365 marathons.

I hate the thought of doing a marathon.

Do you know why I hate the thought of doing a marathon?

Because I was a short sprinter at school.

I reckon you give me 100 meters, I could do that all day long.

But a marathon, that's going to massively expose just how unfit I really am.

I wonder if you feel like that with the thought of a marathon.

That's what we're going to see about Israel this morning.

They are tried.

They are tested.

They are put through their paces.

And they are found to be massively unfit.

Now, left our series in Exodus a few weeks ago.

If you were here with the people of Israel at the other side of the Red Sea.

So God had rescued them out of Egypt.

And he delivered them in the most dramatic way possible

as he leads them through the Red Sea.

Halfway through chapter 15, Miriam and the girls, they get the tambourines out.

Not enough tambourines in church these days.

I think you'll agree.

And we get this glorious song of Moses in the first part of chapter 15

where people were singing praises to God.

So here they are, a rescued people at the other side of the Red Sea.

So, what happens next?

Because I imagine if you're like all of us,

the bit before is probably the bit that we know, isn't it?

We know the story up until this point.

And we're probably unfamiliar with what happens next.

We see God hasn't rescued them and then waved cheerio to them.

He hasn't rescued them and left them to fend for themselves.

He knows where he is taking them.

Big picture plan as they head for Canaan.

But also step by step along the journey.

This middle section of this book of Exodus will end with them at Mount Sinai.

You see it in the screen.

And today we'll see that journey from the other side of the Red Sea

to just short of Mount Sinai.

Now who remembers Sesame Street?

Okay, today this sermon is brought to you by the word test.

Okay?

Test.

God is putting Israel to the test.

He's training them.

He's teaching them.

He's molding them.

And he's going to teach Israel truths about themselves.

And he's going to teach Israel truths about himself.

Because this is the thing.

If God is going to give this land to this people, his people,

then he needs to teach them what it means to be his people as they live in the land.

So the big idea this morning is that testing time is training time.

Testing time is training time.

And there's three stages to this testing that Israel are about to go on.

And at each state of the testing,

something about Israel, their unfitness, is going to be exposed.

And something about God is going to be revealed.

And each step of the journey, each stage,

the question we've got to be asking as the audience looking in on this,

as the readers,

is when Israel are tested, how will they react?

Are they going to learn to trust God?

At each stage, are they growing in their faith and their love for God?

Are they developing a true picture of who he really is?

So here at verses 15, 22 to 15, 27,

we see stage one, test one, Marah.

So Moses leads the people into the wilderness

only for them to find no water.

Problem.

They are thirsty.

So how are Israel going to react?

Well, verse 21 of chapter 5, if you've got it there, like we said,

this is what they say.

They sing,

Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously.

They've seen God at work.

And then three days and three verses later, grumbling.

What is exposed about Israel?

Israel are forgetful.

And this is going to be one of the big tests for Israel in the wilderness.

Will they remember rightly?

Will they learn to trust God

and to trust that he will provide for them in the day-to-day

and in the tough times

on the basis of what they've already seen him do in their lives?

Put it another way,

will they live by faith

or will they live by sight?

And I guess there's not an awful lot wrong with the request.

It seems pretty reasonable.

If you're thirsty, you want a drink.

But it's the manner and it's the tone in which they ask it that's the issue.

They moan, they complain, they murmur.

The point is, it's not just the water that's bitter.

Their attitudes and their hearts are bitter as well.

How quickly Israel forgets.

And how quickly we forget.

Don't we?

Now I wonder how we're doing at remembering rightly.

How are we doing at remembering rightly?

How are we doing at cultivating a heart attitude

that remembers and gives thanks to God for his goodness

and his grace to us?

And this is what we do, don't we,

when we pray together,

whether it's in small groups

or whether it's the prayer meeting.

We've got plenty of prayer requests.

But how often, friends,

do we not stop to thank God

for the ways that he's been at work

in our lives?

Because the fact of the matter is

that Israel don't remember rightly

and because they don't remember rightly,

it causes them to grumble.

And grumbling is a heart thing.

Paul Tripp,

he calls the heart the steering wheel

of every single human being.

You know, Alex and I,

we went down to Bath a few weekends ago.

We took the tram.

Love the tram, by the way.

But do you remember that whole hoo-ha

with the tram when it was here?

Yeah?

And if nothing else,

did that not expose

that as a people

and as a city

and as a nation,

we love to grumble,

don't we?

We love a moan.

We love a rant.

I was watching with Chloe

up the other night.

I was watching,

have I got news for you?

Slating the politicians

that are standing for election

in a few days' time.

Slating them.

We live in a nation

that loves to grumble.

Friends, can I suggest

that this is one of the key ways

in which we as the people of God

can stand out

and be distinct from this country

and this people that we live in?

That we don't grumble.

That we don't moan.

That we don't complain

just like everyone else.

Would that not be

an amazing testimony

to the transforming power

of the gospel

and of God in our lives?

Would that not be

an amazing testimony

to a transformed heart?

That we don't grumble.

And instead of grumbling,

let's pray.

When you catch yourself grumbling,

whether it's in the church,

whether it's in here about stuff,

whether it's in the world,

check your heart.

what's going on deep down?

Israel forgets.

What is God revealing

about himself?

He is a God who leads.

You see, this plays itself

out in a few ways.

God leads Moses

towards the piece of wood,

throws it in the water,

water becomes fit to drink.

God leads the people

by his words.

Do you see that?

That God desires obedience

from his people.

And you'll notice

that that word test comes up.

This is what God is doing

to his people.

What will they do

with his words?

Will they obey it?

Will they listen to it?

Or will they reject it?

And this is what God says.

This isn't something

that Israel have to figure out

for themselves,

what he wants them to do.

Look at the words

that he uses.

Listen carefully.

Do what is right.

Pay attention.

Keep it.

And so the tension

at this section is,

will they do it?

See how that plays out

in a second.

God leads them

by his word.

God leads Moses

to the staff in the water.

Sorry, rock in the water.

And he leads them to Elam.

A place of refreshment.

A place of joy.

Do you see what Moses

is trying to tell us there?

God knows his people.

God knows what they need.

God knows where he is taking them.

What amazing grace God shows

to this grumbling people.

That's the lesson of Marah.

That Israel is faithless,

but God is faithful.

Like what we were singing earlier.

Israel forgets.

God leads.

Testing times are training times.

And so they travel

from Elam,

chapter 16.

We find them

in the desert of sin.

I'll be honest,

it sounds like a place

none of us should really

want to go to.

Desert of sin.

The question is,

are they learning?

Are they growing

in their faith in God?

Are they learning

to trust Him?

Well, the way they behave,

absolutely they are not.

You notice there's a downward

trajectory to these stories.

Now, would you notice as well

that the grumbling

has now spread

to this whole community?

That's what grumbling does.

It's infectious.

A little warning for us there.

Let's not be the one

who spreads the grumbling.

What is exposed here

about Israel?

They are a denying people.

And you see in this episode,

they deny two things.

Firstly,

they deny the past.

Verse 3,

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.

Now, is that really

what Egypt was like?

Now, we looked at it,

didn't we,

a few weeks ago?

Remember the words

that were coming up?

The images,

slave masters,

harsh labor,

death.

And not to mention

that small matter

of a genocide attempt

on all the baby boys.

Remember that?

And what are these guys

interpreting it as?

Oh, we had all the meat

that we wanted.

We had food aplenty

back there.

We were in,

we were in paradise.

So they're rewriting

the past.

They're harking on

about the good old days.

The good old days

that weren't good old days.

So why are they calling

them good old days?

Why are they exaggerating

the past?

Well, they exaggerate

the past because

they are discontent

with where God

has them in the present.

They doubt God's purposes

and his goodness

here and now.

Is this not

the grass is always

greener syndrome?

I wonder if you see that

in your own life.

We do it all the time,

do we not?

That we compare,

that we doubt God's goodness.

What is at the heart

of that when you find

yourself doing it?

It's a heart that denies

the goodness

and the purposes of God

for your life

in the present.

Israel deny

the past

and Israel also deny

the sufficiency

of God.

You see how God supplies

them with an abundant

supply of manna.

The way it was

described here,

wasn't it?

That it's language

at verse 18,

you see it,

that they had their fill,

they had enough,

no one was short,

no one was hungry.

This was an abundant

supply of manna.

Two tests of obedience

here for Israel.

Both the same thing,

really.

Will they trust

and will they obey

God's words?

Firstly,

God says to the people

through Moses,

don't keep the bread

until morning.

Eat it all,

don't keep it

for the next day.

Now what's that all about?

Would it not teach them

that they wake up

every day

with nothing?

And so their first thought

is not,

what am I going to have

for breakfast?

And they look to the corner

of wherever they're sleeping

and there's the bread,

that's what I'm going to have

for breakfast.

They wake up with nothing.

It's not going to teach them

to wake up

and instead of looking

over here,

they look up to God

for their daily provision.

Lord,

I am wholly dependent

on you today

to provide

what I need.

That's what he's teaching them.

He is to be there

everything.

And isn't that a great lesson

for God's people to learn?

It's the first line

of the Lord's prayer,

isn't it?

Give us today

our daily bread.

You know,

Tim Keller would say

that the gospel

isn't the ABC

of the Christian life,

it's the A to Z

of the Christian life.

We need God

every moment

of every day.

There's a reason

Johnny picked that song

to sing,

Abide With Me.

Lord,

I need you every hour.

Our dependency on God,

this is how it works out

in our own lives,

is not to be a mere

afterthought

with your elevens

in the busyness of life,

okay?

It's to be an every moment

of every day thing.

It is absolutely central.

You know,

it was said of

William Wilberforce

that he used to walk around

with a small stone

in his shoe

and every time

he felt that small stone

it would remind him

to pray.

It would remind him

that he is a dependent being.

Love that illustration.

Don't know if I'll

go for that one

but it's a good point,

isn't it?

He is a dependent being.

So will the Israelites

obey God's words?

Well,

kind of.

Some of them do.

Some of them don't.

Verse 20.

See,

it's not just the bread

that stinks,

the obedience does as well.

Second test.

God tells them

to gather bread

for five days.

Why?

Because on the sixth day

they'll gather twice as much

because on the seventh day

they'll be resting.

It's a Sabbath rest.

Again,

are the people going to trust God?

Are they going to obey

his words?

Well,

some of them do

and some of them don't.

Verse 27.

See what's going on here.

Israel disobey

because they deny

God's goodness.

Israel

don't trust

because they deny

God's

sufficiency.

Now,

I wonder if that's a lesson

for us here this morning.

Is there some area

of our lives

where we're not obeying

what God has said?

And behind it

is because we don't

trust him.

We don't know

his goodness.

Well,

into this situation,

what is God revealing

about himself?

He is a God

who sustains.

He gives them

manna.

Verse 31.

You see how Moses

describes this?

This is wafers

with honey.

So this isn't

kind of

Tesco's

saver's beans

that he's given them here.

This is the good stuff

he's given them.

This was nice to eat.

That's what Moses

wants us to know.

Again,

do you see God's

goodness?

And this wasn't

a one-off provision.

Verse 35.

God provided

manna every day

until they are

in the land,

until they're in Canaan

and they're living

off the produce there.

You know,

there's that lovely

little snippet

in the book of Joshua.

Joshua 5,

Joshua 5:12

verse 12.

He tells us

that the manna

stopped falling

the day after

the day they ate

from the produce

of the land.

God's sustaining

provision.

God's everyday

provision.

Do you see

his protection

here for his people?

Do you see

his love

and his care

and his concern

for their well-being?

God didn't leave

them to fend

for themselves.

He provided

every step

along the way.

everything

that they

needed.

Alex and I

went for a meal

on Wednesday

night,

I think.

First night,

we'd been out

without Chloe.

Weird.

Looking at your

watch every five

minutes,

wondering,

should we go

back?

Anyway,

we had baked

camembert.

Oh,

amazing.

Cooked cheese.

I think it might

be my new thing.

Incredible.

The tastes

were amazing.

But two hours

later,

my stomach,

completely

forgotten about it.

Where's the cereal?

I need some cereal.

This is what's

happening here.

Israel,

they eat this manna

day on day.

They go hungry

again.

And Jesus,

picking up on

this imagery

in John 6,

he says,

I am the bread

from heaven.

I am the bread

of life.

Whoever comes

to me will

never go hungry.

And whoever

believes in me

will never be

thirsty.

Now,

we live in a

Mick Jagger

world,

don't we?

I can't get no

satisfaction.

A world where

we chase all

sorts of things

looking for

lasting joy.

But what do

we find?

We find

bubbles,

bubbles,

don't we?

They fly so high

they reach the sky

and like my dreams,

they fade and die.

Jesus truly

satisfies

the cravings

of our hearts.

This is what

he's saying.

Jesus gives us

life and he

gives us life

to the full.

Do you know

the bread of life?

Do you know

what it means

to have Jesus

satisfy

that inner

craving?

Do you know

what it means

for your

restless heart

to find purpose

and to find

contentment

and to find

identity

in him?

You know,

Moses also

tells us here

that they put

some of it

in the

tabernacle.

Tabernacle

that would

journey with

them,

God's presence

with them

to the

promised land.

Now,

what's that

about?

they put it

in the

tabernacle

so that

future

generations

would know

that God

provided for

them.

God provides

because this

message needs

to be passed

on.

And I wonder

how we're doing

it passing

on the message

of God's

goodness and

his provision

in our lives.

You know,

are we,

as a people,

are we sharing

stories?

Are we in

each other's

lives so that

we know

that God

is at work?

Are we telling

each other

testimonies

about how

God has been

at work?

You know,

I love hearing

stories.

We heard the

Camerons were

up here a couple

of months ago

telling us about

how God was

at work in

their lives,

in their day-to-day

lives.

How is God

at work?

Are we passing

this message

on?

God gives.

God is

gracious.

That's the

lesson of the

manner.

Israel denies,

but God

gives.

Because testing

time is

training time.

Now from the

desert of sin,

they eventually

come to

Rephidim.

And there we

see the third

and the final

test.

And I think

it's probably

the climax

of this

section.

And I

wonder if

you watched

the BBC

interview with

Lance Armstrong

a few months

ago.

I only watched

about ten minutes

of it.

I think there

was a massive

thing.

It was Dan

Rowan,

BBC

correspondent,

and he

put this

question to

Lance Armstrong,

really simple,

a question that

the world wanted

to know.

Lance,

if you had

your chance

again,

would you do

it differently?

He said this.

He said,

if I was

racing in

2015,

no,

I wouldn't do

it again because

I don't think

you need to do

it again.

But if you

take me back

to 1995,

when doping

was completely

pervasive,

I think I

would probably

do it again.

There's a

man who

hasn't learned

from his

previous failure.

Here we

are,

Israel,

again,

they're in a

place with

no water.

Seen this

before?

Just happened,

didn't it,

a few verses

ago?

Is the test

not?

Have they

learned from

their previous

failure?

earlier?

Previously,

they grumbled

and they

doubted,

so what are

they going

to do

this time?

Well,

they do

exactly the

same and

worse.

I wonder,

just pausing

there for a

minute,

I wonder if

that's true

sometimes in

our Christian

lives as

well.

Do you

find that

the same

stuff,

the same

lessons are

coming up

again and

again and

again?

And I

wonder if

we're learning

the lessons

that God is

trying to

teach us.

What is

exposed here

about Israel?

They are a

hardened people.

They

quarreled.

Now,

that's not

some kind of

friendly fight

amongst

brothers.

Okay?

It's got

aggressive

undertones to

it.

They are

disputing

with one

another.

And what

they're doing

is they're

bringing a

charge

against God.

They're putting

God in the

dock.

You see,

it's quite

accusatory,

isn't it,

what they

say?

Quite

demanding.

They say,

give us

water to

drink.

And what's

behind it is

a hard

heart and

callous

hearts that

have turned

away from

God.

They are

bitter.

And behind

the demand

lies doubts.

Do you see

how that

finishes at

17.7 with

the question,

is God

really among

us or not?

Is God

really with

us?

Does he

really care?

That's what's

behind the

demand.

How do we

know that

God is for

us and God

is not

against us?

That's the

question.

I'm reading

this great

book just

now on

public

speeches.

It's by a

guy called

Phil Collins.

Not calling

in the air

tonight,

Phil Collins.

The guy who

used to be

Tony Blair's

speechwriter.

And what

he's doing

is he's

analysing

famous

speeches

from history.

And I

read this

the other

night.

He talks

about the

Martin

Luther King

moment.

We all

know what

the Martin

Luther King

moment is,

don't we?

In four

words.

I have

a dream.

That's all

he needed

to say.

The Martin

Luther King

moment.

Now if

you're

American,

especially,

that is

a moment

that defines

something of

your nation's

history,

isn't it?

A legendary

moment in

the life

of a

nation.

Well

Israel,

as a

nation,

they have

a moment

to look

back on.

It's not

a Martin

Luther King

moment.

It's a

Massa and

Meribah

moment.

And this

episode right

here becomes

synonymous not

so much with

liberty,

but with

loathing.

Because the

people,

there is a

deep distrust

of God in

them.

Moses picks

up on this

in Deuteronomy.

The

psalmist picks

up on this

in Psalm

95.

The writer to

the Hebrews

picks up on

this at

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

3.

All with the

same warning

to their

respective

generations,

learn the

lesson.

Hebrews 3.

If you can

see that

on the

screen,

then if

you can't,

let me just

read it

out.

This is

what the

writer to

the Hebrews

says to

his generation.

So as

the Holy

Spirit says,

quoting

Psalm 95,

today,

today, if

you hear

his voice,

do not

harden your

hearts as

you did in

the rebellion

during the

time of

testing in

the wilderness

where your

ancestors

tested and

tried me,

though for

40 years

they saw

what I

did.

That is

why I

was angry

with that

generation.

I said,

their hearts

are always

going astray

and they

have not

known my

way.

So I

declared on

oath in

my anger,

they shall

never enter

my rest.

Then the

writer to

the Hebrews,

to his

generation,

he goes

on and

he says,

see to it

brothers and

sisters,

that none

of you

has a

sinful,

unbelieving

heart that

turns away

from the

living God,

but encourage

one another

daily as

long as it

is called

today,

so that

none of

you may

be hardened

by sin's

deceitfulness.

Do you see

what he's

saying?

He's telling

his generation

of God's

people,

don't make

the same

mistakes that

the Israelites

made in

the desert.

Learn the

lesson.

Don't have

for yourself

a Massa

and Meribah

moment.

Don't have

hearts that

are hard

and callous,

that fail to

believe in the

purposes and

the goodness

and the

plans and

the promises

of God.

Wash your

heart.

And that's a

lesson for our

generation as

well today.

I wonder if

some of us

this morning,

deep down,

are asking

that question

in our

hearts.

is God

really among

us or not?

Are we

slipping

into unbelief?

Maybe you're

here and you're

not a Christian

this morning and

actually your

question is,

how do I know

that God

loves me?

How do I

know,

how do I

know that

he's for

me?

We'll see

what God

reveals about

himself.

He is a

God who

provides.

Now see,

if this was

me and

Israel were

moaning again

and again

and again,

if this was

my child,

I think I'd

be tempted to

leave them,

would you

not?

I wouldn't

leave her if

she'd.

But do you

see how God

is so gracious

with his

people?

Do you see

how he's so

patient with

his people?

They ask,

is the Lord

really among

us or not?

It's almost

as if God

says,

to answer

that question,

look to

the rock.

This is what

happens.

Moses goes to

the rock

and he

strikes it

and out

comes life

giving water

to have

people who

are going

to die

if they

don't

drink.

That's how

you know

I'm for you.

It's almost

what God

is saying.

And Paul

picks up on

this in

1 Corinthians

10 and

he says

that the

rock is

Christ.

that rock

was Jesus.

Now how on

earth has he

got to that

conclusion?

It's an

inspired word,

it must be

right.

So how has he

got there?

We see

Moses

strikes the

rock

and out

comes

life-giving

water.

Jesus

struck,

killed,

and John

records for

us in

chapter 1,

I think

it's chapter

19 I've

written one,

that as

Jesus was

struck and

as he was

pierced,

out came

blood and

water.

His point,

John's point,

Paul's point,

that through

the death

of Jesus,

through the

striking of

Jesus,

we have

life.

That is the

wonderful news

of the gospel.

How do I know

that God is

for me?

How do I know

that God cares

for me?

How do I know

that he loves

me?

God would say

to that

generation,

God says

to this

generation,

look to

the rock.

The question

for us is,

have we

drunk from

the rock

and have we

received life

from its

life-giving

water?

Paul writes

in Romans 9,

he who did

not spare

his own son

but gave him

up for us

all,

how will he

not also

give us

all things?

Romans chapter

Romans 9 · chapter mention

9.

We mustn't

doubt the

sufficiency

and the

goodness of

God.

How do we

know that

he loves

us?

We look

to the

rock.

You see,

testing time

is training

time.

Just as we

bring a few

of these

things together

as we

close,

to see how

God takes

us,

his people,

through

afflictions,

to help us

see our own

helplessness,

to help us

bring our

own self-confidence

to an end,

and to teach

us to

exclusively

trust in

him alone.

That he

doesn't beam

us up

magically from

the trials

and the

pressures of

life,

but he

uses them

to demonstrate

our complete

inadequacy

and his

complete

dependability.

You know,

I wonder as we've

looked at his

word this

morning,

what has been

exposed about

your life?

What areas

are you

unfit in?

Maybe you've

got a lack

of patience.

Maybe you're

going through

that just

now.

You lack

trust in

God's

perfect and

good timing.

Maybe you've

got misplaced

identity in

a job or

a relationship

that's let

you down.

Maybe you

need to

learn and

understand and

grasp your

identity in

Jesus Christ.

What has

God revealed

to you about

himself?

from his

words,

his unfailing

provision,

his purposes,

his goodness.

What is God

teaching us

this morning?

I hate

marathons.

I hate being

put through my

paces,

but I know

it's good for

me.

Let's pray

together.

And maybe

let's just

have a moment

quiet.

just if there's

some business

that we need

to do with

God,

this opportunity

now to

confess and

get right with

him,

to ask him

that you

truly abide

with us.

God,

let's

hear it.

And so,

Father,

we just

close with

the words

of that

hymn that

we sang

earlier and

declare that

great is

your faithfulness.

Oh,

God,

my Father,

there is

no shadow

of turning

with you.

You

change

not,

your

compassions,

they fail

not.

As you

have been,

you will

forever

will be.

Lord,

help us

by your

spirit to

trust you

more,

to know you

more intimately

this week,

we pray.

In Jesus'

name,

Amen.

Amen.