If you forget what He's given you for what you're going through, you'll be a complainer and not a survivor. Jonathan Evans talks about how easily we can fall victim to spiritual amnesia when times get tough. See, the enemy is good at letting us focus so hard at our problem that we don't remember how great and big God has been in our past. This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. Winning the battles ahead of us often depend on remembering the victories behind. Today, Pastor Jonathan Evans explores how we can remind ourselves of God's faithfulness and the blessings we unleash when we do. Let's join him as he explains.
You know, there's many people in the audience that are going through a battle. So I found myself at Exodus 17 because at Exodus 17 there's a battle and it gave me some encouragement last night as I was just reading it. And so I want to give you some encouragement through the battle that you're facing. Exodus 17, verse 8. Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, choose men for us and go out. Fight against Amalek.
Tomorrow I will station myself on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand. Joshua did as Moses told him and fought against Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and her went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up that Israel prevailed. And when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. And Aaron and her 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. Then the Lord said to Moses, write this in a book as a memorial. And recited to Joshua that I may utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the earth.
Moses built an altar and named it, the Lord is my banner. Today this encouraged me because he's teaching me here. This is how we fight battles. That you're going to have times where you have all of these things going on in your life. But if you go up to me while taking care of your responsibilities down there, I will show up. Many of you are dealing with health issues. You're dealing with financial issues. You're dealing with relational issues. You're dealing with career issues. You're dealing with addiction issues. You're dealing with children issues.
The list can go on and on. If you could just stand up on this stage and have a moment to tell your story. But it's a spiritual battle. There are things going on in heavenly places to try to take you out.
And the worst thing that we can do is tuck tail and run when it's our opportunity to pull down the power of heaven to overcome what's going on on earth. The people of Israel were on their way to the promised land. They were going in the direction that God had called them to go.
And they came to a place called Rephidim in order to camp. Camp means that we want to be revitalized. We want to sit down and get our mojo back. Because we've got a long journey. So, we're trying to get rejuiced, if you will.
They had their Vitamixes out and they had their, you know, juicers out. And they were trying to get things organized so that they can get their blood flowing in the right direction. So that they can keep going in the direction that God had called them to. That's what camped is.
I want to get ready for the next phase. The expectation is that if we're camping, we're getting revitalized for where God is taking us next. The problem is, is that the place where they camped was also the place where they didn't have any water.
Now, if you can imagine going from Africa through the Middle East on foot and you ain't got no water, that's not like a small problem. We're talking about life and death. We're talking about a major problem.
And not only is it a major problem, but it messes up your expectations. We stopped here in order to be revitalized. And the place where we stopped to be revitalized is the place that's hurting us the most. There are people in this room right now that you look to something to be revitalized. You thought that if you just got settled now and slowed down in your marriage, you'd be revitalized.
And that thing just sped up. You thought that if you can get that new job or that career that you would be revitalized. But your experience, it wasn't what was on paper. You thought that you would be revitalized with this new opportunity, these new things. You thought this would be a place where I have an opportunity to camp. And get ready for where God is taking me only to find out that that's the place where you have to fight your biggest battles. And what messes you up is the expectation. It's the expectation that I thought that we're going in the direction that God has called us to go.
If you look in verse 1, verse 2, and verse 3 of chapter 17, it was God who told them to camp. And then there ain't gonna be no water? We're following Jesus who calls himself the living water in John chapter 4, and why am I thirsty then? We've got people who are thirsty in their finances, thirsty in their marriage.
The list goes on and on. You are dehydrated while following the living water. Come on, Jesus. That's just what we're going through. That's what you're going through.
And sometimes you have that misunderstanding, that doubt, that conflict when you're saying, but I'm just doing what you said. They were thirsty. The people begin to grumble and complain.
Now, I'm not saying I condone complaining, but when I read the story, I'm like, well, I kind of understand. I mean, you told them to camp, and they ain't got no water. You told them that this would be a place that they could have an expectation to be revitalized. And then things went downhill, and then they started to look at the leader. They said they got so annoyed at the circumstance that they were in that they start picking up rocks.
Hey, Mo, we're going to have to do something about this. Because when you feel like something's going awry up there, you start looking out here, picking up stones, trying to figure out whose fault it is, that you're going through what you're going through. But God had them there.
He said, you got to learn in season and out of season how to trust me. But these were people who... Chapter 14, we're caught between a rock and a hard place. We got the Red Sea in front of us.
We got Pharaoh behind us. Chapter 15, we didn't have any water. Chapter 16, we needed some manna. Chapter 17, we still don't have any water.
Come on, Jesus. It's one thing after another. And the reason why I went to this passage is because in our personal life, I'm thinking, man, come on, man, it's one thing after another. Aren't we just doing what you asked us to do? That's confusing to me sometimes. So I'm not saying that I condone the complaining of the people of Israel.
I used to read the people of Israel and judge them. Like, y'all, didn't you see what he did for you yesterday? Y'all complaining. You don't remember? It was like a chapter ago. You know, we don't get a real time lapse.
It was like last chapter. You just... But then when you go through it, you're like, oh.
Now I understand. And I have to caution myself because that come on Jesus starts to become a complaint like he just owes me something. I start becoming entitled in my speech because of what we're doing. And God is like, man, this ain't no business transaction.
I'm working to take you somewhere. And so I'm feeling them. People of Israel, I'm like, yeah, I'm with you because he told you to go there. And you dehydrated and he's the living water.
So he says, it's how it feels. And then Moses saw them tossing them rocks. And he said, come on, Jesus.
He did. He said, God, we're not trying to die today. Can you do something about this?
The people are thirsty. You told us to camp here. Don't make me look bad. We're on our way to the promised land that you promised. And God said, okay.
People were at their breaking point. They started asking the question, is the Lord with us or not? I don't know if you'd be real. I don't know if you've ever asked that question. I mean, I know he's real, but is he with me or not?
They asked that question. And Moses got a word from the Lord that said, mosey on up to Mount Horeb. And you go up there and make sure you take the staff of God with you. You know what that represents, right?
Represents the spiritual realm, the power drawing down heaven to your experience on earth. I need you to do that. And I need you to go strike that rock. And when you do, water will come out of it.
So that the nations will no longer thirst. I got you. Have you ever experienced God coming through right at the breaking point? He likes doing that, doesn't he?
I'd like him to come a little bit before that. I mean, he likes doing it because he wants you to know that right when you're about to give up, he hadn't given up on you. He throws you a bone so that you can continue the journey. But he's readying you for where he's taking you, without faith it's impossible to please the Lord.
He needs you to trust him. And some of you are in that phase where it's just, I'm thirsty. And it doesn't seem like there's any provision coming from anywhere. Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. Not those who don't. So you got to wait. And there's going to be times where you say to yourself, come on, Jesus. I'm just doing what you told me to do.
You brought me out here. And then they said, wouldn't it be better for us just to go back to Egypt? 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. In 15, you needed water.
It was provided. In 16, you were hungry. Mana fell from heaven.
A little bit too much quail, but at least the manna was in good portion. So in 17, what are you complaining about? See, the enemy is good at letting us focus so hard at our problem that we don't remember how great and big God has been in our past. So how do we develop a better spiritual memory? We'll find out when Jonathan returns in a moment to continue this message from his 10-part audio collection called Survivor. This assembly of lessons can provide just the kickstart you need if you feel like your life's burdens and struggles have become overwhelmingly difficult. In these messages, author, speaker, and pastor Jonathan Evans will equip and encourage you to understand how to relinquish your own self-reliance, allowing you to rest in the knowledge that God is fighting your battles right alongside you. We'd like to send you all 10 full-length messages in this series on either CD, USB stick, or as instant digital downloads.
They're our way of saying thank you for your contribution to help continue the alternative broadcast and teaching ministry here on this outlet and others like it around the world. And as an added bonus, we'll also send you a copy of Dr. Tony Evans' daily devotional Life Under God. This popular resource will equip you with daily encouragement and biblical wisdom to help you walk in step with God's will. The special bundle, Jonathan's Survivor audio series and Dr. Evans' Life Under God devotional book will only be available for a limited time. So contact us right away at tonyevans.org or call our resource request line at 1-800-800-3222, where one of our team members will be happy to help you. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222.
I'll have that information for you again after part two of today's message. Here's Jonathan once again. Water was coming down after Moses struck the rock, and the people looked up right when they were about to give up, and you saw God water. That's better than the water we get. That God water that came from that rock, that had to be the best stuff. I can see the people of Israel now.
They went to the desert Walmart and got the party cups. Right as the provision came, then Amalek came to fight against Israel at Rephidim. Come on, Jesus. We can't catch a break. I prayed just the other day. Give us a break.
I know you don't owe me anything, but we're trying to catch a break. We're doing what you called us to do, and your word allows me to believe. I mean, I'm praying your word back to you. That's why I believe is because you said go.
Many of you are feeling the people of Israel. You're like, man, it's one thing after another, and not only is it one thing after another, it's one thing after another in Rephidim. It means the location. It's the same location. It's that same job and that same coworker.
It's the same sickness, the same family strife. Have you ever thought to yourself, if I can just get rid of this one thing? But again, I don't want us and myself to forget God's grace. Where is God's grace in this story?
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. But remember how great God is because he's preparing you for a great promise, and that promise sometimes can get dark.
But if you don't stop walking, you can keep experiencing where he's taking you. 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. And Moses tells us, he said, Joshua, in verse 9, you go down and I will go up. He says, you go down and take care of that responsibility because we can't ignore the battle. But I'm not going to let you go down there without me going up to handle the spiritual war.
Because like my mom said, this battle is up there. And up there determines what happens down here. 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 got to go up and grab the spiritual perspective while taking care of your responsibilities down here. Camden was two years old, he was standing at the top of the stairs in our house. And I said, Camden, give me your hand, man. You got to hold my hand because you don't need to be trying to go down these stairs. Your legs are too short.
You're going to get caught off guard and you're going to look like a bowling ball just rolling down the stairs. And so when I grabbed his hand, he said, I don't know what he said, but it was rude. I went down, I went down, and then we got to the last step.
So I said, OK, Camden, here's your shot. He took the step, first foot didn't touch the ground before his back foot came off. Boom. It began.
It was a worship service. He's lifted, crying, coming back to the Father. Because he recognized that it's just not smart to try to take this journey down here without having a hold of my Father up there. That thing just don't work out that well.
I've tried it, let me let you know, that thing don't work out too well. When you try to take advantage of what's going on in your life without having a hold of the Father, Moses knew, Joshua, I'm going to send you down. But I'm not going to let you go, I'm going to go up.
Because we have to have a strong hold. Even two years later, my son, Camden, at four years old, I said, OK, you're four now, go ahead and go on down the stairs. He said, mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm, daddy, mm-mm, mm-mm, hold my hand, daddy. That's what he said to him. I said, you're four, man, you can go down the stairs. He knew better now.
We ought to know better now. Moses is letting you know better now. He's saying, you go down and take care of that responsibility, but you have to have a firm grasp. Because I have confidence in my Father, even though I know I still have to take the walk. 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. He said, Joshua, you go down while I go up with the staff of God in my hands. And then it says, Moses, Aaron, and her went up to the top of the mountain with the staff of God in his hands. In the middle of this battle, Moses' arms started hurting.
They got heavy. And then the Bible says, verse 12, says that Aaron and her took a stone and put it under him and had him sit on it. You always know when you have the right people around, because they're going to give you a rock to sit on. People ask me, how are you doing? I say, I'm doing okay. And I really am.
I'm doing pretty good. My faith is in one thing, and it's a rock. And I believe in it. I have an expectation, because it's a rock. Even when I fall apart, it doesn't. You have to have people around you that can give you the rock. Now, I know you're going to get tired of, oh, don't quote them scriptures. I don't want to hear that. Yes, you do.
You need that. Because it's true. His hands got heavy, and his boys gave him a stone to sit on. They held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other.
And because of them, not just Moses, his hands were steady until sunset. Thus, we know what happened. Joshua overwhelmed Amalek with the edge of his sword. What is the sword? Ephesians 6. Word of God. He took the spiritual perspective from up there and slayed his enemy down here. Why is the word important?
Well, it's pretty much the only offensive weapon you get. And many of us are just living defense. But his word says, if you ask according to my will, I hear you. And you better know that I hear you, and your petitions will be grabbed by heaven. That's what it says in 1 John 5.14. 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. His word says don't be anxious for anything, but through prayer and supplication, make your request known.
So since he says it, we're going to do it. And we're going to have an expectation that Jehovah Nissi will give us victory in our family, in your life, in your family's life. We're looking for victory.
Why? Because we have a rock. And we can have an expectation that even though we have battles, God is only preparing us for a great promise. We're ready for the battle.
Is there anybody who's ready for the battle? There's no more time to tuck tail and run. There's no more time to only play defense. There's time to play offense. Because he said it, so we're going to do it.
They may give you a bad diagnosis. You can say, mm-mm, mm-mm. Hold my hand, Daddy. Because what he says goes, no matter what you're going through. Do you feel close enough to God to see him as a daddy who loves you unconditionally? That's the kind of connection he wants to have with you, and he's made it possible through Jesus' death on the cross.
Find out how it can happen for you today. Visit tonyevans.org and click on the link that says Jesus. You'll find some helpful videos and free follow-up resources to answer your questions about a new life in God's family. Again, that's tonyevans.org. And while you're there, don't forget to take advantage of that special double offer I mentioned earlier, Dr. Tony Evans' popular daily devotional book, Life Under God, plus the 10-lesson survivor sermon series from Jonathan Evans on CD, USB, or digital download.
They're both yours with our thanks for your donation to help us make this listener-supported program possible. Make the arrangements today at 1-800-800-3222 before time runs out. That's 1-800-800-3222, or visit tonyevans.org. With Easter coming up this weekend, I encourage you to share the special Easter episode of Stories from the Storyteller with the children in your life. Kyler's Crazy School Day presents the meaning of Easter in a fun, kid-friendly way. And now's the perfect time to introduce them to this engaging animated series. Learn more at tonyevanstv.com.
That's tonyevanstv.com. Have you ever struggled with a situation that seemed so overwhelming you just wanted to throw in the towel and say, God, I give up? If so, you're not alone. Even those with a rock-solid faith have faced those times of hopelessness. Tomorrow, Pastor Evans will teach us what to do when our feelings don't measure up to our faith. Be sure to join us.
