Participants: John Lomacang (Host), Pr. Taj Pacleb
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000179A
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00:13 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:15 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:22 Hello friends, and welcome to the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:25 I can say to you, "Happy Sabbath." 00:27 For those of us who are here, we'd like to 00:29 welcome you with a hearty amen. 00:30 Can we all say amen to that, church? 00:32 We are here at the 3ABN Worship Center 00:34 where we know the Lord is going to bless our hearts once again. 00:38 This is the fourth message in a series of messages 00:41 by Pastor Taj Pacleb. 00:44 A young man that my wife and I had the privilege of meeting 00:47 when we were in Australia ministering there. 00:49 And he is a young man who is on fire for the Lord. 00:53 I've often said we can be on fire for the Lord 00:56 or eventually by the Lord. 00:58 So I know he's made the wise choice. 01:00 The Lord is revealed and reflected through his life. 01:03 And this young man is going to be ignited 01:06 to share the message entitled today, 01:09 The Smitten Rock. 01:11 The Smitten Rock. 01:12 I have some idea of what that's about, but I'm going to 01:14 let the preacher make it even clearer. 01:16 Taj Pacleb, he was born in Hawaii, but he is Filipino, 01:23 Mexican, and German. 01:24 Somebody say hallelujah. 01:27 His wife's name is Wati. 01:29 She's here with us today. 01:30 And she's Fijian and Tongan. 01:33 So in these two individuals, there are 01:35 five nations represented. 01:37 But they are not so much focused on where they are from, 01:40 they are focused on where they are heading. 01:42 Amen to that? 01:44 We also have a wonderful minister of music today, 01:47 Jackie Jewel, who is going to bless us in just a moment. 01:49 But we want to thank you for your prayers 01:51 and your financial support of this network 01:53 as we continue going and growing, preparing for 01:57 the coming of the Lord. 01:58 Now normally I would begin with prayer, but 02:01 the preacher wants to pray today. 02:02 And I'm going to leave that to him. 02:04 But right now our hearts are going to be warmed 02:06 as we are ministered by song, an original song 02:10 written by Jackie Jewel, entitled, 02:12 Jesus, No Other Name. 02:15 After the song, the next voice that you will hear 02:17 will be that of Pastor Taj Pacleb. 02:31 There is a name I love to hear, 02:43 a name so sweet it's music to my ears, 02:54 a melody that sounded true; 03:04 Jesus, no other name will do. 03:14 I'm sure He loves me, this I know; 03:24 His Word, the Bible, tells me so. 03:33 His love revealed beyond degree; 03:43 Jesus, no other name for me. 03:54 We love because He first loved us, 04:04 He came to seek and save that which was lost. 04:14 He gave His life to set us free; 04:25 Jesus, no other name for me. 05:08 He's calling each of us today 05:19 to show His love and seek His face. 05:29 He's coming back to bring us home; 05:40 Jesus will come and claim His own. 05:49 I'm sure He loves me, this I know; 05:59 His Word, the Bible, tells me so. 06:08 His love revealed beyond degree; 06:19 Jesus, no other name for me. 06:28 Jesus, no other name for me. 06:48 Amen. Good morning, family. 06:50 Aloha and happy Sabbath to you all. 06:53 I welcome you to the house of God this morning. 06:55 Thank you so much, sister Jackie, for that beautiful 06:58 special message in song. 07:00 This morning we have a very important Bible study 07:03 that will help us in our journey through this wilderness 07:06 of this world as we're heading to the Promised Land. 07:09 And friends, I truly believe with all my heart that we are 07:12 just on the borders of the heavenly Canaan. 07:14 And God wants to bring us home very soon, amen? 07:18 This morning's topic is entitled, 07:19 The Smitten Rock. 07:21 And I hope you brought your Bibles, 07:22 I hope you brought your notebooks. 07:24 I hope you brought a spiritual appetite, 07:25 because we're going to feast upon the 07:27 bread of life this morning. 07:29 I invite you to bow your heads with me 07:30 as we begin with a word of prayer. 07:32 Father in heaven, we thank You so much 07:34 for gathering us together as Your children 07:37 to study Your holy Word on this Your holy Sabbath day. 07:41 We ask that the power of the Holy Spirit would 07:43 fill this room and each living room of those who are 07:46 watching at home. 07:48 We ask, Lord, that You would please touch our hearts, 07:51 speak to our minds. 07:53 May we see You more clearly than ever before 07:56 as we receive a fresh revelation of Jesus today. 08:00 Bless us now as we study. 08:01 In Christ's name we pray. Amen, amen. 08:05 I invite you to take your Bible and open with me 08:07 to the book of Exodus. 08:08 We're going to begin in the third chapter 08:10 as we study our message this morning entitled... 08:15 We're going to Exodus chapter 3. 08:17 And as you're turning there, this morning's message 08:20 takes us back to a time when God's people were in the bitter 08:23 bondage of Egypt. 08:25 The kingdom that once offered an asylum for God's people 08:28 during the famine would become a prison house of forced labor. 08:32 Israel became slaves to another one's will. 08:36 Pharaoh would use them to build up massive monuments 08:39 to his pagan deities. 08:40 And during this time of bondage, freedom was a stranger 08:43 that they did not know. 08:45 And only the taskmaster's whip was their constant companion. 08:49 Oh how they longed for liberation! 08:52 With inexpressible yearning, God's people desired 08:55 a free nation with liberty and justice for all. 08:58 But the record tells us that generation after generation 09:01 passed off the scene, and their prayers for deliverance 09:04 was not answered. 09:06 The light of hope burning in their hearts was nearly 09:08 extinguished by the taskmaster's whip. 09:12 And under the yoke of Egypt, they were waiting 09:16 and waiting for the coming of a deliverer. 09:19 Many people wondered, "Why is God indifferent to our pain? 09:22 Why does He not care about us? 09:24 Has God forgotten us?" 09:25 "When will we ever be free," was the question that was 09:29 on the minds and hearts of God's people. 09:31 And friends, let me tell you, though heaven was silent, 09:34 heaven surely was not deaf. 09:37 God, in answer to their prayer, came down to bring 09:40 His people up. 09:41 Notice what the Lord said to Moses in Exodus 3:7. 09:45 If you're there and you're ready to study the Bible today, 09:48 would you let me know by saying amen? 09:50 Exodus 3:7, the Bible says... 10:06 Here we find, friends, this passage highlights five 10:10 powerful verbs that reveal God's actions towards His people. 10:16 Number one, the Bible says that the Lord truly has seen 10:20 the affliction of His people. 10:21 I'm here to tell you, friends, that the same God that 10:24 saw the affliction of Israel sees your affliction 10:27 this morning as well. 10:28 For we serve a God whose eyes are ever open 10:31 to the sufferings of humanity. 10:33 God has seen what has taken place to us in the darkness. 10:36 All things are naked and exposed to the eyes of God. 10:39 And if God's eye is on the sparrow, 10:41 surely it's upon you and me this morning as well. 10:45 We serve a God that sees our pain, friends. 10:47 But not only does He see our sorrow, 10:49 He also hears our cry. 10:51 That's the second verb. 10:53 God hears us. 10:54 I want you to know, friends, even though you might 10:56 have been praying and it seems like heaven is silent, 11:00 heaven surely is not deaf. 11:02 Heaven's ears are always open to the cry, 11:05 even the faintest cry of the weakest of God's children. 11:08 And when our lips don't know what to say, 11:10 God hears the cry of our hearts. 11:13 Because our needs speak more eloquently than our words. 11:16 We serve a God that sees our pain, He hears our cry. 11:20 Then the third verb, the Bible says God knows the experiences 11:25 that His people are going through. 11:26 He knows their sorrow. 11:28 You see, that word, "know," in English is somewhat 11:31 a very shallow word. 11:32 But in biblical terms, the word, "know," has a very deep 11:36 and profound meaning. 11:37 You see, friends, the word, "know," simply means... 11:43 It's not simply to know in an intellectual way, 11:46 but to know in an experiential way. 11:49 And I'll never forget, earlier this year 11:51 my wife and I, as well as sister Jackie and a whole team of us, 11:55 got the chance to go to the beautiful country of the 11:58 Philippines and the island of Palawan. 12:01 And we were on a medical evangelism missionary trip. 12:04 A team of doctors and medical volunteers were there with us 12:07 and we provided free service to hundreds of locals. 12:11 We had a free dental clinic, an eye clinic, health screenings, 12:14 and even minor surgeries by day. 12:16 And then in the evening we had evangelistic meetings 12:18 and we preached Jesus to them at night. 12:20 And so we combined, by God's grace, the healing ministry 12:24 and the preaching ministry of Jesus together, 12:27 because these two things should go hand in hand. 12:29 And I'll never forget, a part of the medical health clinic 12:32 there was a section where little boys 12:36 were getting free circumcisions. 12:37 Now in that country, the boys don't get circumcised 12:40 until they're about 9, 10, 11, 12 years old. 12:42 And so there was a line of young boys getting circumcised there. 12:46 And I made sure to stay away from that section. 12:48 Because for me, you know, I can't deal with blood 12:51 and flesh, and what not. 12:52 It's not something that I care to see. 12:55 And so I made sure I stayed away from that section 12:57 where the boys were getting circumcised. 12:59 But towards the end of that day, I mustered up some courage 13:02 to finally go and check it out. 13:04 And I saw that there was a boy on the table, 13:07 and the surgeon was about to make the initial incision. 13:11 And so I asked the surgeon how the procedure works. 13:15 And while the surgeon was speaking, I couldn't help but 13:17 notice that the boy on the table was covering his face. 13:20 He was groaning and moaning and he was biting a piece of cloth 13:24 as if he was in excruciating pain. 13:27 And when I saw the look on his face, I asked the surgeon, 13:30 "At what point do you anesthetize them?" 13:33 "At what point do you anesthetize them?" 13:35 You know what she told me? 13:37 "Oh, we don't do that. 13:38 Oh no, no, no. We don't do that. 13:40 It doesn't make a difference. Well we don't do that." 13:42 And she continued to speak, but at that point, 13:44 I could not hear anything else she said after that point. 13:47 All I could hear was the grunts and the moans of this little boy 13:52 as he buried his face in his hands on the operating table. 13:56 I saw his face. 13:59 I heard his cry. 14:01 And strangely, I actually began to enter into his experience. 14:06 I actually began to know what he was going through. 14:11 And friends, when that happened, my heart started hurting. 14:16 My breathing became heavy, my legs got weak, 14:19 and my head got light, and my face turned pale. 14:23 I went into a cold sweat. 14:24 I didn't know what was happening so I told the pastor, 14:26 "Pastor, you need to take me back to the hotel. 14:30 I can't handle this. 14:31 I'm struggling." 14:33 I was feeling sick. 14:35 And so the pastor was about to take me back to the hotel. 14:38 I took a few steps, I staggered, nearly fainted. 14:41 And they laid me down on one of the benches. 14:43 The pastor called the nurses to come together. 14:45 And they said that, "The pastor, the preacher, needs some help." 14:49 And so all the nurses left their patients to attend to me. 14:53 They laid me down on the table. 14:55 They began to fan me, they lifted up my feet, 14:58 and they examined my vitals. 15:00 And after raising up my feet, giving me some juice to drink, 15:04 the blood came back to my head and I started feeling better. 15:08 And then I told them what I saw and what I heard 15:12 on the operating table. 15:14 And they told me that what I was experiencing was what is called, 15:17 vagal response. 15:19 How many of you have heard or know what vagal response is? 15:22 Well most of you don't. 15:23 I didn't know until I experienced it. 15:25 Well vagal response is basically a malfunction in parts of the 15:28 nervous system of the body that regulate 15:31 heart, rate, and blood pressure. 15:34 And so when the heart rate slows down, 15:36 the blood pressure drops. 15:38 And the result of the lack of blood in the brain 15:41 causes fainting and confusion. 15:43 Those were the symptoms that I was feeling. 15:45 And there are several things that cause vagal response. 15:49 One of them being empathizing with the pain of others. 15:54 And that's what I experienced for the first time in my life. 15:59 I actually entered into the experience. 16:00 Now there's a big difference between empathy and sympathy. 16:06 You see, to sympathize with someone, 16:08 it means that you... 16:15 But to empathize is a whole lot more profound. 16:18 To empathize is... 16:35 You see, to sympathize is like an outward spectator 16:39 looking in and saying, I can only imagine 16:42 what you're going through. 16:43 But to empathize is like an inward participant 16:47 looking out saying, "I know exactly how you feel." 16:51 You see, the surgeon sympathized with the boy 16:56 that she was circumcising. 16:57 She had sympathy. 16:59 But I had empathy for that little boy. 17:01 When I saw his face and heard his cry, 17:04 I began to feel physiologically like I was the one laying 17:09 on the operating table and like I was the one being circumcised 17:14 without being anesthetize. 17:16 And I could not handle it. 17:19 And by the way, friends, that wasn't true. 17:22 They do anesthetize the little boys before they 17:25 make the initial incision. 17:27 When the surgeon told me that they did not numb them, 17:30 she failed to tell me that she was just joking. 17:33 And I only found that out after I nearly fainted. 17:37 It was a very bad joke, but it makes for a good 17:41 sermon illustration. Amen? 17:43 Because you see, friends, what I was experiencing 17:46 as I looked upon that boy's pain is but a faint glimpse 17:53 of how God feels when He sees your pain. 17:57 God not only sympathizes with us as a passive spectator, 18:01 but our God empathizes with us as an active participant 18:07 in our pain. 18:09 God hears our cry, He sees our sorrow. 18:13 And He knows our pain, for He feels it in His own flesh. 18:18 The Bible says that He's a man of sorrows 18:20 and acquainted with grief. 18:22 You remember the story when Jesus went to the 18:24 tomb of Lazarus. 18:26 Lazarus was there sleeping in the grave, and Jesus knew that. 18:30 Jesus knew that Lazarus was sleeping. 18:32 Jesus knew that death was not the end. 18:35 And Jesus knew that He was just about to resurrect 18:37 Lazarus from the grave. 18:39 And though Jesus knew all those things, 18:41 we find the shortest verse in the Bible, 18:44 John 11:35, the response of Jesus. 18:47 The Bible says, "Jesus wept." 18:51 Why is He weeping? 18:53 He knows that Lazarus is just sleeping. 18:56 He knows that He's about to resurrect 18:57 Lazarus from the grave. 18:59 And so why this strange response if Jesus knows this? 19:02 Why is He weeping? 19:04 Friends, Jesus is not weeping for the dead. 19:06 He's weeping for the living. 19:08 Because He sees the pain upon the countenance 19:10 of the loved ones who have lost Lazarus. 19:13 He hears the grievous mourning and their bitter cries. 19:16 And when He saw the pain and heard the cry, 19:19 Jesus knew what they felt. 19:21 He actually entered into their experience. 19:24 Because our pain is His pain. 19:30 The pain that He saw upon humanity pierced His heart 19:36 with unbearable sorrow that caused His eyes to open up, 19:39 and a fountain of tears began to flow. 19:42 Friends, you need to know this morning 19:44 that when we hurt, He hurts. 19:47 When we weep, He weeps. 19:50 When you are in pain, God feels it in His own flesh. 19:54 No one else may understand what you're going through, 19:56 but God knows. 19:58 And He's the great God that can turn our sorrows 20:02 into sweet joy. 20:04 Weeping may endure for the night, 20:06 but joy comes in the morning. 20:09 The Bible says in Isaiah 63:9... 20:17 The Bible says in Zechariah 2:8... 20:23 When Saul the persecutor was persecuting the early church, 20:27 Jesus showed up to Saul, 20:30 knocked him off of the high horse. 20:32 And as Saul looked into that bright light, 20:35 the Lord Jesus spoke to him and said, 20:37 "Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 20:41 He didn't ask, "Why are you persecuting My church?" 20:44 "Why are you persecuting Me?" 20:46 Because in the persecution of the church, 20:48 it was Jesus Himself that was being persecuted. 20:51 Jesus takes your pain personal, friends. 20:55 And so, my brothers and sisters, if you've lost a loved one 20:58 and your heart is broken, to cancer, 21:01 and you're incomplete without them, 21:03 Jesus knows. 21:04 If your children have died in a terrible accident 21:07 and you're wondering why, or maybe you're a single parent 21:09 trying to raise your kids and you're plagued with loneliness, 21:13 maybe your spouse has left you, 21:14 your fiancé has walked out on you, 21:16 your children disrespecting you, your parents abusing you, 21:19 and your friends are talking about you, 21:21 and you feel all alone; 21:23 I want you to rest in the reality that God sees 21:26 your sorrow, He hears your cry, and He knows your pain. 21:29 Weeping may endure for the night, 21:31 but joy comes in the morning. 21:34 So hang on, we're almost home. 21:38 In this verse, Exodus 3:7, we find the first three verbs. 21:45 God see, He hears, and He knows. 21:49 But then we go to the next verse, verse 8, and we find the 21:52 the last two verbs. 21:53 The verbs that tell us what God actually does 21:56 concerning our pain. 21:57 Notice what it says in verse 8. The Bible says... 22:17 So here we find, friends, God sees... 22:23 And then He actually does something about it. 22:25 The Bible says He comes down. 22:28 Why? So that He can bring us up. 22:32 You see, our God always takes the initiative. 22:34 Jesus came down to earth to bring us up to heaven. 22:38 Love came down to bring us up. 22:40 And so, my friends, if you feel yourself down and out, 22:43 let Jesus lift you up and bring you in. 22:46 Because, you see, what God is about to do for literal Israel 22:51 in a literal way, He wants to do for spiritual Israel 22:55 in a spiritual way. 22:56 I want you to notice, friends, when you study the Bible 22:58 carefully, you notice that Egypt represents sin. 23:04 Egypt is a type of sin. 23:06 We are all slaves to sin. 23:08 We're under the dominion and the power of sin. 23:11 And we, like the Israelites, don't have it within us 23:14 to make ourselves free from Egypt. 23:17 We can't do it. 23:19 We need something outside of ourselves. 23:21 We can't free ourselves from the bondage of sin. 23:24 And so we need the Lord. 23:27 And that which finally broke the hold of Pharaoh upon the Jews 23:31 is the same thing that breaks the yoke of sin 23:34 upon us all. 23:36 It was the death of the first born son. 23:40 You see, that tenth plague is the plague that finally 23:43 broke the hold of Pharaoh upon the Jews 23:46 and made him willing to let God's people go free. 23:49 The death of the first born is a symbol of the cross. 23:53 Jesus, friends, who is the true first born Son, 23:55 died for you and me so that we might go free. 23:58 The innocent died to free us from the penalty of sin, 24:02 from the power of sin, and even the presence of sin. 24:05 And what happens is this, friends: 24:06 Once we accept by faith the death of the first born, 24:10 Jesus Christ, and we're under the blood of the Lamb, 24:13 we place that blood upon the doorpost of our hearts, 24:16 it is then that we pass over from death into life, 24:20 from slavery into salvation. 24:23 It's all in the blood. 24:25 But then after that, you know the story, 24:28 the Israelites came out of Egypt. 24:31 And now God led them through the waters 24:34 of the Red Sea. 24:35 And in the waters of the Red Sea is where the 24:38 enemies of God's people were swallowed up. 24:41 And we've been told that the Red Sea crossing 24:43 was a symbol of baptism in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 24:46 You see, when we've accepted the death of the first born 24:49 in our hearts, the next logical step is the outward expression 24:53 of an inward experience. 24:54 And it comes from going through the waters of baptism. 24:58 That's where all our enemies are swallowed up. 25:00 That is, the outward enemy is taken care of. 25:03 But friends, notice that after Israel went through the Red Sea, 25:07 they were not in heaven yet. 25:09 They did not arrive. Why? 25:10 Because baptism is not a graduation. 25:12 It's a new beginning. Can you say amen? 25:14 They still had to wander in the wilderness. 25:17 And that wilderness represents the world. 25:19 This world is not our home, we're just passing through. 25:22 We're on our way to the Promised Land. 25:25 Now baptism, the lesson is simple. 25:27 At the Red Sea, God dealt with the outward enemy, 25:30 but afterward in the wilderness there was still a warfare 25:34 against self that had to be fought. 25:37 The lesson is simple. 25:38 Baptism doesn't guarantee that all our struggles are finished. 25:42 After baptism there's still a warfare against self 25:46 that must be fought in the wilderness of the world. 25:49 And as we walk with the Lord by faith through the wilderness, 25:52 He gives us victory unto victory. 25:55 You see, Israel was justified at the Red Sea. 25:57 But God wanted to sanctify them in the wilderness 26:01 to prepare them for the Promised Land, 26:03 to make them righteous by faith before they entered 26:06 into the land of Canaan. 26:08 And this is the struggle of the Christian. 26:11 To be in the wilderness but not have the wilderness in us. 26:15 The Lord said we're in the world but not of the world. 26:18 Just like a boat should be in the water, 26:20 but when the water gets in the boat, you've got trouble. 26:22 Isn't that right? 26:23 We're in the world, but not of the world. 26:25 We're wandering through the wilderness. 26:26 We're heading to the Promised Land. 26:28 The glorious future is ahead of us. 26:30 The best is yet to come. 26:31 And friends, we're almost home. 26:35 Now while in the wilderness their faith was tested. 26:39 Notice what happens as we jump to Exodus chapter 17. 26:44 I want us to notice this very potent story in the Bible. 26:48 In Exodus the 17th chapter, the faith of God's people 26:52 was severely tested. 26:53 Notice what happens in Exodus 17:1. 26:57 The Bible says... 27:14 You see, the wilderness was a dry and thirsty land 27:18 with only bitter waters. 27:20 Which shows that the wilderness of this world 27:22 has nothing to satisfy the quench of our souls. 27:24 Only bitterness, only disappointment. 27:27 Now these, God's people, they were on the right path. 27:30 They exited Egypt, they were heading to Canaan. 27:33 They were on the right path. 27:35 And God was leading them through the wilderness. 27:37 And friends, listen, if God is truly leading us, 27:39 then He also obligates Himself to provide for us. 27:44 But it seemed like God wasn't there. 27:48 No water for the people to drink. 27:50 Now friends, was there really no water? 27:53 It only seemed that way. 27:56 And the reason is because God was seeking 27:58 to stretch their faith. 27:59 You see, before this, God had given the Israelites 28:02 plenty of evidence that He had power to control the elements. 28:07 He's the one that turned the water of the Nile into blood. 28:11 He's the one that opened the Red Sea and 28:13 closed it on their enemies. 28:14 He's the one that turned the bitter waters of Marah sweet. 28:18 He rained down bread from heaven. 28:20 And if God can rain down bread from heaven, 28:22 surely He can rain down water as well. 28:25 You see, the Israelites had sufficient evidence 28:27 that the God that was leading them 28:29 had the power to control all the elements. 28:34 And Israel, though they had this evidence 28:38 that God was more than able to provide for them, 28:41 with this sufficient evidence to believe 28:44 they had no reason to doubt. 28:46 But unfortunately, their faith rested not upon the evidence 28:51 of God's past leading or His present promises, 28:55 but rather they began to focus on the difficulties 28:58 of their present circumstances. 29:01 And as a result, you can read the rest of the story later on, 29:03 but they began to murmur and complain and doubt God. 29:09 How many of us are so prone to do the same thing? 29:12 Our minds are so quick to doubt. 29:14 Our hearts are so prone to wander away from God. 29:19 Oh my friends, don't tell God how big your mountains are. 29:22 Tell your mountains how big your God is. 29:24 There's no mountain too big that God can't move it. 29:27 But in forgetting the blessings of the past, 29:30 they began to complain of the circumstances of the present. 29:33 They began to grumble and murmur against God 29:36 and the man of God. 29:37 They threw out all evidence of God's watch-care for them. 29:40 Now they're doubting God's promises. 29:42 They're actually judging God of having evil 29:44 intentions against them. 29:46 They're blaming God for their present suffering. 29:49 And their murmuring would lead to murder. 29:52 They're ready to stone Moses. 29:54 Here we find God's people in a selfish, sinful, 29:57 and scary position. 29:59 They're blaming and fighting and going against the very one 30:03 that was leading them, the only one that could save them. 30:07 Now how would God respond to this rebellious 30:11 ungrateful people? 30:13 Not by giving them what they deserved, 30:17 but by giving them what they needed. 30:20 They needed water to drink. 30:22 I'm so thankful, friends, that God is a merciful and 30:25 gracious God. 30:26 Slow to anger and abundant in goodness and truth and mercy. 30:30 God, instead of giving these sinful rebellious people 30:33 what they deserve, which is death, He gives them 30:35 what they need, which is life. 30:37 Notice what He told Moses to do in verse 5. 30:40 Exodus 17:5 31:09 So what does God do, friends? 31:10 God tells Moses to take the rod and to smite 31:15 or to hit the rock. 31:16 Friends, this is an active parable, an object lesson, 31:19 a visual aid about the great plan of salvation. 31:23 The rock is smitten and Israel is saved. 31:26 And friends, we know that rock is none other 31:29 than Jesus Christ. 31:31 In 1 Corinthians 10:4, the Bible says that, "All did drink 31:36 of that same spiritual drink..." 31:44 The rock provided water for the people to drink. 31:47 Jesus provides water to save us from spiritual dehydration. 31:50 And friends, when you drink water, water has many 31:53 blessed benefits. 31:56 When you drink water, water cleanses us. 32:00 Not only inwardly, but outwardly. 32:02 You take a bath in water. 32:04 You drink water and it cleanses you. 32:05 Which shows us that the only way we can be clean 32:07 is by the cleansing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 32:11 Can you say amen? 32:12 We can't make ourselves clean, friends. 32:15 We are filthy with sin, but Jesus the Rock makes us clean. 32:18 Not only that, but the water strengthened the Israelites 32:20 in their journey to the Promised Land. 32:22 We don't have power or strength in or of ourselves. 32:25 It's only as we drink of Christ, the Rock, 32:28 that we have power to make it through. 32:29 Water not only cleanses us and strengthens us, 32:32 it also satisfies us. 32:34 And Jesus is the only one that can quench 32:37 the thirst of our souls. 32:39 And water saves us from dehydration. 32:41 Jesus is the only one that can save us from spiritual drought. 32:45 Water came from the rock. 32:46 But what does this water represent? 32:49 Well we don't have to guess, because the Bible tells us. 32:51 I want you to notice in Isaiah 44:3... 32:54 Please write it down. 32:55 Isaiah 44:3, the Bible says... 33:11 So the water represents the Spirit, 33:14 the blessings of the Holy Spirit that comes from the Rock, 33:18 Jesus Christ. 33:19 And so the Lord promised to us that He will provide His Spirit, 33:24 His blessings, so that we can endure the weariness of the 33:27 wilderness and so that we can make it to the Promised Land. 33:30 But what needed to happen in order for water 33:34 to come out of the rock? 33:37 Moses had to take the rod, and with the rod 33:41 he had to hit the rock. 33:43 Well what does this rod represent? 33:45 Notice what it says in Psalm 89:30-32. 33:50 The rod is a symbol of God's judgment. 33:53 Notice what it says, Psalm 89:30-32. 34:15 You see, friends, the rod was used for 34:17 punishment and judgment. 34:19 Every time Moses lifted up the rod over Egypt, 34:23 a plague fell from heaven. 34:25 And so the rod represents the judgments of God. 34:28 You also us a rod, maybe not one like this, 34:30 but a rod to bring correction to an erring disobedient child. 34:34 That's why the Bible says, "Don't spare the rod." 34:39 And friends, when Moses hit the rock 34:42 with the rod of God's judgment, it was a symbol of the cross. 34:47 In the wilderness of the world, Israel murmured, rebelled, 34:50 and blamed God, and even sought to kill the man of God. 34:54 You see, the rod should have fallen upon Israel. 34:57 The judgments of God should have fallen upon the people of God. 35:01 But instead of falling upon Israel, it fell upon the Rock. 35:05 The Rock took their place. 35:08 The Rock was smitten so that Israel could be saved. 35:14 And friends, Jesus took our punishment 35:18 So that we could have His peace. 35:20 He took our beating so that we could have His blessing. 35:24 The innocent One is condemned so that the guilty ones 35:28 can go free. 35:30 Well how many of you are thankful for Jesus? 35:32 It's a very simple story, friends, 35:34 but illustrating a profound gospel truth. 35:38 I should have died. 35:40 The rod should have fallen upon me. 35:43 But it fell upon the Rock instead. 35:45 Remember when Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane? 35:48 The angry mob came with the soldiers, 35:50 with torches, and weapons, looking for their victim. 35:54 And when Jesus revealed His glory to them, 35:56 they all fell back, and then they tried to arrest Him. 35:58 And Jesus said in John 18:8, "If you seek Me, 36:02 let these go their way. 36:07 If you're coming for Me, let these, My disciples, 36:11 let them go." 36:12 You see, just as God said to Pharaoh, 36:15 Jesus said to the angry mob, "Let them go. 36:20 Take Me instead." 36:22 The rod should have fallen upon us, 36:25 but it fell upon the Rock instead. 36:28 The first born Son. 36:30 He was smitten so that we could be saved. 36:34 And that's why it says in Isaiah 53:4-5, 36:37 notice what the Bible says... 37:02 I love what it says in the book, Desire of Ages. 37:05 It says on page 25, "Christ was treated..." 37:31 You see, friends, because of His sacrifice, we have water 37:35 to cleanse us, to satisfy us, to strengthen us, 37:37 and to save us in our journey to the Promised Land. 37:40 And that's what happened for God's people here in Exodus 17. 37:43 And so the story tells us that for the next 40 years, 37:46 water continued to flow to satisfy the thirst of our souls. 37:53 The Rock is smitten; Israel is saved. 37:57 But I want us to notice now as we fast forward 40 years later. 38:02 Israel is now on the borders of Canaan. 38:06 They're just about to enter into the Promised Land. 38:09 They are almost home. 38:11 So close. 38:13 And if you go to Numbers chapter 20... 38:16 You can write it down at least. 38:17 Read the whole chapter later on. 38:19 But in Numbers the 20th chapter, they're right there 38:22 on the borders of Canaan. 38:23 They're almost home. 38:25 And just before they enter into the land of Canaan, 38:28 they experience a great time of trouble. 38:31 Numbers 20:2 tells us that there was no water 38:36 for the people to drink. 38:38 Now the question is this: 38:40 Why did the water stop flowing when they were on the borders 38:45 of the land of Canaan. 38:48 Well friends, here's the reason. 38:50 Just before they're about to enter into Canaan, 38:53 days before, in fact, God instructed the Israelites 38:57 to go and purchase water in Edom. 39:00 And from where they were when God told them to do that, 39:04 the direct route to the land of Canaan 39:06 was actually directly through Edom. 39:10 Thus, the drying up of the waters was an evidence 39:14 that they were almost home. 39:17 That's why they had to buy water from Edom. 39:20 They're on the borders of Canaan. 39:21 God is about to bring them to the land flowing with 39:23 milk and honey. 39:24 Therefore, they don't need the water from the rock anymore. 39:26 They're almost home. 39:28 God buy water from Edom. 39:29 That's the direct route to Canaan. 39:31 In other words, before you enter into the Promised Land, 39:34 your faith is going to be tested. 39:36 And that's why, notice in Deuteronomy 2:3-4, 6-7, 39:41 here's what it says. 40:18 "I have provided for all your needs. 40:21 I have taken care of you in the wilderness. 40:23 But now I want you to go all the way through the Promised Land. 40:26 And so I'm instructing you to go and buy water 40:29 from your brethren, the children of Esau." 40:31 Friends, notice the powerful parallel. 40:33 Just like Jacob had to meet his brother Esau 40:37 before he could inherit the promise, 40:40 now the children of Jacob, Israel, must face the children 40:44 of Esau before they inherit the Promised Land. 40:50 And that which has been is that which shall be. 40:54 For, friends, we are on the borders of Canaan. 40:58 We are almost home. 40:59 And in these last days we will experience a similar test 41:03 where the waters stop flowing. 41:06 And in that time of trial, we're going to have to keep 41:09 moving forward, knowing and trusting that our bread 41:12 and our water will be sure. 41:15 It's the final trouble before the Lord comes. 41:18 It's the cross that precedes the crown. 41:20 It's the crucifixion that comes before the resurrection. 41:22 It's the rain that precedes the rainbow. 41:25 It's the pit and the prison that comes before 41:27 the heavenly palace. 41:29 It's a time that will try men's souls to the utmost. 41:31 A time that we will be forsaken by man 41:34 and seemingly forgotten by God. 41:36 The Bible calls it, the time of Jacob's trouble. 41:42 And friends, during that time, we need not be afraid. 41:47 Our bread and our water will be sure. Amen? 41:51 Remember, when that time comes, friends, 41:53 it's not a cause for complaint. 41:55 It simply means that we are almost home. 41:57 And the question comes to us this morning: 41:59 Has the water stopped flowing for you? 42:02 Maybe you're at that time in your own personal life 42:05 right now where things are getting too hard to handle. 42:08 The enemy is breathing down your neck 42:10 and the wilderness of your experience is getting too hot. 42:14 Well I want to encourage you, friends, hold on. 42:17 We're almost home. 42:19 Hold on, we're almost home. 42:22 You see, Israel should have rejoiced 42:25 that the waters stopped flowing. 42:29 That which should have been a cause of rejoicing 42:33 instead was a cause of a bitter devastating disappointment. 42:37 And now Israel falls back into the same sins 42:41 they committed 40 years before. 42:43 They forgot God's leading in the past. 42:45 You see, these individuals, they saw the glory of God. 42:48 They experienced His mighty arm bringing them 42:50 through their trouble. 42:52 They ate of the heavenly bread and drank of the water from 42:55 the rock for the past 40 years, and they knew better 42:57 than to doubt God's care. 42:59 They knew. 43:00 But even after knowing the truth, they still doubted 43:02 and complained. 43:04 And so what does God do now? 43:07 How will He respond? 43:09 Well God instructs Moses, you can read it in Numbers 20, 43:13 to do something similar that he did 40 years before. 43:16 Similar but different. 43:18 God tells Moses, "Take the rod and gather the people, 43:23 and don't hit the rock; simply..." What? 43:26 "...speak to the rock. 43:28 And the water will flow out abundantly." 43:31 The same source; the rock. 43:34 But a different method this time. 43:36 Don't hit the rock, just speak to the rock. 43:38 And the lesson is very simple. 43:39 Jesus does not have to die twice. 43:42 He only had to die once. 43:43 And because of His death, in order for us to have the 43:45 water of salvation all we have to do is speak to the Rock. 43:48 To pray, and God will give us the water of life. 43:52 You see, in this moment God is seeking to give His people 43:55 an object lesson, a visual aid, of His love. 43:58 But you know the story. 44:00 Moses now does something that will expel him 44:05 from the Promised Land. 44:07 Moses responds to the fussing and fighting and 44:10 grumbling and whining and complaining Israelites, 44:12 he responded with frustration and irritation. 44:15 And he says in Numbers 20:10, "Must we fetch water for you 44:20 out of this rock?" 44:23 Here Moses, the man of God, lost his cool. 44:25 He took matters into his own hands. 44:28 And now he's assuming authority that belongs to God alone. 44:32 And in a fit of anger and in a fit of rage, 44:35 instead of speaking to the rock, he hit the rock twice, 44:39 the Bible says. 44:41 He hit it when he only needed to speak to it. 44:45 And as a result of taking his frustration out on the rock, 44:51 this singular sin prevented Moses from entering 44:56 the Promised Land. 44:58 Now, why is it such a big deal? 45:02 I mean, the punishment of not entering into the Promised Land 45:07 doesn't seem to fit the crime. 45:09 I mean, he just hit a rock. 45:11 What's wrong with that? 45:13 Well, friends, here's the reason. 45:15 God could not deal with the sin of the leader 45:20 the same way that He dealt with the sins of the follower. 45:23 Because Moses had much more light. 45:26 In fact, notice what it says in the book, 45:28 Patriarchs and Prophets, on page 420. 45:30 It says this... 46:10 Jesus said, "To whom much is given, much is required." 46:16 And so even though Moses did something that seems so small, 46:19 I mean he just hit the rock, because of that 46:21 he was bitterly barred from the Promised Land, 46:24 because his sin was more grievous. 46:27 Because he knew God. 46:32 It was done after knowing truth. 46:35 And though the force of the object lesson was 46:38 seemingly destroyed by Moses hitting the rock 46:40 the second time, there is another lesson 46:44 that is still to be learned. 46:46 And this lesson is spoken of in Hebrews chapter 6. 46:51 I want you to notice in Hebrews 6:4, 46:55 though Moses hit the rock the second time and 46:57 seemingly destroyed the visual object lesson, 46:59 here's the other lesson that we learn. 47:01 Hebrews 6:4, the Bible says this... 47:32 Friends, have you been enlightened? 47:34 Have you received the truth of God? 47:37 Have you heard the message of Jesus? 47:40 Have you been walking with the Lord? 47:42 Experiencing His power? 47:44 Oh friends, when we come into that realization, 47:47 when we come into that personal encounter with the Lord, 47:49 and yet after that we openly rebel against Him, 47:53 it's like we're crucifying Jesus afresh. 47:56 Because sin, friends, is all the more painful to God 48:00 when we, like Moses, have received much light. 48:04 You see, it's not the open sinner that hurts God the most, 48:10 but rather it is the inconsistent Christian 48:13 that brings pain to His heart the most. 48:16 You see, if an enemy stole something from me, 48:19 that wouldn't hurt as much as if a family member 48:22 stole something from me. 48:24 And so too when we come to know the Lord, and yet after that... 48:28 I'm not talking about the things that we struggle with. 48:30 But I'm talking about the things that we know are wrong 48:32 and yet we still want to do it, we're crucifying Jesus afresh. 48:36 Just like Moses, we're hitting the rock the second time. 48:40 When we doubt and complain after God has given us 48:42 all the evidences in the world of His love, 48:46 we too are smiting the rock the second time. 48:49 We're shaming our Lord before the universe 48:51 and we're giving the devil an opportunity to bring reproach 48:55 to Christ. 48:58 Oh my friends, have you fallen after knowing truth? 49:01 Perhaps you're a pastor, or an elder, or a Bible teacher, 49:04 a canvasser, or some spiritual leader, 49:06 and you got tired of wandering in the wilderness. 49:09 Your faith has grown dim and your love has grown cold. 49:12 You've lost your first love, and the wilderness of the 49:14 world has worn you down, and the waters stopped flowing for you. 49:18 And you, instead of just speaking to the rock, 49:20 communing with Christ, you have hit the rock. 49:22 From standing on the mountain of victory 49:25 you have fallen into the valley of immorality. 49:28 And now you feel like, "Man, I've shamed my family." 49:31 You've misrepresented your church, 49:33 you've disappointed your friends, 49:34 you've disgraced your calling, you've hurt your Lord, 49:37 and you've made a big fool out of yourself. 49:39 And now you feel like you've gone too far, 49:41 your mistakes are too big, your sin is too great, 49:44 and you have no way to get up. 49:45 And you feel like all hope of recovery is lost, 49:48 and you feel like you are forever barred 49:50 from the Promised Land. 49:51 Oh friends, I've got good news for you. 49:53 Though Moses hit the rock the second time, 49:55 water still came out. 49:59 Water still came out. 50:04 God still had mercy upon His people. 50:09 And He still had mercy on Moses. 50:11 Because even though Moses was barred from the earthly Canaan, 50:15 because of his repentance and confession, 50:18 coming to the Lord, God brought him to the heavenly Canaan. 50:24 And even though we fall short, God sees, hears, 50:31 and knows our sins. 50:34 But He is come down to bring us up. 50:38 And so I want to encourage you, friend, if you're out there 50:41 wandering in the wilderness of the world 50:44 and you have sinned and rebelled against God 50:46 even after knowing the truth; 50:48 pastor, elder, some spiritual leader, 50:50 and you have fallen and you feel like all hope is lost, 50:55 you're hitting the rock the second time like Moses did. 50:58 Come home, 51:00 and drink the water that still flows from the rock. 51:03 Amen? 51:05 Our sins put Jesus, the Son of God, on the cross. 51:11 But Jesus paid it all. 51:15 He paid our debt in full. 51:18 And the door of mercy is still wide open. 51:21 And God is still giving people time to get ready 51:25 for the Promised Land. 51:27 Oh my brothers and my sisters, the devil knows your name, 51:33 but he calls you by your sin. 51:37 But you know, that God knows your sin, 51:41 but He calls you by your name. 51:44 He's a God that's abundant in mercy. 51:48 My friends, when you look at the cross, Jesus died, 51:53 He said, "It is finished." 51:57 And even after He died, it was done. 52:00 The Rock was smitten, and now the water flows freely 52:03 so that all could be saved if they choose. 52:09 But then you know the story of how the soldier came 52:12 and speared Jesus in the side. 52:15 Why would he do that? 52:17 He was already dead. 52:19 Why hit the Rock the second time 52:21 when He was already smitten the first? 52:23 Oh friends, you understand why they did that, right? 52:26 They wanted to make sure that He was dead. 52:29 So when the soldier speared Jesus in the side, 52:34 they really speared Him under the ribcage to the heart, 52:37 to make sure that that Man on the cross was dead. 52:42 And from the heart of Christ, the Rock, water and blood 52:50 began to flow. 52:53 But why blood and water from the heart of Christ? 52:58 Because science has shown that when a person experiences 53:02 an extreme case of mental, psychological, 53:07 and emotional agony, stress, and pain, 53:12 their heart can actually break. 53:15 And when that happens, the red blood cells and the plasma, 53:19 the clear liquid, separates. 53:23 And so, friends, when you see blood and water 53:27 flowing from the heart of Christ, it tells us 53:30 the cause of His death. 53:31 That Jesus did not die from the physical pain, 53:35 but rather He died from the mental, emotional, 53:39 and psychological agony of being rejected by us, His children, 53:44 and even seemingly forsaken of His Father. 53:48 We broke the heart of God. 53:53 But water still came out. 53:57 His heart was broken for you... 54:00 ...so that He could heal your broken heart. 54:05 Is your heart broken this morning? 54:08 Give to Jesus all the broken pieces of your heart, 54:13 and He will make it whole. 54:17 Perhaps the mistakes and sins of your past 54:20 have soiled the garment of your life. 54:22 Maybe you, like Moses, have struck the Rock 54:24 over and over again with your sins. 54:26 Remember, friends, the Rock took your place. 54:29 He was smitten so that you could be saved. 54:32 So this morning, my appeal to each one of us 54:35 is that we need to come to the Rock. 54:37 We need to lay down our rods. 54:40 Lay down that which you're using to hurt God. 54:43 Lay down your pride, your sin, your selfishness, 54:46 your alcohol, your drugs, your bitterness, 54:48 your unforgiving spirit, your doubt. 54:50 Friends, God wants us to lay down our rods 54:52 and come and speak to the Rock, 54:56 and drink the cleansing water of life. 55:03 What are you hurting God with? 55:05 What sin in your life are you still clinging to despite 55:09 all that God has done for you? 55:12 Friends, I know for me, I have caused God so much pain. 55:19 I don't want to cause Him pain. 55:21 I want to bring Him joy. 55:23 Friends, we're almost home. 55:25 We're on the borders of Canaan. 55:27 Let's lay down our rod. 55:29 Let's speak and commune with the Rock, 55:32 drink of the water, and let's go home. 55:36 This morning as your heads are bowed, 55:40 as your eyes are closed, as your heart is open. 55:45 We should have been crucified, but Jesus took our place. 55:50 Would you please lay down your rod 55:54 and come to the Rock this morning? 55:57 Surrender your life to Christ, 55:59 as you listen to the words of this song. 56:01 Listen carefully. 56:04 I was guilty with nothing to say, 56:15 and they were coming to take me away. 56:26 But then a voice from heaven 56:32 was heard that said, "Let her go. 56:40 Take Me instead." 56:49 See, I should have been crucified. 57:00 I should have suffered and died. 57:11 I should have hung on the cross in disgrace, 57:21 but Jesus, God's Son, took my place. |
Revised 2016-05-03