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Transition Series
Sermon 3 of 4 "The War"
Exodus 17:8-16 (Page 62)
March 16th 2008
As we are looking at the topic of transition we by looking at the story of the grumbling at the water, from there we looked at the grumbling about the manna and today we look at another difficulty and teaching moment of the Israelites as is recorded in Exodus 17:8-16 on page 62 where the people face the Amalekites.
Growing from a small church to a medium church means some things change but the majority of things stay the same. To manage the waves of change we need to be healthy and we need to be able to grow larger and smaller at the same time just like the church did in Acts as they met in the temple and in homes.
We will need to remind ourselves of some of the aspects that we have talked about earlier. We will continue to do things on purpose and remind one another that we are on a battle ship not a cruise ship and that we are all leaky cups who find our purpose in giving to others.
We will need humble but dedicated leadership that helps develop the strengths of the team by guiding the right people in the right places, confronting the brutal realities with a unifying concept and helping us connect to God and bear fruit.
These are not easy concepts but they work because we see God leading us in them. These are the same concepts that helped the Israelites make it through the wilderness and the church in Acts grow to impact the world and our community today.
Today we are doing a war story where the people face opposition in a different form. They have been dealing with trouble from nature and now they have to learn how to deal with trouble that comes from others.
This story relates well to today’s text as it speaks of the need to hear the whole message.
"Wellington Defeated … "
The Duke of Wellington led the English forces against those of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. News of the history-making battle came by sailing vessel to the south coast of England, and it was signaled by semaphore overland toward London.
Atop Winchester Cathedral, the semaphore began to spell out the eagerly-awaited-for message. A dense fog began to settle down just as the words "Wellington defeated" were finished. The semaphore could no longer be seen, and the heartbreaking news of Wellington’s defeat spread throughout London.
Before long, the fog lifted and again the signaling semaphore atop the cathedral became visible. This time it spelled out the complete message of the battle: "Wellington defeated the enemy!" —Gospel Herald
Today we will look at one event and look at it from two perspectives and notice how the perspective helps in dealing with problems.
Today’s story calls us to focus on how God’s perspective is often very different than our own. This difference in perspective can be especially true during times of transition. As we transition from a small church into a medium church we need to seek and follow God’s perspective.
We are looking at Exodus 17:8-16 (Page 62) to see the third major complaint after crossing the Red Sea.
We start with a basic summary of what is going on.
It seems to me that the people on the hill knew for sure that it was God’s victory. They saw the correlation between the posture of praise to God and the victory in the battle. This event helped deepen their faith.
The other perspective occurs below the hill; on the battle field. In my picture of this event I do not picture those in the battle able to see or concentrate on what is happening on top of the hill. Key Point: The battle looks very different from the battle field.
If you are an Amalekite you see times when you are advancing and gaining victory. You are relying on your strengths and superiority to win the battle so it is confusing as to why you are not gaining immediate victory.
As an Israelite you are trusting in your leadership, your strength, and your weapons to provide the victory. In your mind you are doing the right things and applying yourself enough to get the task done. You are relying on your strength and giving yourself praise for the battle that you are winning. And when you are losing you focus on changing your efforts or digging deeper into yourself to meet the task. Victory, from this vantage point, depends on you!
Another point to notice with this is that both sides are needed. The leaders need to do their job and the soldiers need to do their job. This is true before the battle and after it. Before the battle the soldiers need to train and the leaders need to empower and focus people on God. After the battle the leaders need to encourage and build up the people and provide them with a perspective that they did not have during the war.
The last thing that I want to note from this passage is the role of Joshua. He is chosen by Moses as a leader of the attack, he leads the battle from the inside, and he needs the message to be ready for what is coming when Moses passes the staff to him. Joshua learns a lot about trusting God and doing your best.
The Israelites have gone through a number of transitions already. The last few years have not been easy ones. But God has been their guide and he is teaching them about his character. God is faithful and trustworthy and his people need to know that. In this account they need to know that it is by God’s power that difficulties are handled. When you are in the middle of the battle you have the wrong perspective!
It seems like we can learn this message as well. God’s perspective is what is needed. If the soldiers knew what was really going on then they could fight with more confidence, but they would still need to fight.
How are you dealing with the transitions in your life? What do you tend to complain about? What concerns are on your mind? Who’s perspective are you seeking and trusting, and how does that make a difference to you?
God is there and He has guidance and support as you transition. Take the time to get to know God so that you can trust in His character and in who he calls to lead you through this time. Let him take care of you in his way and seek his perspective above all.
This week take some time to step back from your life and ask God to show it to you from his perspective. As we think of growing in numbers we need to see the brutal realities through God’s eyes. What are we seeing accurately, and what do you need adjusted? He knows so we need to ask Him.
4107 Pleasant Valley Road
vernonchurchofchrist@telus.net
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