Notes
So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!
Acts 2:36
Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.
Exodus 3:7-8
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:16-17
The Israelites were living in bondage. They were tired and worn out, God wanted to partner with His people. Their release from Egypt points to the release from sin we receive from Jesus. Like God rescued the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt, Jesus rescues us from the bondage of sin. We can learn how to be good followers by looking at those who partnered with God, and those who did not.
Here are three things that keep us from partnering with God as our leader:
1) Shortcuts
When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.
Exodus 13:17-18
God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He knows everything that is going on in all of our lives. So when we look for shortcuts instead of looking to follow God’s process, we may miss out on training for something in the future.
2) Chatter
So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.
“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?”
But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”
The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on … While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them.
Exodus 17:2-6, 8
Do we remember the greatness of God even in the face of trials, or do we resort to complaining and arguing? When the Israelites started complaining, the enemy moved in. We have to remember that God may have created a thirst in our lives so that we thirst for Him. Embrace what you have and focus on following and trusting God.
3) Doubt
When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers!
1 Corinthians 6:1
Don’t be someone who spreads seeds of doubt. Give people reasons to turn to God, not away from Him. Follow His voice with everything you have, even when you don’t understand or can’t see what He is doing. And know that God may not outright fix your problem, but He can always be trusted in the process.
Group Questions
- What does it mean to partner with God as our leader?
- What are examples of looking for a shortcut in God’s plan?
- Do you tend to take part in the chatter? How do we catch ourselves when we find ourselves complaining or arguing?
- How can we focus on the voice of God instead of doubt?
Prayer
We want to live how you want us to live. We want to follow the path you’ve set out for our lives and embrace your voice.