17 Oct Sermon Recap | Exodus | Manna and Quail from Heaven
It is natural for us to want to distance ourselves from the Israelites. However, we find that Exodus 16 reveals the condition of the human heart—hearts that forget, cling to nearer idols, run to comfort, and doubt God’s provision even in the face of His work. Although we look to other things to provide for us, in Him we have everything we need.
Scripture References
I Am Not the Same | Grace Midtown | iTunes
John 16:33 • Psalm 107:13-15 • Mark 13: 24-26 • 1 John 5:4-5 • Philippians 1:20-21
Worthy of it All | Grace Church Worship | iTunes
Psalm 51:16-17 • Psalm 139:23-24 • Amos 5:21-24 • Psalm 19:12-14
I Surrender | All Sons and Daughters | iTunes
Romans 12:1 • James 4:10
Christ Be All Around Me | All Sons and Daughters | iTunes
Zechariah 14:9 • Isaiah 2:2 • 1 Peter 1:18-20
God You Are My God | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Fully Devoted | Life Church Worship | iTunes
Romans 12:1 • 1 Corinthians 6:19 • Philippians 1:20 • Deuteronomy 6:5
1. As they wandered through the wilderness, the Israelites were guilty of “euphoric recall,” or remembering past experiences in a positive light, while overlooking negative experiences associated with it. What activities from your past are you tempted to go back to or remember in an unrealistically positive way? How have you found yourself running back to these things in desperation for a false sense of comfort?
2. If we know God, we will experience the emptiness of forsaking the comforts of this world for fellowship with Him. How does this statement impact you? What comforts of this world have you given up and walked away from as a result of following Christ? In what ways have you truly experienced this barrenness? Is there sin you are hesitant to forsake because you know life may get more difficult?
3. Moses felt the loneliness of leadership as he was caught in the middle as the mediator between God and the Israelites. In what areas of your life are you in leadership? What challenges have you faced as you lead, and in what ways are you sacrificing for others? How can you relate to Moses’ feelings of isolation and loneliness?
4. We often confuse what we want with what we need. Are you trusting in God to provide for all your needs or do you settle for some other comfort that you can put your hands on or experience? What comforts serve as functional gods for you? What steps can you take to depend more fully on God and follow Him?
Thoughts to Consider
– We have to be careful not to distance ourselves from the nation of Israel; we are more like them than we want to believe.
– God disciplines His children so that He might be in fellowship with them.
– We don’t have to get caught up in performing because God is perfecting His people; it’s not about us perfecting ourselves. Our hope is not that we won’t fail, but that God is committed to His promise to make us like Him.
– The Israelites want to live by sight and immediate needs, but our relationship with God is not transactional—it’s not about Him meeting our temporal needs. God assures us that if we have Him, we have everything we need.
– If God is this patient with His people, then how patient should we be with others?
