WEBVTT 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:05.200 Thank you for joining us on the CCW podcast. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:11.039 Make sure you connect with us on social media to stay up to date on ministries and events happening at CCW. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.960 We hope you're encouraged, inspired, and motivated by today's message. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:19.120 To find out how to connect with us, keep listening after the message ends. 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:26.160 Get your Bibles out and turn them to the second book of the Bible, Exodus. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:28.160 Exodus chapter 17. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:29.839 I hope you had a good week. 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:35.759 We came yesterday from a day at Six Flags with 40 teens in our youth group. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:41.280 And uh so I'm thankful for Joe Daniels and Michaela and uh their work. 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:47.359 I'm thankful because I got to leave at four and left them there with the teenagers. 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:52.880 And uh, but we had a good time uh navigating through some rain and stuff. 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:53.759 How about this? 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:56.719 We get a lot of light and media about a lot of things. 00:00:56.880 --> 00:00:58.880 I don't know if you noticed this week. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:07.840 I was gonna try to get the video, may play it next week, but at Auburn this week, there was a big called Unite, was a gathering of students. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:08.959 Yeah. 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:18.079 And there were hundreds being baptized after a group gathering came together, and what an awesome thing to see. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:23.599 And if you want to share and like a video, share that one because that needs to be talked about. 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:24.959 So that was exciting. 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:29.680 And uh we have some special company come in uh yesterday. 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:32.319 Some friends of ours, Bill and Dana Sullenberg. 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.400 If you see Heather, they're sitting with her. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:40.560 They worked with us in youth ministry for a lot of years and still very faithful at Calvary Baptist Church. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:46.159 We helped uh hope helped raise some of their teenage boys, and uh, an exciting thing. 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:47.599 So, welcome to church with us. 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:49.040 Y'all give them a welcome, would you? 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:59.840 If you ever hear me talk about the guy who separated my sternum in football in the snow in Michigan, that's the guy. 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:03.040 So if you Bill Sullenberger, that's him. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:05.760 So, and we're friends, so it's all good. 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:07.599 A lot of forgiveness there, Bill. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:08.800 Appreciate that. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:11.599 Community and burden bearing this morning. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:14.800 Heather doesn't like for me to talk about my stature. 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:16.479 Just stay with me a second. 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:17.919 Don't cut me off, Heather. 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.199 But I do have what I'll call short man syndrome. 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:22.479 It's a real thing. 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:25.039 Because I couldn't control my height. 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:29.680 I always had something in my life to prove I felt in strength. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.159 I'm 42 and I still can't help it. 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:37.919 We started gathering up some chairs the other week, and I was showing people that in church I can carry 12. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:39.280 I can carry 12. 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:41.759 If somebody wants to beat me, come and try. 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:42.319 All right? 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:43.840 12 of these chairs. 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:46.080 But that's just the syndrome talking. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:50.240 When I was younger, it meant I was always ready for a fight. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:56.560 I've probably gotten to 10, 12 fights from age 10 on up. 00:02:56.639 --> 00:03:01.280 And uh most of them were because people were just running their mouth, and I wanted to shut it. 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:06.400 Um I fought four or five kids because they were just called my cousins a name. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:08.159 I mean, literally, they called them a name. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:12.080 But I'm standing here today and I got in one major fight. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.039 I've got a crooked nose, I got a scar over my eye. 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:17.039 Uh I mean, just it was a mess. 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:18.800 I got hit 14, 17 times. 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:20.479 It's an amazing thing when you get in a fight. 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:27.280 Some of y'all, if you watch Bible stuff, the adrenaline that takes over, I can promise you, that moment I didn't feel a hit. 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:31.439 I'd know I was getting lit up, but I didn't feel any of it. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:34.719 But I now, today, I wear the scars of a fight. 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:39.360 In biblical terms, fighting may come from a human army. 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:41.599 Fighting can come from Satan. 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:44.639 Fighting can come from sin or your flesh. 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:48.879 And I want you to know you didn't get asked about a fight upon birth. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:52.319 Nobody asked you when you entered into this life. 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:54.080 You just entered a fight. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:57.520 Sin, nature creates a fight. 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:01.280 The Bible talks about there's a fight between angels and demons. 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:05.599 You know, God is referred to, listen to this name, Jehovah Sabbath. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:11.599 He's referred to 300 times by that name, the God of angel armies. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:12.879 Interesting. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:15.840 There's fights riddled throughout the pages of this book. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:17.439 John 16, 33. 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:22.720 Many of you know it says that in this world you will have tribulation. 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:23.839 It's a fight. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:33.040 That word is thalipsis, tribulation, and it means to press like a grape that's being crushed, to compress, to close in. 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:35.519 Have you ever felt like life was like that? 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:39.839 Things were closing in, like the walls were coming in against you. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:46.879 Well, I want you to know today, every day on planet earth is a day that you're entering into a fight. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:48.399 Would you pray with me? 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:50.720 Father, we love you. 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:57.040 We thank you for the opportunity we have to search your scripture for invaluable truth. 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:05.040 Lord, I pray today that you would open our hearts to hear what it is that the Holy Spirit needs to speak to us. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:09.600 Lord, I know that every person in this room is entering a fight. 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:18.079 And I pray that you ready us, Lord, that you would have us understand through your word what it is that we need to do. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:22.879 Lord, help us not to leave this place the same way today that we walked in. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:25.439 Meet with us in Jesus' name. 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:26.399 Amen. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:32.000 Look with me, if you will, in Exodus chapter 17, verses 8 through 9 is where we'll start. 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:36.480 The first point this morning is this fighting against an enemy. 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:41.279 Now, Amalek came and fought with Israel and Repidim. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:46.160 And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us some men and go out. 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:47.839 Fight with Amalek. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:52.959 Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:56.079 Letter A is this the enemy of physical opposition. 00:05:56.240 --> 00:06:02.240 We'll look at physical and spiritual opposition, but the first that we see is physical, tangible opposition. 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:05.439 He said, Go and fight with Amalek. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:15.360 Now scholars have charged Amalek as a person, as a entity, looking back in history, as something with moral turpitude, filthy and vile people. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:19.120 Any people that represent an evil against God's people. 00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:26.800 But if you look back through the chronology, there's Jacob and Esau, and Amalek is the 13th son of Esau. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:28.879 Jacob would go on to be called Israel. 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:32.959 So we see here the fight between Israel and Amalek. 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:36.319 Amalek is the continual enemy of Israel. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:38.319 And it was his nephew. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:43.839 Sometimes, very painfully, the enemy is not far from us. 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:45.759 Maybe not foreign. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:49.439 Physical opposition is peppered throughout the pages of Scripture. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:52.399 We see it with David, the warrior, who fought against Goliath. 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:55.759 You see it with Samson, where we celebrate his might. 00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:00.800 We see it with Gideon, who did the unthinkable with God's power and some trumpets. 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:04.480 We see Paul physically beaten, stoned. 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:06.959 We see eleven disciples martyred. 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:12.319 Christianity, I want you to understand today, church is not without a physical fight. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:15.120 But let's look at this story. 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:18.079 And it's interesting the characters that play out in this story. 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:28.240 First, we see Moses, who's the spiritual leader of the people at this time, and we'll see Aaron, his brother, who plays a very important part to this passage. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:34.160 A guy named Her, who we never see before, or we really never see again in scripture. 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:35.680 And then we see Joshua. 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:41.839 So as these characters pull out, we see uh probably her is uh Hollywood's best supporting act. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:43.759 Um never really to be seen. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:46.639 Joshua is a young, up-and-coming leader. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:50.639 And so I want you to see the picture of the people in this passage. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.000 Look at verse 10. 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:53.199 Look what it says. 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:58.800 So Joshua did as Moses said to him and fought with Amalek. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:02.560 And Moses, Aaron, and her went up to the top of the hill. 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:07.279 So we see this cast of characters that are going into this fight. 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:08.720 Now think about Joshua here. 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:11.839 Joshua must have been good at throwing hands. 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:14.000 Joshua must have been the scrapper, right? 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:15.839 Moses is gonna stand and pray. 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:17.040 He's got some support. 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:21.439 Joshua's told to go out with boots to the ground and get into the fight. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:27.360 Joshua goes on to lead Israel in 13 major battle victories. 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:30.160 But this was the first. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:34.720 And I want to tell you about Amalek and their style of fighting. 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:36.879 It was dirty, okay? 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:39.440 It was not fighting fair by the rules. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:52.000 If you had time to go to Deuteronomy chapter 25, verses 17 and 18, it says that Amalek came from behind while they were tired and weary, and they came to flank them. 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:53.279 They snuck up. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:56.960 Somebody snuck up on you? 00:08:57.360 --> 00:08:59.279 This is the fighting style. 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:00.960 They come up from behind them. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:09.279 And I want you to know the enemy that has a fight with you does not seek to fight with fair rules, seeks to deceive. 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:11.039 It's not looking for a fair fight. 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:14.320 That's why the Bible says to walk circumspectly. 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:20.639 Be looking, be ready for the enemy who is seeking whom he may devour. 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:21.679 Look around. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:23.919 In your life day to day, look around. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:24.559 Be aware. 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:27.600 Parents, look out for your kids, look around. 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:30.320 Grandparents, be looking out for your grandchildren. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:31.679 Be circumspect. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:34.080 You yourself in your day, look around. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:36.240 Be ready for a fight. 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:38.000 And so we see that. 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:42.080 I want you to see this morning letter B, the enemy of spiritual opposition. 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:52.399 And Moses, verse 9, said to Joshua, choose us some men and go out and fight. 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:55.919 I'll stand at the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. 00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:00.960 The rod of God in this passage is a picture of a spiritual fight. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:03.279 It was an instrument used to guide. 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:09.200 And as long as Moses held out the rod, it says in verse 11, we can read that. 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:12.960 It says in verse 11, and so it was when Moses held his hand that Israel prevailed. 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:15.600 When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:29.120 And so as long as Moses led them spiritually with this rod in hand, and as long as he had that connection to God, then Israel would continue to prevail in the fight. 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:40.639 If you look back in earlier part of this passage in verse 5 and 6, it says, And the Lord said to Moses, Go before the people and take with you some of the elders. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:44.240 Also take in your hand the rod with which you struck the river and go. 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:47.120 Behold, I will stand by you there on the rock in Horod. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:50.399 That you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it. 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:52.080 So this is a picture. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:57.360 It isn't, listen to me, that stick did not bring water out of a rock. 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:00.960 Nor did Moses bring water out of a rock, but it was a picture. 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:01.840 There was a spiritual. 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:06.879 And Moses had to dig down within himself and believe that God could do this. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:08.879 It wasn't Moses, it was God. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:24.960 In Galatians chapter 6, verse 1, it says this, brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, a trespass, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, unless you also be tempted. 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:32.480 That word overtaken is parapateo, and that is to deviate off the right course. 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:50.080 I used to be a dispatch manager for a moving company, and uh before every next moving day, so on Monday, the last thing I do, on Tuesday, the last thing I do, on Wednesday, every day before the next day, I would start out with these ADC maps. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:51.679 We've got a picture of ADC maps. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:53.840 Anybody remember the ADC maps? 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:56.720 Children, you've never seen these things, okay? 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:04.399 This is an ADC map, and I would take a map and I would copy it down and I would highlight with highlighters. 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:10.080 I used to have highlight marks, pink, green, yellow on my hand every day because I'd pull the cap off and it would write on me. 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:18.159 But I was highlighting a map so that the drivers that were going on the route the next day had the course charted for them. 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:21.279 Why did I do that every day? 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:21.840 Why? 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:23.840 Because I've been a driver. 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:26.240 And drivers, I knew this about myself. 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:27.919 We could get off course. 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:31.519 All kinds of things could take us off course from getting to the customer. 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:39.519 Could be construction, could be bad traffic, could be wrong turns, roadblocks, a place serving a good breakfast. 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:46.320 And so I knew that if I gave them everything possible, maybe they would stay on course. 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:48.799 Do you ever get off course? 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:54.799 Do you ever feel like roadblocks come up in your life? 00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:57.600 Spiritual wrong turns. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:04.000 I want you to understand, church, today, God has provided the best roadmap for us. 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:10.000 But he's also told us within that, hear me today, because we're talking about bearing burdens. 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:11.200 We are getting somewhere. 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:15.600 He says, You which are spiritual, restore such a one. 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:18.159 You which are spiritual, there's spiritual opposition. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:26.799 I want you to know, it does me no good if I have spiritual opposition in my life to go to the unspiritual with my problem. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:27.919 Are you hearing me? 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:30.000 The Bible says, iron sharpens iron. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:37.039 It does me no good to take my problem to someone who's just going to give me a cookie-cut answer, but maybe not a Bible answer. 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:40.559 He says, Ye which are spiritual, we have a job to do. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:48.879 That means if you notice something going on with your brother or your sister, the Bible tells us to take that into account. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:50.240 To speak up. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.799 Not just hold it in and worry about offense. 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:56.240 We are a heavily offended world, are we not? 00:13:57.039 --> 00:13:58.639 Man, we get offended. 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:06.000 And listen to me, if you're going to be a good friend, you've got to be willing to offend somebody with what's going on in their life. 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:10.639 So he says, You, which are spiritual, restore such a one. 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.600 Ephesians 6 talks about spiritual opposition. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:19.600 It says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the powers and rulers of darkness of this age. 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:21.519 There's spiritual opposition. 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:22.159 It's real. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:28.399 In Matthew 4, Jesus came himself face to face with Satan, and he tried to tempt him. 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:36.799 Satan found out he was no match when Jesus simply spoke the word of God and Satan fled. 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:50.320 But here's what Moses had to do: he had to hold out his hands, and the spiritual burden that he bore had a direct impact on the physical burden that was coming to the Israelites. 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:52.000 I want to say that again. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:15:02.960 Moses had to hold the rod out in his hand, and the spiritual burden that he was bearing had a direct impact on the physical fight for the Israelites. 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:06.559 You think that your prayers are small? 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:11.360 You think that your spiritual counsel is a small thing? 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:19.039 It says that if Moses just had direct connection with God, it impacted the fight for their lives. 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:22.240 Parents? 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:24.960 Your prayer for your kids? 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:33.279 If you don't think what you do in the spiritual impacts what happens in the physical, then you are regrettably inaccurate. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:37.279 Spiritual impact. 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:45.039 Plainly, if you make poor spiritual choices in this life, then the physical world, you're gonna have tangible physical effects. 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:46.159 Let me just hit a few. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.960 The Bible says, don't be drunk with wine. 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:49.279 Okay? 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:50.879 I said, don't be drunk with wine. 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:51.440 Why? 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:52.399 Here's a physical effect. 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:54.399 You can get cirrhosis of the liver. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:58.559 There's over 100 Bible verses on sexual immorality. 00:15:58.720 --> 00:15:59.039 Okay? 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:09.279 You make a spiritual choice between your purity and your walk with God in immorality, or you can have physical effects, STDs, pornography addiction. 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:12.240 You can have AIDS, you can have divorce in your family. 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:16.639 Okay, there's all kinds of physical effects to spiritual choices. 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:18.879 And he said, just hold that rod out. 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:21.200 Just keep your connection with me, Moses. 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:28.559 You know, 50% of illnesses we have come from psychosomatic or mental illnesses. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:30.240 And so think about this. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:42.720 Okay, if you have made a spiritual choice, if you made a spiritual wrong choice, and then you suffer from that choice mentally because of guilt, then you induce a real physical effect. 00:16:42.879 --> 00:17:00.639 We call it in this world stress, because I'm staying up and it's eaten my lunch that I made a poor spiritual choice, and now I'm tossing and turning at my choice because I decided to click on a site, or I decided to cuss a friend, or I decided to complain of my spouse. 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:08.799 I made a spiritual choice and it's tied to the inner man, and I'm tossing and turning, so I've got physical effects. 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:12.000 So, what does the Bible tell us to do about that? 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:17.200 Well, James 5.16 said, confess your sins so that you may be healed. 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:19.039 Isn't that interesting? 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:21.039 Don't miss what Jesus did. 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:26.319 The paralytic was brought to him on a mat, by the way, bearing one another's burdens. 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:28.160 He didn't bring himself on a mat. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:30.720 He was brought by someone bearing his burden. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:34.000 And when he got to Jesus, Jesus said something real interesting. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:38.640 He said, Son, your sins will be forgiven. 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:40.240 Go and be made well. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:46.720 First, he was forgiven of sins, and then his physical need could be met. 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:48.079 And he walked. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:52.160 And so we have a spiritual oppression. 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:58.160 Waltke said this spirituality has a natural tendency to impart health to the body. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:04.559 Listen to this, because it preserves a man from circumstances that proceed from our lusts. 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:10.079 And it diffuses serenity, which upon the body is like a medicinal influence. 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:14.559 Let me say it this way a clear conscious is an easy pillow. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:16.720 Y'all understand that? 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:21.680 Allow you to go to sleep at night, living right, living clean. 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:24.079 And so we see the effects there. 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:27.839 Second point this morning is this friendship aids exhaustion. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:31.359 Look back at Exodus chapter 17. 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:33.920 Friendship aids exhaustion. 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:37.599 Look at verse 10 through 13. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:42.559 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:46.079 And Moses, Aaron, and Her went up to the top of the hill. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:51.920 And so it was when Moses held his hands that Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hands, Amalek prevailed. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:55.359 But Moses' hands became heavy. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:59.920 So they took a stone and put it under him, and they sat and he sat on it. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:04.400 And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and the other on the other side. 00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:08.240 And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:13.359 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:15.680 I want you to hear something this morning, church. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:17.039 You need friends. 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:21.359 You weren't meant to live this life in solidarity. 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:25.680 And at church, I want you to know you need more than a Sunday morning message. 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:29.440 And it's good to get motivated, it's good to get our hearts back in line. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:33.920 But I want you to know that even the example of Jesus, Jesus had an inner circle. 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:36.480 Who's your inner circle? 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:38.720 Who's your 12? 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:46.559 Man, if I asked who has 12 best friends here, close friends, man, for some of that'd be hard to run down that list. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:49.759 When I was 28. 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:54.319 I was in really the worst shape of my life. 00:19:55.039 --> 00:20:03.599 Heather got pregnant, and Heather got pregnant, and Heather got pregnant, and she would have the baby, and I would keep the weight. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:05.920 And I would keep the cravings. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:07.519 Oh, it was awesome. 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:11.200 I loved when she was pregnant because everything was out the door. 00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:15.279 She would want a baker's dozen cookies at McDonald's. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:19.279 And look, if you don't know about the baker's dozen, they never have them ready, so they have to make it fresh. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:22.640 They're like, are you okay with waiting seven minutes? 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:23.920 Absolutely. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:26.319 They're gonna be piping hot. 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:30.079 Get the cookies, and we sit there and wait, and she wanted Coke. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:32.720 Cookies and this is a great time in our marriage. 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:34.000 Cookies and coke. 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:36.400 Man, all the time at nighttime, right before bed. 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:37.759 I was blowing up. 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:40.000 She could get pregnant, have the baby, not me. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:42.000 I'd have the baby and keep it. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:45.039 And so I was just blowing up. 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:46.640 It was getting out of control. 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:49.680 And uh I was over 200 pounds. 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:50.880 I looked around everywhere. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:51.599 There was me. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:52.640 There I was. 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:55.759 Everywhere I looked. 00:20:56.880 --> 00:21:01.200 I was playing softball, playing with Bill, one fly ball in the outfield, and I'm huffing. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:06.799 I'm like, I had one set of stairs up to my office, up to the top of that set of stairs. 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:11.359 I'm like, I'm like, I'm 28! What is happening to me? 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:11.920 Okay. 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:16.240 And so I made a plan that I'm gonna start running. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:19.680 And um never really before did much running. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:23.279 I did a lot of a lot of weight training, stuff like that, but I'm gonna start running. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.359 And I my pastor gets wind of it, and he's like, eh, I'll I'll come run with you. 00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:28.880 And I gotta help you understand something. 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:37.440 I looked at him, and yes, he could preach and he could lead the church and all that, but I had a mentality that there's nothing physical that this guy could do anything better than me. 00:21:37.599 --> 00:21:38.400 That's just my mind. 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:41.440 I looked at him, and you you guys, you know how you size somebody up, right? 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:45.440 If you come in a room, I know whether I gotta take out your knee or I can punch you in the face. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:45.920 Okay? 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:47.440 There's a lot of guys in here. 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:48.480 I'm going for the knee. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:49.279 I'm just telling you. 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:51.119 It's gonna be dirty and not fair. 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:53.200 So, with John, right to the face. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:53.759 No problem. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:54.240 Okay? 00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:55.440 I looked at him over. 00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:59.759 When he comes out for that first day of jogging, and I gotta tell you, we didn't talk or discuss. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.559 Any of it. 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:01.759 We're just gonna get going. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:07.279 And in my mind, I'm like, okay, first time, I'm gonna just kind of slow warm into this. 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:09.359 And he took him off, and I'm like, what is he doing? 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:10.160 He's five years older. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:12.799 He took him like, I can't let him beat me. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:14.319 So I take him off with him. 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:21.200 And I'm like, first time back at it, probably, you know, it's acceptable to run a mile, four laps around this track. 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:27.279 Mama four comes and he keeps going, and I'm like, I'm not gonna let this happen. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:28.720 So I keep with him five, left. 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:30.319 Like, okay, okay, five. 00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:32.799 I am so angry on lap five. 00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:34.400 Like, I'm done with this guy. 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:35.839 And he keeps going to lap six. 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:37.359 I'm like, surely, a mile and a half. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:38.640 That is a great goal. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:39.440 He's done. 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:41.200 Seven, eight, nine. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.200 We did 12 laps. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:46.960 And I was so angry with this guy. 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:49.680 I was absolutely exhausted. 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:51.920 Like this overachiever. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:53.839 What's he trying to prove? 00:22:54.160 --> 00:22:54.799 Right? 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:56.960 I gotta tell you something. 00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:59.440 I had a friend push me that day. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:08.240 And for two years I ran almost 20 laps a day, and this guy helped me to lose four inches of pregnancy weight. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:16.000 Now I'm gonna tell you, I don't care how much of a friend you are to me now, I'm don't ask me to run. 00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:17.440 I'm not running with you. 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:20.720 Because my mind won't let me not keep up, and I can't. 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:21.200 Okay? 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:22.640 I can't. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:24.720 But I thought about that friendship. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:31.759 If it wasn't for watching that person and knowing, like he just pushed me even to a place I didn't really think I had. 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:34.240 Letter A is this this morning. 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:36.079 Help for the fatigued. 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:39.519 Look down at verse 12 again. 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:42.480 Moses' hands became heavy. 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:49.440 Aaron and Hearst step in and don't miss the weightiness, the enormity of the job that they had. 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:59.359 They allowed the heaviness, or they were not to allow the heaviness of the spiritual work that Moses had to overwhelm their spiritual leader. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:01.599 Are you hearing me, church? 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:03.039 Moses. 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:10.559 One reason God has you in a church right now is so that the heaviness of spiritual warfare doesn't weigh you down. 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:16.160 So God connects you to an Aaron and a her in your spiritual walk. 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:19.519 People that will hold you up when things get heavy. 00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:24.240 That will keep you Godward when you're feeling drained. 00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:28.160 When you're a Christian, but you don't really feel like being a Christian. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:30.559 Anybody felt like this before? 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:36.319 The Bible says it's a joy for us to bear one another's burdens. 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:39.519 Matthew 11, 28 and 29 says this. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:46.240 Jesus said, Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 00:24:46.559 --> 00:24:48.400 He says, Take my yoke upon you. 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:50.880 He's not talking about a big spiritual nap. 00:24:51.279 --> 00:25:10.000 He's talking about if you will come and follow me and dedicate your life to me and live in discipleship with me, if you'll take that on as your purpose, as your plan, then everything else that's weighty and drags you down, you're gonna see living focused in my yoke will keep you uplifted. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:12.799 So Moses, just stay connected. 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:16.000 Just stay connected, just keep that connection with me. 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:19.039 And so he tells us, take my yoke upon you. 00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:23.680 The picture is two oxen together with a yoke, yoked together. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:36.559 If we are yoked together and my friend is fatigued, maybe even my friend falls, I have to realize that we, not just I, we are not gonna get very far. 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:56.240 So I bear the weight when it's my turn to bear the weight, and I get my friend who's fallen, who's fatigued, and that yoke that we have together in Christ, we are sealed together in this pathway, and I take the weight when it's my turn to take the weight, and in so doing, I get my friend back on their feet. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:00.720 Now hear me, I don't just offer something and don't come through. 00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:03.599 A lot of people say, if there's anything I can do, just call me. 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:06.000 Let me tell you how many people are gonna call you. 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:11.519 Like nobody ever does, and that's an issue we're gonna talk about too. 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:15.599