"Eating Bologna Sandwiches Instead Of Steak!”

"Eating Bologna Sandwiches instead of Steak!”

Exodus 17:8-16

Some years ago a young man looking for work approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked him for a job. “It depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see you take this one down.” The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. The foreman was impressed and exclaimed, “you start Monday!” Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday rolled by. Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today.” Started the young man asked, “I thought you paid on Fridays.” “Normally we do,” answered the foreman, “but we’re letting you go today because you’ve fallen behind, or daily charts show that you’ve dropped from first place on Monday to last place on Wednesday. “But I’m a hard worker” the young man objected, “I arrive first and leave last, and I even work through my coffee breaks!” The foreman sensing the boy’s integrity, though for a minute and then asked, “Have you been sharpening your axe?” The young man replied, “Well, no, sir. I’ve been working too hard to take the time.”

I The ENEMY

Ex. 17 says the Amalekites rose up and attacked the Israelites.

Moses calmly orders Joshua to organize the men and go to fight the enemy.

A. The Amalekites thought this would be an easy victory. They were

battle tested, seasoned by experience.

B. The Children of Israel were hardly worthy opponents. These

recent slaves who wandered in the desert were nothing but an

ill-equipped, ill-trained mob.

C. But little did Amalek know the secret of Israel of Israel’s calm

and confidence. They were the children of God. He was their

banner in war.

Verse: What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul? Lk. 9:26

A The OBJECTIVE OF AMALEKITES

1. The objective of the Amalekites was to destroy Israel.

2. Do whatever is necessary to prevent them from experiencing the promise of God. Sound familiar.

10:10 says that Satan seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. The devil will do whatever he can to prevent us from experiencing God’s best.

Verse: Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9a

Quotation: You can’t strike a truce w/ an enemy that desires your demise. You can’t strike a truce w/ Satan. King Saul tried in 1 Sam. 15, and it brought about his demise.

Note: The Amalekites represent forces of evil that oppose the work and people of God. Thus, to compromise w/ sin affords sin’s insidious work to bring about corruption and destruction in your life.

Idea: If you knew you had cancer in your body, how long would you go w/out trying to have it treated? Not long

B. The STRATEGY

Satan’s strategy is to preys on us when we’re weak and weary, and he targets our most vulnerable areas. And he never fights fair. In fact, his mode of operation is to counterfeit – turning everything upside-down.

Word: Eph. 6 calls the devil’s ways schemes craftiness; trickery;

Verse: Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light!

“14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 COR. 11:14

Story: A frantic 9-1-1 call brought the police to a home. The caller only conveyed that she was being killed. When the police arrived, they found a bloody knife beside her lifeless body. Blood was splattered across the room, yet when the police examined the body, they found not a single cut or puncture wound – only a large mark across her chest and neck. Then they noticed a trail of blood leading to the next room. Following the trail they found a dying boa constrictor. The woman apparently had raised the snake, but on this day while carrying the snake around her neck, for whatever reason, the snake began to entwine itself around the woman’s body and began to constrict. The woman, sensing the danger, grabbed a knife and began to slash away at the snake eventually mortally wounding the reptile – only she was killed in the process.

II The VICTORY

A God Gives Us His Power

Moses called the inner circle together and shared the plan. He told Joshua to gather some men and fight, while Moses took the staff of God and stood on a nearby hill.

I want you to notice a couple of things about this story …

1. It was God who won this battle not Joshua, Moses, the

Israelites or even the staff.

2. Moses was a shepherd CALLED to lead the people our of