Pressure Proves... Series

Pressure Proves…

Greetings in Jesus name!

This morning I want to share something important and very relevant and that every one of us go through every day and that is PRESSURE. Our lives are full of pressure – pressure from work, pressure from family, pressure from friends, pressure from children, pressure from church, pressure from almost anything and everything.

But what is important is this; pressure brings in blessing and helps us mature in our perspectives of living. Pressure also is the source that will prove our commitment to the Lord, whether we stand firm or compromise. I can recall what happened few months ago in our house we were busy getting ready for work and children getting ready for school, then my wife called me and said, “Marcus can you open the pressure cooker for me,” and I went into the kitchen tried so hard it would not open somehow I gathered all my strength and twisted the handle – it opened with the loud noise. Thank God it did not burst. On the contrary what happened was I could see dhal and tomato all on the ceiling. Under pressure you cannot open the cooker; you have to wait – because you are in a hurry it does not work the way you want it. In a similar manner even in our lives when we go through pressure we act in the same way and mess everything around us. But in all our pressure the Lord wants us to be strengthened in Him and not be in haste to do something on our own.

I want to read to you few scriptures and then draw some lessons for life from one of the heroes of the Bible who gave into his pressure and led a band of people to sin and destruction.

What are the ways in which we get pressure?

- People bring in pressure

- Circumstances bring in pressure

What do we normally do under pressure?

- Compromise

- Impulsive to escape the circumstance

What are the consequences of pressure if we succumb to it?

- We loose on the blessing

- We become a stumbling block

What does the Lord want us to do?

Can we handle the pressure?

Is it so easy to escape pressure without being caught into it?

We are going to find answers to all these questions by exploring the scripture and studying the character of this man called Aaron.

- Aaron was Moses’ older brother Exodus 4:10-17 says that and he was 3 years older than Moses, he was 83.

- Aaron was called by God to help Moses. Exodus 4:27

- Aaron spoke on behalf of Moses and did the signs the Lord had taught them to. Exodus 4:30

- Aaron’s staff swallowed all the snake, God gave him the power. Exodus 7:12

- When Joshua fought the Amalakites Aaron held the hands of Moses along with Hur and they won over the Amalakites. Exodus 17:12

- The Lord called Aaron to come to the mountain. Exodus 19:24

- Aaron to be appointed the priest and the Lord wants Aaron to enjoy the privilege of priesthood and even a special kind of dressing to demarcate him from the rest of the crowd. Exodus 28:2

With all these blessing and privilege what did Aaron do? We read about his actions in Exodus 32, let me point to you few scriptures but would urge you to read the entire text at home for a better understanding.

Exodus 32:1-6

Aaron made the golden calf to be their god: in his pressure he wanted to –

- Please men, he was not sure to handle the pressure since people began asking for Moses, the idiotic people were asking the smart leader to make gods, and he could have explained people that gods are not made and that He made them and led them instead. Aaron asked them for their jewelry, this gives me an impression that Aaron was totally shallow, his personal commitment to God was weak, he merely followed what was told of him to do, this shows his uninvolvement. God made Aaron the spokesperson for Moses because this fellow could speak well if that is the truth he could have spoken to the people and convinced them not to ask for god but to look to the true and living God.

In a similar manner many of us are Christians because we were born in a Christian home and had Christian names but we had nothing to do with God if such is our condition I am sure we will also be like this impulsive in pressure surrendering to do what would please people around and play it safe. Aaron did not want to challenge the people about the truth, he gave into them. Aaron did not stop with that when he knew people were pleased he wanted to popularize the idea of the custom made god. What a shame on Aaron, the very purpose of his life is lost totally shattered.