Wilderness– Pt.3
“Fixation – Looking In All The Wrong Places”
Ex.16:1-3 – Pastor Nick S. Panico
(Exo 16:1-3 NKJV) And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. {2} Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. {3} And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
I. Review
A. We are in the third week of our journey through the wilderness
1. If you have not been with us before this Sunday, we have discovered a truth spoken by the apostle Paul in Romans 8:28-29
(Rom 8:28-29) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. {29} For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
B. You should note two things in these two verses – First -We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus
1. God has predestined us to be like Jesus – in attitude, in behavior, and eventually in glory
(1 John 3:2-3) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. {3} And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
C. Secondly - The “all things” in Rom. 8:28 means exactly that “all things”
1. Everything that happens in the life of a believer has the potential to conform us into the image of Jesus
2. God who is a redeemer, can redeem everything and anything that takes place in our lives – if we will allow Him to do so
3. Even the tragic and difficult circumstances of life can be redeemed
D. Our focus has been on the Wilderness experiences of life, and the temptations one confronts during these times of leanness… spiritual dryness… and how they play an important role in our being conformed to the image of the Son of God
1. Two weeks ago we confronted the temptation of fear in the wilderness
a) We discovered that in times when our human effort is not enough to change our circumstances…
b) And fear begins to grip our hearts, we must stand still, and look up, and watch the salvation of the Lord come our way
2. Last week, we confronted the temptation of frustration
a) This time instead of complaining and becoming bitter about the circumstances we find ourselves in…
b) we learned the importance of setting our heart on the pilgrimage and speaking words of faith,…
c) and diligently obeying God – doing the right thing in the wilderness is vital
II. today, we deal with the temptation of fixation
A. to fixate =
1. to direct one’s gaze on
2. to become abnormally attached to persons or things
B. in our text; Ex.16:1 -
(Exo 16:1 NKJV) And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.
1. It was exactly one month after the children of Israel had left Egypt
2. Egypt was finally out of sight
3. They were far enough away from “shore” that could not see the land
4. The provisions they had left Egypt with were now completely gone
5. The food, the supplies, were now all gone
C. They came to the “Wilderness of Sin”
1. Now, a lot could be said by word association, about the wilderness of Sin, but you should understand that this was a geographic place
2. It was a desert place
3. The land was harsh
4. The soil was rocky, the terrain difficult to pass through
5. You could not farm the land, so it could not produce sustenance for a family, let alone 3 million pilgrims
D. The pressure was on
1. The people were being squeezed again
2. This time it wasn’t the hoof beats of the Egyptian army coming after them…
3. This time it was not that the provision in front of them was bitter and would not satisfy – like the waters at Marah
4. This time the pressure came from what they could not see around them
5. They had come to a wilderness that was desolate
6. There was no way to survive in this wilderness
7. The land could not support them
8. There was no wild game to hunt and kill
9. There was no way to feed themselves
10. What would they eat
11. There were no supermarkets… no convenient stores
12. The squeeze was on… and what came out of the heart?
E. Complaining and looking back
(Exo 16:2-3 NKJV) Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. {3} And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
1. Suddenly, in the middle of this barren land, Egypt did not look so bad
2. Oh, sure we were slaves in Egypt
3. Sure, there were taskmasters who beat us daily
4. Yes, our way of life in Egypt was difficult and would eventually destroy us…
5. But at least we had pots full of meat…
6. At least we had bread to fill us up
7. We knew were our next meal was coming from
III. The children of Israel were fixated on two things:
A. First, what they could not see
1. They could see no way to provide for themselves
2. They were jobless, no paychecks coming in
3. The social security check was late
4. The relatives would not even answer the phone
5. The bill collectors were growing in number
6. In other words… they had needs and they could see no provision, and no possibility of providing for those needs
7. They were fixated on what they could not see
B. Secondly, they were fixated on their past
1. They had a difficult time moving forward because they kept looking back
2. They kept looking back to what they had in Egypt, instead of looking forward to the promised land that God had for them
3. It’s amazing how good the past looks when you far enough away from it!
C. This temptation is not uncommon in a wilderness experience
1. Do you find yourself looking back?
2. Are you fixated on what you had back there?
3. Do you keep talking about the “good, old days?”
4. Do you find yourself complaining about what you don’t have and cannot provide for yourself here, but what you could do back there?
D. Do you find yourself looking back into your “BC days” – into the old life that you left behind after you accepted Jesus
1. Are you a Christian salesman who has turned over a new way of doing business, and you find your sales going down because you won’t be dishonest…
a) Do you struggle with wanting to tell even just a little white lie to close the deal?
2. Are you single, and lonely, and desiring a mate, and you have been waiting on God to bring you a good Christian man/woman… but you are getting tired of waiting
a) Do you find yourself complaining about how good you had it before you became a Christian, and how you always had a man/woman in your life
3. Are you married and struggling in your relationship with your spouse…
a) Do you find yourself fantasizing about what it would be like to be single and free again
4. Do you find yourself saying things like “if only we hadn’t moved down here to this God forsaken Florida”
a) If only we had stayed up North, we wouldn’t have it so bad!
E. You will not come to God’s provision or move closer to your promised land, if you keep looking back, and complaining about what you left behind
F. It this is what you are experiencing right now, then listen closely to me right now…
IV. This is a test, it is only a test!
(Exo 16:4 NKJV) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.
1. I remember the days when the emergency broadcasting service would interrupt my cartoons on Saturday mornings
2. The announcer would come on and say “this is a test, it is only a test, for the next 60 seconds the emergency broadcasting system will conduct a test of the emergency broadcasting network”
B. God brought them out of Egypt, and into the wilderness to teach them something,… He had to get more Egypt out of them
1. God wanted to teach them how to daily depend on Him for all their need
C. Notice God says, “ I will rain bread from heaven for you”
1. One thing we must learn in our wilderness journey is who our source really is
2. It’s not the job
3. It’s not your paycheck
4. It’s not your wonderful talents or abilities
5. It’s not about your education
6. It won’t come from your charming personality or good looks
7. You have got to see God as your source
(Deu 8:18 NKJV) “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
(Eccl 5:19 NKJV) As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.
8. Remember, one of His names revealed in the book of Genesis is Jehovah Jireh “The God whose provision is seen in my life”
9. You must recognize Him as the source
D. Secondly, in our wilderness, we must learn to depend on Him daily
1. Notice, the manna was provided daily
2. There was always enough for today
3. There was not enough for tomorrow
4. You could not store what you received in the morning for the next day
5. Old manna got wormy and stinky
6. Daily you must gather in God’s provision
7. Jesus said:
(John 6:35-36 NKJV) And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. {36} “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.
E. It is the bread of life that will feed your hungry soul
1. It is not things, it is Him, that will meet your need
2. Each and every day you must go out to gather in the manna
3. Each day you must sit at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to feed you
F. The reason why you may be fixated on your past, is because you have not heard Him speak to you about your present, or the future He has for you
(Psa 5:11-12 NKJV) But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. {12} For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
(Psa 9:10 NKJV) And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
1. He is trust worthy
2. He is faithful
3. He alone can and will meet your daily needs
4. Without Him, you can do nothing
5. With Him, you are more than a conqueror
G. It is time to cut the cord with the past
1. It is time to distance yourself from Egypt
2. It is time to stop looking back at what you had…
3. It’s time to stop reminiscing about the good old days, while you complain about today
“The past is history,
The future a mystery,
but today is a gift,
that’s why it’s called “the present”
4. you have to live in today
5. you must let go of yesterday
H. and you must get your focus on the one who will meet all of your needs according to His riches in glory
(Mat 6:25-34 NKJV) “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? {26} “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? {27} “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? {28} “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; {29} “and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. {30} “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? {31} “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ {32} “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. {33} “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. {34} “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. = live in the present, trust God for your “now needs”
I. the only way to break the fixation with the past, and your inability to see how the need is going to be met –
1. is to keep you focus wholly on Him
2. to eat the bread of life that will feed your hungry soul
V. Be thankful
(1 Th 5:18 NKJV) "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
A. Thanksgiving is the hallmark of a faith-filled believer
1. It is possible to find something to be thankful about in your situation
2. No matter how hard it is
3. No matter how bad it’s gotten
4. You can find something to thank God for…
5. Lift up your voice, and instead of complaining, give thanks to God
B. The Apostle Paul understood this principle
(Phil 4:9-13 NKJV) "The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. {10} But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. {11} Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: {12} I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. {13} I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
C. today, there are some of you here that have been fixated on the past and complaining about what you don’t have today
1. and today God wants to break your fixation with the past and show you a new way and a new source of how He is going to do it
D. there are others of you who have been looking around at your circumstances and you cannot see any way for it to change
1. you cannot see anyway of meeting the needs you have…
2. and today God is going to impart some faith into your heart if you will look up and trust that your heavenly Father is able and willing
(Eph 3:20 NKJV) Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
