Survivorman Part 3

SurvivorMan

Pt. 3

I. Introduction

One of the lessons that I won’t spend any time on but want to mention to you after that clip is that are times in the dry moments of your life that you have to do things you wouldn’t normally do. There is a flip side to that as well. There are times in the dry moments of your life that you will want to do things you wouldn’t normally do so you have to be on guard.

Anyone hungry this morning? How does a nice, crunchy scorpion sound?

We have been learning lessons about how to survive the dry times. I know none of you ever feel dry. I know none of you have ever felt like Job did. Remember how he described the dry times? I can’t find God anywhere? He is missing in action. I know none of you have ever felt like I have felt when it seems that my prayers only hit the ceiling and they bounce back down at me. God sometimes unreachable, heaven seems to be silent, and the wilderness seems like home. Dry times are inevitable.

Survival Lesson 1: Wilderness is not a location. It is a condition.

Survival Lesson 2: Wilderness is common to everyone.

Survival Lesson 3: If you stay in the wilderness too long you will die there.

Survival Lesson 4: The wilderness keeps our desires from outrunning our development.

Survival Lesson 5: The wilderness teaches us how to truly worship.

Survival Lesson 6: To survive the wilderness you must know where to hide.

There are three more lessons I want us to learn today. All based on the 3 great wilderness accounts in Scripture. You will remember those stories. Moses, David, and Jesus.

But before we begin those lessons I want to read to you one of the most popular wilderness or dry time passages of Scripture. We read this passage because it gives us hope in the dry moments. However, it also ties into Survival Lesson #7.

Isaiah 43:19

19Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

The great hope and promise that even in the dry moments He will provide us a way out and a way through and water to drink on the way. However, He also promises us that He is going to do something new. That is a great promise. How many of you want something new from God in your life? We all do. However, in the dry moments and in the times of desert living we must use extreme wisdom, caution and call in counsel.

Why? That is lesson #7.

II. Lessons

Survival Lesson # 7 – While in the wilderness you will receive offers you are expected to refuse.

He had experienced it before. Granted, he was much younger the first time. However, this was not a new scenario. Moses had once witnessed the extermination of his people at the hand of Pharaoh. Now God offers to finish what the Pharaoh started. Fed up with the hard headedness and heartedness of the Israelites, God informs Moses that He will kill them all and start over with Moses. The future of the nation rests on Moses’ now older shoulders again.

It seemed like the perfect setup. David has been on the run. Playing a deadly game of cat and mouse and hide and seek he had continued to escape by the hair of his chinny, chin, chin. Now, he finds himself and some of his best men, in the right place at the right time. Hidden in a cave, the hunted has the opportunity to become the hunter. Saul would never know what hit him. David could kill and become king.

Led by the Spirit, Jesus finds himself face-to-face with an easier route to what he longed to find. The desire to be worshipped by his creation could be gained by accepting the offer submitted by the enemy. No cross, no pain, no blood, no whip, no nails, no tears, no suffering, a simple leap, angels rescuing, and finally long awaited worship.

Perfect. Too good to be true. God sent. Remember He has promised He will do something new in our dry times. This must be it! In the midst of their wilderness experiences Moses, David, and Jesus each receive incredible offers and opportunities: Moses, the chance to be the father of a willing and obedient nation. David, the prospect of no longer living life as a fugitive. Jesus, the opportunity to receive the worship he deserves. However, in each case, the men flatly refused.

You too will experience wilderness. You may be there now. It is against the backdrop of the dryness, barrenness, mundane, and sameness of your daily life that the phone will ring, the letter will arrive, the forgotten contact will call, or the attractive will notice you. The offer will look good. The timing will seem right. The answer to your prayer may appear to have arrived. In your dry moment the grass always looks greener somewhere else. The problem is that we usually discover that the grass is also always greener over the septic tank. Right in the driest moment of your career the chance to take another position will be offered. Right in the most barren moment of your relationship something cute that has never given you the time of day before will walk into your life and want your attention. Right in the hardest moment of your life something new will come along and you have to remember that God will make you offers He expects you to refuse. Wait until you are in a better frame of mind to make life altering, relationship ending decisions and choices. Get godly counsel when the offer comes. More times than not in the wilderness you will have to “Just say no!”