Let It Out Part 4: Living Together Series

This sermon can be listened to online by visiting:

http://www.cayafellowship.com/2007/08/19/let-it-out-part-4-living-together-things-can-happen/

The story so far ...

The Israelites are pretty high off of the Exodus. They have seen the miraculous work of God in freeing them from the Egyptians. Things are going incredibly well. I think of Moses in the Prince of Egypt as he is coming down from the mountain - regal, expectant, excited ... just wait until the next frame. Because now, he’s gonna have to live with these people.

When Christ is not visible “things” can happen

1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain,

But we just talked last week about dealing with a quiet God

They should have just had faith and trusted

Why couldn’t they just believe and endure

It’s easy to put expectations on people without realizing that everyone is not operating at the same spiritual level.

I was 16 years old when my sisters came to live with us. I was 16, George was 14, Tangy was 11, Chmara was 5, and Jenny and Jessica were 1. But the expectations for me were different than the expectations of my other siblings. Why because I was a little older, a bit more experienced in Mommy Wanda’s family, and had been there much longer. It was also EXPECTED that I would understand that a 16 year old would know a bit more than the 1 year old. I had to love, listen, and give grace to these little girls and help them grow.

In the same way we’ve got to understand that if we are going to be a church that is about “Coming as you are”:

Everyone coming is at a different spiritual level; including no level at all

Everyone coming hasn’t received Christ; and may not even desire to do so

Everyone coming hasn’t been there for the whole story so the concept of “don’t forget what God has done for us” doesn’t even resonate

Everyone coming cannot “understand” or even “comprehend” a quiet or absent God

BUT - everyone is looking for GOD! So they MUST then see God & Christ through us!

Matthew 15:5Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

As a community we have to remember for each other,

As a community we pray for each other,

As a community we plead for each other When we aren’t strong for each other “things” can happen

they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods [a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him." 2 Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, [b] O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."

It’s sad but the “they” entity shows up!

“They” come and approach Aaron

“They” put a seed of what not to do in Aaron

“They” influence him

“They” downgrade “this fellow Moses”

“They” prey on his weakness

Yea, so we can look and see and point out that Aaron is weak. But where are his boys? Where is Aaron’s backup?

I pledged Phi Beta Sigma in college. Everyone has stories to tell of when they were pledging. But the one thing we could be sure of whenever we had a set was that we would be locked up - arm in arm - unified, joined, refusing to let anybody else separate us. Why because if they were able to break our line ... or single somebody out ... they could divide us.

The enemy comes to steal kill and destroy ... and he does that through division!

Jude 1:18-20 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)

They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

When we don’t plead for each other “things” can happen

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. [c] Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.