Abounding Grace

Guest (Male): Pastor Ed Taylor has this to say about the battles in life.

Pastor Ed Taylor: A lot of times, and this is my final thought for us today, a lot of times we think the battles are going from defeat to defeat and we get into that mindset. Another failure here, another failure here, another failure here, and then all we can see are our failures.

But I want you to notice that it says the battle's from generation to generation, but the last thing that God said about Israel was what? Victory. So battles really in Christ go not from defeat to defeat, but from what? Victory to victory. Victory to victory, because the battle’s already been won.

Guest (Male): It is great to have you in our listening family today as we present Abounding Grace with Pastor Ed Taylor. Grab a Bible and join us in Exodus chapter 17. When we left the children of Israel last time, they were complaining in the wilderness with no water to drink. But God came through yet again.

After this great provision came a great battle. As you'll hear momentarily, victory would come through oneness and support of their leader Moses. Here is Pastor Ed.

Pastor Ed Taylor: Great victory, they get the water, guess what happens after victory? There's a fight. Great progress always brings great resistance. Notice verse 8: "Now Amalek." So just pause here, and when you're reading the Bible, you go, "What do you mean now? When is now?" That's a time word. When is now? After the great provision of God, after the blessing of God, after they are completely... a rock is giving them water.

They are tasting of the living water that's to come in a new covenant. They are rejoicing and maybe some of them were like, "I'm so sorry Moses, what's our problem?" It is a fresh cleansing of the people inside and out. Water is there. The complaining's over. Whether they repented or not, you know how that goes when you're brought to the place where you see your own folly, you either say it out loud or you feel it inside, but you recognize that you were in the wrong. And the nation is like, "Yes, that's now." The time of great blessing of God, the provision of God.

Amalek, which is a type of the flesh, a people group, came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. There's always a fight in the midst of the blessing of God. There's always a fight to steal your joy and to diminish your faith. And Moses said to Joshua in verse 9, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I'll stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." And mark this phrase: this is the best thing for us to learn how to do, the best obedience, immediate obedience: "So Joshua did as Moses said to him."

He fought with Amalek in verse 10, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands became heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, the other on the other side. And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

And there is victory once again. Amalek, the Amalekites, they are descendants of Esau, Edomites, the arch-enemies of Israel. And this attack comes so very quickly after they responded by faith and received the provision of God. And there's a battle going on there. The Amalekites were also known as going after the weak ones. The weak ones. Hold your places here. Since we're so close, turn over to Deuteronomy chapter 25. I want to show you this in our final minutes. There's so much in this text, but I do want to give you some of it.

Deuteronomy chapter 25, notice in verse 17. The Amalekites were known to attack from behind. Notice: "Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear when you were tired and weary and did not fear God." Again, there's so much. I'm not going to spend some time developing it, but mark this and meditate on it. Here are places that make you and me vulnerable. Not even necessarily sin.

For example, when you're tired, watch out. When you're weary, watch out. That's why God gives us the pattern: six days you work, seventh day you rest. That's an important pattern. And we even have the privilege in our work relationships: five days, two. Some of you have a different schedule, but you want to value those days off and rest mentally, physically, emotionally. Tired and weary. Another thing, notice they were stragglers. Stragglers. It may be a place where you're not pressing into the things of God, you're not really too serious.

I mean, I think here on a midweek study or you're listening to the radio, that kind of speaks to your desire to press in. But there are those within our fellowship family, there are those in our families, there are those in the broader body of Christ that aren't pressing in. And they make themselves vulnerable. They're vulnerable. Again, it doesn't necessarily need to be sinful, just coasting and not really living off past strength. It can become sinful, but you've got to understand: right when there's provision and right when there's blessing and when your faith is being built up, you want to make sure you're not tired, you're not weary, and you're not lagging behind.

Because that's where the enemy is going to go first. It's a spiritual parallel that those who lag behind are the first ones that get hit. And I have found over the years that the real target is on you and on me to take us out. But when that isn't successful, when you and I are able to stand strong, the enemy will go after those that are closest to you, those that you love, those that you care about. Because he's nasty, the devil. He doesn't care about us. He doesn't care about our families, our singleness, our kids, our grandkids, our marriages. He doesn't care.

And so it doesn't make sense, church, for you not to care. It doesn't make sense for you and I not to pay attention to our families and to our kids and to our church and to our brothers and sisters. The devil doesn't care about our city. So it doesn't make sense that you and I would care about it. We don't want to align ourselves with the demonic forces that want to destroy. We don't want to align ourselves with the attitude and the mindset that we don't care about those that are closest to us because the enemy's going after them. Because if he can get the ones closest to us, then we're going to pull back.

It's when you're close to the Lord that you are much stronger. You're not invincible, but you are so much stronger. Now notice that there was direction given by Moses as a leader. First of all, he told Joshua to choose some men and go fight, and that was his role. And we don't find in Joshua resistance or questioning. The relationship between Joshua and Moses was one of faith and trust in one another. And because Moses loved God and loved the people, Joshua loved God and loved the people.

Imagine, if you're just human here: Joshua, you go down and put your life on the line, and I'll just go up on the hill over here for a while and watch you. I mean, just put yourself in a place like some of you would have an attitude on that. "What? You go where?" Nothing like that. It was pretty rapid and immediate. And this is a real war scene here. We're going to pull some applications out of it for our lives, but this is life and death. But isn't that true spiritually, the things we go through? This is life and death stuff when it comes to the people that God has allowed in our lives.

So Joshua goes down and he does exactly what he asked, and then Moses and Aaron and Hur go up to the hill. And Moses stands there with his hands up in a position of prayer, really, surrender. And the fight was won on the mountain and experienced in the plains. The fight was won by prayer and dependence, by cooperation. This is important for us because we do battle every day. And the reason why Israel was hit was because of their God. And the reason you're hit is because of your God and your love for God.

Because you get tired of spiritual warfare. "I'm tired, tired, tired." Well, you love God. And the hatred that the world has and the devil has for your God is experienced by those that love God. And as your friend and pastor, I need to remind you the spiritual warfare in your life will never end. Never end. Even if you decided to walk away, turn your back on the Lord, you're going to have a different kind of warfare as a prodigal. "What am I doing here? I can't go back. What am I doing here? Oh God." And now you're battling shame and guilt, and the warfare is real.

But you're stronger when you're closer to the Lord. You're stronger when you're in the fight. You're stronger when you are where you need to be. Joshua, get some men and go fight. I'm going up. Aaron and Hur, you come up with me. Maybe there was some communication. So there they are and notice, as Moses was, his hands were up. Like any of us, our arms will get heavy. I mean, you experience this sometimes when we're given instruction by Pastor Ian or Shawn or our guest worship leader and they say, "Put your hands up." And then you're up there and your hands can't even last a song.

It is not that you're done worshipping, it's just this hurts and then all you watch it go down and you might as well just go down. And somehow, Aaron and Hur notice it. I've developed this passage in other times as a picture of leadership, and again, you can get those studies online or on the app. But enough to say that Aaron and Hur were so in tune with God and Moses that without a word they came and made sure they noticed something. His arms are up: victory. Arms down: defeat. And they came to the conclusion: I think we need to help a brother, our leader, and keep his arms up.

They get out a rock, they sit him on it, and they stood there and held his arms up until victory came. And that's a great lesson for us: learning how to hold each other's arms up, support one another, how to be the men and women that God called us to be for the sake of the victory. They didn't do this for Moses as much as they did it for the Lord. They didn't do it for Joshua, but perhaps the more motivation was not Moses but Joshua, because his life was on the line. But there was a beauty of intimacy and oneness.

And again, I don't want to read into it how we might experience it today because we're not in a war scene, but there was just a oneness among the leadership there and that's where victory came. And that's an important principle for us here in our church: likemindedness and making sure that we lock shields together so that we're fighting the right enemy and not one another. Because the enemy will just take us out when we're fighting each other. Moses goes up and he's there battling, crying out to the Lord. Joshua and Aaron support him.

I mean, in verse 12 it says Aaron and Hur were with him and we're like, "Where did Hur come from? Where did he show up from?" We don't know, except that once we're introduced to him, he becomes just as important as Aaron. Equal in every way in this scenario. Just as important. And when there was a need, Hur just showed up to meet it. And how much I appreciate that in the body of Christ. Just so many things being taken care of, so many things happening. We don't have time to go through all of the testimonies of faithfulness in your workplace, at your house, in your neighborhood as you're going down to the hospital to volunteer, as you're collecting supplies.

All the things. You're just there because of your love for God and your love for people. And I would say: fan the flame. Take the position of support and support the Lord by supporting those He put in your life in leadership. Now, I know as a pastor sharing this it might sound a little self-serving, but bear with me for a moment. God's will for our lives is to be and to do who He has called us to be and do. And God has given us leaders in our lives. Until my pastor went home to be with the Lord, he knew and I very often communicated to him that God put me in his life to help him, even a thousand miles away.

And I wanted him to know that, how much I love and appreciate him because of how God used him in my life. And if my name ever came up or he ever thought about me or I came up in a prayer meeting, he would just know you don't need to worry about me. I got your back. And I would never allow sin, I would never overlook sin. I'm not a yes-man, but you know what? For my relationship with my pastor, not once was that ever required of me or requested of me because he lived a life of integrity. He was an easy man to hold up his arms.

So leaders, we have a responsibility to live a life of faithfulness so it's easy for us to come together and serve. You're serving with somebody right now that's always talking about their authority, their authority, their authority. I don't know. That's not really relationship. Can you imagine parents, if that's all your kids heard every day? Not when they're in trouble, sometimes when they're in trouble you say, "Hey, there's only one man in this house." I get that, but that's like one or two conversations your whole life. Can you imagine every day your kids, "I just want you guys to know I'm in authority." "Okay dad."

"I want you to know that's my milk. I worked for it and I'm in authority." "Okay dad." What kind of kid do you think you're going to raise if you raise them like that? No way. You're like, "This house is your house. I love you. You need more milk? I'm at the store. You need food? Not only are you going to have food, I'm going to find out what you like and I'm going to surprise you with it." That's love. And that can happen within the body of Christ where we mutually love one another and we become the Hur.

Sometimes it's dirty and sometimes it's hard. If you think about Moses here, he's got his arms up and now he's sitting like this, and so I don't believe to take a position if Aaron and Hur came and tried to hold his arms, I don't think they also took a place of weakness so that their arms become heavy trying to keep it. I think they did something like this: they came up right under and held him up in a place where they could support him. And where does that put them? Right in his armpits. And they don't have Right Guard or Old Spice in that day.

That was a nasty place to be in a real way. Those armpits, they stinketh in the old King James. But lives were at stake here. Lives were at stake. So everyone did what they needed to do for the sake of others and that's where victory came. And if we can learn this as a church, and I think we're learning, we could learn it even in better ways. Because how did the chapter start? Murmuring and complaining. How does the chapter end? Victory. Why? Because from the murmurers and complainers, that picture, God shifts the scene and says now I want you to see the integrity of the leadership that the people are dealing with.

Not perfect: the integrity of the leadership, Moses, Aaron, Hur. And verse 13, don't you miss that: "So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." And in reviewing this as I prepared this study, I had it ready before I left for a season, and reviewing it today and just thinking about it, it was a moment of appreciation for all the men and women that have come through the church over the years and are here right now for the last 25 years that have really been a blessing to the ministry and brought victory after victory after victory after victory after victory for the name of Jesus Christ in Aurora, Colorado and beyond.

Isn't it great? It's just so good to think of all the great things that God has done through the really difficult tasks of ministry, of service, of sacrifice, of counting the cost. Somehow God's going to sort it all out in heaven at the Bema seat, right? To think of all that we get to be a part of and then somehow we're going to be rewarded by God Himself for the ministry that He gave to us, the strength that He gave to us, the empowering that He gave to us, the people that He gave to us. Yes. It'll be that moment. "Oh Lord, come on." And we just cast them back at His feet. They belong to Jesus. He's the good shepherd.

He's the good shepherd. Well, notice, it says in verse 14: "Now the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.'" And Moses built an altar, a place of worship after victory, called its name, "The Lord is My Banner," or some of you might have jotted down in your Bible, Jehovah Nissi. He's my banner. My banner. The banner over me is love and victory. For he said, "Because the Lord has sworn, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." Why? Because the battle continues.

Enjoy the victory because the battle continues. And this is the thing, though. And this is my final thought for us today: a lot of times we think the battles are going from defeat to defeat and we get into that mindset. Another failure here, another failure here, another failure here, and then all we can see are our failures. But I want you to notice that it says the battle's from generation to generation, but the last thing that God said about Israel was what? Victory. So battles really in Christ go not from defeat to defeat, but from victory to victory. Victory to victory, because the battle’s already been won.

The cross of Christ held Jesus Himself. He died, buried, and for the final word for all humanity, He rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven. He's at the right hand of the Father even now.

Guest (Male): Pastor Ed, I love this story of Aaron and Hur supporting their leader Moses, holding up his arms. What are some practical ways that we can support our spiritual leaders?

Pastor Ed Taylor: This is great. I love Exodus 17. It's actually a chapter in one of the books I wrote in "Ordinary Servant". It's one of my favorite Bible studies to teach to leaders and servants on how to cooperatively and collaboratively serve in the church. Some practical ways that we can support our leaders is to, number one, cultivate our personal walk with the Lord. Just stay strong in your walk with the Lord. Read your Bible every day, pray every day, be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, be in communion, be in fellowship. Just tend to your own personal walk.

Number two: make sure your house is in order in your marriage, in your singleness. Take care of home first. Home base is always most important. And some of you are listening: "Wait a minute, this is Aaron and Hur. How can we hold our spiritual leader's arms up?" Well, you see how there's preparatory work before you ever step into supporting the men and women that might be your leaders in the congregation.

A couple practical things once those two things are looked at and paid attention to would be to have a servant's heart. Serve those leaders with a servant's heart. Just do it. If it's not sin, never cave to committing sin. That's a given, but I need to say it out loud. Just serve and do it as unto the Lord. And another thing I think would be helpful is be observant. That's what happened with Aaron and Hur: they were observant. They could see that he was getting tired. He never asked for it, but they served anyway.

This leads us to an important principle: we serve when we're asked and we serve when we're not asked. So we don't just wait around, but we're just actively loving the flock, likeminded. If you seek the Lord and you follow His leading, you're going to be a great servant. Walk in the spirit, don't fulfill the lust of your flesh. God will use you in great ways.

Guest (Male): Great ideas there. Thanks, Pastor Ed. Do you struggle with anger as so many do? We'd like to recommend an excellent book on the subject from Tim LaHaye and Bob Phillips. It's titled "Anger Is a Choice". Whether you're dealing with the rage of others or battle it yourself, you'll discover how to keep anger under control instead of it being in control.

Request a copy today when you give a gift of $25 or more to Abounding Grace. Call 877-30-GRACE. And I should also mention the book is available online at our e-store. Take a look at calvaryco.store. Again, the toll-free number: 877-30-GRACE.

Well, that will do it for today. Come back tomorrow and Pastor Ed Taylor will pick up where we left off in Exodus here on Abounding Grace. Abounding Grace is brought to you by Calvary Church Colorado here in Aurora.