"And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not? Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."
Israel had been out of Egypt for only a short time and they already forgot where God had taken them from. Four hundred years of bondage. They constantly murmured against Moses and we see here in Genesis chapter 17 that they are complaining again. This time for an apparent lack of water. They simply did not trust God. God took care of this need and then the Bible says in verse 8, "Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim."
I believe that God allowed Amalek to come against Israel as a judgment for their constant complaining. Amalek caused Israel to have to go to war and forget about their complaining and trust Him. What Amalek’s are you fighting today because of complaining against God and because of our lack of faith in His provision? Are you fighting the Amalek’s of:
-Financial struggle
-Health failure
-Poor relationships
-Lack of a prayer & devotional life
-Unanswered prayer
Moses instructed the Israelites to prepare for war. He called on Joshua to go and fight with the Amalekites while he, Aaron and Hur prayed for them. It was a team effort. Of course the Lord was with them and they won the battle but they needed each other to win it. Look again at verse 12. (But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.)
I want to look at several points from this passage of Scripture that show the importance of having "helping hands" in the ministry.
#1) Like Moses and the nation of Israel, We are in a war.
Moses told Joshua to go and fight Amalek. They were in a war and needed to fight and win. The day we got saved and trusted Christ as our Savior, we were enlisted in a war as well. Only our warfare is spiritual not carnal or a physical warfare.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5,
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
The devil is waging a battle against God and His children and is doing all he can to destroy our families, our homes, our testimony and even our ability to be effective believers and witnesses.
I Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
Do you realize that you are in a war and are you prepared to do battle daily with the enemy?
Story:
Although Douglas MacArthur graduated from West Point at the top of his class, he continued to prepare himself for service to his country. He studied every military textbook he could get his hands on. He visited battlefields and personally reviewed the tactics which the victors and the losers used. While other young officers were playing cards or practicing their golf swing, MacArthur ignored the social whirl to make himself better prepared as a future leader. He even insisted on having his appendix removed just in case it would ever cause him to be incapacitated with an attack of appendicitis at a crucial time later in his career. Douglas MacArthur’s preparedness proved wise. As the key military leader in the Pacific theatre of operations during World War II, he had personally responded to his country’s call to duty years before the actual crisis of war by preparing himself to be a top general. He was prepared are you?
Paul gives us instruction on the weapons of our warfare or the whole armour of God as believers in Ephesians 6:10-18,
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"
Jude verse three tells us to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."
We are in a war and like it or not we must fight and win the battle. Are you fighting and winning the battle?
#2) Like Moses & Israel, it takes teamwork to win the war.
While Joshua and the men were battling the Amalekites, Moses was praying and holding up the rod of God toward heaven in supplication for the battle to go Israel’s way. As long as Moses held up the rod, the battle went Israel’s way, and when Moses grew weary and his arms dropped down, the battle went the Amalekites way. Moses prayed and Joshua fought the battle and even Aaron and Hur were needed to help hold up Moses’ arms. They needed each other.
The same is true for the church today. We need each other if we will have the victory over Satan and his evil forces. It’s not enough to come to church and sit in the pew and listen to sermon after sermon or Sunday school lesson after Sunday school lesson or listen to the choir sing special after special or listen to how the Lord has blessed so and so or how someone has been saved and on and on while you are sitting on the sidelines and are not personally involved in the battle yourself. We need everyone, every member to be involved in the battle if we want success. We need the Moses’, the leaders, but we also need the Joshua’s, the warriors, and the Aaron’s and the Hur’s, assisting the leaders and holding up the hands of the Pastor whenever possible.
Moses grew weary. The Bible says "his hands were heavy". Aaron and Hur bought him a stone to sit on but it wasn’t enough and so they had to get right up under him and literally hold his arms up for him. They were "helping hands". The battle was won because of the team work and the Helping Hands of God’s people.
We have so much that God wants to do through this church and in this area, but it won’t be done and it can’t be done by just two or three people. To have the victories that I believe God wants for New Durham Baptist Church, we are going to have to have every member doing their part and working together with Helping hands to get the job done! Helping hands of prayer and helping hands of giving and helping hands of comfort and helping hands of teaching and helping hands of working, each one of us using the spiritual gifts that God has blessed us with and to be used in His service. God didn’t save us to stand idly by while others are doing all the work but wants each of us to do his part so that collectively we can together win the victory.
Remember the man with palsy in Mark 2:3-5,
"And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne (carried) of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
Jesus saw their faith by their works. We say we have faith and do no works. James says that faith without works is dead. He is not saying that works saves you, but rather works demonstrates your faith. They not only carried this man to Jesus but took the time to tear up a roof and took the effort to let him down on a rope to get to Jesus. Then when Jesus saw their faith, he healed the man. How did He see their faith? It was obviously by their works. And it is the same today. You show your faith by your works. We are not working to be saved but rather we are working because we are saved! Helping hands, each of us having a part to do in the work of the ministry.
Look at what Paul says to the church in I Corinthians 12:13-21,
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you."
And go to verse 27, "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (or individual)."
We at New Durham have been set in this body as it has pleased God and we are all one but yet each of us has differing and many varying gifts. We are all a very important part of the body of Christ in this world which is the local New Testament Church. What part are you?
Let’s review,
We are in a war,
It takes team work to win the war, and
#3) God is on our side in the war:
God had a covenant with the nation of Israel and He will keep His covenant promises. God has promised to save all those who come to Him by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross who has already won the victory for us!
Look who Paul says we have the victory through in 1Corinthians 15:52-58,
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
I John 5:4-5 says,
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"
Story:
In the world’s most famous cycling race, The Tour de France. Nineteen team mates give up their right to be champions so that one man namely, Lance Armstrong could win for the fifth consecutive year. No one knows their names, and we hardly ever saw their faces during the event. But they gave their all for the benefit of one. Cycling might be the only team sport where only one of the team members actually claims the prize. And how opposite from our Christian faith where One Man (the man Christ Jesus) won the race so that we could all be winners. One man’s death brought victory to all who would believe in him.
Maybe you’re here this morning and you’ve never trusted Christ as your savior. Well you aren’t in the war yet. In fact, the Bible says that you are the enemy of God. Why don’t you decide today that you want to have the victory over death and hell that can only come with faith in Christ and come today and ask Him to forgive you and be your Savior.
Perhaps your saved, you’re a child of God but you’ve not really been in the war and after hearing the message, you want to join with us in the battle. You want to be a Helping Hand. Come and join with us as we battle for the Lord. Let’s pray.