God heals the Bitter and makes us Beautiful! | Week 2 | Waymaker

Big Idea: God heals the Bitter and makes us Beautiful!

Bitterness: Of a Thing

Bitterness: Of People

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) 24 So the people grumble/murmured against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" 25 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. 26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you." 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

Exodus 15:22-27 (NIV)

The Water

• The water was Bitter

• Test/Trust

• Provision/Protection

  • God’s Culture is Counter Intuitive

  • Pay attention to the Outside and the Inside

God heals the Bitter and makes us Beautiful!

The Wood

• The Blessing

  13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

  Galatians 3:13-14 (NIV)

• The Bitterness

  34 The soldiers gave him wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.

  Matthew 27:34 (NLT2)

• The Balm of Gilead

  24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed

  1 Peter 2:24 (NLT2)

God heals the Bitter and makes us Beautiful!

The Work

• Your best effort to get it “right” with God (Religion-Dead Works) without radical acceptance of his radical sacrifice are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10

• You were Dead now you are Alive-to do what he created you to do

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship , created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)

God heals the Bitter and makes us Beautiful!

The Beauty of the Believer

• Look Good

16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)

• Smell Good

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (NIV)

• Do Good

15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Romans 10:15 (NLT2)