When Life Turns Sour

Great life is to forget what God did yesterday.

Dr. Tony Evans shares even though our momentary pain may cloud our memory of God's power and goodness circumstances changed.

God has this is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, seen pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. Some of the healthiest people you know. Maybe the most in need of healing today. Dr. Evans explains why. Let's join him as he spells out God's plan to sweeten the sour lives is a bad day when you wake up in the morning and you hear birds singing outside your window and it's a bus is a bad day when you call your answering service.

Get your messages and they tell you with none of your business that's that's a bad lot of us having bad days and what is really bad day is really not funny world is having a bad day. Some of us find it hard to fully sympathize because was still struggling throne earthquakes.

We have own areas where some nominees will recognize just that look like it's going to get any better. My attention was taken to Exodus 15 verse 22 says that Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went out into the wilderness assure they went three days in the wilderness and found the water when they came tomorrow they could not drink the water, for they were bitter. Therefore, it was named they come out and they have discovered two problems. There is no water going to get the water finally think they got there prayer answered the changes going, things are going get better. The water was better but what is when life gets lower better when it doesn't have any taste anymore when you have to spew it out and it's really worse when you think you got it you first have no water finally get to some water when we get the some water.

You know we praising God he made a way out of no way. Jesus said it was going to fix it. We finally get over there and is not what we thought it was the waters of Morrow bitter all of us knows what it is for life to get better sour tasting you can't swallow it because it's not what you thought it was. It's not refreshing. It's not.

It's not meaningful it's not productive. It's sour you know when life is got real bitter verse 24 because the people grumbled to Moses, saying, what shall we drink and just asked what shall we drink it, for they grumbled they complain now. What's interesting about this passage is that complainant and they just left church. Verse 21. Miriam answered them, saying to the Lord for he is highly exalted because it is rather he is hurled into the sea wow they want to have appraisal service appraiser. Most of the Red Sea disking water dripping big escape to a whole bunch of water so they praising God to see the delivery God is victorious God is a powerful God destroy the enemy, and peace. She sent Satan to the Lord because he is highly exalted.

This worship service at the church was over and the benediction was given in the parking lot rented to know when the morning. It's bitter throughout the Old Testament.

You will find God in the multiplicity of ways reminding use people that he was the one who delivered them out of Egypt.

The reason why he was reminding them so that when they ran into some new they would not lose sight of some old they would not forget the God who delivered the great danger when life gets better when you run the minor is to forget what God did yesterday.

We can live in yesterday that's that's another story, but neither are we to forget the faithfulness of God before because what you're going through now can suck you dry so that you forget that while the circumstances change. God has not. But the people forgetting that they just got out of church from praising God for what he had just gone and they complained, then he cried. Moses cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree and he threw it into the waters and the water became sweet. So let's follow this prayer service got it done a great thing at a show they leave the prayer service and run into a problem. They go from praise to problem in the midst of their problem they begin to complain why we having this problem.

We just let praise the praising they run into a problem so they trouble and they complain at Moses, what are you going to do.

Moses went from praise to problem to prayer the first $0.25 to the Lord when Obama talked about crying out does not like saying grace. You know this is food above receive in Jesus name amen cried out means you desperate. That does not work.

This is really serious. Moses got almost 2 million people, and there is no water. And what he has his bitter what you have is not working out. Moses cried to God and God showed him a tree and he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. Natural water is the calmest of you by it says when you cry out to God. God showed him the solution to his problem.

That was his complaint and was a tree memo my thing but actually solve the problem. God has showing the tree God showing the tree Kelly pray he prayed for them of the problem. The problem came after the praise don't be surprised after your praise that you wanted to problem when after you praise you run into a problem that is God's invitation for prayer what's going on here. Why do we go from praise to problem the prayer there in verse 25 he made for them a statue and regulation, and there he tested and he said if you will give earnestly keyed to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, and give ear to his commandments and keep you statue all the statues I will put none of these diseases on you, which I put all the Egyptians, for the Lord, am your shield God's names.

God is always names throughout the Bible that's designed to describe his work or his activity so that descriptive in nature and most of the names of God have come out of zits and labor intensive labor was a German phrase that means situation in life and theology what one of things I the study was coming to his Hebrew and Greek yesterday German and French and learn German and French is because a lot of theological works come out all used to come out in German and French and they had been translated yet. Back when I was coming in schools so you have to read these works in German and French so I one of the great religious phrases in the German nomenclature in the theological world was with the fixedly bench since Laban was the situation in life.

In other words, that the way you claim to understand God was in the context of the situation you're in.

And when you think about it. That's how the Bible was written to about one written at one time the one place but one person. The Bible was written over 1600 years by approximately 40 different authors. We call it the progress of revelation.

Everything was written that way is God would reveal himself in the situations that people were in and that's why we read the Old Testament your reading stories narratives because you're reading this, fixedly reading the situation that life was in and the involvement of God with those scenarios and so it is in the situation was that since Laban is in that scenario of life where you discover God in a way that sermons can give you sermons have their place. Teaching is foundational, but it's one thing the singer saw his mom about my sword my feelings my wheel in the middle of wheel and is one thing for him to be that in your situation. Those are two different souls one is a song about the other one is a song with it is a different X variance with God, and far too many of us are satisfied to know about. Rather than have experience with them, but experience with them comes in the situation.

The situation have to create a need for sleep to experience him usually has to be a need for saw the need for him usually means that some circumstances that you need to summons him about because it's serious in nature. It was very tested BMP it was that was in this context it was in this scenario within the situation to the only time you really know the value of an anchor is in the store. Never got about an anchor, but really, really becomes valuable is in the storm.

The whole you study while everything else is shaking around you. But what happens when things in our lives. Progress from bad to worse. Dr. Evans will take a look at that when he returns after these words when life throws us a curve ball will look for something or someone bring us positive distraction. Well, God has forced to Holy Spirit's job is to join us, so in the midst of our chaos and confusion can bring harmony to my headaches, life can give you comfort called find the confidence to do movie television show friend what they can give you rest.

So that's Tony Evans not to find out more and request your copy of hope for the hurting, Tony's latest book hope for the hurting goes hand-in-hand with the message we been hearing today and that's why we created a special bundle that includes the book the entire 20 message coming to the comforter collection as well as the optional companion hope for the hurting Bible study guide and DVD. Together these resources get powerful insight into the purpose behind our pain afflictions in the difficult times we all face when we approach the comforter, we can find a help and hope.

We need to carry on.

Right now we like to offer this package of resources to you as our gift and thanks for your contribution to help support the ongoing work of Dr. Evans and the urban alternative to get the details and make the arrangements. Just go to Tony Evans.org or if you prefer, give us a call at 1-800-800-3222 anytime of the day or night to let one of our team members, assist with your resource request. Don't miss out on this limited time offer visitors to Tony Evans.org or call 1-800-800-3222 to request a hope for the hurting, and coming to the comforter offer. I'll have the contact information for you again after part two of today's lesson here is Dr. Evans and see when it comes to Red Sea don't have water stepfather get what I think I got a blessing. A blessing to be cursed.

Things go from bad to worse God says now I want to use this time as a lesson I want to test you, and I want to give you my instructions my statutes my commandments and ordinances so that you will follow and if you followed them none of the diseases that I put on the Egyptians will be yours. I am your healer. I am the one who will oversee your wellness or your well-being, then this is the verse verse 27. Then they came to Peter where there were 12 springs of water and 70 big trees and they can't bear beside the water to follow the flow Red Sea as open as water that first, there is no water. They finally get the water in its billable God has a tree to turn bitter water into Sweetwater.

Then he gives them some commandments and said look I am the God who heals you keeps your well-being in tech bidding led him to a long way had springs of water. Guess what their complaint was right around the corner. He was moving them to a place of blessing on a trip through the wilderness and were 12 springs all these day trees and bait camp there.

This was this was take a deep breath. We are home. But why am I telling you this, they are in the wilderness. They have just come to the Red Sea that in the wilderness on their way to the promised land. They run into a situation that is unsatisfying and that causes them to complete. While God walks you through your bitter situation will be the temptation to complain rather than cry out, God keeps pitstops in the wilderness.

The wilderness is not the promissory promised land is is where is normal to have wells floored with movable estimates when Paul said I know how to be bound wilderness.

That's when it's dry. Bitter we think you got some God creates pitstops. We talk about that the total oasis pitstops a place for watering hole. Let me tell you about a pitstop when God provides pitstops in the desert pitstop.

Once this is only this time to get you to the next pitstop pitstop is not the promissory is not the ultimate goal with not the ultimate man. It is a place of refuel, refuel to get you closer to where you're going to get you to the next filling station through travel cross-country. Your goal may be California but you can't skip stations to get there.

You got to pitstops for refueling. God has a way along the way of refueling you sometimes it comes out of nowhere. Sometimes God showing you some you didn't see before. Sometimes, and Encouraging Word somehow to somebody in your life who loves you and who speaks into it and just pick you up when you didn't think you will go another minute and it becomes a pitstop along the way we are all on a journey where different places in our church. The temptation will be to grumble about is the time you got a hold on the God like you've never held onto it before you gotta wrap yourself around your faith, because your faith is all you got this in the Stelter vision without sometimes all we have is our faith because we can see a thing.

God has shown us nothing. He is showing of nothing.

In fact, from our standpoint. God is in regress K transmission in reverse and I'm going backwards, and it happens I can explain that in any individual case because you got yours and I've got mine, he says, but during those times I want you to embrace my statutes and ordinances in my commandments. I want you to embrace me and my word and my will and I want you to cry out for me why why God why do I have to go through this because I want you to discover I I am your provider I am. And you cannot discover me.

You will not discover me until you're forced to live by faith, or is Hebrews 11. Success without faith it is impossible for people to force you anything to force me to faith people force it so you can skip it today, but he got something for you. Nowhere to run the when I'm done. I'm not trying to be mean, although it feels mean to be thirsty and drink the water that feels like being me know, so you we could do. The treaty showed you that you didn't even know was there because then you discover the temptation is to forget the lesson. Once you've experienced it so that's what a complaining except the 17th to these people have a spirit of complaining every time something goes wrong. They whine this is the second most important thing you need to know about God. The first most important thing is the gospel to get saved okay for canola? Kick possible support the but having now is a Christian. Here is the most important thing you and I need to know and remember about God.

That is his sovereignty.

The sovereignty of God is the most important doctrine in terms of day-to-day living.

Because so much comes our way. You gotta know that when it is out of control.

It is simply out of your control when it is out of control. It is simply out of your control. K. And the tendency when it is out of your control is to complain and to one Christians who why not talk about Christmas were struggling Christian to have a bad day. I met some of that I'm talk about that.

That's the spirit that sticks modus operandi. That's the way of life. Those are Christians with lost sight of the sovereign God because the sovereignty of God.

The fact that God is in control even when it is out of my control means that I can cry to him because whatever is confusing me is not confused. He is totally aware of my situation. Dr. Tony Evans will come back in just a moment to wrap up today's message before he returns though.

Let me quickly encourage you to take advantage of that special package of resources I mentioned a little earlier for a few more days when you make a contribution to help keep Tony's messages coming to you and others hereunder station will say thanks by sending you all 20 full-length messages in his current audio compilation called coming to the comforter, you get 10 lessons on CD and tennis downloadable MP3s and as an added bonus will also send you one of the first copies of Tony's latest book hope for the hurting, just reach out to us. While there's still time make a donation and request a special resource bundle you can make the arrangements online@tonyevans.org or by phone 24 seven at 1-800-800-3222. We look forward to saying thank you for your partnership in this ministry by sending you this helpful package of study tools that you can also get the companion Bible study guide and DVD check it out when you contact us once again that's online it. Tony ever and start or or by phone at 1-800-800-3222 one were stuck in difficult circumstances. We can call on God to get us out. But tomorrow Dr. Evans will explain that even when the storms of life are getting worse. We may already be right where God wants us right now though he's back with his final thought to wrap up today's message just tried to destroy it as you go through your bid in this and I hate you. I feel what what it is like when is just not working.

If not, life is not working sometime this awful but that's what we gotta reconnect with you. Draw near to him telling my gigolo not to let you go. When God does those things in your life and comes out of nowhere with something called a hovel with then you will know him in a way you didn't know it because you've experienced is one thing Alana doctrine is another thing to see the glory which the alternatives with Dr. Tony ever brought you fighting made possible by the generous contributions of listeners like