Weekly Sermon   07/20/2025

 

Exodus 17: 8-16       What type of person are you?       Hebrews 12:12-13

 

Today, the ministry is in grave trouble. The ministry I am speaking about is the Body of Christ here on earth, I am speaking about the church in its entirety. The ministry is in grave trouble due to the negligence, and discouragement by the people of God. This is happening because there are a large number of God’s servants that have abandoned the battlefield because they have grown weary. In other words many have abandoned the battlefield and have surrendered territory to the enemy. There are many that have allowed the forces of the enemy to evict them from the place that God has given them. Let us analyze some verses from the Old Testament that will reveal to us what the church needs.

 

Exodus 17:8-13 - The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." 10So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

 

The battle at Rephidim took place shortly after the people of Israel had received a great blessing. This is a pattern that the enemy uses frequently. The enemy launches an attack against believers shortly after receiving a blessing. The people of God were discouraged and on the path to rebellion. This is something that is very well reflected in Exodus 17:2-3 when we read: “So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?" 3But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" God had bestowed a great blessing upon them. God glorified Himself so that they would have no doubt that He would supply and guard them in their path. In Exodus 17:6 we read: “I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.” These brief details help us begin to recognize the pattern that the enemy uses; as the attack by the Amalekites took place shortly after the blessing that the people of God had received.

 

Does this continue to happen today? The truth of it all is that what happened to the people of that time is not too different from what happens to us individually, and what happens to the ministry. When we take the time to analyze our life, many of us will find that the worst attacks that we have received have come shortly after receiving a blessing. The Amalekites were a nomadic and predatory tribe, and our enemy’s army is not too different.

 

Our enemy’s army is constantly searching for people that are not standing firm, it is seeking people that may find themselves in the same or similar situation as the people of God at that time, seeking for people that may have started down that path of rebellion, people that have begun to doubt God’s grace and divine intervention. Our enemy’s army is seeking people in the Body of Christ to attack, and to steal the blessings that God has given them. In 1 Peter 5:8 we find a great warning about all of this when read: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” be alert.? There are three essential points that we must learn from what we read today.

 

Number one; We need to recognize that everyone in this world, especially all of us that follow Christ, have an enemy in common. In the verses that we are studying today we find that Moses and the people had the Amalekites that wanted to destroy them. In the same fashion we must recognize that we are in a state of war against the powers of darkness. This is something that is clearly stated by the apostle in Ephesians 6:12 when we read: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”   Our enemy will try anything at any time in his attempt to destroy us. Our enemy will not waste the opportunity when we may be tired and our guard is down. the main battle field is in our mind, and the enemy will attempt to implant lies, temptations, inspire evil thoughts, confusion, doubt, fear, and discouragement. In Ephesians 4:23 we are told: “to be made new in the attitude of your minds.” The spiritual war that we are in began a long time ago, and God’s people have suffered great losses. In the battle that we are examining today we find that there were two armies involved; the Amalekites and the people of Israel. In the spiritual war there are also two armies engaged in battle, God’s army and the powers of darkness. The truth about our adversary is that he is a powerful and evil ruler. Our enemy, just like the army of the Amalekites comes to destroy and plunder, which is the complete opposite of God’s plan for us. The Lord tells us in John 10:10 : “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” It is true that our enemy has great powers; it is true that he has a vast army that never rests; it is true that our enemy is very astute in his tactics; but it is also true that although he is all of these things, he is in fact a defeated foe. Colossians 2:15 says: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

 

Number two; if we want to defeat the attacks from our enemy, we must do it united as the army of God. “Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” Moses told Joshua to choose some of their men; Moses did not say take all of our men.   Moses was not depending on the strength of their army, he was depending in God. God chose Joshua as the leader and he told him to gather an army to fight against this enemy that was now confronting them, that the army that Joshua gathered was nothing compared to the Amalekites. Joshua went into battle against the Amalekites with a great disadvantage. Joshua’s army lacked discipline, they were not well armed, and they were still emotionally affected due to the slavery that they had endured. But Moses knew that the forces that attacked them would not be defeated by his army, what would in fact defeat this much greater force would be his prayers and intercession. Military might would not give them the victory, God’s power would make them victorious.

“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. While Joshua was engaged in battle, Moses prayed and had God’s staff lifted towards heaven. Moses lifted this staff to encourage the soldiers, and it was as a raised flag that awakened their enthusiasm. The army fought, but Moses interceded, appealing to God so that He would deliver to them the victory. One of the biggest mistake that many of us commit is that we will begin to intercede for a person or situation, but if we do not receive an immediate answer, then we stop interceding and praying. We will begin to intercede with great fervor, we shake the heavens with our prayers, but we quickly lose interest because at time we do not receive the answer that we expected or wanted. On other occasions, we get so wrapped up in the things of this world that we forget to intercede all together. We become so preoccupied with the things of this world, our mind becomes so wrapped up in the insignificant situations that surround us that we forget to lift our voice unto God.

 

Number three; All of us need help. The battle was not easy and it did not finish fast. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” Here we are told that “Moses' hands grew tired.” Moses’ hands grew tired from holding the staff up as a raised flag for such a long time. The truth is that weariness is something that affects many in our walk. It is something that affects God’s people in general, but it is something that affects many leaders, pastors, deacons, and ministers. This happens because just like Moses, there comes a time in the life of many leaders when they find themselves completely exhausted from battling. There are many leaders that grow weary from seeing that no matter how hard they try, or how much effort they put in, the less response they receive from the people, and I want us to note that I said the people and not God. God’s people today are very discouraged, they are apathetic, and it seems that the more they hear God’s word, the less they understand. This is why we see that many abandon their ministry, and how others give very little or no value to the blessing that God has given them to serve in His church. We see how our brethren in the faith grow weary from fighting against temptation, and subsequently fall once again in our enemy’s trap. And all of this happens because the support and union that must exist within the church is missing.

 

Moses’ hands grew tired, but they did not abandon the battle field. At that time: “they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” They helped him in his moment of weariness and exhaustion. If we want to be successful as a church, then we have to recognize that we need each other. Philippians 2:3-4 : “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” As a church we must lift up and hold the arms of those that may be weak.  1 Thessalonians 5:14 when we read: “And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” We have to recognize that we need help, that all of us need intercession, and that it is our responsibility to pray and intercede for all of our brothers and sisters.

 

The ministry is in serious trouble; Christ’ church is in serious trouble. The church needs you! The leaders cannot do it all; the leaders cannot be the only responsible persons to fight the battles. The church needs men and women like Joshua; the church needs men and women willing to enter into battle against our enemy’s army, even though the people that you may be leading may not be the best equipped that there is.

 

The church needs men and women like Aaron and Hur, people willing to lift up and hold the arms of those that have grown weary. People that are willing to help at all times all of those that may find themselves in a weakened to exhausted state. When this happens, when we assume the responsibility that we have, then we will receive the triumph. The Word tells us: “So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” All of us can also obtain this victory. But in order for this to happen we must assume our position and responsibilities. Joshua fought, Moses interceded, and Aaron and Hur supported him. It was an entire team that defeated the enemies attack by using God’s power and not theirs. The church needs this team; the Body of Christ needs this type of people and interaction between the believers. Now the question that remains is: what type of person are you?