Rooted - Week 4 - Serving God - An Issue of the Heart
Pastor RJ Fairell
Numbers 20:6-12 NLT
Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”
So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”
Numbers 20:6-12 NLT
1. We must
God properly to others.
Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them… Numbers 20:6
2. A bitter heart leads to
and
.
Moses and Aaron, gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock? Numbers 20:10-12
3. Results don’t mean
with God.
Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. Numbers 20:11
4. If you can’t serve well, you can’t
well.
“Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39
Practical Steps to Heal a Bitter Heart
1. Acknowledge the
.
“Search me, God, and know my heart…” Psalm 129: 23-24
You cannot heal what you
.
2. Choose
.
“Get rid of all bitterness… forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
Forgiveness is a
, not a
.
3. Release the need for
and
.
“Do not take revenge… “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19
Let go of the need for revenge and
to handle the issue.
4. Shift your focus from the pain to God’s
.
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” Genesis 50:20
What the enemy meant for harm; God can use for your
.
5. Guard your heart & stop
the offense.
Above all else, guard your heart” Proverbs 4:23
What you meditate on will either feed
or deepen your
.
6. Surround yourself with
, Godly people.
“Walk with the wise and become wise” Proverbs 13:20
The people around you will either keep you in bitterness or push you toward
.
7. Deepen your
life.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer…” Philippians 4:6-7
Prayer heals the
and restores
in serving.