What NOT to do when waiting on the Lord | Jonathan Evans

My daughter Kelsey will come, if y'all got teenagers, she's, you know, she pretty girl now. She she using mom's stuff. So, she'll come into the bathroom, just take it and walk out. And you know when parents start when parents start speaking in syllables, you better stop taking my stuff cuz I you know that happens from time to time.

One day she came in there and she took the rat tail comb. Yeah, the rat tail comb. I know I'm in there. She took the rat tail comb and mama said, "Kelsey, where is my rat tail comb? Did you take it?" "Yeah, I took it." "Stop taking my stuff."

Well, I only took it because I was doing Jade's hair to make sure we weren't late for church. How you going to take something then try to make the person you took it from feel good about what you took? This is the manipulation of American culture who feels like they can get back in God's graces by thanking him for their idolatry.

Oh, I just made this idolatrous rap album. Then I get the award and say, "Thank you, God." Wait, what? So our kids are looking, oh, YOU CAN BE IDOLATROUS AND THANK GOD AND IT'S ALL GOOD. NO, the anger, you can't manipulate. The anger of the Lord burned at these people.

Just in case you are unaware, there is no other way other than the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just in case you are unaware, there is no other name under heaven by which one can be saved other than Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the father except through him. I need you to understand that unapologetically we believe that Jesus is the way and there is no other way. We celebrate that fact and now we're going to believe in it. Stand to your feet for the reading of God's word. >> We're coming from Exodus 32.

We are walking through the wilderness. And I just want you to hear these words. Verse 1-7. I'm going to read to you verse 1-7. Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a God who will go before us.

As for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. Aaron said to them, "Tear off the gold rings which are on the ears of your wives and your sons and your daughters, and bring them to me."

And then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in the ears and brought them to Aaron. He took this from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf. And they said, "Watch, this is your God, oh Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."

Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord." So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves." Today I want to talk to you from the title, Stop Making Up Stuff. >> Stop making up stuff. You may be seated. >> Y'all stop all that laughing.

The setting. We are still, as you can see behind me at Mount Syani. Moses is up on the mountain and in his time up on the mountain, Moses is getting the ten commandments from God. They were spoken from the mountain. Now with the finger of God, God is writing on the tablets.

Reminds me in the book of John, you remember the story of the woman who would to be stoned for adultery. And Jesus says, "You who have not sinned, cast the first stone." And you remember that with his finger he knelt down and wrote in the sand. This is another time that God is using his finger to write.

And I would propose to you that he's writing the same thing. He's writing the commandments which Moses is getting while he's on Mount Cyani. Moses is doing a great He's going to get the word to bring the word down to the people. While he's up on this mountain, he's also getting the detailed instructions on building the tabernacle because this will be the place, the sanctuary where God will dwell among his people.

While he's on this mountain, he's fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. In other words, Moses is living by the spirit. >> Moses is doing the thing. Moses is getting the word, getting the instruction for the tabernacle. He's interceding for the people. He's got all of this going on.

But down below, where the people are, THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT was going on. Down below, they had a different mentality. While Moses was on the mountain getting the word to bring it down, getting the instructions of the tabernacle to bring it down, down below, there was something else.

This reminds me before I go forward, I got to tell you Moses was getting the word to bring it down. Jesus is the word who came down. >> Let me just make that correlation that Moses was getting the instructions for the tabernacle, which would be the place where God would dwell amongst his people.

But you remember John 1:14 that says he became flesh and dwelt among us. The word dwelt means tabernacled. That he became flesh and tabernacled among us. So Moses here is a beautiful picture of typology of Jesus Christ. And while Moses is up there, the people were doing something else down below.

They started making up stuff. >> Let me show you in verse one. In verse one of 32, this is what they said that was very deadly. And a lot of times what we say now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down the mountain pause. I had a question when I read that.

I said, "How do you know he was delayed? >> Who told you how long he was going to be up there?" >> Nobody. The Bible tells us Exodus uh 24:18, it tells us that he was there 40 days and 40 nights, but they didn't know that or they wouldn't have thought he was delayed. >> They just had an internal clock that went off that was not God's timing.

And when that internal clock went off, all of a sudden, they started wondering whether or not God had forgotten about them. When that internal clock went off, they started wondering whether or not Moses would even return. When the internal clock WENT OFF, THEY STARTED THINKING TO THEMSELVES, "Maybe I should just take care of this myself."

When the internal clock went off, they started thinking to themselves, "MAYBE I SHOULD JUST PRODUCE MY own promises since God won't come through." when their internal clock went off that they just made up because nobody told them when he would return down the mountain, all of a sudden they started making up other ideas.

See, when you make up stuff on God's timing and God doesn't come through on your time, you'll then start making up other stuff. >> Here they are saying Moses is delayed. Now, we have evidence that Jesus lived. We have evidence that Jesus died. We have evidence that Jesus ascended because there were eyewitnesses that watched him go up to the mountaintop of glory.

But what you don't know is the day or the hour, he will come right back down that mountain. That that's what you don't know. WE WE DON'T GET TO know that. And not only do we NOT KNOW THAT, WE don't know practical things. We don't know when our prayers are going to get answered. >> I I know you're ready for the answer to your prayer to come down the mountain.

I know you're ready for your guidance to come down the mountain, your opportunity to come down the mountain, your healing to come down the mountain. Some of us are ready for our spouse to come down the mountain. >> She raised her hand like I ain't shamed. Hands up.

You may be ready for something to come down the mountain, but be careful that you don't put God on your stopwatch. Because if you believe that he's delayed, it's for no other reason than you just made up an arbitrary time on the inside based on your situation that does not match up with his timing.

Just because he's not on your time doesn't mean he's not right on time. >> We've got to understand this cuz we just based on our circumstances be making up stuff >> and then casting those expectations on God as if he works for us. >> I went and got some food for someone.

I drove, I ordered, and I paid. I came back and their response was, "What took so long?" Now, Pastor Jay is nice, but on the inside, I was like, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute. How am I going to pay the price?" And you have entitlement on timing. >> How does Jesus feed us and fill US WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, >> a debt we couldn't pay?

He goes and pays the price AND THEN WE ENTITLED LIKE HE'S Santa Claus. We're on his time. He's the one who is doing this. >> Um the Bible does not teach you and I to put God on our arbitrary clock. The Bible teaches us to wait on him. >> PSALM 27:14 SAYS, "Wait on the Lord.

Let your heart take courage while you do. Yes, wait on him. Psalm 62:5. Can I give you a few scriptures? Psalm 62:5 SAYS, "MY SOUL WAITS on the Lord. MY HOPE IS FOUND ONLY in him." Somebody knows Isaiah 40:31, "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.

They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary." This is what the word says to us about waiting. I love Habca. that just came to mind. Habbec 2:2 says, "Write the vision down and make it plain." But Habca 2:3 says, "The vision will come at the appropriate time.

Even though it terries, I need you to wait on it." >> THE BIBLE TEACHES US to wait. And with all that God has done for the people, saving them with the blood, bringing them through the Red Sea, making bitter water sweet, making mana fall from heaven, defeating Amalc.

They should have been at the BOTTOM OF THAT MOUNTAIN SITTING Indian style, waiting on Moses to come down the mountain. >> I would do it, but I'm not flexible enough. THIS IS THE POSTURE though as believers we should have because we SHOULD HAVE THE FAITH ENOUGH to wait. >> And when we start making up stuff like God works for us and he's supposed to do what we need him to do in our time and then he doesn't move on your time and my time but moves on his time.

This is what we do. Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed to come down from the mountain, the people dissemble about Aaron and said, "Come make us a God who will go before us." Let me tell show you how bad this is. Make us a little G, little O, little D.

That word in the Hebrew is make us an Elohim. Yeah. >> In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth. This means that this was not an accidental fall into idolatry. >> This means they didn't step in a hole and accidentally get their foot stuck. This means that they weren't accidentally now too dependent on something and they didn't realize it.

This is them doing a literal God swap. God's not coming through. So, I'm going to make for myself something that can do for me that he won't do. So, make for myself an Elohim who will go before us. THIS GOES BACK TO Exodus 13 when the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day went before the people.

Yeah. >> So now they're SAYING, "GIVE US A GOD swap of something that will make a way out of now way, create out of nothing for me, and have the strength and power, WATCH, TO GET US TO THE PLACE WHERE WE desire to be." >> GOD IS NOT COMING THROUGH ON MY TIME.

So I'm going to make something else in my life that will fulfill my dreams and my desires. >> To do what God won't do in my time. I'm ready for my peace. I'm ready for my prosperity. I'm ready for my provision. I'm ready for my promise. Give it to me now.

Oh, you didn't. I'm going to find something else, someone else, or another situation that will. This is pure form of idolatry. When the people are finding an alternative to Elohim, and they named it Elohim. >> Oh, okay. I'm in a covenant and I've been praying about my marriage.

I'm not getting something in it. So, what I'm going to do is step outside of it, find another relationship that will do it because God didn't do what I asked him to do. And I don't know when my change is going to come and I don't have the faith enough to wait on the Lord, sit Indian style, and believe it's going to happen.

So, I'm just going to step outside of my marriage, get what I need, and that will have go before me because God is not coming to me. Or maybe I I'm has taken too long to get into a covenant. He take too long to propose. So, I am just going to make my own FAMILY OUTSIDE OF A covenant so I can still get what I want outside of what God says, do it my ways and still get my desired outcome.

I'm sorry. Was that too real? Everybody just looking. I need peace. It's not coming. So, I'll just find substances to do it because Elohim I NEED ANOTHER ELOHIM IS NOT COMING down the mountain fast enough. There is THERE IS JUSTICE THAT I FEEL LIKE SHOULD HAPPEN IN a certain amount of time. >> There's a person >> who shouldn't just be able to live freely after what they did to me. >> The Bible says vengeance is the Lord's, but it's taken the Lord too long to go get it. >> So why would I keep waiting when I can do this thing my >> self?

Welcome to the creation of Elohim for the believers >> where we just decide God has taken too long so I'm just going to create another way another God that will open it up for me. >> Okay. >> Um this is called uh oh strong word here. This is called apostasy.

Apostasy means I made a commitment. Now I'm stepping away from that commitment. These are people who were saved by the blood of the lamb. Passover, a part of the people of God said in Exodus 19 and 24 after God spoke the ten commandments, "Everything you said to us, Lord, we will do."

They're in church and said amen. >> Then when God took too long, >> didn't come on their timing, they turned their back on their amen, which means they became saved apostates. Apostasy doesn't just mean someone who is unsaved. It actually refers to a disobedient saved person who turns their back on God. says this in Hebrews chapter 6 verse 4-6 watch these words those who have tasted the heavenly gift to taste is not just kind of sort of taste in the New Testament means complete appropriation that's why Jesus tasted death he did not kind of die those who tasted the heavenly gift heavenly gift is salvation watch and are partakers of the Holy Spirit then verse six says Yet they have fallen away.

It means it is possible to lack faith in a season of waiting, create an Elohim so you can get whatever you want and become an apostate while being saved. >> Could it be that in America, in the world, hopefully not, but maybe in this church, that we have apostates sitting and saying, "Amen."

We hear the word, WE REALIZE IT'S TRUE. AMEN. >> But we're not willing to sit any in style and wait on the Lord because it's not coming in my time. I must create a God to go before me. It's this American culture if I've ever seen it where people can talk the Christian language while deciding to live only the parts that they like and not the parts that we don't.

Now, let me show you whose idea this was because this is going to shock you as it shocked me. Or maybe not really. >> There is a certain group of the people who's telling Aaron to make us a god. >> Verse two tells you who the group is. >> Here are context clues.

Aaron said to them, which means he's responding to what was said to him in verse one. Aaron said to them, all right, y'all ready? >> Here we go. Aaron said to them, here's the group context clues. Tear off the gold rings which are on the ears of your wives and your sons and your daughters.

Y'all didn't get it. Aaron said to them, "Tear off the rings which are on the ears of your wives and your sons and your daughters." You mean to me to tell me that it was the men who came up with the idea to build a false god. putting the whole culture at risk >> were the men who are supposed to be saying as for me in my house we will serve the Lord we don't put anything before God and you mean to tell me Exodus 12:37 it says there were 600,000 men and you mean to tell me there wasn't one >> they were like Adam they were around but they wouldn't step up They let the pressures of the culture determine their godliness. >> Watch.

Hey, take from your why. Strip quality time from your wives. >> Strip wisdom from your kids. >> Strip your presence from the home. And go build a false god. Now, this false god is a young bull. A golden calf is a young bull. >> Bulls represented prosperity and fertility. >> So, strip from your families to go get your come up and to go soil your royal oats. >> Oh, we ain't Where am I at?

Your manhood as defined as your money and how many women you can get. >> That is manhood. So strip your families. Forget them AND GO BUILD YOUR EMPIRE. Step on them to do so. And you don't have to be faithful while you're out there. Because evidently the men preferred >> the bull over God. >> Oh. >> Um >> Ezekiel 22:30. >> I was looking for a man >> so that I WOULD NOT HAVE TO DESTROY THE LAND.

We are called for such a time as this, >> that we don't choose giving wisdom on a podcast over our kids. >> Um, people have asked me, they said, "Pastor Jay, when are you going to start your podcast?" I'm not hating on a podcast. I listen to y'alls.

But I said, "I'm not." They said, "Well, why not? You have so much." I said, "You come to church on Sunday. I >> There's cameras right there. They can post that." Why? Because that's going to take more time. And I have five children that are at that table.

And I'm not going to sacrifice Bible study time with them to do a podcast cuz that's what's hot. I love everybody who does it. It's no hating on a podcast. But you have to decide if it's good or if it takes from what's best. >> Because you can easily as a man or anyone get caught up in what the view of the culture is of success and then you end up stripping your home to go get it and that's not success at all.

There's a word called contentment. >> Contentment doesn't mean complacency, >> but it means that you trust God and you're going to do what he calls you to do. And it will not ever be at the expense of your wife and your children. We This does not advocate women from responsibility.

As we know, Proverbs 14 says, "A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her bare hands, >> which means that power lies there as well." But God has called men to be responsible. >> And these men said, "Let me strip from my family so that I can go on a false god bull run." stripping from our families to go build a fortune because we're looking at other ways outside of God to get what we want.

We're just out here just making up stuff and the culture is moving us into that way. Let me show you as this gets worse. So, y'all still with me? >> Show you as this gets worse. Verse four, he took from them from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf.

And they said, "This is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." This is trife. >> For those of you who don't know, that's short for triflin. Aaron watch pulled out a tool from the past. >> God said there you shall not grave any more images.

The reason why he had that tool is because he kept it with him even though he was saved. And a lot of us are keeping old tools >> just in case we need to forsake God and go back to our old way just in case God doesn't come through.

I have the tools so that I can revert back and do this situation my way. He pulled out his old tool and then he told the people, "This is your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt." Now, how do you feel if you do all the work and somebody else gets the credit?

Y'all be hot. This is so bad. Idolatry has grown in and ingrown so much that not only did they take God's credit and give it to something else, they took God's credit and gave it to a mannequin. >> They gave God's credit to something that doesn't even breathe.

In American culture, we give God's credit to our platform. >> We give God's credit to the degrees on our wall. >> We give God's credit to our C certification and our resumes. We take our credit for success and pass it along to things that don't even breathe. >> And our culture, we give God's credit to a ball.

We give God's credit to all of these different things because a camera, a feed >> because now we have moved into a culture that is trading Elohim for a false Elohim >> that provides for me. Why? Because God isn't allowing this to come down the mountain in my time. >> So I have to create it myself. this view of idolatry, just making up stuff because here they are making up arbitrary times.

Now they making up gods and making up their own way. Okay, this is so American culture. I have to show you this in verse 5. Are you ready? >> I'm going to give my credit to something else. I'm going to go off into false God, false living, false doing.

And then now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord." >> So you strip God of his glory, you give it to something else, and now you want to throw a God party. >> This is American culture. >> Have you ever had somebody so manipulative that they'll take something from you and then make you feel good about it?

Hey, you stole my money. Well, I just went to feed the homeless. Hey, you abused me in our relationship. Well, I did, but I knew it wasn't going to work, and I didn't want you to feel bad when we broke up. Wait, am I supposed to feel good or bad about that?

My daughter Kelsey will come, if y'all got teenagers, she's, you know, she pretty girl now. She she using mom's stuff. So she'll come into the bathroom just take it and walk out and you know when parents start when parents start speaking in syllables, you better stop taking my stuff cuz I you know that happens from time to time.

One day she came in there and she took the rat tail comb. He had a rat tail comb. I know I'm in there. She took the rat tail comb and mama said, "Kelsey, where is my rat tail comb? Did you take it?" "Yeah, I took it." "Stop taking my stuff." "Well, I only took it because I was doing Jade's hair to make sure we weren't late for church.

How you going to take something then try to make the person you took it from feel good about what you took? This is the manipulation of American culture who feels like they can get back in God's graces by thanking him for their idolatry. Oh, I just made this idolatrous rap album.

Then I get the award and say, "Thank you, God." Wait, what? So our kids are looking, oh, YOU CAN BE IDOLATROUS AND THANK GOD AND IT'S ALL GOOD. NO, THE ANGER, YOU CAN'T MANIPULATE. THE ANGER OF THE LORD burned at these people. >> You got unethical business practice.

You hit a lick and you want to thank God for it. YOU KNOW THE DEVIL BLESSES TOO. >> Matthew 4 teaches us this. He bless HE TRIED TO BLESS JESUS. I'LL GIVE YOU THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD. WATCH IF YOU BOW DOWN and worship me. >> Don't be confused.

God cannot be manipulated. We can live any old kind of way and get a blessing, feel like it comes from him and say, "Thank you, Lord." Watch. We have to stop thanking God for our bull. Living that way, yes, it's wrong. should be condemned especially for the believer.

We should not be apostates in the wilderness just because we're tired of waiting. >> But then to thank him for it. >> This is what we do in American culture is that we think people are good Christian people because they give God a false gratitude >> for something they built without him. and we just say it's okay.

An applause from man is not synonymous >> with an applause from God. >> He's not clapping. >> His anger is burning. >> As they're saying, "Thank you for the award and the bull that we have raised up." >> Yeah. >> What? examine ourselves. What life are we living?

And do we think that our gratitude for a false life >> gets you by? >> In verse six, they went to the afterparty. >> The award. >> I mean, let me show you. So the next day, they rose up early and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings.

Let me make peace. And the people sat to eat and drink and rose up to play. >> The term rose up to play means sexual immoral acts. >> Eat and drink and marry because Moses is not going to return. >> He up on that mountain. We don't know what become of him.

He's been gone so long that we forget we're accountable. He's been gone so long we forget we're accountable. >> And then we start eating and drinking and marry, >> rising up to play, living our own life, doing what we want to do. >> I can't do it God's way.

I ain't feeling that. So, I'm going to do it the way I want to do. Say thank you. Throw a party about it like heaven is rejoicing, too. Yeah. >> And then finally, our last verse that we need to remember as a body of Christ. Verse seven. Time's up.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves." Now, you got to notice what God is saying here, cuz God is like, let me read again. go down at once for your people.

You know, we were made in the image of God cuz we be like, "That's your family. Them your kids. Them ain't my kids." Because while they're thanking God and partying, God was considering killing them. Go down at once, Mo Moses, because your people >> whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.

Time's up. Moses comes down the mountain and he finds his people who said yes and amen living a life of absolute corruption. This is when he broke his tablets in anger because the people who were saved are saved and said yes and amen. >> When he came down the mountain, he found them acting a fool. >> Okay, this is it for us today.

One day Jesus is coming down the mountain >> the wait will be over because no one knows the day or the hour except the father. Jesus said and father will tell Jesus go down at once. Time's up. He will come with a rod of iron and a sword that cuts. >> He won't be playing any games.

Judgment season will have arrived. The question is, what will he find when he comes? My hope is that we stop making up stuff >> that when he comes down that mountain, >> he finds at least hopefully a much more, but at least the members at Oakliff Bible Fellowship and those who are online that he finds you sitting Indian style with your oils full and your lamps lit. that he found finds you properly dressed, that he finds us on full alert, that he finds us in sound judgment and sober spirit.

Because unfortunately, some of us will be saved yet through fire. >> That's what the Bible says. >> But my hope is that he finds us and says, "You fought the good fight. >> You finished the course. >> You kept the faith. >> That is our job. That is our calling and that's what this kingdom community must persist and do. >> Wait on the Lord >> and he will renew your strength. >> You will mount up with the wings like eagles.

Run and not grow weary. When he finds you, how will he find you? >> Be faithful. Amen.