Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP210028S
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00:01 Hello, friends, I'm Jill Morikone,
00:02 and I want to welcome you to another lesson 00:04 of 3ABN Sabbath School panel. 00:06 We're on lesson number two of our study Rest in Christ. 00:10 This particular lesson is Restless and Rebellious. 00:15 If you find yourself in either one of those categories, 00:17 which I have sometimes, this lesson is for you. 00:20 Wanna encourage you to grab your own Bible 00:23 and study along with us. 00:24 If you don't have a quarterly, 00:26 you can go to the following website. 00:28 That's ABSG.Adventist.org That stands for 00:33 AdultBibleStudyGuide.Adventist .org 00:37 You can download your own copy 00:39 and study with us this edition of 3ABN Sabbath School panel. 01:13 We always love it when you join us 01:14 for 3ABN Sabbath School panel because you're our family 01:18 and I'm sitting on the set 01:19 with some more of my 3ABN family. 01:21 I'm going to introduce them to you at this time, 01:23 to my left Pastor John Lomacang, 01:25 glad you're here. 01:26 Always good to be on a set where we learn something more 01:29 and be able to disseminate it in Christ. 01:31 Amen. What a privilege. 01:33 Pastor Kenny, what a privilege it is 01:34 to study together and share. 01:36 It is and I thank God for that opportunity and privilege. 01:38 Thank you. Amen. 01:40 To your left my sister, Shelley Quinn. 01:43 You are a Word warrior. And I'm grateful for that. 01:47 Oh, I'm so grateful for the Word. 01:49 But we're just thankful that you're tuning in. 01:51 You know, each one of us is excited to share 01:54 what we've learned through our study. 01:56 But then we learn from each other as well. 01:58 That's right. 01:59 I know that's my favorite part about Sabbath School 02:01 is learning from each one of you, 02:02 so thank you. 02:04 Last but not least is Pastor Ryan Day. 02:06 Glad you're here, Brother. 02:07 Amen. It's a blessing to be here. 02:09 And I'm excited about my lesson today, 02:10 which is entitled Faith versus Presumption. 02:12 Amen. 02:14 Looking forward to the study. 02:15 I want to encourage you 02:16 to grab your Bibles and notebooks 02:18 and get ready to take notes. 02:19 But first, we're going to go to the Lord in prayer. 02:22 Pastor John, would you pray for us? 02:23 Sure, let's pray. 02:25 Loving Father in heaven, the privilege is ours 02:27 to be able to open Your Word and to disseminate it. 02:30 What we have learned, Lord, we pray that you'll encase it 02:33 in the direction and power of Your Holy Spirit. 02:35 And we pray for more than intellectual stimulation 02:38 when we pray for heart transformation 02:41 'cause each one of us in the understanding 02:44 that we have been given and the power of Your Word 02:48 to bring glory and honor to You, 02:49 we pray in Christ's name. 02:51 Amen. Amen. 02:53 This week's lesson, lesson number two is titled 02:55 Restless and Rebellious. 02:59 You know, they say that animals are restless 03:02 before some sort of disaster takes place. 03:05 It's some sort of sixth sense, 03:07 you could say or premonition of something happening. 03:09 I know Greg and my cat Pebbles. 03:12 She sleeps in the garage, 03:14 and then she comes out during the day 03:15 and spends the day outside. 03:16 She loves it. When we go to work. 03:18 Well, some days it's perfectly sunny. 03:20 It's a good looking day. It's not too hot. 03:23 It's just perfect. 03:24 And you think, well, why doesn't she go outside, 03:26 and she turns around and she stays in the garage, 03:28 and no amount of coaxing will get her out. 03:31 Later that day, almost always, a thunderstorm crops up, 03:35 and I think how did she know it was going to rain today? 03:37 How did she know that the thunderstorm 03:39 was going to happen? 03:41 They had an example in the lesson about animals 03:44 who have exhibited restless behavior 03:47 prior to a major earthquake. 03:49 They said 15 minutes 03:51 before the 5.8 magnitude quake hit Washington DC. 03:56 This was on August 23, 2011. 04:00 The lemurs at the Smithsonian National Zoo, 04:03 they called loudly for 15 minutes 04:06 before the ground started to quake. 04:10 This week, we don't look at examples 04:12 of animal restlessness. 04:13 We look at examples of human restlessness. 04:17 And it's not our restlessness is not brought about 04:19 by earthquakes or natural disasters. 04:22 It's brought about by sin. 04:23 We're going to look at the effects 04:25 and consequences of sin, 04:27 bringing restlessness to the human heart. 04:31 Our memory text is 1 Corinthians 10:11, 04:34 "Now all these things happen to them as examples, 04:38 and they were written for our admonition 04:41 upon whom the ends of the ages have come." 04:44 We're gonna look at some examples Old Testament, 04:47 children of Israel time 04:49 at their restlessness and their rebellion. 04:52 My particular lesson on Sunday is Restless in the Wilderness. 04:56 Turn with me to the Book of Numbers. 04:58 We're going to be spending time in Numbers. 05:00 we're going to Numbers Chapter 11. 05:02 Now the Book of Numbers, the Hebrew title for this book 05:05 is literally in the wilderness. 05:06 And it continues as part of the dramatic story 05:09 of Israel's journey with God. 05:12 If you look at the timetable where we're at, 05:14 the Israelites reached Mount Sinai in the third month 05:17 after God liberated them from Egypt, 05:20 and they camped at Mount Sinai for probably 11 months. 05:23 God taught them how to be His covenant nation. 05:26 Remember, they had come out of slavery. 05:28 So God's teaching them 05:29 and He established His sanctuary among them. 05:32 Now the people are ready to pick up 05:34 and to move forward and conquer the land of Canaan. 05:40 We see, I've divided the lesson 05:42 into five sections, Pastor John, 05:44 that I see in the Israelites' restless rebellion, 05:47 and then 11 takeaways that we can take today. 05:51 So the five sections, 05:54 first we see the Israelites' complaint. 05:56 This is in Numbers 11. Then we see Moses' complaint. 05:59 Okay. 06:00 Then we see God's solution for Moses, 06:02 God's solution for the Israelites 06:05 and the end result. 06:06 Those are our five sections. 06:08 So let's start with the Israelites' complaint. 06:10 Numbers 10, they were just departing Mount Sinai, 06:12 they're getting ready to go. 06:13 They're headed out into the wilderness. 06:15 Numbers 11:4-6, 06:18 "Now the mixed multitude 06:20 who were among them yielded to intense craving, 06:24 so the children of Israel also wept again and said: 06:26 'Who will give us meat to eat? 06:28 We remember the fish 06:30 which we so freely ate in Egypt, 06:32 the cucumbers, the melons, 06:33 the leeks, the onions, the garlic, 06:35 but now our whole being is dried up, 06:38 there is nothing at all except this manna 06:41 before our very eyes!" 06:43 Takeaway number one, 06:45 be careful with whom you associate. 06:49 You notice it was not the Israelites 06:51 who initially longed for Egypt 06:54 who initially said give us meat. 06:57 It was the mixed multitude 06:59 who yielded and they influenced the Israelites. 07:04 Be careful with whom you associate. 07:07 Takeaway number two, be careful when you complain, 07:11 or treat with contempt 07:13 the gift that God has given you. 07:15 God gave them the gift of manna. 07:17 God blessed them with food. 07:19 There was no way to get food in the desert 07:21 and God gave them this gift and they spurned his gift. 07:25 And they treated with contempt 07:27 the gift that God had given to them. 07:30 Do you treat with contempt 07:32 the gift that God has given to you? 07:34 God, I want a different spouse. God, I want a different car. 07:37 God, I want a different house. God, I want a different job. 07:41 Be careful when you complain or treat with contempt 07:43 the gift that God has blessed you with. 07:46 Now let's, that's the Israelites' complaint. 07:48 Let's look at Moses' complaint. 07:51 We jumped down to verse 10. 07:52 We're in Number 11:10, 07:54 "Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, 07:58 everyone at the door of his tent, 08:00 and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused, 08:03 Moses also was displeased. 08:05 Moses said to the Lord, 08:06 'Why have You afflicted Your servant? 08:08 Why have I not found favor in Your sight, 08:11 that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? 08:13 Did I conceive all these people? 08:15 Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 08:18 'Carry them in your bosom, 08:19 as a guardian carries a nursing child,' 08:21 to the land which You swore to their fathers? 08:24 Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? 08:26 For they weep all over me, saying, 08:29 'Give us meat, that we may eat.' 08:32 I am not able to bear these people alone, 08:35 because the burden it's too heavy for me. 08:38 If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now, 08:43 if I have found favor in Your sight, 08:45 do not let me see my wretchedness!'" 08:48 Wow. 08:49 Takeaway number three, 08:52 be careful when you blame God 08:56 for your own issues or the issues of other people. 08:59 What did Moses say? 09:00 This is in verse 11. 09:02 'Why have you afflicted Your servant?" 09:04 It wasn't God's fault. 09:05 God wasn't inflicting Moses with what was going on. 09:08 The people were in open rebellion. 09:10 The people were restless, the people were in sin. 09:13 And yet Moses says, 09:14 "God, why have You afflicted me in this portion?' 09:17 Be careful that you don't blame God 09:19 for either your own issues or the issues of other people. 09:23 Takeaway number four, 09:24 be careful not to take 09:26 on the emotional burden of your work. 09:31 That's good. Well. 09:32 This is something that I need to learn 09:34 and I am seeking to learn. 09:36 What does Moses say in verse 12? 09:38 Did I can save all these people? 09:40 For them weep all over me. 09:41 Have you ever taken work home? 09:43 Have you ever cogitated on it at night? 09:46 Have you ever agonized with the Lord about it? 09:49 Be careful not to take 09:51 on the emotional burdens of your work. 09:54 Takeaway number five, 09:56 burnout is real, 09:58 and it can lead you to feeling overwhelmed. 10:01 What did Moses say? 10:02 The burden, it's too heavy for me. 10:04 I can't bear it. I am overwhelmed. 10:07 Takeaway number six, 10:09 burnout, it leads to isolation. 10:11 What did he say? 10:13 I am not able to bear these people alone. 10:15 He wasn't alone. He had God right by his side. 10:18 He had people as we will see 10:21 who stepped into the gap and helped. 10:24 But yet he felt isolated because of that burnout. 10:28 Takeaway number seven, 10:29 burnout can lead to depression, and even suicidal thoughts. 10:34 What did he say? Please kill me here and now. 10:39 Burnout can lead to that. 10:40 So let's look at God's solution for Moses. 10:42 Now I find it interesting. The Israelites had a problem. 10:45 Moses had a problem. 10:46 You would think if you go in order 10:48 that God's gonna give a solution to the Israelites, 10:49 but He doesn't. 10:50 He works with Moses first. 10:52 So let's see His solution to Moses in verse 16, 10:54 Numbers 11:16, 10:56 "The Lord said to Moses: 10:58 'Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, 11:00 whom you know to be the elders of the people 11:02 and officers over them, 11:04 bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, 11:06 that they may stand there with you. 11:07 Then I will come down and talk with you there. 11:10 I will take of the Spirit that is upon you 11:12 and will put the same upon them, 11:14 they shall bear the burdens of the people with you, 11:17 that you may not bear it yourself alone." 11:20 Takeaway number eight, 11:22 God understands our human weakness. 11:26 God provides grace, hope and help. 11:29 What was the solution? 11:31 Seventy elders who would assist Moses 11:34 as representative tribal leaders. 11:36 God anointed these 70 men with His spirit, 11:40 and they bore the burden with Moses. 11:44 So if you are going through something right now, 11:46 God understands your weakness, 11:48 and He will provide grace 11:50 and help and hope when you need it most. 11:54 Let's look at God's solution for the Israelites. 11:57 To me, God has a sense of humor. 11:59 Check this out, Numbers 11:18, 12:01 "You shall say to the people, 12:02 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, 12:03 and you shall eat meat, 12:06 for you have wept 12:07 in the hearing of the Lord, saying, 12:09 'Who will give us meat to eat? 12:10 For it was well with us in Egypt.' 12:11 Therefore the Lord will give you meat, 12:13 and you shall eat. 12:14 You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, 12:17 nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 12:20 but you shall eat a whole month, 12:21 until it comes out of your nostrils 12:23 and becomes loathsome to you.''' 12:25 They're gonna start puking, 12:27 "Because you have despised the Lord 12:29 who is among you, 12:30 and have wept before Him, saying, 12:32 'Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?'' 12:35 Takeaway number nine, 12:37 what we think we want is not always what we want. 12:42 In other words, the thing we want the most 12:46 can become hated to us. 12:48 I think about Amnon, 12:50 remember that story in 2 Samuel 13. 12:53 And he burned with lust toward his sister, 12:56 and he raped her 12:57 and right after that happened in 2 Samuel 13:15. 13:00 The Bible says, Amnon hated her exceedingly, 13:03 so that the hatred with which he hated her 13:05 was greater than the love with which he had loved her. 13:08 Sometimes what we want the most becomes hated to us. 13:12 Takeaway number 10, 13:13 God's judgment or discipline always fits what we need. 13:19 His correction is out of love. 13:21 His correction provides 13:22 what is needed 13:24 for our continued sanctification 13:25 and growth in Jesus. 13:26 He gave them what they wanted which is meat, 13:28 but it turned into a corrective discipline 13:31 by giving them more than what they asked for. 13:34 What is the result? 13:35 The Lord caused a great wind to come 13:36 and the quail came in, 13:38 and it stood up, what does it say? 13:40 Two cubits above the surface of the ground, 13:42 and the person who gathered the least gathered 10 homers, 13:45 which is 60 bushels of quail. 13:48 And the Word of God says, 13:49 as the meat was between their teeth, 13:52 before they even chewed it, 13:54 the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people. 13:57 And the Lord struck them with a very great plague. 14:01 Takeaway number 11, the last takeaway. 14:04 Disobedience, it has consequences. 14:06 That's right. Amen. 14:08 Not what we always hope for what we wanted, 14:10 but it has consequences. 14:12 Pastor John? Wow. 14:15 Just like a surgeon, 14:16 I don't know how you get all those points in here. 14:19 I mean, five points and 11 takeaways, 14:21 but thank you so much for throwing that in. 14:23 It always stimulates us to be challenged. 14:25 Mine is entitled, It's Contagious. 14:28 You know, I heard, one of my favorite preachers, 14:31 Elder Brooks, and I know he's resting in the Lord. 14:33 Now he says, 14:34 "Why is it that you cannot catch health, 14:37 but you can always catch a cold?" 14:40 There are certain things that are not contagious. 14:42 There are certain things that are contagious. 14:44 It's amazing as one person once said, 14:48 "Truth is just lacing up its shoes 14:51 while a lie has already travelled around the world." 14:55 You know, when we look at negative things, 14:57 they tend to have a greater impact on our lives 14:59 than the positive 15:00 That's why the Bible speaks 15:01 against division and rumors, and backbiting and gossip. 15:05 But this is not something 15:07 that the New Testament addresses alone. 15:08 It was prevalent. 15:09 It's prevalent in human nature 15:11 because of sin, 15:12 and all the characteristics, 15:14 when we begin to complain, 15:16 and that's why it talks about the contagion 15:18 that Miriam and Aaron were affected by, 15:22 leaders, co-leaders, 15:24 until they decided that they wanted more 15:26 than what God had given to them. 15:28 And I liked the way you pointed that out. 15:29 This is also found in the life of Uriah. 15:32 Uriah was a very successful leader 15:34 for 52 years 15:35 until when he got to 68 years old. 15:38 He became, he wanted to become a priest, 15:40 and God called him to be a king. 15:42 And he began to covet what God never gave to him. 15:45 Same thing happened to David. 15:47 Same thing happened to Samson. 15:49 And you'll notice that the thing that you crave 15:51 the most becomes the thing that binds you the greatest. 15:54 So be careful when you start craving things 15:56 that God never gave to you. 15:58 Let's go ahead and look at Numbers 12:1-3, 16:02 and I'm going to lead into this 16:03 and what are Miriam and Aaron upset about? 16:06 Let's look at this. 16:08 Numbers 12:1-3, 16:10 and thank you for leading into that, Jill. 16:13 It talks about Miriam and Aaron rebel. 16:18 "Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses 16:20 because of the Ethiopian woman 16:22 whom he had married, 16:23 for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 16:26 So they said, 16:27 'Has the Lord indeed spoken 16:29 only through Moses? 16:30 Has He not spoken through us also?' 16:33 And the Lord heard it. 16:35 Now the man Moses was very humble, 16:37 more than all men 16:39 who were on the face of the earth." 16:41 One of the takeaways now she said were takeaways, 16:44 is remain humble. 16:45 God will deal with those who don't like the position 16:49 He has put you in. 16:50 You know, you never have to defend yourself. 16:52 When you stand where God has put you to stand, 16:55 no one can move you from that spot 16:57 regardless of what their attempts may be. 17:00 I decided to look into this 17:01 because a lot of people look at the story and say, 17:03 "Well, this had nothing to do with the race of Moses' wife, 17:07 but it had a lot to do with it. 17:08 As a matter of fact, you look at it 17:10 and I decided to look up 17:12 this story from a Jewish perspective. 17:15 And I went to a very well established ministry 17:19 called Ask the Rabbi, 17:21 and they decided to go ahead 17:22 and break down the nationality of Moses' wife. 17:28 They said she was a Cushite, 17:30 which was of the ancestry of either Cush, 17:34 which is the Libyan tribe, in northeast Africa, 17:38 or Arabians, 17:39 the son of Ham mentioned in the Book of Genesis 17:42 have been identified with nations of 17:44 in Africa like Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya, 17:47 and Canaanites and the Arabians. 17:50 She says Miriam was referring to Moses 17:52 as Midianite wife, Zipporah. 17:54 So Zipporah was the Ethiopian woman 17:57 that they were complaining about. 17:59 Some explain, she was referring to a Cushite 18:02 because of the nomadic desert dwelling Midianites, 18:06 somewhat resembling the Cushites, 18:09 or that Zipporah herself 18:11 was unusually dark skinned and homely 18:16 and Miriam didn't like that. 18:17 Hmm. 18:18 And so, they decided, but if you look at the story, 18:22 that wasn't the issue. 18:23 The issue was they didn't like the fact 18:25 that the Lord spoke through Moses. 18:28 And earlier in the story, 18:29 they were co-leaders until God decided, 18:32 "Okay, you may have a head elder or head deacon, 18:34 but I'm speaking directly to you." 18:36 And they didn't like the fact that 18:38 God decided to give Moses information 18:40 that they thought that they had right to. 18:42 So instead of being humble about it, 18:45 they found something to nitpick. 18:47 It was, his wife wasn't the problem, 18:49 but they wanted to sidetrack 18:51 and you'll discover that a lot of times 18:53 when people are complaining about things, 18:55 eventually they will get to the issue. 18:58 They'll say, "I don't like that car you bought?" 19:01 You say, "What my car has to do with anything?" 19:03 Yeah, I don't like that song you sing. 19:04 What it has to do with anything. 19:06 I just can't stand when you preach long sermons. 19:07 What it had to do with anything? 19:09 What their meaning is, what their meaning is, 19:11 and I found otherwise in Jill in leadership. 19:13 We all know that when you're in leadership, 19:16 don't ever decide to shape your leadership 19:20 based on people's complaints. 19:22 That's right. 19:23 Follow this, except you pray and ask God, 19:25 did I do something to warrant that complaint? 19:29 Because I've been in a position 19:30 where if people complain about something, 19:32 I say, Lord, did I do something to warrant that complaint? 19:35 And I found on some occasions I did. 19:36 Yeah. 19:38 And I've decided, 19:39 "Okay, Lord, humble me, and make it very clear that 19:42 what You want me to do, 19:43 is going to remove that complaint in the future." 19:46 But I chose not to attack the individual 19:48 because the individual, 19:49 I've discovered it's better to win the person 19:51 than win an argument. 19:53 But when I looked at the background 19:54 of Zipporah in the Berean Study Bible, 19:57 the passage that we often read in Jeremiah 13:23 20:01 is read this way in the Berean Bible. 20:03 Can a Cushite change his skin, 20:06 or a leopard it spots? 20:09 Is this a different wife?" 20:11 Now, the question is, and where does she come from. 20:14 So they say, can the Cushite instead of the Ethiopian, 20:18 they connect the two together 20:19 in the Berean Bible, 20:20 which is a strong translation of Jewish influence. 20:24 So it had nothing really to do with her. 20:26 But they made her raise an issue. 20:28 A lot of times we face issues in modern society 20:30 that has to do with racial issues. 20:32 But if you go to the surface, 20:34 it really comes down to the fact that 20:35 we don't recognize our equality in the sight of God. 20:39 I think as Acts 17:26 says, 20:41 "From one blood came all nations of men." 20:43 So if you may be caught in the vortex of issues 20:46 that are based on inequality issues, 20:48 realize that, hey, in the Garden of Eden, 20:51 there was just Adam and Eve. 20:53 And if your daddy is anybody but Adam, 20:55 you have a serious issue. 20:57 If your mother didn't start to be called by Eve, 21:00 I would say that you are not from this world. 21:03 Recognize that we all came from the same blood. 21:05 From one blood came all nations, 21:08 to one blood all nations must go. 21:11 So I have a question I need to ask, 21:14 how did God respond to their complaint. 21:17 Let's look at Numbers 12:4-13. 21:19 I'm gonna try to cover these, 21:21 then I have about four takeaways, three takeaways. 21:23 All right. Okay. 21:25 Numbers 12:4, 21:26 "Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, 21:28 Aaron, and Miriam, 21:29 'Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!' 21:33 So the three came out. 21:35 Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud 21:37 and stood in the door of the tabernacle, 21:39 and called Aaron and Miriam. 21:41 And they both went forward. 21:43 Then He said, 21:44 'Hear now My words: 21:46 If there is a prophet among you, 21:48 I, the Lord, 21:49 make Myself known to him in a vision, 21:52 I speak to him in a dream. 21:54 Not so with My servant Moses, 21:56 He is faithful in all My house. 21:59 I speak with him face to face, 22:01 even plainly, and not in dark sayings, 22:04 and he sees the form of the Lord. 22:06 Why then were you not afraid 22:09 to speak against My servant Moses? 22:11 So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, 22:14 and they departed. 22:15 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, 22:17 suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. 22:20 Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, 22:22 and there she was, a leper. 22:24 So Aaron said to Moses, 22:25 'Oh, my lord! Please do not lay his sin on us, 22:28 in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. 22:31 Please do not let her be as one dead, 22:34 whose flesh is half consumed 22:36 when he comes out of his mother's womb!' 22:39 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, 22:41 'Please heal her, O God, I pray!'" 22:43 And you know, in mercy God did heal. 22:46 Three very important points. 22:47 God directs us about the attitude of leadership. 22:49 One, respect leadership. 22:51 It's good. 22:52 You may not agree with it, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13. 22:55 And we urge you, brethren, 22:57 to recognize those who labor among you. 22:59 This is the NIV. 23:01 "And are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 23:05 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. 23:09 Be at peace among yourselves." 23:11 Respect those that God put in leadership above you. 23:13 Secondly, God gives divine wisdom 23:16 to those who chooses. 23:17 Proverbs 11:14, 23:20 "Where there is no counsel," 23:22 what happen? 23:23 "The people fall, 23:25 but in the multitude of counselors is their safety." 23:30 And the multitude means 23:32 God can speak wisdom 23:34 into the hearts and lives of people, 23:36 so they can be synchronously giving you advice 23:39 that God had given them clearly. 23:42 And the other thing is, be very careful to determine 23:44 your future on the advice of one individual. 23:46 Check it out by God's Word, 23:48 because if the person's heart is not in the right place, 23:50 they could be sending you down a path of destruction. 23:53 Thirdly and finally, honor leadership 23:55 that is under God's spiritual authority. 23:57 Romans 13:1, 23:59 "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, 24:03 for there is no authority except from God. 24:06 And the authorities that exist are appointed by God." 24:11 If God has appointed pastors, leaders, elders, teachers, 24:14 respect them because they are a representative 24:16 of God's authority. 24:17 Amen. Thank you, Pastor John, wonderful lessons. 24:20 We're going to continue in just a moment. 24:28 Ever wish you could watch 24:29 a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again, 24:31 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 24:34 Well, you can by visiting 24:36 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com 24:39 A clean design makes it easy 24:42 to find the program you're looking for. 24:44 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 24:47 so you can follow along. 24:49 Sharing is easy. 24:50 Just click share and choose your favorite social media. 24:54 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 24:59 Welcome back to lesson number two, 25:00 Restless and Rebellious. 25:02 We pick it up with Pastor Kenny 25:03 in Tuesday's lesson. 25:05 You know, Tuesday's lesson to me is a real good lesson. 25:07 And thank you guys for what you did, 25:08 it sets a good foundation which we can build upon. 25:12 You know, I've already said, 25:13 talk about restlessness leads to rebellion. 25:15 How often have you heard that the idle hands 25:18 are the devil's workshop? 25:19 Amen. 25:21 Well, I kind of grew up with that, and I've heard it said, 25:22 you know, a lot of times, and I kind of wondered 25:24 what that all meant. 25:25 But you know, idleness here has a connotation 25:28 to being lazy, and also has the ones 25:30 of thought of inactivity, 25:33 and you know, things like that. 25:35 So we don't want to be that, 25:36 we don't want to be where the devil can use us. 25:38 And I think the workshop, I looked it as the tools, 25:42 you know, being in construction different times, 25:43 I think of tools all the time, you know, 25:45 so we have to be careful about the tools that we use. 25:47 We want to use that which God gives to us. 25:49 Another person put it this way, tools, idleness, 25:52 idle mind and brain is the devil's workshop. 25:56 Had to make sense to me. 25:58 So I wonder how this might fit into our lesson. 26:00 Hopefully, we'll see that as we go along here. 26:01 Israel finally coming, 26:03 you know, to the borders of Canaan. 26:05 What a wonderful time, 26:06 I feel like that's why we are here 26:07 in this world today. 26:09 We're nearing home, we are nearing home, 26:11 and the enemy is not content. 26:12 And so he's gonna put up all kinds of smoke screens, 26:14 he's gonna do everything he can to try to, 26:16 you know, hamper that 26:18 which is supposed to take place. 26:19 And so he sent out, 26:21 we realized here that 26:23 there was people 26:24 that were sent out to explore the land 26:25 and I often worried about even I was young, 26:27 like, why did they go out and God said they can have it, 26:30 that they can have the land. 26:31 So anyway, these 12 spies were sent out. 26:34 We're gonna read that in Numbers 13:27 26:37 and onward, just a few verses. 26:39 And we'll examine several points 26:41 I think that hopefully will encourage us 26:43 and help us along the way. 26:44 Starting in Numbers 13:27, 26:46 it says, 26:47 "And they told him, 26:49 and said, we came unto the land whither thou sentest us, 26:51 surely it floweth with" what? 26:54 "Oh, milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. 26:57 Nevertheless the people be strong 26:58 that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, 27:00 and very great: 27:01 moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 27:04 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: 27:07 the Hittites, and the Jebusites, 27:09 and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: 27:11 notice, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, 27:13 in the coast of Jordan. 27:15 Caleb stilled the people before Moses, 27:17 and said, Let us go up at once," 27:19 I love that, 27:20 "and possess it, 27:22 for we are well able to overcome it. 27:25 But the men went up with him said, 27:27 We are not able to go against the people, 27:30 for they are stronger than we." 27:31 How often we hear that, 27:33 how often we might use that excuse, 27:35 and we should not do that. 27:37 "And they brought up an evil report 27:39 out of the land 27:40 which they had searched unto the children of Israel, 27:41 saying, the land, through 27:43 which we have gone to search it." 27:44 Now notice this, interesting, land of milk and honey, 27:47 but all of a sudden, it's gonna be a land that eats us up. 27:49 So what's happening here? 27:51 You know, sometime we get away from God, 27:53 our story changes. 27:55 One time we see it this way, and then we get away from God, 27:57 we begin to see it another way and tell it in a different way. 28:01 So we need to be very careful here. 28:02 And verse 33 just simply says right there, 28:05 "We can't go up there because there's giants there, 28:07 and I'm going to be a grasshopper." 28:10 Well, I look like a grasshopper, 28:11 as small as a grasshopper. 28:12 You know, God never called us to be grasshoppers. 28:15 He never calls us to be the tail, 28:17 He calls us to be the head. 28:18 It's just that simple. 28:20 God has given this movement, 28:21 a message like no one has ever given, 28:23 an understanding of Scripture and prophecy. 28:25 And we need to really stick close to that. 28:28 It's interesting as these 12 spices 28:30 that were went out, 28:31 first of all, where did they go wrong? 28:33 When did they go wrong? How could they go wrong? 28:36 Here's the land of milk and honey, 28:37 here we are, we're coming up to it right now. 28:39 We're getting ready to possess it. 28:40 But all of a sudden, 28:42 you find it in the church sometime, 28:43 a church want to move forward, you know, 28:44 to do some evangelism, what happens sometime? 28:46 All of a sudden, something happens. 28:48 Something happens in the church, 28:49 somebody gets in an argument, 28:51 something, the devil causes something to happen. 28:53 And they said, notice this, 28:55 they refused to believe God's Word. 28:57 That's where they went wrong, number one. 28:59 We can look at all the other stuff down the road. 29:01 But number one is they refused to obey the Lord. 29:05 They searched the land. 29:07 They say, and they searched the land. 29:08 And Number 13:1, just look that, it says here, 29:10 "They may search the land of Canaan 29:12 which I gave unto the children of Israel." 29:14 That would be a prophecy, wouldn't it? 29:16 That's right. 29:17 That was before it took place, I gave it to them. 29:19 So by faith, we just accept that 29:20 and go on say, okay, praise the Lord. 29:23 They said what? 29:24 We must search the land. 29:25 We want to see. 29:27 We want to see. 29:29 The pastor told us, but we want to see. 29:31 You know how that goes sometimes. 29:32 When the Bible said, the land of milk and honey, 29:35 but now, no, it's evidently not that. 29:37 And so therefore doubt came in, doubt will just ruin, 29:41 you know, our relationship with Christ. 29:43 And so we want to continue to go on, 29:45 as we see here in this narrative. 29:47 I think it's awesome when you look at it. 29:49 God has said, and then man comes along and says, 29:51 well, that's not exactly the way it is. 29:53 But I find that all the time even now, 29:55 it's not just back in the Old and New Testament. 29:58 They just didn't want to obey God's Word. 30:00 And now they are going to be put to the test, 30:02 there's no doubt about it. 30:04 Now, I just want to just throw it out, 30:06 I think just food for thought, at least for me was 30:09 all of a sudden we can't trust God's leading. 30:12 But I wonder what really led them 30:13 to the Promised Land? 30:15 Was it not a pillar by in the day 30:17 and fire by night? 30:19 That's right. 30:20 But they sure believed that, did they not? 30:21 That's right. 30:23 Yeah, they believe that, 30:24 but all of a sudden now it's in doubt and say, 30:25 oh, I must not be. 30:27 Now they refused a divine revelation 30:29 that God was giving. 30:31 And He gave it in His Word. 30:32 And, you know, it said right now 30:34 we're going to back up. 30:35 We just mentioned that just a little while ago 30:37 about backing up. 30:38 And this was concerning faith. 30:39 I think we'll talk more about that as we go on down here. 30:42 But just the thing of faith, for they said, 30:45 notice this, they said, so don't say well, 30:47 they said on the Sabbath School panel. 30:48 Notice, they said, you know, 30:50 I back in Numbers here, they said. 30:53 Basically, it's by their words and their actions, 30:57 and we walk by sight and not by faith. 31:00 Well, that sounds backwards the Scripture, doesn't it? 31:02 So they said, why, what did they say? 31:04 We want to see. 31:05 That's right. 31:07 So they were walking by sight and certainly not by faith. 31:09 Hebrews 11:1 says, 31:10 "Faith is the evidence of things not seen." 31:14 Interesting here. 31:16 Yeah, of course, we know Hebrews 11:6 says, 31:19 you know "Without faith, it's impossible to please God." 31:21 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, 31:23 "For we walk by" what? 31:25 "Faith and not by sight." That's right. 31:28 That tells us some people say the big sin. 31:30 Have you ever heard this? 31:31 You discuss it with people, they say the big sin of Israel 31:34 was sending out the spies. 31:35 Hmm. 31:37 That's kind of interesting. 31:38 You know, the big sin was sending out the spies. 31:40 But if, notice, if the spies had done their duty, 31:43 if they had been faithful, 31:45 and they come back with the correct 31:46 and the right message in harmony with Scripture, 31:48 I think maybe all things would have went well, 31:52 but they did not do that. 31:54 Yeah. 31:55 Interesting, the spies searched for the land how long? 31:59 Forty days, isn't that right? 32:00 Forty days, notice this, spies searching land. 32:03 Number 13:25. 32:05 Now it's interesting that number, 32:06 I understand that can go pretty deep, 32:08 and you can study some more about that. 32:09 But it's interesting that people waited for 40 days 32:12 when the law was given, you remember? 32:14 And what happened to them. 32:16 Now notice... They got restless. 32:18 They got restless, very good. 32:20 They got restless 32:21 and restlessness led to rebellion 32:23 and making the golden calf. 32:24 Yeah. 32:26 You see, but here, 32:27 they didn't get restless really at all. 32:29 They just waited for the enemy would begin to work 32:32 and they would come back with a wrong message. 32:34 So they were just kind of like, Okay, well, 32:35 we'll just wait and see what the message 32:37 and we will listen to that what they have to say. 32:39 Now, remember, ready to enter into Canaan to occupy it. 32:43 Now the spies return. 32:44 Now the message is changed. 32:46 Let's just give a couple of things real quick, 32:48 it shows how the enemy became involved. 32:50 Quickly, number one, the land was very fruitful. 32:53 We read that in verse 27. 32:55 Right? That land was very fruitful. 32:57 Right. 32:58 Number two, they later contradicted themselves 33:00 by saying in verse 32, 33:02 it was the land that eats up the inhabitants thereof. 33:05 All of a sudden, they're changing, why? 33:06 They took their eyes off of God 33:08 because they didn't follow what God said in His Word. 33:10 Number three, to take the land. 33:12 Absolutely not. It was impossible. 33:14 Even God said, No, it's possible. 33:16 Just go take, it's yours. Go take it. 33:17 They said, no, we can't. 33:19 And now tell what kind of attempt 33:20 what are we going to, it's not going to work. 33:22 Verse 28. 33:23 It said, "All the people there are strong. 33:26 You don't want to fight them. You can't win." 33:28 Verse 32 and forth is they are of great stature. 33:32 I mean, there are giants in the land, 33:34 and we can't conquer it. 33:35 So why try it? You know why try? 33:38 They're a lot bigger than we are. 33:39 They're more powerful than we are. 33:41 Putting aside, God had said, it's yours. 33:43 See, we do that today sometimes. 33:45 If God has said, it's yours, 33:46 we need to conquer and we need to go, 33:48 we're not grasshoppers, right? 33:50 We're not shaky. 33:51 And Job said this, I thought it was Job 39:20. 33:55 He said, "Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?" 34:00 Well, they were afraid, 34:01 said they were like grasshoppers. 34:03 That's right. 34:04 Israel had these things quickly in favor of. 34:06 Number one, they had this, 34:07 they had seen God work miracles, 34:09 that seems in their favor. 34:10 They witnessed the strong arm of God, they knew it. 34:13 Example, the Egyptians were much stronger 34:15 than the Canaanites. 34:17 But what happened? 34:18 Yet without a sword drawn, 34:20 or anybody struck with the sword, 34:21 the chariots and the horsemen were defeated. 34:24 See, they had all these things set out before them too. 34:27 They had particular promises 34:29 of victory and success of the Canaanites. 34:32 And God told Abraham, remember his seed 34:34 would possess is the land. 34:36 We had all these things, the promises of God 34:38 yet they wouldn't go take it, lack of faith. 34:41 Number four, God said, 34:42 He would drive out the Canaanites before them. 34:45 Exodus 33:2. 34:47 And yet, still yet they said what? 34:50 We are not able, 34:51 maybe nice to make it clear as we wrap it up. 34:53 They were saying this, God is not able. 34:56 God has made the promise, 34:58 but evidently He's not able to fulfill that promise. 35:00 God is able to fulfill every promise 35:02 He's made to you and to me. 35:03 And he's promised us, number one, I will come again. 35:05 Let's be ready for that. 35:07 Amen. Great lesson. 35:08 Okay, Wednesday's lesson is An Intercessor. 35:13 And it begins with Numbers 14:11. 35:16 But since we've yet to cover 1 through 10, 35:18 let me just kind of give you 35:21 a little distilled version of what happens in 1-10. 35:27 So we've got Israel, 35:28 they are complaining against the Lord, 35:32 they're murmuring against God, 35:34 and there's like, Oh, we died in the wilderness, 35:38 if only we died in Egypt. 35:41 You know, I have a friend that 35:42 every time something bad happens, 35:44 and she's a Christian, 35:46 but it's an interesting thing 35:48 that when something bad happens, 35:51 I just want to die. 35:52 I just want to die. 35:54 And so, what they've done is they're saying, 35:57 oh, wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt, 36:02 and Moses and Aaron fall on their face 36:07 in front of the congregation. 36:09 And what happens? 36:11 Joshua, the son of Nun and Caleb, 36:14 they're saying, hey, wait, wait, wait, wait, 36:16 don't back up. 36:19 This land that we went out to spy on is exceedingly great 36:24 if the Lord delights in us. 36:25 Oh, wait, He's gonna let us have it. 36:29 So all the congregation, 36:32 when the two faithful witnesses stand up, 36:35 what do they want to do? 36:37 They want to stone the two faithful witnesses. 36:39 Why? 36:40 What does that make you think of 36:42 people trying to stone 36:43 the faithful witness of the Old Testament 36:45 and the New Testament? 36:47 Right? 36:48 Numbers 14:11. 36:52 God is going to give Moses 36:56 an opportunity to start over. 36:59 Numbers 14-11, 37:00 "Then the Lord said to Moses: 37:02 'How long will these people reject Me? 37:06 And how long will they not believe Me, 37:10 with all the signs 37:12 that I have performed among them?" 37:16 Now he says to Moses, 37:18 I got a deal for you, Moses. 37:20 I will strike them with the pestilence 37:24 and disinherit them, 37:26 and I will make of you a nation 37:30 that is mightier than they. 37:32 This is the second time 37:34 God has expressed wrath with Israel. 37:39 Remember the first time, 37:41 Moses had already written in the Book of the Covenant, 37:45 and he built the altar at, this is at Mount Sinai. 37:48 And the people had said, 37:49 "Oh, yes, all that's in this covenant. 37:51 All the Lord has said we will do." 37:53 Now Moses went up the mountain for 40 days, 37:57 and God is writing out the Ten Commandments 38:01 on stone with His own finger. 38:04 And what happens 38:05 after the people had been consecrated 38:07 in the New Covenant, 38:09 I mean, the Old Covenant had been ratified. 38:11 There, he's up there. 38:13 And after God hands him the two tablets of stone, 38:17 he says, heads up. 38:18 Moses, let me tell you what to expect 38:20 when you get back down to the camp. 38:22 The people have rebelled. 38:25 They had talked Aaron into making a golden calf. 38:30 They broke covenant with the Lord. 38:35 So He actually had said at that time, 38:40 "Moses, I can wipe them out of my book 38:44 and start over with you." 38:45 And you know what Moses did? 38:47 He was like a type of Jesus. 38:49 He was a type of Jesus. 38:51 And he said to the Lord, 38:53 "Oh, no, Lord, blot me out of Your book, not them." 38:55 I mean, Moses interceded for them 38:59 just as Christ intercedes for us now. 39:02 So now coming back to Numbers 14. 39:06 Let's look at what Moses... 39:09 We don't have time to read it all. 39:10 But in verses, Numbers 14:13-19. 39:15 Basically, we see how Moses, once again, 39:20 steps up to intercede for the people. 39:23 I mean, they're in downright rebellion, 39:26 not against just his leadership, 39:27 but against the Lord. 39:29 And so he makes a twofold appeal to God, 39:34 in Moses, in Numbers 14:13-19. 39:38 First, he appeals to God's reputation. 39:41 He said, 39:42 "Lord, if You wipe these people out, 39:44 man, they, the heathen nations 39:47 are gonna hear about it, 39:49 and it's just gonna ruin Your reputation. 39:52 But then he appeals to the power of God 39:57 to fulfill his promises. 40:01 And he knew God's glory was at stake. 40:06 So he appeals to God's loving kindness 40:11 and the covenant loyalty of his promises to Abraham, 40:16 Isaac and Jacob. 40:18 So Numbers 14:18, let's look at that. 40:20 What Moses is gonna do? 40:22 He's gonna quote God's words directly back to Him. 40:27 It's good. 40:29 And the word does not return void. 40:30 These are the words that when Moses was hidden 40:35 in the cleft of the rock, 'cause he said, 40:37 I want to see Your glory." 40:39 God hides him in the cleft of the rock and He walks by, 40:43 these are the very words that glory of the Lord 40:46 is His character. 40:48 So now Moses in Numbers 14:18, 40:53 he quotes God's word back to Him. 40:55 And he says, 40:56 "The Lord is longsuffering 40:58 and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity 41:01 and transgression, 41:02 but He by no means clears the guilty, 41:06 visiting the iniquity of the fathers 41:08 on the children to the third and fourth generation." 41:12 Now, I just want to point out real quickly. 41:15 We can quote God's promises back to Him. 41:18 But we need to know more than just plucking 41:22 one scripture out of context. 41:25 You need to know what the Word of God says 41:27 before you can. 41:28 So you're quoting it back correctly. 41:31 So here's Moses, 41:33 he's appealing to God's longsuffering, 41:36 His enduring love. 41:38 But I just have to say this, 41:40 when it says that God visits 41:44 the iniquity of the fathers on the children, 41:48 don't think that God is punishing 41:50 the second, third and fourth generation. 41:53 That is not true. 41:54 You hear all of this about generational curses. 41:58 I'm gonna tell you, 42:00 the generational curse 42:01 is the consequence of the father's sin 42:05 is passed on to the children. 42:08 The effects of sin, the patterns of sin, 42:11 and sometimes children continue in the same sorts of behavior, 42:17 and it takes generations to turn, 42:22 turn the tide of sinfulness. 42:26 Now, in Deut... 42:28 God doesn't make kids suffer because their parents sin. 42:32 Let him prove that. 42:33 Deuteronomy 24:16 says, 42:35 "Fathers shall not be put to death 42:37 for their children, 42:39 nor shall the children 42:40 be put to death for their fathers, 42:42 a person shall be put to death for his own sin." 42:47 Ezekiel 18:2-4, 42:50 the Lord asks, 42:52 "What do you mean 42:53 when you use this proverb 42:54 concerning the land of Israel, saying: 42:58 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, 43:00 and the children's teeth are set on edge?' 43:03 As I live, says the Lord God, 43:05 'You shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. 43:09 Behold, all souls are Mine, 43:11 the soul of the father 43:12 as well as the soul of the son is Mine." 43:15 And then God says, "The soul who sins shall die." 43:21 So we just need to remember 43:24 even in a generational curse, you know what? 43:26 You know what the healing is for that? 43:29 Repentance is the cure 43:30 for those when consequences of sin are passed on. 43:34 So Moses has this intimate relationship with God. 43:39 He understands God's character. 43:42 He knew that the generations could suffer 43:45 the consequences of sin. 43:47 And in verse 19, he says to the Lord, 43:51 "Pardon the iniquity of this people, 43:53 I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, 43:57 just as You have forgiven this people from Egypt 44:02 even until now." 44:05 And so, grace overcomes this rebellion 44:09 and this restlessness, because of the intercession, 44:13 but I have to read this, Numbers 14:26, 44:17 "The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron say, 44:21 'How long shall I bear with this evil congregation 44:24 who complaint against Me? 44:25 I've heard their complaints that they make against Me." 44:29 And verse 28 says, 44:30 "As I live, says the Lord, 44:32 just as you have spoken in My hearing, 44:35 so I will do to you." 44:36 Yes. 44:38 They kept saying, 44:39 "Oh, we're gonna die in the wilderness. 44:41 Oh, let us die in the wilderness. 44:43 Guess what? 44:44 God did. 44:46 He says the carcasses of those 44:48 who've complained against me and murmured, 44:50 you're going to die in the wilderness. 44:52 You're not going to get 44:54 to enter into the Promised Land. 44:58 Anybody that was 20 and over, 45:01 they didn't get to enter from that, 45:03 the complaining ones didn't get to enter 45:06 into the Promised Land. 45:09 Just know that just as Moses intercedes, 45:12 Jesus intercedes for us now. 45:14 Amen. 45:16 Thank you so much, Shelley, for setting that up. 45:18 Thursday's lesson is entitled Faith Versus Presumption, 45:21 and there's a lot we can learn from the Israelites. 45:25 There's a lot we can learn from their experience 45:26 and all that we have read. 45:28 And we have studied up to this point from, 45:30 from Numbers Chapter 11, 45:32 all the way through to now we're in Chapter 14. 45:35 And we're going to get into the latter verses 45:37 of the response of the people to God 45:40 after he has clearly told them, 45:42 you're not going into this land of milk and honey, 45:44 you're not going to inherit this, this land anymore. 45:47 And so, but there's a lot we can learn from this. 45:49 And this is what actually Paul testifies 45:52 to in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. 45:55 So let's go there first 45:56 just to kind of set the groundwork 45:58 for what we're going to be studying 45:59 in just a few moments. 46:00 But 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. 46:03 Notice what the Bible says. 46:05 Paul says, 46:06 "Moreover, brethren, 46:07 I do not want you to be unaware 46:09 that all our fathers were under the cloud, 46:12 all passed through the sea, 46:14 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud 46:16 and in the sea, 46:18 and ate the same spiritual food, 46:19 and drank the same spiritual drink. 46:21 For they drank of that spiritual Rock 46:23 that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 46:27 But with most of them God was not well pleased, 46:30 for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." 46:33 This is what we were talking about. 46:34 They didn't get to inherit the land, 46:36 because they died in the wilderness. 46:37 But it goes on to say in verse 6, 46:39 again, 1 Corinthians 10:6, 46:41 "Now these things became our examples, 46:45 to the intent that 46:46 we should not lust after the evil things 46:48 as they also lusted. 46:50 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. 46:53 As it is written, 46:54 'The people sat down to eat and drink, 46:56 and rose up to play.' 46:57 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, 47:00 as some of them did, 47:01 and in one day twenty-three thousand fell, 47:04 nor let us tempt Christ, 47:07 as some of them also tempted, 47:09 and were destroyed by serpents, 47:11 nor complain, as some of them also complained, 47:14 and were destroyed by the destroyer." 47:17 And in verse 11, now, all these, 47:18 this is our memory verse. 47:20 Now all these things happened to them as examples, 47:22 and they were written for our admonition, 47:26 upon whom the ends of the ages have come." 47:29 So when we read the stories, and we read what is happening, 47:32 there's some lessons we can learn here. 47:33 And one of those lessons is that and this is a big one 47:37 here especially for Thursday's lesson. 47:38 There's a lot that we need to learn 47:40 and comprehend about the difference 47:41 between faith and presumption. 47:43 Because a lot of times we assume 47:45 what we think is God's favor, 47:47 we assume what we think is God's favor upon our life, 47:50 or His plan upon our life. 47:51 And we will take advantage of the grace of God 47:53 or the love of God or the mercy of God, 47:55 and often end up making decisions 47:57 that was not of thus saith the Lord. 47:59 And so I love what the lesson brings out. 48:01 I'm gonna read just a portion here 48:03 of what the lesson says on Thursday. 48:04 It says, throughout history, 48:05 God's people have been roaming in the wilderness 48:07 as they seek the Promised Land. 48:10 This wilderness has many faces. 48:12 Right now, it looks like an endless media barrage, 48:17 the constant beats of incoming messages, 48:19 and the deep roar of interminable entertainment. 48:24 It tries to sell us pornography as love 48:27 and materialism as the answer to our problems, 48:30 if we just could be a bit fitter, right? 48:33 A bit younger, a bit more fluid, a bit sexier, 48:37 that would take care of all of our problems. 48:40 And this is like the Israelites, 48:42 we are restless in our search for peace. 48:44 It's good. 48:46 And often, and so often, 48:47 we look for it in the wrong places. 48:50 Now, let's go on to the latter verses 48:52 back to Romans Chapter 14. 48:54 Because God has just told them you're not going into the land. 48:56 Moses brings the message to the people. 48:59 I'm sorry, did I say Romans, I meant to say, 49:01 Numbers Chapter 14, not Romans 14, 49:04 Romans, Excuse me, now I'm gonna say it again, 49:06 Numbers, Numbers, Numbers Chapter 14. 49:09 And we're going to be looking at verses 39 through 45. 49:12 And so now this is the people's response 49:14 to what God has already spoken. 49:16 And so notice what it says there beginning in verse 39 49:19 of Numbers Chapter 14. 49:20 It says, 49:21 "Then Moses told these words 49:23 to all the children of Israel, 49:24 and the people mourn greatly. 49:27 And they rose early in the morning 49:29 and went up to the top of the mountain saying, 49:31 here we are, 49:33 and we will go up to the place 49:35 which the Lord has promised, for we have sin." 49:38 Now, it's interesting, 49:39 if you kind of take all this in, 49:40 the response is, Lord, 49:42 we know what You just said. 49:44 And we know what You've told us, 49:46 but we're gonna go ahead and go anyway, 49:47 look, we pat, you know, almost like as sin is oops, 49:50 like, oops, I messed up, okay, I've sinned, Lord, okay, 49:54 but You're gracious God, and You're loving God. 49:56 We're gonna go ahead into that land 49:57 that You told us 49:59 that we're not going to go into. 50:00 And then notice what Moses says in response to that. 50:03 We're in verse 41, 50:04 "And Moses says, 50:06 'Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord? 50:09 For this will not succeed. 50:10 Do not go up, 50:12 lest you be defeated by your enemies, 50:14 for the Lord is not among you. 50:16 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites 50:18 are there before you, 50:20 and you shall fall by the sword, 50:22 because you have turned away from the Lord, 50:25 and the Lord will not be with you." 50:28 Moses is basically saying to them, 50:29 what in the world did you... 50:31 Did you not just hear what the Lord just told you? 50:33 Do you? 50:34 And then really what this comes down to, 50:36 and we're gonna get into this in just a moment, 50:37 in the closing moments we have 50:38 and further defining presumption. 50:41 Often presumption comes with an arrogant misapplication 50:45 and misinterpretation 50:46 and not trusting the Word of the Lord 50:48 and assuming what God wants 50:50 when really He doesn't. 50:51 And that's what's happening here that people are just, 50:53 and we know what God says, 50:54 but you know, we're gonna do it anyways, 50:55 because that's the land He promised us, right? 50:58 And Moses says, "Don't do it. Don't do it." 51:00 Notice verse 44, it says, 51:01 "But they presumed," there it is, 51:04 "to go up to the mountaintop. 51:06 Nevertheless, 51:07 neither the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 51:10 nor Moses departed from the camp. 51:13 then the Amalekites and the Canaanites, 51:15 who dwelt in that mountain, came down and attack them, 51:18 and drove them back as far as Hormah." 51:21 What we find here is a wonderful 51:22 example of when you, 51:24 when you presumed that you know what, 51:26 what's best for you than what God does. 51:28 And you cast aside of thus saith the Lord, 51:31 guess what? 51:32 You are now forsaking the command of God. 51:34 Notice how the ark stayed behind, 51:35 that is a symbol of the fact that they were going up 51:38 and they're saying, We don't need God's Word. 51:40 We don't need God's commands. 51:41 We know what God has said, but we're gonna do it anyways. 51:44 And also notice, they left behind the person 51:46 whom God had spoke to 51:48 whom was filled with the Holy Spirit, 51:50 they left behind their prophet. 51:52 In other words, we know what the prophet says, 51:54 we know that God told this, 51:56 this brother, wow, you know, 51:57 what our path is going to be, 51:58 but we're going to do it anyways. 52:00 My friends, this is a perfect example 52:02 of how we should know the difference 52:03 between faith and presumption. 52:05 These people weren't acting on faith, 52:07 they were acting on presumption. 52:09 And here's the difference. 52:10 I just kind of created this 52:12 and feel free if anybody wants to chime in, 52:13 in the last couple of moments here. 52:15 Faith, okay, faith is hope and trust 52:18 that comes in harmony with the truth of God's Word. 52:21 If I have faith for something, I have a hope. 52:23 I have a trust so deep, but it's grounded. 52:26 It's based on the Word of God, 52:28 the truth is found in God's Word. 52:30 I'm not gonna say, Oh, I have faith that, 52:32 you know, God's gonna still heal me after I, 52:34 you know, eat this whole pig that I'm craving. 52:36 You know, I know, that's kind of weird. 52:39 But the truth of the matter is, my friends, 52:40 it's just insane to know 52:42 that that's not in harmony with God's Word. 52:43 That's presumption. That's not faith, presumption. 52:47 Again, this is often a selfish assumption 52:50 that often is accompanied by an arrogant, 52:52 haughty spirit that brings about a misuse 52:56 and abuse of God's character, 52:58 of God's grace, and God's mercy, 52:59 which is what we see happening right here. 53:01 I heard a story one time, actually, this is a true story 53:04 of a very popular televangelists. 53:06 I'm not gonna mention his name. 53:07 But this is before he had bought all of his, 53:09 you know, multimillion dollar planes 53:11 for ministry and all this stuff. 53:12 And he was on a plane one day with a bunch of just, 53:14 you know, people traveling from one country to the next. 53:17 Well, they get up 37- 38,000 feet in the air, 53:20 and they start experiencing some very heavy turbulence. 53:23 And the lady sitting next to this popular televangelists 53:26 just start screaming, 53:27 you know, losing her mind screaming, 53:29 and he turned to this lady, he said, woman be quiet. 53:32 And she was caught cut back by and he said, 53:34 "Look, this plane ain't going down, 53:36 you know why? 53:37 Because I'm on it." 53:40 Look out now. 53:41 Now was that faith? 53:42 I don't know that that was faith. 53:44 I think that's more of a presumption. 53:45 That's an arrogant, haughty spirit. 53:46 He said, this plane isn't going out 53:48 because I'm on it. 53:49 You know, we're talking about, again, 53:50 the difference between faith and presumption. 53:52 Here's another example. You know what? 53:54 God, He's my Heavenly Father. 53:56 And you know, He loves me, God loves me, 53:58 and He wants me to be happy. 54:00 And therefore, if I want that car 54:02 that I can't afford, 54:03 God's gonna let me have it. 54:04 Because, you know, He wants me to be happy, 54:06 and He's a gracious God. 54:08 That's presumption. 54:09 That's not, it's not necessarily God's plan 54:11 for you to have what you want in your life 54:12 at all times, just because God wants you to be happy, 54:15 and He loves you. 54:16 That again is not faith. That's presumption. 54:18 Oh, here's a big one. 54:19 God may have been strict in the Old Testament. 54:22 But in the New Testament, 54:23 we're under a system of grace. 54:25 Therefore, we are not under the bondage to worry 54:27 about keeping every law perfectly, 54:29 especially those dealing with detailed 54:31 observances of certain days. 54:32 For instance, you know what? 54:34 God knows my heart and He loves me. 54:36 And certainly He's not going to burn me in hell 54:38 for all ceaseless ages. 54:40 Because, you know, I didn't keep Saturday holy. 54:44 Well, 54:45 is that faith or is that presumption? 54:46 That's presumption because the Word of God says 54:49 that God has a day, 54:50 it's His day, the Sabbath day. 54:51 These are just examples, my friends, 54:53 make sure that we are in the right mindset 54:56 that we're tapped in to the mind of Christ, 54:59 that we have the faith of Jesus Christ, 55:01 the mind of Jesus, to be able to know 55:03 that when we are exercising faith 55:05 and when we're being presumptuous, 55:06 in this case, make sure that we're exercising faith 55:09 in the word of the Lord that if God has spoken, 55:11 God has spoken, 55:13 there's nothing else to add to it. 55:14 And if we have something in our own heart and mind 55:16 that is against the Word of God, 55:18 then we need to examine ourselves and say, 55:19 Lord create in me a clean heart, O God. 55:22 Amen. Amen. That's good. 55:23 Y'all are on fire. Praise the Lord. 55:25 What an incredible study. 55:27 Want to give each one of you a moment 55:29 to share something about your day or this week. 55:30 We'll start with Pastor John. 55:32 Because attitudes are contagious, 55:34 ask and pray every day, 55:36 for the fruit of the Spirit to be in your life. 55:39 Allow people to come into your sphere. 55:40 I was told once, and my wife says 55:42 that when people come into your presence, 55:44 they should leave more encouraged 55:46 than when they came. 55:48 Pray for the spirit 55:49 that you have to be contagious in uplifting Christ. 55:52 Amen. 55:53 You know, Israel had plenty of difficulties 55:55 as we go through this life, 55:57 we're going to have a lot of difficulties. 55:58 But today I tell you, 56:00 if you have exercising a living, active faith, 56:04 as we talked about here in Jesus Christ, 56:06 these things will vanish away into nothingness 56:09 because the Bible said, 56:10 "All things are possible through Him." 56:13 I just think of Moses 56:14 as the mediator of the Old Covenant, 56:17 the intercessor for the people. 56:19 And you know, the Bible says that we have one mediator 56:22 now between us and God and that is man, Christ Jesus, 56:25 and in Hebrews 7:25, 56:27 it says that 56:28 "He is able to save to the uttermost 56:31 those who come to God through Him, 56:33 because He lives to make intercession for us." 56:39 Amen. 56:40 Faith comes by hearing 56:42 and hearing by the Word of God. 56:43 If God said it, believe it, don't go against it. 56:47 Because we need to have that mentality, 56:48 that mind of Jesus 56:50 as Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, 56:51 nevertheless not my will, 56:53 but yours be done if only the children of Israel 56:56 had had that mindset and just said, 56:58 Look, God has spoken, 56:59 we wouldn't they wouldn't have been 57:01 and fallen into the peril 57:02 and the and horrible situation that they did, 57:04 so trust in the Lord, Lord and trust in His Word. 57:08 Amen. 57:09 Thank you all so much, Pastor Ryan, Sister Shelley, 57:12 Pastor Kenny, and Pastor John 57:14 loves studying the Word of God with each one of you. 57:16 I was reminded, 57:17 as they were all talking of Romans 15, it says, 57:20 "Whatsoever things were written before time, 57:22 were written for our learning, 57:25 that we through patience 57:26 and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." 57:28 And what a privilege and blessing? 57:30 We can look at the Israelites and say, 57:31 why did they do that? 57:33 But then we can look at our own lives 57:35 and examine our own lives and see those places 57:38 where maybe we murmured or we complained, 57:41 or we lusted after Egypt. 57:43 So Praise the Lord. 57:45 We don't have to be restless. 57:47 We don't have to be rebellious 57:49 because Isaiah 57:19, 57:53 "I create the fruit of the lips, 57:54 peace, peace to him who is far off, 57:57 and to him who is near says the Lord." 57:59 And then it goes on 58:00 with the restlessness of the wicked. 58:02 We don't have to wander in that, 58:04 we can have peace in Jesus. 58:06 Join us next week, Roots of Restlessness. 58:09 Amen. |
Revised 2021-07-12