WHAT UNBELIEF CAN DO--NUMBERS 14:1-24

WHAT UNBELIEF CAN DO

NUMBERS 14:1-24

Introduction:

Israel was in the area of Kadesh Barnea just south of the Promised Land. They had sent out 12 spies and they had returned. Ten of the spies had returned with a bad report and suggested that Israel was not capable of conquering the land. Only Caleb and Joshua had returned with a good report saying that they should go up right away to possess the land.

Israel refused to go and God had pronounced the death sentence on that generation with the exception of Caleb and Joshua. All of this was because of UNBELIEF.

I. THROUGH UNBELIEF, ISRAEL CONTESTED THE WORD OF GOD AS IF HE WAS A MAN THAT WOULD LIE.

A. God has promised to give them the land, Genesis 13:14-18.

1. God had promised to make Abraham, the father of the Hebrews, a great nation, Genesis 12:1-3.

2. He promised that Abraham’s seed would be a blessing to all of the families of the earth, Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

3. He promise a goodly land, Exodus 3:8, “And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

B. He had had taken care of their needs.

1. Manna for bread, Exodus 16:15, “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.”

2. Quail for meat, Exodus 16:13, “And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.”

II. THEY OPPOSE GOD’S POWER AS THOUGH SEVEN NATIONS WOULD TAX HIS STRENGTH.

A. Unbelief in the face of God’s miracles.

1. They all had seen God work through the Ten Plagues in Egypt, Exodus 5-12.

2. They had seen how God had opened the Red Sea before their eyes, Exodus 14:16, 21, “But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 21-And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.”

3. They had seen the Egyptian army try to cross that same sea only to be destroyed, Exodus 14:26-28, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27-And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28-And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

B. God’s patience wears thin, Numbers 14:11, “And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?”

1. The Lord threatens to destroy them, v. 12.

2. Moses intercedes for the people, vs. 13-19.

III. THEY INVALIDATED GOD’S GOODNESS AS IF HE WAS WORKING FOR THEIR DESTRUCTION.

A. Their father Abraham, had greater faith, Romans 4:20, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;”

B. Because of UNBELIEF Israel was broken off, Romans 11:20, 23, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 23-And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graff them in again.”

C. The Gentiles have obtained mercy because of Israel’s unbelief, Romans 11:30, “For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:”

D. These disobedient Hebrews entered not into the Promised Land because of UNBELIEF, Hebrews 3:19, “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

CONCLUSION

An entire generation died needlessly because they refused to believe God. They all went to Hell for lack of faith in the Lord. Don’t let that be your destination.

WHAT GOD KEEPS--NUMBERS 6:22-27

WHAT GOD KEEPS

NUMBERS 6:22-27

Key verse: v. 24, “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee.”

Introduction:

Since God is omnipotent, when He keeps something, it is permanent—a fact readily seen in Scriptures. The true child of God should constantly rejoice in God's keeping power.

The security of the Believer is one of the doctrines of the Word of God that Satan hates and he has tried for centuries to destroy this doctrine. However, God continues to KEEP His people in many ways. Listed here are a number of examples of what God keeps:

I. HE KEEPS US FROM LOSING OUR SALVATION

A. He is able, Jude 24, “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy"

1. To keep us from falling, Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

2. To present us faultless before His presence, Revelation 14:5, “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

B. By the power of His name, John 17:11, “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”

1. To keep us from evil, John 17:15, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”

2. He keeps us night and day, Isaiah 27:3, “I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.”

II. HE KEEPS US FROM STUMBLING

A. He will keep the feet of His saints, 1 Samuel 2:9, “He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.”

1. Our steps are established by the Lord, Psalm 37:23-24, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24- Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”

2. The Lord preserves our goings and comings, Psalm 121:8, “The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

B. His angels have charge over us, Psalm 91:11-12, “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12- They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

III. HE KEEPS US AS A TREASURE

A. We are the Apple of His Eye, Psalm 17:8, “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.”

1. He found us in a desert land, Deuteronomy 32:10, “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.”

2. The Lord protects those that are precious to Him, Zechariah 2:8, “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.”

B. We are His jewels, His special treasure, Malachi 3:17, “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels [Heb. special treasure]; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”

IV. THE LORD KEEPS US IN THE PEACE OF GOD

A. The Peace that passes understanding, Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

1. It is to know Christ, Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

2. It is like eating hidden manna, Revelation 2:17, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”

B. God’s peace is a perfect peace, Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

1. God offers His peace to those who will trust Him, Isaiah 57:19, “I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.”

2. For those who will not trust Christ there is no peace, Isaiah 57:20-21, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21- There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”

CONCLUSION

“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee” are great words to hear. It is to know that the Lord is protecting us from every sort of evil. He allows us to go through difficulty, but His protection is always there to lean on during those times.

THE MONSTER OF UNBELIEF--NUMBERS 14:11

THE MONSTER OF UNBELIEF

NUMBERS 14:11

Introduction:

Unbelief dishonors Christ. Among Christians it is the one thing that causes their problems. It is truly a monster in our lives when not controlled. It grows to in our lives and becomes the controlling factor if not rooted out.

In the next few minutes we will consider the problem of unbelief and how we can control it and in doing so we grow in faith learning to lean on our Heavenly Father for everything in life.

I. THE MONSTER OF UNBELIEF IS LIKE A WEED

A. The seeds of unbelief can never entirely be extracted from the soil of our being,

1. Among hateful things it is the most to be abhorred, Exodus 32:30, “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.”

a. Its injurious nature is so poisonous that he that exercises it is hurt, Numbers 14:23, “Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:”

b. He upon whom it is directed is hurt also by its poison, Numbers 20:8, 10-11, “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 10- And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11- And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”

2. The seed of unbelief will dominate the soil of your life if not controlled, Hebrews 3:12, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”

a. The believer must be careful to guard against a sinful, unbelieving heart, Hebrews 2:1-3, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2- For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3- How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

b. This is the kind of heart that turns away from the living God, Hebrews 10:35-38, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36- For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37- For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38- Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

B. But we must aim at its root with zeal and perseverance in order to destroy it.

1. Sometimes it is a root of bitterness that hinders the believer, Hebrews 12:15, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

2. Sometimes it is the things of the world that hinder, 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

II. STRIVE WITH ALL DILIGENCE TO KEEP OUT THE MONSTER OF UNBELIEF

A. Christ will WITHDRAW HIS BLESSINGS if we indulge in unbelief, 1 Corinthians 10:21, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”

1. You can’t serve God and the world, Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

2. You can’t have fellowship or communion with the Lord while you participate in the things of the world, 1 John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16- For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17- And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

a. The pride of life, an insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights.

b. The lust of the eyes is the desire for what is forbidden, Psalm 78:18, 30-32, And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. 30- They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, 31- The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. 32- For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.”

B. Christ is CROWNED WITH THORNS when we do not belief His Word.

1. The sin of unbelief is needless, foolish and a reproach to the Lord, Psalm 74:22, “Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.”

2. Jesus is the Son of the Highest, and has power without limit, Matthew 17:17, “Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.”

C. It is SHAMEFUL TO DOUBT Omnipotence and DISTRUST the all sufficiency of our Lord, Mark 16:14, “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”

CONCLUSION

Unbelief is truly a monster. Unbelief is faithlessness and it shows a lack of growth in the life of the believer. Spiritual life begins with faith in Jesus Christ and continues as we learn about our Savior.

Unbelief can bring on some very ugly circumstances and much grief for a Christian. Thomas was known for such unbelief, so the Lord said to him in John 20:27, “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” Faith is believing even though we haven’t seen the object of our faith.

THE LIFTING UP OF CHRIST--PART 1--NUMBERS 21:4-9; JOHN 3:14,15

THE LIFTING UP OF CHRIST
PART 1

NUMBERS 21:4-9; JOHN 3:14,15

Introduction:

This message will be in two parts: the First dealing with the “Nature of Sin,” it's destructive and deadly nature.

The second part of the message will deal with the remedy provided for the problem of sin. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has paid the price with His life to redeem man from his sins.

Now consider…

I. THE NATURE OF SIN – DISTRUCTIVE AND DEADLY

A. The GUILT OF SIN is like the BITE of a serpent, Jeremiah 8:17, “For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.”

1. The POISON OF SIN permeates with just ONE BITE, James 2:10, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

a. The CASE of Adam and Eve, Genesis 2:16-17, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17- But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

b. Man brought SIN into  the world by his disobedience, Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

c. Man brought DEATH by his sin, 1 Corinthians 15:21, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”

2. That ONE SIN poisons the whole system of man, Romans 3:19, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

a. The sin of Solomon, 2 Kings 23:13, “And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.”

1) Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, the moon goddess of the Phoenicians, Judges 10:6, “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.”

2) Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, the destroyer, subduer, or fish-god, the god of the Moabites, Jeremiah 48:7, “For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.”

3) Milcom or Moloch, the abomination of the children of Ammon, this god became Chemosh among the Moabites.

2. The sin of mankind in general – a heart problem, Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

a. Man walks after the imagination of his evil heart, Jeremiah 16:12, “And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:”

b. GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great before the flood, Genesis 6:5, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

B. The POWER of the CORRUPTION OF SIN is like the POISON of a SNAKE that is SPREAD OUT:

1. First Satan is SUBTLE:

a. He is CRAFTY, SLY, WILY and TRICKY, 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14-And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

b. He is SKILLFUL, 2 Thessalonians 2:9, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”

2. Then Satan is AGGRESSIVE, WITHOUT RESPECT for whom he attacks:

a. Judas Iscariot, Luke 22:2, “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.”

a. Peter, Luke 22:30, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:”

3. Then he is terrifying:

b. GREAT SIN is the RESULT of his INFLUENCE, 1 John 3:12, “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

c. GREAT PERIL RESULTS from his influence to DESTROY the EFFECT of the TRUTH, Matthew 13:19, “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.”

d. His influence brings man to the LOWEST LEVEL of DEPRAVITY, Psalm 9:15, “The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.”

4. Then his influence is destructive:

a. The SIN of ADULTERY is one example, Proverbs 6:32, “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”

b. The HYPOCRITE is another, Proverbs 11:9,“An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.”

CONCLUSION

In this message we have seen how Satan and his influence in our lives is so destructive. In the next message we will see how the Lord Jesus Christ has remedied the problem by His death on the Cross of Calvary.

CALEB MY SERVANT--NUMBERS 14:17-24

CALEB MY SERVANT

Numbers 14:17-24

Introduction:

Moses had sent out 12 spies to spy out the land and to bring back a report confirming the Word of God. However, the spies returned with a negative report seeing giants in the land that made them feel like grasshoppers in comparison to them.

Only Joshua and Caleb returned with a positive report saying that Israel was able to conquer the land. The other spies admitted that it was indeed a land that flowed with milk and honey as the Lord had said, but they refused to believe that God’s people could conquer it.

Israel rebelled against the Lord on that day, but Joshua and Caleb stood with Moses on the Lord’s side. Consider God’s servant, Caleb.

I. CALEB “WHOLLY FOLLOWED THE LORD”

A. Moses testified on Caleb’s behalf, Numbers 32:11-12, “Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: 12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.”

B. Six times in the Bible we are told that Caleb “wholly follow the Lord.”

1. His own personal testimony, Joshua 14:8, “Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.”

2. Moses confirmed Caleb’s testimony, Joshua 14:9, “And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.”

II. CALEB SERVED GOD DISPITE THE OBSTACLES

A. He was firm and constant under pressure, Numbers 14:9-10, “Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.”

B. Caleb was 85 years old, 25 years older than the other men when they entered the land, Yet he and his family alone, of all the tribes who entered the land, were able to complete God's command to drive out all the pagan inhabitants from his inheritance—even though these were the same fearsome giants who had so terrified the ten spies forty-five years earlier, Joshua 14:12-15, “Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. 13- And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. 14- Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. 15- And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.”

III. “IF ANY MAN SERVE ME, LET HIM FOLLOW ME”

John 12:26, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

A. The True Servant of God keeps God’s Commandments, John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

1. This is a test of love for the Lord, John 14:21, 23, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 23- Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

2. He takes up his cross and follows, Mark 8:34,“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

a. They leave the world behind, Matthew 8:22,“But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.”

b. God makes them soul winners, Matthew 4:19, “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

B. Many say that they love the Lord but do not do what He says, Luke 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

1. They do not honor the Father, Malachi 1:6, “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?”

2. God is not fooled, Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

3. He knows those that are His, John 6:64, “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.”

CONCLUSION

Caleb was one of the great men of the Word of God that is not heard of much, but who was a man of great faith who loved his Lord.

Without a doubt we need men of his caliber today serving God. Perhaps he can be an example for us to follow in a time when many so-called Christian men are without courage and conviction.