Moving With the Spirit

Numbers 9.15-23

The LORD has brought Israel out of Egypt. They were now in the wilderness, the Sinai Desert. He was bringing them into the Promised Land, a land that flowed with milk and honey... and still does today!

Moving several million people across the Sinai was a monumental task. Humanly speaking it would have been impossible. As we know however, All things are possible with God.

The LORD led this move by His Visible Presence in a cloud. This was a standing and moving miracle. This cloud was the signal that guarded and guided the nation of Israel as they journeyed from Egypt to the land God had given it as their very own.

The trek ended up taking 40 years due to disobedience. Disobedience slows things that God would like to do in your life up. It messes up your life. Disobedience makes you miss out on good things and gives you disappointments. It steals things you could have had. It is a wise thing to obey God's Word and will in your life.

Paul ties this journey Israel made to our own pilgrimage I Corinthians 10.1-12.

How do we, under the New Covenant, apply these lessons to our journey to heaven?

First v.17

1. Keep In Step With The Spirit. Galatians 5.25
The way is mapped out for us. God has a perfect plan. We are however are imperfect. We must seek to follow Him.

God leads us along. He leads along the safest way spiritually for us.
He does not lead us into temptation. He leads us in the paths of righteousness.
Love, joy and peace, faithfulness, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control.
He leads us to forgive, to go the second mile, to move with Him.

If we are to move with the Spirit we must
2. Abide in Christ. John 15.5-7
The tabernacle was in the center of the camp.
Christ is to be in the center of our lives.

Moving with the Spirit is fixing our eyes upon Jesus. Hebrews 12.2
Remaining in Him, His Word, and carrying on regular conversations with Him in prayer are vital for moving with the Spirit of God.

Draw your strength from Him as He is the vine and we are the branches.

Keeping our eyes fixed upon Him automatically eliminates much uncertainty and confusion. This world is getting more confusing all the time. Our culture is crazy. We live in a time when people think little of the consequences of their actions. Major decisions are made that will effect not only their lives but generations to come if Jesus tarries in His Return.

Moving with the Spirit...
1. Keep in step with the Spirit
2. Abide in Christ


3. Let the Word of Christ Dwell in You Richly. Colossians 3.16
Obedience.
In the ark of the covenant were the ten commandments. The cloud was over the moral law of God.

What chokes out the Word of God in someone's life?
Luke 8.14 Life's worries, riches and pleasures.
Watch out for these things stopping the Word of God from dwelling richly in you.
The deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the Word making it unfruitful. (Mark 4.19)
Let God's Word dwell in you richly, not the desire for more money or things.

Wealth is deceitful
1. I just want enough to be comfortable. You'll never have enough. How much is enough? Just a little bit more.
2. If I gamble and win the lottery I'll give away most of my money.
3. So many of my problems would be eliminated if I had a lot of money.

Worry is deceitful as well.
1. Its all over!
2. I can change things by worrying.
3. If I don't worry then I am being irresponsible.

On this moving with the Spirit on this journey we are on...

4. Your Attitude Should Be the Same as That of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2.5
Same heart and mind as Jesus!
Everything in my heart and mind centered on Presence and Direction of God.
God gives us direct, continuous, unmistakable, infallible Guidance and Care.
He wants us to depend on Him for direction.

Move with the Spirit!

Rest in Christ's Work.

Live by His Word.

Walk in His Will.

The Beautiful Blessing

Numbers 6.22-27

God had brought His people out of Egypt, had them construct the tabernacle and organized the men by clans and families 20 years of age and older into an army and the men 2--50 years of age who were Levites to assist in carrying the tabernacle, its furnishings, down to the poles and posts.
Here in this very touching and moving passage of scripture we come to the Aaronic Blessing or the Priestly Blessing. In this census in Numbers, being completed, a great blessing was given.
It is Person to person, from the LORD God to the individual. We have personal God, From Genesis to Revelation, from Adam and Abraham He addresses us on a first name basis. The twelve tribes named from their ancestors, the twelve sons of Israel, the twelve apostles are known to us on a first name basis. Even the LORD Himself is revealed as Jesus as His Name. I often wonder what the LORD thinks of the titles of religion we have come us with: Reverend, The most holy reverend, Doctor...
God is speaking from the His Heart through the priests to bless the Israelites to our hearts.

In this blessings we see...

1. How to Have Peace in the Battle vs.22-26
Remember God had organized the army, 600,000 plus strong. He was getting them ready to fight. He had each of their names written down as the census was taken.
Then He blesses them with peace. Peace in the Battle? How?
Obviously He is not talking about an outer absence of war or fighting. It is peace in our hearts and minds. This can only come from God. Peace from Him being in us.
We can have peace in the battle if He is with us. Psalm 23.4 you are with me.
This blessing is the blessing of His Presence. The knowledge that God is with us.
Immanuel= God with us Isaiah 7.14
We can have peace in the battle, in the storms of life, in the dark times- all the time!
There are times when we are conscious of His Presence and times when we are confident of His Presence.
He establishes peace with a completeness of well being for His people.

This Beautiful Blessing tells us of one of the reasons we can have peace in the battle. We are...

2. Kept By the LORD. -v.24
The LORD protects us. He guards us. Psalm 124.8 Our Help is in the Name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Jesus prayed in John 17.11 I am coming to You Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name.
Psalm 121 enlarges on this blessing.
He protects us from trouble from the external sources by the peace He gives us in our hearts. (John 16.33)
We are kept from the evil one.
Satan would like nothing more than to bring down God's men and women. We must do our part.
I Peter 5.8-9 Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. If we do this we will remember that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet Romans 16.20

This blessing promises...
3. The LORD's Face Lighting our Way to the Promised Land. vs.25-26
God's smile on us, as a father smiles on his child.
As a man takes pleasure in a friend.
Psalm 31.16 David prayed: "Let Your face shine upon Your servant."
II Corinthians 4.4 the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God.

The Love of the Father-v.24
The Grace of the LORD Jesus Christ-v.25
The Communion of the Holy Spirit-v.26
All part of this Light from the LORD's face as they moved along that way to the Promised Land.
Genesis 12.1-3 We are blessed to a blessing.
His Name upon us- "Christians" All the wonderful meanings of the Names of God are ours in Christ Jesus!

The Beautiful Blessing for God's people is for you!

Worship At The Center of Life

Numbers 2.1-34

The LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. Over 400 years before the Exodus there were 70 of Jacob and his descendants (Genesis 46.27). Now there were over 600,000 men over the age of 20.

They had received the law and the instructions for building the Tabernacle, Tent of Meeting on Mount Sinai. They had completed the work on it (Exodus 39.42-43). God was getting them ready to move on in conquest and bring them into the Promised Land.

These were Israel's formative years- from a family to a nation. You can learn a lot from any entity from studying its formative years. Theirs showed the place God wanted Him to have in their lives: At the center. The formative years of Israel show the priorities and how all of life is to be the LORD's.

Numbers began with a census of the nation of Israel so it could form an army. The way God had this done was unique. We can see from the arrangements of the tribes around the tabernacle that we are to:

1. Set Up Your Home Close to the LORD. -vs.1-2

The camp, the clan, the family are all part of the plan of God in organizing Israel to move into the fulfillment of is Promises.

Camp around the Tent of Meeting
The center of their lives was to be the Tabernacle where worship took place and where sacrifices were offered and where God's Presence dwelt.

They were to camp, set up their temporary homes (tents) around this structure.

Each man counted in the census was to be under his standard with the banners of his family. The family was to be built around worship of the LORD. Fighting for a nation and for his family was to be on his heart. We need men to do that today in America.

The clans were the extended family.

The tribes were the particular ancestors which traced their lineage back to Jacob. The tribes showed these 600,000 plus men that they were descendants of, sons of Israel. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were for them. The story of Genesis was their story, God's Story, His Story. History.

Our homes ought to reflect Christ. The Ten Commandments should be honored and obeyed, talked about and written on the hearts of all who live there. We are seeing how the family is the building block of the nation under God.

Worship at the center of life...

2. Make Your Leaders, Those At The Center of Your Life, Spiritual Men. -v.17

Be careful of those with carnal charisma, those who are handsome and wow you with their charm. Some of these are evil men.

The Levites were the tenders of the tabernacle. They were involved in the physical labor around the Tent and Courtyard. Get close to those who take care of the church building. That is how I learned about intercessory prayer, firsthand. Charles Newton was the church janitor. Later, after his death, I learned that his great great grandfather was John, John Newton, the writer of the hymn, Amazing Grace! Brother Newton cleaned the church each Tuesday morning and hosted a prayer meeting at noon. I worked down the street and rode my bicycle to meet him on Tuesdays and pray. Most of the time it was just the two of us. He would get down on his knees and moan before the LORD for people in the community.

Learn from the caretakers. Jay Bergers was the caretaker of Camp Taconic. I am still learning from him after all these years. We keep in touch regularly. He loves the LORD.

You will learn the lessons of faithfulness, hard work, the power of the routine (sadly missing today) from those who tend to the building.

3. Obedience is a Sign Of True Worship Centered on the LORD. - v.34

May this be said of us that we did everything the LORD had commanded for the glory of God!

We have a great deal of confusion today over what true worship is. It is not a performance or high tech innovations. It is when God is glorified and the people do everything He has commanded.

May this passion be at the center of our lives always.

Why Jesus Wept

John 11.1-44
v.35 Jesus wept.

What a great window of insight and understanding into the heart of Jesus this shortest verse in the Bible is: Jesus wept.

A book I have come to love by Richard Gehman, about World Vision and Samaritan's Purse founder, Bob Pierce, Let My Heart Be Broken (with the things that break the heart of God). reflects this simple yet profound verse, "Jesus wept".

I heard a missionary say one time, "What makes God cry-what makes me cry- when those two lines connect Christian maturity is happening."

Look at the account in John with me this morning and we will discover why Jesus wept.

1. Someone He Loved Had Died. vs.3, 5
Jesus was grieving. Even though He was going to raise Lazarus back to life shortly, there was grief. He was in that moment feeling what all us feel when we lose someone we love to death.

We can console people with the fact that their loved one is in heaven, if they knew Christ as their savior, but be aware they still grieve. We do not grieve like the rest of men who have no hope but we still grieve.

When someone we love dies our hearts break. C.S. Lewis wrote, "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal.

Jesus wept because

2. He was in a cemetery which was never part of the landscape of God's original plan. vs.34-35
When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden they were sinless and innocent.
Death is a result of sin.
Life is the gift of God.

Genesis 2.7 The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

We are told in Ecclesiastes 3.11 He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. That came with the breath of God, His Spirit. He set Adam in the garden and set eternity in Adam.

We were created to live forever. We have been recreated so we can.

Jesus wept because at Lazarus' tomb He saw the result of sin- death. He wept because

3. He saw the limits of the faith. -vs. 21-27, 32 39-40
Mary and Martha did the wrong thing here. They blamed God for this tragedy.
LORD, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
LORD, if...
I have not heard the voice of the enemy a whole lot in my life. I believe he has much bigger targets than me to go after. One time I heard him speak through someone else when my brother was sick and I was struggling over his not getting healed, "Larry, it seems like God is letting His servants down..." I shuddered when I heard that. An arrow of discouragement was shot at my heart and I remember, although I didn't believe it, it hurt me. Thank God for this chapter in His Word! I remember hearing God speak to me through it after my brother died, "Your brother will rise again." Hallelujah! I know that is true!

This was a loaded statement: Why didn't You come immediately? Why did You wait? You should have listened to us! Why didn't You answer us the way we wanted?

From His arrival v.23 Jesus was talking about Lazarus rising from the dead but they couldn't take it in- neither did they after He was crucified, even after He rose again doubts were in the minds of some. Luke 24.38, Matthew 28.17

Childlike faith is what we need!

Jesus wept because...

4. He was experiencing a funeral. vs.36-38
Insincere mourners.
Art Alexander, our District Superintendent, and I were having lunch the other day and he said, "There ought to be a lot less talk at funerals." I agreed. I would add noise too- but unfortunately funerals are one of those times, those few times when family gets together anymore.

Funerals, like the cemetery were not part of creation.

Jesus wept because...

5. He had compassion on Mary and Martha. vs.33-35
He had compassion on them. He has compassion on us.
Psalm 34.18
Psalm 147.3
Death is our last enemy and for those who die in the LORD, a rescue! II Timothy 4.16-18

There's Not A Friend Like the Lowly Jesus!

No Not One!

Hope From God's Word For The New Year

Deuteronomy 31.1-8, 32.44-47

There are transitional times in life. The purchase of a house, the beginning of a new job, marriage, the arrival if the first child, the loss of a loved one. These and many more are times of change. Some of you are going through one of these things right now.

There are transitional times which come if none of these things are occurring. Birthdays: When you are 16 you can learn to drive, at 18 you can vote and serve in the military., 35 you can run for president of the United States and at 62 you can begin to collect Social Security.

New Year's Day is a transitional time. It is a time of new beginnings, a time to start another year, a time to celebrate God's goodness.

In my conversations with friends this week there is a growing concern about the economy, the desire of North Korea to develop a nuclear missile which can reach the United States and the aftermath of the social breakdown all around us.

We need Hope. There is Hope in God and in His Word.

Israel was in a transitional time. Moses' leadership was coming to an end. God had already prepared Joshua. He spoke through Moses to keep the people calm during this change of national leadership. His Word through His servant encouraged and challenged the people.

The Word Moses received from the LORD for all Israel is God's Word for us on this first day of the year of our LORD, 2012.

1. The LORD Your God Himself Will Go Ahead of You. -v.3

The theologians call this "The Eternal Now". God transcends all time. He is LORD over time. He created time and He lives in eternity. He does invade time and weaves His plan through it.

Psalm 139.13-16 Nothing in your life takes God by surprise. He knows about everything this past year and He knows what is going to happen in 2012.

The LORD God will go ahead of you in this New Year 2012. Do not fret over doomsday forecasters- Remember Y2K? Don't fret over kingdoms rising an falling Psalm 46.

The LORD your God will go ahead of you.

In this life from conception to Glory.

He is the author and finisher of our faith Hebrews 12.2 Let us fix our eyes on Him!

You say but this is an day of evil. Ephesians 6.10-13

It is an evil time.

2. The LORD Will Deliver You From Evil. -v.5

As you obey Him.

Psalm 23.4 Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. I will fear no evil, for You are with me.

Matthew 6.13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

John 17.15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Romans 16.20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Revelation 20.10 And the devil, who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire.

Finally this morning as we think about Hope From God's Word for the New Year...

3. The LORD Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You. vs.6-8

Be Strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid.

The LORD Your God goes with you.

Do not be afraid.

Do not be discouraged. One of the flaming arrows of the evil one (fiery darts) is discouragement.

This arrow is shot both in the head (mind, attitude, thinking) and to the heart causing it to melt. This is a call to life up faith's shield. If you get hit or have been hit and are struggling this morning you have come to the right place.

The LORD wants us to go into 2012 like Israel into the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 32.44-47

Light Shining Into Darkness

John 1.1-18
At the beginning of Advent we shared from Isaiah 9.2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death a Light has dawned.

This passage in John 1 is the fulfillment of that prophetic vision Isaiah saw and wrote about. No wonder in I Peter 1.10 we are told "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing...

Some call John 1 "the Genesis 1 of the New Testament. Both contain many times the word "light" and many references to life. John 1 in addition to speaking about the creation of the world speaks of the new creation through Jesus Christ, Paradise Regained. In this passage we see the Christmas Story on a deeper level- In Matthew and Luke we are told of Christ's Coming to earth. John tells us of Christ's Coming from heaven.

Light Shining Into the Darkness.
Jesus was born at night.
He was born during a dark time in world history.
Notice from this passage in John 1:

1. Christ's Life Is the Light Of Men. -v.4
He shines and the Truth is revealed.
He makes clear the meaning of human existence and its destiny.
To those whom do not know Christ this is a blur.

He sheds light on the issues, the real issues, of life.
Take for example, taking advantage of people. Jesus taught that we are to treat others in the same manner we would want to be treated. He elevated standards to the highest. He brought to a sinful world the holiness of God. He taught love in a way it had never been taught before. He is love.

One out of seven I am told, verses which record Jesus' words, are about money. The number one cause of marital break down today is rooted in stress over money.

Colossians 2.2-3
Christ... in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
What a great reserve of wealth is in Christ. His glorious riches.

2. Jesus Shines In The Darkest Places. -v.5
Read some books about Faith Missions and you'll see how God makes the darkness light. The slums of Bombay, The Church of China- look at what the LORD is doing in Africa!
He does it in our lives- we who have received it.

Psalm 18.28 David declared, "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
Psalm 27.1 The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear?

In obscure places like Bethlehem the Light shines. The wise men followed the star in a similar way the children of Israel followed the Pillar of Fire in the desert.

3. On the Night Jesus Was Born, Light Came Into The World. -v.9
In the manger.
In the shepherd's fields.
In the Eastern Sky.
Into the hearts of all who open up to Him.
He is the true light.
The Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

The Light has dawned

2,000 years ago

Celebrate His Love!

Christ's Cradle: The Manger

Luke 2.1-20

The preparations for the arrival of a new baby to a home are very interesting.

The room to be the nursery is painted and wall paper put up or some design, then sanitized. A new bed (crib) often arrives and is assembled. Hand sanitizers appear. Dipe wipes and baby toys are waiting for the arrival of the new life. When they arrive hospitals are squeaky clean and secure.

Christ Jesus was laid in a manger- no crib for a bed. This had great significance as did everything Jesus did and said when He was here on earth. The manger speaks of Christ.

1. The Manger Shows His Humility.

He is the Son of God. -Luke 1.35
He is the Son of Man. -Luke 1.31
The way He came into the world and the way He went out, the manger and the cross show His humility.

The manger was prophetic of how He would live. Matthew 8.20
"Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. " Following Him means we have a loose hold on this world's goods.
It was indicative of how He would be treated. Isaiah 53.3 "He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of Sorrows, and familiar with suffering."

The manger shows us how we should follow His Life of humility.
Philippians 2.5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, in very nature God,
made Himself nothing-v.6
He humbled Himself-v.8
Became obedient to death- even death on a cross!

2. The Manger Shows His Concern for the Poor.

Jesus was born in a stable. He had the poorest of births.
Great commanders have won the affection of their troops by sharing their hardships and roughing it with them.

When Jesus began His ministry He read from Isaiah 61.1
The Spirit of the LORD is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the Good News to the poor. He began His ministry by this proclamation.
Mark 12.43 ... this poor widow... put more into the treasury than all the others... out of her poverty she put everything - all she had to live on.
Mark 14.7 The poor you will always have with you and you can help them anytime you want.

The Church, the Body of Christ, around the world is the greatest relief organization. The continents are full of places where professional people left a career here is the States and journeyed and lived and worked in a humble setting to serve humanity in the Name of Jesus Christ. A church here on Long Island, where my friend Kevin Henesy pastors, served 8,600 meals this past Thanksgiving. History is full of "silent heroes" - people who went to places in Christ's Name to give. (II Corinthians 8.9, 9.15)

3. The Manger Was in an Inn- Free to All.
Jeremiah 9.2 Oh that I had, in the desert, a lodging place for travelers. Travelers would find water, a stable, and a place to sleep. Some like in the account in Luke 10.34 took him to an inn were paying inns, or least some of their services were charged for. Others like our state run rest stops were free. The Romans had erected these all throughout the empire. Many around Jerusalem to accommodate the crowds at the feasts. Jesus was likely born in shepherd's cave. Freely give as you have freely received.

4. The Human Heart is Like the Manger.
Untidy, dirty. Christ will go where He is welcome. Where Meek souls will received Him still the dear Christ enters in.

The cradle for Christ was the manger

Open the heart to Christ and it becomes holy. The King of kings laid among the animals- outside in a feeding trough. It speaks of Christ and those who follow Him today. The Creator of all laid in a manger at His Birth, the birth by which universally all time is measured. The birth by which God provided the Sacrifice for our sins.

Greatness in His Kingdom is being a servant just like our King!