God's Path To Progress

INTRODUCTION

A. God has a path to progress - are we walking that path today?

1. This is the central message of the OT Book

of Numbers

2. 40 years of wandering instead of being in

the Promised land

B. This is a Book that we must pay attention to

1. Rom.15:4 “ For whatsoever things were

written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

2. We must learn from the mistakes that they

made

3. We must understand God’s Path to Progress

for us today

I. WE MUST RELY ON GOD’S PROMISES

A. Clearly the Nation of Israel did not do this.

1. Time after time they refused to trust the

Promises of God

2. Consider what happened in Num.13-14 UNBELIEF

B. Even Moses was guilty of not trusting God

1. He was told to SPEAK to the rock but instead

he STRUCK it - 20:8-12

2. Twice he STRUCK the rock in impatience,

anger & disobedience

3. For this one sin he was forbidden to enter

the Promised Land

4. He refused to trust God and tried to take

matters into His own hands.

Psa.37:5 "Commit thy way unto the Lord; TRUST also in him; & he shall bring it to pass"

C. Will you learn to really TRUST GOD and take Him at His Word?

1. He knows what He is doing, and where we are

going.

2. He is leading us to the Promised Land.

Let’s not hinder that plan and just learn

to walk with Him as He takes us forward by

faith.

3. If we don’t we will wander around in the

wilderness of sin, and fell as they did.

II. WE MUST REST IN GOD’S PROVISIONS - Phil.4:19

A. God’s People would not believe it then - or NOW either!

1. Yet He provided Israel with everything they

needed - physically & spiritually

2. Gave them food (11:6-9), meat (11:31-33),

water (20:8) and much more.

3. Yet they never stopped complaining and

grumbling! Chs.11,14, 16-17

4. Grumbling is the easiest thing in the world

to learn! No talent, no self-denial no

brains, no character is required to set up

the grumbling business.

B. Finally God sent venomous snakes to teach them a lesson

1. Many lost their lives and rightly so -

Num.21:4-9 - watch out for the snakes!

2. Lets rest in God’s Provision - He has given

us all things II Pet.1:3

3. Through His death on the cross Jesus has

done what the brazen Snake did.

4. When we look, we shall live. He will heal

us spiritually of Satan’s bite of sin

5. John 3:14-15 - Active, obedient trusting

faith will save us in the way it saved them

III. WE MUST RESPECT GOD’S PRINCIPLES

A. This warning is repeated many times in the OT Lev.10

1. Don’t add or take away from His word Deut.4:2

2. This is what Balaam said, but did he mean

it? Num.22:18

B. Balaam is one of the strangest and most difficult people to understand

1. He said one thing and then did something else.

2. He offered God lip service but not life.

There is a big difference!

3. One of the reasons why Balaam spent so much

time with Balak King of Moab was HIS LUST FOR

MONEY!

4. Balaam kept hoping that God would change His

mind about blessing His People Israel, so

that the wishes of Balak King of Moab could

be fulfilled,for he hated and feared them and

wanted them to be cursed and perish.

5. Finally God has enough to Balaam’s little

games and confronts him with no less than a

donkey - one that had more sense than he had

22:26-35

6. Balaam never learned his lesson and died

with the enemies of God.

7. Beware of the error of Balaam - compromising

the will and word of God II Pet.2:1,15;

Rev.2:14 "Doctrine of Balaam" that many in

the church are buying into today. Respect

God’s Principles and you’ll stay on the path

to progress!

C. Finally what happens when we turn from God’s

Way? 32:6-7

1. We discourage our brethren thru our

disobedience - take the easy way

2. Reuben and Gad wanted to stay, instead of

helping their brethren.

3. We are in a fight TOGETHER, and we must not

sit back and let others do all the work for

us. Be here, participate, be involved, and

lets go forward together as God’s People,

with no one left behind.

4. Be like Caleb 32:12 -in our Walk, worship,

& witnessing.Heb.10:25; Acts 2:42;I Cor.15:58

5. Our inheritance awaits us, if we are

faithful and fruitful - Num.36; Rev.2:10 -

6. Looking unto Jesus Heb.12:1-2 our great

leader & Savior.

LOOK UNTO HIM AND LIVE! Jn.12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me"