DON’T STRIKE OUT
NUMBERS 20:2-13
FAVORITE CARTOON . . . CHARLIE BROWN
EPISODE – CHARLIE BROWN – BASEBALL GAME
CHARLIE BROWN – BAT – COUNTLESS TIMES AFTER COUNTLESS TIMES – STRUCK OUT.
BUT, NOW HERE IT IS, THE LAST INNING OF THE GAME – CHARLIE BROWN’S TEAM TRAILS BY ONE WITH THE BASES LOADED AND TWO OUTS. AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, IT’S CHARLIE BROWN’S TURN AT BAT. CROWD – YELLS – WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T STRIKE OUT!!!
SWING/MISS
SWING/MISS
AS THE NEXT BALL IS THROWN – CHARLIE BROWN SWINGS WITH ALL HIS MIGHT AND WOULDN’T YOU KNOW IT, CHARLIE BROWN STRIKES OUT AGAIN.
YES, THIS INDEEDS SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT OCCASIONALLY IN LIFE, THE BEST OF US WILL STRIKE OUT FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT, ALLOW ME TO USE MY SPIRITUAL IMAGINATION AND USE INSTANT REPLAY AND I WILL SHOW YOU THAT SOME PITCHES THROWN CHARLIE BROWN’S WAY, HE SHOULD HAVE NOT SWUNG AT!
AND DON’T YOU KNOW BROTHERS/SISTERS THAT SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE STRIKE OUT, BECAUSE WE KEEP SWINGING, GOING AFTER, AND BEING MOVED BY THE WRONG THING!
COME WITH ME TO OUR TEXT, WHERE WE FIND A MAN WHO WAS BATTING 400 PLUS. I MEAN THIS MAN NAMED MOSES, GRANTED HAD A ROUGH START, BUT LATELY HAD IT GOING ON.
SURE HE HAD A ROUGH START
BIRTH . . .
CHILDHOOD . . .
RECEIVES – BEST EDUCATION
EXPOSED –DIVERSE AND MULTI-CULTURAL SURROUNDING
LEARN - FLUNCTUATE BETWEEN WORLD OF KINGS/PRINCES AND COMMON MAN . . .
HIS LOVE FOR THE COMMON MAN MANIFEST . . .
EGYPTIAN SMITING A HEBREW . . .
BACKSIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN . . .
THERE AS A MAN MOSES SERVES AS A SHEPHERD BOY IN PREPARATION FOR SHEPHERD-SHIP.
40 YEARS . . .
TEXT – GOD – CALLING YOU TO COMPLETE THE WORK I STARTED IN YOU (PHILIPPIANS 1:6 “I AM CONFIDENT OF THIS, THAT THE ONE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK AMONG YOU WILL BRING IT TO COMPLETION BY THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST.”
SO AFTER A BACK/FORTH DIALOGUE WITH GOD AS TO WHETHER/NOT HE WAS EQUIPPED/ADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR THE TASK AT HAND,
WITH A SERVANT – SIDE (AARON)
WITH A SPEECH – MOUTH (LET MY PEOPLE GO!)
WITH A STAFF – HAND
MOSES HEADS OFF FOR HIS EPIC ENCOUNTER WITH PHARAOH. AFTER TEN PLAGUES, THE LAST ENDING WITH THE SLAYING OF PHARAOH’S FIRSTBORN, MOSES IS POISED TO LEAD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT INTO THE WILDERNESS ON THEIR WAY TO THE PROMISED LAND. WITH THE STAFF HE HAS USED BEFORE TO TURN INTO A SNAKE, LIFTED BEFORE TO TURN THE NILE RIVER INTO A BLOODY RIVER BANK, USED TO CALL FORTH FROGS, GNATS, THUNDER, HAIL, AND LOCUSTS, MOSES NOW STRETCHES IT OUT OVER THE RED SEA – WATERS PART – CHILDREN OF ISRAEL – DRY LAND. REACHES IT BACK – EGYPTIANS – DROWN.
YES, ALL IS GOING WELL – ALL-STAR MOSES WHO HAS:
A SERVANT – SIDE (AARON)
A SPEECH – MOUTH (LET MY PEOPLE GO!)
A STAFF – HAND
A STICK HE WOULD USE AGAIN IN EXODUS 17 . . .
YES, ALL IS GOING WELL UNTIL MOSES STARTED RELYING MORE ON WHAT HE HAD THAN WHO HE HAD.
TRUE, MOSES HAD BEEN GIVEN A GIFT/TALENT IF YOU WILL.
A GIFT/TALENT-
MESMERIZED PEOPLE /MOTIVATED PEOPLE/INSPIRED PEOPLE/CHANGED PEOPLE
BUT IN OUR TEXT, WHERE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL COMPLAINED AGAIN FOR WATER, FOR NUMBERS 20:2 “THERE WAS NO WATER FRO THE CONGREGATION” (PHYISICAL/SPIRITUAL DROUGHT). THEY, THE CONGREGATION TURNED AGAINST MOSES AND AARON (INTERNAL/EXTERNAL PROBLEM). VERSE 5 “THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL COULD PRODUCE NOTHING: NO GRAIN, FIGS, VINES, POMEGRANATES OR WATER IN THE LAND (SYMBOLIC OF EMPTINESS . . .)”. VERSE 6 MOSES AND AARON TURNED FROM THE FACES OF THE PEOPLE FELL ON THEIR FACE (HUMILITY/SUBMISSION . . .) AND SOUGHT THE FACE OF GOD . . .
VERSE 7 GOD TOLD MOSES TO SPEAK TO THE ROCK (TALK BY FAITH) AND WATER SHALL BE PROVIDED FOR YOU, AARON, THE CONGREGATION, AND THEIR LIVESTOCK . . . (TALK BY FAITH – BLESS EVERYONE/EVERYTHING CONNECTED TO YOU . . .).
SPEAK TO THE ROCK, BUT MOSES DECIDED TO USE WHAT HE HAD TO HIT THE ROCK INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO WHO HE HAD. CONSEQUENTLY,(VERSE 12) - HE ROBBED GOD OF HIS FULL GLORY AND INIHIBITED THE FAITH OF THE CONGREGATION.
GOD WANTED MOSES TO SPEAK TO THE ROCK, SO THE CONGREGATION MIGHT BE REMINDED OF THE POWER OF A GOD SHO SPOKE EVERYTHING THAT IS INTO EXISTENCE, HAS THE POWER TO SPEAK TO HIS PEOPLE AND COMMAND THEM TO SPEAK/CALL INTO EXISTENCE THAT WHICH IS NOT, BUT WATCH IT COME INTO FRUITION, AND THEREBY THEIR FAITH INCREASES TO THE POINT THEY REALIZE THAT:
- NOTHING SAHLL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD
- HIS WONDERS NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE
- GOD CAN BLESS ANYWAY HE PLEASE
BUT, WHEN MOSES CHOSE TO USE WHAT HE HAD OVER WHO HE HAD, HE GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HIS GIFT WAS GREATER THAN THE GIVER OF THE GIFT. AND MY BROTHERS/SISTERS WHENEVER WE PLACE WHAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF WHO WE HAVE; WE STRIKE OUT!
SING/VOCAL CHORDS
PREACH/OPPORTUNITY AND ORATORICAL SKILLS
DANCE/ACTIVITY OF YOUR LIMBS
DON’T STRIKE OUT!
MOSES STRUCK OUT!
SECONDLY, MOSES STRUCK OUT BECAUSE HE FAILED TO REALIZE GOD WANTED TO DO SOMETHING NEW THROUGH HIM.
RECALL EXODUS 17 – ROCK OF HOREB . . . (STRIKE) . . .
BUT IN OUR TEXT TODAY – MOSES IS CALLED TO SPEAK TO THE ROCK . . .
CHARLIE BROWN – STRUCK OUT
SAME STANCE
SAME SWING
SAME RESULT
IT NEVER OCCURRED TO CHARLIE BROWN TO TRY SOMETHING NEW . . .
DON’T BE AFRAID . . .
LASTLY, MOSES STRUCK OUT BECAUSE HE FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT HE DIDN’T HAVE TO TRIP OFF OR OVER PEOPLE NOT GOING WHERE HE WAS GOING.
OLD GENERATION – DIED OFF IN THE WILDERNESS . . .
. . . ACT OUT OF CHARACTER . . . JEOPARDIZE LIKE PETE ROSE – HALL OF FAME (PROMISE LAND)
DON’T TRIP OFF OR OVER PEOPLE NOT GOING WHERE YOU ARE GOING . . .
ELEVATOR . . .
