Text: Numbers 16:1-50, Title: Silver Bullet #4, Date/Place: NRBC, 7/3/11, AM
A. Opening illustration: Church discipline testimony day, related to the help that accountability and submission to authority brought to myriads of men.
B. Background to passage: In 1 Cor 10:6-12, Paul gives examples from the OT as a warning and a help to the Corinthians in their battle against lusts and selfish desires that were causing them to thwart the gospel to unbelievers and cause their brethren to stumble. In vv. 1-5, he gave some allusions to the early days of the exodus, and now he gives a little more detailed references. And he says these examples are given for our warning to the end THAT we don’t lust after things like they did. He says these examples will help us fight! And so to only briefly overview these references would defeat the point. We must think on them as we battle. The first week we looked at idolatry and our own depravity from Ex 32, then we looked at sexual immorality and the floodgates of evil from Num 25, then at tempting God by calling His character into question and judgment from the bronze serpent passage in Num 21, and all of these have in common great sin by the covenant people, judgment from their covenant God, death of thousands, so that they are examples to us. And so it is today—more sin, more death, more warning, and more ammunition to fight sin.
C. Main thought:
A. Questioning Authority (v. 3, 13-14)
1. So only two chapters after the hugest rebellion and judgment at Kadesh Barnea in chapters 13-14, the rebellious hearts of people swell up with great tenacity again. This time it was against God’s ordained leadership. Time and again Moses was shown to be God’s man in leadership, and time and again they questioned it. But this time it was a well organized attempt to take over Moses’ and Aaron’s priestly service by those were capable but not permitted to do so. In fact, they had lots of support. So they accused Moses of leading them out to the wilderness to die and of exalting himself over the people and ruling them like a king. So a challenge is issued, and God’s anger was aroused (Moses’ anger was same word later), and He again was ready to destroy the whole nation and start over. But note how Moses interceded for the nation. God relented, and simply told Moses what would happen, Moses announced it to the people, then the earth had some lunch. Notice the charge that Moses lays at their feet before the earth eats them: they have “rejected” the Lord; word means: spurned, reviled, blasphemed, despised, turned their backs on, treat with contempt, KJV translates it “provoked the Lord,” which the LXX lends support to. So the earth swallows Korah & Co, and fire incinerates the 250 other usurpers, then the people still complain! And Moses again intercedes to protect the from judgment. But the plague had begun, and before Aaron could assuage the anger of God, 14,700 died.
2. Ps 105:15, Heb 13:17, Eph 5:22, Eph 5:22, 1 Pet 2:13, 5:5, 1 Sam 15:22-23,
3. Illustration: submission: “the willful act of yielding to the power, control or authority of another. Submission is a voluntary act. It is a critical part of the learning process. Submission is a key concept in the Bible. To be true followers of Jesus, we must learn to be submissive.”
4. Several points of application: 1) pride and excessive ambition are the beginnings of sorrows. Every idea you get (even those of you who are mature) is not from God. Many times we armchair QB from our couch, because we think (or even know) that we could do better. But God ordains the times and seasons of nations, so surely He can handle removing and promoting. So when you feel like you can do better, watch out. 2) God has ordained an authority structure among the nations (government), in the church, and in the family. And to rebel against the established authority is sinful, reprehensible, and disciplinable. To submit to God’s authorities is to submit to God; and to rebel against His authorities is to rebel against Him. We all submit to God as King of our lives. And if not, you and I both will receive our just reward for this rebellion. And rebellion can affect/destroy entire nations, businesses, families, or churches; so your sin might seriously affect others. 3) Touch not God’s anointed men or women. 4) Good leaders intercede for their people, even when the sheep are attacking the shepherd. 5) And again, God hates sin in His people’s hearts and lives; so let this hatred, this discipline, this account give you aid when you start to be tempted to complain against your government (although this is not a theocracy), your boss, or your pastors and teachers, and spouse and your parents. Preach it to yourself and stomp temptation.
B. Questioning Overconfidence (1 Cor 10:11-12)
1. Paul says he uses all of these to warn us (in fact that’s the reason he says they are included in scripture for us). He wants us to see things and hear things that serve as exhortation/ encouragement/instruction in fear so that behavior will be corrected (that’s the literal meaning of the word). WHY? Because he knew that overconfidence in those that are spiritually “mature,” or at least knowledgeable, is a danger. And the Corinthians were destroying the church and unbelievers by doing what they were doing. And he is concerned about their blindness to it, and there ability to fight it. He is trying to open their eyes, and instill some godly fear.
2. 1 Cor 8:1, Pro 16:18, Luke 22:33-34, Rev 3:17, Obadiah 1:3-4, Dan 4:30-37, Phil 2:13, Heb 13:20-21, John 15:5
3. Illustration: "We are at our most dangerous point spiritually when we think everything is fine." - Mark Dever, “Christians who become self-confident become less dependent on God’s Word and God’s Spirit and become careless in their living. As carelessness increases, openness to temptation increases and resistance to sin decreases. When we feel the most secure in ourselves—when we think that our spiritual life is the strongest, our doctrine is the soundest, and our morals the purest—we should be most on our guard and most dependent on the Lord.” –MacArthur, I know of a very mature couple involved in Christian leadership who endeavored together to read through the bible in a year. No problem, love the word, will make time…they failed. But decided that failure was a good thing, because it made them realize how dependent they are on God.
4. God, please open our eyes to the desperate need we have of You, and the extreme inability we have in and of ourselves. Do a humbling work among us. Help us Lord to trust in you more than we trust in ourselves. So many of us think that we stand, and You have to show/and have shown us that we are merely jars of clay, feeble and frail, completely dependent on the Potter to fill us up to fulfill our purpose. If you think you stand “take heed,” watch, look out, search intently. Do this by: 1) reading the bible daily, intentionally looking for personal application toward holiness. Ruth 1-this past Wed. Reading and hearing the Word increases faith, which is essential to dependence upon Him more fully. 2) have some close personal accountability and let them speak into your life. Be willing to receive a Word of admonition from them. How many of you have someone that intentionally holds you accountable? Beware, you will stray, and you have no one to warn you, pick you up, dust you off, and get you going again. We need this because of our tendencies to gradually slip rather than plunge headlong. 3) Periodically take extended times of self-examination—conferences, alone time, retreats. Read books and hear authors that make no bones about truth. Many of us never intentionally take time for God to search us; and so it happens here some Sundays, but not usually at the level that radically changes life. This is dinner, sometimes you need a feast. 4) Do things that further establish in your mind your dependence on God—things that can’t be do in yourself. And be quick to give God credit for them (and for the little things). 5) Allow examples like these, and our heroes who fall instill a fear in us of our own depravity and tendency to fall and destroy much in our crash.
A. Closing illustration: The Soviet ships were 100 yards away from our American ships. Our Navy was on full battle alert with orders to stop the Russians at all costs. Me falling off the cliff when I worked for BVB
B. Recap
C. Some of you today are on the edge of a spiritual cliff, about to fall off, and you don’t even know it. You think your fine, you still come to church on Sundays (most of them, when it’s convenient, or maybe every week), you still believe the bible (just don’t practice it), and you are ever so slightly slipping in your commitment, in your bible reading, in your memorization, in your fasting, in your church attendance, in your prayer closet. But it is so small it is unnoticeable.
Additional Notes
• Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
