SHALL YOUR BROTHERS GO TO WAR WHILE YOU SIT HERE?
Numbers 32:1-15
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A man & woman were married for many years. Whenever there was a confrontation, yelling could be heard deep into the night. The old man would shout, “When I die, I will dig my way up & out of the grave and come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!” The neighbors feared him.
2. Then one evening he died at 98 years old. After the burial, her neighbors, concerned for her safety, asked, “Aren’t you afraid that he may be able to dig his way out of the grave and haunt you? The wife replied, “Let him dig. I had him buried upside down...and I know he’s too stubborn to ask for directions!”
B. TEXT
1 The Reubenites and Gadites...saw that the lands of [on the East side of the Jordan River] were suitable for livestock. 2 So they came to Moses and....said...5 “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. DO NOT MAKE US CROSS OVER THE JORDAN.” 6 Moses said... “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.” Num. 32:1-15
C. THESIS
1. A lot of people are asking why America and western powers sit on the sidelines while Ukraine is sustaining huge loss of life. I want to point to another battle we should all be involved in. The Promised Land was just across the Jordan, but it was populated by many nations that must be defeated in battle. The land to the East of the Jordan had already been conquered (Sihon & Og’s territory), so there was no fighting to possess it.
2. Fighting is not something we want to do; it’s dangerous and unpleasant. It requires dedication and sacrifice. Choosing NOT to fight seems good, but the easy way is usually not the best and leads to poverty (Prov. 6:10-11).
3. Some of the tribes of Israel thought they would avoid the fighting and just settle on the land on the wrong side of Jordan. They didn’t know that the tribes on the East side of Jordan were the first to be shattered by invaders (Judg. 6:33; 10:8). God knows what’s best for us; the Jordan River was a great barrier to invasion!
4. Today I’m comparing the 2½ tribe’s decision to take the easy way to people who confess Christ but decide not to become His disciples -- not taking up their cross and following Him. The title of this message is, “Shall Your Brothers Go To War While You Sit Here?”
I. CAN WE BE BELIEVERS & NOT DISCIPLES?
A. SPLITTING HAIRS & WATERING DOWN
1. When I was in college I was approached by some Campus Crusade for Christ guys. They told me (their position may not have been the official one) that there were two levels of Christians: one group who were “believers” and the other, that followed Jesus more closely, “disciples.” Both were going to heaven. It sounded to me like it was our choice which we’d rather be, and if true, it would be easier to be the believer.
2. This is not an isolated teaching. If you search on the internet, you’ll find numerous people teaching this.
3. Felicity Dale (Simplychurch) said a person is only a disciple if they make disciples. Jeremy Myers (redeeminggod.com) says that disciples are like apprentices and that believers who don’t become disciples will still go to heaven because they can’t lose their eternal life. He says you should become a disciple “if you want the full experience of the Christian life.” In other words, IT’S OPTIONAL to be a disciple! I disagree!
4. YES, there is a difference between saving faith (or true believing) and being a disciple. Faith STARTS you on your journey with Christ and DISCIPLESHIP (following & obeying Jesus) IS WHAT YOU DO THE REST OF YOUR JOURNEY.
5. Once you’re saved, being a disciple of Jesus is not optional, but mandatory. Jesus said, in Mt. 16:24, “If any man will COME AFTER ME, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” See Mk. 8:34; Lk. 9:23; 14:27. Are you wanting to follow Jesus to Heaven? Then become a disciple.
6. Disciples of any other teachers have to struggle to do it on their own. The good thing about being a disciple of Jesus is that you don’t have to TRY to be like Him; Jesus has “moved in” to you and is assisting with your transformation! All we have to do is follow His promptings through the Holy Spirit.
7. In Hebrews 11 we read about the heroes of faith. Notice that FAITH MOVED ALL OF THEM TO ACTION. Faith is not static but dynamic. Faith “works” by love (Gal. 5:6). If our faith has no works (obedience), then it’s dead (James 2:20,26). Faith is only completed by action (Jam. 2:22). Paul says obedience comes from faith (Rom. 1:5).
8. Is all this important? Yes! It defines what a Christian is.
Acts 11:26, “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” They are one-in-the-same thing; DISCIPLES = CHRISTIANS. Jesus said in John 8:31, “To the Jews who had BELIEVED him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my DISCIPLES.”
B. OBEDIENCE IS NOT OPTIONAL
1. Jesus said, “Not everyone that says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; BUT HE THAT DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER which is in heaven” Matt 7:21. Anybody who says disobedient Christians are going to heaven is denying what Jesus just said.
2. Paul states, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness” 2 Tim.2:19. “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God” 1 Cor. 7:19. “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation TO ALL THEM THAT OBEY HIM” Heb. 5:9. If you don’t obey Him, don’t expect salvation!
3. James says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” James 1:22. The Apostle John says; “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandment. HE THAT SAYS, ‘I KNOW HIM,’ AND KEEPS NOT HIS COMMANDMENTS, IS A LIAR, and the truth is not in him” 1 Jn. 2:3-4.
4. Disobedient Christians shouldn’t fool themselves that they‘re going to Heaven. John said they don’t even know Christ. Jesus Himself said they will be rejected (Mt. 7:23).
II. COUNT THE COST
A. ILLUS.: REAL CHRISTIANS, PLEASE!
1. A man named Dennis, in Katy, Texas, needed some same-day dry-cleaning before he left on a trip. He remembered one store with a huge sign, "One-Hour Dry Cleaners," on the other side of town, so he drove out of his way to drop off a suit. After filling out the tag, he told the clerk, "I need this in an hour."
2. She said, "I can't get this back to you until Thursday." He replied, "I thought you did dry-cleaning in an hour."
3. "No," she replied, "That's just the name of the store."
Is it possible that were supposed to be one thing, but were really something else?
B. QUALITY LASTS LONGER
1. Everything in life that is worth having carries with it a price tag. People have tendency to buy cheap, but often regret what they purchased because it won’t last.
2. It’s the same with our walk with the Lord. We need to count the cost and decide right now just what kind of walk we want with Jesus. Do we want a genuine walk or a superficial one? A lot of people are eager to be called Christians and to obtain eternal life, but they don’t have a clue of the real cost of being a disciple of Christ.
3. Most pastors would try to recruit as MANY as followers as possible, but Jesus took a radically different approach: He tried to DISSUADE people from following Him.
4. 25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able...to oppose the one coming against him? 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” Lk. 14:25-33.
5. The biggest reason of WHY THERE’S SHALLOW CHRISTIANS WHO BACKSLIDE at the first opposition or trial, is because they were never told “serving Christ will not be easy; you may be persecuted; you may have to give up the things you love; you will be rejected by people – but being right with God & having eternal life -- is worth it!”
III. THE BEAUTIFUL CROSS!
A. WHY MUST THERE BE THE CROSS? Because...
1. It sifts our Faith: do we believe the unseen over the seen?
2. It humbles the Intellect: it sounds foolish.
3. It humbles the Pride: we must submit to another.
4. It makes us indebted to Christ: We OWE Him, and some people hate to owe anybody.
5. In addition, we’re called to prepare to be shamed as part of the deal.
6. If Jesus is Lord, there should be some self-denial in your life. If you’re not having to sacrifice for the kingdom, to alter your plans, to curtail the places you go, or to restrain what you say, then you better make sure God is in your life, because the Christ-nature in you should be contradicting your carnal desires. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” Gal. 5:17.
B. ILLUS.: THE NATIVE EVANGELIST’S SECRET
1. A native evangelist from Asia had great success winning multitudes of the idolaters to Christ. American church leaders asked him to come and help Christians here with their commitment to Christ.
2. He replied, “The way you think of your relationship with Jesus is the problem. When you give your life to Christ in America, you “commit” to Christ. If that’s all you do, then YOU’RE STILL IN CONTROL of the relationship. In Asia, we “surrender all to Jesus.” We don’t leave anything out of His jurisdiction. We know it may cost us our lives and fortunes. We put everything on the line. That’s why we have dedicated Christians.”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. In The Divine Intruder, James R. Edwards recounts this story: Wilmer McLean was a small farmer in the Shenandoah Valley in 1861. In the spring of that year to powerful armies met on his property -- the Union army under General McDowell and the Confederate army under General Beauregard. The bloodiest war in American history began at Bull Run, a creek that ran through McLean's property. McLean was not at all sure why the armies were fighting, but he was quite sure he did not want them fighting on his property. He decided to sell out and go where the war would never find him.
2. He chose the most obscure place in the whole country – or so he thought: an old house in the village of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Four years later General Grant was pursuing General Lee through Virginia. In Appomattox County, Grant sent a message to Lee asking him to meet and sign a truce. The place where they met to sign the peace that ended the civil war was Wilmer McLean's living room!
3. If God has you in his sights this morning, there is no use running from God. His call on your life is inescapable. YOU CAN’T ESCAPE THE DESTINY OF DECIDING. WE ALL HAVE TO DECIDE.
B. THE CALL
1. The question still hangs in the air, “Shall Your Brothers Go To War While You Sit Here?” In other words, will other Christians pay the price while we are secret disciples? Will others witness while we keep silent? Will others work in the church while we just obtain the benefits?
2. Isn’t it time you stepped up and started contributing to the Kingdom? How many want to accept Jesus’ cost of discipleship? I suggest you get more involved; get into Sunday school and attend Bible studies. We’re going on the street tomorrow to pray for lost and hurting people: why don’t you join us?
3. PRAYER.
