GOD SATISFIES OUR SOULS (Outline)
MARCH 26, 2023 – Lent 5 – NUMBERS 21:4-9
INTRO.: Are you satisfied with your life? Content with how the Lord has taken care of you? Our sinful nature likes to grumble and complain. We think everything is not quite the way we want it to be. All too often we focus too much on the earthly rather than the spiritual. "(To be sure, many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ) …Their end is destruction, their god is their appetite, and their glory is in their shame. They are thinking only about earthly things" (PHILIPPIANS 3:19). Our text today reminds us GOD SATISFIES OUR SOULS. I. We confess our dissatisfaction. II. God provides satisfaction.
I. WE CONFESS OUR DISSATISFACTION.
A. Verse 4. Israel was wandering in the wilderness. They had to take a longer route around Edom.
1. Edom is the land of Esau’s descendants. Esau and Jacob (Israel) were twin brothers.
2. The Edomites banned the Israelites from traveling through their land. Now travel farther.
3. The Israelites “become very impatient along the way.” Unhappy with traveling any farther.
B. Verse 5. Israelites grumbled against God and Moses. Now will we die in the wilderness?
1. “No food...No water...Disgusted by this worthless food!” Oops, God did provide daily food.
2. People not satisfied with manna. Only had to gather every day. Discontented with God.
C. Verse 6. The Lord sent snakes among the people. The snakes bit the people. People did die.
1. Now the people really had a reason to grumble and complain. Or so they thought.
2. This was the Lord’s discipline for his children. Wanted their attention. Lessons to learn.
D. The Lord uses discipline in dealing with his people. Our loving, heavenly Father does not take revenge on us because of wickedness. Rebellion. Sin. Our Lord Jesus Christ has taken all our punishment upon himself. The disobedience debt we owed is removed. We know that we still will face different times of trials in our lives. All of the difficulties we experience are for our good. Not evil. The Lord loves us with a perfect love. Enduring love. His discipline in our lives reveals that love for each one of us. "Do not reject the LORD’s discipline, my son, and do not despise his warning, because the LORD
disciplines the one he loves as a father warns a son with whom he is pleased" (PROVERBS 3:12, 13). Our parents disciplined us. They loved us. They wanted the best for us. Heavenly Father always satisfies.
E. Granted, we do not always like to be disciplined. But we learn. We grow in our understanding of what is good and right. What is bad and wrong. This is a good thing. The Lord’s discipline directs to more fully understand his faithfulness. Our loving, heavenly Father satisfies our souls. "No discipline seems pleasant when it is happening, but painful, yet later it yields a peaceful harvest of righteousness for those who have been trained by it" (HEBREWS 12:11). Note that the Lord’s discipline “yields a peaceful harvest of righteousness.” Peace and righteousness are God’s good blessings discovered through discipline. An interesting conversation this week: A woman wondered about children confused about their sexual identity. She concluded that maybe, just maybe, they were seeking their parents’ love. Discipline. Out of love parents will and can say no. Children need to hear this truth. Something to think about.
F. Israel spoke against God. Even though the Lord provided their daily needs. It all started because they were impatient. Very impatient. None of us are that impatient are we? We als are very impatient. Our society is one of immediate results. Fulfillment of desires here and NOW! “Therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the valuable harvest from the ground, patiently waiting for it, until it receives the early and late rain" (JAMES 5:7). We watch. Patiently wait.
GOD SATISFIES OUR SOULS. We confess our dissatisfaction, discontent, impatience.
II. GOD PROVIDES SATISFACTION.
A. Verse 7. Snakes discipline seemed harsh. Israel: “We have sinned”. Spoken against God. Moses.
1. Israel admitted their disobedience. Asked to Moses to intercede with God for them.
2. Moses did pray for God’s people for God’s deliverance. Moses prayed often for God’s people.
B. Verse 8. The Lord answered Moses. God told Moses to make a bronze snake. Place it on a pole.
1. Anyone that was bitten and looked at it lived. What?!? Sounds like idol worship. No!
2. This was what the Lord commanded. The snake did not save. Wanted people looking up.
C. Verse 9. So, Moses made a bronze snake. Put it on a pole for people to look at.
1. All who looked at the bronze snake lived. Again, the Lord God wanted his people to look up.
2. God’s glory was before them: Cloud during day. Pillar of fire at night. See glory – satisfied.
D. Why are we discontent? Where does our dissatisfaction come from? Just like the Israelites we look closely at ourselves. Our lives. Our world. Earthly dissatisfaction crowds out spiritual satisfaction. Too much self-centered thinking is never, ever any good. The Lord God of Armies wants us to look up. We want and need to focus on Jesus. Always Jesus. Only Jesus. Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. He endured the shame of the cross for us. "I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth" (PSALM 121:1, 2). Yes! My help comes from the Lord. Not our world. Not world leaders. Not even the pastor. The LORD!
E. We do and can find satisfaction in this life. A job well done. Joy in the fruit of one’s labors. The gift of rest from the Lord. Physical blessings. Such contentment does not last long. It is rarely ever permanent. The supreme spiritual satisfaction is what our loving, heavenly Father freely gives us. The Lord is the only One who can, will, and does satisfy our souls. "Therefore, repent and return to have your sins wiped out, so that refreshing times may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you" (ACTS 3:19, 20). Once again, we focus on Jesus – always Jesus…only Jesus. Only Jesus satisfies our souls. We look up. We see Jesus on the cross. His blood is shed. Jesus dies. Is buried. On the third day he rises again. Our sins are forgiven. Peace with God. Soul satisfaction.
F. The Lord desires all people to be saved. That includes you. Me. Everyone. The Lord God loves to show mercy. Loves to show mercy so much that he sent his Son to save us. Jesus paid the price that we owed. To ransom us from the power of sin. To free us from the devil’s accusations. To destroy our last enemy, death. All this the Lord God does without any merit or worthiness in us. "You see, God did not appoint us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 THESSALONIANS 5:9). Our eternal salvation and souls’ satisfaction is ours by God’s choice. Ours by the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus scolded the devil that mankind does not live on bread alone. We live on every word that comes from the mouth of God. This is our souls’ satisfaction. Completely. Freely given. Rejoice.
CONCL.: God’s people spoke against God. Against Moses, God’s chosen leader. The Lord sent venomous snakes as discipline. They learned and turned to God. They confessed their sin. They Lord listened and satisfied their soul. There is another reason for this example. "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (JOHN 3:14, 15). We look up to the cross. See the Savior. Have eternal life.
GOD SATISFIES OUR SOULS. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
LENT 5 readings: 2 KINGS 4:17-37; ROMANS 8:11-19; JOHN 11:17-27, 38-45; (PSALM 130)
SERVICES: 8:00am @ McCook (Sun) / 10:30am @ Redeemer (Sun) / NCF 1:00 Min. (Sat) & 12:00 Med. (Sun)
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