Trouble will come in Proclaiming the Word of God
World will reject you
Your tasks in the world may seem burdensome
The people to whom you minister to may at times reject you
DBF Sunday Sermon, 8/11/02
You know as much as I love the people, land, and region of Bristol Bay I cannot stand here and say that our ministry of bringing the light and love of Christ to the Alaska Native People of Dillingham and Bristol Bay has been pain free.
The first year I was here, I was treated completely as an outsider, and I can understand with the large turnover of Non-Natives why that would be.
Who can say that they will be able to make it in a “Bush” community?
Housing costs, electricity, gasoline, heating oil, and all basic store bought necessities are quite expensive. Add in the cost of airfare to Anchorage for a family of four and you have enough to buy a pretty good used car in most communities.
You see God wisely chose to allow us to get to feel and understand the reasons that people in “Bush” communities feel this way. Each year as I see new “Non-Natives” arrive I wonder if they will make it past 6 months, 1 year or if they are truly hardy enough to make it two years. It is rare to find the individuals that are able to make it three years in any line of trade, and I have been seeing that it is not substantially different for the people that come to “Proclaim the Word of God”.
You see the great commission tells us:
Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)
[18]And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. [19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
You see when he sends us to teach all nations, this includes the Alaska Natives, and if these wonderful people have a hard time believing someone who hasn’t spent a winter or two out here then we should Praise God and enjoy a time of quietness and solitude with God, learning what it is we are asked to teach.
You see every ministry field has its challenges, its blessings, and its own unique opportunities. Let us walk with Moses as he experiences some of these in Exodus Chapter 5.
World will reject you
Exodus 5:1-3 (KJV)
And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. [2] And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. [3] And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
afterward Moses and Aaron went in…When God sent out his Apostles, when God anointed David King, when God appointed Gideon what were they required to do that Moses and Aaron start of well doing?
They were given special instructions to carry out plans that would further the Kingdom of God. You and I as benefactors of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us have no less of a requirement in fulfilling God’s perfect plan and the words of the “Great Commission” might as well start with your name because it applies fully to each of us.
Moses and Aaron had to put aside fear, misgivings, and trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
This is so easily said but we falter in this very critical area often…
When a loved one says they do not love you anymore…
When you cannot see your way out of a bad situation…
When you are held accountable by the various authorities set above you…
When you are a loved one is diagnosed with what might be a fatal disease…
You see we are called to go…but the world and Satan will reject much of what we say. Don’t despair when they do…they also rejected Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. It does not change the Truth which we are called to proclaim when we “GO”.
Moses told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go…The message has not changed much over the past 3000 plus years.
You and I proclaim today “Let my people go from the sins of worry, homosexuality, adultery, bigotry, murder, and wanton lusts”.
You see the captor is the deceiver. The deceiver comes in many shapes and sizes and in many positions, but it is always the work of the deceiver.
God sends you and I into the lost, hurting, and deceived world to bring the light and truth of Christ to bear and to boldly state…the Lord God says…Let my people go.
And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
You see that is the same today. Many people use the words God and Jesus in many colorful and less than glorifying ways yet do not even acknowledge or know who’s name they use in vain. They say like Pharaoh “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?”
We must be bold and ready with a reply from God. You know even Pharaoh is included in Romans 14:11:
11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Again in Philippians 2:
9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
You see the word is very plain that no matter your lot in this current world you will stand before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and receive your deserved judgment and the bible clearly states there or only two options: “Heaven or Hell”. This is the message that we are called to bring to a lost and dying world, whether that is in Bristol Bay, Alaska or in Argentina. Go ye therefore…even though…
Your tasks in the world may seem burdensome
Exodus 5:4-14 (KJV)
And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. [5] And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. [6] And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, [7] Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. [8] And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. [9] Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
[10] And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. [11] Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. [12] So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. [13] And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. [14] And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
King of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
To whom do we truly owe our burdens?
Is it to Pharaoh?
Is it to our secular bosses?
We were given the tasks of burdens in Genesis 3 just after the fall:
16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
You see when we say “Woe am I” we should remember that truly our woe comes from the original transgression of our ancestry. Pharaoh or you boss today may ask you to do this and that, and increase your labors, but they “were not” at the origin of any of our labors. Yet in spite of our labors we are called to bring glory to God in all things…even in our laboring.
Let there more work be laid upon the men…Often times we bring this burden upon ourselves in our pursuit of idols instead of God.
We will gladly seek our more secular work…
For a new car…
To be able to afford to go out…
To get a boat…
Or for various other benefits that we seek above God.
Satan also calls us to task in this light. Look at all the people chasing UFO’s, sea creatures, and bigfoot. Anything that the deceiver can do to keep one’s mind off of our God and Savior takes away from the effectiveness of the entire body of Christ that is called to accomplish God’s good and perfect will. Do not be deceived, seek God first and foremost.
What then should we do when troubles come our way?
Matthew 6
27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? … 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
We are to seek the Kingdom ways in prayer and supplication and follow the path that God lights for us by and by.
Remember above all else that there is no task to which God has called you that HE is not sufficient to accomplish in you.
The people to whom you minister to may at times reject you
Exodus 5:15-21 (KJV)
Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? [16] There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. [17] But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. [18] Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. [19] And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
[20] And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: [21] And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
Then the officers of…Israel…cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? [16] There is no straw given…say to us, Make brick: and, behold…servants are beaten; but the fault is…thine own people. [17] But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. Woe am I, its not my fault, my little brother or sister must have done it.
What does this sound like to you?
It is something we could call the “blame game”. It to started in the Garden of Eden right after the fall…Eve blamed the snake, Adam blamed Eve and the game goes on today.
This is another very effective tool of the deceiver you see. The more he can get Christians to stop their labors and labor instead at blaming or thinking up reasons they shouldn’t be blamed the less time they will have to do the kingdom work they are called to. Do not be deceived into playing this “blame game”. Remember your place as a Child of God and remember that you are part of the Body of Christ, as such we are to seek to be of single minded purpose in bringing about God’s perfect will.
Then…they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way…What are you and I called to do?
We are to stand in the way of our brothers making critical decisions that will bring them into opposition with God. We are called to exhort, edify, have prayer and supplications for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for those who are still in the world.
How many people prayed for you that you might come to know Christ?
How many have lifted you up and comforted you on your walk?
We are sure to come under tribulation in this world, let it not be said that we did not lift each other up during those times.
But remember the battle we fight daily is a battle of dominions and principalities that we do not see. You see Satan is reluctant to give up ground that has been under his dominion, yet the forces of God are striving daily to bring the light of Christ into the dark areas of the world. Rejoice in this tribulation that it will lead to God’s good and perfect will.
Of course it is difficult to understand anything that we have discussed today if you have never called upon the name of the Lord and asked Jesus Christ into your heart. This is the first step to starting to understand the Kingdom values and truths that we are called to live by. You see the truths of man change with every man. The truths of God are from the beginning throughout eternity. If you seek to come to the hope of the truth, you must start be asking Jesus Christ…the way, the truth, and the life…into your heart. If you would like to do this today we ask you to come forward and someone would be glad to pray with you. If you just want to ask God’s forgiveness for allowing yourself to be deceived and pulled to and fro we ask you to come forward, if you have been a brother or a sister who has not stood in the Gap edifying, exhorting, and comforting your wayward brothers and sisters and would like to seek God’s forgiveness and renewed strength in this, please come forward.
As always we would love to pray for you, if you have any specific prayer requests please let us know. Please lift up the Alaska Native Youth Camp leaders, children, and staff as they meet this week. Let God’s Spirit be even more powerful upon these children and ministers that it has been in the past and pray that God will raise up HIS chosen people to carry on this much needed work from their midst.
Closing prayer.
