Sermon #4
Not Enough, Just Enough, More than Enough
MISSING A GOD MOMENT
NUMBERS 20:1-13
God moments…
When was the last time that you experienced a God moment? (Ask for sharing)
Bible is filled with God moments:
Jacob and the dream of the ladder descending from heaven.
Jacob and the man wrestling with him until daybreak right before he went out to meet with his brother.
Moses and the burning bush.
Paul on the road to Damascus
Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan—God moment for John
John on the isle of Patmos
Peter and James on the Mt. of transfiguration
God is looking to show us his glory.
Moses experienced this
• See Exodus 33:12-23
1) GOD USES WHAT WE HAVE
A) Exodus 4:1-5
B) The staff that Moses held in his hand became the extension of himself that revealed the power and the glory of God.
a) That piece of wood changed that day.
b) No longer was it just another stick—but rather it was the staff of God
(1) See Exodus 4:20
c) That staff was used in mighty ways to reveal the hand of God
(1) It became a snake in front of Pharaoh—and swallowed up all of the snakes that the magicians produced.
(2) Stretched over the waters and they turned to blood
(3) Stretched over the streams and canals and the frogs invaded
(4) Struck the ground and the gnats came
(5) Stretched to the sky and lightning and hail poured down
(6) Pointed out over Egypt and the locust came devouring everything
(7) God told Moses to eat the Passover with his staff in his hand
d) As the Israelites left the country of Egypt we again see the staff at work
(1) Touched the waters and the Red Sea parted
e) In chapter 17:5 when the people are complaining and thirsty Moses struck the rock with the staff and water poured from the rock.
C) The truth here is unbelievable. God took something that was common to every sheep herder in the country and turned into something that was looked on in awe.
a) But was the power in the staff—or in the God who was simply using the staff to show the people his glory?
D) How often we make this mistake. We turn the glory on to the object and not on to the objective
a) Grilled cheese sandwich sold on eBay for thousands
b) People line up for hours to get a glimpse of a statue that is supposedly crying.
c) If you had access to Moses’ staff today you could put it in a museum and people would pay money just to file by and look at this object of power.
d) We do this in the church today.
(1) Particular style of services or preaching
(2) Type of emotional expression
E) God moments can’t be held in objects or expressions or styles—God moments are just that—moments when our hearts connect with the awesome presence of God and our hearts connect with his heart and we watch his hand move.
a) How God chooses to move in that moment is his choice—not defined by us!
It is the task of leaders and people of God to keep our focus on the right things. There is an accounting.
2) GOD DEMANDS OUR ATTENTION.
A) Numbers 20:1-13
a) Notice the instruction of the Lord
(1) Take the staff
(2) Speak to the rock
b) Moses—in his defense—did what he had always done.
(1) He’s had some 40 years of practice
(2) This staff has never been too far from his presence.
(3) He strikes the rock—two times. I wonder how long the span was between strike one and strike two?
(4) Don’t miss this—God honored Moses by bringing water from the rock—but he certainly was not pleased because Moses had disobeyed.
(a) Just because God may honor us and we see results from his hand does not mean that he is pleased with us!
B) God holds those of us in leadership to a higher standard.
a) These are the most negative, complaining people we read about in the Word. Yet—they get to go into the promised land.
b) But because Moses and Aaron have disobeyed-neither of them are allowed to enjoy this inheritance that they had so longed to see.
(1) Think of all the things that they have done.
(a) Stood before Pharaoh
(b) Led the people
(c) Heard from God-face to face
(d) Led the people in worship
(e) Fell on their face before God and listened to instruction from the Lord.
c) And yet they are not going to be allowed to enter into the Promised Land?
(1) Considering their behavior and the behavior the people it hardly seems fair.
(2) What does this say about the mantle of responsibility that God places on leadership?
(3) Hebrews 13:17, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give and account.”
d) The calling and the word of God came to Moses and Aaron. It was their responsibility to lead the people.
(1) What happened?
(a) Numbers 20:22—29
(b) Deuteronomy 32:48-52 & 34:1-8
C) People in leadership are there not just because they received more votes than someone else on a ballot.
a) They are there because God has ordained them and called them to fill the role of leaders.
b) It is the role of leaders to hear the heart of God and to follow the commands of the Lord.
(1) Not do it our way
(2) Not do it the way that it has always been done before
(3) Not just do what is comfortable and routine—but to lead.
(a) Leadership takes courage.
(b) Leadership means putting our own selves and aside and following the heart of God.
D) God is a God of compassion but he does not relent
a) There will be people who are really good people who have done really good things who will stand before God someday—but if they have not made Jesus Christ the lord of their lives—they have chosen their own fate.
What are you putting your trust in today?
Is your relationship with God fresh—or are you counting on the traditions of the past to carry you through the future?
Are you looking for the God moments that God wants you to experience today?
