Allow me to begin this morning by saying that I am not much of a fighter. In fact, I have never been in a real fight in my life. But as a youngster I was put in a couple situations where I felt the need to defend myself. I believe that both of those events occurred when I was in the first grade, and both of them dealt with the same boy my age. His name was Joey. Joey rode my bus, lived right where the Damon’s restaurant now sits on Rt. 3 and was in my grade. If my memory serves me well, I believe that at Robert Frost Elementary there were three first grade classes, and praise the Lord Joey was in a different class.
So far I have left out the most important detail about Joey. No one knew him as just Joey back then. He was known throughout the school as Joey the Kisser! I’m not sure if Joey ever really kissed anyone, but when he would get close to you he would begin to make kissing sounds like this… and I don’t think there was a boy in school who wanted to be seen near Joey the Kisser.
As I said, I recall two situations in which I felt the need to defend myself, and both of them were directly or indirectly related to Joey the Kisser. The first situation was in the boys’ restroom. I was practically on my way out when guess who walks right in, none other than Joey the Kisser. Of course he began to make his kissing sounds and pucker his lips. Well that backed me into a corner pretty quickly and I was struggling to find a way out.
I doubt any of you know or remember, but I was enrolled in Karate in the first grade and I was forced to execute a Chuck Norris like front kick to Joeys stomach, but Joey was relentless and so I was forced to kick him a second time. This kick opened the path for me to exit the restroom. As I wrote this sermon I tried to think back and I am almost 100% sure that today is the first time I am telling this story to anyone, ever. I didn’t even want my friends to know that Joey had tried to kiss me in the bathroom.
The second occasion in which I was forced to defend myself was indirectly related to Joey the kisser. I was playing at recess and two boys that I knew came over and grabbed me by the arms. Jared Shaw grabbed my right arm and Trent Elliot grabbed my left arm. I was rather confused as they held on to me and then I heard those dreaded words. We’re holding you for Joey the Kisser. I didn’t know the details of their plan. I didn’t know if a third boy was in search for Joey the Kisser or if Joey was already in route to where I was. But I knew I had to get free from these evil hands that held me captive, and hearing the name Joey the Kisser was pretty good motivation. I managed to get my right arm free from Jared Shaw which left Trent Elliot hanging on to my left arm. I tell you what; I punched Trent Elliot in the stomach as hard as I could punch someone at age 7. I heard the air being expelled from his body as he absorbed my right fist and miraculously my left arm was freed from his grasp.
Both of those events occurred while I was in the first grade, and I have been relatively fight free since that time. That tells me one thing; my reputation has preceded me ever since the first grade. (I even heard some boys whispering at VBS last week. Do you know who that guy is? That’s the guy that took out Joey the Kisser and Trent Elliot)
Speaking of reputations preceding, this was indeed the case with the Israelites as they wandered through the desert and began to enter into the Promised Land. They faced great opposition, but the Lord was with them and allowed them to be victorious in battles, so much so that when they came close to the country of Moab, the king was afraid because he had heard of their strength and was worried that they would take over his land. So Balak, kind of Moab sent the elders of Moab to summon a man named Balaam who lived on the shore of the river Euphrates. When the elders arrived with money to pay Balaam, this was the message that he received, “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”
“Hay un pueblo que salio de Egipto, y que ahora cubre toda la tierra y ha venido a asentarse cerca de mi. Te ruego que vengas y maldigas por mí este pueblo, porque es más poderoso que yo. Tal vez así pueda yo vencerlos y echarlos fuera del país. Yo sé que a quien tú bendices, queda bendito, y a quien maldices, queda maldito.”
Balaam asked them to spend the night so that he could inquire of God as to what he should do. But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.” “No debes ir con ellos ni pronunciar ninguna maldición sobre los Israelitas porque son un pueblo bendito.” The next morning Balaam instructed them to return to their country because the Lord had refused to let him go with them.
But the king of Moab was not satisfied with that response, so he sent more princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. They said to Balaam, “Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, because I will reward you handsomely and you whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”
But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. Now stay here tonight as the others did, and I will find out what else the Lord will tell me.” “Aun si Balac me diera su palacio lleno de oro y de plata, yo no podría hacer nada bueno ni malo sino ajustarme al mandamiento del Señor mi Dios Ustedes pueden también alojarse aquí esta noche, mientras yo averiguo si el Señor quiere decirme alguna otra cosa.”
After seeking the Lord again, the Lord allowed Balaam to go to Moab but with strict instructions to speak only the words He would place in his mouth.
As they arrived at the border of Moab, the king came out to greet Balaam and asked him why he hadn’t come the first time he was sent for? Balaam simply responded that he was there, but that he could only say what the Lord put in his mouth.
The following day the king took Balaam to a mountain where he could see part of the people of Israel camped below. Balaam offered sacrifices to God and God responded and gave Balaam a word to speak to the king. But the word the Lord had given Balaam was a word of blessing upon the Israelites. The king was furious and took Balaam to another mountain top from which he could see the people.
The process was repeated. Balaam inquired of the Lord and the Lord gave him a word of blessing for the Israelites. Again the king was furious, but Balaam reminded him that he could only speak what the Lord put in his mouth. Once again the king took Balaam to another mountain top, but as you can imagine, the result was the same. Balaam pronounced a blessing on the people of Israel.
“Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them three times. Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”
“Entonces la ira de Balac se incendio contra Balán, y chasqueando los dedos le dijo: Te mandé llamar para que echaras una maldición sobre mis enemigos, y estas tres veces no has hecho sino bendecirlos. Más te vale volver a tu tierra. Prometí que te recompensaría, pero esa recompensa te la ha negado el Señor.”
Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, ‘Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord-and I must say only what the Lord says?”
Balán contestó: Yo les dije a los mensajeros que me enviaste: “Aun si Balac me diera su palacio lleno de oro y de plata, yo no podría hacer nada bueno ni malo sino ajustarme al mandamiento del Señor mi Dios. Lo que el Señor me ordene decir, eso diré.”
Let’s jump forward in the bible to the New Testament, and in the book of Acts we find the story of a crippled man who has a life changing encounter with Peter and John. As these two were entering the temple, they were asked for money by a crippled man who sat each day by the temple gate. Peter and John both looked directly at him and asked for his attention, which he gave to them expecting to receive something.
Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” They helped him up and immediately his feet and ankles became strong. He jumped up and began to walk. He entered into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God. Those inside the temple recognized him as the man who begged at the temple gate and were amazed at what had happened to him.
This astonishment allowed Peter to present the message of Jesus to those in the temple. Many of those who heard the message believed and the number of the men grew to five thousand. But Peter and John were arrested by the temple guard and the Sadducees and put in jail because it was evening.
The next day the priest and the Sadducees met together and brought in Peter and John. They began to ask Peter about the cripple and Peter took the opportunity to deliver the good news of Jesus Christ. The leaders were unable to punish them because they had done nothing wrong, so they warned Peter and John not to speak or teach any longer in the name of Jesus.
And this is one of my favorite quotes from the bible. Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
“¿Es justo delante de Dios obedecerlos a ustedes en vez de obedecerlo e él? Júzguenlo ustedes mismos. Nosotros no podemos dejar de hablar de lo que hemos visto y oído.”
As followers of Christ, we are placed in situations daily where we must chose between God and man. We have to decide in our lives whether we want to find favor with man or with God. Balaam could have been an extremely wealthy man for saying three words. All he had to do was say, “You are cursed.” He didn’t even have to mean it. But let me share his response again. ‘Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord-and I must say only what the Lord says?” “Aun si Balac me diera su palacio lleno de oro y de plata, yo no podría hacer nada bueno ni malo sino ajustarme al mandamiento del Señor mi Dios. Lo que el Señor me ordene decir, eso diré.”
Is my character strong enough in Christ to follow Balaam’s example. Would I turn down a million dollars in order to not sin against God?
Or what about Peter and John? Their lives certainly would have been easier if they weren’t so persistent is telling everyone about Jesus. What if they had said, yeah, I’m tired of being put in jail and threatened, we won’t speak anymore about Jesus.
These three men understood something that I want us to understand today. Men die and so does mans favor. We can work hard our entire lives to please people, but the rewards for our life work would be temporary. But God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. When we work to please God and to obey him, His rewards are everlasting.
(Maybe open the altar, Spirit please guide me here)
