Numbers 11:4 “Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt, and the people of Israel also began to complain. "Oh, for some meat!" they exclaimed. 5"We remember all the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic that we wanted. 6But now our appetites are gone, and day after day we have nothing to eat but this manna!"
"Deja Vu" By Antonio L. Torrence
I. The gospel according to billboard, whereby we are looking at some modern selections of music through the lenses of the gospel because we understand that it is not only important for us to be biblically correct and theologically sound, but we as evangelist must be socially relevant as well. So, thus far, we have talked about:
a. Whitney’s “Tell me No”- having a faith of tenacity.
b. Christina’s “Ain’t no other Man.”- dealing with the Christological nature of Jesus.
c. Barkley’s “Crazy”- having Godly wisdom in a world of madness.
d. So today we are simply referring to the song entitled “Déjà vu.” We’ve all had déjà vu moments whiling walking around a corner, driving down a street, or simply putting away dishes whereby we ask ourselves, “Haven’t I done this before? Experienced this moment before? Haven’t I been here before?
II. The term "déjà vu" (French for "already seen", also called paramnesia) describes the experience of feeling that one has witnessed or experienced a new situation previously.
a. Three Types of Déjà vu:
1. Already seen’ or ’already lived through: Charles Dickens in his book “David Copperfield” describes this as: We have all some experience of a feeling, that comes over us occasionally, of what we are saying and doing having been said and done before, in a remote time - of our having been surrounded, dim ages ago, by the same faces, objects, and circumstances - of our knowing perfectly what will be said next, as if we suddenly remember it! When most people speak of déjà vu, they are actually experiencing déjà vécu. Déjà vécu refers to an experience involving more than just sight, which is why labeling such "déjà vu" is usually inaccurate. The sense involves a great amount of detail, sensing that everything is just as it was before.
2. ’Already felt” :What is occupying the attention is what has occupied it before, and indeed has been familiar, but has been for a time forgotten, and now is recovered with a slight sense of satisfaction as if it had been sought for. ... At the same time, or ... more accurately in immediate sequence, I am dimly aware that the recollection is fictitious and my state abnormal. The recollection is always started by another person’s voice, or by my own verbalized thought, or by what I am reading and mentally verbalize; and I think that during the abnormal state I generally verbalize some such phrase of simple recognition as ’Oh yes - I see’, ’Of course - I remember’, but a minute or two later I can recollect neither the words nor the verbalized thought which gave rise to the recollection. I only find strongly that they resemble what I have felt before under similar abnormal conditions.
3. Déjà visité: This experience is less common and involves an uncanny knowledge of a new place. Here one may know his or her way around in a new town or landscape while at the same time knowing that this should not be possible.
b. Been there! Done that- There some of us who tend to find ourselves going through the same things over and over. It seems that we may be repeating a cycle and revisiting old issues.
i. Relationships:
1. The same issues that caused us to leave our ex are now the same issues surfacing in our current relationship.
a. our ex was physically abusive; our current may be verbal abusive; Ex different have a job, our current just got unemployed. The last ‘baby’s daddy was trifling, and immature; the new baby’s daddy is acting trifling and immature. Have I not been here before? It’s a different man but same old issue- Could it be déjà vu?
2. We may see it in our children. One may be failing out of school. One may be promiscuous at with the boys and/or girls. One may be argumentative, defiant, and lazy. One may be constantly in trouble with the law? Have we not been here before? It’s a different child but same old issue-Could it be déjà vu?
3. We may experience in our workplaces. Leave one job for another in hopes of more money and yet, we are still struggling to get our bills paid. The co-workers at the last job were getting on our nerves. Our new co-workers are getting on our nerves. Our last boss was demanding and mean. Our new boss is demanding and mean. Have I not been here before? It’s a different job but the same old issue-could it be déjà vu?
4. We may experience in our religious life. We left our last church because the people were always fighting and cold; now in this church it seems that the people are always fighting and cold. We left the last church because we couldn’t get along with the pastor; he was always talking about me from the pulpit. Now we are in this church, and once again the pastor is always talking about me from the pulpit. Have I not been here before? It’s a different place but the same old issue- could it be déjà vu?
ii. And some times déjà vu moments may be generational:
1. Your mother was a single parent and struggled to make ends mean. You are a single parent struggling to make ends meet- generational.
2. Your daddy never completed High School or went to college. You never completed High school or went to college.
3. Your parents struggled with alcohol and domestic violence. You struggle with Mary-Jane and can’t keep a relationship.
4. Your parents were over weight and had diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure. The doctor told you that if you don’t change your diet habit you will have the done.
5. Have we not been here before? Have we not done this before? Could it be déjà vu?
III. What you are going through may simply be a remediation test of your faith. Pass mistakes, former challenges have resulted in you having to repeat a faith level and retake the exam. And this may be an opportunity to break those cycles of pain and correct those wrongs.
a. Such was the experiences of the Israelites who were frequently tempted, test, and tried…
i. From the time their backs were against the red sea and Pharaohs’ chariots were chasing them down until many rose up challenge the authority of Moses; these people would be tempted, tested and tried. And they would fail every time.
1. They would complain,
2. They would pass blame
3. They would fear.
4. They would doubt.
ii. When there are challenges in our lives bow do we handle them?
1. Do we complain
2. Do we pass blame
3. Do we fear
4. Do we doubt
b. We have to be cautious that we do not experience the end result of the Hebrews whereby we will have to settle for just being delivered and saved but never seeing the promise fulfilled. Whereby our needs are met but we never experience abundance. Whereby we are always in the wilderness but never dwelling in the promise land of rest and wealth.
i. Many are saved.
ii. Many are delivered
iii. But very few seldom see the promise fulfilled
IV. How do we successfully get through those déjà vu moments? How do should we approach our ‘remediation’ or retest?
a. Praise: Psalm 19: 1-4 “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world…”
i. Job praise God after receiving his trilogy of tragedy: “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” And if you are not a optimistic person whereby praise is your first inclination then learn to pray.
b. Prayer:
i. James 5: 13 “Are any among you suffering? They should pray.” Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
ii. Moses approach God in prayer
1. Pray for a ‘resting of the Spirit’ on our lives. The word resting comes from the ancient Hebrew word called “nuwach {noo’-akh}” meaning to settle down, lie down, or even deposit. That’s what we need a deposit of the holy spirit in our lives so that gain
a. Spirit of wisdom and understanding- the ability to perceive moral and abstract truth. Perception is the key.
b. The spirit of counsel and might-the power to plan and vision and the ability to carry and act out those plans.
c. The knowledge and fear of the lord- acquaintance with the true will of God combined with the determination to carry out the will to fulfillment.
c. Prophetic Worship vs. Pathetic Worship.
i. Many of us are incline to come and offer God pathetic worship
1. ‘Poor me’ syndrome.
2. Worrisome syndrome.
ii. Prophetic Worship is declaring what God will do in spite of the fact you can’t see it and don’t see it. No wonder Paul declares that he desire all to have the gift of prophecy just like Moses because with this gifting, you focus in not on ‘current affairs but it’s focused on ‘future promises.’
