Stand By Me!

April 22, 2006

Title: Stand By Me!

Scripture: he stood at the camp entrance and shouted, “All of you who are on the Lord’s side, come over here and join me.” And all the Levites came.” Exodus 32:26—the Living Bible

Israel had rebelled against God, and set up the golden calf.

Moses came down from the mountain bearing the stone tablets on which God wrote the Ten Commandments.

In great anger, he broke the tablets and threw down their idol.

It was his brother Aaron that he left in charge, and he rebuked him for allowing the people to so quickly turn their back on God and worship a dead idol.

The people who were only moments before eating, drinking and doing immoral acts were now awe-struck by the presence of the servant of the Lord.

Most went to their tents, but a few continued to carry-on without any self-control.

Moses felt that this great rebellion must be crushed and punished, so he called upon the faithful to come and stand with him, and the ones who answered the call were from the tribe of Levi.

These men with unyielding loyalty, fulfilled their mission, and for this reason they were made priests of Israel for ever.

Determination is something the Lord looks for in His servants, and when He sees it He’ll reward it.

We are told of how God rewarded the Levites in Deuteronomy 33:

8 Moses said this about the tribe of Levi: “O Lord, you have given the sacred lots to your faithful servants the Levites. You put them to the test at Massah and contended with them at the waters of Meribah.

9 The Levites obeyed your word and guarded your covenant. They were more loyal to you than to their parents, relatives, and children.

10 Now let them teach your regulations to Jacob; let them give your instructions to Israel. They will present incense before you and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar. (Deuteronomy 33:8-10, NLT

They had been faithful in the past and once again they’re faithfulness was on display as they stood with Moses against those who worshipped the golden calf.

All of us, men and women, ought to decide where we stand; with God or with Satan, because there is no neutral ground at this present time.

Today, those who are undecided are in a conflict and under a curse.

THERE ARE FOUR PARTS TO TODAY’S LESSON, AND THE FIRST PART CONCERNS THE CONFLICT WE ARE INVOLVED IN AND WHICH SIDE IS GOD’S SIDE.

As I was growing up, everyone believed in God, at least I didn’t know any atheists.

They would not have been welcome where I lived, and I imagine it was the same for most of you.

But things have changed; today Christians are the odd man in many groups.

Christians are apt to be made fun of in school and on the job.

It’s not too bad in the United States yet, but in some other countries the persecution is severe.

For example, becoming a Christian in many Muslim countries may result in persecution that leads to death.

Someone might ask, “Where does God stand in this conflict between good and evil? Why does He allow evil people to prosper while Christians suffer?”

The Bible is very clear about this, so there shouldn’t be any question about it.

They may laugh at God and His children today, but there will be no laughter at the Great White Throne when Jesus says “I never knew you,” and He sends the unbelievers to the place prepared for the devil and his angels.

The Bible warns against unbelief, false philosophy and “modern thought.”

God is against the liberal churches that preach a feel good message that says only what people want to hear.

Jesus last words to His disciples, before He returned to heaven were to “take the gospel to the whole world.”

Man has not found a new way to get to heaven.

It is, and always has been as Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life; no one can go to the Father except by me.”

Our Lord stands firmly behind the gospel and against superstition.

In our physical universe, the sun is always shining.

We don’t always see it, but the reason for that is that something has come between the sun and us.

It’s the same with the gospel.

The light of the gospel is always shining.

God is always seeking to shine into the hearts of men and women.

But Satan puts various barriers between unbelievers and God.

It may be the cloud of pride, or of rebellion, or of self-righteousness, or any one of a hundred other things.

But all of these serve effectively to hinder the light of the gospel from shining in.