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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Dangers of murmuring (grumble, complain).



Dangers of murmuring (grumble, complain).

[1 Corinthians 10:1 – 11] For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[a] that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown[b] in the wilderness.
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ[c] to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.


Numbers 14:22 says the Israelites had rebelled against God ten times. These may be (from another source... Scripture verses added):
1. By murmuring and accusing God of deceiving them and deliberately leading them into a trap so the Egyptians could kill them (Exodus 14:11,12).
2. By murmuring at Marah for water (Exodus 15:23-26).
And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” [Exodus 15:24]
3. By murmuring for flesh and bread before reaching Sinai (Exodus 16:1-18).
And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, [Exodus 16:2]
And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” [Exodus 16:8]
4. By willful disobedience in leaving manna until morning (Exodus 16:19-22).
5. By murmuring for water at Rephidim (Exodus 17-1-7).
But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” [Exodus 17:3]
6. By making a golden calf and quickly going back to idolatry (Exodus 32).
7. By murmuring at Taberah (Numbers 11:1-3).
8. By murmuring for flesh (Numbers 11:4-35).
9. By unbelief in God and His words and asking that spies be sent into the land as if they doubted He told the truth (Numbers 13:1-25 with Deuteronomy 1:20-21).
And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! [Numbers 14:2]
10. By rebellion at Kadesh (Numbers 13:26 to 14:37 with Deuteronomy 1:26-46.]
But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” [Numbers 16:41]
And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” [Numbers 21:5]

THE POINT:

So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. [Hebrews 3:19]

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. [Hebrews 4:1 – 2]

Passionate Change



Matthew 21:12 – 17
PASSIONATE CHANGE

Mat 21:12  And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

Mat 21:13  He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."

Mat 21:14  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

Mat 21:15  But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant,

Mat 21:16  and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?"
     
Mat 21:17  And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.


I.          Jesus’ Authority

            A.         What is happening?
           
                        1.          Jesus drives out those who bought and sold AND money-changers.
                        2.         Two doves might have cost 5 cents…. In the temple as much as $4.
                        3.         Functional: travelers could not bring their own animals to sacrifice.
                        4.         Purity: The court of the Gentiles… unclean… buffer to the holy.
              5.       The court of the Gentiles (and those who were physically imperfect) was full… people had difficult time entering the Temple…

(Imagine entering the Temple: It’s crowded, it’s loud, it smells bad, you have to watch where you step, and it’s a swirl of everything except praise and prayer….)


B.         What is Jesus doing?


                                1.            Jesus is clearing space for people to enter the Temple.
                                                a.            The religious leaders where “gatekeeping” (deciding who could enter                                                                    and who could not.)
                                                b.            The religious leaders where distracting from the worship of God.
                                                c.             The people were being taken advantage of…
                                2.            Jesus is claiming ownership: “My house.” [John 2:16]
                                                a.            When Jesus was asked for a sign: “Jesus answered them, "Destroy                                                  this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” [John 2:19]
                                    b.         We are the temple of God: “Do you not know that you are God's                                                             temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” [1 Corinthians 3:16]

                        3.         Jesus is challenge the authority of the religious leaders. 
                                    a.         Religion is self-serving.
                                     b.        Jesus is self-sacrificing.

II.        Our Power

            A.         “House of prayer”

                        1.          Isaiah 56:7 “these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful                                     in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be                                accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all                        peoples."

                                    a.         Notice the key words: holy, joyful, accepted, prayer (FOR ALL                                              PEOPLES)

                                    b.         The worship of God is an invitation FOR ALL.

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. [Ezekiel 22:30]


                        2.         It is a place for REPENTANCE (“sacrifices”)
                                   
                                    a.         “Holy” means separate (clean)
                                   
                                    b.         The bringing of sacrifices was generally in repentance,                                                          acknowledgment of sin and the penalty.
                                   
                                    c.         PRAYER: our direct communication with God.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ [Hebrews 4:16]


III.       Our Pitfall

            A.         “Den of robbers.”

“Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, [10]  and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'—only to go on doing all these abominations? [11] Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.”  [Jeremiah 7:9 – 11]

                        1.          A place where sin is safe.
           
                                    a.         A place were sinners are not disturbed… comfortable, unjudged

                                    b..        A place were saints are not motivated… comfortable, lukewarm.

                        2.         A place to cover-up and protect.

                                    a.         No need to repent, admit sin, or deal with sin.
                       
                                    b.         There is an unspoken “fellowship” that creates “comfort.”

            B.         Prevent those in need from entering:

                        1.          Matthew 21:14 à blind and lame are healed!

                        2.         Matthew 21:15 à Children shouting praise!          

                        3.         The religious? “Indignant” (angry)


IV.       An honest “moral inventory.”

                A.            Lack of prayer….
                                1.            Means judgmental gatekeeping.
                                2.            Means sin running us. (Regular need for confession and repentance.)
                                3.            Means a brutal but comfortable separation from God.
                                4.            Means an utter lack of power… settled pointlessness.

                B.            God’s house: place to worship, the church, and our life.
                                1.            Can you imagine the change that would happen if we committed ourselves to                                                   prayer…?
                                2.            Can you imagine what would happen if we actually spent time with God?
                                3.            Imagine the freedom from sin, the ability to say no to things that weigh us                                                          down, and the answers we would have to prayer…