26-0927a Transcript

(4:30) Okay, that’s the title of my lesson. Behavior that repulses God. What repulses God? (4:39) Have you figured it out yet? I was sitting in the lesson last Sunday with Scott, and he gave (4:48) a lesson on the brass serpent. And I’m sitting there thinking to myself, that’s great. You know, (4:56) if I’d be lifted up, I would go all in unto myself.

And that’s a concept that I get when (5:01) God tells Moses to get a brass serpent and put it on a pole, and then whoever looks at it (5:09) will be healed if they’ve been bit by a serpent. And of course, nobody wants to be bit by a rattler (5:16) or a cobra or whatever, because it’s very, very painful, and you can die from it. There’s no (5:24) question about it.

And so we can die from sin, and we do die from sin if we don’t look at Jesus, (5:34) because he’s been lifted up. And so we have the opportunity to be healed from our sins and not die (5:42) from the results of our sins. So as we reflect upon what is the behavior that repulses God? (5:53) Well, what was the behavior that caused God to bring the serpents, fiery serpents, to (6:02) come into play? Why did God bring those serpents on those people as a plague? We read that in (6:08) Numbers, the 21st chapter.

I’m not going to read the whole account. I’m just going to give you (6:13) a brief synopsis of it, but you can look it up. If you’re taking notes, please take notes on (6:20) Numbers chapters 14, 16, and 21, because those are the chapters that I’m going to be making (6:27) reference to as far as this particular behavior that caused God to bring this upon the Israelites, (6:38) bringing the serpents.

What was that behavior? It was murmuring. Murmuring. God is repulsed by (6:49) murmuring.

What is murmuring? And as we reflect upon that, I looked it up and had the definitions (6:59) here. Murmuring in the biblical context refers to the act of grumbling, complaining, or expressing (7:08) discontent, often in a subdued or secretive manner. It is typically directed against God (7:17) or his appointed leaders and is characterized by a lack of faith and trust in God’s provision.

(7:27) So murmuring. God doesn’t want us to murmur. He’s been asking us not to murmur.

It is a human (7:38) nature type of thing. We can be found murmuring without giving a whole lot of thought about it. (7:46) You ever stop to think? It’s something that happens in the church.

(7:53) The brotherhood will go home and have fried deacons or fried elders or fried preachers. (8:01) What am I talking about when I said fried elders and fried preachers? (8:07) We’re murmuring. We’re sitting at the dinner table.

We’ve just got through (8:11) listening to the sermon, and we’re home now, and we’re talking to our family, (8:19) and we’re murmuring. We’re running down the preacher, or we’re running down the elders, (8:24) or we’re saying things about the song leader and how the song leader butchered the songs that day, (8:31) or the Lord’s table was poorly waited on. And so that’s murmuring.

And God hates that. Why does (8:40) He hate that? Because you’re murmuring against His anointed person. The person who’s delivering the (8:51) message like I am right now is appointed by God, and He doesn’t want you to run me down.

He doesn’t (9:01) want you to run down the song leader. He doesn’t want you to run down the elder or the deacon. (9:07) He doesn’t want you because that’s an appointed person.

Stop and think about that in your own (9:13) personal effects when you’re working, when you’re out in the public, especially in your employment. (9:22) When you’re sitting there at your desk, and you got other employees around, you can hear (9:29) murmuring constantly. Do you participate in it? I hope not, because we’re asked not to murmur.

(9:39) Not only in the church, we’re asked not to be murmurers as a person, as a behavior of a Christian. (9:47) A Christian is not to be a murmurer. What do we do when we’re in our employment? We’re talking about, (9:55) oh, that’s a bad boss, or that’s a bad supervisor, and whoa, why am I being asked to do this? Why am (10:03) I being asked to do that? And you say to yourself, man, I could be a better supervisor than him.

I (10:12) could be a better foreman than him. What’s happening? Well, you see, the employer is going (10:20) to look for an opportunity to get rid of you, or to reprimand you in some way or another, (10:26) and he will reprimand you. Why is he going to reprimand you? Why is he taking issue with the (10:33) way that you’re murmuring about his supervisor, or about his foreman, or about the office manager? (10:40) Why is he taking issue with that? It’s because he hired them, and he put them in that position (10:47) because he considered them to be qualified leaders, and he doesn’t want you to make (10:56) any derogatory remarks about him, because it’s a reflection on the boss.

It’s a reflection on the (11:05) arm for having hired the person, and you’re running him down. He doesn’t like that, and besides that, (11:13) what happens to the morale? What happens to the morale that’s in the office? People are (11:21) joining in with you, and they’re listening to you, and that’s (11:25) the end to this. I’m listening to it, and so the morale starts running down.

Oh, (11:34) we find people not coming into work on time. We find people leaving work before it’s time. (11:41) We find people not giving their all to their job, simply because the morale is down, (11:49) and why is it down? Because of murmuring.

Murmuring is the enemy to a teamwork. (12:02) Talking about teamwork, we find that even in the sports arena, whether you’re talking about football, (12:09) baseball, basketball, whatever the sport is that especially has a clubhouse, and we have a team, (12:17) and we have to work around with the team, and so what is the owner of that team looking at (12:26) as to whether or not you’re paying any respects to the manager, (12:33) paying any respects to the way the manager is putting the team on the floor, (12:38) and whether or not you’re doing those things? What is the owner going to do when he perceives (12:46) that there’s a particular individual in the clubhouse that is murmuring? He’s going to get (12:55) rid of it. He’s going to trade him off.

He’s going to fire him, and it becomes knowledgeable within (13:02) this area. The people who come and watch the games, they know that there’s something going (13:10) wrong in the clubhouse or in the locker room. They know that there’s because they’re not playing (13:16) together as a team.

The morale of the team goes down. They’re not playing and giving their hearts, (13:23) but why aren’t they giving their hearts? Because they’re murmuring. (13:29) They’re the results of murmuring.

God doesn’t want us to murmur. What was the murmuring that (13:37) brought about the brass serpents? If you read in chapter 21, numbers of the 21st chapter, (13:44) it gives you the account of what is happening. God has them wandering in the wilderness, (13:51) and they’re going to be wandering in that wilderness for 40 years.

We know that, (13:55) and there’s a reason why they’re going to be wandering in the wilderness, and we’ll talk (13:58) about that in a minute. The reason why they’re wandering in the wilderness is because they were (14:03) murmuring. We’ll talk about what they were murmuring about that got them wandering in (14:08) the wilderness.

Why did God bring about the serpents and fiery serpents? It’s because (14:15) they were complaining about having to go around Edom and making their journey harder, (14:24) and they were having to forge for their food, and they were having to find water and so on, (14:32) and it was becoming difficult, and they were murmuring. What were they murmuring about? (14:40) They were murmuring because God did not allow them to go to Edom. The reason why He didn’t want to (14:46) go into Edom is because He didn’t want them to fight.

He didn’t want to expose them to warfare (14:52) yet. They weren’t ready to come into warfare and to meet the people to be opposing them, (15:00) because what did the Israelites comprise of? They were people who came out of Egypt who were slaves, (15:08) and as slaves they were never taught to be warriors. They did not know how to use swords.

(15:15) They did not know how to use the shields. They did not know how to use the weapons of warfare (15:19) because they were never trained. All they had to do was make brick and mortar and mud and so on, (15:27) and build whatever it was that the emperor wanted to have built.

They were not ready for warfare, (15:35) and that’s the reason why He prepared Moses to go into the wilderness. As he left (15:41) Egypt and fled Egypt because he killed the one person, and so he fled for his life, (15:49) and while he was out there, what was God doing to Moses? He was preparing Moses (15:55) for the leadership because Israel did not have a leader, and where was Moses traveling, (16:04) and where was he taking Moses? Throughout the land that Egypt was eventually, or the Israelites (16:12) were eventually going to have to travel through. Moses knew that land, the wilderness, that he was (16:21) leading the people through because he had lived there until he was 80 years old.

He left Egypt (16:29) at 40, and he traveled around. God prepared him for this trip for 40 years, and when he was 80 (16:36) years old, God called upon him to be the leader of the Israelites as they came out of Egypt, (16:44) and so God prepared Moses to be there, and so who are they complaining about? (16:52) They’re complaining about Moses and Aaron, and they’re complaining about the fact that (16:58) that they were being led around Edom, which would have made it an easier trip for them. (17:05) God didn’t want them to have that confrontation, and so they’re murmuring and complaining, (17:13) and it’s a fact, yes, God heard it.

God became angry. He was repulsed. Why? (17:27) Because they were murmuring not only against Moses and Aaron and their leadership, (17:32) but they were complaining about plans that God had for them, (17:37) and it was reflecting on God, and God was taking it personal.

(17:43) Murmuring. God takes it personal, so we’re being asked not to murmur, (17:51) and so this is the thing that we as Christians need to concern ourselves about whether or not (17:58) we’re participating in murmuring. He doesn’t want us to murmur at all, anytime, under any (18:06) circumstances, because he has divine intervention, providence, and preservation, doesn’t he? (18:16) So, as he’s reflecting upon that, he became angry, and he caused the serpents to come, (18:25) the fiery serpents to come, and they started biting and killing off many of the Israelites, (18:33) and that’s when Moses was told by God, because Moses asked God to do something about it, (18:41) and so Moses, God asked him to take a serpent and make a brass serpent out of it and put it on a (18:48) pole so that whoever looks upon it when they’re bit, they will be healed.

But that was the result (18:56) of murmuring. Now, the next question is, why are they wandering in the wilderness in the first (19:04) place? There’s a kind of murmuring, and we find that in chapter 14, Numbers, the 14th chapter, (19:14) and this is a lengthy, so I’m going to just give you an overall view, summarize it, (19:22) because we’ve got Numbers, the 14th chapter. As we see Israelites coming out of Egypt, (19:29) they’re being led by God, and they’re being led by a fire at night and a cauldron during the day, (19:38) and Moses is, and Aaron is his right-hand man of Moses, and Moses is leading them, (19:46) and so as we come, they’re being led to the promised land.

(19:54) Oh, what is the promised land? The promised land is Canaan, isn’t it? (20:01) So as we’re dealing with the Canaanites, we see that they come to the border, (20:07) and what is suggested? That they send spies into Canaan to spy it out, (20:16) and so there’s 12 spies that go in, and we recognize the 12. They come from all the various (20:24) tribes, 12 tribes, 12 spies. Joshua and Caleb were two of the spies that comprised of the 12 (20:32) that are going in.

What’s the result? The result is that when they come back and they give the report, (20:40) what was the report? It was immortalizing. Why? They’re giants! We’re ants in the sand! (20:55) But what was Joshua and Caleb? Joshua and Caleb said, with the help of God, we can take it, (21:02) and the grapes, they brought back grapes, and they brought back the fruit, and they were huge, (21:06) and very delicious, and very enticing, but what happened? The people were listening (21:14) to the 10 spies who gave a demoralizing report, and they started murmuring. (21:25) What were they murmuring about? Why did you bring us all the way out here? (21:33) Wasn’t there enough graves in Egypt to bury us? Why don’t we get at the leaders and take us back (21:40) to Egypt? They began to murmur, and God says, you will not enter My rest.

So He rejected them, (21:57) even though they realized that they made a mistake of murmuring and not wanting to go (22:02) into the Promised Land, into Canaan. God told them He was not with them. God told them they (22:08) were not to go in there, but they tried to anyway, and they were beaten back.

(22:15) And so now, all of a sudden, they have no place to go, so now they have to wander, and God made a vow (22:22) that those people would never see the Promised Land, and He’s going to make them wander until (22:28) they all pass away and drop in the desert like they had asked then. Because I would say, (22:34) why didn’t you just allow us to die in the wilderness? He says, I will. I’ll let you die in (22:44) the wilderness.

And so He leads them into the wilderness. That’s why they’re in the wilderness (22:50) in the first place. Why? Because they were murmuring.

God is repulsed by a murmuring, and He (23:00) will act on it. So what’s the next thing? At the time of Chapter 16, we’re introduced to Korah (23:13) and Dathan. We’re introduced.

And so, again, I’m going to recap the events that take place, (23:24) but this is in Chapter 16 in Numbers. They’re complaining because Moses and Aaron, (23:30) they believe, have taken on the leadership and the responsibility of the leadership and the (23:36) welfare, and they’re complaining about it, and they don’t like what Moses and Aaron are doing, (23:41) and they especially are taking offense to Moses' wife, because she’s not a Jew. (23:54) She’s not an Israelite.

And we see that they’re taking issue with his marriage. They did not (24:08) agree with it. They were offended by it.

We could do better with this. And so they started (24:17) complaining about Moses and Aaron, and then they said that Aaron took his priesthood on himself. (24:24) Of course, we know he didn’t, because God had them take their staffs, and they put them in the (24:31) covenant, Ark of the Covenant, and when they took him out the next morning, (24:39) Aaron’s staff was the only one that was budding, indicating that God truly did want Aaron to be (24:46) the high priest and Moses.

So what do we have? They’re murmuring against Moses and Aaron. (24:58) What do bosses do when they appoint people? God is upset. It’s a reflection on him, (25:08) because he appointed Moses and Aaron.

And so here is Korah. He’s murmuring, (25:16) and he’s getting all these people to be behind him. He wants to overthrow Moses and Aaron, (25:22) and get them out of the leadership, and so on.

And God hears it, and God says, (25:28) I’m going to destroy them. And Moses stands in their place, and he says, no. So then God says, (25:38) separate yourself from Korah.

Separate yourself from his family. Get everybody to be on this side, (25:46) and that’s where our line of demarcation is. I’m going to, like the Westerns, you stand over, (25:53) there’s a line.

If you’re with me, you come over this line, and I’m with you. You stay on that (25:58) side of the line, you’re my enemy. And that’s exactly the position that God put them.

Korah (26:07) and his family, and those who wanted to follow Korah, all stayed on the other side, (26:13) and those who were with Moses came over on his side. What happens? (26:21) The earth opens up and swallows them all. Why? Because of murmuring.

(26:31) What does murmuring do? It demoralizes. It demoralizes. So God is asking us not to murmur.

(26:46) So we flip into the second chapter, as I pointed out to you. Let’s cut it down to verse 14, (26:57) just go to the chase. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become (27:06) blameless and pure, children of God, without fault, in a warped and crooked generation.

(27:14) Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky, as you hold firmly to the word of life. (27:22) And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. (27:29) But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from (27:36) your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. (27:47) First Corinthians, 10th chapter. We’ll cut to the chase on that one too.

Verse 10. (28:12) Yeah, verse 10. Well, let’s pick up a verse.

We should not commit sexual immorality, or (28:18) as some did, and in one day 23,000 of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did, (28:26) and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, which is another word from murmuring.

Do not (28:34) grumble, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel. God does not like grumbling (28:46) and murmuring. So it’s something that you and I need to really pay attention to, because it’s so (28:54) easy to fall into that, especially when we’re in a group that is being led by a foreman or a boss (29:05) or whatever.

It is so easy to fall in, especially in a brotherhood like this. This is the worst (29:13) place to find grumbling, because it demoralizes. So reflect upon your office work, reflect upon (29:23) teamwork, reflect upon a brotherhood.

There’s nothing that is so demoralizing and so (29:34) destructive as murmuring. I’ll leave you with that. (29:42) There may be someone in the audience this morning that understands that they are outside of Christ (29:50) and outside of God, and that they need the forgiveness of their sins, and to be (29:54) reconciled to God, and to bring their relationship in favor with God.

(30:02) And the way that God is offering it, this is His gospel. God is offering you the opportunity to (30:09) do that very thing by accepting His Son, Jesus, as your Lord and Savior, become a disciple of Him, (30:17) and to become a member of His Church. And how do we do that? Jesus says, (30:26) going into all the world, teaching them, and baptizing them in the name of the Father, (30:31) Son, and Holy Spirit.

And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. And that’s the response (30:38) that is necessary is to be baptized for the remission of your sins, acknowledge that Jesus (30:44) is your Lord and Savior. We’d like to extend to you the opportunity to respond to that if you (30:50) would like to, because we have everything ready, the water, the garments, and we’re (30:54) willing to assist you in any way we can.

While together we stand and sing the song of encouragement? (30:59)