No Turning Back
Don’t Harden Your Heart!
As we have followed the people of Israel on their journey from Mt Sinai to the Promised Land we have seen their struggles and failures… but if we miss what God is saying to us in the midst of all this we have just wasted our time. The writer to the book of Hebrews, writes to Jewish Christians who were on the verge of giving up on Jesus because of pressure and persecution. In his letter he draws them to…
Snakes of Wrath
Some people try to build unity in the church by pointing out what they believe to be our common enemies. They lead the church into battlefronts against the social and moral problems of our day and it can seem as though we are united. But as we put up our defenses and form barricades against the external threats around us it is possible that we forget about an even greater threat… the threat within! As we come closer to the…
Water of Life
So often in this series we have seen Israel get frustrated with a small thing and let it turn them against God. Yet again in this passage we find the people grumbling and complaining against God and Moses because they have no water. However, this time it is not the sin of Israel that comes under the spotlight. This time it is the sin of Moses! The great leader who had battled so hard to keep the people on track…
Murray Lean: The Heart of Rebellion
We continue in our series in the book of Numbers as Murray Lean from City North Baptist comes and shares with us. In Numbers 16 we see a man who had become so discontent with his life that he rebelled against his leaders and against his God. But as we look at his rebellion we will see that this spirit of discontentment is at the heart of every human ego; we are all prone to rebel against God when we…
Presumptuous Pride
When God handed down His verdict against the cowardly and stiff-necked Israel the nation wept bitterly all night… but when morning came they responded in a way that showed they had not fully come to terms with their sin. As we examine the first few moments after their conviction we will learn how God wants us to respond to our sin and what is His true heart for sinners.
Brain-snap of Faithlessness
We have followed Israel on their journey from Mt Sinai to the Promised Land. This week we find them right on the verge of their greatest victory, taking possession of the land, only to pike at the last minute. As we look at the deeper reasons behind their faithlessness we will find some attitudes we need to avoid. So many people investigate Christianity only to turn away at some point in their journey and leave their faith behind. By God’s…
The Curse of Jealousy
Moses had endured a lot of pain on this journey so far. He constantly had to bear the burdens of this stiff-necked people as they worshiped idols, grumbled and complained and longed for the day of their slavery instead of setting their faces towards freedom. But I reckon the thing that stung most was his own flesh and blood, his own brother and sister, speaking out against him. As we investigate Aaron and Miriam’s opposition to Moses we will not…
The Spirit of Grumbling
No one is really the eternal optimist. Every one of us feels the need to have a bit of a whinge at some point. But as the Hebrews were about to find out there is a way in which our grumbling and complaining can be a great offence to God. No matter how small our grumble is it has the potential to dominate and the destroy our lives. As we continue with the Israelite people on their journey from Sinai…
Remembering Redemption
Many Christians think of the book of Numbers and think of counting; boring lists of names and numbers and consider it has very little to offer them. But while a census of the people is a key feature in the book it is probably unfairly named… it should be called “wandering” or “journey” because the biggest chunk of the book deals with Israel’s journey from Mt Sinai to the Promised Land. We have called our series “No Turning Back” because…