Fearing & Rebelling
(Numbers 13:1-2, 17-33; 14:1-24) J G White
Sun, March 30, 2014, Windsor UBC
*Hymnal 560 Will Your Anchor Hold (stanza 1)
Let us take a scripture story in stages today, in three acts. We read in the book of Numbers, chapters 13 and 14. Listen to this amazing story. It will not be unlike our story, here and now...
Scripture Numbers 13:1-3, 17-24
Sermon Fearing & Rebelling: I
This is the time for “spying out” the next generations: the youth and young families we have within our Vision. Author and pastor Brian McLaren has talked about the oncoming generations among us as a whole, unsaved nation arising. And we are here, planed right in the midst of them, deployed here already, by God. They are our children and grand-children. Our young friends and neighbours.
Why “spy out the land” in the first place? To be prepared. To know what we are getting into. To understand what tools are needed. To have better expectations about the outcomes. To have a vision.
Why “spy out the land” in the first place? Will it change the plan? It sure did for the Children of Israel! They ended up with forty years camping in the wilderness, instead of going right in to take the Promised Land that was for them. But, I get ahead of the story.
Our first step, really, is to realize and know that we are entering a New Land. May not seem like a Promised Land, but it is the land for us to live in, and be on mission, be missional, be the missionaries, be the ‘local field staff.’
‘The Christian Century’ is over. It’s now the post-Christendom era. We are a minority, we, practicing Christians. We are in a war zone, of sorts, conflict. It’s Christianity verses ____, ____ and _____. We are one of many spiritual and social options. We are smaller group within the diverse world… as it was for believers in NT days. Some keen believers want a New Testament Church. Well, we’ve got it now!
So, it is time to send out spies into the land. Into the whole nation of younger people in Canada, into Nova Scotia. Some of you may want to be trained. Some of you are gifted at this already.
We need to speak of what we do know already, about the people who are 10 years old, and 16, and twenty, and twenty eight, and forty.
We must work together - be a team, a body - to know and understand what it means today to include the younger generations in the Kingdom, the Gospel.
We already know some about them. We must learn about younger cultures and trends, etc. We must be intentional in our interaction with real, live youth and younger people in West Hants, and beyond.
The motivation must be love for them, interest in them, vision for them… What does our Lord want for them? This is the final word; more important that what we want for them, or for us. Jesus said, Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!' (Luke 10) We must be ready for challenges. We must be ready to offer real peace.
Hymnal 560 Will Your Anchor Hold (stanza 2)
Scripture Numbers 13:25 - 14:10a
Sermon Fearing & Rebelling: II
We also report ‘badly’ on what we find as we spy on the people God sends us to in our day. We are not going to march to conquer and take over their land; we are going as Jesus went, to offer them entrance into the Kingdom of God. To take up our cross so they can be free. As we will sing, later, For not with swords, loud clashing, Nor roll of stirring drums, But deeds of love and mercy, The heavenly kingdom comes. (Lead On, O King Eternal, Ernest W Shurleff, 1862-1917)
But what do we say about youth and children, and their parents? What is our ‘report?’
“Young people today…” “Parents today…” “Schools today…”
This week, The Current on CBC radio gave a preliminary view of a TV Documentary called: Angry Kids & Stressed Out Parents.
The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests something unprecedented is happening with children. For the first time since this kind of data has been collected, more kids are diagnosed with mental health conditions than from physical ones. Parents confront children with high levels of anger, aggression, and other behaviour problems.
Experts in child development believe the problem is going to get worse: "Parents are busy in their own stressful and chaotic lives. And there's very little time that children have where people are present with them just to be with them, just to play, just to read a book. And those circumstances, those quiet times where they get lots of language input, really help them to regulate their behaviour." Dr. Mark Greenberg, Child Development Expert.
What is our Vision of God’s heart for people? How does he love them, who are angry, stressed out? How does He go to the irreligious, the spiritual seeker, the unsettled soul? When we ask this we have our own challenges, for we find we are in a foreign land, as Christians… so we are missionaries planted here, and must enter this place and time where we have never been before. Dear Church... are we afraid?
Like the ancient Children of Israel, we must express our fears. Not only about those we should be reaching with the Gospel. Fears also about what we must lose, give up, change, modify. “Oh, take us back to how it’s always been.” “Get us outta here!” This is where my own biggest fears come from, I must confess.
We must face our own rebellious temptations. We want to go back to the old ways, the good ole days, the familiar things of our youth, the roles of power we had once, the things that suit our fancy, our taste.
We also must learn to disagree, to do conflict well, to resolve things. Shall we learn again about the consensus process, Windsor Baptist? May it not be that, on the edge of the promised land - a whole world of pagans whom Christ loves - that we are not prepared, and must head back into the wilderness for forty more years before we can go, go into West Hants with a mission. (Maybe we’ve now had our wilderness time, and are just about prepared.) OK, I get ahead of myself again. Do not fear! I think you can be ready to go, face your fears, and bless! Does it seem that the Church is dying? I believe in a resurrection, in new birth, for the Church! For you. For me.
Hymnal 560 Will Your Anchor Hold (stanza 3)
Scripture Numbers 14:10b-24
Sermon Fearing & Rebelling: III
Do we find God as big a player in our lives as they did then? In the days of Moses? Here we view God’s wrath and mercy. Let’s just start again, the LORD says to Moses. I’ll start with you, and give up on the rest of this immature nation. I’ll strike them down; make a new nation from you.
Moses - what an amazing leader! - what does he do here, yet again? When the people are ready to mutiny, or murder, Moses does not verbally attack them or bash them. He doesn’t take up the LORD’s offer to start afresh with him… he pleads with God for mercy, to forgive and stick with them.
And God does. There are severe consequences for the Hebrews, but they will be kept on the track to be the nation to bless the world. It is clear, God is ready to accomplish His plans through someone, such as Moses’ line, anyone whom he can use to get the job done.
This reminded me of the story of Esther. And the scene where Mordecai, uncle of Esther, a new queen, sees that God will get His rescue mission accomplished through someone. If not Esther, through someone. (Esther 4:14) Mordecai to Esther:
If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this. (Msg)
Who knows?
Maybe you were made a grandparent for such a time as this.
Maybe you were made a neighbour for such a time as this.
Maybe you were made a carpenter for such a time as this.
Maybe you were made a runner for such a time as this.
Maybe you were made an ill person for such a time as this.
Maybe you were made a musician for such a time as this.
Maybe you were made a senior for such a time as this.
Maybe you were made lower middle class for such a time...
Maybe we were made a Baptist Church for such a time as this in Windsor and West Hants!
Jesus said to Peter and the disciples, at one point, “...I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 There is tremendous purpose and power in God today. And in the Church that Jesus builds. In the family that the Father adopts. In the team the Spirit equips.
We spy out the land we are on the edge of - the nation of younger people. Have vision: see what the Lord sees!
We face our fears, and also face the consequences of our failures. Don’t rebel or be ready at any moment to turn back. We can go forward into new places if we stop gazing into our rear-view mirror!
And we will find God, our God, to be merciful, and keep leading us, and preparing us for mission. The Father is so patient with us. He has such purpose for us, as He loves the world!
There’s a new world somewhere they call the Promised Land,
And I’ll be there someday, if you will hold my hand…
(Tom Springfield)
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