Sermon Central
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Just Say No To Hakuna Matata Series
Contributed by Troy Borst on Sep 10, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: This word “ignorant” occurs 13 times in the Bible and is connected with some important spiritual facts we should all know. That is why today we cover the spiritual Truth that the past many times teaches us how to live today.
IGNORANT SERIES: JUST SAY NO TO “HAKUNA MATATA”
INTRODUCTION
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word “ignorant” means unaware or uniformed. I would like us, for the next few weeks, to look at some spiritual facts that you may be unaware of or have forgotten. Most of the time we forget important spiritual truths when it comes to God and our relationship with Him. I am not sure why we forget such important matters, but I know it to be true. That is why God had Israel erect monuments and write down accounts and tell stories about all the events that took place in their relationship with Him. They forgot easily! We forget easily! This word “ignorant” occurs 13 times in the Bible and is connected with some important spiritual facts we should all know. That is why today we cover the spiritual Truth that the past many times teaches us how to live today.
The Lion King, Disney’s 32nd feature film, came to the screen on June 15, 1994. I remember all the hoopla surrounding this movie because it was supposed to show great animation and the story was to be good and Disney promoted it well. The story focuses on a young lion prince is born in Africa, thus making his uncle Scar the second in line to the throne. Scar plots with the hyenas to kill King Mustafa and Prince Simba, thus making himself King. The King is killed and Simba is led to believe by Scar that it was his fault, and so flees the kingdom in shame. After years of exile he is persuaded to return home to overthrow Scar and claim the kingdom as his own thus completing the "Circle of Life" (http://come.to/disneyarchive). I am sure this movie is on many people’s top movie lists. One of the songs in the movie, entitled “Hakuna Matata” has these words:
“Hakuna Matata!
What a wonderful phrase
Hakuna Matata!
Ain’t no passing craze
It means no worries
For the rest of your days
It’s our problem-free philosophy
Hakuna Matata!”
The characters were trying to convince the young lion that the past is the past and nothing good can come from it. You can’t change it and most of the time it just hurts you anyway. It is best to ignore the past and move on. I submit to you this morning that some of us have this very same attitude. We feel like the past is nothing but hurt, mistakes, and is good for forgetting. Yet, the Bible teaches us that the history of our life, the past, and what happened can teach us.
I. THE PAST TEACHES US ABOUT THE HAPPENINGS OF HISTORY (VERSES 1-5)
A. We learn from the very first verse that the people Paul is speaking about had some very miraculous
events happen right before their eyes. Paul specifically mentions two wonders that these people of faith
saw.
1) They saw the pillar of cloud lead them in the desert (Exodus 13). God was taking care of His
people by showing them the way through the treacherous desert. They certainly did not know
the way. They needed guidance and the Egyptians certainly weren’t going to help. The people
of faith, the Israelites, were on their way to the Promised Land, that place promised to Abraham.
2) They saw the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14). God continued His watch care over His
people. They were in physical danger by the armies of Pharaoh and their back was against the
Sea. There was no place to go and certainly the huge masses could not get away fast enough.
They needed divine help. The people of faith, the Israelites, walked on dry ground to safety and
lost not the slowest or the weakest.
B. As we continue to read, we learn that the people soon became unfaithful. The same people who had
seen the cloud lead them through the desert, the parting of the Red Sea, and the provision of manna,
turned away from God.
1) The Community of the Faithful soon became the Union of the Unfaithful.
2) Verse 5 tells us plainly that God was not pleased with most of the Israelites. His reaction,
according to Numbers 26:65, was to leave them in the desert for 40 years until they passed away.
A new generation entered the Promised Land. Why? They were unfaithful.
C. Hebrews 3:12-19 highlights the unbelief of Israel.
II. THE PAST TEACHES US ABOUT MISTAKES MADE (VERSES 6-10)
A. Verse 6 explains to us what our attitude should be about the past, reading about the past, and perhaps
even our attitude as Christians towards the Old Testament.
1) These events in the past should be looked on as examples.
2) Reading about the past means you wish not to make the same mistakes.
