SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). The Problems Moses Experienced (vs 1-10)
(2). The Prayer Moses Voiced (vs 11-15)
(3). The Provision Moses Needed (vs 16-25)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Due to an accident a minister had to have all of his remaining teeth pulled out;
• And a set of new dentures were made for him.
• The first Sunday he preached after this happened;
• He only preached 10 minutes.
• The second Sunday, he preached only 20 minutes.
• But, on the third Sunday, he preached 1 hour 25 minutes.
Well it did not take long for the congregation to start grumbling and moaning about the length of his last sermon.
• One of the Church leaders decided to have a quiet word with him;
• And ask him about the various lengths of his recent talks.
• The minister responded this way.
• On the first Sunday, my gums were so sore it hurt to talk, so I had to keep it short.
• The second Sunday, my gums were much better;
• But after a while talking, my dentures started to hurt,
• So once again I needed to finish early.
• On the third Sunday, I accidentally grabbed my wife's dentures by mistake
• And that’s why I couldn't stop talking!
• TRANSITION: Now all of you wanting to complain about that joke;
• Please form a que at the door of the vestry afterwards!
COMPLAINING is often said to be a British national pastime:
• We British like to complain about everything;
• We moan about the weather, “It’s too hot, it’s too cold, it’s too windy, it’s too wet etc.”
• In fact some people literally moan about everything!
• We live in the most indulged society in the world;
• And yet it is also the most disgruntled society in the world.
• It seems to me that the more we have the more we seem to complain.
• TRANSITION: The people in Numbers chapter 11;
• Are people who are moaning and grumbling without any valid reasons,
• They had every reason to celebrate and virtually no reason to complain.
Think of God’s track record – the background to this chapter:
• God had set this people free from slavery.
• When the Egyptian army came after them, God drowned them in the sea.
• Never again would these people labour under the crack of a whip.
• When hunger gnarled at their stomachs;
• God provided bread from heaven!
• When their throats panted for water;
• God cracked open a rock, and water gushed out to quench their thirst
Furthermore, God’s people were about to enter a land:
• Where there enemies had been swept away by hornets;
• (Exodus chapter 23 verse 28).
• They would live in cities they did not build;
• Find homes they did not furnish,
• Drink water from wells they did not dig;
• Eat fruit from orchards they had not planted.
• Instead of whining they should have been singing;
• Instead of grumbling, they should have been dancing.
• Instead of complaining, they should have been celebrating.
• And yet, this whole chapter is one of complaining
• Keep in mind...this is only 3 days into their journey!
• That’s right just three days have passed since they had left Mt Sinai.
• And these people are not happy!
• The Hebrew word for complained, ‘anan’ means, “to mourn.”
• Their complaining was a moaning that stemmed from self-pity.
Note:
• I was tempted to do a sermon on complaining this morning;
• Because like these ancient Hebrew people we are very good at that!
• Quote: Will Bowen
• "Complaining is like bad breath;
• you notice it when it comes out of somebody else's mouth, but not your own."
• And one obvious lesson that jumps out of these verses is:
• Am I a complainer or a thanks-giver?
Ill:
I am Thankful for.........
• ....the taxes I pay
• ....because it means I’m employed.
• ....the clothes that fit a little too snug
• ....because it means I have enough to eat.
• ....my shadow who watches me work
• ....because it means I am out in the sunshine.
• ....a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing
• ....because it means I have a home.
• ....the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot
• ....because it means I am capable of walking.
• ....my huge heating bill
• ....because it means I am warm.
• ....all the complaining I hear about our government
• ....because it means we have freedom of speech.
• ....the lady behind me in church who sings off key.
• ....because it means that I can hear.
• ....the piles of laundry and ironing
• ....because it means my loved ones are nearby.
• ....the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours
• ....because it means that I’m alive.
• ....weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day
• ....because it means I have been productive.
• TRANSITION: Am I a complainer or a thanks-giver?
• But our emphasis this morning will not be on complaining;
• Because the sermon title I was asked to speak on from this passage was:
• “Finding God in the life of Moses”
• And that gives this talk a totally different slant.
• So I want to emphasizes three key points;
• That we can learn from the life of Moses in this chapter.
(1). The Problems Moses Experienced (vs 1-10):
Ill;
• For more than 20 years Professor Edwin R. Keedy;
• Used to start his first class with new students;
• By putting two figures on the blackboard.
• The figures were the number 4 and next to it the number 2.
• Then would ask his new students, "What's the solution?"
• One student would always call out, "Six."
• Another would say "Two."
• Then several would shout out "Eight!"
• But the teacher would shake his head in the negative.
• “You are all wrong” he would say;
• And then Professor Keedy would point out their collective error.
"All of you failed to ask the key question: What is the problem? Gentlemen, unless you know what the problem is, you cannot possibly find the answer."
• TRANSITION: This teacher knew that in law as in everyday life,
• Too much time is spent trying to solve the wrong problem.
• So let’s identify the problems Moses faced.
• In fact there are three of them.
FIRST: MOSES FACED A PEOPLE PROBLEM (VS 1-3).
“Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. 3 So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the Lord had burned among them.
• Quote: Mark Twain:
• “The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.”
• As we have already noted these Hebrew people were nothing but complainers!
• They were never satisfied by anything!
• I guess it’s ironic they are called, ‘The children of Israel,’
• Because they behave like immature children all the time!
• This childish murmuring would have driven anyone over the edge!
• And eventually it got under the skin of Moses and wore him down.
Ill:
• Anytime there is a relationship between any two people;
• There will always be the potential for problems!
• As one person said,
"To live above with saints we love, oh won't that be glory!
But to love below with saints we know, well that's another story!"
SECOND: MOSES FACED A PROVISION PROBLEM (VS 4-9).
4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!’
7 The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. 8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand-mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. 9 When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.
• Moses was leading 2 million people through the desert wilderness;
• Now that is a lot of mouths to feed.
• And they had nothing to eat but Manna.
Now when these people first tasted manna;
• We are told it was like ‘wafers made from honey’ (Exodus chapter 16 verse 31).
• But now the sheer regularity of it made it stick in their gullet like sawdust.
• Now admittedly there was not much variation in their diet:
• i.e. Manna waffles, manna burgers, manna bagels, fillet of manna, manna bread etc.
• But they did not go to bed hungry!
• Quote: Arab proverb:
• “I complained because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”
• Now they might not have had much variation in their diet,
• But they did not go to bed hungry!
• God had daily provided for their needs;
• But they wanted God to provide for their greed’s!
Ill:
• God only promises us ‘our daily bread’,
• Not strawberries and ice-cream!
• Human beings are creatures who are very seldom satisfied!
And in verses 4-6 they whined:
“The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!’”
• Don’t miss those three words in verse 5, “At no cost”.
• They had forgotten that the cost was great, very great!
• Egypt had cost them the lives of their baby boys,
• Who were thrown into the Nile by Pharaoh's servants.
• Egypt had cost them the lives of their husbands & brothers,
• Who collapsed under the whips of the taskmaster’s!
• Would they really rather prefer slavery & oppression with spicy food;
• Rather than freedom and independence as liberated people;
THIRD: MOSES FACED A PERSONAL PROBLEM (VS 10)
“Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.”
Moses was a gifted leader:
• Appointed by God;
• And confirmed by his record of setting the people free from slavery.
• Yet, like all leaders Moses struggled to handle criticism.
• Verse 10 tells us that ‘every family’ was critical and condemning of him.
• Don’t miss that, this is not a few disgruntled people;
• This is the majority of the people!
• And Moses felt weighed down by the load he was bearing.
• Moses was grieved when the people criticised both him and God.
• It is hard and demoralizing when you have tried your best and given you all;
• Only for someone to come along and find fault,
• It crushes your spirit and it depresses your heart and mind.
Ill:
• As a Church leader I can guarantee every time we have a good idea;
• Every time we implement a change, someone will say something like…
• “It will never work”
• Or, “We've never done it that way before.”
• Or “We're doing fine without it.”
• Or, “We can't afford it.”
• Or “We're not ready for it.”
• Or, “It's not our responsibility.”
• As sure as eggs-are-eggs;
• If you are in any form of leadership, in the work place or in the Church;
• Criticism is all part of the package.
Ill:
• I like the story of the pastor;
• Who one morning received an anonymous letter in the post;
• The letter contained only one word, the word was written in large capital letters;
• And said, "FOOL!"
• The next Sunday morning when he started his sermon he said,
• "I've gotten many notes without signatures before,
• But this is the first time I got one where someone forgot to write the note,
• And just signed their name!"
• TRANSITION: Nobody likes to be criticised;
• And for anyone in leadership, then it is an expected part of the package.
• Yet, in this chapter Moses struggled with what he was experiencing:
• ‘Every family’ had their own opinion;
• And those opinions meant blaming and finding fault with Moses.
Moses allowed himself to become utterly discouraged.
• The word translated into English as "displeased"
• Means to be "broken to pieces, to be utterly destroyed".
• Moses had a breakdown!
• His confidence was shaken and his assurance was slowly erased.
Question: What was the problem here?
Answer:
• Moses had allowed the problems he faced to become larger than the God he served!
• And anytime that we allow that to happen in our lives,
• We are in danger of a major breakdown!
• Problems faced in our own strength will always be like mountains,
• But problems face in God’s strength can become like molehills.
• We need to keep our eyes on the Lord as we face our problems.
• We must remember that he, not us, is the one who fights the battles of life.
• He fights and we just get to enjoy the victory.
(2). The Prayer Moses Voiced (vs 11-15)
Ill:
• There was a pastor who had a parrot.
• All the parrot would say was, “Let’s pray, let’s pray.”
• The pastor tried to teach him to say other things but to no avail.
• All the parrot would say was, “Let’s pray, let’s pray.”
• Then the pastor learned that one of his deacons also had a parrot.
• The deacons parrot would only ever say, “Let’s kiss. Let’s kiss.”
• So the pastor decided to invite the deacon and his parrot over to his house.
• They put the parrots into the same cage to see what would happen.
• The deacon’s parrot said, “Let’s kiss, let’s kiss.”
• The pastor’s parrot said, “Thank you, Lord. My prayers have been answered.”
• TRANSITION: When criticized Moses took the situation to God in prayer.
• He shares with God his emotions and his feelings.
• And Moses prayer is not a nice, neat, pleasant little ditty,
• It is honest, it is angry and it expresses the distress of his heart.
“He asked the Lord, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors?13 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, “Give us meat to eat!” 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me right now – if I have found favour in your eyes – and do not let me face my own ruin.’”
• Moses is at breaking point:
• He is at a place where all he sees and feels is his own inadequacy and weaknesses.
• He confesses to God that he is insufficient to help these people.
• Notice how he described himself in verse 12;
• “As a father attempting to nurse a child!”
• He knew that he had no ability to provide anything for those 2 million people!
Ill:
Complete the following phrases:
• I am ready to throw in the… (towel).
• I am at the end of my… (rope).
• I am just a bundle of… (nerves).
• I am at my wits… (end).
• I am in over my… (head).
• TRANSITION: Moses is at breaking point:
• Moses has come to the place where he is ready to offer up his resignation.
• In verse 15 he is quitting! He has had enough and he says to God;
• The problems of life have become so overwhelming and the burdens so great;
• He prays, "Either get me out of this mess or kill me!"
• Now it is not a good idea to give God ultimatums?
• But Moses has reached the end of his rope.
• His eyes are fixed on the problem and not the solution.
• Moses has allowed the problems of life to eclipse the face of God.
Ill:
• The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small uninhabited island.
• He cried out to God to save him,
• Every day he scanned the horizon for help,
• But it was all in vain.
• He built himself a hut for shelter and protection;
• The worked was exhausting but worth it.
• Into the hut, he carefully put his few precious possessions.
• It wasn’t much but it was a home to him.
• One day he went out hunting for food,
• When he arrived home, he found his little hut consumed in flames,
• The smoke was billowing up to the sky.
• It was a hopeless situation but he tried his hardest to change it!
• Sadly it was all a waste of time and energy;
• The man collapsed into the sand broken-hearted and exhausted he cried himself to sleep.
• Early the next day, to his amazement, a ship drew near the island and rescued him.
• He asked the crew; “How did you know I was here?”
• They replied:
• “We saw your smoke signal and responded accordingly!”
• Though it may not seem so now,
• Your present difficulty may actually be instrumental to your future happiness.
• Moses was about to learn that great lesson;
• When we can’t God can,
• So get your eyes off the problems and start focusing them on God.
(3). The Provision Moses Needed (vs 16-25)
Ill:
• A man had been dragged around a large department store all morning;
• His wife had purchased a suitcase for their holiday and a hamper as a gift.
• But the shopping trip was no over just yet;
• The wife decided to go into the changing rooms and try on some outfits.
• Leaving the husband outside waiting with the suitcase and food hamper.
• Another man walked by and commented;
• "I’m waiting for my wife, too,
• But I never thought of bringing a lunch and an overnight bag with me."
• TRANSITION: The way God answered Moses prayer;
• Was in a way Moses had not thought of!
FIRST: GOD GAVE MOSES OTHER HELPERS.
• Quote: Tom Wilson
• "Many of us are more capable than some of us, but none of us is as capable as all of us"
• Instead of being the sole leader,
• Moses now shared the leadership with 70 other men.
• That meant the responsibility for the people was spread thinner.
• When leadership is shared.
• The burdens are shared as well.
Ill:
• Perhaps you have heard the geese honking as they fly northward in a "V" formation.
• Observations from Geese
• FACT 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow.
• By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range;
• Than if each bird flew alone.
• FACT 2: When the lead goose tires, it flies to the back of the formation and another goose flies to the point position.
• FACT 3: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down,
• Two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help protect it.
• They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again.
• Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
• TRANSITION: When leadership is shared the burdens are shared as well.
• God gave Moses people to help, encourage and support him.
• Quote: I like what one wit has said:
• “The trouble with being a leader today;
• Is that you can't be sure whether people are following you or chasing you.”
• God gave Moses people to help, encourage and support him.
• Moses had been called to be the leader of the people,
• But he gave up that lone leadership position to share his place with others.
SECOND: GOD GAVE MOSES ANOINTED HELPERS.
• Verses 17 and 25 tell us that God also anointed these 70 elders;
• For the task to which He was assigning them.
“I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.”
“ Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied – but did not do so again.”
Ill:
• The organist was having a good old groan and whine to another Christian;
• His complaint was that he'd been their 20 years and he's never been asked to be a leader.
• The other Christian listened to him moan and then replied:
• "I know how you feel, I've been here 5 years and I've never been asked to play the organ"
• The organist replied, "But you can't play the organ".
• "Exactly" came the reply!
TRANSITION: Leadership is a spiritual gift (Romans chapter 12 verse 8),
You should not become a leader because you have been in a Church a long time,
• You become a recognized leader when people see those gifts;
• Out-working themselves in the fellowship.
• Every Church needs gifted and anointed leaders;
• To guide and encourage and lead them forward into growth.
Note:
• God also anointed these 70 elders (vs 17 & 25),
• For the task to which He was assigning them.
• But did you notice where God got the anointing that He gave them?
• He took from the spirit He had given to Moses and gave it to others!
• In other words, although Moses could not see it;
• God had given him all he needed to get the job done for the Lord!
• But when Moses took his eyes off the Lord and placed them onto his circumstances;
• He failed to recognise that.
• But now in these anointed leaders;
• Moses knows that God had provided all that he had needed!
Ill:
• An Red Indian (Native American) walks into a bank;
• He looked at the bank manager and said; “Grass gone, well dry, sheep dead”
• The bank manager took him into the back room;
• And the Indian opened up his security box;
• It contained a number of gold nuggets.
• The Indian looked at the nuggets and replied: “Grass green, well full, sheep happy”
• Now the man’s circumstances had not changed;
• But he realised he had the resources to overcome his circumstances.
• TRANSITION: Moses knew God had provided all that he needed for these people;
• His job was to trust in the Lord and see God at work.
ill
• I would guess that we are all familiar with the Dutch Christian Corrie ten Boom;
• Who, along with her father and other family members,
• Helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II;
• As a result she was imprisoned for it.
• Her most famous book, The Hiding Place, describes the ordeal.
• Now Corrie ten Boom had a number of well-known sayings;
• For example:
• “If you look at the world, you'll be distressed.
• If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.”
• One of my favourites is: “Don't bother to give God instructions; just report for duty.”
• Corrie own favourite saying was; ‘Don’t wrestle just nestle!’
Punchline:
• Are you listening Moses?
• Are you listening Christian?
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=AEYzRnp94xe3FCpeV5xGwmKjE6yLFvrO
