COME WITH US, WE WILL DO YOU GOOD
Num. 10:29
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A man had a terribly lengthy surgery. It was expensive and the results weren’t that promising. He went to his doctor for the post-op visit and the doctor said, “Well, I have some sad news for you; you’re not going to live more than one year.”
2. And the man said, “Good grief, doc, it’s going to take me at least 3 years to pay your bill!” And the doc said, “Then I give you three years to live.” [Preaching Mag. [7-8;1989].
3. Aren’t you glad God is in control?
B. TEXT
“And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father in law, ‘We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it you.’ Come with us, and we will do you good: for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel.’” Num. 10:29.
[Hobab was Moses’ brother in law; Raguel =Jethro, which may be a title for the Priest/Prince of Midian.]
C. THESIS
1. The context of Moses’ statement was prophetic, that God had promised to His people “a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey…” Ex. 3:8.
2. The proof of God’s faithfulness and truth was reported by the 12 spies, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit” Num. 13:27. They brought back a cluster of grapes so large that it took two men to carry it on a pole, along with pomegranates and figs.
3. What God did for Israel physically, He now does for His people, the Church. If non-Christians knew the incredible benefits of being a Christian, they would join up in droves! Maybe we should let them in on our secret!
4. We should be eager to tell people about the goldmine of blessing we’ve discovered. We ought to invite them as Moses, “Come with us and we will do you good!” Here’s 3 reasons:
I. BECAUSE WE’RE WALKING WITH A GOOD GOD
A. GOD IS A GOOD GOD
1. God said about Himself, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Ex. 34:6.
2. The God of the Bible is motivated by love in all He does. He wants to save and bless all humans with eternal life.
3. He is not motivated, as Allah, to uphold his greatness at all costs, but voluntarily humbled Himself to subject Himself to mocking and torture by His creatures in order to save them. His over-riding motive is His LOVE. Praise God!
B. GOD IS WORKING FOR OUR GOOD
1. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Rom. 8:28.
2. God is NOT working for HIS own good, but for OUR good! What an amazing statement. If God be for us, who can be against us? If we are mistreated in this life, still God will turn it around in the next life.
3. The beggars in this life, the under-privileged, the hungry, the sad, the persecuted, the disadvantaged – all will be reversed in eternity. They will not be the tail, but the head in God’s order. [See the “Beatitudes,” Mt. 25:35-43, Luke 16:19-26]
C. THIS GOOD GOD IS IN CONTROL OF OUR WORLD
1. “For dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations” Psalm 22:28. “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.” Dan. 2:21, NASV.
2. The world will have chaos because there are many people who are sinning & violating the will of God. But despite that, God is still moving history in the direction He wants it to go. He’s in charge and intervenes when He sees it’s necessary.
3. This gives us confidence and peace when we see wars and political upheavals in this world. Jesus will eventually rule the nations! All will be put under His feet!
D. HE GIVES US HOPE IN OUR TRIALS
1. He won’t our trials be too overwhelming. He won’t allow more than we can bear. He’ll make a way of escape so we can bear up under our trials. 1 Cor. 10:13.
2. He’ll give us grace, sufficient for our trials. He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:9. That means inner strength.
3. He gives us the promises of His Word to encourage and sustain us in trials. “The steps of a good man/woman are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand” Psalm 37:23-24. We may suffer for a night, but joy comes in the morning!
4. He will lighten our darkness, bear our burdens with us, and has promised to bring us through to victory in the end. Rom. 8:37, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
5. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” Phip. 4:19. Praise God!
2ND, WE WILL DO YOU GOOD BECAUSE…
II. GOD BLESSES HIS PEOPLE NOW!
A. THE TEACHING OF SCRIPTURE
1. On Mt. Ebal in Deut. 27-28 Moses outlined the curses for disobedience and on Mt. Gerizim, the blessings for obedience that will come on people IN THIS LIFE. Because we’re obedient, we can expect God’s blessings. The N.T. confirms this.
2. “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much IN THIS AGE, and in the age to come eternal life.” Lk. 18:29-30; Mk. 10:29-30.
3. Paul said, “godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the PRESENT LIFE and the life to come” 1 Tim. 4:8.
4. IS THERE PROOF THAT GOD BLESSES HIS PEOPLE MORE THAN OTHERS? YES!
B. STUDIES: CHRISTIANS DO BETTER THAN NONS
Research shows that Christians have better family lives, better mental health, better physical health, live longer, have better marriages, and produce kids more resistant to sin than non-Christians! Examples of findings:
1. A Family Research Report (1993) found “Churchgoing” was a key characteristic of VIOLENCE-FREE families.
2. BETTER MENTAL HEALTH. A Pew Research Study [1/31/2019] found “Actively religious people are more likely than their less-religious peers to describe themselves as “very happy.” Other studies confirm better mental health.
3. LESS HEALTH PROBLEMS. A Purdue Univ. study [In Other Words, #400] of 1,473 Americans found that those who were religious were half as likely to report health problems as those
who weren’t. Forbes Mag. Published a new study 3/29/2019 which stated “Science Says: Religion Is Good For Your Health.”
4. LIVE LONGER. A Minister’s Life Insurance Co. advertisement stated (backed up by research), “Ministers go to Heaven 23% slower” than other mortals.
5. STRONGER MARRIAGES [In Other Words # 922]
a. National Divorce Rate = 1 in 3.
b. If Married in Church, Divorce Rate = 1 in 50.
c. If married in Church, attend weekly, pray & read Bible = the divorce rate is 1 in 1,105!
6. PRODUCE KIDS RESISTANT TO SEX & DRUGS. Religious faith and the determination “not to do it” were 2 of the major factors which prevented pregnancies of teens. A Rand Corp. study of 13,000 girls found them less likely to become pregnant if religious. [Aug. 21,1988 study]
3RD REASON TO WALK WITH GOD IS BECAUSE…
III. GOD HAS A GREAT DESTINY FOR US
A. THERE IS LIFE AFTER DEATH/ RAPTURE
1. The Bible tells us the wonderful news that death is not final, the grave won’t hold us, and the Earth can’t keep us!
2. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” 1 Cor. 15:51-52. The Rapture’s going to happen!
3. We’re going to survive death, be transformed and get new human bodies, that will never get old or have aches & pains. We have an awesome New Life ahead of us which our feeble mind can’t conceive!
B. OUR DESTINY? A NEW WORLD/ HEAVEN
1. Jesus is preparing a place for us that’s been under construction for 2,000 years!
2. The Ark of Noah was under construction for 120 years, the underground city of Petra, in Jordan, took 850 years, but Jesus has been working on your mansion for 2,000 years!
3. “We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness” 2 Pet. 3:13.
4. 2 “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” Rev. 21:2-4.
C. NO MORE TIME: ETERNAL LIFE!
1. Isa. 25:7-8; “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.”
2. On top of a new body, a new life, a new world, and new mansions – we’re going to be given an infinite life to dwell with God and be the subjects of His blessing “time without end.”
3. Eternal life is more than a length of time, it’s a quality of life/ joy, as far above this life as the heavens are above the earth.
4. God’s only description is “IT’S SOOOOO GOOD, YOU CAN’T POSSIBLY IMAGINE HOW GOOD IT WILL BE!” Wow! When God doesn’t even have the words, it must be good!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUS. WHEN TRASH IS REALLY TREASURE
1. Craig Randall drives a garbage truck in Peabody, Massachusetts. In a garbage container one day, he noticed a Wendy’s soft drink cup bearing a contest sticker.
2. Having won a chicken sandwich the week before, Randall checked it, hoping for some french fries or a soft drink.
3. Instead, he peeled a sticker worth $200,000 toward the construction of a new home, reports “U.S. News and World Report” (11/6/95). [Bob Weniger, Ft. Collins, Colorado]
4. That’s what finding Jesus is like – you don’t think you’re going to get much – but it turns out to be a fortune!
5. If only people around us knew of the peace and joy, and the blessings of the Lord. Maybe we should say like Moses, “Come with us; we will do you good!”
B. THE CALL
1. Do you know anyone who needs to hear the Good News? God loves people and has a wonderful plan for their lives! Can you think of someone to let in on your secret?
2. Maybe someone here has never surrendered their life to Jesus, but you want to do that now. Slip up your hand.
3. Let’s gather at the front and accept God’s Best for us and embrace a future of Blessing that is better than we can imagine! Prayer.
[It would be a good idea if Hobab, etc., had joined with Moses, because the Israelites later made war on the Midianites, who were wiped out. Now is our chance to join God’s people and God’s side. Later, God will judge the world, so we better be on the right side!]
