Participants: Martin Fancher (Host)
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000289
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00:31 Hello, and welcome to another Faith Chapel.
00:34 I am Martin Fancher. 00:35 I Pastor the DeFuniak Springs and 00:37 Fort Walton Beach Seventh-day Adventist 00:39 Churches. It's my privilege to be here 00:41 today to share with you a subject that's important 00:43 to my heart that I have been entitled 00:45 "Look and Live." Before we get into today's study, 00:50 would you bow your head with me as 00:51 we invite the Lord's presence to be here. 00:54 Father in heaven, open our hearts and minds 00:57 that there may be in tune with you. 00:59 Send the Holy Spirit to us to open our 01:03 hearts and minds. We may truly understand 01:06 the message from you for us today, 01:09 for we pray these things in Jesus name, Amen. 01:14 I felt for a long time that one of the 01:16 particular temptations for maturing Christians 01:20 is the danger of getting accustomed to the 01:23 blessings of God. Yes, like the world traveler 01:27 that's been everywhere, no matter where they go, 01:31 they can kind of I've been there, 01:33 I've seen that it's old to me. 01:36 Well, I believe that's dangerous for us as 01:39 Christians to take for granted that which God 01:43 in His love has given to each one of us. 01:46 In fact, it was the poet Emerson that said, 01:48 if the stars came out only once a year, 01:51 everyone would stay up all night to behold them, 01:55 he's implying that because the stars do come out 01:58 every night and we see them so often that 02:00 we miss the mighty handy work of our creator 02:04 by not looking up and seeing what He has made 02:07 for us to enjoy. Let's take a look at the 02:10 Israelites of old and see how they became 02:13 accustomed to the blessings of God. 02:15 You have your Bible, we'll turn to 02:17 Number 21, verse 4 through 9. 02:22 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way 02:25 of the Red sea, to go around the land of Edom; 02:28 and the soul of the people became very discouraged 02:31 on the way. And the people spoke against God 02:33 and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up 02:36 out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? 02:38 For there is no food and no water, 02:41 and our soul loathes this worthless bread." 02:44 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among 02:46 the people, and they bit the people; 02:48 and many of the people of Israel died. 02:51 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, 02:55 "we have sinned, for we have spoken against 02:58 the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord 03:01 that He take away the serpents from us." 03:03 So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said 03:07 to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, 03:08 and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone 03:11 who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." 03:15 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it 03:18 on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten 03:21 anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, 03:24 he lived. Wow! What a miraculous story 03:28 we find here but we also find some clues to 03:32 dissatisfaction and the discouragement of the 03:35 children of Israel. The first complaint 03:37 we find out is there complaint over this bread, 03:40 they've grown accustomed to that 03:41 is to say in our language they've been eating 03:44 it too long and were growing tired. 03:47 Well, we know that as the holy manna, 03:49 the manna that God provided everyday along 03:53 their journey but Oh! If only that were the only 03:56 thing that He discouraged them, 03:58 but no, we can go back and we can find out 04:01 that they started to be discourage from the very 04:04 beginning while still in bondage in Egypt. 04:09 Moses came at the biding of God, 04:13 confronted the Pharaoh and now they were tasked 04:17 to make bricks with no straw so they 04:19 complained to Moses, finally God threw the 04:23 plagues, allowed the Pharaoh to release 04:27 His chosen people and Moses led them away, 04:29 among they came to the sea, they were standing 04:32 there when Pharaoh's army comes up behind them 04:35 and the people seeing that they were trapped 04:37 between the Pharaoh's army and the sea, 04:40 said to Moses why have you brought us out 04:42 here to die. Again another discouragement, 04:45 and then in the chapter proceeding this one 04:48 on the snakes we find that they were out 04:50 of water and God allowed Moses to provide water 04:53 for them but they were complaining, 04:55 seems like complaining for the children of God 04:57 seems to be an everyday occurrence but I hope 05:00 that we will learn some lessons and realize 05:03 that we are God's people, we have absolutely 05:07 nothing to complain about. 05:10 Well, one of the evidences that 05:12 we've that we've grown accustomed 05:14 in our spiritual walk is that we tend to be 05:17 critical and we tend to complain about the 05:20 little things of lives way when in reality 05:23 we will discover that we are so immensely 05:26 blessed and the little things that we think 05:30 are causes for discouragement 05:33 and complaint. When put into prospective 05:36 really have no meaning whatsoever. 05:39 Well, there was the pillar by a fire that 05:42 led them by day and there was the, 05:45 that by night rather and the cloud that led 05:48 them by day. Here was the manifestation of 05:50 God's presence Himself right there in their midst. 05:55 They knew God was there, of course we have 05:58 earthly sanctuary that was there, 06:00 and we find that through all of this 06:03 there was still a complaint over what 06:06 God was or rather what they thought 06:09 God was not doing that He should be. 06:12 I hope that we can learn some lessons 06:15 there because God should be telling us 06:17 what to do and not we telling God what to do? 06:20 Well, the people grumbled against Moses 06:23 and against God ultimately and what they didn't 06:27 realize was that the serpents that 06:29 around the camp, the natural enemies of the 06:31 people through their wondering were being 06:34 held by the protective covering of God, 06:38 and when the people complained against God, 06:41 God's simply remind them by removing the hedge 06:45 of protection around them and when that 06:47 hedge of protection was loosed the serpents 06:50 which formerly could not get through, 06:53 made their way into the camp, and they're called 06:56 fiery serpents for a reason its because 06:59 their bite was fiery and it was fast pain 07:04 and a fast death. Wow! Now all of a sudden 07:10 they lay there, some of them in agony, 07:13 some of them dying, loved ones looking at 07:17 their relatives who are bit and immediately 07:21 they are confronted with their own guilt. 07:25 They understand that it was their complains 07:29 against the living God, that caused God 07:32 to catch their attention and remove 07:35 His protective covering. Well, now of course, 07:38 as we know their tune changed immediately, 07:41 immediately they put a delegation together 07:43 and went to look at Moses. Moses they said, 07:46 we have sinned against God. 07:49 What do we need to do? Moses being the emissary 07:54 makes contact with God and God gives him 07:57 the answer through a method of salvation 08:01 that is very, very unique. God didn't send doctors, 08:06 God didn't send miracles to do that snakes away, 08:10 God didn't send people to touch, 08:13 God in fact used the symbol of the snake 08:17 to save them from the snake. 08:20 That's also where the symbol today 08:22 for the medical practice gets their symbol 08:25 of the snake around the pole is right here 08:28 from the verses we have looked at today. 08:31 And now as we look Moses fashions a serpent 08:38 and he puts it on a pole with a simple words 08:42 "Look and Live." Wow! Those are powerful words 08:48 even for today, for if we understood the power 08:51 and that there, we have the chance to look 08:53 to Jesus and be saved maybe more of us 08:57 would look at Jesus. Well, the Bible continues 09:02 to tell us that even though they found 09:04 that way, they still had to look. 09:08 Picture it with me, there are moms and dads, 09:11 grandmas and grandpas maybe grandchildren 09:13 that are going after their loved ones, 09:16 they are looking for them and they are finding them, 09:18 they're turning their beds, they're turning 09:21 their heads to get a glimpse of the serpent, 09:24 that's up on this pole. And the Bible records 09:28 that all who looked were healed. 09:33 You know, what would cause a 09:35 person not to look. 09:41 We will go back to the story in the 09:44 Old Testament where Naaman was sick 09:48 with the disease, and he was asked by the 09:52 prophet of God to go and dip seven times 09:55 in the river. Now, thankfully Naaman 10:00 had a little Christian servant girl with him 10:02 or the story might not be exactly how 10:05 we receive it today and that is he dipped 10:09 in the river and nothing changed. 10:12 He dipped in the river again 10:14 and nothing changed. He dipped in the river again 10:17 and nothing changed. His faith was growing 10:21 weak and I imagine his anger was moving north, 10:27 but the little girl who had trust in God said 10:32 to him if he the prophet of God had asked you 10:36 to do great things, paid great sums of money, 10:39 you would have done it, but God has not asked 10:44 you to do great things. 10:45 He has asked you to do this. 10:48 And the Bible records the wonderful miracle 10:51 that as he came out of the water, 10:53 the seventh time, he was fully healed 10:59 but he was almost not healed. 11:01 If he had got out of the water after six times, 11:03 six out of seven, doesn't make it so. 11:05 Following after God requires a full 11:09 commitment from the heart. 11:12 God through Moses wanted to make that clear 11:15 to his people. As we continue looking through 11:20 this story we discovered there are yet other 11:22 parallels that we can see, Moses prayed for 11:27 the people. He didn't just pray to God for 11:30 an answer, he prayed on behalf of the people. 11:34 If you remember Moses felt that these people 11:37 were his people, he took responsibility for them 11:41 to the point where he told God if you can't save 11:43 them then don't save me. 11:46 Oh! The Bible says true love. 11:48 There was no greater love then this when a man 11:51 lays down his life for another, that's exactly 11:54 what Moses was doing. He was working, 11:58 he was being an intermediary between 12:01 God's people and his people that God had 12:06 choose him to lead. Well, the Lord said to Moses, 12:10 make the fiery serpent, set it on a pole, 12:12 so that everyone who is beaten shall look and live. 12:15 Now it's interesting if I have been there 12:19 that time I would have certainly like to provision 12:21 to beat that anybody that looks at it. 12:22 Who hasn't beaten yet won't get beat. 12:26 See God didn't take the serpents away. 12:31 God simply made provision for those who were bit. 12:38 See it's only the sinner that stands in need 12:41 of repentance, forgiveness, and needs 12:44 the cleansing of God. Jesus didn't come to 12:47 die for those. They didn't need that 12:50 which of course the Bible says, we've all sinned 12:52 and fallen short of the glory of God and 12:55 praise be to God that He did send Jesus 12:57 for each one of us. Not only did the people 13:01 grumble against God and God took matters 13:03 into His hand, removing His protective hand. 13:06 God also had the people come to a realization 13:10 and admit their complicity in the sin. 13:15 It was a sin to complain against God, 13:21 and God removed that protective hand 13:23 and once they realized that it was their 13:25 complaining that brought this on them. 13:28 I believe that the complaining stopped, 13:33 at least on those that wanted to get better, 13:35 true repentance requires a change of heart. 13:39 If I hit someone and then say I am sorry 13:41 and then hit him again, was I truly sorry? 13:43 No, of course not. To remorse is turning away 13:48 from sin. I won't do that again. 13:52 Well, God's plan for salvation offered 13:56 this simple solution. The solution of putting 13:59 the snake and having people look, 14:02 they didn't have to touch it, 14:03 they simply hadn't to have the faith to look. 14:09 I don't know if I had been there what kind 14:12 of faith I had but I would certainly hope that 14:15 I had a living faith that took God at His word. 14:19 They had so much history together, 14:21 they had just been rescued from Egypt, 14:24 they had gone against obstacles. 14:26 I don't know about you but just simply walking 14:29 through the red sea with the water parted would 14:32 have really shown me the ultimate power of God, 14:36 and the pillar of fire at night in the cloud by day 14:39 for them follow would have always been visual 14:41 reminders to me that God was here. 14:46 But as we said earlier about the stars 14:49 in the sky, sometimes that which is right in 14:52 front of us, often time is missed because 14:57 we've grown accustom to looking at it. 15:01 I wonder my friend, if you and I have become 15:03 too accustom to church, to religion, 15:09 to Bible study, to prayer that it has become 15:12 common place to us, and if it has then in our lives 15:17 it will have lost it's power. 15:21 Oh! Like a power tool that's not plugged 15:25 in has no value, so a Christian not plugged 15:29 into the power of almighty God doesn't 15:32 have much use either. We need to plug in 15:36 and tap the true source in our lives today. 15:40 Just as Moses lifted the serpent upon that pole 15:45 those who looked upon it were saved. 15:52 I don't know how many were lost that day, 15:55 who chose not to look because right here in our 15:59 day people refuse to look to God for help. 16:05 Oh! It's much easier to blame God then it is to 16:09 look for real solution then to trust God 16:13 it's far easier to blame Him as the cause and 16:18 move away. But my friend, the story in the 16:21 Old Testament is not a story that has no value 16:25 for us today. For that text that we read just 16:30 moments ago is the same text referred to in the 16:34 New Testament. We're going to look at 16:36 John chapter 3 verse 14 through 17, read with me, 16:41 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent 16:45 in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man 16:48 be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him 16:52 should not perish but have eternal life. 16:56 For God so loved the world that He gave 17:00 His only begotten Son, that whoever believes 17:04 in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17:09 For God did not send His son to the world to 17:11 condemn the world, but that the world 17:14 through Him might be saved. 17:16 Did you catch that last part in there? 17:18 God did not send His son into the world to 17:21 condemn us in our sin, He send His son to 17:23 save us from our sin. Now there's a power 17:27 there my friend. There is nothing that we can do 17:30 that will cause God not to love us and not 17:33 to want us. There is no sin that's too big for 17:36 God to forgive into forget, there is no sin 17:40 so great unless we get so big that we refuse 17:45 to ask forgiveness for that sin. 17:47 My friend that's what happens when we begin 17:50 to complain when you see a little bit of bitter 17:52 spirit within you, maybe it's time to do 17:54 a little math. Time to add it often see, 17:56 am I becoming spiritually dull? 18:01 Am I becoming too accustomed to the 18:06 blessings of God that what I see no longer 18:10 add up to me as a blessing, and if that's 18:13 the case then we need to pray that God will 18:15 open our hearts and change us from 18:17 the inside out. God wants to save us, 18:20 we must want to be saved. 18:23 Well, just as Jesus sent His Son to die on the 18:29 cross for us and He put that snake on the pole, 18:32 the Son of God had to be lifted up, 18:35 and placed on that pole and of course we called 18:37 that Calvary. We know that God send His son 18:40 so that all of us who believe in Him 18:43 there's a key, not everybody but everybody 18:45 who believes in Him should not perish but 18:48 be able to live eternally. What a blessing that 18:54 God has in that verse. But it doesn't end there, 18:58 that verse continues that says, 19:01 God didn't send the Son to condemn it but 19:04 that the world through Him might be saved. 19:08 You and I have a great need to look upon the 19:11 uplifted Savior today. This very moment 19:14 and every moment He offers to us the 19:18 opportunity to look to Calvary. 19:23 You can turn on the news, pick up any newspaper 19:28 and read of the natural disasters that are 19:30 occurring all across the country, 19:33 all across the world; hurricanes, tornadoes, 19:36 avalanches it doesn't matter what they are only 19:39 the names are changed, the devastation is real. 19:43 And the person in the midst of that devastation 19:46 if they don't turn to see God where God could 19:51 help but rather instead complain that the Lord 19:55 took my house, it flooded, the wind blow it over 19:58 and missed the blessing of God's spread 20:01 their lives maybe they have become too accustomed 20:06 to the blessings of God and are missing the 20:10 everyday blessing. In fact, for those who 20:14 are listening, God blessed us with life today. 20:18 We woke up this morning and God indeed 20:22 is responsible for that and we thank Him 20:24 for every breath, every heart beat that 20:28 we have belongs to Him. The people of God 20:33 were changed when Moses picked up that pole, 20:36 people looked and they lived, the hedge of 20:40 protection was no longer there for the serpents. 20:43 They continued to come into the camp because 20:45 it's implied by the fact that everyone who was 20:49 beaten could look and they continue to look but 20:51 amazingly enough if you were beaten and 20:54 you looked you were saved. Oh! It is the savior 21:02 who calls us to Him each and everyday of our lives. 21:06 He bids us the same as we see here in these 21:10 verses to simply look and live, oh I pray 21:15 it's your desire that you want to 21:16 look and to live for Jesus this day and everyday 21:21 because Jesus died that we might live forever. 21:27 For God's so love the world that He gave 21:30 His only begotten Son. That's true love. 21:36 Love that God has for us that knows no bounds. 21:41 God gave His Son. Now, as we look to the 21:46 ending of world, as we just look to 21:50 live day by day, may we see a peaceful spirit 21:57 in us for Jesus promise to give us a peace 21:59 that passes all understanding, 22:01 He promised never to leave us or forsake us. 22:04 He promise never to give us more 22:07 then we can endure. Oh! My friend I know 22:09 there are days when it seems like that line 22:11 is being pressed that the load is getting heavy 22:14 and that there is not one more step we could take. 22:18 But our faithful Father above. 22:21 In the wisdom that only God can have knows 22:24 how much is enough, and He will always allow 22:28 us to have a chance at salvation. 22:34 So when we look we have the same opportunity 22:38 to live as the children of Israel in Moses day. 22:43 Look at Jesus and live. 22:48 It's a fun thing to be able to see how God 22:52 works in mysterious ways. We pray for one 22:55 thing someone else prays for another. 22:57 How does God deal with that? 23:00 God does what is best for each one of us. 23:04 God looks at us and He causes us to change. 23:10 We don't change God's mind as much as 23:12 God changes ours. He draws us to Him, 23:17 He causes us to see Him as He truly is which 23:23 in turn will cause me to see me as I truly am, 23:28 poor, blind, naked, wretched all spiritually 23:33 tapped out. But praise be to God who is the 23:37 author and the finish of all things. 23:39 He can fulfill me and make my cup to run over, 23:45 that's I guarantee. 23:48 I would love to been a part of the 23:51 children of Israel, with the snakes story 23:54 we just read. I would have been incredible 23:56 to see what would have happened after that. 23:58 The Bible is silent on what happen. 24:01 One thing there is not silent about, 24:04 it was not the end of the grumbling. 24:08 It was not the end of the complaining and 24:10 in fact, we can go all the way through Numbers, 24:12 all the ways through remainder of the 24:14 Old Testament and all the way through to the 24:16 end of the New Testament and we can 24:18 still find the children of God complaining. 24:22 Oh! God wants to give us a peace. 24:25 He wants to give us the strength to overcome 24:30 that which inside our sinful hearts 24:34 wants to do. Oh! I love to complain, 24:35 I feel good when I complain. 24:37 Actually sometimes less I complain to someone 24:40 who actually has it worse then I do then 24:42 I feel bad. But we have a way around that, 24:45 we complain and then we run, don't give them 24:48 the opportunity to complain or share back 24:51 that's not how God would have it to be. 24:53 God wants us as Christians, Bible believing 24:57 Christians to be the happiest people around. 24:59 We are to be satisfied Paul says, 25:02 to be satisfied with what we have. 25:06 And if we are truly satisfied 25:08 we've what we have. We will have that peace 25:13 and contentment and not feel the need or desire 25:18 to bicker or complain against anyone. 25:22 Let alone complain against Almighty God. 25:26 And so today would be the best opportunity 25:31 that one could take to make a recommitment 25:34 to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 25:38 As Jesus was lifted up to save the world 25:41 so those in the world as we look up on 25:44 His face can be saved. 25:48 Do you want to be saved today? 25:50 Do you want to take this opportunity to invite 25:54 Jesus into your hearts, is never to let young 25:58 or old whether you've done it once 26:01 or hundred times before. 26:04 Now is the acceptable time, 26:08 Jesus wants sin so bad. 26:11 All we have to do is let Him in. 26:15 For God so love the world it says, 26:19 that He gave. My response in love to Him 26:25 is to give myself fully and wholly to Him. 26:32 Can you do the same? Are you willing to make 26:35 that commitment? If so you will be able to 26:39 look and to live. Lets ask God to bless us. 26:44 Bow our heads as we pray. Father in heaven, 26:47 we thank you so much for the opportunity that 26:50 you give to us to look to Calvary 26:53 and live eternally. Thank you Father for 26:58 the gift of Jesus, thank you that 27:01 you will provide every day protection for us 27:04 and when we become accustomed and callous 27:08 to the very gifts you give, open our hearts 27:10 and eyes afresh that we may see as you would 27:14 have us to see. In appreciation not in 27:18 grumbling or complaining but in true, genuine 27:22 appreciation for what Jesus has done for us. 27:27 We pray these things in His name, Amen. 27:32 May God grant to you this day and everyday, 27:36 a new walk with Jesus and when you slip 27:41 and fall simply raise your eyes 27:45 to Jesus and look and live. |
Revised 2014-12-17