Participants: Pr. Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP120807
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00:27 I'll never know how much it cost
00:33 To see my sin 00:37 Upon that cross 00:42 Here I am to worship 00:47 Here I am to bow down 00:50 Here I am to say that you're my God 00:57 You're altogether lovely 01:01 Altogether worthy 01:04 Altogether wonderful to me 01:11 Here I am to worship 01:14 Here I am to bow down 01:18 Here I am to say that you're my God 01:24 You're altogether lovely 01:28 Altogether worthy 01:32 Altogether wonderful to me 06:40 Let's pray together. 06:42 Holy Father, such a joyous season, 06:45 such a sad story today. 06:50 Somehow, please, help us make the connection 06:58 through Jesus Christ our Lord. 07:01 Amen. 07:05 This is a bitter sweet way to end this series with you 07:11 and I've been journeying through this semester, 07:14 The Chosen. 07:18 And because the ending is so bitter sweet, 07:20 we've got to start with a little something 07:22 of hope, 07:24 something that might give us a word of hope. 07:29 So let me tell you about a book 07:31 that I have here in the pulpit with me. 07:35 A friend of mine retired preacher. 07:37 We used to pastor out in Oregon together. 07:39 His name is Phil Denim. 07:41 Surprised me, two weeks ago and sent me this book, 07:43 "Sure Salvation." 07:45 You can know you have eternal life. 07:47 If you want something to just give a bit of electricity 07:52 in your holiday living. 07:54 This book is just dynamite. 07:59 So I've been reading the book through 08:00 and I came across this story. 08:06 It's telling about Phil is a renounced speaker. 08:10 He doesn't identify who the speaker is, 08:12 but the speaker is speaking to an audience, 08:16 and he reaches into his wallet and he pulls out, 08:20 the speaker does, a brand new $20 bill. 08:27 He says, "All right. Who here wants a $20?" 08:31 Yeah, go ahead, put your hand up. 08:32 Yeah. Nothing wrong with that. 08:33 All right, I'm gonna give this away. 08:36 All right. 08:38 "But before I do," the speaker said. 08:40 "Before I do, I wanted to do something to this $20 bill." 08:44 So he took it and he just crumpled it up 08:48 just as tight as he could and then he said, 08:53 "All right, now how many want this $20 bill?" 08:58 Same hands all went up, just like yours. 09:01 He says, "All right." 09:04 Now you got to open this whole this up, 09:05 and so he un-crumpled this bill. 09:08 He said, "Okay." 09:10 And he let the $20 bill fall to the floor 09:14 and he just ground it in with his shoe grip, gunk, 09:21 whatever's on the bottom of a human shoe. 09:25 And then he picked it up and said, 09:27 "Okay, now how many want this?" 09:30 Now more hands are going up every time. 09:34 And then the speaker said to the audience, 09:36 and I want you to get this, guys. 09:38 Listen to me very carefully. 09:41 Never forget what you have just observed. 09:46 No matter what I did with the money, 09:50 you still wanted it 09:52 because what happened to it 09:54 did not change its original value. 09:59 Huh? 10:02 He said, "You and I, we go through life, 10:07 decisions we make, sins we commit, 10:12 we are just crumpled and greedy and filthy, 10:16 and we are feeling worthless and diminished, 10:22 but then we need to remember..." 10:25 The speaker paused, 10:27 "We must never forget that no matter 10:31 what has happened to you or what will yet happen to you. 10:38 You are still a value in the sight of God. 10:43 In fact, He considers you a priceless treasure, 10:48 halleluiah." 10:49 Oh, I love that illustration. 10:51 I love that illustration. 10:54 Now who want this $20 bill? 10:56 You have to come here and get it. 10:58 And in getting it, you have to say, 11:01 hey, do you know something? 11:02 Do you know something? Do you know something? 11:08 Look at this. 11:11 You have to say, I tell you what. 11:13 I'm gonna take the oldest one here 11:18 and give it to you, young man. 11:23 Yeah, I tell you what, I love... 11:25 You're welcome. God bless you. 11:30 I love-- And you can't spend it, by the way. 11:32 Did you get that? The point was you can't spend. 11:33 You just hang on to this bill for the rest of your life. 11:36 Truly. Truly. 11:38 He'll spend it, trust me. 11:41 You know, but I love-- 11:42 Hey, guys, I just love that illustration 11:46 because for a whole semester now we have been tracking, 11:49 we've been tracking The Chosen. 11:51 And I mean they have been messing up 11:53 time after time after time-- You and I have watched them. 11:57 We watch them mess up. 11:59 But the truth of that $20 bill is the truth about the chosen 12:04 and that is, no matter how dirty 12:05 and crumple the chosen become 12:07 the chosen never loose their original value 12:11 and they are always precious in the sight of God. 12:15 Halleluiah. 12:17 Even when there are top two spiritual leaders crash 12:22 and burn in front of the whole community, 12:24 still they are precious. 12:28 Open your Bible with me for one last time 12:31 in this series of, The Chosen. 12:32 Not to our theme book, we'll end in the theme book, 12:35 but go to the fourth book. 12:37 Fifth book of the Bible, 12:38 Deuteronomy is our theme book for this series, 12:40 but go to Numbers, would you, please? 12:41 The Book of Numbers just before Deuteronomy. 12:46 It's a bitter sweet story. 12:48 I wish we didn't have to share it. 12:50 I wish there a way to get around the story 12:52 and straight into the Promised Land 12:53 but, guys, you can't get there from here 12:55 unless you go through the story. 12:56 Numbers 20. 12:57 If you didn't bring your Bible, 12:59 oh, please, grab the pew Bible in front of you. 13:01 New Kings James Version, exactly the same translation 13:04 I have right here. 13:05 It'll be page 108, 108 in your pew Bible. 13:11 Unforgettable story. Here we go. 13:13 We got to fly through this story. 13:15 The semester's almost over. 13:17 Number 20:1, 13:18 "Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, 13:20 came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, 13:24 and the people stayed in Kadesh; 13:26 and Miriam died there and was buried there." 13:30 Hold it right there. Who is Miriam? 13:31 Refresh my memory. Who is Miriam? 13:33 Moses' sister. Somebody else's sister as well. 13:36 Who else? Aaron. 13:37 Miriam is a 132 years old when she dies. 13:42 Aaron is 123, Moses is 120. 13:45 I am telling you, they got good genes 13:47 from their parents, didn't they? 13:49 Miriam dies. 13:51 She's been a part of this little, 13:53 little triumphant as it were. 13:57 Three siblings and leaders of the chosen. 14:01 Now here we go, verse 2. 14:02 "Now there was no water for the congregation, 14:07 so they gathered together..." 14:10 Can you believe it? Here we go again. 14:12 "They gather together against Moses and Aaron." 14:16 Déjà vu, all over again. 14:20 Again! 14:24 They've run out of water 14:26 and they blame the two brothers. 14:29 But as it turns out, it is no accidental water shortage. 14:32 You know why? Because it's final exam week. 14:35 It's final exam week before the Promise Land. 14:39 Question. 14:40 Have the children learned the lesson 14:41 the one they're now buried parents failed to learn? 14:44 The lesson of faith and trust in their divine leader? 14:47 Answer. 14:48 Let's turn off the water and find out. 14:51 That's what happened. 14:52 Somebody with a S turned the water. 14:56 Obviously, Dwight, you can't prove that. 14:57 I sure can. 14:58 We've been to this chapter before, 1 Corinthian 10, 15:01 Paul is talking about that moment 15:03 and he says, by the way, during those 40 years, 15:04 "All drank the same spiritual drink. 15:06 For they drank of that spiritual Rock 15:08 that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." 15:12 They had water as long as Christ was leading them. 15:15 And trust me, for 40 wearying years 15:18 He has been the rock and He has been leading them 15:21 and they've had water. 15:24 But we got to find out. 15:26 We got to find out, if the kids have learned the lesson, 15:30 mamma and papa failed to learn. 15:33 And so the water supply... 15:39 off. 15:43 And how do the people respond? 15:45 No surprise here. 15:47 Verse 3, "And the people contended." 15:49 Now the Hebrew word for contended, 15:51 it carries with it, the connotation of violence. 15:53 The people contented. 15:56 "The people contented with Moses and spoke, saying, 15:58 'If only we had died 16:01 when our brethren died before the Lord.' 16:02 " Verse 4, "Why have you--" And by the way, it's clear. 16:04 We're talking about Moses and Aaron here. 16:06 "Why have you brought up the assembly 16:08 of the Lord into this wilderness 16:10 that we and our animals should die here?" 16:12 Verse 5, "And why have you made us come up out of Egypt 16:15 to bring us to this evil place? 16:17 It is not a place of grain or figs 16:18 or vines or pomegranates, 16:20 nor is there any water to drink." 16:23 And apparently that word 16:25 that has a bit of violence lays with it 16:27 is threatening enough that Moses and Aaron gone. 16:31 Verse 6, "So Moses and Aaron 16:33 went from the presence of the assembly 16:35 to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, 16:37 and they fell on their faces. 16:38 And the glory of the Lord appeared to them." 16:41 You know what, ladies and gentlemen, 16:42 I fall on my face too. 16:44 After 40 years I'd be on my face. 16:46 Dear God, how much more of this? 16:48 Are we supposed to take? 16:49 The kids are no better than their parents 16:51 and they are about to stone us. 16:54 God speaks, "I hear you." He speaks. 16:58 Verse 7, "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying," 17:02 Here comes now, verse 8, 17:05 "Take the rod, the one you parted the Red Sea, 17:08 you know that rod, you take that rod. 17:11 You and your brother Aaron 17:12 gather the congregation together. 17:14 Speak to the rock before their eyes, 17:16 and it will yield its water, 17:18 thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, 17:20 and give drink to the congregation 17:23 and their animals." 17:24 Forty years earlier you remember that 17:26 the parents of these kids, when they were young. 17:29 Forty years earlier the identical final exam 17:32 was given to them before going over into the Promise Land. 17:35 And remember, but how radically different now. 17:40 Get a load of this. The instructions have changed. 17:46 Now you need to keep your finger right here 17:47 'cause we're coming right back. 17:48 Let's go to the first test. 17:50 Forty years ago when momma and papa 17:51 were getting the test. 17:52 All right, Exodus 17. 17:54 Go back to the second book of the Bible, Exodus 17. 17:58 Take a look of this, Exodus 17:3. 18:04 You remember the story, verse 3, 18:06 "And the people thirsted there for water, 18:08 and the people complained, here we go, 18:10 people complained against Moses, and said, 18:12 'Why is it that you have brought us up out of Egypt, 18:13 to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?'" 18:16 So verse 4, "Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, 18:19 'What shall I do with this people? 18:20 They are almost ready to stone me.' 18:23 " Verse 5, "And the Lord said to Moses, 18:25 'Sshh, go on before the people, 18:28 take with you some of the elders of Israel. 18:30 Also take in your hand your rod 18:31 with which you struck the river, 18:32 that mighty River Nile, and go." 18:34 Verse 6, "For behold--" Now watch this, 18:36 "Behold, I will stand before you there in the rock." 18:41 That will be me. 18:42 "Do you understand, I will stand before you 18:44 there on the rock in Horeb and you shall strike the rock, 18:47 and the water will come out of it 18:49 that the people may drink.' 18:50 And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel." 18:55 Now please note, ladies and gentlemen, 18:57 God's unmistakable pronouncement to Moses. 18:59 When you stand before the rock, 19:01 I will be right there before you. 19:03 I will be the rock. 19:04 When you strike the rock, you are striking me 19:07 and I will bring water, life giving, 19:09 lifesaving water for you. 19:12 And that point is so critical. That point is so critical. 19:15 In order for us to understand 19:17 the terrible story in Numbers 20 19:21 that we need to seal the understanding. 19:27 And I need you to take your study guide out right now. 19:28 Take your study guide out. 19:30 Let's just jot it down, a dramatic piece of symbolism. 19:33 In Exodus 17, so dramatic that if we don't get it, 19:37 we'll never understand Numbers 20. 19:38 So take the study guide out 19:39 that you have in your worship bulletin. 19:41 Ushers, thank you for making sure 19:43 that everybody here get's a study guide. 19:45 Hold your hand up, if you didn't your study guide, 19:46 you got to see 19:47 the final chapter to The Chosen. 19:49 Don't miss the study guide. 19:50 You're up in the balcony, hold your hand up, 19:52 we'll make sure that we get it to you. 19:53 And those of you who are watching on television 19:55 let's put that website on the screen. 19:57 Put it on the screen. There it is. 19:58 Go to our website and you can get the same study guide 20:00 that we're going to carefully take a look at now. 20:03 Go to our website www.pmchurch.tv 20:08 And when you get the website 20:09 you're looking for the series, The Chosen. 20:10 This is part 12. 20:11 This is the final installment of The Chosen. 20:15 You're looking for the title Crossing Over. 20:17 When you get to Crossing Over, it says study guide, 20:19 you click right there, you'll have the identical 20:22 study guide that we have right here. 20:24 Just keep your hand up, keep your hand up. 20:28 Let's take a look at this breathtaking, 20:30 really breathtaking symbolism. 20:32 And we got to, we got to go. 20:33 So do you have your study guide? 20:34 Let's go. 20:36 Exodus 17:6 which we read 20:38 just a split second ago, fill it in. 20:40 God speaking to Moses, 20:41 "Behold, I will stand before you, 20:44 before you there on the rock." 20:46 That's gonna be me. Do you understand? 20:47 I will be there, right there in front of you on the rock. 20:53 Me, Moses. 20:54 And Paul comes long, he says, "Absolutely right." 20:56 First Corinthian 10, let's fill it in this time. 20:58 Same verse you read a moment ago, 20:59 "And all drank the same spiritual drink. 21:03 For they drank of that spiritual Rock 21:05 that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." 21:07 Make sure you complete that, the rock is Christ himself. 21:11 So at the beginning of their 40 year journey 21:13 the divine instructions were clear. 21:15 And here is the rest of verse 6, 21:17 fill it out, Exodus 17:6, 21:18 "And you shall strike." 21:20 The Hebrew word here is nakah, 21:22 "You shall nakah the rock, and lifesaving water." 21:27 Make sure you get that, "Water will flow forth." 21:30 What's going on? What's going on here? 21:32 Let's put the pieces together. Keep your pen moving. 21:37 There's another verse in the Old Testament 21:38 that uses that identical Hebrew word nakah. 21:42 It's there in the study guide, fill it in. 21:43 It's Isaiah 53:4, 21:46 "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, 21:49 yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten." 21:52 That second word smitten is the same Hebrew word nakah. 21:56 What Moses does to the rock is done to the Messiah. 22:01 "We esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 22:04 He was led as a lamb to the slaughter." 22:08 Who is that do you suppose, huh? 22:10 Oh, Isaiah 53 is referring to the servant of God, 22:13 metaphor for the coming messiah 22:15 who would be lead as a lamb to the slaughter. 22:18 And who might that be? Keep your pen moving. 22:20 The Gospel of Saint John 19:34, 22:22 it's Friday, hey, hey, hey, hey, 22:24 we got to get all three bodies down, 22:25 all three bodies down. 22:27 I don't care if they're alive or not, 22:28 kill them, take them down. 22:30 And they come to the body of the middle cross. 22:33 Chapter 19:34, 22:35 "But one of the soldiers 22:36 pierced Jesus side with a spear, 22:39 and immediately blood and water." 22:42 Write it down. "Water came out." 22:45 Jesus to the woman to Samaria, by the Well of Sychar. 22:49 Jesus in John 4:14, jot it down. 22:52 "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give her 22:56 or him will never thirst. 22:58 It shall be a fountain of water 23:00 springing up into everlasting life." 23:02 The inescapable point, guys, 23:03 please jot it down, two more sentences. 23:05 The inescapable point, the divine command 23:07 to strike the rock once, 23:09 so that the water of life would flow 23:11 was intended to teach Moses and Israel 23:13 the truth of Calvary. 23:16 It's the truth of Calvary. There in Exodus 17. 23:19 And what's the truth of Calvary? 23:20 Keep your pen moving. 23:21 Hebrews 9:28, "So Christ was offered--" 23:24 How many times Christ was offered? 23:25 How many times? Once, once, once. 23:27 "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many." 23:30 One more line, the rock need to be stricken only once, 23:36 and from Calvary's fountain would flow for all time 23:40 life giving, hallelujah, lifesaving water. 23:46 Isn't that great? 23:48 Which by the way means that Jesus does not need to be 23:53 sacrificed again and again and again 23:59 as He is in some churches. 24:02 Don't have to. 24:04 One sacrifice, one sacrifice in time 24:08 and the entire human race for all the time is covered. 24:14 Moses, Moses, you strike that rock once. 24:20 I am the rock, and when you strike me water will flow. 24:25 Boy. 24:29 How radically different God's instruction this time. 24:32 Go back now to where your finger is, Numbers 20. 24:35 How radically different, Numbers 20, 24:37 our God's instructions. 24:38 Let's read those instructions again. 24:40 Numbers 20:7, 24:42 "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying..." 24:43 Here comes the instructions, verse 8. 24:44 "Take the rod, you and your brother Aaron 24:46 gather the congregation together. 24:48 Speak to the rock before their eyes, 24:54 and it will yield its water, 24:55 thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, 24:58 and give drink to the congregation 25:00 and their animals." 25:02 My friend Roy Gain is a professor over here 25:06 at the theological seminary. 25:08 Zondervan. Listen to this. 25:09 Most of you don't know this. 25:10 Zondervan, 25:11 the largest evangelical publishing house in the world, 25:14 contacted Roy and they said, "We want you to write 25:17 Volume 3 in the NIV application commentary." 25:20 That would cover the books of Leviticus and Numbers. 25:25 Two great books for an Adventist scholar to take on. 25:30 And he did, and he has done a masterful job. 25:32 I am reading his commentary on Leviticus. 25:35 But in Numbers, he makes a point with this story. 25:37 Numbers 20, that I had never seen before. 25:41 I'll put-- These are Roy's words, 25:42 I'll put it on the screen for you. 25:43 "Moses and Aaron--" Here in Numbers 20, 25:46 "Are to merely speak, are to merely speak." 25:48 And by the way, it's plural. 25:49 God says, "I want both of you boys to speak, all right?" 25:51 Both brothers. 25:52 "They are to merely speak to the rock. 25:54 This will be-- Here it comes. 25:56 This will be an even greater miracle 25:59 than in Exodus 17 where Moses struck the rock." 26:01 Why? 26:02 "As there is no possibility 26:04 that a physical blow will simply dislodge 26:07 the natural plug to an aquifer." 26:10 You get the point, don't you? 26:12 Not only is God wanting to preserve 26:15 the Calvary metaphor, 26:17 and that is as only one sacrifice 26:19 it's done once for all time. 26:21 So it only needed to have been struck 26:23 at the beginning of the journey. 26:25 By the way, I had a seminary 26:26 coming up to me after first church. 26:27 He said, "You know something, Pastor, 26:30 we learned from John Bladen in this class this last week 26:32 that there's actually--" 26:34 When now Moses has commanded to speak to the rock, 26:36 and this was new for me, listen to this. 26:38 When Moses has commanded to speak to the rock, 26:40 it's because now once the sacrifice has been made 26:43 and the lamb is stricken on the cross you never-- 26:47 It never has to be repeated. 26:48 Now when you fall, when you fall, as we all do, 26:54 you need only cry out to the rock and like that, 27:00 you got water that washes you clean. 27:02 Isn't that great? 27:04 Now no more striking, it's all over. 27:06 Two thousand years ago this got done. 27:09 Now you just call upon me in the day of trouble 27:11 and I'll deliver you. 27:12 Isn't that great? 27:14 But Roy says, "Hey, and that's not all." 27:16 If Moses whacks this rock and... 27:19 People can say, yeah, well, yeah, you know, 27:21 there's a little aquifer in there. 27:22 You lose the stone. Whoopee. 27:24 But if Moses walks up to that rock 27:26 and he says, "Rock, water." 27:31 Man, you're right home about that one. 27:35 Supernatural, it has to be. 27:38 It can't be a mistake, accident. 27:41 In other words, ladies and gentlemen, 27:44 when God gives a command to you and me 27:46 as He has done many times, 27:48 when He gives a command to you and me, 27:51 our obedience to the let her guarantees 27:54 the very outcome that God intends. 27:57 If I hedge, if I hold back, 27:59 I'll say, I'll not follow you here. 28:01 I lost what I wanted to have 28:04 by your bold and uncompromising opinions. 28:10 Moses tragically disobeys. It's so sad. 28:15 Keep reading, verse 9, 28:20 "So Moses took the rod from before the Lord 28:23 as He commanded him." 28:24 Verse 10, "And Moses and Aaron gathered the--" 28:28 We're talking about thousands here. 28:29 We're talking about tens of thousands. 28:30 Do you understand? 28:32 "Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together 28:35 before the rock." 28:36 They know, Moses knows 28:39 because he's been with this rock for 40 years. 28:40 He knows the rock is Christ right here. 28:42 Christ is here, right here. Moses knows that. 28:46 They gathered the thousands. 28:49 Moses stands up right beside the rock. 28:51 And then, you know what? 28:52 There's supposed to be both boys speaking, 28:54 Moses says, give me that microphone, Aaron. 28:59 Now hear this! 29:02 Exactly what he says, "Hear this! 29:05 You rebels!" 29:13 "Hear this! 29:15 You rebels!" 29:18 He meant stinking rebels." 29:24 "Must we fetch water for you." 29:33 He takes that rod, lifts it high over his head 29:38 and with everything 120 years e has. 29:43 And not once, no. You want water? 29:50 And in an instant. 29:54 Look at that. 29:56 "And the water came out abundantly, 29:59 and the congregation and their animals 30:02 with a shriek of delight, the whole people drink." 30:09 Every time I read these words 30:14 I say, "Oh, my God, help us all." 30:19 In fact, will you jot it down, please? 30:20 Apparently even the greatest of leaders 30:23 and the meekest of saints can in one blinding moment 30:27 spiritually melt down. 30:32 You say, "Oh, good 30:33 because I planned to do a lot of melting down 30:34 between here in the Promised Land. 30:36 No, no, no, that's what this is about. 30:37 This is not giving you permission 30:39 because I want to remind you, not all melted down. 30:43 Joseph did. 30:45 Never once can you find Joseph melting down 30:48 and he had ample reason to melt down 30:51 in front of those 12 despicable, 30:53 11 despicable brothers of his. 30:57 Daniel did not melt down. 31:00 He had ample reason to melt down. 31:01 And guess what, ladies and gentlemen? 31:03 Jesus did not melt down. Amen. 31:08 And He's dragging the cross to Calvary 31:10 and some poor rich comes and empties his throat 31:13 all over Jesus' face like, the old spiritual sings, 31:16 no, He never said a mumble in word, 31:19 not a word, not a word. 31:21 No, He never said a mumble in word. 31:27 You want an example in your leader? 31:31 It's not Moses. 31:33 It's Jesus or Daniel or Joseph. 31:39 First Peter 2, jot it down, verse 23. 31:42 Jesus did not retaliate when He was insulted. 31:46 He left His case in the hands of God 31:48 who always judges fairly. 31:50 And what is the fair judgment of God 31:51 regarding these two leaders? 31:53 Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy. 31:56 Verse 12, the last verse. 31:58 "Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 32:04 'Because you did not believe Me, 32:07 to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, 32:11 therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land 32:16 which I have given them.'" 32:19 You know what? 32:20 Every time I read these words I want to sit down and cry. 32:24 I just want to cry. 32:29 My heartaches remorse. 32:32 Who for 40 long, bone wearing, 32:36 back breaking years has been the nursemaid 32:42 and the leader to these grown up kids. 32:47 I want to weep. 32:49 Moses, who and God said, I am going to nuke them. 32:53 Moses who time and time again said, 32:55 "No, no, no, please, 32:57 I beg you save them, save them. 32:58 In fact, take my name out of the book, 33:00 you nuke me and you leave them." 33:03 This is the same Moses 33:06 who in one moment of unguarded passion 33:12 looses his control, 33:14 melts down in front of the entire community. 33:22 And the divine verdict is quick because you sinned. 33:30 You are not going in. 33:36 In his farewell address in Deuteronomy 33:39 just before he dies, 33:42 Moses tells the people in Chapter 3, 33:43 he said, "You know what? 33:44 I have been good. I have treated with God. 33:49 Reverse the verdict. Change your mind. 33:53 I learned my lesson. I want to go in. 33:58 I want to go in. 34:00 Until finally, Moses tells them. 34:02 He tells them this. 34:03 Until finally, one day Christ because we know it's 34:05 pre-incarnate Christ. 34:07 One day Christ could not take it any longer. 34:14 When you become a parent you'll know that 34:17 when your children weep, really weep, 34:22 you weep with them. 34:25 Can't help. 34:27 And you know what Christ says to Moses? 34:30 He says, Speak no more to me of this matter. 34:35 It's killing both off us. 34:38 I can't take it anymore. 34:40 Don't say another word." 34:44 Guys, we got a heartbroken God 34:47 and a heartbroken leader. 34:52 What's going on? What's going on? 34:56 You know what's going on? Do you? 34:59 I mean, why is God making such a big deal 35:02 about Moses and Aaron's sin? 35:03 After all, He forgave Aaron as a golden calf, 35:05 he forgave Moses of the murder of the Egyptian, 35:07 so why doesn't He just forgive him here, 35:09 just forgive him, forget it. 35:10 Get it over with. 35:12 Hey, by the way, 35:14 don't you dare bring up the issue of forgiveness? 35:18 This is not a matter of forgiveness. 35:20 Mosses in that instant is forgiven. 35:23 Say you can't prove that to me. 35:24 I sure can. 35:26 Two pages, two pages, 35:27 just turn two pages further into Numbers. 35:29 You go to Numbers 23. Take a look at this. 35:31 And you're gonna have to write this down 35:32 in your study guide because this came to me 35:33 after we put the study guide together. 35:35 So Numbers 23, just write it down 35:36 because you'll never want to forget this verse 35:38 as long as you live. 35:39 Numbers 23, two pages further, 35:42 drop down to verse 21. 35:44 Speaking of God and the chosen 35:47 who have been messing up for 40 years straight, 35:49 speaking of God. 35:50 Look at this, verse 21. 35:52 "He, God has not observed iniquity in Jacob, 35:56 nor has He seen wickedness in Israel." 35:58 Hey, time out. 36:00 What do you-- What are you saying? 36:02 You haven't seen any wickedness in these people? 36:05 You haven't seen they melt down again and again? 36:08 Nope, haven't seen it. 36:10 Ladies and gentlemen, God-- Don't you talk to me about 36:13 God's forgiveness? 36:14 You got His forgiveness just like that. 36:15 Anytime you jolly well, please. 36:18 You ought not to take-- 36:19 You ought not to abuse that gift. 36:25 Reminds me of these words, Steps to Christ, page 62, 36:28 I wish I have this in the study guide for you. 36:30 Look at this, "If you give yourself to Him, 36:33 and accept Him as your Savior, 36:35 then, sinful as your life may have been--" 36:37 Some of you are at the end of this semester 36:38 and you are saying, I have screwed up royally, morally. 36:44 My life is shut and I got one more semester to go. 36:49 Some of you today are not that excited about the holiday 36:53 because you're dragging a ball and chain 36:56 of a memory that will not let you go. 36:59 I want you to read these words. 37:00 You go to Jesus. 37:01 If you give yourself to Jesus and you say, 37:03 "Jesus, please, I beg of you, start over with me, 37:09 give me a new beginning." 37:12 If you give yourself to Jesus, 37:14 and accept Him as your Savior, 37:15 then, sinful as your life may have been, 37:17 for His sake you are accounted righteous." 37:19 Now this gets even better. Watch this. 37:21 "Christ's character stands in place of your character, 37:23 and you are accepted before God 37:25 just as if you had not sinned." 37:29 Amen. 37:31 Don't you dare bring up the issue of 37:33 divine forgiveness here with Moses and Aaron? 37:35 They got forgiven just like that. 37:37 The issue is not forgiveness. The issue is leadership. 37:41 You see, to whom much is given, much is required. 37:47 And I hate to say this 37:50 that if you're a leader in your home, 37:52 your marriage, your classroom, you're a leader, 37:55 you are a leader in your place of business, are you? 37:58 You are a leader in your institution, 38:00 you are a leader. 38:01 I hate to say this, 38:03 but the bar is raised higher by God 38:07 for leaders than for followers. 38:12 I'm sorry. 38:16 To whom much is given. 38:18 Much will then be required. Because let's face it. 38:20 God could've set to the whole shooting math of Israel. 38:26 God could've said. You know what? 38:29 Everybody is screwed up. 38:31 Nobody is going in. But He doesn't. 38:35 He takes just the leaders and he said, 38:37 "You boys will not be going in." 38:43 It's tough. You think about it. 38:46 Is He being unfair to Moses and Aaron? 38:47 No. 38:48 The two boys over the entire community of Israel. 38:52 These two boys know more about the metaphor of the redeemer 38:56 who sacrifice will save the human race, 38:58 they know more than anybody else. 38:59 Hands down. 39:01 These boys know that rock is Christ 39:04 and the striking 40 years ago was to be done just once. 39:07 They already know the truth. 39:12 To whom much is given, much will be required. 39:18 By striking the rock as he lost his temper, 39:22 instead of speaking to it, 39:23 and by the way, he strikes it twice. 39:26 Moses smears God's Holy Calvary sacrifice. 39:31 Just smears in front of the people. 39:34 How does he do it? Jot it down. 39:36 He takes all the credit to himself 39:38 by eclipsing God completely. 39:41 It's as if there is not God. 39:43 Must we, what you want? Water? 39:45 You want me to-- Must we fetch water for you? 39:49 God is totally obliterated from the scene. 39:52 And by the way, inadvertently 39:54 Moses does proves the people's charges 39:58 that it has been Moses leading them all along 40:00 because for 40 years they've been saying that, 40:01 "Hey, why did you bring us here? 40:02 Hey, why didn't you give us food? 40:03 Hey, where is the water? 40:04 For 40 years, Moses was saying, 40:06 I am not it, don't look to me. 40:07 Our leader is not me. God is our leader. 40:10 But now in a moment of critical necessity 40:13 he forgets and he says, 40:16 I could-- I'll give you that water. 40:18 And he proves that the people were right. 40:22 They've had only a human leader all this time. 40:25 Now God has two choices. 40:27 He can just pretend He didn't hear, poor Moses. 40:29 Man, it's hot out here. 40:30 That's got to be his problem 40:32 or in an instant he responds to correct 40:39 what otherwise would melt down an entire nation. 40:44 And so He does. 40:46 Patriarchs and Prophets, look at this. 40:48 You have to fill it in. 40:49 "God shut Moses out of Canaan, 40:51 to teach a lesson which should never be forgotten 40:54 that He requires exact obedience." 40:57 If you've been debate in your mind, 40:58 shall I obey God all the way or just part way? 41:01 I want to tell you something, my friend, 41:02 you just got your answer. 41:03 If you've been waiting for diving response 41:04 to your query you just got it. 41:06 Complete obedience. 41:08 There is no half-obedience with God. 41:10 Half-obedience is disobedience. 41:12 You understand that? 41:13 Half obedience is disobedience. 41:16 "God shut Moses out of Canaan, to teach a lesson 41:18 which should never be forgotten 41:19 that He requires exact obedience, 41:20 and that men and women are to beware 41:23 of taking to themselves the glory 41:26 which is due to their Maker." 41:28 Trust and obey for there is no other way 41:31 to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 41:34 Guys, that's it. 41:35 The chosen have to learn that lesson 41:39 before the Promised Land. 41:42 Trust and obey, especially the leaders of the chosen. 41:47 The deaths of these two senior leaders 41:50 both atop two separate mountains, 41:52 this side of the Promise Land 41:54 have become a lesson that time can never erase. 42:00 We all know the story. 42:02 I want to conclude, their stories 42:05 and this series with a reflection 42:08 on the profound mercy of God. 42:10 May I do that? Then I'll sit down. 42:12 Fill down this book. 42:14 Really wish you get Sure Salvation. 42:16 In the book, Phil makes an observation. 42:18 He says, do you know how many times 42:19 the word Saint and Saints 42:21 those two words are used in the Bible? 42:23 I never knew that. He says just under 100. 42:25 A hundred times, and in those almost 100 42:29 never, never, never is the word saint 42:32 attach to a human name except for once. 42:38 Psalm 106, write it down, verse 16, 42:43 "Aaron--" Can you believe this? 42:47 "Aaron the Saint of the Lord." 42:50 Hey, hey, wait, wait, wait. 42:52 Are we talking about the same Aaron? 42:54 We're talking about the golden calf, 42:55 weak willed easily influenced, 42:56 non-confronting, overly permissive. 42:58 Aaron is the only human being 43:00 in the entire scripture who's called saint. 43:02 It's not Saint Daniel, it's not Saint Moses, 43:04 it's not Saint Joseph, it's not Saint Paul, 43:06 it's just Saint Aaron. 43:08 Have mercy. 43:10 Which apparently is what God does. 43:19 So what is this saint? 43:20 Get this down before I sit down. 43:23 This is from Phil's book, 43:24 "Saints are sinners under construction." 43:26 Desire of Ages declares, 43:27 "Christ is sitting for His portrait in every disciple. 43:31 Saints are people who have to have many retakes." 43:36 Jesus is sitting for His picture in my life. 43:39 I tell you what, what would we do without retakes? 43:41 Say, did you get your picture taken for the church directory? 43:43 Oh, brother, you know, Karen and I have pictures gray. 43:45 I mean, you'll see it in directive, 43:46 but I'm telling you, they had to do singles of staff 43:49 and my picture is just... 43:52 Please. 43:53 And they show it to you afterwards. 43:54 Are you serious? This is what? 43:55 Please, let's do a retake. Can't! 43:58 Next! Next! 44:01 Oh, brother. 44:03 There'll be another picture, trust me. 44:07 "Saints are people who have to have many retakes." 44:10 Christ is sitting for His portrait in your life and mine. 44:13 "Whoa," Jesus says. Hey, did you see that? 44:15 Let's take another shot of her. 44:18 Please, let's not use that one. 44:19 That's not my portrait. 44:21 You're going to run by this one more time, sis? 44:23 Okay. 44:24 Now-- "Oye, I want to keep that picture in my album," 44:26 Jesus says. 44:28 "Saints are people who have to have many retakes." 44:30 And in one more line, get it down, 44:31 "Saints are sinners whom God is saving." 44:33 Hallelujah. Aaron, the saint of the Lord. 44:36 What's your name, hmm? What's your name? 44:37 Fill it in that blank. 44:38 That means that you can fill it in. 44:42 Your name, the saint of the Lord. 44:45 Come on, put your name in there, 44:46 put-- Be bold, believe in the mercy of God 44:48 and put your name in that blank. 44:51 By the grace of God you can. 44:54 Because if God can call Aaron the saint, 44:57 He can call you the saint. Trust me. 44:59 Aaron died as saint. How did Moses die? 45:01 Oh, Mercy. 45:03 Moses. Moses. 45:05 You see, a $20 bill no matter 45:07 how crumpled and dirty it becomes. 45:09 Saint Aaron, a $20 bill no matter 45:12 how crumpled and dirty it becomes 45:14 never looses its original value. 45:16 And I'll call one person in the Bible of saint 45:18 and that will be you, Aaron, that will be you. 45:20 Well, Aaron wake up one day, 45:22 when he get's to the Promise Land 45:23 and he'll find out, you know what? 45:24 You're the only guy that God called the saint. 45:26 Give me a hi-five. 45:31 I don't know about Moses. 45:33 With tender pathos? 45:36 The story of The Chosen comes to an end. 45:38 Not the Chosen, just Moses. 45:40 Book of Deuteronomy says farewell address. 45:42 And I'm not gonna put it on the screen for you. 45:45 I want you to look it in your own Bible. 45:46 Deuteronomy 33. Is this something else? 45:50 This is his final words are Chapter 33, 45:52 he dies in Chapter 34. 45:55 Chapter 33, and I want you to notice just the last words. 45:57 I tell you what? 45:58 When I die, when I die, 46:00 if Jesus doesn't come one day, I want to die. 46:02 When I die for my children and for my family I pray 46:06 that I will have the presence of mind 46:07 to make these my last words before I die. 46:11 Wouldn't you like to die with these your last will 46:14 and testament to those who survive you? 46:16 His final words to Israel, 40 years 46:18 he's wept over these kids, grown up. 46:21 And he says, "Happy are you, O Israel! 46:23 Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord." 46:28 I'd love for my children to know when I die 46:31 that they're saved. 46:33 I want my kids to know that they're saved. 46:37 I want them to know then I'll die. 46:41 Oh, Moses, Moses, Moses. 46:45 120 years as strong as the day he began. 46:48 Deuteronomy 34 says, but now he must die. 46:51 And soon the next verses you have the story. 46:54 That whole camp watches it. Do you know what? 46:56 They know God is going to put him to sleep 46:59 on top of that mountain. 47:03 We've had to do that with pets and it kills you. 47:06 Trust me, it kills you with a pet. 47:10 Everybody here knows that 47:13 that sagging shouldered leader 47:18 is going to climb that mountain 47:21 and he will die alone. 47:28 I bet you, the whole camp wanted to race after him 47:30 and hang on to him and say, "Oh, no, Moses, no, no. 47:32 You stay, you stay. 47:33 We'll take you. We'll take you. 47:35 We'll take you across the Jordan. 47:36 No, the man must go alone. 47:38 Don't you ever talk to me again about it, boy? 47:40 You're going to die. 47:42 And alone he climbs 47:45 to the summit of the mountain called Nebo, 47:47 the actual peak is called Pisgah and the incarnate, 47:52 the pre-incarnate Christ is waiting for him. 47:56 Moses, come here. 48:00 You and I have gotten closer than 48:01 any two beings in the history of earth. 48:05 You've talk to me as if I were a friend. 48:07 You have come face to face to me, Moses. 48:11 I am here. 48:13 Before you die, I want you to look, 48:16 just look, look, look, look. 48:18 I'm gonna show you supernaturally 48:20 the entire spread of the Promise Land. 48:24 And while you are looking, while you are looking, 48:29 I'm gonna play the history channel in advance. 48:35 And I'm gonna let you see the whole sad story. 48:43 And Moses is shown and then we are told 48:50 this is the moment that Moses looks to wear the invisible 48:55 because remember, he endured this one who saw the invisible. 48:57 He looks toward the invisible standing. 49:01 And Moses says, "Oh, God, I cannot die 49:07 unless I know again that you've forgiven me." 49:13 And one more time he pleads. 49:18 And we're told, out of that invisible space 49:23 the voice said, my friend, 49:27 you are forgiven, now go to sleep. 49:33 Oh, my. 49:37 One day when I get to heaven, 49:40 I really do hope they have a History Channel there. 49:44 I want God to play this part. 49:46 I want God to play this part 49:47 because, you know, what happens? 49:49 Mercy steps off the throne of the universe 49:54 after the boy is dead and turn to dust. 49:58 Mercy steps off the throne of the universe 50:00 and races down to a summit called Nebo 50:03 and the towering Christ is standing over only dust. 50:09 As the Bible says only God knew where Moses died. 50:16 Someone you have some love ones 50:18 that you are praying against hope 50:21 that God marks the place of that boy. 50:26 I want you to know, mamma, 50:28 God has already marked that spot. 50:31 Hallelujah. 50:32 He didn't forget. 50:34 Where is it? He knows. 50:37 The towering Christ stands over that moment. 50:42 Oh, you got to see this, we are indebted to Jude 50:44 and there's one line from Jude, Jude 9. 50:46 Take a look at this. 50:48 "Yet Michael the archangel," that's a pre-incarnated Christ. 50:50 Philipp Melanchthon taught it, I have taught it, 50:52 I believe it the pre-incarnated Christ. 50:54 "In contending with the devil 50:56 when he disputed about the body of Moses." 50:58 You can't have him. 50:59 What are you doing down here? 51:01 You understand, nobody has ever seen 51:02 what Christ is about to do. 51:03 The whole universe, nobody has ever seen. 51:05 I don't know what you are doing, 51:07 but you are by his grave and that boy is mine. 51:09 I want to remind you that you kick me out of heaven 51:11 for eclipsing your glory. 51:13 He did the same thing and he and I are together forever. 51:17 You cannot have him. 51:18 And Christ did not rail against him. 51:20 He did not argue with him. 51:22 He just said to him, "The Lord rebuke you." 51:25 Move! 51:30 And Lucifer slings away. 51:32 By the way, you understand 51:34 that the entire universe is there that day. 51:37 All the retinue of heaven has come 51:39 because nobody has yet seen what is about to happen. 51:42 All of hell, the demons of hell are there 51:44 because nobody knows 51:45 what's he's gonna do with that dust. 51:50 And Christ issues a simple command. 51:55 I don't know what it was, but it worked. 52:00 And suddenly before a gape universe, 52:03 the dust on the summit amount and evil begins to tremble. 52:07 It moves, it shifts, and suddenly out of the dirt 52:10 and a dusty bed emerges 52:13 a dead being brought back to life. 52:18 Halleluiah. 52:19 And the shout went out and I am certain 52:22 it went to the furthest corner of this universe. 52:24 Write it down, "Apparently, 52:26 Mercy can reclaim even the dead." 52:30 Halleluiah. 52:33 Oh, my. 52:36 You know what that means, ladies and gentlemen? 52:39 That means the chosen who die 52:41 before the Promise Land maybe you, maybe me. 52:47 The chosen who die before the Promise Land 52:50 will still get to the Promise Land. 52:55 Halleluiah. 52:56 Because of Moses got there then we will get there, 53:00 death not withstanding. 53:02 Because of the mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 53:08 The chosen, the chosen will be crossing over one day, 53:15 I believe soon. 53:19 I want to stay with the chosen. 53:21 Do you? 53:22 I want to stay with the chosen 53:23 because I want to be crossing over. 53:25 Do you? Do you? 53:26 Put your hand up, if you want to stay with the chosen. 53:30 You want to crossover one day. 53:31 Halleluiah. Oh, come. 53:33 Oh, come, Emanuel, and ransom the chosen, 53:37 ransom captive is rare. 53:41 Jesus, please come. 53:44 Let's sing it to Him right now. 54:05 O come, O come, Immanuel 54:13 And ransom captive Israel 54:20 That mourns in lonely exile here 54:28 Until the Son of God appear 54:35 Rejoice! Rejoice! 54:41 Immanuel 54:46 Shall come to thee 54:48 O Israel! 54:54 O come, Thou wisdom from on high 55:01 And order all things, far and nigh 55:09 To us the path of knowledge show 55:16 And cause us in her ways to go 55:22 Rejoice! 55:24 Rejoice! Rejoice! 55:28 Immanuel 55:33 Shall come to thee 55:36 O Israel! 55:42 O come, Desire of nations, bind 55:49 All peoples in one heart and mind 55:57 Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease 56:04 Fill the whole world with heaven's peace 56:12 Rejoice! Rejoice! 56:16 Immanuel 56:21 Shall come to thee 56:24 O Israel! 56:32 And so, Holy Father, we have sung our prayer. 56:35 We plead with You. 56:37 Please send to us Immanuel again. 56:43 Everything within us longs to be crossing over. 56:51 May the divine mercy 56:54 engraves that raised Moses 57:00 and saved Aaron, 57:03 save us all through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 57:08 Amen. 57:11 Before you go I wanted to take 57:13 one more moment let you know. 57:14 How glad I am. 57:15 You share this hour worship and Bible teachings with us. 57:18 Living in the world that we do now, 57:20 a civilization surviving on the edge of 57:22 constant upheaval and change. 57:24 I'm grateful that we have the bedrock hope of Jesus, 57:27 aren't you? 57:28 And I'm thankful that you and I can partnered together 57:30 to reach this generation the world over 57:32 through the satellite telecast. 57:34 So please know that I thank God and you 57:36 for the generous way you partnered with us. 57:39 Your tax deductible gifts are being multiplied 57:41 all across the earth for such a time as this. 57:45 If you'd like to order a DVD 57:46 or a video tape copy of this teaching today 57:48 or make a donation on your credit card, 57:50 please call our friendly operators 57:52 at the number on your screen. 57:53 There it is 877-HIS-WILL, just the two words 57:56 877-HIS-WILL. 57:58 And I promise you, we will invest 58:00 every penny of your generosity 58:02 in God's mission to reach this final generation now. 58:05 Thank you for that partnership 58:07 and I'll see you here again next time. |
Revised 2014-12-18