The “Power” Series
#2
"THE EYES HAVE IT!"
TEXT: Numbers
INTRO: Around the
year 1640 a shipload of travelers landed on the northeast coast of
Nothing is as powerful as "vision!" Even our brains at night produce several
visions we call dreams ... if you don't dream you will lose touch with
reality ... or at best become quite irritable and touchy ... vision
is the most profound sense we have, it is estimated that almost 80-90% of all
our knowledge comes through our sense of
vision.
Spiritual vision is also a major part of our walk with
God!
PROP. SENT: The Bible will teach us that how we view the things of life
will have an enormous impact on our soul, more so than what we view; people can
see the same thing but conclude different messages ... because it is
not WHAT we see that matters the most but HOW we see
it!
I. EVIDENCE! ("Seeing is Believing!") Num.
13:26-30
A.
Wow! Num.
13:26-27
1. This is the story of the 12 spies
sent out by Moses to check out the
a. A
plan to send 12 spies (1 from each
tribe) to give a report to the people.
b. It
was assumed the spies would return with a good report: "When you come
back bring some of the fruit."
c.
The plan was meant to build excitement for the
people!
2.
The report was accurate on the fruitfulness and the beauty of the
land!
3.
The cluster of grapes gave ample evidence of God's blessings and promises
being even better than could have been
imagined!
4. Such will be heaven, our
5.
The spies allowed the people to have a glimpse of what is to be
theirs!
a.
Jesus became a glimpse for us of what our heavenly bodies will be
like.
b.
Jesus' post-resurrection appearances only wet our appetites for
heaven!
6.
The final report on the land and its fruitfulness was an astounding “WOW!”
B.
Worry! Num.
13:28-29
1.
While they saw the fruitfulness of the land ok, they also saw the power
of the enemy as overwhelming!
2. They clearly
saw how big the fruit was in the land... and how big the enemy was, but failed
to see how big their God was!
3.
Like Israel during King Saul's reign, they saw Goliath as a giant opposition, while David saw Goliath as a
giant
opportunity!
a. They saw the same thing ... but viewed
the same thing differently!
b.
Perspective is critical to successful Christian
living!
c. It
is not a denial of reality ... just redefining it in the context of a BIG
God!
4. If you have a big God you have small
problems, but if you have a small God you have big
problems!
5. "Seeing is
believing!"
6.
But it depends on the angle of our
view!!!!
ILLUS: In Northern
Burma years ago a translation team had given the Bible to a people in the Lisu
language and left a young man in charge to teach the people how to read the
language and the Bible. Because of
the few copies he had, 4 men sat around a table to have them read from the
Bible. After 6 months an observer
came back and noticed something interesting. Each day the same men sat in the same
position around the table read the Bible.
One day when the order was changed confusion reigned ... the men had
learned to read the language and letters from the position they sat around the
table in! The guy at the top of the
table learned the language upside down ... he couldn't read from the bottom of
the table ... the guys on the side each read the words from their vantage point,
not capable of reading from the left side of the table from sitting always on
the right ... their perspective had created for them their sense of "correct"
angle! We need to view life from
God's angle or the view may be overwhelming at times! – Source Unknown
7.
The angle of 10 of these 12 spies was clearly evidenced by "AND WE ARE
GRASSHOPPERS IN OUR EYES ... AND IN THEIRS!" Num.
13:33
8.
Their angle destroyed their faith in God's
ability!
9.
Anxiety struck deep!
C.
Whole-hearted
Num. 13:30
1.
Caleb and Joshua however had a whole different angle on the enemy! They looked at the enemy through their
vision of God ... this made the enemy look like an easy target and made them
feel invincible through God!
2.
Their approach was simple ... "We should go up
and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
a.
There is no doubt in their minds.
b.
They saw the same reality ... but with a different
twist!
c.
The greatest self-confidence lies in a living relationship with Jesus
Christ!
(1.
Because with God we are not limited to only our
self!
(2.
Because all things are possible for God ... with Him in our lives, all
things are possible for us as well!
3.
They certainly had a different way of looking at the
problem!
ILLUS: The very
successful Broadway star of "THE PIANO LESSON" Charles Dutton seems like an
unlikely man for such success. He
was imprisoned for many years for manslaughter ... when asked how he had escaped
the usual tragic scars of prison on his life he gave this response: "Unlike the other prisoners, I never
decorated my cell" ... Dutton had resolved never to regard his cell as
home! – Source Unknown
II. EXPECTATIONS ("What you see is what you get!") Num.
13:31-14:4
A.
Wimps! Num.
13:31-33
1.
With God's power and reality absent from the equation they could only see
themselves as powerless.
2. It
was bad enough that they felt this way ... but they spread their opinion all
through the camp... they were leaders so their influence was even
stronger!
a. These cannot be thought of as evil
men bent on
b.
They had come through many years of seeing God's hand on them
already.
c.
The fact that they were chosen by Moses in the first place gives some
indication of their status and trustworthiness ... Moses wouldn't have likely
chosen them if he knew they would bring back a bad
report!
d. Even good
people can lose perspective at times ... we need to always be on our
guard to check our VISION!
ILLUS: How could you
go through life without having your vision checked by eye doctors? We often have our vision checked ...
especially as we age because subtle and not so subtle changes require corrective
measures to keep our vision clear.
This is true spiritually as well! -- Dennis
Marquardt
3.
The more they stated the facts as they saw them the worse they saw
themselves; "we are grasshoppers in OUR eyes and in theirs
too."
a.
Ironically, each repeat of the "bad report" gets a little
worse...
b.
AND more detail is added with each repetition; for the
worse!
4. As
much as we don't like to admit it ... fear creates spiritual
wimps!
5.
These normally solid leaders had made a mess in the
making!
6. EXAGGERATION
is the fruit of poor vision!
Num.
13:31
a. "They are much
stronger than we are."
b. "The land devours
the people living in it." (As though the desert
didn't!)
c. "All the people
we saw are of great size."
d. “We saw the
Nephilim” ... ie. GIANT HUMANS ... THE "BIG FEET" OF THE MIDDLE
EAST!
e. "We are just
insects compared to them ... even they know
this!"
f.
The irony of these statements:
(1.
"They
are much stronger than we are." --
This was not proven yet, they hadn't crossed to confront them
yet!
(2.
"The
land devours the people living in it." -- If it did then why have all
these people prospered so much?
Plus they brought back the huge sized fruit as evidence that this was not
true!
(3.
"All
the people we saw are of great size." -- Might be some truth to this
one, but it is unlikely they visited every spot before they
returned.
(4.
“We saw
the Nephilim” -- This might be at
least accurate to some degree, there were people of large size living there at
the time.
(5.
"We are
just insects compared to them ... even they know this!" -- If they
leave God out of the equation the first part would appear correct; however God
had been with them coming out of Egypt and given them victory over the desert so
far ... and the later part was likely NOT true since they had entered as spies
and it was not likely an opinion of the Israelites had taken hold in the land
yet, not likely that the natives would think already that they were nothing but
tiny insects compared to the them!
This was just plain exaggeration!
B.
Whiny! Num.
14:1-4
1. Over-exaggeration breeds over-reactions!
a.
That night ... all night, the people wept
together!
b.
You can just see them all sitting around the campfires crying together on
how miserable their lives were!
c. This was
probably the biggest "pity" party on
record!
2. Of
course self-pity leads to complaining about
others!
a.
Moses and Aaron are targets in the first
degree!
b.
Somebody has to be blamed ... it must have been their leaders who brought
them there in the first place, so they are
blamed!
c. It didn't matter that they had followed
willingly!
d. It didn't matter that
e.
They conveniently forgot how God had defeated the Egyptians,
etc.
3.
This happens with some Christians who go through trials today ... they
allow self-pity to lead them in complaining about other Christians; and they
forget that though being a Christian is sometimes tough -- their former life of
sin had more anguish in it than their present life with Christ ... at least now
they have purpose for things and a sense of direction with meaning, and they had
God's promises!
4.
The overreaction continues: They wish they had died in the dessert now! Oddly ...
GOD IS GOING TO GIVE THEM THAT WISH SOON
-- this entire older generation WILL die in the
desert!
5.
They try softening the look over their whiny hearts by hiding their anger
in a disguise of concern for the innocent women and children that came with
them!
a.
This is a common ploy of whining ... when confronted with the obvious
poor spirit they deflect the truth of their own whining by sounding like they
are so concerned about someone else!
b.
One does not get over self-pity until one acknowledges it exists without
a good excuse!
6. Final stage of whining: “Let's get
new leaders who will REALLY know how to minister to us ... someone who
can take us back to good old
ILLUS: How
strange to see
III. EQUILIBRIUM ("a sight for sore eyes!") Num.
14:5-19
A.
Warning!
Num. 14:5-9
1.
Drastic reactions from the people required a drastic reaction from
Moses!
a.
Moses and Aaron fell facedown to demonstrate their heaviness over the
people's sin!
b.
They also tore their robes ... a very clear signal that something
critical is wrong!
2.
The leaders on the right path joined forces in this display ... a united
front of conviction was required for any hopes of equilibrium to be
restored!
3.
They attempt to use logic and the obvious stories of God's faithfulness
in the past as influence.
4.
Their appeal is to reason and to faith ... not one over the other;
however, faith gives the logic to reason!
5.
Moses repeats the agreed upon vision of what the land was like ... no
difference of opinion on the fruitfulness of the land ... just on how they
viewed their ability to gain control of
it!
6.
Now Moses sounds the real issue: "rebellion
because of their unbelief in
God."
a.
The issues are clear:
(1.
Unbelief!
(2.
Fear!
b. We
are responsible for our reactions in life!
c.
Moses was sounding a warning ... "It matters how
we choose to respond to life's
troubles!"
d.
FORGIVENESS AND CONSEQUENCES are 2 separate
issues!
7.
Later we find God's willingness to forgive these people in response to
Moses' intercessory prayer ... yet the consequences of their choices will impact
their entire life ... we need to understand this
truth!
a.
Too many Christians take sin too casually ... telling themselves they can
always be forgiven ... yes, but don't forget about consequences which can
continue past forgiveness!
b.
The Bible is full of examples of these twin truths: DAVID ... ADAM & EVE ... LOT ...
AND MOSES! (And there are many others in the Bible as
well!)
B.
Weary! Num.
14:10-12
1. Warning
2. It
is important however to note that Moses heard from God ... that their anger
though directed at Moses was clearly an issue against God ... by God's own Word
here! Num. 14:11
3.
God demonstrates a type of weariness with the constant abuse of
faith!
a.
Surely this was somewhat of a test for
Moses.
b.
God was using these circumstances to encourage Moses' shepherding
instincts!
c.
Thus giving Moses the privilege to feel the nurturing nature of God
Himself!
4. It
is tough to press on in a fog ... but we
must!
ILLUS:
C.
Worshiper Num.
14:13-19
1.
What a contrast the picture of Moses presents against the backdrop of the
people!
a.
While the people were only concerned over their own
wants...
b.
Moses is concerned about God's reputation ... not even his
own!
2. It
is easy to see now why God chose Moses ... even in his mistakes there was a
proper vision deep within Moses' heart about
God!
3.
When we see God correctly all things are
possible!
4.
Moses appeals to the Lord’s character in his intercession for their sins,
this is the heart of the worshiper!
IV.
EDUCATION ("No vision the
people perish!") Num.
14:20-45
A.
Wandering Num.
14:20-25
1.
While clearly forgiven, the consequences of their unbelief will take its
toll!
2.
Why the consequences?
They became a teaching tool for future generations to tell us that
sin can have devastating consequences on our lives even though forgiveness is a
reality!
3. It
will act as a lighthouse for future generations that certain paths have the real
possibilities of causing shipwreck, though we might survive the
storm!
a. It
is a real warning against LOSS!
b.
Sin brings real losses ... we must understand the nature of
sin!
4.
Their cost for this indulgence into self-pity and
unbelief?
a. 37
more years of wandering around in a desert ... no sense of direction for their
lives!
ILLUS: It is said that
Dr. Mortimer Adler suddenly left a discussion group at a tea quite disgusted,
slamming the door after him. One
person trying to relieve the tension, remarked, "Well, he's gone." To this the hostess replied, "No, he
isn't. That's a closet!" We share
the same plight when we attempt to rush from God's presence. We are confined to
ourselves.
-- Myron S. Augsburger, When Reason Fails. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no.
9.
b.
They will die in the very place they complained
in!
c.
They lost the right to embrace the fruit of the new land ... it will only
continue to be a dream for them ... a reality only for their
children!
d.
Their life would not be the same ... the loss was real for
them!
B.
Waste!
Num. 14:26-38
1. The very things they complained about became
their reality!
a.
They complained about dying in the desert
... and so they did!
b. They
complained they couldn't occupy the
c.
They complained they were too weak to go
against the enemy ... they were!
d.
They complained their children would suffer
... they did for 37 more years!
e.
They were afraid their women would suffer
... and so they did, for their own unfaithfulness their family experienced some
pain too!
2.
Sin takes a tragic toll on people's lives ... and it impacts others as
well.
a.
Divorce hurts the kids, not just the
adults.
b.
The consequences of sins can have multiple effects ... we need to
remember this when we are tempted to view sin as some minor problem in life ...
some things we can always find forgiveness for don’t just disappear so
easily when it comes to consequences!
3.
How much better NOT to sin and avoid even the consequences!!! This is the up-side to righteousness.
We can escape even sin’s
consequences by wise and godly choices now and save our children and other
people whose lives are impacted from the pain of our
sins!
C.
Wayward! Num.
14:39-45
1.
The greatest tragedy of this story now unfolds, instead of learning from
the painful situation they choose to rebel even
further!
a. They decide they won't accept God's
call for consequences ... now they will go into the
b. They presume they can alter God's plans
whenever it suits them!
2.
This wayward attitude only confirms God's sense of justice on their sins
... they still do not view God properly or
themselves!
ILLUS: Like the white
mouse a man purchased to feed his pet snake. After dropping the mouse in the snake's
cage the mouse immediately sensed the danger of his situation. Seeing the snake the mouse immediately
began kicking sawdust on top of the snake until the snake was completely hidden
under it. With the snake covered
the mouse began to relax and run around thinking that by covering the snake he
was no longer there ... what a surprise awaited the ignorant mouse! How like this some people are ... they
think if they can just cover over their sins that that will take care of the
problem ... the only way to be safe however, is to have the snake killed ...
crushed by the heel of the Son of God!
Getting out of the tank with the snake is the only safe
remedy! – Source Unknown
3. How
CONCLUSION: It's not so much WHAT we see that
shapes our life as much as it is HOW we see things! Saul's men saw in Goliath a giant
opposition ... David saw a giant opportunity;
their actions were based on HOW
they saw Goliath and God! How has
your vision been
lately?