Faith and the Future Promise

TEXT: Numbers 14:1-12

I. INTRODUCTION

       A bad report: What does the person feel when he receives a bad report about a fatal disease or a tragedy, termination in a certain job…...the world around him stops, consumed by negative thoughts, inappropriate behavior…..

      A bad report brings threat in the lives of the people

II. BODY

Background:

• Moses sent 12 spies to spy out Canaan
• Joshua and Caleb brought a good report about the land
• The other spies brought a bad report about the land.

Report to Rebellion

• People reacted on the bad report
• The report brings threat to the people
• They fear of the people in Canaan (enemies)
• They did not want to go anymore to land that God has promised to their fathers.

• They wanted to go back in Egypt

Note: Rebellion against God  is about not pursuing the will of God

Point: Lack of Faith leads to rebellion by protecting one's self and not pursuing

Challenge: When a difficult situation hit you, are you going to pursue God's will or go back in the

                    opposite direction?

Rebellion to Rejection

• The leaders exhort the people
• Rejection of God's promise
• Rejection of God's precepts
• Rejection of God's protection
• Rejection of God's people

Note: Rejection of the things of God is about devaluing the will of God

Point: Lack of Faith leads to rejection because the will of God has no value at all for him

Challenge: Do you value the will of God? Then pursue it.

Rejection to Retribution

• Despite all the signs still they do not believe instead they despise God
• Deliverance from Egypt
• Parting of Red Sea
• Provision in the wilderness

• Retribution: God will bring pestilence, disinherit them from the people, and they will not be part of the blessed nation at all.

Note: This is not loosing one's salvation. Rebellion and Rejection of God and the things of God till

            their death shows that they do not have salvation to start with.

Point: The one who continue till the end is saved (cf: Matt 24:13)

Challenge: He has proved to us His being as God. Let us not despise Him.

CIS: Faith is all we need to continue to live to attain God's promise in our lives.

• Joseph's faith made him to continue to live in the will of God until he reached the promise of God; Paul; Peter; and other Apostles and martyrs.

III. CONCLUSION

         William Jensen Reynolds, an American hymn editor included his composed hymn "I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS" in Assembly Songbook in 1959. This is based on the words of man in Assam (northeast of India) was converted and his family who experienced threat because of his belief.