February 09, 2019 "Divine Disappointments" , Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

this is what they say Moses why in the world did you lead us all the way out here where ain't no water to drink we should have died with everybody else died we had it better in Egypt we told you to leave us alone [Music] god I thank you that I ain't get along to stay here then we have another home not made with human hands where are for mothers and for moms and fathers reminded us I got shoes you got shoes and all God's children got shoes for that survival instinct that our slave grandmothers and grandfathers had within them for the great story of a people who've come up out of slavery allow us to be in this place on this day Lord with the freedoms we have I pray now that should be present in the proclamation of your word they may leave this place living a life that is pleasing unto you in Jesus name we pray amen I'm not gonna be very long tonight I'm finding myself wrestling with vocal issues and a little bit under the weather but I pray that God will move and then you were here and receive I'm gonna invite you into the Old Testament to the Book of Numbers Genesis Exodus Leviticus than numbers amen amen you can't assume nothing the Book of Numbers chapter 20 and when you found the 20th chapter of the Book of Numbers if you're physically able to stand that together we might reverence the reading of God's Word from numbers chapter 21 beginning reading in verse number 1 of the New International Version of God's Holy Word Lord Lord reads in the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the desert of Zin and they stayed at Kadesh their Miriam died and was buried now there was no water for the community and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron they quarreled with Moses besides him if only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord why did you bring the Lord's community into this wilderness that we and our livestock should die here why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place it has no grain or FIGS grape vines or pomegranates and there is no water to drink Moses and Aaron went from the Assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell face down and the glory of the Lord appeared to them and the Lord said to Moses take the staff and you and your brother Aaron and gather the assembly together speak to that rock right over there before their eyes and it will pour out its water you will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink so Moses took the staff from the Lord's presence just as he commanded him he and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them listen you rebels must we bring you water out of this rock Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with this water staff water gushed out and the community and their livestock drink but the Lord said to Moses and Aaron because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as Holy in the sight of the Israelites you will not bring this community into the land I give them these were the waters of Mirabeau where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them you may be seated in the presence of God what for just a few moments to rest with you about divine disappointments divine disappointments I honestly believe that the scariest Christians in the world are the ones who think they've got God all figured out I am suspect and averse to people who speak definitively about everything about God I'm lowary of folk that got God in a formula have God locked in a box and think with their finite human understanding and their reading of scripture that they can tell you everything about God those people to me dr. judy have probably never really read the bible because time and again in bible you encounter a god quarter leave you scratching your head a God who does not always do what you expect a god like that to do a god whose ways are higher than our ways a God whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts a God who does things that oftentimes makes me wonder what God is up to I encountered that God and in the Garden of Eden when I wonder God why put the tree there to test them if you created everything where that snake come from I have trouble with God finding Jacob in the wilderness and for no apparent reason and breaking Jacobs hip so that now he limps for the rest of his life I wrestled with the god I read in the book of Joel wondering why God would subject Jobe to all the job had to go through God for what is seemingly nothing less than a wager with Satan says to Satan have you considered my servant job a whole lot of things I want God to do on my behalf but one thing I pray God never does is asked the satan has he considered me leave me alone i wrestled with the god that Paul speaks about who gives him a thorn in the flesh and when Paul prays for it to be removed the only answer God gives is my grace is sufficient there's some places in Bible where me and God don't really work out well and one of the places that bothers me the most as a leader in God's people as a servant of God in God's family is what happens right here in numbers chapter 20 I'm disturbed by this God can I give you the background so you don't miss the breakdown Moses has been leading the children of Israel out of Egypt they are in that wandering place where for forty years they circled around a mountain in the desert all because God found out that what was ready for them they weren't ready for so God said the truth of Israel in a 40 year timeout to get themselves together and while they're making this wandering wilderness journey baba says they get to a place called Mirabeau in the wilderness of zin an area called Kadesh and it is there in that place that miriam dies you remember Miriam when Moses was put in the basket down the Nile River it was Miriam who was there watching over him when Pharaoh's daughter needed a wet nurse it was Miriam who recommended Moses mother Miriam was there when Moses was called Miriam assisted and aided Moses just as much as Aaron did because he needs a sister as much as he needs a brother Miriam has been there too all the ups and downs everything Moses has experienced he could rely on Miriam to be his help baba says right here Miriam dies can you imagine the grief Moses is going through his sister has died and while he's grieving he finds out that these Israelites these people of God whom he has been leading while he's mourning while he's planning the funeral while he's writing out the obituary dr. Judy they have formed a committee they've put together a petition and they come to Moses in the midst of his grieving and the Bible says they quarrel with him they complain this what they say Moses why in the world did you lead us all the way out here where ain't no water to drink we should have died with everybody else died we had it better in Egypt we told you to leave us alone but no you had to come talking about let my people go we trusted you and followed you and now we out here about to die in the wilderness they are complaining with Moses and Moses goes off Moses is sick and tired of these folk if you read up until numbers 20 you'll find out these are some of the most complaining this folk you didn't ever want to deal with in your life nothing is good enough for them Sun to hot night to cold water ain't sweet enough mana just keep on coming quail we don't want they complain up have you ever known somebody who complained about no air thing ain't nothing good quiet to loud sermon too long Church too crowded ain't no parking they complain about everything and Moses has had enough so he decides to go to what's called the tabernacle of meeting he needs some alone time with God so he and Aaron go to see God they fall down on their face and the Bible says that the glory of the Lord shows up God descends and Moses tells God what's going on these folks getting on my nerves they want some water God says Moses relax I got it go outside talk to that rock and it will give you its water I want to make sure you hear this the Lord tells Moses go talk to the rock and the rock will give you its water so you missed you miss two to two crazy things right there number one you don't talk to rocks cuz rocks don't talk back and God says when you talk to the rock the rock will give you its water you just miss your second crazy moment cuz rocks don't have water but sometimes God calls you to do what seems crazy in the eyes of somebody else so that God can yield what you've never experienced before go talk to the rock Moses Moses goes outside and he's mad he looks at the people and said listen here you rebels and and I just believe that that's just a biblical way of covering up what he really said [Applause] you rebels hi Laura we got to bring you water out of this rock the Bible says that God told Moses to speak Moses disobeyed Moses took the staff in his hand and hit the rock not once but twice somebody say he disobeyed but can I show you how good god is he was supposed to speak to the rock he hid the rock in blatant disobedience and the water still came out you just miss your shout because even when you are not faithful to what God called you to do our God is so faithful that he fulfills promise even when we've been disobedient and have not done what God called us to do somebody here you can week a man cuz you know God did some things for you that should not have happened but God is faithful and evening your disobedience water flowed seems like all is well and then God shows up and says Moses you and Aaron come here he pulls them to the side that's what he says because of that right there you ain't going into the Promised Land the Lord restricts Moses and Aaron from going into the Promised Land because Moses hit a rock yo this just don't seem right I mean if anybody should get a pass his Moses look at everything Moses has done for God Moses put his life on the line for God Moses jeopardized his family for God Moses has led these folk in the wilderness these what the Bible calls stiff necked Israelites my Syria these jokers are so bad even God wanted to kill him God how you won't get mad at me for being mad with some folk you wanted to kill you know these rebels I mean why would God prevent Moses from entering the promised land that God told Moses he would leave that people with to this just doesn't seem fair Lord please don't tell me that Moses doesn't get in because he got angry because if anger causes divine disappointment we all do lot of trouble lord please don't tell me Moses ain't getting in cuz church folk got on his nerve cuz if church folk getting on your nerve makes God upset we all live in a lot of trouble God how could you keep your chosen one what was Moses crime what did Moses do that would make God so disappointed it bothered me had to wrestle with it and then the Lord showed me it wasn't about him being angry and it was about people getting on his nerve there's some other reasons in what happens here that makes God disappointed in God's chosen the very first one shows up like this remember what happens the people complain Moses gets mad and goes off Moses goes into the tent of meeting the glory of the Lord shows up Moses leaves mad okay you want your most karma try again this some Moses gets angry he goes to the tabernacle of meeting the glory of the Lord shows up and he leaves man okay you almost got you he's mad when he goes in the house of God the glory of the Lord shows up and he leaves the house of the Lord as angry after the benediction as he was before the call to worship and part of God's anger with Moses this how can you dwell in my glory and leave the same way after my glory that you were before you came in how can you come to church mad and leave man how can you come nasty and leave nasty how can you be in God's presence come in with a bad attitude and leave with a bad attitude for all of that you should have stayed at home how can you dwell in the presence of the glory of God and not be transformed not be changed have nothing happen to you it is a shame to come into the glory of the Lord and only him you know is I shall not be moved [Applause] ain't gonna think Amen I'm not gonna say Amen I ain't touching my neighbor once I don't want my neighbor to touch me I don't care what the preacher says I don't care what the choir sings I'm gonna sit here cuz I'm mad and then the glory of the Lord shows up and you leave still mad God says listen here's the problem when you enter my presence and when you're in my glory and you know that my dwelling is in this space you ought to open your heart and expect that I'm gonna change some things because when you truly come to worship God he'll change your mind he'll change your heart he'll change your attitude he'll change your perspective he'll change a disposition he will change you in his presence and ain't nothing worse than encountering church folk on Monday who the same where they were on Friday listen listen can I ask you do me a favor please I don't mean to offend you but if you're gonna come to church every week and still have a bad attitude still be mean and nasty to folk still act ugly do me a favor don't tell people that you are a member of Alpha Street Baptist Church I need you to lie and I go to Calvary Baptist or something but don't tell them you come over here because the expectation is that when you dwell in this place and worship this God and hear this word and give him this place then your life ought to be changed Something About You I'll let people know you've been around god you can't really be around God and not absorb some of this you can't hear about this God every week and still walk around and doubt you can't hear these praises of God and never think Amen something about this oughta saturate you I told you once I was picked up to preach at a church I'd flown in and when I landed the pastor couldn't pick me up but he had one of his deacons come get me so I got in the car with the deacon and it was clear when I got in the car that the Deacon smoked because smelled it all throughout the car but you know I'm I'm easy going on I deal with all kind of people so you know I ain't gonna say nothing just gonna just just get me to the church as soon as you can we're gonna be all right so we're driving in a car true story and he lights up a cigarette in the car so I'm cool I'm trying to give him some signals I roll the window down I'm trying to give some signs he ain't picking it up we keep on driving he lights up another cigarette so now I'm just like Lord Jesus in the night get me out of this car Jesus we get to the church Marcy I come in the past is there the pastor comes to give me a handshake he gives me the brother handshake it's not you the handshake that the brothers get he grabs me and pulls me close pushes me back and says to me when'd you start smoking I said I don't smoke but I've been locked up in this car with your deacon who does and because he smokes and I've been close to him what he does is now all over me and so you're smelling it on me cuz I've been close to him when you come and you truly get close to God and worship there are to be some things about you that let your neighbor know your cousin know your mama know that you been in the presence of God ah do me a favor just lean over and sniff your neighbor [Applause] I'm just trying to smell some God on you that's all that maybe the Lord is disappointed when we have the audacity to come to worship but not the courage to allow worship to change us there's some things you ought to leave in church Moses comes in to the presence of the Lord the glory of the Lord shows up and he leaves mad he hits the rock now what you see what the second problem is when Moses tells the Lord the people are complaining God doesn't get mad now there are other instances when we see God clearly upset with the Israelites there's a moment when God told Moses step out the way I'm about to kill them all and Moses stands in front enter season or don't do that if you do that the Egyptians going here they're gonna say you couldn't do it Lord I need little Moses intercedes we've seen God mad with the Israelites before God doesn't get mad here Larry as a matter of fact what happens is God tells Moses listen Moses don't sweat this I got this go talk to the rock step out the way and watch me move God tells Moses how to handle it there's no I'm accustomed there's no I'm will kill them it's simply go talk to the rock get out the way and watch me do what I do so when Moses goes outside he's angry now here's the problem God wasn't angry but Moses is still angry can i push it and the issue is that the children of Israel at this point do not and cannot go to God themselves the only way they know what God has said is through Moses say with me so God ain't angry but Moses comes out angry and when the people see Moses angry they believe God is angry cuz Moses and his life had failed to bear true witness to what God said part of the reason God is disappointed is when our lives do not bear true witness to who he is in the presence of those who don't know them for themselves there are people you need every day who don't know God who have never surrendered their life to Jesus Christ who have never cracked open a Bible who've never set foot in a church and God says your life is supposed to bear witness of what you heard in here so that those out there will know who I am and what a shame for you to live your life in such a way as folk don't know God so you live your life condemning this group that group to hell and god says that don't reflect me you live your life judging people for what they do God says but but I've been merciful to you [Applause] you live your life telling folk that God don't love them you got something and I love you I expect your life to bear witness to the message of God in your daily living so that people who don't know the Lord can see God in you and maybe God is disappointed with us when our witness does not match his word when our life doesn't mirror his love when our message to the world doesn't reflect his mercy to us how can you want God to put somebody else in the hell with everything God overlooked in your life with all the love God has poured on me the only thing I should bear witness to in the world is the love of God Moses heard God say I got it and he came out proclaiming God is mad with you Judea made me wonder at what point did Moses feel he had to add something to what God had already said at what point do we need to flavour what God has said with our own stuff listen if you know anything about cooking you know there's some stuff it's so good you ain't you ain't gonna add nothing to it I mean I mean if the chicken is fried right you don't really need no hot sauce no no no no if the Greens just cook the right way you don't need no vinegar on it there's some stuff it's so good it doesn't need to be manipulated at what point do we feel we need to change what God has said because some stuff God says is good all by itself John 3:16 for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son they don't need nothing else Psalm 27 the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear they don't need nothing else Romans 8 all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord that don't need nothing else there's some stuff God says oh you got to do is share what I showed and that's enough Moses you came to my presence you weren't changed Moses you're left angry leaving the people to think I was angry with them but here's the worst one when God looks at Moses read the indictment the indictment against Moses is right there and verse number 12 here's the indictment the Lord says this why you're not going in because you did not trust me enough to honor me as holy the Hebrew word there can really be translated as hallow you didn't hallow me you've heard the word hallo our Father which art in heaven come back I please please act like you know that if you don't know that do me a favor don't tell people you go to alpha Street Baptist Church hallo hallo literally means to separate here's what God says Moses I'm mad at you because you didn't separate me what do you mean I'd separate you you didn't separate me from you so people could see me and not see you here's the indictment Lord kisses it's his real way he said Moses here's the problem you didn't step out the way so people could see me well how did Moses fail to hug him here it is because Moses comes out hits the rock and that's what he says how long do we have to bring you water how long do we have to get you water out of this rock you ain't Carter yet the Moses says to the people how long we gotta get you water out of this rock and I believe God look at Moses we'll need most said I won't we and it ain't in there but verse that one verse ought to say and God said who is we [Applause] because we ain't making water come out of Iran if water comes out of this rock we ain't got nothing to do with it if water comes out of this rock it's only because there is a God in heaven who's able to make ways out of no ways who's able to take care of you in dry places who opens up doors in your life how dare you see water out of a rock and say we there comes a moment when the things that are happening in your life that you know you ain't get nothing to do with you need to step out of the way and allow people to know it's not my hands it's not my work it's not my mind but it happened because I serve a God who is able to make ways do me a favor no sir my tongue this ain't weed this is God making ways this is God answering prayer this is God opening doors look what the Lord has done and I'm sorry I don't mean the fuss at you tonight but I just believe that there's some folk God is not very happy with you because you've had water flow out of some rocks you've had some miracles happen in your life you've had some ways made that you really can't give an account for you sitting in a job your resume didn't qualify you for you living in a house your credit score could not have gotten all by itself you got a ring on your finger you know you as ratchet as ratchet can be but the Lord has been good to you and God says and you don't hello me you come to the sanctuary every weekend and you sit there like you made it by yourself you sit there like we had something to do with it you sit there like you made your way you climbed up the ladder you earned your salary and God says I just need a few folk who every now and then when they look at the blessings God has given there's no shame no hesitation to lift up my hand and say if it had not been for the Lord on my side do I have anybody on a Saturday night that's not a shame to hallow the Lord bless your name to God be the glory praise the Lord praise the Lord let the words hear his voice praise the Lord praise the Lord let the people rejoice hallo hallo I hallow his name because I need you to know that I know we ain't got nothing to do with this I am where I am coz God is gracious and God is merciful and the Lord is going exceedingly and abundantly above everything I could ask a thing would you come to worship prepare to be changed let your life bear witness to the love the Grace and the mercy God has shown you and will you come in this place hallow the Lord separate God from you and acknowledge God did it to God be the glory thank you Jesus one of the ways we hallo God and separate God from ourselves is Vera listening by declaring through this table I am NOT saved of my own that this cup and this bread remind me that God did for me what I would never and could never do for myself he broke the shackles of sin and gives me the gift of the Holy Spirit to live a life that bears witness to his love so today we come to this table inviting all of those who know that God did it for you and that God did it on the cross of Calvary that in Jesus who alone is our Savior we are redeemed from the hand of the enemy and reconciled into right relationship with God and that Jesus alone is the way the truth and the life [Applause]

Channel: Alfred Street Baptist Church

Views: 71,372

Rating: 4.8217616 out of 5

Keywords: Alfred Street Baptist Church, 2019, Divine Disappointments, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

Id: SMRDDtKA_1c

Length: 37min 1sec (2221 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 10 2019