Just How Close Are We

Numbers 22:21-31 “Just How Close Are We”

Intro:

(Alternate Intro: The Goldsboro Incident)

Many years ago, I went fishing over near the dam at Atkinson Mill. I had been there a while fishing at the base of that dam and had very little luck. While I was standing there on the rocks near the water, the water over the dam was very near to where I was standing. Looking up and around my focus turned away from fishing and onto the dam itself.

As I was looking, I was startled, because there was a water moccasin that was on the edge of that dam. At the same height on the dam as I was tall, it laid curled up. Now this was an unusual place for this snake. And what was unsettling about the whole ordeal, was the fact, that it was only about four feet from me.

Now I was unsure about this snake, it wasn’t moving, it was in an unusual place. And it looked as if it had been snagged on a fishing line. So, I eased back and with the tip of my fishing rod, I touched the snake. Well, as you could imagine, the snake was not dead, and it struck right at the pole.

As reality set in on me, I realized, that I was so very close to being bitten by this snake. So, without any hesitation, I packed up my stuff and went home.

I tell you that story, because some of us might be very close to one of those kinds of moments. There was a man in the Bible who was in one of those moments as well. I call that one of those God moments, where he gets our attention.

[Read Scripture]

Balaam, is one of the unusual men of the Bible. A man who dealt in religion for profit. He wasn’t interested in people’s lives and doing the right thing, he was more interested in serving self.

Now, Balaam was approached by Balak, a man that hated the Jews, and he wanted Balaam to curse the people. So, Balaam comes on the journey to do that. But he has this moment, where he was about to have his life snuffed out.

There are many people who are living their life against God, and they don’t realize they are coming to having their life ended. Now think about what we see here in this passage. First, I want you to see…

1. There are some people that we don’t need to be with (vs 21)

· Some people are not good for us to be around.

· Some people are taking us to places we ought not to go.

· You are influenced by people, peer pressure, popularity, but if these people are godly people, that doesn’t mean you need to go with them.

· Unequally yoked in relationships, and friendships.

2. God will get angry when we go against his Word. (22a)

· Now God is love, but he will get angry with us when we are disobedient.

· God is not like some grandparent that just lets us get away with doing wrong.

· When you disobey the word of God, you are tempting the Lord, and that is sin.

· Some people might say, God hates me, that is not true, he loves you but he might be angry with you for being disobedient.

3. Jesus will stand in the way between us and the wrong way (22b)

· Balaam was going the wrong way, but God was there to intervene.

· God will not let us go the wrong way without his spirit speaking to us.

· I heard the late Adrian Rogers once describe a young man that was trying to find a bar in Chicago. It was literally called The Gates of Hell. Yes, there was an actually bar called The Gates of Hell. I am not sure if it is still there or not but the literal gates of hell are. This certainly does not sound like a place you would want to visit but a young man had asked someone on the street where it was at. The man happened to be a pastor. He understood what the place was like that the young man had asked him about. He simply told him where it was. He didn’t try to share the gospel with him; he didn’t try to tell him about a literal place called hell even though he perceived that the young man was not saved. He simply told the man how to get to this bar called The Gates of Hell. The young man probably didn’t know that the man giving him directions was a pastor and it seems certain that the young man didn’t realize he was asking a pastor for directions there. He simply told this young man how to get to The Gates of Hell. Here is how he described it. Listen to the irony in giving this man the directions to The Gates of Hell: “You’re already pretty close to it. Go down this street and turn right and go past Calvary. Once you go past Calvary, you can’t miss it. Just walk down this street and turn the corner and you will find it half way down the block.” The church at the corner was called Calvary Baptist Church and the young man was told, “If you want to get to The Gates of Hell, just walk right past Calvary and you will find it.”

· Friend, Jesus can be your savior or he can be your judge.

4. We need to be thankful when we have a problem, it might have spared us from danger (23-30)

· Balaam’s donkey sees the angel, and instead of going to the angel he refrains from going that direction. Balaam gets mad.

· How many times have you gotten upset because something delayed you, or something prevented you from going somewhere.

· Realize that some of those moments saved your life.

· God will work in mysterious ways, and when things don’t work out the way we think they should, just be thankful.

5. Its time that we quit being blind to the Lord and start serving him like we should (31)

· Now Balaam had no idea why his donkey was giving him trouble, he didn’t listen to the Lord from the beginning like he should. Finally, his eyes are opened and he sees the angel.

· You know, I think we are blind to what Jesus is doing around us. We fail to see his hand at work.

· Instead of getting mad because things didn’t work out like we thought, we need to just fall down on our knees and worship Christ.

· When is the last time you fell on your knees to worship the Lord? Do you know he is here right now, maybe its time you quit living like the world and start living for Jesus.