Receive over Achieve (2)
Receive over Achieve • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Receive Over Achieve: See
Numbers 13:1-3,26-33,14:1-4. Matthew 16:17-19.
Big Idea: We can’t look to ourselves to achieve God’s promises; instead we receive His promises by seeing where He is already working to fulfill them.
Big Idea: We can’t look to ourselves to achieve God’s promises; instead we receive His promises by seeing where He is already working to fulfill them.
Intro
Intro
Last week I talked about the rootless apple tree in our backyard and I mentioned that when that tree first failed to produce fruit, we added a second apple tree.
That second tree actually produced apples the first few years we had it. But then in its third year, it stopped. Not only did it fail to produce apples, the tree didn’t look healthy.
After my experience with our first tree, I shook this other tree and the roots of that tree were secure. So, why wouldn’t it produce apples? It wouldn’t even produce flowers or even leaves. Last summer I found out why. When we moved in we had buckthorn everywhere in our backyard. It took me a few years, but I got rid of it all. Or so I thought. If you’ve ever had buckthorn you know, it doesn’t go away.
Several shoots of buckthorn had wrapped themselves up into the roots of the apple tree and, from what I could tell, choked it. What initially had produced fruit had been choked out.
There is a spiritual buckthorn that is a danger in all of our lives, and is a danger to the church. If we aren’t attentive to rooting it out, it risks choking out the fruit God wants to produce in our lives. What is it? Please turn open to the book of Numbers, chapter 13.
The text
The text
As you are turning to Numbers 13 let me set the stage. God’s people have been enslaved in Egypt and God raised up Moses as a leader to bring the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. God performed a number of miraculous signs and wonders getting them out of Egypt, then he took them to Mount Sinai, gave to them His Law, and provided them food in the desert. Now, they are camped in the middle of the Sinai Peninsula and ready to move into the Promised Land of Canaan.
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel.
So 12 of them go and explore the land for 40 days and then return to report on the land. Skip down to verse 26 for what happens when they return from their trip.
26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
The descendants of Anak just refers to a people group who were known for their height.
There were some big people who lived in Canaan.
30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
*The Nephilim are mentioned in Scripture for being renowned warriors, there is an entire message we could do on these people, but that is for another time.
1 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
Then the people all cried out to God, they grumbled against Moses and Aaron and said “It would have been better if we had died in Egypt.”
What happened?
Have you ever know of a church that was once thriving, ministry was good, people were coming, everyone seemed positive, and then one day you hear a report that it has all fallen apart? Or you go back to your hometown and visit the church you attended that was once vibrant and it dead, and you wonder, “What happened?” Or perhaps you know a person who seemed like they had it all together and then you hear they have lost everything, their job, their family, their reputation, and you wonder, “What happened?” That is what is happening here. Things seemed like they were going so well, and now it all falls apart. (Considering how I might better contextualize this part)
What happened?
The spiritual buckthorn got them.
The roots that were once receiving from God were choked out by spiritual buckthorn. The same spiritual buckthorn that choked out their spiritual roots grow in our own soil.
What happened to them was the spiritual buckthorn of self-reliance.
The people of God focused on what they could achieve verses what God wanted them to receive. We are tempted by the same self-reliance that tempted them. What are the signs we are at risk of self-reliance?
Signs of Self-Reliance
Signs of Self-Reliance
1. We are anxious with conflicting information.
1. We are anxious with conflicting information.
27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
The spies were honest that the land was good, BUT they also said the people there are huge and the cities are powerful!
this conflicting report caused the people to become anxious and irritable. “Well, which is it? Is the land good or bad?” The reality is it was both.
We tend to prefer things that are simple. Good, bad. Right, wrong.
When we become anxious by conflicting information it is a sign we are into “either/or” thinking as opposed to “and also” thinking.
“That major is either a good career move or a bad career move.” It could be that it could be a good career move and also a challenging and risky career move.
“That team is either good for me or bad for me.” It could be that the team will be a spiritually difficult environment and also could be good training ground for what it means to follow Jesus when others don’t.
“This new relationship is either really good or bad for me.” It could be that this new relationship will be much healthier than your last one, and also you will have to work on the relationship.
We tend to prefer either/or thinking because it feels easier for us to control. That’s the problem. It is about what we can control or what we can achieve on our own strength.
2. We infect others with our negativity.
2. We infect others with our negativity.
32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.
In verse 32 we read that the spies spread a bad report about the land they had explored. We see the anxiousness about the reports now spills over into campaigning. The spies are actively working to share the bad news and to get others worked up about the land.
They don’t want to go but they also don’t want others to go, so they work to try and maintain status quo, because that is what they know and what they can manage.
As a churchplant, if we can have attendance that is great one week and down the next week. If we begin to focus on the numbers and the attendance we can become discouraged and spread negativity. If we get overly focused on the composition of our congregation how many UNW, vs Bethel vs UofM it can feel dividing. If we focus on how many lost ppl are here we could be discouraged. This story itself is a powerful reminder of the danger that Gossip can cause among the people of God.
3. We inflate the challenge.
3. We inflate the challenge.
32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.
In verse 32 we see the people now move into full on lies. “The land devours those living in it.” Well, that isn’t true, it wasn’t true, and it wasn’t what they saw. So why did they say this? There is a fascinating tendency in humans that we want to try and avoid loss. It is called loss aversion theory. Basically the idea is the pain of losing something is greater than the joy of gaining something. So if you found $10 you would be like “Oh, okay, nice but it is only $10.” But, if you lost $10 you are like, “Arg! This is the worst!” Human nature is “It is better to not risk and not have than it is to risk and lose.”
But, this sounds like a lack of courage, doesn’t it? So what do people do to try and save face? We inflate the challenge. When challenge grows, then maintaining status quo becomes increasingly irrational.
“Ministry at the UofM never be possible!”
“No one could my parent’s marriage how complex it is?”
“My roommate is intolerable, there’s no way we can get along ”
4. We see ourselves as inadequate.
4. We see ourselves as inadequate.
33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
In verse 33 we see the full meltdown of the people. Now, they are saying we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes compared to them and we looked the same to them. We have now determined that we are inadequate for the challenge. “We are only a local church, what could we do about this problem?” or “I’m only a student, what difference could I make?” “I’m too young or I’m too old to make an impact”
When we see a church, or a group of people, or an individual who was once bearing great fruit and suddenly it goes away and you wonder, “What happened?” you’ll notice this downward spiral of self-reliance.
How do we avoid this downward spiral of self-reliance? We focus on what God wants us to receive verse what we think we can achieve. The problem the Israelites had in this story is their focus was all about themselves. The missed God and God’s promise which is what caused them to spy out the land in the first place.
Spying on the land started as God’s idea. He told them, Numbers 13:2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel.”
God already gave the land to his people. It was already a done deal. And, this wasn’t the first time God had promised to give this land to His people.
Back in Genesis, hundreds of years before the people went and spied the land, God promised to Abraham, “To your offspring I will give this land.” God had already given it to the people, all they needed to do was to go and receive what God had already given them. Instead of focusing on God’s promise and His provision, they focused on themselves.
In this way, what they said about their own inadequacies proved to be right. After complaining to God, God tells them that they will wander in the desert until that entire generation dies off and then their children will inherit the Promised Land. In Numbers 14, After hearing the punishment, instead of saying their sorry to God, they decide, “Just kidding, we are ready to go into the land.” And a few of them rush off to take the land in their own power and lose a horrible battle.
This passage serves as a cautionary tale for us as a church.
As a church, we face real challenges in our future. Some churches are looking at what is happening around our world and they become self-reliant.
The goal is not for us to build the church but to be obedient. Share the gospel & make disciples!
But, I am here to tell you, we don’t need to be anxious. Aware? Sure. Anxious? No!
Why not?
An alternate response in contrast of self-reliance
An alternate response in contrast of self-reliance
When the people of Israel became self-reliant and rebelled against God, there were two of the spies who were faithful to God. Joshua and Caleb. Here is their speech:
7 and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
They saw the same situation as the 10 other spies yet they trusted in God and in God’s promises. Why? Because they saw the fruit. Because they viewed God rightly. They understood the mechanism through which victory occured/s is by receiving what God has for them instead of doing it of their own volition.
The fruit was God’s evidence that His promise was true and He could be trusted. They took hold of the fruit and said, “See, we can trust God! He is faithful to His promise!”
Give examples of the fruit at The Ave: over 100 ppl attend, over 70 of those were first time guests, many of which are students from the U, Bethel, UNW, etc.
Church I believe God is inviting us to not worry about how we will achieve despite the challenges of our day. Instead, God is inviting us to receive his promise for us.
For the people of Israel, the promise God gave them was clear, they would inherit the land. But what about us? We know that we have been given the promise of New Life and salvation because of Jesus and we know that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of all of God’s promises. But, I want to remind us that Jesus specifically gave us a few promises.
One day Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” and Peter responds by saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus tells him he is blessed because God revealed that to him and then Jesus gives this promise.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I love this! Jesus says, He will build His church. So who is the head of the church? Jesus! Dale has been the Senior Pastor of Wooddale for 10yrs, and now Kyle is undergoing his candidacy as the next Senior Pastor of Wooddale Church. Yet, despite the change, Jesus is the head of the Church. Am I helping lead a churchplant? Kinda, Jesus is already here and on mission, I’m just following Him, we are following Him!
Jesus says He will build His Church. Which means Jesus won’t build my church and Jesus won’t build your church. He will build His Church. The future of Wooddale Church & The Avenue is up to Jesus and He is the one who has plans for our future.
But then here is the promise: the gates of hell can’t stop Jesus’ church.
Here is the thing about gates. Gates are not an offensive weapon. Gates are defensive. Gates are used to keep some people out, and to shut other people in. Gates don’t advance. So when I hear some people talk about how our world is getting worse and these anti-Christ movements are advancing and we are losing ground, I think, they are seeing this all wrong. The only Kingdom that is advancing is God’s.
Let’s run behind enemy lines and bring ppl into the Kingdom! Did you realize that being on campus, we already are behind enemy lines!
This world is broken, lost, and has been ruled by the enemy of our souls. It has been hell on earth. Then Jesus came. He broke the power of sin and death on the cross and in His resurrection. And now His Kingdom is coming. It comes each time someone says “Yes” to Jesus and turns from their own way and follows and obeys Jesus. And Jesus promised His Church will advance, so much so, that the gates of Hell, which are trying to keep the church out and are trying to keep people away from God, won’t be able to prevail against Jesus’ Church.
But in the midst of the world that isn’t yet redeemed, how do we see the challenge and stay focused on the promise and not our own self-reliance?
We need to SEE / to look for the fruit.
We need to SEE / to look for the fruit.
Look for the Fruit!
How do we do this?
I believe the Gospel of Jesus has the power to transform lives and to transform communities. I believe this is our time to trust in Jesus and His Promise and to continue our work of honoring God by making more disciples for Jesus Christ.
Here is what I dream about…what if 5 years from now or even 10 years, there was over 1,000 students regularly attending The Avenue - and then they were sent back into classrooms, sports teams, restaurants, apartment complexes, dormitories with the hope of the gospel!
What if the UofM wasn’t known for it’s prestige as a research institution and innovation but for revival?
What if by 2050 the Twin Cities looked different from other cities in our Nation? What if this was a place of hope? What is we had strong education that prepared and provided for students? What if we saw families become more stable? What if the Twin Cities had some of the strongest marriages, what if homelessness was at an all-time low? What if the Twin Cities had healed from the racial divides among us? What if, when other cities and communities started looking at the Twin Cities to figure out that happened, what if they came and realized that it wasn’t some program, it wasn’t policies, it wasn’t politics, what if they realized it was a whole group of local churches who believed in Jesus promise and lived it. It was a bunch of churches who hold firmly and fast to God’s Word, who are clear and committed to the Gospel, who embrace both the Grace and Truth of Jesus, who serve their communities and who help people meet, know, and follow Jesus.
Wooddale, we can’t transform the Twin Cities alone, but I believe Jesus is inviting us to believe His promise and to see His Gospel transform lives within our community, and see our church inspire other churches to do the same, to bring transformation to our community.
Why do I believe this?
Because I have seen the fruit!
There is a neighborhood in Kolkata, India called, Sonagachi. It has a reputation. It is known as the largest red light district in Asia. Over 10,000 women and children are caught in human trafficking in this neighborhood. But in the midst of this hardship, there is hope. One of our Global Partners, an organizational called Joyya is aiming to bring the Kingdom of God to Sonagachi and see transformation. This organization first started under the name, Freeset, and they provided sewing jobs for women to give them the dignity of being able to experience a new life. Since those early days, the organization has rebranded to the name Joyya, a name that brings joy to the work of transformation. In addition to jobs they are focusing on holistic, wrap-around care including health care with clean water projects, drop-in health clinics, and medical screening. They provide educational support, allowing students to receive funds for uniforms, school fees, and offering tutoring programs. They provide emergency housing as well as vocational training and legal support to help people break free from the oppressive system which has kept them in poverty. In short, Joyya is looking to bring transformation to the entire Sonagachi community, in Jesus Name. [Show photos of Joyya building] Here is a photo of what they did to their building, this visual depiction is symbolic of the hope they are bringing to this city.
Anthony Watts is the leader of Joyya and a few weeks ago I asked him, “Is it possible to transform a community like Sonagachi?” Anthony didn’t flinch, “Of course.” Because Anthony knows, that’s what the Gospel does. Then he went on to tell me, “Did you know you only need about 5% of the population to be changed to start to bring change to the entire community? Our goal is that one day Sonagachi isn’t known as the red light district, our goal is that Songachi is known as a place of hope and opportunity.”
What they are doing in Songachi sounds a lot like our vision for The Avenue here locally.
Why do I believe it is possible for the Twin Cities to be transformed? I am seeing the fruit. I want you to see the fruit of what God is doing in and among the ministry of Wooddale Church.
§ 186 People Said Yes to Jesus Locally
§ 71 Baptisms Locally
§ 3,300 Churches Planted
§ 96,000+ People Said Yes to Jesus Globally
§ 18,000+ Baptisms Globally
Here at the Avenue we have on average 60ppl each week, 10 are plugged into LifeGroups, and many are developing new relationships with mentors and mentees, this is how the gospel is transmitted from one generation to the next!
Last year 186 people gave their lives to Jesus. Do you see the fruit?
71 were baptized, do you see the fruit? God allowed us to launch a new campus and a new daughter church on the same in early September. Do you see the fruit?
Globally through our partners over 3,300 churches were started around the world. Do you see the fruit?
That led to over 96,000 people accepted Jesus and over 18,000 were baptized. Do you see the fruit?
Imagine what God can and is doing here. Who’s to say we won’t see 100 new believers baptized this year or 300 come to know Jesus this year?
But the most important fruit I want you to see is the fruit God is doing in your own life.
Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by information but by transformation. When God transforms you - it produces fruit - what fruit are you seeing?
Do you see the fruit God is doing in your own life? Look for the fruit in your marriage, in your kids, in your grandkids, in your job, in your financial situation. I know many of these situations are challenging for us and it can cause us to lose courage and lack faith.
Practically, how do we apply this message? I want to invite you to take time, daily, to put these two messages into practice.
Listen & Look
Take time each day to listen to Jesus. Read Scripture and ask God to speak to you about His truth from His Word. Then look for ways in which Jesus’ Kingdom is advancing. Spend more time looking for the fruit of God’s Kingdom than the challenges of our day. The more we listen and look, the more we will receive what God wants us to hear and see. Let’s be known as people who listen to God’s Word and see God’s Fruit.
Maybe reference:
22 And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 24 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.
we have to cultivate the ability to listen and to look (hear & see) God - how is He on the move and how is he inviting us to join Him on mission?