Facing Our Fear

Facing Our Fears, Receiving God’s Riches

March 26, 2006

John 3:14-21

V      As we go through the motions of life, we can so often find ourselves entangled in sins because we have allowed our eyes to wander from the Lord.

But the people grew impatient along the way, 5 and they began to murmur against God and Moses.

Numbers 21:4-5

V      In our sin we often mistake the leading of God through His Word and Church as hindrances.

“Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this wretched manna!”

Numbers 21:5

V      It is often the pain of our sins that drive us to look to the Lord for healing and hope.

6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among them, and many of them were bitten and died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned…”

Numbers 21:6-7

V      Too often, though, we want to ignore the sin that has entangled us and to just receive the healing.

Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.

Numbers 21:7

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

John 3:9

V      In order for us to receive the healing of the Lord, we must look upon the source of our sickness – sin.

8 Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to the top of a pole. Those who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”

Numbers 21:8

14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, 15 so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.

John 3:14-15

V      When we look to the Cross of Christ we come face to face with the sin that placed Him there – our sin.

19 Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished.

John 3:19-20

V      It is the instrument of death that represents for us new life.  The cure for death is Death!

9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to the top of a pole. Whenever those who were bitten looked at the bronze snake, they recovered!

Numbers 21:9

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.

John 3:16-17