Look and Live

Introductory Story. Dog walking on water.

prayer: Lean in for the Holy Spirit and ask him for you to leave change from this place. leave different from this place today.

, The Israelites have traveled about 40 years in the wilderness by now.

They again come up to the borders of the promise land..

, The Israelites have traveled about 40 years in the wilderness by now.They again come up to the borders of the promise land..

They again come up to the borders of the promise land..

and have another opportunity to enter.

, The Israelites have traveled about 40 years in the wilderness by now.

They again come up to the borders of the promise land..

and have another opportunity to enter.

I included the first 3 verses to show that they just had an amazing victory

I included the first 3 verses to show that they just had an amazing victory..

and after the victory they become impatient..

and after the victory they become impatient..

or as New King James Version says, “discouraged.”

or as New King James Version says, “discouraged.”

Why would they be discouraged after a victory?

They are coming to the end of forty long years of wilderness experience.

They are not far from entering the land promised to them.

And they were discouraged..

because they came across another detour.

They were hoping to enter into the promise land..

They were hoping to enter into the promise land through the land of Edom..

the promise land through the land of Edom..

through the land of Edom..

but Edom said “no,” so now they had to go around Edom.

but Edom said “no” ..

so now they had to go around Edom.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? (Story?)

You become discouraged..

You become discouraged or impatient when you pray...

or impatient when you pray...

and make a step forward..

and make a step forward but then two steps back.

but then two steps back.

You find yourself having to detour in your life..

maybe in your finances..

You find yourself having to detour in your life..

or maybe in your relationships.

maybe in your finances, in your relationships.

Maybe is your college career..

Maybe is your college career that you may feel that is a big detour in your life.

that you may feel that..

is a big detour in your life.

See “A detour is for your destiny.”

Tell your neighboor..

“get ready here comes the detour.”

You see “Your position is on purpose”..

You see “Your position is on purpose.”

you probably say what in the

..you probably say what in the world is the pastor talking about.

world.. is the pastor talking about.

That a detour in your life can be a place..

That a detour in your life can be a place where you may find yourself frustrated by many number of things,

where you may find yourself..

frustrated by many number of things,

an unwanted change in your job,

an unwanted change in your job,

death of a loved one,

death of a loved one,

or a traffic frustration..

or when they give us the wrong order and...

or when they give us the wrong order at drive thru and they take longer then two min..

or when you when you do everything you can yet things don’t go your way.

they take longer then two min. at drive through and we are so frustrated that we quickly call the manager

they take longer then two min..

and we are so frustrated that..we quickly call the manager..

we quickly call the manager..

that there are no pickles on the sandwich and they took too long.

that there are no pickles on the sandwich..and they took too long.

and they took too long.

You see, its not like we are mean people its because..we hate the process..

You see, its not like we are mean people its because we hate the process..

we hate the process..

we want things to happen immediately.

we want things to happen immediately. The process takes time.

The process takes time.

The process takes time.

We don’t like detours because detours take time.

“But your position is your purpose.” It is where you find yourself today may be your position or a place of a purpose.

We don’t like detours because detours take time.

Detours means that is something that you know it will mean..

It is something that you know means you are going to spend longer in that waiting period.

Detours means that is..something that you know it will mean..

that you are going to spend longer in that waiting period.

something that you know it will mean..

The Lord could have made a different way for them to get their attention to help them get them to their next season.

in that waiting period.

that you are going to spend longer in that waiting period.

And notice the reaction of the Israelites in verse 5..

And notice the reaction of the Israelites in verse 5..

because they didn’t like detours either (READ v. 5).

because they didn’t like detours either (READ v. 5).

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from the Israelites..

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from the Israelites..

in their reaction to the detour.

in their reaction to the detour.

They again complained,

were ungrateful for what God has done..

and lost hope in what God was doing.

They asked why God brought them out of Egypt..

only to die in the wilderness.

In their discouragement they..have instantly forgot the miracles..

have instantly forgot the miracles..

miracles that God performed on their behalf in order to free them from slavery.

miracles that God performed on their behalf in order to free them from slavery.

that God performed on their behalf..in order to free them from slavery.

in order to free them from slavery.

By continually murmuring and looking..on the dark side of things..

on the dark side of things..

they were separating themselves further.. and further from God.

There are times when we may be tempted..

to forget all that God has done for us.

We may be tempted to be ungrateful and..

to look at the dark side of things.

All this saddens our Heavenly Father.

Because our negativity only separates us further..

from our loving, caring Heavenly Father.

Now notice what happens next in verse 6 (READ).

Those who know a lot about snakes..

that they were traveling..

could tell us that..

through could tell us that

But for 40 years no poison snake bothered them. So why now?

So why now?

Because the Israelites basically told God we don’t want your protection.

God protected them of those poisonous snakes for all those years..

and when they refused His protection and leading..

He allowed the poisonous snakes to come in the camp.

snakes to come in the camp.

“A God of love will not force His protection and blessings on us.”

They did not realize the protection of God until..

they chose that they did not wanted it anymore.

And notice in verse 7 how they respond to the poisonous snakes. (Read v.7)

Read verse 7.

They were sorry that they were ungrateful..

they started to realize that God was actually protecting..

from so much more dangers that they were aware of.

How many things does God protect us..

from that we don’t even know.

I can’t wait to get to heaven and meet my guardian angel.

The angel that was sent by God the day I was born..

watch over me for the rest of my life.

Can you just imagine the conversations you will have with your guardian angel.

will have with your guardian angel.

The stories of how many times we were saved from..

dangers that we know nothing of.

There are poisonous snakes out there,.

dangers all around us and God..

has protected us from so much last week.

And He will protect us from many..many more poisonous snakes.

many more poisonous snakes.

When we are tempted to complain..

or be discouraged, or be ungrateful..

it would be well for us to remember..

all the dangers God is saving us from..

even now that we don’t know about.

But God answers Moses’ prayer and..

has a solution for the poisonous snakes.

(Read verses 8, 9) That seemed like a foolish solution to their problem.

They are dying from poisonous snakes and..

they are instructed to make a snake.

Think about it, people are dying from the poison..

the poison has entered the system, it’s doing its work.

You don’t have time to get the craftsman who has the knowledge..

to make the bronze snake.

All this takes time, time to plan, draw out and make..

and then why a snake?

That seems foolish, for in the Bible..

a snake has always represented sin and satan.

But Moses was not in the habit of asking why..

when God spoke and this is one of the evidences..

of the great man that he was..a man of faith.

a man of faith.

a man of faith.

When God spoke, Moses obeyed.

I think of the little boy, who was outside in the front yard playing..

and his mom said, “It’s time to come in.”

And the little boy asks, “Why?”Because its beginning to rain.

Because its beginning to rain.

And the boy asks, “Why?”

Because there are clouds, and the little boy asks, why, do I have to come in?

and the little boy asks, why, do I have to come in?

And mom says, because you’ll get wet. “Why?”

because rain makes you wet, Why? and by this time the boy is soaking wet,

and by this time the boy is soaking wet,

because he was questioning mom this whole time.

Now there is nothing wrong with asking questions..

but there is also a time in a relationship..

where you learn to trust someone.

And Moses trusted God and..

learned that when God asks him to do something..

he doesn’t have to fully understand to trust and obey.

Now a crisis doesn’t change you..

but reveals which way you’re already going.

The snakes that came into the camp and caused panic..

throughout the congregation didn’t change anybody,

it only showed which way they were already going.

Those who were learning to trust God ..

would listen to Moses...

and those who were always complaining against God..

did not take advantage of God’s solution.

There were those who were bitten by poisonous snakes..

were dying and were thinking..

that it would be foolish and unhelpful to look..

and they probably kept asking “why,”

why should I look?

what is so special about the bronze serpent?

How will it heal me?

It doesn’t make sense? Why?

Until they chose to die instead of to “look and live.”

The good news is that there were many..

that chose to look and they lived.

And the key theme of the message today, is “Look and Live.”

Look to Jesus and live.

Turn to your neighbor and tell them, friend“Look and live.”

That’s right friends, if you look to Jesus..

you will live with him forever.

Also in the New Testament we find some reasons..

Moses was asked to make a bronze serpent.

of why Moses was asked to make a bronze serpent.

says, For what the law was powerless to do..

because it was weakened by the flesh..

God did by sending his own

Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.

And so he condemned sin in the flesh,”

And also says, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us..

so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

The snake has always represented Satan and sin,..

so when you have a snake on a tree out in the wilderness,

you have a symbol of Jesus who became sin for us.

Now there was no poison in the serpent on the pole in the wilderness,..

just as there was no sin Jesus on the cross.

We also have a scientific clue...

they say that serpent of brass is a combination of copper and zinc...

and Jesus was a combination of two in one..divine and human.

divine and human.

And even in Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus in John chapter 3 he used..

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness..

even so we must the Son of Man be lifted up..

he used “As Moses

for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..

that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.

but have everlasting life”.

Well today we look back and say..

if we have been in the camp of Israel..

would we have looked at the serpent or not..

serpent or not..

would we do something..

foolish like that kind of remedy?

Or we would have been too smart to do something like that.

We have Cain back then in the early days...

and he doesn’t like the idea that you bring a lamb like his brother Abel.

Why bring a lamb?

Why can’t you do it my way?

And bring fruits of my own labors.

And you find Cain leaving God because its foolish to bring a lamb..

and it is foolish to look at the snake...

its foolish to do what God says.

You have people today who say..

how can one man sin and millions suffer, why?

And they walk from God and faith and the Bible and eternal life.

Because they don’t believe in looking at the snake.

But you don’t have to know the..

reasons for everything, do you?

Do you have enough evidence about God and his love?

To base your faith on him..

without having to know the reason for everything.

Someone looks at the story of the flood and they say why?

And I suppose the people in the days of Noah..

had the same approach..

the days of Noah had the same approach, they saw Noah building the ark.

they saw Noah building the ark.

Why are you building the ark?

Because a floods coming.

Well how could a flood come..

when we don’t even know what rain is,

we don’t even know what rain is, let alone a flood?

let alone a flood?

And probably the word flood wasn’t even in their vocabulary.

So why an ark and..

Noah says you don’t have to know the reason..

just get onboard the ark.

Why? And they had plenty of smart people who..

could explain everything..

including the animals who came in pairs and larger..

numbers and marched into the ark..

the very thing that the people wouldn’t do.

My friends you don’t have to know why things happen in your life..

and question with God with many why’s?

When God says look up to me and live.

“The Israelites saved their lives by looking upon the uplifted serpent..

That look implied faith.

They lived because they believed God’s word..

and trusted in the means provided for their recovery.

So the sinner may look up to Christ, and live.

He receives pardon through faith in the atoning sacrifice.

Unlike the inert and lifeless symbol..

Christ has power and virtue in Himself to heal the repenting sinner.” PP, page 431

Faith is the gift of God…

..but the power to exercise it is ours.

Faith is the hand by which the soul takes hold..

upon the divine offers of grace and mercy.

Of course you will have doubts..

just don’t let them be dead ends!!

A lot of people stand at the dead end of a destiny..

that God is bringing them into..

because they will not walk through the doubt to get to the promise.

to get to the promise.

When I was a chaplain, Folks at times made assumption about me because of my title or position.

One person I visited with said that I wish I could be like you..

because I wish that I can have faith.

I have always wanted to believe in God..

but I just can’t have that faith that you have.I doubt a lot.

I envy you because you don’t have any doubts..

he is assuming that faith is the absence of doubt.

For me faith is never been the absence of doubt.

Faith is not the absence of doubt ...

Faith is the means to overcome doubt.

We had a prayer together, which to me..

that was the most sacred moment to have.

And then we let God do the rest after those moments.

The triumph of my faith is not the absence of doubt...

the triumph of my faith is the ability for the light to shine..

in the deepest darkes places in my heart.

I got doubts but I trust him anyway!!

So my faith can say..

even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..

and the shadow of doubts.. and the shadow disfunction..

and the shadow disfunction..

I will fear no evil.

It’s not that I don’t walk through valleys..

I don’t die there.

Our God is able to deliver us.

My doubt is the evidence of my growth.

The closer I get the more questions I have.

I struggle to believe it that I am forgiven..

that he forgives me not only what I did but what I still do…

Maybe he can forgive the past but..

what about the present stuff? What about that?

What about that?

I have my faith but I have my doubts also.. friends

But Real belief is the willingness to stand on it..

even when you can’t see it.. feel it, or even explain it!!

feel it, or even explain it!!

Do you ever feel that you have some doubts..

do you ever believe that you have no faith?

The thing is.. We all have our doubts..

but where we place them is what it matters!!

Do you ever have people question some things..

that we don’t have answers for?

“We need to have patience with the mysterious.”

yes we all have doubts but we need to take the next step..which is faith.

which is faith.

“But..I believe it, I believed it when I had to watch my mom die.

I had to preach my stuff back to myself.

But I had something to stand behind and to hold.

I had faith in the midsts of grief that I struggled with..

yet it helped me see and believe.

This is Is a real problem today..

Is a real problem because a lot of people are waiting for the doubt to dissapear yet

This is Is a real problem because a lot of people are waiting for the doubt to dissapear yet

because a lot of people are waiting..

for the doubt to disappear..

they don’t like to take the next step of faith in their life.

yet they don’t like to take the..

next step of faith in their life.

You have to experience faith for yourself...

you have to experience faith for yourself...

to make your own decision..

for who God is and what He means to you.

Because The greatest gifts..

On the other side

The greatest gift that God gives is wrapped in doubt. on

that God gives are wrapped in doubt.

“The promise is wrapped in doubt for a reason..

because if he gave you proof you wouldn’t need faith.”

because if he gave you proof you wouldn’t need faith.”

Therefore it is our duty, first, to look..

and believing that Jesus is the all-sufficient Savior.

That they can have it all and more...

and the look of faith will give us life in Jesus.

all they have to do is look up to Jesus...

they will receive all the help they desire.

Let us not look to self..

as though we have the power to save ourselves.

Let’s look up to Jesus because..

he is the one who died for us..

for we were helpless to do..anything on our own.

anything on our own.

Friends, in Him is our hope..in Him we have our hope,

in Him we have our hope,

in Him we have our justification..in Him we find our righteousness.

in Him we find our righteousness.

In Him we find faith..In him we receive love.

In him we receive love.

In Him we find it ALL!

I

Appeal: I don’t know what you have done..

or what you have been through and if it feels dark..

please know that God is making something happen..

where the enemy will not intervene.

Making your way of escape from sin.

He is making a way for you..let him do something in your life.

let him do something in your life.

The Lord could have made a different way for them to get their attention to help them get them to their next season.

Let him work the process.

God knows best and he gives us what we need.

Believe and trust the process..

for he has placed us for a reason..to have faith.

to have faith.

reason to have faith.

Look up to Jesus and live.

Choose to look and live.

friends, please, Look to Jesus and live is my prayer today. AMEN!!!