A Blessing

Good morning, everyone. If you go and turn in open your Bibles to number 622 227 Aaron's blessing the Lord spoke to Moses saying Speak to Aaron and his son saying this you shall be blessed the people of Israel. You shall say to them the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace social. They put my name upon the people of Israel and I will bless. Men, thank you Elizabeth.

All right. Church, I want you to get some insight into your pastors prayer life this week.

At first I prayed Lord, don't help me not to cry.

But I changed that because tears aren't always bad. And I said Lord help me to be clear. Even if I cry so church I do not guarantee you that today I will make it through this without tears some of you may Judge Me For Those Tears. Some of you will join me in the upstairs. But we come today to what is my last sermon as your lead pastor? And we do that.

With this text in front of us Numbers Chapter 6 and Numbers Chapter 6.

as I prayed about where to go what to say what would sum up what would prepare what would give voice to the love? That I have for you. I came across this passage. And I thought that is what I want our Focus to be. I want us to understand the blessing of the Lord. But I don't want to understand the blessing of the Lord independent from the context in which it is given and numbers The Book of Numbers. How many of you have read the book of numbers? Really like every word right? This is one that you're looking at and you're like, oh my goodness. This is in the Bible. This is inspired. I know that but please please tell me why it just seems that the list of numbers goes on and on and there's so many from this tribe and so many from this tribe and so many from this tribe and end this guy's going to put your going to put his standard in his Camp over here in this guy's Camp over here in this guy's Camp between these guys is camp Camp over here and and it just goes on and on and you say what in the world is going on with all of this. Well, here's what's going on. And this is why the Book of Numbers is still important for us to understand into to read because the context here of all of these numbers of counting the people organizing the people preparing to people all of that and the blessing that Elizabeth's just read for us is in the context of preparing the people of God for where there to go next. The context here is the people of God stepping out in faith and doing what God has commanded them to do church. That is our day together. To step out in faith as the song. We just sang said, you know, even if even if the waves are crashing To step out and to trust the Lord together and the context of this blessing gives it an additional sense to me of weight this morning. We think about what is God getting ready to do both in my family and I moving following his call-in you continuing to be faithful to the call here in Iron County. What is God doing? I want you to understand something. God is doing what he has always done. God is doing what he has always done which is orchestrating everything for his glory. and for the good of his people that is what God is doing. In verse 24, it says the Lord bless you. Now we tend to think of bless and we think about it in terms of somebody sneezes. God bless you, right or this is a blessing to this word. I was one that we don't often stopped to consider. The Roots here that the idea in the original language is it that this is somebody coming on bended knee with GIFs? To someone else. This is the Bible telling us that God himself. Is seeking to humbly give us. Against God himself would deign the creator of the universe would would stoop to our level and say this is the good thing that I want for you. This is the good thing that I have for you blessing comes from the Lord now in your Bible as you're looking at this text Lord, there is in all caps at least in most of the translations that I know. Why is it in all caps? Because because this is translating a very particular words and that words. We don't actually know how to pronounce.

What is the word that God revealed himself by it's the name of God. We often say Yahweh some say Jehovah. But that is what's behind this Lord in all caps. God himself. Yahweh who revealed himself to us as the eternally self-existent one. The one who is dependent on no one and nothing for his being the one who loves with a unending love Is the source of all blessing Romans 8:28? Everybody loves Romans 8:28. Romans 8:28 tells what God is working all things together for good to those who love him and who are called according to his purpose. What is the purpose of God? What is a good? What is this blessing that God is seeking. What is it? Is it blessing is given to the people of Israel? What is it just being asked for them that the Lord would give them good. Interchurch. I want you to understand the good in your life the good in this moment the good in Red Hills. The good in this transition is from God and God has so organized the universe. No Collision of two atoms. the most minoot interaction we can fathom is not having it once two ends. Every single coming together every single relationship every single thing that God brings into being has one purpose and it's revealed in 2 mins. the goblin receive Glory and if his people would receive good.

May the Lord bless you. Red Hills But that's not the only thing that this blessing seeks. It doesn't just seek the goodness of God the gift of God seeks security for the people of God the Lord bless and keep you is what verse 24 says that idea of cheap is this idea of security. It's the idea of being guarded around. being surrounded by the protective shell security Church security just like blessing does not come. From anything man-made does not come. from anything other than God and you might get a security system for your home and say well now we're secure. You might have a gun collection. and a stockpile of ammo

being you Todd Lobby probably do.

You might have a bunch of dollars in the bank. You might have a retirement plan. You might have the security of the world would look at it and say that's what it means to be kept to be guarded. search that's not what it means to be kept here to be guarded. Your security comes from the Lord. Your security comes from the one who could speak and bring the universe into being.

by your guns save your money, but don't put your trust in those things. Sometimes we look for security in relationships and that I know has been at a challenge for us in this time of transition. in the challenge because you guys for whatever reason have gotten used to having me around. And Brandon leaves where their security is a church. What's going to happen to us? The same thing that has happened for God's people through all time. He's going to keep his people. Jesus said I will build my church and the Gates of Hell will not Prevail against it. Nothing changes Church your security comes from Yahweh. Verse 25 says the Lord make his face to shine upon you. That's such a picturesque way of putting it but what was the idea is? It is that the that the Lord would be attentive to you that his his love would be seen because his eyes are focused on you. I get convicted of this almost weekly when I'm at when I'm working. Doing something on the computer and one of my kids comes in or my wife comes in. And ask me a question. And I don't even take my eyes from what's in front of me and they're just talking to the back of my head.

That's not what's going on here. That's not what's being asked for here. Not the kind of attention that gives just part of your care and concern but you really focused on this thing. The idea is that the face of God would turn to the people of God in it with eyes shining full of love. He would say We Ani.

Bring your concern to me. When did when the blessing ask for the Lord's face to shine upon the people. It's it's cuz it's a people would be recipients of the attentive. Love of God that he would be looking at them and giving them his full attention not like me dividing my attention search. love and the face of God looking at you showing it. That is what I pray for you.

People will inevitably fail in this as I have failed. We divided our attention too frequently.

But God will not fail you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you give you his attentive love and you to know that he is there. and if he cares and it says may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And be gracious to you. And this one here in the middle of this blessing is the one that more and more. Comes to impact me and I hope impacts you. That we would ask the god of the universe to give us Grace is incredible. Then we would dare to approach him. And say be gracious to us is unfathomable.

But the fact that he is gracious to us. Well, that's a whole nother level.

And that's a whole nother level of unbelievable. That God would be gracious. What is Grace?

Getting what? We don't deserve.

This blessed thing that's being asked for the people of God is God. Don't don't give us what we deserve. Give us what we don't deserve. An incredible thing is so many times. God says, okay. I'll be glad to do that. We see this most fully right not in the Exodus not in the people of God in in in numbers moving towards the promised land PC at most fully wear. in Christ Received the unmerited love and favor of God poured out on his people when Christ takes the penalty for our sin when Christ dies for us. That is the grace of Yahweh being poured out upon us. Church

how much more grace do you need than that?

And yet he gives it anyways. He gives us Grace Beyond Grace Grace upon Grace. He gives us salvation and then he says and I'm going to work everything together for good. He gives the salvation and then he gives us forgiveness as we come back and we confess our continued sin before him. He gives us salvation and then he gives us sanctification begins to make us look like Christ both individually and together. That is the grace that God gives to his people. We don't deserve anything from God. And yet he gives us everything in Christ. And we talked this morning and Sunday school about eternal life eat. We are Heirs of the hope of eternal life.

God was very clear. He said if you send if you rebelled against me the penalty for that is death.

And then the Bible turns around and says and yet we are Heirs of the hope of eternal life what happened what moved us from sinners in in need of God's judgement Center deserving death. two Heirs of eternal life To those filled with hope no matter our circumstances Jesus Jesus made the difference. Jesus is the grace of God revealed to

then it says in verse 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and if you think to yourself that kind of sounds like the first part of it is does Hebrew poetry, which this blessing is a form of often uses kind of similar ideas to communicate similar ideas It's like it's like a diamond that's been cut and each facet of that diamond has a purpose and they all work together to focus you into the beauty of the stone. That's what is happening here. Ssj, God is revealing this blessing to Moses for Aaron to speak over the people. He's helping them to see the beauty of who got is from a couple different angles. Not only is God saying ask me.

Look at you with attentive love make my face shine upon you. But also save Lord lift up your countenance on your people. This is this is very simple to communicate. You guys know what a frown is, right? You know the smile is right. That's what it means for the Lord's countenance to be lifted up. Is it when he looks at us? He's not frowning when he looks at us. He's not disappointed when he looks at us he's saying because of what Christ has done and because of the spirit's presence in you. I do not condemn you.

The Lord smiles when he looks at his people.

That's big. That's that's that's pretty incredible. book recommendation for you surprise I did this in Sunday school. I said I'm going to do it again in service. So if you didn't catch it in Sunday school now is your chance. the book gentle and lowly by Dane ortlund and friends of ours gave it to us and Megan promptly snag to the hard copy. I'm so interested in reading it that I had to go get it on Kindle too so that I could read it. and Friends the hearts of God for you is not one of disappointment. Just want to Joy you are the trophy of God's grace. You are the proof of his love in Christ.

And when God looks at you.

May his countenance be lifted may you know, and since the approval that comes from the Lord to those who are in Christ. May you know and sense that that approval is not based on. Whether you're sending or not.

Based on whether you're in Christ or not. And being in Christ will ultimately call you away from sin and into holiness. But it's still. All God's work. He is the one who looks at his people with approval. And who did makes them worthy of that approval by changing them? Into the image of his son. And then the end of the blessing here. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

The Lord give you peace. Now when we think of Peace often times, we simply imagine that's just the absence of conflict at peace is just I'm not fighting with anybody right now.

That's not the piece that's being talked about here. It's not just a ceasefire. Did the priests are being told to ask God for for the people? It is the experience of everything being as it ought to be it is the experience of knowing this is how God intended this moment this life this people this relationship this church this community this country this world. This is how he intended it to be It is experiencing. The certainty that God is Sovereign and it because he is Sovereign everything's going to be okay, even if it looks like chaos, even if it looks like destruction. Everything's going to be okay. Because we know who's on the throne peace is knowing that God is in control. And so the blessing is peace. What are the people of Israel doing and Numbers Chapter 6

There are countless numbers of people camped out in the desert. I have trouble sometimes when we when we're off on adventure somewhere. I have trouble thinking, you know, where am I going to get food for these three starving children in the back seat? Imagine Moses. Here's a Wilderness. Here's a desert. I got to feed a couple million people.

And you can imagine the moms and dads are probably pretty concerned about that to where we going to get food. How you going to keep them organized how it how is this procession going to even move? Like by the time the first part of the procession stops for the evening the last part of the recession may have just gotten packed up. There are so many logistical nightmares in place here. There are so many potentialities for things going perfectly wrong every single day that the people of God are moving to where they want where God wants them to be and yet the prayer is peace the Lord give you peace. Some of you are looking at this transition time and you're saying everything could go wrong. So many opportunities for disaster not as many as they face their numbers.

Not as many as they had coming up in front of them.

May the Lord give you peace a sense that everything is going to be okay because God is still on his throne. all of these things The blessing that comes from God the security that comes from God the attentive love of God directed towards his people the grace that we receive from Yahweh the approval that God looks at us with through Christ. The peace that we can experience no matter what's going wrong around us. all of these Are from the Lord? All of these are entirely to his credit. Not to anyone of us.

All of these are from the Lord.

How does he bring these things to us?

He often chooses. He's not required to he doesn't have to but he often brings these things into our lives. through his people

the Lord is doing all of this. but remember verses 22 and 23 Lord spoke to Moses saying Speak to Aaron and his son saying you shall Bless the people of Israel. You shall say to them.

U shelf Bless the people of Israel God's going to do it. All of this is coming from. You need to ask him for it. But how does God choose to do it? He often does it through his people now? Why didn't I say through his priest?

because we don't have those anymore.

This isn't something where we would translate it today. So it's it's through the pastures of the pastors are supposed to bless the people. 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 9 u u Church you are a holy nation.

a royal priesthood

You church are the inheritors of the mantle of Aaron and his sons you are the one through whom God longs to bring blessing security attentive love Grace approval and peace to his people today.

You are the ones who will bless one another in the name of the Lord.

I know that from 1st Peter chapter 2. That you guys are the source often times of this blessing the security the incentive love the grace the approval the piece. You're the source of that. It's coming from God, but it's coming through you. Do you know how I know that?

Because I've received.

You guys have been. God's instruments of blasting to me and my family in countless ways

Over the past four and a half years.

All of this comes from God, but it comes through you and I know it. The Lord bless you. and you have given

freely of your time and your resources and your patience and your love and you've helped me. Understand it to be blessed by the Lord. With the church as a pastor. Is not to have a job. It's to have a family. So you have shown me the good gifts that God gives. by being a conduit to my family and I security I have passed your friends who have over the years shared with me their fears of being run out of the church. Their concerns that their leadership just wasn't being trusted. Their fear that their family wasn't accepted by the church. I've never once worried about any of that you have shown me. the security that comes when the people graciously give a shepherd. opportunities to grow into lead and to learn

I've never once felt insecure as your pastor never once worried if the next membership meeting was the one where you guys tried to fire me.

I have to thank you for showing me the security that comes from the Lord. You never have to doubt my place with you. Never have to doubt. You are attentive love for me. God's face shining upon me through your face. Through a kind word after a hard sermon. for a hard week through a card that just shows up on my desk at the right moment.

Through your prayers with me and through your prayers for me through you graciously giving me time to spend with my family.

and many other examples how you've not just demonstrated generic love.

the Terry specific acts of love that I can point to and say God if that's how you love.

And it's good.

Grace

There we go. That's the one I've seen a lot of.

4 1/2 years ago my family and I showed up you called the pastor and ended up with half of 1.

When I look back at things that I've said things that I've done things I've forgotten to do balls. I've dropped. and never once

Do I failed have I ever felt like a failure here? Not because I didn't fail because you guys were there to give me Grace you guys were there to show me what the Lord gives each of us. You were the instruments of that in my life. Put up with my immaturity.

Help me to learn you've taught me anybody thinks that pastors jobs at each in the people's job to listen.

I hope we get to spend some time with you guys. If I've taught you anything, it's by the grace of God, but by the grace of God you have taught me. A lot about being a pastor. about being not just and undershepherd of Christ They're not being a sheep to so. Thank you. forgiving me Grace

The approval that God looks at us with through Christ. I've seen you guys give that.

I don't know actually who said this because you know, when I Googled it like three different people came up as the author of this quote, but whoever said it. I've seen the truth of it treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is treat a man as he could be and he will become what he should be. You could have treated me. Like a young immature mistake-prone forgetful pastor. but you didn't instead

you were kind. You showed approval and appreciation you treated me not as what I was but as what you thought I could become and I am grateful for that and I want you to understand. I do not take lightly.

The growth that has come about in my life. Since I've been here, it's not about me. It's not even good I did. I've grown because of you guys. because of you guys giving me your approval

What about this piece?

when the possibility of this call first came up

I felt absolutely no. Peace.

I want you to understand I don't buy into this idea that in order for a christ follower to move forward in a decision. They have to have perfect. Peace. Don't think that's biblical.

But it did concern me that I was so worried.

What happens to Red Hills if you call me away Lord? What happens to the ministry in southern Utah if I leave God? Why Kentucky Lord?

But I've come to realize that.

One of those areas. I still need to grow in. I have an overinflated sense. of my own importance to the work that God is doing

I'm not worried now.

God's given me that piece.

Just Allen.

through you guys

you have been the one who gave me. Peace.

because of your Unity December 16th 2020 a day that will live in infamy. Oh wait. No, that's another December day.

December 16th, we had a membership meeting December 13th. I had except for the call to Edgewood with much misgiving and fear. And December 16th. I showed up for a membership meeting.

you guys demonstrated Unity

You demonstrated love for one another support for Anthony and the role he was going to step into. A sense that yes, this is going to be difficult, but it's okay God still in control. If this is what Christ wants then it's what we want hear me Church in the last 6 weeks. You have given me peace in this transition.

so many awesome Ministry leaders stepping up me struggling with delegation now being forced to delegate and realizing. Oh wait, they're going to do a better job than I did.

You've given me peace. new volunteers stepping up have given me peace. Just in the last couple weeks seeing more people on a microphone sharing with their brothers and sisters on Sunday Morning has given me peace. Richard and Dan and they're continuing pastoral care for you gives me. Peace. And Anthony, he's not in here so I can talk about it. The last three weeks have been incredible guy.

That young man is such a gift.

And I'm so excited to see what God's going to do in and through him. And you guys are going to be a part of that doing for him what you've done for me raising him up encouraging him helping him to grow. He's young. Yes. But I know. The God has his hand on him. And this you will love and support him in this task. all of these things Have given me peace.

But ultimately

What's giving giving you the most peace is what so many of you have expressed. We want what's best for Christ's Kingdom? Not what we prefer.

Friends, I needed to hear that from you.

I needed you to teach me that I know I've said that a lot over the last four and a half years. It was a lot easier to believe it and say it when we were talking about other people. It's a lot harder, but you've helped me to see that. It's true for me, too. We have to want what's best for Christ's Kingdom. Not what we prefer. Why because it's his kingdom.

Your identity my identity. Our identity is not that we are gathered together in this building. It's not in chasing our own dreams for this life together.

All right density. Is found in unreservedly carrying the name of our King wherever he sends us. For the sake of his kingdom.

Looking for 27 the result of the blasting. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel and I will bless them. Whose name? the name of Yahweh Whose kingdom? the kingdom of Christ when the people of God bless one another they are putting the name of God. over one another this is God's work. This is God's church. This is Christ Kingdom. This is not mine. Church you are not mine. You are Christ. I am not yours. I'm Christ and you have helped me to understand that Red Hills is not about me. It's not about you either. It's about Jesus. So I want to thank you.

For sending me out.

in the name of our King

and for blessing my family and I so many ways.

And finally for demonstrating with your faith. Did the kingdom is bigger than any one man? Bigger than anyone church. It's bigger than anyone State. It's bigger than any one country. bigger than the world the kingdom is about God reconciling. all things to himself through Christ

Thank you.

Thank you, Red Hills. I want to pray for us.