Category Archives: exemplar preaching

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We Will Not Worship the Gods of our Culture: Preaching Through Numbers

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Preaching the Never-Ending Battle Against Idolatry

For those who choose to preach or teach the book of Numbers, opportunities abound for warning listeners against idolatry.

Two resources may help you define/describe idolatry:

Keller’s, Counterfeit Gods

Hafemann’s, The God of Promise and the Life of Faith

Numbers 25:1-18 describes the idolatry of God’s people. I titled this section:

“He will bring us into this land”: And We Will Not Worship the Gods of Our Culture.

The narrative is one of those, “Go and do otherwise,” stories in which Israel sets another bad example.

Following the storyline you might consider this structure:

  1. The lure into idolatry (vv. 1-3a, 6)
  2. The inevitable judgment (vv. 3b-5, 7-9, 14-18)
  3. God’s provision of our wholeness (vv. 10-13)

It’s good for us to move from ancient idolatry to more modern versions. I have often used this slide:

Not exhaustive, but a good place to begin.

Ask folks to locate the idol(s) they’re most tempted to worship.

Congregations/classes will struggle with the brutality of the judgment scene. Once again we come face to face with God’s holiness and the inevitability of judgment that stops “the plague on the people of Israel” (v. 8). The fallout is still enormous (24,000 in v. 9).

Finally, in vv. 10-13 God wants everyone to know what–better who–stopped the plague. It was a priest. And the reason:

“he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.” (v. 11)

As a result there is renewed wholeness:

“Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace…the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.”

Some who are fond of Christo-centric readings will see how Christ, the greater Phinehas, turned back God’s wrath when the spear entered His side on the cross (cf. vv. 7-8).

Our God will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as you preach and teach about His jealousy which warns us away from our American idols (or the idols of your location).

Randal

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“everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live”: Preaching Through Numbers

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When you preach through Numbers you’ll get a chance to preach about the fiery serpents!
Scary stuff, I know, right?!

Numbers 21 is famous for the fiery serpent scenes, culminating in the odd instruction from the Lord: “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” (21:8)

The instruction from the Lord to Moses is the result of God’s people becoming impatient during their journey (v. 4). One of the most rewarding things about preaching through Numbers is the opportunities to address our common emotional reactions during our faith-journey in a badly broken world. Verses 4-5 describe our tendency to be short on patience.

This functions as one of those, “Go and do otherwise,” examples.

The Lord’s reaction to impatience seems excessive, don’t you think? I mean, the sin is only impatience. But, we’ve already seen in Numbers how the Lord feels about our grumbling and complaining. We shouldn’t be surprised by v. 6,

“Then the Lord sent fiery serpents…and they bit the people, so that many…died.”

You and I know the sequence all too well: we sin, God chastises us, and…

we confess our sin to the Lord (v. 7).

You’ll want to continue to allow your listeners the opportunity to think through the OT concept of a mediator–in this case Moses. They know God will listen to Moses. We know God hears our prayers.

Finally, the Lord’s answer and our hope is in vv. 8-9. As I said above, the Lord’s instruction is odd. Your favorite commentators will help you with the details and significance of the “bronze serpent.”

John 3:14-15 will show you how John reads those scenes and your parishioners will hear the call to faith once again as the key to their own daily spiritual healing and victory. Take a quick look at the immediate context before and after the famous scene and you’ll see victory for God’s people. God gives victory over sin and grace when we sin.

Our Christian experience, like that of our forefathers, is like that. May our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as you encourage your listeners every day to look and live.

Randal

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Fighting the Temptation to Copy Cat the Temptation of Jesus in Luke 4

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tumblr_me2akxOmXA1rt9g3io1_500

The picture above from tumblr.com is a fitting reminder of the temptation we face to copy the actions of Jesus in the Gospels. Luke 4:1-13 records the devil tempting Jesus to sin. First, notice the link between Luke 3:38 (“the son of God”) and Luke 4:3, 9. Luke is showing us how the Son of God handled temptation, not primarily how we should handle it. Luke shows us a Savior who defeated Satan in Luke 4 and would ultimately defeat him at the end of the Story on the cross. It is because we have such a Savior that we have any hope of defeating temptation, too. We don’t defeat temptation because we can quote appropriate verses from Deuteronomy (just think how helpless a brand new Christian is until they build up enough Scripture memory to tackle a variety of temptations!). No, first, we defeat temptation when we trust our Savior to do what we cannot do. Then, we can copy Jesus by living out the Scripture we know to be truer than temptations’ lies.

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Preaching the Ugly Pictures of Human Nature in Judges

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Studio portrait of mid adult woman looking into broken mirror --- Image by © Harry Vorsteher/Corbis

The picture of God’s people in the book of Judges is not pretty. For instance, in Judges 8:1, 4-6, and 8 there are three examples of insubordination. One commentator, Block, says “Even in victory Israel remains her own worst enemy.”

And often, even Israel’s best leaders, like Gideon, paint an ugly picture of our spiritual condition. Friction abounds in these stories and Gideon often flies of the handle, as they say (whoever “they” are?).

So, if and when you preach on Judges, be prepared to show your flock how difficult it is for God’s people to experience peace among themselves. Both leaders and laity have to work hard at being Spirit-controlled so the work of God can flourish among them.

In the case of the latter part of chapter 7 and into chapter 8 self-centeredness and rage are on display. It’s not a pretty sight. And just when you think it can’t get any worse, Gideon pulls the stunt recorded in 8:27 “And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city….And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare…”

Well, you’d think God would fiercely judge them all for this. But instead, we read of His grace in 8:28 “…And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.”

I don’t understand this, but I’m sure glad God is patient with us. I am so thankful He gives us victories in the midst of our spiritual ineptness.

Anyway, be prepared to get some pretty nasty-looking looks of our condition in the Judges, but also of God’s grace. And preach it all so He receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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“the people quarreled with Moses”: Preaching Through the Book of Numbers

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Preaching Numbers Prepares Us for Times When Leadership and Laity Butt Heads
Photo by Uriel Soberanes on Unsplash

If you’re reading some of these posts, I hope you’re getting a sense that there are lots of great reasons for preaching through Numbers. If not, I’m failing miserably!

You could preach through Numbers if you knew for sure that the narrative was relevant. However I also believe that some simply are not sure about how to make sense of such narratives.

So, with Numbers 20 as an example, can you see the following?

First, that what is happening between Moses and the people represents certain testing in the life of the people of God. In this case I labeled vv. 1-6 as the test of “this evil place.”

Second, that what God does is something that He always does. He keeps His promise to His own children. No child of God will ever experience lacking any good thing God ordains for them, including, of course, life eternal when all things are made new. I labeled vv. 7-9 as a glimpse of how our Lord provides. Look at the raw power God has at His disposal to meet our needs!

Third, that my own carnality could get in the way and I could be guilty of unbelief. Verse 12 says the leadership didn’t believe in God and present Him as holy to the people. Extremely sad. This is an example of almost believing in Him (vv. 10-13). No one is exempt from God’s punishment due to rebellion against Him.

I chose to preach all this under the umbrella of: “He will bring us into this land”: But Our Faith Will Be Tested.

Now, there are certainly other ways to preach this section. That means there are other connections between this narrative and your listeners. Without such connections, this can’t preach beyond being a history lesson. With such connections instead of talking to your listeners about the Bible, you are talking to them about them from the Bible.

To the degree that we do that, God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching About the Importance of Church Leadership: Preaching Through Numbers

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And We Will Respect God’s Choice…
Numbers 16:1–17:13

My full title for Numbers 16:1–17:13 was:

“He will bring us into this land”: And We Will Respect God’s Choice of Who Leads and Who Serves

I am writing this with a half-hour to go before the first 2020 Presidential Election. How’d you like to be those two?! How’d you like to be Moses or Aaron?

The infamous rebellion against Moses and Aaron recorded in these chapters is one of the most intense narratives in the Old Testament. What makes it even more intense to preach or teach is that we’re living in days when leadership at all levels faces skepticism and cynicism.

To help you tackle this large preaching portion you might consider the following structure:

  1. Two more challenges to leadership (vv. 1-3a, 41)
  2. The wrongheaded thinking that causes it (vv. 3b, 12-14)
  3. Our response to the situation (vv. 21, 24, 26-27a, 45)
  4. God’s judgment and mercy (vv. 4-11, 22, 27b-40, 46-50; 17:1-13)

(I know that’s a lot of verses, but if you have time, take a look at the fit between these verses and the major points.)

First, simplify the sermon by noting that Korah and company function as a “go and do otherwise” exemplar. So we worship this morning by not following their attack on God’s leadership. Put positively, we respect God’s leadership.

Second, be ready to dig in theologically when you get to 16:3-5 and the question of whether only Moses and Aaron were holy or, according to Korah, the whole congregation was equally holy.

Third, Moses’s reaction was incredible to me. I think I would be tempted in light of the attack against him to gladly agree with God’s plan (16:21). Instead Moses intercedes for the congregation!

Fourth, as we’ve seen so often in Numbers, this lengthy narrative provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the holiness and judgment of God.

Finally, God’s mercy and Israel’s confession/repentance are highlighted in these scenes as God stops the plague and Israel says,

“Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die. Are we all to perish?” (17:12-13)

And if you’re fond of a Christ-centered reading of such texts, you might land on 16:22 (“…shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”) or 16:47 (“And [Aaron] put on the incense and made atonement for the people”). Concerning the former, one man, Adam, did sin and the human race experienced the judgment of God. However, one Man, Jesus Christ, was righteous and faced the judgment of God so that we by faith could be acquitted. The second one is an easy leap to the cross.

And as always, may our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as you work hard for Him each weekend.

Randal

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One of the Best “Go and do otherwise” Examples: Preaching Through Numbers

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A good example of setting a bad example!

When you arrive at Numbers 14 God rewards you with some really good, bad examples.

Let’s begin with a bad example of worldly grief versus godly grief. Verses 39-40 describe the reaction of God’s people upon hearing the news of judgment: “the people mourned greatly.” They are ready to follow the Lord’s earlier instruction (“We will go up to the place that the Lord has promised…”). They even confessed, “for we have sinned.” What could be more genuine than that, right?

The second major move or thought-block in this sermon could be in vv. 42-45. This contains the significant theological statements: “the Lord is not among you” (v. 42) and “the Lord will not be with you” (v. 43) and “neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp” (v. 44).

You might think that confession is enough–they confessed their sin. But it wasn’t enough to renew their relationship with their God. He’s not there.

Verse 41 explains the problem and I decided to keep this until the final move in the sermon. It’s the reason for labeling their grief, worldly, instead of godly.

“But Moses said, ‘Why now are you transgressing the command of the Lord, when that will not succeed?”

What an important question to ask any spiritual protégé/disciplee.

Israel and your flocks too are only defeated in spiritual battles when they fight without the Lord’s powerful presence. And He only withholds His powerful presence when we are not willing to give up our rebellious ways.

In Israel’s case, they confessed their sin of not going up to Canaan. However, after hearing the judgment, they are determined to go up even though they were told not to. The result was complete defeat.

Thank our Lord we have an opportunity every Sunday to express our loyalty to Him. God help us and those we teach to stay focused on faith-driven obedience and fight hard against any stubborn spiritual streaks so we don’t follow their bad example.

And may He receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through your efforts (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Caleb’s “different spirit” and the Christian: Preaching Through Numbers

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Photo by Joseph Gonzalez on Unsplash
Preaching Numbers Serves Up A Rich Meal Every Sunday!

When I decided to preach through Numbers, I selected a clause from 14:8 as the theme for the series: “He will bring us into this land.” And in the pericope, 14:20-38, that is followed by: “That is, All of Us Who Have a ‘different spirit'”

That means I decided that God meant Caleb to be our spiritual role model. You can find that in verses 24, 30b-31, 38. That was my final thought block or main idea for the sermon. You’ll want to explain how this description of Caleb, “because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully…” fits every genuine Believer.

But additional richness permeates this meal in the form of our need to make sense of both pardon and judgment. This is where I began in vv. 20-22a, 23a, 25, 28-30a, 32-37. God clearly states that he has pardoned (v. 20) but in vv. 21-23 He continues by saying “none of those who despised me shall see [the land].” God pardoned, but judged?!?

If nothing else, preaching through Numbers forces us to be better theologians!

My second section was devoted to making sure we’re not part of “this wicked congregation” (vv. 22b, 23b, 26-27, 35). Those verses describe what the congregation did. They clearly function as a “go and do otherwise” characters.

And this is what separates Caleb from the others. His “different spirit” is the result of God’s transformation in him heart. He doesn’t test God or despise God or grumble against God. He’s today’s Christ-follower and we urge our congregants to go and do likewise.

And if you’re interested in reading Numbers through the lens of the Christ-event, look no further than the graphic statements of judgment and the prophecy that God’s people would bear their iniquities and know the displeasure of God for 40 years (cf. v. 34). Only those who receive pardon through faith in Christ, our Sin-bearer, are transformed into the Caleb’s of our congregations.

May God grant you the joy of serving up rich food from everyone’s favorite book of Numbers so He receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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You’ll Probably Want to Slow Down When You Get to Numbers 14: Preaching Through Numbers

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How Many of our Parishioners Would Head in That Direction?!

I suggest you slow down when you get to Numbers 14 because so much of God’s people’s reaction to the report of the spies coming back from Canaan mirrors our own faith-journey in vv. 11-19.

First, notice that the grumbling is labeled despising God. In v. 11 the Lord says, “How long will this people despise me?” I wonder how many of us equate complaining about our circumstances as despising God? Right. Probably none. That reaction is labeled unbelief in v. 11 (“how long will they not believe in me?”).

What’s frightening is the Lord’s gut reaction in v. 12: He’s had it with His people and ready to start over. Almost as frightening is the thought of trying to preach this. Have fun trying to explain how our God can be like this. It’s a great time to flex your exegetical/theological muscles and help your listeners see why God is portrayed like this in this narrative.

Thank the Lord Moses doesn’t like His idea. Moses’s reasoning is credited with moving the Lord to pardon His people (vv. 19-20 “Please pardon…I have pardoned according to your word.”). It’s a great time for everyone to hear that the Lord’s reputation is at stake in His world with respect to how His people fare (vv. 13-16).

As Moses pleads with the Lord our listeners are reminded about the promises the Lord made to them. Verse 18 may be one of the most important verses in Scripture about the character of God,

“The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

This is why the Lord does not give up on His people. According to v. 17 this is the Lord letting his power “be great as [He] promised.”

Anyone interested in a Christ-centered reading of the narrative can focus on God’s ability and method of pardoning sin (vv. 18, 19, 20).

And remember, our task is not to preach to them about the Bible, but to preach to them about them from the Bible. Or, if your prefer God-centered wording, we’re preaching to them about God and their relationship with Him from the Bible. This is not ancient history but a Word from God to us.

Anyway, I think you can see how God will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) from such a preaching event.

Randal

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When Fear Displaces Faith: Preaching Through the Book of Numbers

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Numbers 14 shows how difficult it is to believe in God’s ability to deliver us.

Some of the best preaching in Numbers comes in chapters 13 and 14. That’s because they focus on faith and how fear can eclipse it if not kept in check.

Do you remember what happened to God’s people after the spies gave a report of the Promised Land? They wished they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness and wanted to go back (14:2-4).

If that wasn’t bad enough, verse 10a records that the people wanted to stone their leaders! So, verses 1-4, 10a describe the terrible effects of fear gone unchecked.

What do we do when God’s people entrusted to our care express their unbelief? Verses 5-9 describe how godly leadership responds to such unbelief. It’s certainly a “go and do likewise” section for us. They feel the agony of the situation (“tore their clothes” in v. 6), speak the truth (“If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land…” in v. 8; this verse became my unifying theme for the study through Numbers), and urge obedience to the Lord (“Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people…” in v. 9).

And if anyone listening wondered if the people’s reaction was such a big deal, verses 10b-12 show how the Lord feels about such fear and unbelief. God’s glory appears and He expresses His own exasperation.

Those opening 12 verses in Numbers 14 provide a great opportunity for us to build up the faith of our congregants.

And just suppose a listener asked, “How can I be sure that the Lord delights in me?” (cf. v. 8) How would you answer? We know the Lord delights in us because the great exchange has taken place. Isaiah 42:1 teaches that our God delights in His Servant, our Savior. And by faith He now delights in us. That means we can be assured that God will bring us safely through this wilderness to the new creation. Providing that all who believe will heed the instruction in v. 9. It’s a wonderful example of a living faith that works.

I hope you’ll consider Numbers 13-14 as prime preaching material. If so I know our Lord will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal