Sermon Outline
Numbers, Deuteronomy
- The Problem with Complaining
- Fine line b/w asking for change of circumstance and complaining
- Complaining is about challenging the authority of those who are over us.
- Complaining has negative health effects
- No one likes a complainer
- God included
- The invitation to Come and Walk with God.
- The Israelites complaint
- About hardship (Num 11:1)
- About food (Num 11:4-6)
- About leadership (Num 12:1-2)
- God’s weakness to conquer (Num 13:31-32, 14:1-2, Eze 36:3, Prov 10:18)
- About thirst (Num 20:2-3)
- Results: Complaining gets you nowhere (Num 11:1, 33, 12:10, 14, 14:11-13, 16:1ff, 20:10-12)
- Ruins your experience of God’s goodness
- Shifts your focus from worship to the passing things of the world
- Leaves you depressed
- May cost your life
- And it costs you your enjoyment of the good things God wants to give you
- And it is to the issue of faith that I want us to turn as we conclude:
- Bronze Serpent as a picture of Christ
- The people recognize their Sin (Num 21:6-7, 1Jn 1:9)
- They seek a mediator (Num 21:7, 1Tim 2:5)
- God also makes a way for life to be restored through faith and trust (Num 21:8)
- Why a snake?
- First, the snake was a symbol of Egypt.
- Second, the snake was the symbol of the great archenemy of God’s people.
- the people are asked to affirm that in fact that that life is cursed. (Dt 21:23)
- The same is true in the New testament (Jn 3:14-15, 1Pt 3:18, Gal 3:13-14)
- Why a snake?
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