Sermon Tone Analysis
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For the last several week, we have been talking about the importance of setting ourselves apart....making times that we can go somewhere with the expectation that God will show up
We had the men’s revival a couple of weeks ago and based on the testimonies a couple of Sundays ago, God certainly showed up in a huge way!
Then, we went straight into camp
On 6/20 - the Monday of camp I wrote in my prayer journal and prayed for 1 person to be saved and to come to know Christ at camp.
As you heard, we had 4 saved and 4 rededicate their lives to Christ!
God is in the business of showing up in huge ways!
This story has come up a couple of times and even Tailyn’s group made their skit out of it at camp.
I want to dive into it and look a a couple of lessons...
1.
A Lesson in Focus
As we saw in the story, Balak was afraid that the Israelites were going to wipe out the Moabites as God had them do with he Amorites....
So, he calls for Balaam, who apparently had a reputation as a diviner...
There is some speculation on what that really means for Balaam...
We really don’t know much about Balaam outside of this story and a few references back to him....
Most scholars think it has to do more with dreams and visions that he experienced with God...
Nonetheless, Balak thinks that if he calls on this guy that he would come and curse the Israelites....
Unbeknown to him, Balaam was a believer in God....
So, Balak sends his people to Balaam and tells him that there is a people who came from Egypt and he would like for him to curse them....
Balaam, knowing that the divination that he has experienced, comes from God told them that he needed to go to the Lord....
So, Balaam initial focus is in the right place....
He was going to meet with God first before he agreed to anything....
God tells Balaam that the Israelites are blessed and to not go with the Moabites
Show scripture but don’t read
So, they report back to Balak and he decides to up the ante
And again, Balaam’s focus was still in the right place as he says
Balaam goes back to the Lord and this time the Lord tells him that he can go with the people but only do what God says to do....
Here is where Balaam apparently loses focus...
Apparently, Balaam lost his focus while on the journey as the Lord sent His angel to stop Balaam....
My best guess is that Balaam started rethinking why he was going…maybe he had some ulterior motive...
Maybe he got to thinking about the money that he could make....who knows?
Regardless, he stopped focusing on God as God became angry and felt the need to stop him with an angel....
So, as the story goes the donkey gets scared because of the angel and runs Balaam off of the road....
Balaam beats him...
A second time, the donkey runs Balaam into the side of the wall and crushes Balaam’s foot...
Balaam again beats the donkey...
A third time, the donkey lays down and Balaam beats him again....
This time the Lord opens the donkey’s mouth and it began to talk...
Any of you heard a talking donkey?
Not counting Shrek....
Yeah me neither....
So, apparently Balaam lost focus on God and he couldn’t see what God was doing....
So the lesson for us is.
What is our focus on?
Have we remained focused on God, or have we lost our focus?
Are there times that we seem to remain focused on Him and the path seems to be good....but then, something happens and we start to drift away?
Things are good, so I don’t need to continually spend time with God....
Then other things start to slip in and we question: why God?
I want to encourage you this morning to get back on track....refocus on what God has for you!
The second point is quite obvious and simple....
2. God Spoke through a Donkey
And this is where I want to tie this message back to those holy moments that I was talking about....
In cased you missed it…God spoke through a donkey...
You see, even in Balaam’s day, a talking donkey would be just as crazy as it would be today....
If Balaam were to go to all of his friends and say “yo, I was riding my donkey and all of a sudden, this donkey went crazy, I beat it, and then it started talking to me.”
His friends would think he is nuts....
But was he?
One thing that I am continually learning about God is that He is greater and more creative than I could ever imagine...
Am I willing to being open to letting Him do what He can and wants to do?
Or, do I find myself saying “God wouldn’t do that” or have some theological stance that limits what God would do?
AS I was writing this, this song came on that I feel is appropriate
It is called “what if I gave everything” Casting Crowns
All my life I longed to be a hero
My sword raised high, running to the battle
I was gonna take giants down
Be a man you would write about
Deep in my chest is the heart of a warrior
So why am I still standing here?
Why am I still holding back from You?
I hear You call me out into deeper waters
But I settle on the shallow end
So why am I still standing here?
So afraid what it might cost to follow You
I'd walk by faith if I could get these feet to move
But I don't want to live that way
I don't want to look back someday
On a life that never stepped across the line
So why am I still standing here?
Why am I still holding back from You?
You've given me a faith that can move a mountain
But I'm still playing in the sand
Building little kingdoms that'll never stand
I hear You call me out into deeper waters
But I settle on the shallow end
I'm so tired of standing here
What if I gave everything to You?
What if I gave everything?
What if I stopped holding back from You?
Starting now, I'm stepping out onto deeper waters
What if I gave everything?
What if I stopped holding back from You?
Starting now, I'm stepping out onto deeper waters
I want to see some mountains move
Ready to give everything
Say goodbye to standing here
Are we ready to step out into what God wants for us?
Are we ready to fully seek Him and what He has for us?
Or are we scared.....
Over the weekend of the men’s revival, I had an experience with God that really opened my eyes to seeing that He is still working…and wants to do some crazy amazing things...
Do I really want to dive into that?
Do I really want to give everything and see where this crazy extravagant God wants to take me....or do I like the comfortable life?
I’m at this point in my life and my faith where I want to see what all God wants to do....
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