Rolling Justice; Flowing Righteousness

The current environment in which American families raise their children causes me to tremble.  Instead of justice rolling down like the waters of an ever-flowing stream, it is more like a stagnant little mud-puddle.

And we’re not the first culture with that problem.  Amos was a simple shepherd.  God called him out of Tekoa, a little village in the mountains of southern Judea, to go up and preach to the northern cities of Israel.  (Amos was a good ol’ boy sent up north to preach to the Yankees!)

News traveled slowly back then.  Who knows how much Amos knew of Samaria, Jerusalem and Damascus?  It didn’t take him long to find out, however.  Amos was a simple man; Amos had spent his life in the hills, raising sheep.  His days were all about protecting sheep from wolves and other predators.  He could recognize danger.  A simple man can see injustice – and Amos saw clearly; Amos saw the human predators:

·           At Damascus Amos saw God’s own people buying and selling each other at slavery auctions.

·  At Edom He saw brothers killing each other.

·           At Ammon He saw children ripped from mother’s wombs.

·           At Judah Amos saw pagan worship rituals among people who were supposed to be God’s own.

·           And in Israel he saw oppression of the poor and sexual perversion.[1]

Amos couldn’t believe his eyes; in the midst of all the flagrant sinning, the total disregarding of God’s commands, the people of Israel were still holding their worship services and rituals.  It is amazing how the people were going to worship, praying, and counting on God to answer and provide for them, all the while not giving the slightest attention to doing right, or being obedient…and God said through the prophet, I cannot stand what I see…it doesn’t matter how many prayers you send up here…I’m not having any of it…you get your lives straightened out, and you do it now![2] 

Things have not changed! 

Amos saw then and there, what we see here and now in America!  It is hard to deny that we live in a land where the tide has turned from a safe-haven for Godliness and moral living to seeing the worst humanity has to offer.  Six years ago in the city of New Orleans following the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina, we saw and heard the reports of heroism, people stepping-up to help out their neighbors.  But we saw far more of the other reports – looting, crimes against women and children.  We have seen the depravity of humankind on display in full color, live on CNN.

God was not amused in Amos’ day, and He still isn’t; if ever a house-cleaning was needed!  It is no wonder God wanted justice to roll-down like a Tsunami over that bunch…and maybe over America as well.

Are We Better Than That?

The question in American culture…in Randolph County…in Bethany United Methodist Church is:  Are we better than that?  Where are we today in terms of the way we treat the weakest and least protected of our society? 

Amos’ whole ministry was consumed with passion for the underdog, those who had little power.  In our day it is the little ones, children.  How are we doing with caring for the children?

If we took the time to hear all the statistics published by the Children’s Defense Fund[3] these past 20 years of sponsoring Children’s Sabbath days it would fill many hours, sad hours.  Some of the most staggering numbers concern America, one of the most advanced health-care and economically-sound cultures in the history of humankind:

·                    4 children are killed by neglect or abuse every day.

·                    5 children or teens commit suicide every day.

·                    548 children arrested for violent crimes or drug abuse every day.

·                    2,539 high school students drop out daily (one every 10 seconds).

·  17,072 public school students are suspended every day.

How Did We Get Here?

Listen to what I believe are several patterns that are illustrative of moving away from justice…something God’s people cannot ignore.  These three patterns have poverty at the core:

Pattern #1.  Healthcare Dilemma

The spiral against the poor in healthcare can’t be over-exaggerated.  So many people are without access to quality healthcare due to unmanageable costs.  And this problem is not confined to the poorest; in today’s culture nearly one-third are uninsured or under-insured.

The spiral begins with technology advances.  As new and better treatments are developed for disease and fighting the effects of advancing age, the healthcare industry produces more technology and pharmacological approaches to treatment, cure and prevention.  And it isn’t cheap stuff!

New technology always presupposes research costs which result in patents and marketing!  The poor (by definition) cannot participate, except to be guinea pigs in study groups.                                                                                 

Result:  when our healthcare system fails –children suffer.

Pattern #2.  Judicial System Dilemma

It has long been axiomatic that the judicial system in America is slanted against minorities, especially the poor.  Now, poverty itself isn’t sinful.  Jesus said so! 

Prosperity preachers these days tell you you’re a pretty poor excuse for a Christian if you’re not prospering (getting rich like them)!  In Jerusalem’s temple one day, Jesus pointed to a poor widow woman who gave all she had as an offering to God; Jesus called her a spiritual giant.  Poor isn’t sinful!

But while poverty itself isn’t sinful, its effect can leave a person without dignity.  Often people turn to crime because our system of caring for the poor dehumanizes people and robs them of making a worthwhile contribution to society.  I know you do not have to turn to crime, but so often the temptation is great, and many fall victim to the lure of getting out of the hole.  When the hole you’re in robs you of purpose, getting out of the hole becomes your purpose…any way you can!

Adults who turn to crime make that choice of their God-given free will, and they’re also accountable to God and society for their actions.  They also choose to harm their children when that choice means they go to jail. 

Result:  when our legal system fails – the children suffer.

Pattern #3.  Legislative Dilemma

Our legislative bodies pass laws and enact programs that are intended to cure our society’s problems.  Often it turns out to be a band aide on a cancerous tumor; it may look good, but there is no real help. 

A half-dozen years ago our legislators put a band aide on the cancer eating away at the quality of education in North Carolina.  They paved the way for North Carolina’s first public lottery.  The “selling-point” was that the money a lottery will bring in is needed for education. 

Six years ago, before the lottery was a reality I preached this passage and predicted that it “remains to be seen if they will actually spend the money on education, and still continue to fund education with tax money as well – so that education is actually enhanced. 

But – if they do what they did in Florida – funnel in the lotto receipts, but de-fund the education budget from the tax side – you will not have education enhancement…just a regressive lottery tax.  What we will get, regardless of how they handle the tax situation, is more crime (which always accompanies gambling), more taxes to pay for more law enforcement, and a higher incidence of gambling addictions, and the resultant poverty from losses and family breakups.” 

I made those predictions in 2005; today those predictions are being reported as fact.  The News & Record had this to say just last month:

the lottery isn't keeping the promises its supporters made that it would improve public education. Instead, it's become a game of give and take.

Sadly, it continues to take from people who can least afford to give. If the lottery were a tax, it would be the most regressive kind because the poor pay more.

This is confirmed in study after study. Looking at 2009 data, the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh found that the state's top 10 counties for lottery sales had an average poverty rate of 22.8 percent -- much higher than the state average. Looking at similar numbers, Will Wilson, a Duke University professor who studies urban environments, calculated that lottery sales increase by $11 per capita for every percentage point the poverty rate rises.

No wonder the lottery had its best year in 2010. And this year promises to be successful, too, with more North Carolinians falling into poverty. Many see a potential lottery payoff as their best chance to get ahead. Of course, the odds are against them.

The numbers are getting worse for education, too, as the North Carolina Poverty Center report points out. Originally, 37 percent of lottery revenues went to education. That portion fell to 29 percent in 2009-10, with a greater share allotted to prizes in an effort to entice more people to play.

Despite the $2 billion raised for education, the state would be better off without the lottery. The money comes from the pockets of people who could put it to much better use than buying lottery tickets. They could spend it on groceries for their families, for rent, clothing or utilities. And the legislature could return to funding education the way it did before the lottery -- through a progressive tax system that requires people with more money to pay a greater share. That was not only more fair; it also produced more money for schools.[4]

Experience in several states has shown that lottery gambling is always heaviest in segments of society which can least afford it.  Anything that promises great wealth as if it is actually a possibility for most people, yet has odds of 10 or 20 million to one, is dealing in false hope. 

In California a grocery chain carefully surveyed its receipts after installing lottery sales.  Their lottery take was over one million dollars.  But their food sales went down by exactly the same amount.  The game literally takes the food out of poor mouths.  Proverbs 22:16 tells us that a person that gets ahead by oppressing the poor is doing wrong….and will pay the consequences.

Result when adults gamble:  children suffer.

And So What Should We Do?

There is only one Godly response to that question – a commitment, or renewal of a previous commitment to live a lifestyle of seeking justice for children. 

Among Africa’s tribal peoples one culture stands strong and proud – the Masai.  Masai know that the basis for their culture’s future is bound up in their children.  A typical greeting among Masai people is “kasserian ingera”….how are the children[5]  Even Masai warriors, some of the fiercest soldiers on earth, greet each other with kasserian ingera…how are the children?  That’s a good place for us to begin…ask yourself, kasserian ingera…what is the state of the children?

There are some concrete ways you can begin to participate in changing the answer to the question in our country, How are the children?

·  Make Safety a Priority    Our church is committed to the Safe Sanctuary approach.  Everyone who works with children submits to a background criminal check.  Children are suffering; children must be protected.

·  Get Involved   Children’s ministries in this church and our community need help all the time.  I would love to see us start an after-school tutoring program.  If you can read, you can help!  You may not be able to give a lot of time, but together we can make a difference in the lives of children in our part of the world.  Children are suffering.  We can get involved.

·  Support Those Making a Difference   Lynn Groce was a missionary to Ethiopia.  When his child became too ill for them to stay on the mission field, they moved to Gainesville, Florida.  Lynn told me that if he couldn’t stay in Ethiopia then in God’s name he wanted to make a difference wherever God took him.  He developed a ministry bringing churches together with people who needed a helping hand out of poverty.  He partnered successful plumbers, electricians and many others, with those who had no employable skills, but wanted to work.  The program saw many fathers get off the Welfare rolls and keep their families together.  Children stop suffering when families are helped.

So, my friend, ask yourself…In my community, how are the children?

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

---

[1] Amos 1:3 – 2:7

[2] Amos 5:21-23 my paraphrase

[3] Contact at www.childrensdefense.org

[4] http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/09/27/article/editorial_lottery_is_a_loser_for_state_players

Editorial: Lottery is a loser for state, players, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 

[5] Look To the Children, a sermon by Rev. Pat Hoertdoerfer

The Commandments; TWO are MORE than TEN

...and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.  “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”  He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”  Matthew 22:35-40  (NRSV)

     When you study the Ten Commandments it’s easy to look at them from the negative side.  At camp, a counselor was leading a discussion on the purpose God had for everything –clouds, trees, rocks, etc.  One of the children challenged, "If God had a good purpose for everything, then why did He make poison ivy?"  The counselor was at a loss for words until one of the other children offered, "The reason God made poison ivy is because He wanted us to know there are some things we should keep our cotton-pickin' hands off!"

    The Pharisees of Jesus' day knew all too well that there were many things God had ruled "off-limits".  In fact, the Pharisees and Scribes had taken the original Ten Commandments and run the total up in the hundreds.  There were over 600 negative commandments that a good Jewish boy had to learn. 

    The problem with this approach is that you can spend your whole life carefully avoiding crossing the line here and there; don’t do this, don’t do that.  You end up never having DONE anything!  What you get is existence as a substitute for real, abundant living.  You know what a substitute is...a "fair imitation of the real thing."  Well, I don't want a substitute, an imitation of the abundant life Jesus promised; I want the real thing!

    So, what's the alternative to taking those Ten Commandments, and just trying to stay within the lines?  The alternative is found in our text, in which Jesus gives the positive "thou-shalts".  In these you can see the heart of all of God's law, and His purpose for our lives. 

    There are three PRINCIPLES contained in understanding the Ten Commandments.  First is:

1. The Negative always Includes the Positive

    The principle of seeing the positive aspects in negatively-stated commandments demands that we work hard at seeing the nature of God (which is entirely positive).  God says, for instance, "You must not commit murder."  I say, "OK, I will simply beat the tar out of you, but stop short of killing you."  I have lived within the rule, but I violate the spirit of what was intended.  What did God intend when He said, "Thou shalt not kill"?  He meant for us to actively seek the preservation of life. 

     In the parable of the Good Samaritan you have a Jew going up to Jerusalem to worship.  He gets mugged, beaten, stripped and thrown in the ditch by the side of the road.  The story has two other fellow Jews – very religious people – who pass by the scene, but opt to not get involved. 

    The third person in Jesus’ story could have passed-by on the other side of the road when he saw the mugging victim lying in the ditch; after all, the religious folks did!  Instead, the man gets in the ditch, dresses the wounds and assumes responsibility to see that he gets better. 

    Jesus’ punch-line to the story is that this third man is a Samaritan.  The Samaritans were natural enemies of the Jews; in the now famous words of Monday Night Football’s Hank Williams, Jr., it would have been like Hitler stopping to help out Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu! 

    And Jesus calls him the Good Samaritan…the hero of the story.  To make the point, Jesus asks a question of the religious leaders who were listening to his story – which of the three was a genuine neighbor to the mugging victim?  The religious leaders hadn't beaten the man; they never laid a hand on him.  But they acted as if his life wasn’t as important as their comfort.  They kept the negative rule of the commandment, but they ignored the positive view that they needed to seek his good.

    Jesus telescopes Ten Commands down two positive statements; Love God, Love your neighbor.  This roughly parallels the arrangement of the commandments; the first group speaks of our relationship with God, and the last bunch that teaches us how to love each other. 

How does the negative include the positive?

    Consider the first commandment – it’s negatively stated (thou shalt have no other gods – that’s idolatry).  Our principle "the negative includes the positive" means that it is not simply avoiding other gods that makes us obedient.  Rather our job is to elevate Christ as OUR ONE AND ONLY GOD.   It means actively loving God, not just avoiding bad stuff.

    An example of God’s heart in this might be:  Imagine you are my father and I’m 9 years old.  You leave me with my 6 year-old brother and tell me to not aggravate him.  Your fondest hope is that I'll be kind and gentle, and in so doing there will be a wonderful memory for the both of us.  But, at the very least, you’re hoping I won't squash him like a bug! 

    And so the principle of the positive included within the negative means we are to "go beyond" duty, all the way to love.  Isn't that what Jesus did at the cross?

    So, the negative includes the positive, and then…

2. The Specific Command Includes That Which Is Like It

     A principle is always more general than a rule; it always extends to a wider application.  For instance, commandment #5 is to "honor father and mother".  Scripture also indicates honoring your parents extends beyond father and mother to include "elders".  This can be political leaders, church leaders, business and family members.  What would life be like without this principle? 

    Applying this principle, we could also use commandment #1 where the Bible specifically prohibits the making of "graven" or carved images as objects of worship.  If we stick just to the specifics, then it would be fine to make cast, forged, or computerized images.  Let's face it, if you want to find a loophole you can rationalize some way to do whatever you want to do. 

     In the wonderful comic strip Frank and Ernest, the two are standing at Hell's entrance.  Frank is reading the Bible, and Ernest questions him, "What are you doing?"  Frank says, "I’m looking for loopholes".

    When Jesus stated the first of the great commandments he said we were to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind and soul.  In short, I believe that means that we are not to "nitpick" over the larger picture when it comes to obeying the Spirit of God.  This is just exactly what Jesus would tell the Pharisees later, "You strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel."  You go to great lengths to give the appearance of religious lifestyle, and haven't got the sense of a child to see your own need. 

     The negative includes the positive; the specific includes those like it, and…

3. What is forbidden in deed is also forbidden for the heart

    Principles are great; usually you can plug them into some situation, and come up with an action, or a course to take.  But when it comes to matters of the heart, or attitude, suddenly we are confronted with our own sin.  Genesis 8 tells us that when God looked down at His creation, He saw that mankind had indeed "come a long way, baby". 

    The hearts, the intentions of every man was continually wicked.  God is in the business of searching our hearts.  God is able to see what we allow no-one else on the face of the earth to see; the fact that each of us has a darkness deep within.  It is that sense of knowing ourselves, and the things we do…or would do if we knew we could get away with it. 

    Friends, let us talk honestly here.  Probably most of us have never murdered; we haven’t done the deed.  But how many of us can honestly say we've never entertained the motion in our hearts?  The Bible principle says that we must not do the deed with our hands, or with our minds.  And immediately you say, "Well I can't control what enters my mind."  And immediately God's Word says back to us, "Correct!"  The fact is we are powerless, apart from the power of Christ.  All that we are shows us we cannot obey God's law perfectly. 

    If that were possible Jesus wouldn't have had to die on the cross.  We have all sinned, and will all sin. So what now?  Even though I understand the principles of God's Commandments, I can't live that perfectly. 

    What do I DO to inherit eternal life?  How can I be good enough for God?  Answer:  You’re right – you can’t live that perfectly…and you’re not supposed to DO anything.  God is simply waiting for you to acknowledge that reality, to give up being your own savior.  Instead of trying to BE so good that God will accept you, He just wants you to love Him and be willing to love others like He already loves you.  The problem most people have when it comes to getting it right with God is that they think they can do it all on their own; they’re not willing to admit that God has already done it all.  That’s what Calvary was about.  Your job is to acknowledge it!

    It’s hard to do that in our culture – we feel we can do anything.  We’re even told that from the time we are toddlers – you can do anything you set your mind to do.  But God knows that isn’t true, and He is just waiting for us to get over ourselves and surrender!

      Jim Henry, who was the pastor of Orlando's First Baptist church, tells of a man who fell into the water.  As the man thrashed around, it was very obvious that he couldn’t swim and was going to drown.  A strong swimmer stood by watching him go down several times.  A man standing nearby shouted, "Why don't you leap in and save him?"  But the man just stood there.  After watching a moment more, the strong swimmer finally jumped into the water and rescued the man.  The bystander asked, "Why did you wait so long?"  The rescuer said, "He was too strong before.  I had to wait until his strength was gone." 

    God never saves a person, or delivers him against his own will.  It is the person that gives up on his own strength whom Jesus can rescue. 

    In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

Cosmos, Commands and Cleansing

Psalm 19 is all about the great and wonderful gifts of God; many of us take them for granted.  Israel’s poet, King David pulls out the shopping list of these gifts and holds them up as a prayer of praise and adoration to Yahweh.  It’s a wonderfully appropriate prayer for us; today we can bring this prayer to the table to offer our thanks.  It’s first, a prayer of thanks for
His Cosmos; a sermon without words
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.    2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.  3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; 4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.  In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.  6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.   Psalm 19:1-6  (NRSV)
God’s world is awesome.  If asked, there wouldn’t be many of us who couldn’t tell of some time when raw nature gave us a powerful and lasting memory.  I am always moved by mountain scenes.  I’ve stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon and Victoria Falls in Africa.  This magnificent world is, in the words of Eugene Peterson, God’s glory…on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.  (TMSG)
This world is a sermon of God’s majesty, this cosmos.  Without speaking a word that we can hear, God broadcasts to every living thing, that every living thing outside of God is not God!  We do well to remember frequently that only God is God!
We humans tend to congratulate ourselves for our phenomenal wisdom and sophistication every time a new version of Windows, or a more powerful Mac tablet hits the market.  But we’re confused at best, because it’s God who is the Creator – we are the creatures.  We mess around with, and rearrange HIS creation – often badly – but it is God who established everything we see.  King David also wrote these words – from everlasting to everlasting THOU art God! (Psalm 90:2).  I would have added….and not me!
Our prayer of thanksgiving begins with the cosmos – God’s universe, a sermon without words.  And then we also give thanks for…
His Commands; words with life
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.  
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.  11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.      Psalm 19:7-11  (NRSV)
Often people want to debate that God’s Word is just a bunch of “rules” that oppress certain groups.  But that is the blind side of human beings.  By nature we all have a rebellious side; nobody enjoys having to follow rules.  To be sure, even a lot of Christian believers want to know just how little they can believe and behave, yet still qualify for the train to heaven.
But, if you view God’s Word rightly, you can see that it is really a lamp for your pathway through God’s world – a light that shows us how to find real joy.  His commands are words that lead to life!
Jesus said that his words were truth, life and the way to the Father; anyone who would come near to Jesus and trust him as the guide through this life, would not only find heaven, but know deep down inside that they really belong with God.
So we come to the table giving thanks for God’s cosmos – a sermon without words, God’s commands – words that lead to life, and…
Our Cleansing; God’s forgiveness for what truly ails us
12 But who can detect their errors?  Clear me from hidden faults.  13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me.  Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.  14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.   Psalm 19:12-14  (NRSV)
“Clear me from hidden faults” is what God’s supper table is all about.  At this table is cleansing – not just the outward washing that may be necessary when you roll around in the mud; it’s the inward cleansing of your heart, your life…that part of you we call the soul.
Now, the bread and cup are not like some automated “scrubbing bubbles” that cleans your heart like a porcelain bathtub.  We don’t pour it in and feel it effervescing inside as the sins melt away.
Rather it is like the mortar that binds us to Christ in faith.  And Christ is the brick mason; he is the only one who can do this job.  When you come to faith in what Christ has done for you on the cross, Jesus takes your life and builds your relationship with the Father.
The prophet Isaiah wrote that all of our righteousness – all our attempts at taking over this business of cleansing our sins – is like claiming you’re wearing a new outfit, when, in fact, you’re wearing torn and filthy rags.   (Isaiah 64:6)
King David’s life fell apart.  He was the most powerful man in the world and was loved by both God and humans.  But he had this secret; he’d gone against God’s design for his life and his sin was really bad – first degree!  He tried to cover it up by plotting an innocent man’s death; he even had other people carry it out.  The thing was somewhat hidden from humans, but God saw it like an HD movie on a 75-inch plasma screen TV.  David had it together on the outside.  But the outside was like makeup on dark circles, or a band-aid on cancer; on the inside David was coming unglued.  And he knew it – just like you and I know it when we’ve sinned against God.
What did David do?  He ran to God with confession on his lips.  Listen to how David recorded it in his diary.  He wrote it down, and later we labeled it Psalm 51.  Hear how it sounds in today’s language when a king repents; listen to David getting honest with God:
1Generous in love—God, give grace!  Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.  2Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry.  3I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down.  4You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil.  You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair.  5I’ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born.  6What you’re after is truth from the inside out.  Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.
7Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.  8Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing.  9Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health.  10God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
11Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me.  12Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! (1)
When David got honest with God, God came – and then, there was cleansing.  That’s what God is like – and you don’t have to be a king.  You don’t have to speak a special language – you do have to pour out your heart to Him!
So do that; and then come to the table.  Let God do what God does; he’ll cement your life and His together.  In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

Footnotes
(1) Eugene Peterson, The Message

God's Grumbling People

²The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.  ³The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”  Exodus 16:2,3  (NRSV)

Today’s story follows Moses and the children of Israel leaving Egypt for the Promised Land.  They left in April, now it is May and the food the Israelites carried on their backs is gone.  It’s a forced march with empty backpacks; except for the heavy gold and jewels they got from the Egyptians (and none of that is edible).  And there is not a Winn-Dixie or Food Lion in sight; just sand!  We find the children of God trudging towards the Promised Land, but looking back over their shoulders to the abundant food they left in Egypt.  The talk on the trail may have been of freedom, but in their mind’s eyes, Israel’s children were still slaves.

They talked freedom, but thought slavery.... Canaan and Egypt were in the same valley but in extreme opposite directions. To reach one, you had to turn your back on the other...[1]

Choices

There were really only two choices (besides laying right down there in the dust and dying).  Choice number one was to return to Egypt.  Not a good choice; Pharaoh would have killed half of them and made the other half do twice the work.  The other choice was to trust God. 

The Israelites understood hardship, pain and death; after 430 years as a nation of slaves to the Egyptian dynasty, they knew suffering.  Now they were following a prophet carrying only a stick and promises from some God you couldn’t see.  They were travelling towards a never-seen land supposedly “flowing with milk and honey” – these slaves were nervous about the future.  They had no food, no direction, no hope, and the dust and heat were on their last nerve; who knew what was going to happen?

Fear Turns to Grumbling

Their fear turned to grumbling – complaining, if you will.  So God sent manna as a test to see if the complainers would then begin to follow Him if their bellies were full; they didn’t!  As soon as they got the bread, they complained there was no peanut butter to go on it (well, almost – see Numbers 11 where they longed for the fish and onions).

That’s not too different from church congregations; many of them today are not growing, fading away to nothing.  They call a pastor to lead them, and then complain about everything he does.  Then, if the church doesn’t grow in spite of their complaining they blame the new pastor for not having vision.  That’s a bit different from how Paul saw it:

¹⁷Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account.  Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.   Hebrews 13:17(NRSV)

The people of Israel blamed Moses for bringing them out of Egypt to “die in the wilderness”.  That wasn’t a fact – they survived.  But they were afraid, and fear turns to complaining about what leadership is doing. 

Complaining is a form of blaming others for what you don’t have, or what you didn’t get, or for just plain not being happy; it’s usually not rational…A cartoon showed an irate woman at the church door:  Don't you offer to shake my hand, preacher, until you're ready to apologize for not having the sensitivity to know what I'm offended about![2]  

Complaining is a sure sign of amnesia, when people have forgotten how God has provided for them.  For the children of Israel freedom was losing its shine when the cost of that freedom became their reality – they had to learn to trust and follow God rather than their familiar slavery patterns back in Egypt.  It is much easier to accept a little certain misery rather than an unknown freedom. 

One other thing about complaining, it is contagious.  Notice verse 2:

²And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:  the WHOLE congregation!

Just a few weeks before Moses was their hero, leading them out after four centuries of slavery; now everybody’s mad.  It is no wonder that later God just wanted Moses to stand back so He could incinerate the bunch. 

I don’t think there is a single thing that causes a church to bog down quicker than a spirit of complaining.  It is amazing how it affects reasonable people.  People begin taking sides – the technical term is “polarization”.

If you’re tempted to complain about the leaders in this church, just consider that your complaining will be dividing people, polarizing God’s church – then remember this part of Solomon’s proverbs:

¹⁶ There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: ¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, ¹⁹ a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family. Proverbs 6:16-19(NRSV)

That thing about sowing discord among the brethren – it is listed number seven.  That isn’t an afterthought.  Listed as the seventh indicates the height of what God hates.  God hates a person to stir it up in His family. 

By comparison God’s Word also shows how to do the opposite – how to be cooperative.  There are [at least] five cooperation points to see:

Cooperation Point #1:  Decide to Trust God.

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.  Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

When the children of Israel finally stopped banging their collective heads against the wall, this is what they did; they agreed to trust God.  It took them forty years of wandering in the desert, but it did happen, and they stopped complaining against their leadership, and they finally began to move together as a family. 

I know that not all churches or families or businesses will move at the same rate; God has not given everyone the same capabilities.  However, I don’t know of a single church that cannot grow if they band together to trust God and work at it.  I don’t know of a single individual or family that can’t make progress by deciding to trust God more and stop complaining. 

Cooperation Point #2:  Plan Ahead to Worship.

The manna was to be gathered for 6 days a week.  And on that 6^th day they gathered two day’s worth.  Get the idea?  The 7^th day was for rest and worship.  Beloved, I know there are folks who have to work Sunday mornings or evenings…I’ve never known a single person who had to work 24 hours/7days/365 a year.  God made a plan for our lives that includes work, rest and worship.  If you’ve got a better plan, take it up with Him – I don’t want to hear it!  I would rather trust God and cooperate with Him. 

Years ago I was going to be a career insurance executive.  My superior told me I had to work “18 days a week” if I wanted to make it big.  I was going to make it big.  I had no time for the Lord, family or rest; I was making a ton of money and a name for myself.  But my life began to fall apart; I wasn’t even thirty and my marriage was in jeopardy; I hardly saw my kids.  Business went sour for a while and the bills mounted; the kids were sick all the time.  The pressure became unbearable.

Then God got hold of my life, and I realized things were bad, not because God hated me, or I was having a run of bad luck – things were coming unglued because I would not cooperate with God.  I came back to the Lord; we began to attend church – regularly; we began to tithe and serve. 

Beloved, I don’t have a pile of money, but I eat regularly and I have dear friends within the body of Christ.  And I know love!  Worship will bring those things. 

Cooperation Point #3:  Gather Every Day – Early!

Having the promise of God is not supposed to take away your responsibilities.  In fact, it awakens the true believer as to how he should go about handling his real responsibilities.  The children of Israel had a legitimate need – food.  They could have spoken to their leaders without grumbling and murmuring.  The Bible tells us:

⁶Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.                                     Philippians 4:6(NRSV)

Most of us don’t have physical food problems – unless it’s too much!  The real malnutrition epidemic among Christians is leaving the spiritual manna on the ground; people are starving their souls for God’s word. 

³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.                                                        John 6:35(NRSV)

Make certain you have your daily manna-time with Jesus. 

Cooperation Point #4:  Don’t Hoard Your Manna.

In our text it tells us that when the people first saw the manna some of them attempted to go into the grain storage business.  God made sure they couldn’t do it.  If they tried to hold some over for the next day it rotted and turned wormy in their pots.

Our spiritual needs work the same way.  Many folks are attempting to live on yesterday’s manna.  Friends, living on yesterday’s spiritual experiences as if they are today’s adventure with Christ will starve your spirit.  It will turn your service for Christ into a wormy leftover. 

The reason God gave the children manna fresh every day was so they would learn to depend on Him daily and not wander.  It is the same with you.  Your daily dependence on Him spiritually is vital to your vitality as a servant of Christ.  You need to go to Him every day!

Cooperation Point #5:  Don’t Grumble – Eat Your Manna.

Enough has been laid before you today about grumbling.  So, without beating the horse to death here, let me share one last observation.  God’s people failed the test time and again because they refused to trust God and cooperate with Him.  In spite of it all God still provided for their needs.  That should tell us what our main choice is with our attitudes:

God’s provision for YOU in life can be either a powerful affirmation of your faith as you trust Him without grumbling

or

it can be a constant reminder of your fear and faithlessness.

The choice is up to you. 

Do you want to serve God cooperatively….or just grumble until Jesus comes back?

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

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[1] Your Eyes Are On Canaan, But Your Mind Is In Egypt! , Kirk DeVine, on SermonCentral.com

[2] Cartoonist Gary Pauley in Leadership, Vol. 13, no. 2.