LEADING BY NUMBERS: PART 2

The sermon series we are in right now focuses on leadership and there’s no better place to start than the Israelites crossing the desert headed to the promised land. Read Numbers 13-14 to get the most out of this blog post.

As we step into the lesson, we see that the Israelites have been grumbling against Moses and Aaron. God has finally had enough of their grumbling! They distrusted God and tried to do things their own way. They even talked about choosing their own leader and going back to Egypt!

Trust is hard to earn, but when you lose that trust it’s even more difficult to get it back. Finally realizing that they have sinned against God, they make a plan of their own. But thinking your plan can possibly be better than God’s plan is presumptuous and prideful. This pushes us toward certain defeat.

When God calls us out about our disbelief, we must repent and follow God’s will. Don’t try and fix it on your own terms. You don’t know what you don’t know! God has the view of everything! Remember he is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (present everywhere all at once), and omnipotent (all-powerful)! I’d say that he knows much more than we do and we shouldn’t second guess him.

When we follow our own will, we no longer have the protection of God. We’ve turned away from allowing him control over our lives and we are simply on our own. Think you’re doing fine on your own? That’s because that line of thinking is where Satan wants you!

Trying to fix the problem only compounds your sin of rebellion.

The 10 leaders who said the land was full of milk and honey, everything God promised, but complained that the people were bigger and stronger. There was no way they could beat them on their own. That’s true, they couldn’t have, but God had promised it to them. They just had to pray for knowledge of God’s will and follow it.

God doesn’t always give us all the answers at once. He gives it to us as we need it. This does require us to trust that he will provide what we need at just the right time. That’s tough sometimes, I know. But that’s when it’s time to drop to your knees and ask him to guide you, make the plan clear to you.

Leadership is important because other people are counting on you. It’s kind of scary when you have no idea what you’re doing. However, when you realize that he truly is there for you and will help you through each step of the way, he will be faithful! You’ll be able to see his faithfulness when you look back over a period of time and see the places he stepped in to guide you the right way. It might be through your pastor, a seasoned saint, or your friend that doesn’t even know God. He can work in any way he want to.

Leadership that is not based in faith can lead to being led down the wrong path. They may start out meaning well, but when they begin to thing they’re doing it all on their own and they don’t need God, well, yeah, they’re own their own!

The answer: submission and repentance. They need to show that they’re upset for the consequences of their sin, not that they’re just sorry they got caught!

The Israelites never fixed their relationship with God. They realized their own sin, but they added arrogance by trying to fix it on their own. God has already figured their punishment. Going forward without God is stupidly arrogant!

Train up a child…he will come back to it.

When we’ve sinned against God, we can do one of two things:

• Apologize and seek Gods way
• Do it your own way.

We show reverence for God when we realized we can’t use his grace for not following him. We’re not protected and defeat is assured.

Our own pride and selfishness do more harm than good.

Everyone is called to lead somewhere, but no one is called to lead everywhere.

• A god-like idea is not necessarily a Godly idea.
• Follow God, don’t assume the plan is a God-given plan or directive. Pray for confirmation.
• Sheep don’t tell the shepherd where they’re going.
• Poor leadership hurts people.
• Humbly submit to God’s own will.

Thanks for reading my blog. See you again soon!

In Faith,

Pam