Andrew Isbell
May 23, 2021
Note: The transcript below is automatically generated and will contain errors.
Transcript:
it’s good to be with everybody this morning again symbol together, so
Tell everyone again I like I ought to do is how encouraging everyone here is to me and to my family and this morning. What I prepared to talk about is the way that’s the title of this morning’s sermon and we’re going to begin it’s going to be a lot of a lot of scripture reading involved in this morning. And so I’d like you to follow along with me if you can and your Bibles
We’re going to begin this morning in 2nd Peter chapter 2 beginning in verse 1.
Second Peter 2 and 1 but false prophets also arose among the people just as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies even denying the master who bought them bringing up on themselves Swift destruction and many will follow their sensuality because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed and in their greed they will exploit you with false words.
The condemnation from long ago is not idle and the destruction is not asleep Paul’s there in this reading to point out a couple of things and at the beginning one is is this idea that false teachers will be amongst were amongst them and will be amongst us and the second that many of these heresies will be brought in we brought in secretly will be brought in stealthily.
Oh and that some of them will result in not all of them. But some of them will result in says he’s even denying the master who bought them.
And the result of those heresies being brought in those false teachers going out amongst us and them is that that upon them will be brought destruction.
It also tells us that many will follow it. They will follow it through their sensuality right through this idea of being wrapped up in the world.
And because of them.
I’ll tell you I’ll call your attention to this because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. We’ll start there with this idea of the way right? Not not any way as as many teach today is that there are many ways many ways to salvation. But anyway.
Not not many.
So picking up where we left off for of God did not spare Angels when they sinned but cast them into hell and committed them to change of gloomy Darkness to be kept until the Judgment if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserve Noah a Herald of righteousness with seven others. Then he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.
If by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to Extinction making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
And if you rescued righteous lot greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked.
For is that righteous man lived among them day after day. He was tormenting his righteous Soul over their Lawless Deeds that he saw and heard and the Lord knows how to rescue The Godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passions and despise Authority.
Bold and willful they do not tremble as they blaspheme the Glorious ones or as Angels a greater in might and power do not pronounce a Blasphemous judgment against him before the Lord, but these like a rational animals creatures of instinct born to be caught and destroyed blasting about matters are which they are ignorant also be destroyed and their destruction suffering wrong as to wages for their wrongdoing.
Stop there for just a minute and go back and reflect on this series of passages.
First he talks about he gives several examples of situations in which people refuse to follow the way.
And he gives several examples of therein.
And he starts it off by saying for if he did not spare Angels when they sinned.
Then he goes on to talk about Noah and he goes on to talk about Sodom and Gomorrah all examples of vast destructions laid waste by the Lord on people who didn’t follow his way.
Then at the end he wraps up.
By listing this idea by discussing this idea of how he can rescue his people from their trials.
And that they should that they should but they don’t tremble in front of him because they’re bold and willful.
And they believe that their power and their might is greater than his and this leads them to blaspheme against the Lord.
Then he goes on to call him irrational.
instinctual
and that they are those that should be caught and destroyed and ignorant.
so
what I will point out also in this selection.
Is that the soul that lat he describes as being amongst all these people is being tormented by all the wrongdoing around him think that’s something that some of us can relate to as we’re in the world surrounded by a lot of people who don’t follow the way.
And it Grieves us that they don’t follow the way.
It Grieves us that they don’t see.
The grease is that they’re blind agrees is that they sin against others and against themselves, right? They sinned against the Lord they commit sins and they don’t even recognize the fact that they’re committing them.
In many cases, they take those sins and they hold those things up is things that are wonderful and powerful and mighty and they’re not there things that are selfish and evil and greedy.
So we’ll pick up there where we left off.
They count it pleasure to Revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes reveling in their deceptions while they Feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery insatiable force in they entice and study Souls. They have hearts trained in greed accursed children forsaking the right way. They have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam the son of beor Who Loved gain from wrongdoing but was rebuked for his own transgressions.
Session a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrain the prophets Madness.
There’s a lot here in this section beginning with the fact that they count they count it pleasure to Revel in the daytime followed up with the fact that they’re blots and blemishes reveling in their deception. It’s idea that they feel so powerful in this world that this world is all there is
The idea that that there’s just this day that they live in and they don’t see there any into it. They don’t see what’s going to happen. Next. This is a little short period of time and they Revel in their ignorance in the middle of it saying well nothing’s going to happen to me. Everything’s going great. My life is so good. I have the things that I want.
It’s all a deception.
Their lives are not good. They don’t have what they need or what they ultimately want, but they believe that they do.
And they’ve made their own ways here. It says they in Tyson’s they have they entice unsteady Souls. They have hearts training greed.
You know greed.
selfishness
is one of the biggest problems that I think we struggle with because it’s one of the things that keeps us from putting God first, which is the struggle as Christians which is which is what Christians must do. They have to keep God’s way God’s God’s love for God and his way number one of their lives greed personal greed greed for ourselves read for our families read for the things that we want.
Drives are hard away from God.
My boys and I had a discussion the other day about how selfishness trains your heart. You can either be training your heart toward God are you can be training your heart towards selfishness. So I was just takes many forms that maybe I’m doing something for my for physically myself and maybe that I’m doing something because I’m trying to do something for my family because I love them. It may be that I’m doing something for for someone else and any of those things that if I put them in front of God.
Then I’m going to end up I’m going to end up.
Having a selfish heart trained in greed.
But we have to learn to do as Christians is to not be greedy to train our hearts not in greed but to train our hearts and love and turn our hearts and love for God and turn our hearts and love for our neighbor and ways and in in conditions that we’re not trying to get something out of it because it’s something we want and we have to train our hearts to keep God first so that we don’t find ourselves as they find themselves having trained our hearts and greed.
And be called like they were called accursed children.
And then you see what the problem is in the following verse and the following sentence after you after he calls him accursed children and says forsaking the right way again this idea of there being the way not a way not a bunch of ways, but the way we’re not forsaking some of the ways Earth’s taking the right way.
This idea that the world has now is it there’s there’s no right way. There’s just a bunch of ways and everybody sort it out for themselves and there’s not really any truth and everything is sort of up for grabs is not something that we find taught in the scripture in a certain. Here’s something we find taught here in second Peter.
They have followed the way they have followed the way of Balaam the son of beor who love game from wrongdoing but was rebuked for his own transgressions transgression a speechless donkey who spoke with human voice or restrain the prophets Madness again. We’re going to talk about Balaam a lot this morning the right now sufficient to say
He loved gained from wrongdoing and then the Lord calls that Madness right? This idea of loving gain is in this world is something that is referred to here as his Madness.
These are waterless rings and Miss driven by a storm for them. The Gloom of utter Darkness has been reserved.
For speaking loud boast of folly, they enticed by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.
They promised them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption or whatever overcomes a person to that. He is enslaved. You see this all around us now come out of this archaic thing called the Lord’s Church come out of Christianity Christianity is about bondage because jannetty limits you Christianity doesn’t allow you if you follow the way if you’re religious you follow the way.
You’re not a person who is free coming out to us in the world. Let us free. You come over here to us in this other group where we both claim to be Christians and have our own way. Then you can have the title of Christian and at the same time you can have your own way. You can have the best of both, right?
You see this still going on now as it did then?
But but but read this and here this for whatever overcomes a person to that he is enslaved.
For of after they escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of Our Savior Jesus Christ. They are again entangled in them and overcome. The last state has become worse than the first
For what had been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them what the true proverb says has happened to them the dog returns to its own vomit and so after washing herself returns to wallow in the mire.
What is this talking about just talking about us were called out to the way we begin to follow the way as Christians. We want to follow the Lord’s way want to know the Lord’s truth. We want to know what he tells us. And so we go out seeking it, but the world’s always calling us back.
The world’s always calling is to Greed or the world’s always calling us to have it what we want.
Each and every one of us. It’s calling false teachers to have to lead us to believe that we can have both what we want and what he wants at the same time, right the we can have follow the world and follow him together and anything that we want we can just add it in. We can just change it so that it is our way right. So if there is the way and we don’t like something in the way or we want to add something to the way we just bring it in.
We can have it all.
The old saying have your cake and eat it, too.
Right. That’s what’s being taught.
What it really is is us having decided to follow the way I mean accepted Jesus Christ. I’ve been baptized him and added to the Lord’s Church becoming part of the body and then looking back to the world and saying but I really want to bring this stuff with me.
I really like this and I really like that and really like this and they’re not in here and I don’t find them in here. Can we just bring them in? They would work so much better. If we had this my life would be happier if I had this and we bring this stuff back when he tells us is when we do that. We’re like a dog going back to its own vomit to eat out of what it’s thrown up.
The sow after washing to go back into the mud.
You can’t come out of the world and follow the way and then decide to change the way.
It’s not the same thing as someone who follows the way stumbling. It’s not the same thing as a Christian not calling Christians to live a sinless life. Right? I’m not saying that if you don’t live a sinless life, once you become a Christian that you’re doomed. So what this is saying what this is saying is that when you decide that it’s okay to change the way so you continue to do what you want to do.
When you decide that there’s no more repentance for the thing that you added to the Lord’s word that you included in the way whenever the Lord did not when you decide that that’s okay.
And the say well I’m going to have my way not his.
Sometimes you do it just flat-out like that. Sometimes you do it by twisting the scripture until you get it the way you want it.
Sometimes you can’t live with the fact it’s hard to mentally justifying your mind how I can continue in sin and still still believe so what you do is you beat it up Christian’s I’ve known my whole life who knew the way who knew the clear teaching of scripture who had studied it for years who understood and had read every verse then one day wake up and they want something in their life and all of a sudden they’ve come to a different conclusion about everything.
Why did they learn something new? Did God teach them something new did the word expand and they learn things they had learned before.
Many cases not many cases. The thing that made them change was that they wanted something that wasn’t in there.
And so all of a sudden they started seeing everything a little differently, right? It’s not because they learn something new it’s not because they were taught something new. It’s because they wanted something new.
Or they wanted something old.
I wanted to go back to having their way.
not his
So as a receipt, I want to go on and back. I want to go back here and look at this reference to Balaam. We talked about Balaam some in our Wednesday night class we go back and talk to this to speak to this Balaam the son of beor and it says who love game from wrongdoing think many of us have some familiarity with the story of Balaam.
I know that in in Sunday School classes. It’s taught very often in the in the amongst the children because it’s such a fantastic story where an animal speaks, right? So it’s that’s one of those ones you just remember when you’re little right because he’s you don’t often see animals speaking, right? So this story of Balaam the true story of Balaam.
Is it bulk of it recounted here in Numbers 22 and so we’re going to go through and look at Numbers 22 and look what Balaam did look what his sin was and look what the story of Balaam was all about in our in our lesson this morning concerning the way because a lot of what Balaam had to do was about following God.
So one of the things that will recognize is in is in numbers beginning here in numbers.
22
and verse 18
Numbers 22 and verse 18
I’m sorry.
Go back a little bit farther than that.
I’m going to I’m going to start actually in 20 to 1. So we get a little context in here. Then the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho and balak the son of zippor. Saw that Israel had done to the amorites and Moab was in great dread of the people because they were many and Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel and Moab said to the Elders of Midian. This horde will look up all that is around.
On this as the ox looks up the grass of the fields. So balak the son of zippor who was king of Moab at the time sent Messengers to Balaam the son of beor at pethor, which is near the river in the land of people of ammo to call him saying Behold a people has come out of Egypt and they cover the face of the Earth and they are dwelling opposite me come now curse this people for me since they are too Mighty for me. Perhaps I should be able to defeat them and drive them from the land for our
I know that he whom you blessed is bless is blessed. And he whom you curse is cursed.
So the Elders of Moab and the owners of Midian departed with the fees for Divination in their hand and they came to Balaam to give and gave him bailiwicks message and he said to them Lodge here tonight and I will bring back word to you as Lord speaks to me. So the princes of Moab stayed with balem and God came to him and said, who are these men with you and Balaam said to God balak the son of zippor King of Moab is sent to me saying Behold a people has come out of Egypt and it covers the face of the Earth.
Now come cursed him for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against him and drive them out. God said to Balaam you shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people for they are blessed. So Balaam Rose in the morning and said to the princes of balak go to your own land for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.
so the princes of Moab Rose
So the princes of Moab Rose and went to and went to balak and said Balaam refuses to come with us again, once again balak sent princes more in number and more honorable than these and they came to Balaam and said to him thus says balak the son of zippor let nothing hinder you from coming to me for I will surely do you great honor and whatever you say to me. I will do come curse the people for me for Balaam answered and said to the Servants of balak though balak were to give me
His house full of silver and gold. I could not go beyond the command of the Lord by God to less or more so you to please stay here tonight. And I may know what more the Lord will say to me and God came to Balaam at night and said to him if the men have come to call you rise and go with them, but only do what I tell you so Balaam Rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
All right. So let’s look at this.
There were sent to him to get him to curse the people of Israel. Now, we all know God wasn’t going to let that happen here because God says clearly told him this is not what I want. It’s not what I want you to do. I do not want you to go cursed these people.
Balaam already knew this
then when they came back call your attention to two things one is that they brought things for him worldly things Goods, but two is that they also appealed to him the sense of we’re going to offer you great honor, right? We these Prince’s have come there’s this great honor that we’re offering you as well Balaam went back and said he had the right answer. I’m not going to do more or less than what God tells me to do.
Do right.
But Balaam had an issue in that Balaam quite obviously had a heart problem in that Balaam was not was it was not sufficient that the Lord answered him once right. So Balaam went back and said hey you guys just hang loose. Let’s see what he says to me tonight. Maybe he changed his mind right? Maybe I’ll get a different answer why Balaam didn’t like the answer he gave the first time obviously.
So so God did give him an answer and and when we’re going to go on we’re going to find out that when he got up the next day and Saturdays donkey and went with the princes of Moab. We’re going to find out the next day that God’s anger was kindled against him when he went now. It looks like right here at the end of this reading if men have come to call you rise up and go with them. But only do what I said, if the men come to call you rise and go with them for only do what I tell you.
So one of the things I want to point out too is the end only do what I tell you.
right
don’t ignore the end of the sentence only do what I tell you is they come to call you Rising go with them then what is the next sentence a so Balaam Rose in the morning said his donkey and one of the princes of Moab.
I looked and looked because I was trying to originally and I discuss this in a Wednesday night class. Originally. I looked at this three or four times thinking. Well, God said he could go right? Why is God mad that he’s going?
Then I realized that what God Said is if they come to you then go with them and then the next verse says Balaam got up settled his stuff and went out.
No mention of them coming back to him.
again the next morning
Balaam’s heart was to go.
Balaam wanted to go Balaam was looking for a green light from the Lord so that he could do what he wanted to do.
Balaam’s heart was not to make sure God’s will was served Balaam was saying that right Bailey was saying if God doesn’t say I’m going I’m not going to go but Balaam wanted something else.
right
He was very quick to rise up in the morning side of the donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
So the next thing we find here is that God’s anger was kindled because he went and the answer the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary who have Balaam who wants something right? Well, we referred to earlier in the New Testament. Is that is it this idea that that what Balaam wanted what went by them wanted here was that he he had a loved gain Who Loved gain from wrongdoing?
Right. He wanted to get something even though it wasn’t the way.
Right. He wanted something that wasn’t part of God’s way, but he wanted it.
So that’s the wrongdoing. He didn’t do what God wanted him so he could do something get something for himself.
as we continue on
we find this.
God’s anger was kindled against him because he went and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now. I was riding on the donkey and his two servants were with him and the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand and the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field and Balaam struck the donkey to turn her into the road.
Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between The Vineyards with a wall on the other side. And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord she pushed against the wall and press balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again.
Right the donkey sees the angel.
The donkey doesn’t want any part of the angel with a drawn sword Balaam doesn’t see the angel.
he’s mad at the donkey because the donkey is not doing what it’s supposed to do, which is what
To accompany him to serve him to help him on his way. Right? That’s what he views it. All he’s role is a donkey supposed to help him. That’s what donkeys are for right to help us.
In this case to carry him to where he wants to go to help him get there.
And the second case he presses balaam’s leg against a wall. So if you have a wall and you have a large animal and your legs hanging over the large animal and the animal goes to the wall. That’s not going to feel good. Right A lot of people get hurt really bad getting pressed between a wall and a large animal.
This made Balaam mad again. In this case. It may be am so mad that he decided he was going to strike the animal.
So he struck her again when the angel of the Lord went out and stood in a narrow place and there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left when the donkey saw the angel Lord. Now the donkey can’t get around can’t go right can’t go left can’t get away from where the angel standing.
So he struck her again and then the angel or went ahead and stood in a narrow place and there was no way to turn either to the right or the left when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord. She lay down under Balaam and balaam’s anger was kindled and he struck the dog you with his staff.
So now the donkey can’t get away. The only way to stop going through the angel is to lay down. So that’s what the donkey does and the donkey’s punished the third time what have I and then the donkey does something that this is what the main thing I remember from small childhood is the donkey speaks.
And she said to Balaam what have I done to you that you have struck me these three times and Balaam said the donkey because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand for then. I would kill you.
And the donkey said to Balaam am I not your donkey on what you have written all your life long to this day. Is it my habits treat you this way, and he said no.
let’s think about this and
originally
It is the the donkey’s the donkeys major role in this and really occurred to me.
Cody pointed it out in the Bible class and then I started thinking more and more about it.
You know the donkey if you look at the way we have people that are supposed to help us.
They’re sitting here today, right? Sometimes when we are going against the Lord those people who don’t sometimes our whole lives our family.
Christian’s we’ve known our whole lives Christians in our local church.
They try to stop us.
I try to turn us to the side or lay down under us.
and often the response of Christians
when someone’s does tries to stop them from leaving the way.
Is just this one?
To strike out to be angry.
That they tried to stop them.
To the point where he wanted to kill this animal that had served him loyal his whole life and what he says here is something that many of us might say to someone who is trying to leave the way and trying to go against the Lord which is this all of a sudden I’m your enemy and you want to kill me.
But I am I not your donkey on which you have written your all your lifelong to this day. And is it my Habit to treat you this way?
And Balaam was forced to answer no.
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam.
And he saw the angel Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand and he bowed down and fell on his face and the angel the Lord said to him. Why have you struck your donkey these three times behold? I have come to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.
Now this kind of Tatian a verse now, right?
Certain connotations that that word brings to our mind perverse before him means it’s not the way you’re trying to make your own way. You’re not following God’s way.
I’ve come to oppose you because your way.
is not the way
Behold, I have come to out to oppose you because your way is perverse.
We’re not following right you’re not doing God’s will you’re doing your own will?
It’s your own way. The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times if she had not turned aside for me Shirley just now I would have killed you and let her live.
Then bail to said to the angel of the Lord I have sinned for I did not know that you stood in the road against me now. Therefore if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back and the Angela lord said to Balaam go with the men but speak only the word that I tell you. So Balaam went out with the princes of balak.
So now you see repentance from Balaam Balaam realizes. Look I’m doing what I want to do. Clearly. I should have listened to God. He’s been reprimanded right physically verbally reprimanded. So his attitude is I’m just going to go back forget this. All right, I see now what the problem is. I mean seeing an angel with the sword drawn in the path. It’s going to put you in remembrance right of the power of the Lord, so he’s ready to go back home, but God tells him to go ahead.
to go with the men
So when balak heard that Balaam had come he went out to meet him at the city of Moab On the Border formed by the by the are non at the extremity of the border and balak said to Balaam. Did I not send you to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you and Balaam said to balak behold? I have come to you have I now any power of my own just speak anything the word that God puts in my mouth that must I speak well said right balaam’s hearts in the right place.
Here when he says this and it’s well said his words are in the right place. At least we’ll talk about his heart. But his words are in the right place behold. I have come to you have I now any power my own to speak anything the word that God puts them out that must I speak then Balaam went with balak and they came to curiosity who’s off.
And balak sacrifice oxen and sheep and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him in the morning balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bahama Mammoth ball. And from there. He saw a fraction of the people met and the Balaam said to balak build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven Rams balak did as Balaam had said and Bailey can Balaam offered on each alter a bull in a ram.
And Balaam said to balak stand beside your burnt offering and I will go perhaps the Lord will come to meet me whenever he shows me. I will tell you and he went to a bear height and God met Balaam and Balaam said to him. I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar of bull and a ram and the Lord put a word in Balance mouth and said Return to balak and thus you shall speak and he returned to him.
And he returned to him and Balaam took up from his discourse and said from Aaron Bailey has brought me the king of Moab from the eastern mountains curse curse Jacob for me and come to announce Israel. How can I curse him? God has not cursed. How can I denounce him? God is Not denounced for from the top of the Crags. I see him from the hills. I Behold Him Behold a people dwelling alone and not counting itself among the Nations who can count the dust of Jacob or the number of fourth part of Israel. Let me die the death of the
right and let my end be like this and Bailey said to Balaam. What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies and behold you have done nothing but bless them and he answered and said, but I must not care to speak with the Lord puts in my mouth, but I must but must I not take care to speak with the Lord puts in my mouth.
He didn’t preach he did not please bail it with this me did what God told him. He repeated the words the words were not what Bailey wanted to hear. I mean, yeah, they’re not what breathing wanted to hear.
Honestly, I don’t know that they were really what Balaam wanted to hear because barely keeps again going back to the Lord to check to see if it’s okay to curse the Israelites.
Again, Bailey said to him. Please come with me to another place from which you may see them.
You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all then cursed him for me from there. And he took him to the field of zopim to the top of Pisgah and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each Altar and Balaam said to balak stand here beside your burn offering while I meet with the Lord over there and the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said Return to balak and thus shall you speak and he came to him and behold he was standing beside his burn offering in the princes of my with him and
Balak said to him was the Lord spoken and Balaam took up his discourse and said rise Bailey can hear give ear to me. O Son of zippor. God is not man that he should lie or a son of man that he should change his mind. He has said and he will not he has he said and will he not do it or as he spoken and will he not fulfill it behold? I received a command to bless. He is blessed and I cannot revoke it. He is not beheld Misfortune in
Nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them and the shadow of the king. It’s among them God brings them out of Egypt and his for and his for them like the horns of the wild ox where there is no enchantment against Jacob no divination against Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel what has God wrought hold a people as a lioness it rises up and there’s a line at lifts itself. It does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.
And Bailey said to Balaam do not cursed him at all and do not bless them at all. But Balaam answered balak. Did I not tell you all that? The Lord says that I must do and Bailey said to Balaam come now, I will take you to another place perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there. So Bailey took Balaam to the top pay or which overlooks the desert and Balaam said to balak build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bowls and seven Rams and Bailey did his Balaam had said an offer to bowling around me.
On each altar. Balaam’s third Oracle to just keep moving around.
Looking for the answer that they want. So what I was telling you earlier about people who have the gospel in front of them, but can’t see the truth. They just keep moving around looking for the answer that they wanted, you know, come looking for the truth. They come looking for the answer that they wanted balak is trying to get the answer that he wants Balaam is going along with it.
Balaam keeps moving from place to place going to let’s see what God says from here. Let’s move over there and see what God says when were over there. Okay. We said no again and now he’s not only is he not cursed him, but he’s blessed them.
Well, what can’t you do either just don’t do either okay. I shouldn’t have brought you here. Don’t curse them, but don’t bless them either.
Not too late too late. God’s already said what the ways set right his way doesn’t change in the way his set.
Okay. Well, let’s go over there. So Balaam keeps moving around with him from place to place and now we find when Balaam saw that it was pleased the lord to bless Israel. He did not go as at other times to look for Romans, but said his face toward the Wilderness and bail lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe in the spirit of God Came Upon him and he took up his discourse and said the Oracle of Balaam the son of beor the truck Oracle of the man whose eye is opened the Oracle of him who hears the words of God who sees the visions of the almighty falling
With his eyes and covered how lovely you are. Your tents o Jacob your encampment. So Israel, like Palm Groves that stretch of far like Gardens beside a river like a Lowe’s at the Lord has planted like Cedars behind the treat trick by beside the waters water shall flow from his buckets and his seed shall be in the many Waters and his King shall be higher than I Gog and his kingdom shall be exalted God brings him out of Egypt and it’s for him like the horns of the wild ox. He shall eat up the Nations his adversaries and shall break their bones and
Pieces a to improve with arrows he crouched he laid down like a lion unlike a lioness who will Rouse him up blessed are those who bless you and curse her those who curse you and bellick’s anger was kindled against Balaam and he struck his hands together and Bailey said to Balaam. I called you to curse my enemies and behold you’ve blessed him these three times therefore now flee to your own place. I said, I will certainly honor you but the Lord has held you back from honor.
The Lord has held you back from honor.
Again, this time Bailey doesn’t this time Balaam doesn’t even have to go off.
to talk to Lord
Right, three to three different places three different attempts plus the two at the house that to get him to come and the answer was stayed the same the whole time.
And Balaam kept looking for some other way out.
He kept going along with it.
Looking for what he wanted.
And in the end he chose in the end. He chose God he chose to do what God Said.
Not to do more not to do last but to do what God Said.
but look at this here what bailiwicks view of this is Bailey Sanger ends in this
the Lord has held you back from honor.
Right. That’s what we face now.
Follow the way okay you follow the way.
Right that old ancient way you follow that.
But but you’re going to be held back from the honor of the world.
Your dishonorable as far as the world is concerned.
You’re bad people. You’re ignorant.
How do you keep following this one? There’s so many good new ways. So many better new ways. We have found so many better and Superior new ways. And here you are still stuck in that old way.
There’s no honor for you. You’re ignorant. You’re a troglodyte.
your backward
and there’s no honor in the world.
Because why because the way and the Lord has held you back from it.
That’s the view of men.
That’s what men think that’s what men that’s what he thought about Balaam then that’s what people think about us now.
It used to be less common, but it’s very common now used to be less verbalized very commonly verbalize now, it’s your backward that you’re even evil that you have no honor amongst men because you refused to give up the way.
That old decrepit ancient wrong way.
Just like Bailey. You’re going to find the world tell you.
That you’ve been held back from honor.
Bailiff said to balak do not tell your messenger whom you sent to me a balak should give me his house full of silver and gold. I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord to do either good or bad of my own will see that good or bad of my own will.
Other words what he’s saying there is I can’t Define what’s good or bad myself.
I can’t decide good and bad.
Because my will doesn’t matter what the Lord speaks that will I speak and now behold I am going to my people come I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the later days.
And in the end here in verse 15, and he took up his discourse and said the Oracle of Balaam the son of beor the Oracle the man whose eye is open the Oracle of him who hears the words of God and knows the knowledge of the most high who seeks the vision of the almighty falling down with his eyes uncovered I see him, but not now I Behold Him but not near a star.
A star shall come out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel and it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of sheth eat them shall be dispossessed disposed dispossessed Sears shall also his enemies shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly in one of and one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities and then he looked on amalek and took up his discourse and said amalek was the first among the Nations but it’s end is utter destruction and looked upon
Can I took up the discourse and said enduring is your dwelling place? And your nest is set in the Rock and then he looked upon
nevertheless Cain shall be burned with a sure takes you away captive and he took up on the discourse and he took up his discourse and said oh last who shall live when God does this but ship shall come from Kim and shall afflict Asher and ever and he too shall come to other tasks Rush destruction, then Balaam Rose and went back to his place and Benedict also went his way.
So he then told them what was going to happen. It wasn’t good.
But it was true.
But he didn’t have any honor amongst them by the time you finished.
Why because he refused to do more or less than what God has said he refused to say more or less than what God has said.
He refused to incorporate the wishes of men into the wishes of God.
He refused to abandon the way in the end. He refused to abandon it and first he made bad choices.
Because he wanted something.
For game he made bad choices in the end.
with a lot of help from the Lord
he made the right choice.
The next scripture I want to look at here in context is Matthew 7:13 through 14 and Matthew 7:13 through 14. What we find is enter by the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction and those who entered are many for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life and those who find it are few.
So I keep talking about the way singular the way the scriptures talk about it.
There is a second way. There’s not many ways, but there are two ways.
There is a there is a wide way.
and an easy way
and there’s a hard way in a narrow way.
But only one of them Belongs to the Lord.
the other one belongs to men
The other one is them getting their way and there’s lots that’s a wide way because there’s lots of ways there with all those ways end up the same place.
Right, they all end up the same place.
Whenever I was a kid, I used to do a lot of Mazes and there’s a lot of ways you can go there’s only one way through.
There’s a lot of ways, but all those ways end up with you trapped in the Maze. None of them end up with you getting out the other end.
So they all look like there’s a bunch of ways, but there’s really not a bunch of other ways. There’s only one way through there’s a bunch of ways that all end up with you in the same place trapped.
That’s the wide way.
John 14 four through six and you know the way to where I’m going Thomas said to him Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way Jesus said to him? I am the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me.
This idea of the way is so important that Jesus is it?
Men are not it.
X9 1 through 2, but Saul still breathing threats and murder against the Disciples of the Lord went to the high priest and ask him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus so that if he found any belonging to the way men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem the first century, this is really how they refer to themselves.
followers of the way
They got it, right?
Now we live in a world where people say, it’s all these ways and everybody’s really the same even though they’re on many different paths, right?
These are people that belong to the way.
Acts 19 8 through 9 and he entered the synagogue for three months spoke boldly reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God, but when some became stubborn and continue to Tumble, he’s speaking evil of the way before the congregation he withdrew from them and took disciples with him reasoning daily in the Hall of tyrannus.
Again, so idea of the way and those who opposed it.
It’s clear from scripture that where God gives us a way. It’s not a way but is the way
the wants and desires of men are not the way.
And you can keep looking at things from different angles and perspectives like balak did hoping and striving to have your way.
Striving to have God conform to a way that is not his you can ignore the word of God where he speaks. We’re God shows us the way and you can try to use God to do things your way. Are you can be followers of his way.
Of the way and you can seek God’s you can seek God’s simple will in the word by seeking the way simply finding it as it is as it was left for us in the commands and the examples and the record of New Testament Christians.
The first Christians we know to follow the way.
We know that it’s referenced all over the New Testament that they followed the way.
We too should look at the additions of men the alternate perspectives of men and the ones who desires of men that they have been added and inserted into the church the worship the teachings and the preaching of the Gospel.
Everywhere men build seven altars and all for all these offerings so that they can get a different answer.
Put all this effort into getting a different answer same answer will move over here. Let’s look at it this way. What about this way? And this way I can have my way. No again every way that we’re all those go over here and look at it over here, you know, you just not smart enough to get it. If you look at it from enough different angles, you’ll get what I’m trying to do.
You’ll see that I have a better way than the old way.
Just you got to look at it from a different perspective and you’ll see.
When you see men who have added an inserted the church the worship the teachings and the preaching of the Gospel. We need to speak as dalen Balaam did speak as the first century Christians did and say to those who seek to improve and change the word. This is not the way.
I cannot I will not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more.
The lesson is yours. I hope it’s been of some benefit to you. The story of Balaam is a great story about following the Lord. There’s so many scriptures in the New Testament that we didn’t talk about. They refer to the same things that we talked about. Both said anything at any point in this lesson that that brings you to some question or are you doubt any of the things that I’ve said and want to discuss it with me? You’d be my friend appointment point out my are as quickly as possible.
And so I can correct it.
I appreciate everyone’s attention this morning and I open our song books.