Last night at the SBC Pastor's Conference, David Platt preached out of Hebrews 13:12-14. As I was reading some 'tweets' (via twitter) this morning from those who heard it, Alvin Reid said it best. He labeled Platt's message as simply 'Historic.' Indeed it was.
I will do my best to find out how/if it will be available via the internet. I will also see what I can do about purchasing it for our church library. There was much that grabbed me about the message, but what I am wrestling with and pondering this morning is this thought (please note the thought is not a direct quote, but some of the essence of his message):
When the Israelites of the OT disobeyed God and retreated, rather than risk for Christ (God), God sent them into the wilderness for 40 years. Were they still His people? Yes. Did He forgive them? Sure. But He made them wander for 40 years until they died. In other words, they wasted their lives due to their refusal to risk and obey and live for the glory of God. Which causes me to ponder: If I disobey today, I am still forgiven because of Christ. If I refuse to walk in the Spirit today, I am still God's child because of Christ. If I refuse to risk today, I will still be a 'follower' at the end of the day. But I will have wasted my life. I will have totally blown the life God has given me to live. He does not need me, Wynne Baptist, the SBC, the IMB, the NAMB, etc. to accomplish His purposes. No! But He has given me a glorious and fascinating and absolutely incredible opportunity to live my life to the full, with all of my might, for His glory and for His name's sake.
So, I plead with my soul and with others: "...Let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." (Hebrews 13:12-14)
1 comment:
I think that is one way to look at what happened to the Israelites. But I have to wonder about the prospect that a missed opportunity at one step in my life means that from then on I'm doomed to a wasted life. Though we may strive to be perfect at all times and in all manner of situations, our sinful hearts will cause us to do that which we do not wish to do on occasion. Is it impossible to believe that we cannot learn from the failing, repent, and follow faithfully when another opportunity may arise?
Another way to consider the wanderings of the Israelites is that they did not repent. The generation of Israel who wandered in the desert hardened their hearts against going into the promised land. What if, say, three, seven, twenty-three, any number of years passed, and the nation as a whole repented of their sin and appealed to God to let them enter into the land. Is it unlikely to believe that God would have "repented" from His former judgment? Certainly, scripture records other occasions when that happened.
Whatever the case, we can be sure that the will of God was accomplished. In that respect, the lives of the Israelites were not wasted at all, as they have served for millenia as examples of God's judgment and grace.
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