Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. – Numbers 19:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 12, 2012): Numbers 19

I watched a football game (the American or Canadian version – not soccer) the other night. I love football. It was the only sport that I had ever been marginally good at. The team that I was watching had been having problems running the ball. The surprise was that it was something the team was predicted to have been good at before the season had started. But they were struggling. In football, there is an adage – run North and South, not East and West. The meaning of the saying is that the purpose of football is to take the ball down the field, not toward the sideline. And often the saying holds truth. But on this night, something happened that became a key element of the game. The team started to run East and West. And the runs worked. All of the running toward the sidelines opened up room in the middle. And the running game finally started to produce results.

Sports are like that. The center of the field is often the most important part of the game. But the whole playing surface needs to be used for success. There is a reason for the sidelines along with the middle. The team that wins often utilizes the entire playing surface.

For Israel, the center of the camp was the Tent of Meeting or the Tabernacle. It was there that much of the important action took place – and most of the sacrifices were done on the altar that was within the tabernacle. The rest of the tribes of the nation were camped around the Tabernacle. But what was important happened at the center.

But one of the exceptions is here. The red heifer is taken outside of the camp where it is killed. And then the blood is taken on the finger of the priest, who is still outside the camp, and sprinkled in the direction of the tabernacle. It was the ultimate sideline play. And standing between priest and the temple were the people of Israel – the tribes, the ones who needed to be cleansed from sin.

It was not an accident that Jesus was killed just outside of Jerusalem. His blood was also figuratively sprinkled toward the temple. And standing between the blood and the Temple were the people. Today, as we come into the Temple to worship, our High Priest stands just on the outside of the sanctuary, cleansing us from our sin so that we can be ready for what he has for us in our worship. The time has come. Come, now is the time to worship!   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 20

Note:  The VantagePoint Community Church sermon - Sweat the Small Stuff - is now available on the Vantagepoint Website - you will find it here http://www.vantagepointcc.org/The_Essential_James_Part_II___Sweat_the_Small_Stuff.htm

Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the Tent of the Testimony. – Numbers 18:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 11, 2012): Numbers 18

One of my frustrations as a Pastor is that I know that I do not measure up to the expectations that people have of me. And when I say that to some of the leaders, their response is often to try to give me some advice on how I can do better at living up to the job description that they have more me. And my problem is that that is not really the point. Right now I am mulling over some conversations and questions that I know need to be asked at my next leadership meeting. I am also anticipating some of their answers. And I know that the anticipated answers are great answers, I am almost hoping that they will put forward the ideas – but the truth is that the solution I am anticipating, even though it is a good and required solution, it is also outside of my gifting. It needs to be done, but I know that I cannot be the one expected to do it.

I also know that the same scene is playing itself out in churches and businesses all across the world. There is a solution to our problems, but it is not a solution that the Pastor or the CEO can accomplish alone. Someone else needs to come alongside us and help with the task.

The problem does not lie in the leader – the problem is in the expectation. Whenever we expect one person to know everything and be the answer to all of the problems of the community we are making a mistake – and we are being unbiblical. God makes it clear to Moses that anyone who ministers in the Tabernacle is not to do it alone. Everyone who ministers in the Tabernacle has a purpose – and a gifting to take care of the task. And that includes the ones in leadership positions. We all need some help.

In the New Testament, the Christian Community talks a lot about the ministry of the Paraclete, the counselor or the comforter – the one who comes alongside. And we recognize that the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit. But sometimes what we miss is that the Holy Spirit ministers through us. That makes each one of us the Paraclete. And that means that the expectations cannot be about the leader, but rather about what we do together. It takes all of us to accomplish the goals of the community. And our theme needs to be that our community is a place “where no one ministers alone.”

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Number 19

The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.” – Numbers 17:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 10, 2012): Numbers 17

There was a time of relative peace in the world that starts just before the birth of Jesus Christ and then extended for about two hundred years. It was a time of minimal expansionist tendencies on the part of the ruling government (the Roman Empire) and its author was  the ruling king - Caesar Augustus. The period of time is known as the “Pax Romana” which is Latin for the “Roman Peace.” But the truth behind the Roman Peace was that it coexisted with a period of intense internal violence. The Roman Peace was maintained by a very familiar Roman violence. Crimes were often dealt with swiftly and finally. The Roman Cross found frequent use. The Roman Peace was maintained by the Roman threat. To go against the Roman Peace was to risk immediate punishment – and often death.

It is a common tale from history. Rule was always maintained by force. To cross the King would be to risk instant death. The reason was that every King or Queen had a weakness that could be exploited. But the weakness could be overcome and the will of the ruler instigates by the liberal use of violent strength. Second chances were rare. And examples had to be made of the offenders.   

One of the images that we have of God is that he is sitting on his throne in heaven just waiting for us to mess up. He is the King, and unlike earthly Kings, he also knows everything. The combination was dangerous. God is the King who knows and his punishment is far reaching. And, for many of us, this is the God that we serve - except, that it is not the nature of God.

One of the differences between God and an earthly King is that God has nothing to prove and he has no weaknesses to exploit. And that might be the reason that he is characterized by grace. What Israel had done by questioning the leadership of Moses was to commit treason. Even though Israel was designed to be a theocracy (a nation ruled by God), Moses was the visible leader or king that sat on the physical throne of the nation. The penalty for treason throughout history has been death.

But God chose a different path. Rather than punish the offender, God chooses to do one more miracle to settle the leadership question. He chose grace. And he still chooses grace. Far being from a God who cannot wait for us to mess up, he is the God willing to risk one more miracle to bring his children finally home.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 18

When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. – Numbers 16:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 9, 2012): Numbers 16

When I was in High School I invented a game with some of my friends. Well, invented might be a little strong. We adapted some already existing games into a new format. The foundation stone of our new game was the game of Risk. So we played Risk with all of the existing rules, except that we added ships that could attack coastal spaces and transports that could deliver troops to friendly coastal squares. But in a true war, there is also a economic portion of the battle. So we needed a way to buy troops and ships for the battle. So we added the game of Stock Ticker to our new adaptation. And we set the prices for the various things and began to play.

For one of my friends, the temptation to use all of his economic power at the beginning of the game was too much. After all, Risk is a game of military strategy and battle. What could Stock Ticker really add to the game? And so he neglected Stock Ticker and used all of his money to buy extra armies at the beginning of the game. And it paid off – at least early in the game. He had the advantage that none of the rest of us had. But he did not have enough of an advantage to end the game. And as the rest of our economies started to take off, he found himself in a position where it was impossible for him to win. He had missed something important at the game.

What the leaders of Israel saw was that God had created them equal. When they were slaves none of them were allowed to have an opinion. But now as a community of free people, they all had a right to lead. And rights would not be taken away from them or given up by them easily. And somehow all of that made a lot of sense. Should it not be the one with the best ideas that has the honor of leading?

But as Moses laid facedown before God, he revealed what it was that the rest of the would be leaders lacked – humility. It was not the awesome ideas and leadership aptitudes that Moses possessed that made him the leader that he was. It was his willingness to humble himself before his God – something that none of the other would be leaders had been willing to do.

God is not looking for the next great idea for the church. He is looking for the ones that are willing to lay face down before him in an act of trust and humility. A man that is lying face down is not in a position to fight – but only to trust in the one that he is lying before. God needs more Moses’ that are willing to humble themselves and trust. It is the real attribute of leadership that we often do not give the attention that it deserves. Without an economy, my friend was never a threat in our High School game of Risk, and without humility, none of our ideas really matter.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 17

Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. – Numbers 15:40

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 8, 2012): Numbers 15

I grew up in a church that believed in rules. I think we had rules for every possible situation. We had rules that were designed to keep us out of trouble situations and we had rules that were designed to help us do good. But sometimes I think we forgot why the rules actually existed. They were supposed to just be a reminder of who our King was. Instead, we seemed to think it was the rules that somehow made us holy. As long as we followed the rules, we were following God. But the reality was that we made the rules themselves our god – and knelt down at their altar instead of God’s. We repeated the same mistake that the Pharisees made and decided to worship rules and laws instead of God. And as soon as we did that, grace no longer had any place in our lives.

Every law and instruction that was given to Israel had only one reason; to be a reminder that we are the property of the living God. If we are honest, a lot of the rules that we read about in the Torah just seem to be weird. But their purpose was simply to set Israel apart and remind them that they were the property of God. “Be consecrated to your God” could be simply translated – be holy. It was a holiness of heart and not a set of rules that has always been at the center of anyone who dared to be a Gods chaser - and that was exactly who Israel was designed to be.

The idea that somehow we can be followers of God and yet remain unchanged is a false one. If we are truly chasing after God, there are things that will happen inside of us. We will be changed – and longer we commit ourselves to follow after the things of God, the more holy we will become.

We are the followers of a holy God. And we cannot help but become more like him. In the end, if we are faithful, we will become holy for only one reason - because our God is holy.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 16

And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” – Numbers 14:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 7, 2012): Numbers 14

I have recently started to read the “Game of Thrones” series of books. I am thoroughly enjoying the adventure story. But beyond the intrigue and the swordplay, it is actually an excellent description of leadership styles. The various leaders described in the book run from puppet kings with someone else pulling the strings, to selfish leaders running their houses into ruin to feed there are own egos and desires, and a couple of good leaders who lead because of a genuine concern for the people and willing to make the hard decisions.

There is an old joke that says that there are three reasons that a person might have for taking a position of leadership. The joke says that some become leaders for the power, while others do it for the recognition and still others for the money. The joke part is that for most leaders, none of those things are present. And when they are present, often good leaders would give them up just so they could be released from their leadership responsibilities. Leadership is not something that we should ever chase after. The truth is that leadership is often hard - and the rewards are very few.

We recognize Moses as an excellent leader. He was able to lead a nation not only on a long journey to a different place on the earth, but from being a nation of slaves into a nation that could take responsibility for themselves and for their own future. And the task was not an easy one. There were many times when Moses probably wished he had stayed with the sheep in Midian. The only reason that he would continue to lead was because God had asked him to.

But the people were not happy with his leadership. Often they are not happy because the task of a leader is to stretch us beyond where we are and into something new. And that process can be painful (it was for Israel.) So what Israel wanted was a puppet leader who would stop stretching them and return them to where they had already been. And Moses would never be a puppet.

If God has called you to lead – and I think that we are all called to be leaders somewhere in our lives – do not settle for just being a puppet. The perks are better, but puppets always has to leave God’s vision behind. There is so much more that God wants us to reach for. But getting there will require the presence of the real leader in us – and other leaders in our circle of influence.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 15

We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” – Numbers 13:33

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 6, 2012): Numbers 13

One of the things I used to love about the late night campfire when I was a kid was not the roasted marshmallows (actually, I would not discover their allure until much later in life.) What I loved about the late night campfire was the ghost stories. The ones that have been told for generations about convicts with hooks and criminals hanging upside down over your car, stories about plants that come to life and strange sounds and animals unknown during the day, but becoming a real threat at night. And a good story teller that could scare you at the appropriate moment was essential – and in my youth I remember a few of them. The power of good campfire story is to make you question what exists just beyond the light of the fire. It always raises the question about the things that lurk in the dark.

I admit being scared around the campfire, but I also understood that the fear was false and as the light dawned, the fears faded – because the creatures and people that I was told about around the campfire could only exist in the darkness of the night.

The Nephilim were israel’s version of a scary campfire story. The idea of the Nephilim originated in Genesis 6, just before the account of the Great Flood. The Nephilim were described as the offspring of the sons of the gods and the daughters of men. They were the fallen ones, some have even wondered if maybe they were earth’s first extraterrestrial visitors (thus they were actually fallen from the sky.) They were a race of giants, and they were evil. And when there was a campfire and a scary story needed to be told, the Nephilim were the designated boogiemen of the day.

It needs to be noted that the spy’s needed to concoct a story. They were scared to enter the Promised Land, but they needed the story to be bigger than it really was. So ... enter the Nephilim. The spies concoct a story that the descendants of the Nephilim were still on the earth. And they were still big and still nasty. But there was only one problem with the story. If the flood story was true, then the Nephilim had been wiped out by the flood, so they could not still be in Canaan.

Trouble has a tendency to reach back into our imagination and create itself worse than it really is. Often it conjures up the worst our experience – or our imagination – could offer. But when we look at it by the light of the day, we can recognize it as nothing but a lie. Israel failed to see the lie, but only because they refused the light that Joshua and Caleb tried to shine on it. And if we refuse the light, then the lie will always stand.

     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 14