Into the Wild Part 3
Sermon Notes
18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it.
19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days,
20 but for a whole month — until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it — because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”
- Numbers 11:18-20
1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.
2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.
3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.”
- Numbers 12:1-4
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
- Psalm 46:6-10
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today
because I know it’s for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons,
situations, and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem,
approval and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation,
condition, person or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and
God’s action within. Amen
- Thomas Keating
Table Group Resources
Mixer
If you had to be an inanimate object for one week, what would you be?
Connect
1. How did you do with Wilderness Rule #2: Cynicism is an indicator of a binary mind. Gratitude is the habit that sets us free. What was your experience with cynicism vs gratitude last week?
2. This week, Pastor Jared told the story of his college days and trying to fix a dent on his car that made the problem worse. Do you have a “museum” of your bad ideas? Do you go there for condemnation or motivation? And why? How could your group help support you in this area?
3. What did you connect with in this week’s message? How could Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God” be helpful to you?
Sermon Questions
Numbers 11:18-20, Numbers 12:1-4; Psalm 46:6-10, Psalm 23
1. Why did God respond to the Israelites’ complaints with such a stern lesson? What was He teaching them and why? Do you see anything useful in this passage for keeping 2020 a journey instead of a wandering?
2. What’s your ‘quail’? What are you reaching for, depending on it to make everything fine? Pastor Jared shared two points: 1) wrong prescriptions, and 2) you being your worst therapist. What resonated with you?
3. Have you identified areas where your tendency to sabotage yourself or your relationships has caused permanent damage?
4. Pastor Jared provided another to guide us in the through the wilderness. Rule #3: In the wilderness, we have to choose soul care over self-pity or we will self-medicate. What are some ways that you can practice biblical soul care?
Go Deeper
How can Jesus be the solution we lean on in our wilderness moments?
In the last few weeks, we’ve seen that the lack of 20/20 vision and clarity is a major frustration in 2020. But we have been reminded that God is with us in these things we’ve never done before, and the places we’ve never been before - and that we will be okay.
Into the wild - He is there to help us.
Into the wild - He is there to be the light so our darkness is not a place of fear.
And into the wild - He shows us in Psalm 23, why we need Him. Jesus is our shepherd for good reason, and we can trust him and follow him through the wilderness moments in life.
Read Psalm 23. This psalm of David is a source of joy and encouragement in bad times and good times. Read it in several different Bible versions. What does King David know about shepherding (1 Samuel 17:36)? Why does King David declare the LORD as his shepherd? What is important to know about the role of a shepherd? Spend some time learning what a shepherd does for his flock, and how his flock responds to him. And read Jesus’ words in John 10:1-17. The imagery of Jesus being the Good Shepherd is one the people of the ancient world could relate to - sheep needing a shepherd. And nothing has changed in 2020 either about the nature of sheep (us) and our needing a shepherd!
Vs 1: What does the shepherd provide to his flock? Can you trust him?
Vs 2: Why do the sheep need the shepherd to let them rest, decide where they rest, and why does he lead them to peaceful streams? What is the nature of sheep? Do you see any correlation between sheep and people?
Vs 3: What are the ‘right paths’ for the sheep? For people?
Vs 4a: A familiar translation says ‘valley of the shadow of death.’ Pastor Jared said this week that resurrection teaches us that [death] does not have the last word. How can we apply this in our own valleys?
Vs 4b: The shepherd had a ‘rod and staff.’ How was each end used for protection and comfort of the sheep? Apply this picture to Psalm 46:10.
Vs 5a: What does ‘You prepare a feast for me’ tell us about how God feels about His people? Why would God prepare us a feast and not just a snack? What do your ‘enemies’ see in you about your God?
Vs 5b: What is the purpose of the ‘anointing oil’ upon the sheep’s head? Upon your head?
Vs 6: The shepherd pursues the sheep. How often and to what end? (See Matthew 18:12) How is Jesus pursuing you today?
How will you turn Psalm 23 into a prayer this week? How will you commit to allowing Jesus to guide you in stressful situations, and how can you count on the certainty of His goodness and unfailing love to be a benefit?
Suggestions to Serve
Good Neighbor Drop-N-Drive | The Church at RB | Thursday 10AM-2PM
Prayer
Pray for our neighbors near and far facing the devastation of wildfire. Pray for God to send the resources to those on the front lines fighting to save life, property and habitats.
