FBCWest 696 | Be Careful What You Want
Recorded On: 01/25/2026
Bulletin
Hymn # 475 “Victory in Jesus”
SCRIPTURE READING – 1 Corinthians 15:50 - 57
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“Resurrecting”
“Jesus Saves”
“Behold the Lamb”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Be Careful What You Want”
“How Great Is Your Love”
Sermon Notes
Numbers 14:1 – 4 The people say it would have been better if they had died in Egypt or the wilderness. They appoint another leader
Numbers 14:5 – 10 Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb attempt to keep the people form rebelling against God
Numbers 14:11 & 12 God tells Moses He is going to kill all of them and start over with Moses
Numbers 14:13 – 19 Moses becomes an advocate for the people and the glory of God
Numbers 14:20 – 25 God tells Moses He will pardon the people, but there are still consequences
Numbers 14:26 – 35 God tells Moses He will do what the people want and “They’ll died in the wilderness”
Numbers 14:36 – 38 The 10 who gave the bad report died of a plague
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
Look at us. And so usually what happens is we have a plan for our life. When that falls apart, we ask God to pick up the pieces. But usually then when we ask God to pick up the pieces, we tell them how to pick up the pieces. That's not what we should be doing.
And so we're going to take a look at what the Hebrew children did and how to avoid their mistakes. So if you have your Bibles and you should turn to the book of Numbers, chapter 14. The context is that the 12 spies went out, came back after 40 days and gave two different reports.
There was a majority report that panicked the people and there was a minority report that said, we can do what God has called us to do. And so now after hearing those two reports, this is what happens. So in Numbers 14, one says this, then all the congregation literally, the voices that cried and the people went that night. So they're panicked. They're depressed. Oh my goodness, we have come to the border of the promised land and there are big people there. It doesn't matter that there's great fruit and there's the land flowing with milk and honey that God had promised them to have the promised land, their panic because they don't think they can accomplish what God has called them to do because they're relying on their own strength, not the promise of God. And so their panic.
Since all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation said to them, would that we had died in the land of Egypt or would that we had died in the wilderness? So for 400 years, the people of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob had been crying out to the Lord to deliver them from bondage and God does so and they want to go back and have died in Egypt or during their travels from Egypt to the promised land. It's interesting throughout we see this and we even see with Moses when there are certain difficulties that arise that always say, well I wish I had died. That seems like an unprofitable resolution to the difficulty. And so they're going, man, I don't want to die taking the land but it was good enough to die as a slave or good enough to die wandering in the wilderness. It was seeming to me, if I had a choice, it would seem more reasonable at least to die in attempt to take the promised land rather than to die as a slave or die as a wanderer, but not so with these people. Why is it that the Lord's bringing us into this land to fall by the sword?
Our wives and our little ones will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? I don't know if that's a good plan either because Pharaoh lost an army because God freed you.
I don't think he's going to be that receptive to you coming back. You're probably going to end up with the same fate you would have if you just do what God said maybe better. But they're going, so let's go back. That's the plan. So they said to one another, let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt. So they're going to reject God's leader and reject God's promise to give them the promised land and to reject God's promises for them to go back to what they knew which was slavery. But that's not such a unique situation. There are a lot of people who said that they became Christians and wanted to be involved with God's people.
Only to say, I like sin better. I'm going to go back. So even though these people are doing what you think would be counterintelligence, people today do the same thing.
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. Now the best way to say this is like they're grief stricken. There's a sense of, oh my, I can't believe that you're doing this and they're grief stricken so they fall down on their faces because of what the people are doing in Sain. And not only Moses and Aaron, but Joshua the Son of None and Caleb the Son of Jeff Futenay, who were the two spies that went out and saw the land and gave the positive report that we can take this.
And he said, of those who had spied out the land tore their clothes. So they are grieving too because they know what God can do and they've seen the promised land and God's promises and they know God can do it. And so they're grieving for the people. And they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel saying, the land which we pass through to spy out isn't exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us.
A land which flows with milk and honey. So they are not content to say you're just wrong. They're trying to convince them to follow God, to trust Him that God will do what God says. Don't lean on your own understanding. Don't lean on your own strength. God is the one who will accomplish it because God is the one who promised it. So they still try to convince the people.
Only do not rebel against the Lord. They're not going to stress the situation. They're rebelling against God. They don't trust God.
They don't have faith in God. They have trust in what they think is their own capabilities. And do not fear the people of the land for they will be our prey. There are going to be like hunted animals. We will be able to conquer them. They don't have defenses because God is on our side.
Their protection has been removed from them. And the Lord is with us. Do not fear them. He says, God is the one who has given us the land. God was the one who was protecting them up until this time for us to come into the land. God has now removed that protection. He has given it and provided it to us.
So we can accomplish what God has told us to do. We don't fear what they do. But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. I don't want to listen to reason. I don't want to listen to the counter-argument. Let's just kill them and be on our way.
But just when you think things are going to devolve into utter chaos, then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of the meeting to all the sons of Israel. All of a sudden God's glory showed up at the Tabernacle. Just before they were going to stone Caleb and Joshua. God intervenes. Which should be a clue if God is going to intervene for four people, would He not intervene for the whole nation and do what He promised to do to give them the land. So God appears in His glory. And the Lord said to Moses, how long will this people spurn me?
Again, notice He doesn't say how long will they spurn you in your leadership. The problem is they don't trust God and will do their own thing. It's kind of like later on in Israel's history when they will seek a king and Samuel will think they're rejecting Him. In God's name, they're not rejecting you.
They're rejecting me. This people are consistent and they're choosing not to trust God. And how long will they not believe in me despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?
There are a few generations that have seen the power and majesty of God as they have. Everything from the ten signs and wonders that He did in Egypt to the separating of the Red Sea to the providing of Manna daily to the providing of the quail to the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, constantly leading them. All of these things God has shown them and yet they still don't believe. Which again, so many people today say, well, if I see God do something, then I'll believe.
These people have seen God do a lot and didn't believe. Christ doesn't necessarily fall on miracles. They fall on trusting who provides the miracles. So God says, this is my plan.
I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them and I will make you into a nation greater and miterer than they. This is now the second time God said, let's just wipe them out and start over. We'll start over with you. The first time Moses interceded and God did not do what he said he was going to do because the Moses' intercession, that was that Mount Sinai. Now they're at the promised land and they're doing the same thing and God said, the result is going to be the same. I'm going to wipe them out and start over with you.
Now other than the fact that this would take a lot longer because it was about 400 years for this one person to go to a mighty nation, it's going to take some more time. There are times I would think that Moses is just a good plan, because I'm tired of these people. I'm tired of having to intercede with them. I'm tired of wandering with them. I'm just tired of them. It's just you and I walk, but he doesn't.
He intercedes. But Moses said to the Lord, then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by your strength you brought up this people from their midst. And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land and they have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people for you, O Lord, are seen eye to eye while your cloud stands over them and you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Now if you slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of your fame will say, because of the Lord could not bring this people into the land which he promised them by oath.
Therefore, he slaughtered them in the wilderness. Moses has been an effective advocate. He's not saying these people are just misunderstood or these people, you know, if you just give them another chance, they'll, whatever, he's going, God, the problem is if you do what you're thinking about doing, other people will say, you couldn't deliver your promise. Oh, sure you had enough power to deliver them from slavery and sure you had enough power to get them to the promised land, but you didn't have enough power to get them into the promised land and your glory and your fame will be dismanished.
And in case you think that that's not a thing, as we know what will happen is approximately 40 years after their freedom of slavery and they finally go to the promised land for the time, there was a prostitute in Jericho who had heard of the power of God and decided to put her lot with them because of God. Because she had heard 40 years ago the power of God. And so Moses is saying a person like that will say, and the inhabitants will say, we don't have to fear the Lord because he can't do it. But now I pray, let the power of the Lord be great just as you have declared.
And he quotes God, the Lord is slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness for giving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting iniquity of the fathers, on their children, to the third and fourth generation. So he's not saying God, there should be no consequence. He's saying God, because you are slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and forgiving iniquity, you need to please forgive these people but hold them accountable for their sin. Pardon and I pray the iniquity of these people, according to your greatness of your loving kindness, just as you have also forgiven this people from Egypt until now.
John, God, there's been a pattern I know. These people rebel and sin and you forgive and these people rebel and sin and you forgive. And you have been awesome in doing that. Let's do it again. Moses is a picture of exactly what Jesus is for us. Jesus is our advocate. Most certainly the devil or our own conduct can say, look at how faithless this is. Look at how we've not believed.
Look at how we've seen. Look at how whatever. And Jesus constantly advocates for us by saying my blood covered it all. Not what Joe is doing or hasn't done but what Jesus did for me and for you. Still the Lord said, I have pardoned them according to your word. So God accepts Moses' intercessionary prayer and says, okay, I will pardon them but I'm going to hold them accountable. But indeed as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. Not saying these people are not going to limit my glory.
We who are believers are not going to limit God's glory. God's glory is going to fill the earth so much so that even people who don't believe and who reject him will bow their knee and claim and profess that Jesus is Lord to God's glory. God will be glorified. Surely all the men who have seen my glory and my signs which were performed in Egypt and in the wilderness yet have put me to the test these last ten times and I'm not listening to my voice. Now I say, there's been ten times this has happened and ten times I've forgiven but they have seen my power so they have no excuse not to believe what I say and what I can do for nothing is impossible with our God. And yet having seen this, God says, they still constantly put me to the test. Shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers nor shall any of those who spurned me see it. So God says, I'm not going to wipe them out now but they're not going to be able not only to not enter the land of promise.
They won't even get to see it but he's going to make an exception. But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered and his descendants shall take possession of it. I'm going to keep Caleb alive and he's going to take the land and not only is he going to take the land, his descendants are going to possess it and hold it. Now the emeralde, the melequites and the Canaanites live in the valleys, turn them all out and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. God says, I want you to head back. I want you to go back to the wilderness. You're not going into the promised land. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, how long shall I bear this evil congregation who are grumbling against me?
I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are making against me. Say to them, as I live says the Lord, just as you have spoken in my hearing so I will surely do to you. God is now going to give them what they've asked for.
Your corpses will fall in the wilderness. Remember they said it would be better to either die back in Egypt when we were slaves or die in the wilderness. So God goes, I'm not going to send you back to Egypt. I'm going to let you die in the wilderness. That's what you ask for. That's what you're going to get.
Given all your number, men, according to your complete number, from 20 years old and upwards who have grumbled against me, I'm going to take out the adults. The 20 year olds and up are the men of war and whatever it goes, you didn't follow me. So you're going to die in the wilderness. Your body is going to be strewn throughout the wilderness.
You shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you. Except Caleb, the son of Jufona and Joshua, the son of none. I'm making two exceptions. I'm adding Joshua because Joshua was also faithful and Joshua will ultimately be the one who follows Moses. But God is going to be merciful. He's going to wipe out the adults.
And even though it says that he will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generation, he says this, your children, however, whom you said you would become a prey. I will bring them in and they will know the land which you have rejected. I'm not going to hold them accountable, which is interesting. Now in essence, you've got now a generational adversity. The children who they were all afraid were going to be prey can't go into the land of promise until their parents die. So it's like, come on, mom and dad.
Hopefully your body drops so I can go to the promised land. So no matter we always have millennials and gyms, and whatever fighting against you, because we all want what we want. But the thing that they were afraid, oh, our children are going to be held prey.
God goes down and protect them. And they're going to get the promised land, but you, but as for you, your corpses will fall in the wilderness. And your sons shall be shepherds for 40 years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until your corpses lie in the wilderness. I'm saying, they're going to be stuck in a desert land. They could have been in a land flowing with milk and honey. They could have been a land so abundant that it took two men to carry a bunch of grapes. That's what they could have had.
But it said, no, they got a wander around in a wilderness in a desert land for about 40 years because of you. According to the number of days which you spied out of the land, 40 days for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even 40 years, and you will know my opposition. All right, the Lord have spoken. Surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against me in this wilderness. They shall be destroyed and they will die there. But God's not done with them.
It also says, as for the men who Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, you know what God does? He kills them. So it makes an exception. So the 10 guys of the 12, the report, the bad report, says, I'm not going to wait for the corpses to lay into wilderness. They're dying now because they caused the people to sin because they gave a bad report, not an accurate report, but a report that they thought would be appropriate because of their fear. The lesson here I think is that we need to be careful for what we ask for. I want to share an example of a prayer of someone who asked for something, but did a modifier. Jesus, and the Garden of Gisemini said, God, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me.
Now if God would have granted that request, you and I would be bound for help. With no hope, no spirit, no love of the Father, because if God would have answered Jesus this prayer, the result of Jesus' prayer, if just that was the entire prayer, would have had devastation upon us. But Jesus didn't end his prayer there. So nevertheless, your will be done. And because his will, God's will be done, the blessings of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, are afforded to us. That we now have the victory in Jesus because he followed what God wanted him to do with this prayer, but your will be done. So perhaps when we find ourselves in a place of need, God, I don't know what to do.
I don't know where to go. I want to trust you. What's the answer? Maybe we should say, God, maybe this is an answer. But that your will be done. Because if you say let this be done, God might answer. And it might be the worst thing that could happen to you.
These people wanted to die in the wilderness and they did. Maybe if you give God a suggestion on how he should do your life, you'll miss all the promises that God had planned for you instead. Because mind has not thought or dreamed or compared to what God's plan is for us. Don't limit God on what he can do for us by what we think God should do. Be careful what you ask for. Just for it, but say nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done. Because God loves you. God has a plan for you, a plan for your good and not your evil.
Trust him. Because he has a love for you. That's limitless. Mercy, forgiveness and faithfulness. And all God's people said.