1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:06,800 Now I invite you to open your Bibles today at Numbers and chapter 16 where we find the 2 00:00:06,800 –> 00:00:13,660 story of Korra and of all of the characters in this series, he is the one who took the 3 00:00:13,660 –> 00:00:20,020 most obvious and dramatic plunge to disaster as we will see this morning. 4 00:00:20,020 –> 00:00:24,980 We are following this series because we all want to make sure that we put our lives together 5 00:00:25,020 –> 00:00:30,559 in a way that’s marked by wisdom and success and our aim in this series is to learn from 6 00:00:30,559 –> 00:00:37,660 fools to see what other people have gone wrong and therefore to avoid their mistakes. 7 00:00:37,660 –> 00:00:42,700 And so far we have made three discoveries if you want to avoid a plunge to disaster 8 00:00:42,700 –> 00:00:46,279 number 1 learn to deal with your anger. 9 00:00:46,279 –> 00:00:47,779 Remember the story of Kain? 10 00:00:47,779 –> 00:00:54,900 He became angry with God and his anger smoldered towards his brother and Sin was crouching 11 00:00:55,020 –> 00:00:58,639 at the door and Kain went down. 12 00:00:58,660 –> 00:01:01,900 Then secondly we saw established true values. 13 00:01:01,900 –> 00:01:03,419 That’s where Esau went wrong. 14 00:01:03,419 –> 00:01:08,419 He saw no value in his place in the purpose of God and gave away something of priceless 15 00:01:08,419 –> 00:01:16,040 value ending his life with a loud and bitter cry because he could not get it back. 16 00:01:16,059 –> 00:01:18,839 And then last week we saw live what you believe. 17 00:01:18,839 –> 00:01:20,180 That was Balaam’s problem. 18 00:01:20,180 –> 00:01:24,540 You remember that he received the word of God but he did not act on it. 19 00:01:24,540 –> 00:01:30,320 He lived a double life and eventually that tore him apart and he died an enemy of God 20 00:01:30,320 –> 00:01:31,940 and his people. 21 00:01:31,940 –> 00:01:36,720 Now today we come to a fourth very important principle in the Bible and the lesson from 22 00:01:36,720 –> 00:01:39,860 the story of Korah is very straightforward. 23 00:01:39,860 –> 00:01:42,879 Submit yourself to authority. 24 00:01:42,879 –> 00:01:51,239 If you want to avoid a plunge to disaster then learn to submit yourself to authority. 25 00:01:51,360 –> 00:01:55,760 Now in order to understand this story you might like to have your Bible open in the 26 00:01:55,760 –> 00:02:02,919 Book of Numbers and as we take up this story here, we find that the people are frustrated 27 00:02:02,919 –> 00:02:06,800 because they’ve gone on a journey from Egypt to Canaan which should not have taken very 28 00:02:06,800 –> 00:02:13,020 long but they have experienced nothing less than a whole year’s delay. 29 00:02:13,800 –> 00:02:17,360 Remember that Moses has brought them out of Egypt, it took them three months to get 30 00:02:17,360 –> 00:02:24,320 to Mount Sinai and then they spent an entire year at that one location. 31 00:02:24,320 –> 00:02:28,559 Moses had two long absences up the mountain, the people became very frustrated waiting 32 00:02:28,559 –> 00:02:29,720 for him. 33 00:02:29,720 –> 00:02:34,399 They then had a seven month period in which they worked on making the tabernacle and the 34 00:02:34,399 –> 00:02:35,759 arc of the covenant. 35 00:02:35,759 –> 00:02:39,240 Now I don’t know what you’re like when you go on a journey, when I go on a journey 36 00:02:39,240 –> 00:02:41,119 I want to get there. 37 00:02:41,119 –> 00:02:45,679 Obviously we have stops, when our family stops on a journey we have this routine of, well 38 00:02:45,880 –> 00:02:46,960 How long are we going to stop for? 39 00:02:46,960 –> 00:02:50,300 Is this a 15 minute one or an hour one or what? 40 00:02:50,300 –> 00:02:51,300 And we decide. 41 00:02:51,300 –> 00:02:53,020 Ok this is a 15 minute pit stop. 42 00:02:53,020 –> 00:02:58,080 You know, off to the restrooms, go to the shop, let’s be back here in 15 minutes. 43 00:02:58,080 –> 00:03:03,880 I’ll tell you a one year delay in the middle of a journey would drive me crazy. 44 00:03:03,880 –> 00:03:06,080 Don’t you think that would frustrate you too? 45 00:03:06,080 –> 00:03:10,600 I mean, these people want to get there to the land of Canaan and a year later, they’re 46 00:03:10,600 –> 00:03:15,119 still in the desert and they’ve made precious little progress. 47 00:03:15,679 –> 00:03:20,160 Secondly, as they begin to move forward, because Numbers tells us the story of how they broke 48 00:03:20,160 –> 00:03:25,759 camp from Sinai and moved forward, chapter 10 and verse 11 tells us of the beginning 49 00:03:25,759 –> 00:03:30,520 of their progress again, can you imagine what it must have been like to travel through a 50 00:03:30,520 –> 00:03:38,220 desert with 2 million people moving at the pace of the slowest? 51 00:03:38,220 –> 00:03:42,740 When my wife’s side of the family gets together in the summer, wonderful occasions 52 00:03:42,740 –> 00:03:45,059 there are 26 of us all together. 53 00:03:46,000 –> 00:03:49,639 There’s a kind of a decision that takes a long time to come about, we’re going to go 54 00:03:49,639 –> 00:03:54,320 to the beach for a morning and it can take half a morning to get 26 people organised 55 00:03:54,320 –> 00:03:55,320 to go to the beach. 56 00:03:55,320 –> 00:03:56,399 You know what that’s like? 57 00:03:56,399 –> 00:04:02,059 Can you imagine being one of two million people on a journey, going at the pace of the slowest? 58 00:04:02,059 –> 00:04:08,520 That would drive the Type A personalities absolutely berserk, don’t you think? 59 00:04:08,520 –> 00:04:15,460 So what you have here is a growing climate of frustration, a year’s delay on a comparatively 60 00:04:15,460 –> 00:04:22,820 straightforward journey, followed by very very slow progress, and then thirdly added 61 00:04:22,820 –> 00:04:28,820 to that we discover from Chapter 11 and verse 1, if we take up the story there, that the 62 00:04:28,820 –> 00:04:33,820 people are beginning to complain, the people complained about their hardship in the hearing 63 00:04:33,820 –> 00:04:34,820 of the Lord. 64 00:04:35,239 –> 00:04:41,700 Now you see, with all this slow progress, people are becoming frustrated, they’re fed 65 00:04:41,700 –> 00:04:46,459 up and they’re looking for someone to blame and of course that is always a vulnerable 66 00:04:46,459 –> 00:04:48,500 time for any leader. 67 00:04:48,500 –> 00:04:52,019 This was not an easy time for Moses. 68 00:04:52,019 –> 00:04:57,859 In addition to all these frustrations, there were growing tensions within Moses’ own family. 69 00:04:57,859 –> 00:05:01,140 Isn’t it amazing how troubles come together? 70 00:05:01,140 –> 00:05:04,239 Moses is trying to give leadership to the people of God. 71 00:05:04,239 –> 00:05:08,399 He’s trying to sort out these endless complaints from the people, he comes home absolutely 72 00:05:08,399 –> 00:05:12,959 exhausted at night, he wants to relax in his tent, and then he discovers that he can’t 73 00:05:12,959 –> 00:05:17,600 because there are a whole bunch of troubles in his own family. 74 00:05:17,600 –> 00:05:24,160 Meriam and Aaron chapter 12 and verse 1 began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite 75 00:05:24,160 –> 00:05:25,380 wife. 76 00:05:25,380 –> 00:05:27,799 Classic family dynamic. 77 00:05:27,799 –> 00:05:30,880 Sister and brother can’t get on with Moses’ wife. 78 00:05:30,880 –> 00:05:33,040 And he’s strung out there in the middle. 79 00:05:33,119 –> 00:05:37,440 They didn’t think he should have married her, they didn’t like her, and Moses finds himself 80 00:05:37,440 –> 00:05:40,160 in all of this tension as well. 81 00:05:40,160 –> 00:05:45,660 Not only that, but Miriam and Aaron were losing confidence in Moses’ leadership. 82 00:05:45,660 –> 00:05:48,119 Look at chapter 12 and verse 2. 83 00:05:48,700 –> 00:05:51,859 Has the Lord spoken only to Moses, they asked? 84 00:05:51,859 –> 00:05:55,279 Hasn’t he also spoken through us? 85 00:05:55,279 –> 00:06:01,500 Now remember, Aaron was the high priest and Miriam had prophesied when they came over 86 00:06:01,500 –> 00:06:03,480 the Red Sea. 87 00:06:03,480 –> 00:06:08,480 And so, they’re beginning to ask this question, god speaks through Moses, yes, but doesn’t 88 00:06:08,480 –> 00:06:12,779 he also speak through us? 89 00:06:12,940 –> 00:06:17,660 And God came down, verse five, in a pillar of cloud and spoke directly to them on this 90 00:06:17,660 –> 00:06:18,820 issue. 91 00:06:18,820 –> 00:06:23,839 Notice what he says, Numbers 12, six, when a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal 92 00:06:23,839 –> 00:06:25,859 myself to him in visions. 93 00:06:25,859 –> 00:06:28,320 I speak to him in dreams. 94 00:06:28,320 –> 00:06:30,459 But that is not true of my servant Moses. 95 00:06:30,459 –> 00:06:38,140 With Moses it’s different and notice what God says, with Moses I speak face to face. 96 00:06:38,399 –> 00:06:42,799 He sees the form of the Lord. 97 00:06:42,820 –> 00:06:47,859 So he is special in a way that is different even from the prophets of the Old Testament, 98 00:06:47,859 –> 00:06:56,100 I speak to Moses face to face, he sees the form of God. 99 00:06:56,100 –> 00:07:00,760 So why then are you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? 100 00:07:00,760 –> 00:07:06,179 And the Lord’s anger came against Miriam and we’re told that she was covered with leprosy. 101 00:07:06,179 –> 00:07:11,260 And Moses immediately prayed for her to be healed and she was healed. 102 00:07:11,260 –> 00:07:16,519 But God said that she must spend seven days outside of the camp as any leper would have 103 00:07:16,519 –> 00:07:18,299 had to do. 104 00:07:18,299 –> 00:07:20,059 You know what that means? 105 00:07:20,059 –> 00:07:24,920 Moses’s sister was under what we would call church discipline. 106 00:07:24,920 –> 00:07:30,200 Now you can imagine the conversations that took place over breakfast with that one. 107 00:07:30,200 –> 00:07:35,440 You hear, Moses has got a lot of problems in his own family now. 108 00:07:36,320 –> 00:07:38,440 Even his sister is under church discipline. 109 00:07:38,440 –> 00:07:43,880 Well a lot of problems in that family, you know. 110 00:07:43,880 –> 00:07:49,959 So this was a difficult time of mounting frustration, a long delay at Mount Sinai, moving at the 111 00:07:49,959 –> 00:07:54,660 pace of the slowest, a lot of complaints among the people that were being turned against 112 00:07:54,660 –> 00:07:55,660 Moses. 113 00:07:55,660 –> 00:07:59,700 And increasing problems even within Moses’s own family that were becoming the matter of 114 00:07:59,700 –> 00:08:04,160 public gossip, and even of contempt. 115 00:08:04,179 –> 00:08:08,540 And then on top of all that we come to the best known story in the Book of Numbers, chapter 116 00:08:08,540 –> 00:08:12,600 13 is the story about the spies who go out to Canaan. 117 00:08:12,600 –> 00:08:17,760 And they are commissioned to bring back a report on how a future strategy can be adopted 118 00:08:17,760 –> 00:08:20,959 to take the land that the Lord has promised. 119 00:08:20,959 –> 00:08:24,940 So they set up this vision committee, that’s what I like to call the twelve spies, and 120 00:08:24,940 –> 00:08:28,720 the vision committee meets and it does its work and it comes back and says well, the 121 00:08:28,720 –> 00:08:32,719 future can’t be done, that’s what they say in effect. 122 00:08:32,760 –> 00:08:37,119 And they give their gloomy report not to Moses, but to all the people. 123 00:08:37,119 –> 00:08:40,840 And the result is that the whole community now is thrown into a deep crisis. 124 00:08:40,840 –> 00:08:45,119 They’ve spent all this time in the desert and now the vision committee tells them that 125 00:08:45,119 –> 00:08:48,179 the thing they hoped for in the future simply isn’t going to happen. 126 00:08:48,179 –> 00:08:53,179 And so in chapter 14 in verse 1 we read that night all the people of the community raised 127 00:08:53,179 –> 00:08:58,500 their voices, they wept aloud all the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron and the whole 128 00:08:58,500 –> 00:09:02,539 assembly said to them if only we had died in Egypt. 129 00:09:02,539 –> 00:09:09,059 And in verse 4 they said to each other, we should choose a leader and we should go back 130 00:09:09,059 –> 00:09:10,140 to Egypt. 131 00:09:10,140 –> 00:09:15,659 Now that’s the climate of frustration that’s developing throughout the story of the book 132 00:09:15,659 –> 00:09:17,799 of Numbers. 133 00:09:17,799 –> 00:09:22,580 And whenever you have a climate of frustration, whether it be in a business, on a board, in 134 00:09:22,580 –> 00:09:27,059 a family, in a church, in a school, wherever it may be. 135 00:09:27,059 –> 00:09:34,299 Wherever you have a climate of frustration, you have potential for division and for conflict 136 00:09:34,299 –> 00:09:39,940 and that’s exactly what we find happening here in this story. 137 00:09:39,940 –> 00:09:45,919 Now as we come to Numbers in chapter 16 then, try and imagine three men sitting round a 138 00:09:45,919 –> 00:09:49,700 fire outside their tents in the desert. 139 00:09:49,700 –> 00:09:54,859 Their names are Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. 140 00:09:55,099 –> 00:09:57,219 They’re talking about Moses. 141 00:09:57,219 –> 00:10:01,859 Somehow they always ended up talking about Moses when they got together, it was their 142 00:10:01,859 –> 00:10:07,020 favourite subject and they didn’t have much good to say about him either. 143 00:10:07,020 –> 00:10:12,780 Korah was a Levite, it seems from what Moses says to him later that he wasn’t happy that 144 00:10:12,780 –> 00:10:18,919 the priests came only from one family among the Levites and that was the family of Aaron. 145 00:10:18,919 –> 00:10:23,380 Dathan and Abiram, you’ll notice there, were Rubanites. 146 00:10:23,820 –> 00:10:30,119 Ruban, of course, was the oldest of Jacob’s 12 sons and so it would not be surprising 147 00:10:30,119 –> 00:10:35,419 for the Rubanites to continue to feel that leadership should come from their clan, the 148 00:10:35,419 –> 00:10:41,659 oldest son, and of course, Moses came from the tribe of Levi. 149 00:10:41,659 –> 00:10:47,840 They had different agendas, the three men, but they found common ground in their dislike 150 00:10:47,840 –> 00:10:50,099 of Moses and Aaron. 151 00:10:50,099 –> 00:10:53,719 As far as they were concerned, Moses was a disaster. 152 00:10:54,479 –> 00:11:01,400 Of course, he doesn’t know what he’s doing, Kora would say, yet he’s out of touch, 153 00:11:01,419 –> 00:11:06,539 he just doesn’t know what people are thinking and saying these days, said Dathan as he rolled 154 00:11:06,539 –> 00:11:08,280 his eyes. 155 00:11:08,280 –> 00:11:13,460 I don’t know who he thinks he is anyway, Abiram would say. 156 00:11:13,460 –> 00:11:17,320 Moses couldn’t do anything right in their eyes. 157 00:11:17,340 –> 00:11:23,280 They didn’t like him, and of course the fact that he had so much authority really 158 00:11:23,280 –> 00:11:26,580 stuck in their throats. 159 00:11:26,580 –> 00:11:28,000 And that is where the trouble began. 160 00:11:28,000 –> 00:11:33,799 And I want you to notice today four stages in the conflict that we have here. 161 00:11:33,799 –> 00:11:40,760 There are four distinct elements or stages in the way in which this dispute develops. 162 00:11:40,760 –> 00:11:45,460 And if you find yourself in a situation of conflict, you may find it very helpful to 163 00:11:45,580 –> 00:11:47,239 identify these four elements. 164 00:11:47,239 –> 00:11:53,340 It may help you to understand and respond to what is going on. 165 00:11:53,340 –> 00:11:56,500 Notice first that it begins with a matter of attitude. 166 00:11:56,500 –> 00:11:58,140 Verse 1. 167 00:11:58,140 –> 00:12:04,619 Dathan, Korah and Abiram became insolent, we read. 168 00:12:04,619 –> 00:12:06,640 And rose up against Moses. 169 00:12:06,640 –> 00:12:08,840 Notice that phrase, they became insolent. 170 00:12:09,440 –> 00:12:11,479 In other words this little group 171 00:12:11,479 –> 00:12:13,760 of three men developed an attitude 172 00:12:13,760 –> 00:12:17,080 towards Moses. And everything in the 173 00:12:17,080 –> 00:12:20,200 story flows from this development of a 174 00:12:20,200 –> 00:12:23,760 bad attitude in that small group. 175 00:12:23,760 –> 00:12:26,960 That was where the plunge to disaster began. 176 00:12:26,960 –> 00:12:29,239 It was the way they talked about the 177 00:12:29,239 –> 00:12:31,400 leader when they were around the 178 00:12:31,400 –> 00:12:34,559 campfire. Now that kind of back chat of 179 00:12:34,559 –> 00:12:36,919 course can go on in any staff room, in 180 00:12:36,960 –> 00:12:40,039 any school, in any board, in any business, 181 00:12:40,039 –> 00:12:42,479 in any family. 182 00:12:42,479 –> 00:12:46,719 They became insolent. Now that seems like 183 00:12:46,719 –> 00:12:48,719 a small thing but I want you to notice 184 00:12:48,719 –> 00:12:50,840 that it was the beginning of big trouble. 185 00:12:50,840 –> 00:12:54,559 Now none of us of course like 186 00:12:54,559 –> 00:12:57,479 authority, that’s just instinctive within 187 00:12:57,479 –> 00:13:00,000 us, and so, it’s not surprising that when 188 00:13:00,000 –> 00:13:01,599 there was a little group who began to 189 00:13:01,599 –> 00:13:04,099 flex their muscles against Moses, 190 00:13:04,099 –> 00:13:05,840 there were other people who were drawn 191 00:13:06,080 –> 00:13:08,080 towards them. And if you look in verse 192 00:13:08,080 –> 00:13:10,080 2 you will find that very soon there 193 00:13:10,080 –> 00:13:14,559 were 250 Israelite men, all of them 194 00:13:14,559 –> 00:13:16,320 well-known community leaders who’d been 195 00:13:16,320 –> 00:13:18,400 appointed as members of the council in 196 00:13:18,400 –> 00:13:20,960 Israel. And they were ready to stand with 197 00:13:20,960 –> 00:13:23,880 these three men. So very quickly this 198 00:13:23,880 –> 00:13:26,440 movement moved from a small group with 199 00:13:26,440 –> 00:13:30,080 an attitude to a more organized campaign 200 00:13:30,080 –> 00:13:33,039 against Moses the leader. There would 201 00:13:33,039 –> 00:13:34,559 have been breakfast meetings to talk 202 00:13:35,440 –> 00:13:37,640 There would have been careful canvassing 203 00:13:37,640 –> 00:13:39,640 to see which council members were with 204 00:13:39,640 –> 00:13:42,280 us and which ones were not with us. 205 00:13:42,280 –> 00:13:44,140 Eventually it was established that there 206 00:13:44,140 –> 00:13:48,000 were 250 who had lost confidence in 207 00:13:48,000 –> 00:13:53,799 Moses. Imagine that 250 leaders had lost 208 00:13:53,799 –> 00:13:57,380 confidence in Moses. And they all thought 209 00:13:57,380 –> 00:13:59,099 that it was time for a change and they 210 00:13:59,099 –> 00:14:01,299 thought that this was the time that they 211 00:14:01,299 –> 00:14:04,280 should go and speak. Notice secondly the 212 00:14:04,299 –> 00:14:07,500 conviction that they expressed verse 3. 213 00:14:07,500 –> 00:14:11,340 They came as a group to oppose Moses 214 00:14:11,340 –> 00:14:14,380 and Aaron and said to them, You’ve gone 215 00:14:14,380 –> 00:14:19,020 too far the whole community is holy 216 00:14:19,020 –> 00:14:22,419 every one of them and the Lord is with 217 00:14:22,419 –> 00:14:26,520 them. Why then do you set yourselves 218 00:14:26,520 –> 00:14:30,179 above the Lord’s Assembly? Now of course 219 00:14:30,179 –> 00:14:33,539 that was a unique challenge in Israel to 220 00:14:33,719 –> 00:14:37,020 Moses’ authority. Remember that God had 221 00:14:37,020 –> 00:14:41,599 said, as we saw, to Miriam that Moses saw 222 00:14:41,599 –> 00:14:45,659 the form of God. Nobody else saw that in 223 00:14:45,659 –> 00:14:50,679 Israel. That God spoke to Moses face to 224 00:14:50,679 –> 00:14:52,679 face, that was not true of anybody else 225 00:14:52,679 –> 00:14:57,460 in Israel. But Kora was convinced that 226 00:14:57,460 –> 00:14:59,780 everybody could come to God in their own 227 00:14:59,780 –> 00:15:03,440 way. Why should we be restricted to what 228 00:15:03,500 –> 00:15:08,580 God says to us through Moses? Why should 229 00:15:08,580 –> 00:15:11,219 the priests only come from the family 230 00:15:11,219 –> 00:15:14,359 of Aaron? What’s so special about them? 231 00:15:14,359 –> 00:15:16,619 Are not all the people holy? Is not the 232 00:15:16,619 –> 00:15:21,239 Lord among them? That’s a conviction. 233 00:15:21,239 –> 00:15:24,239 Thirdly, look at the motivation. Because 234 00:15:24,239 –> 00:15:25,919 behind this conviction so clearly 235 00:15:25,919 –> 00:15:28,640 expressed, there was a motivation and it 236 00:15:28,640 –> 00:15:31,119 was very simply that Kora was not happy 237 00:15:31,119 –> 00:15:32,919 with the role that he’d been given 238 00:15:32,919 –> 00:15:35,280 among the people of God. He wanted more. 239 00:15:35,280 –> 00:15:37,820 Moses identifies this in verse nine. 240 00:15:37,820 –> 00:15:42,059 Isn’t it enough for you that the God of 241 00:15:42,059 –> 00:15:44,299 Israel has separated you from the rest 242 00:15:44,299 –> 00:15:47,520 of the Israelite community? He has 243 00:15:47,520 –> 00:15:49,619 brought you, verse 10, and your fellow 244 00:15:49,619 –> 00:15:53,520 Levites near him, but you are trying to 245 00:15:53,520 –> 00:15:58,000 get the priesthood too! It is against the 246 00:15:58,000 –> 00:15:59,700 Lord, Moses says, that you and all your 247 00:15:59,780 –> 00:16:03,219 followers have banded together. So Moses 248 00:16:03,219 –> 00:16:05,219 is very clear about the motivation. 249 00:16:05,219 –> 00:16:09,140 I hear what you’re saying he says but I 250 00:16:09,140 –> 00:16:10,940 want you to know that the very clear 251 00:16:10,940 –> 00:16:14,859 motivation in this is that you want a 252 00:16:14,859 –> 00:16:16,900 bigger role for yourself. That’s what’s 253 00:16:16,900 –> 00:16:20,859 at stake here. Kora wanted a bigger role 254 00:16:20,859 –> 00:16:24,140 for himself than God had given. That’s the 255 00:16:24,140 –> 00:16:27,599 motivation. Now forthly, look at the issue 256 00:16:27,799 –> 00:16:30,000 of communication. It’s very interesting 257 00:16:30,000 –> 00:16:32,440 that when Moses was dealing with this 258 00:16:32,440 –> 00:16:35,960 trouble in the community he spoke with 259 00:16:35,960 –> 00:16:40,280 Korah separate from the other two and 260 00:16:40,280 –> 00:16:41,859 the reason that he wisely did that of 261 00:16:41,859 –> 00:16:43,260 course is that though they were 262 00:16:43,260 –> 00:16:46,700 combining their forces they actually had 263 00:16:46,700 –> 00:16:50,080 different agendas. Korah was primarily 264 00:16:50,080 –> 00:16:51,679 concerned about the issue of the 265 00:16:51,679 –> 00:16:54,880 priesthood. Dathan and Abiram were 266 00:16:54,880 –> 00:16:57,140 concerned about broader issues of 267 00:16:57,140 –> 00:17:00,700 leadership to do with Moses and so Moses 268 00:17:00,700 –> 00:17:02,739 tried to set up a second meeting with 269 00:17:02,739 –> 00:17:05,459 these other two Dathan and Abiram and 270 00:17:05,459 –> 00:17:08,660 notice verse 12 what happens. They simply 271 00:17:08,660 –> 00:17:13,339 refused to come. They wouldn’t talk and 272 00:17:13,339 –> 00:17:15,060 when they wouldn’t talk what happened 273 00:17:15,060 –> 00:17:17,260 from there on is that the discussion 274 00:17:17,260 –> 00:17:20,500 degenerated to a matter of lobbing 275 00:17:20,500 –> 00:17:24,260 slogans from a distance and 276 00:17:24,280 –> 00:17:25,500 misrepresenting 277 00:17:25,500 –> 00:17:29,099 the position of Moses. Verse 12 we’re not 278 00:17:29,099 –> 00:17:30,579 going to come, we won’t meet with you. 279 00:17:30,579 –> 00:17:33,979 Verse 13 look at this. Isn’t it enough 280 00:17:33,979 –> 00:17:36,619 that you brought us up out of a land 281 00:17:36,619 –> 00:17:38,619 flowing with milk and honey to kill us 282 00:17:38,619 –> 00:17:41,140 in the desert? You realize they’re saying 283 00:17:41,140 –> 00:17:44,500 that Egypt where they were slaves was 284 00:17:44,500 –> 00:17:46,739 now apparently a land flowing with milk 285 00:17:46,739 –> 00:17:48,339 and honey. I mean that that is a bit 286 00:17:48,339 –> 00:17:49,699 rich don’t you think? 287 00:17:49,699 –> 00:17:53,060 Moses, you brought us out of a land 288 00:17:53,060 –> 00:17:55,880 flowing with milk and honey. How quickly 289 00:17:55,880 –> 00:17:57,660 they’ve forgotten where they were. And 290 00:17:57,660 –> 00:18:01,020 then verse 14 moreover you haven’t 291 00:18:01,020 –> 00:18:03,000 brought us into a land flowing with 292 00:18:03,000 –> 00:18:05,020 milk and honey. Well that’s even richer 293 00:18:05,020 –> 00:18:07,380 bearing in mind that Moses had wanted to 294 00:18:07,380 –> 00:18:09,060 lead them into Canaan and the people had 295 00:18:09,060 –> 00:18:10,939 refused on the basis of the gloomy 296 00:18:10,939 –> 00:18:12,459 report of the vision committee. 297 00:18:12,459 –> 00:18:16,739 Well now when you find yourself dealing 298 00:18:16,739 –> 00:18:18,380 with conflict here are four things to 299 00:18:18,459 –> 00:18:24,420 look for ask them about yourself as well 300 00:18:24,420 –> 00:18:26,540 as about the person with whom you find 301 00:18:26,540 –> 00:18:28,540 yourself in tension. 302 00:18:28,540 –> 00:18:35,079 What’s the attitude here? What is the 303 00:18:35,079 –> 00:18:38,180 conviction that is being expressed? Try 304 00:18:38,180 –> 00:18:39,939 and identify what is the fundamental 305 00:18:39,939 –> 00:18:41,459 thing you are saying? What is the 306 00:18:41,459 –> 00:18:42,859 fundamental conviction of the other 307 00:18:42,859 –> 00:18:47,060 person? What is the motivation? What is 308 00:18:47,180 –> 00:18:48,819 the other person looking to try and 309 00:18:48,819 –> 00:18:53,780 achieve? What am I trying to achieve? And 310 00:18:53,780 –> 00:18:55,180 how’s the communication? Is there 311 00:18:55,180 –> 00:18:57,140 listening going on, or are we at the 312 00:18:57,140 –> 00:18:58,939 level of lobbying slogans from a 313 00:18:58,939 –> 00:19:01,260 distance and misrepresenting other 314 00:19:01,260 –> 00:19:05,140 positions? These are great questions to 315 00:19:05,140 –> 00:19:07,819 ask of yourself as well as of another 316 00:19:07,819 –> 00:19:10,180 person when you find yourself in a 317 00:19:10,180 –> 00:19:12,459 situation of conflict and of tension. 318 00:19:12,459 –> 00:19:14,380 They are always the fundamental issues— 319 00:19:14,540 –> 00:19:18,060 attitude, convictions, motivations 320 00:19:18,060 –> 00:19:22,819 and communication or the lack of it. 321 00:19:22,819 –> 00:19:27,339 Well this conflict continued to rise until the 322 00:19:27,339 –> 00:19:30,199 following day the issue came to a head. 323 00:19:30,199 –> 00:19:32,979 Korah and his two hundred and fifty 324 00:19:32,979 –> 00:19:36,339 followers were quite convinced that they 325 00:19:36,339 –> 00:19:39,540 could come directly before the Lord. 326 00:19:39,540 –> 00:19:42,219 Remember God had said you only come 327 00:19:42,219 –> 00:19:44,099 through the priests offering a 328 00:19:44,140 –> 00:19:46,160 sacrifice. You only come through the 329 00:19:46,160 –> 00:19:48,819 priest’s ministry in the tabernacle. 330 00:19:48,819 –> 00:19:51,380 But Korah wasn’t going to accept that, 331 00:19:51,380 –> 00:19:54,079 no we’re all holy, God’s with all of us. 332 00:19:54,079 –> 00:19:55,920 We can all come directly to the Lord, 333 00:19:55,920 –> 00:19:59,020 we don’t need the priests. 334 00:19:59,020 –> 00:20:02,959 So, Korah was invited along with his two 335 00:20:02,959 –> 00:20:05,780 hundred and fifty supporters then, to do 336 00:20:05,780 –> 00:20:11,459 what God had said only priests should do. 337 00:20:12,060 –> 00:20:15,140 That was to bring a censor that was 338 00:20:15,140 –> 00:20:17,540 a bowl and to fill it with fire and with 339 00:20:17,540 –> 00:20:19,640 incense and to present it before the Lord. 340 00:20:19,640 –> 00:20:22,339 That was a task given uniquely to the 341 00:20:22,339 –> 00:20:24,900 priests in the Old Testament. 342 00:20:24,900 –> 00:20:26,500 Korah says, well we can do that. 343 00:20:26,500 –> 00:20:29,099 So Moses says ok you do it then. 344 00:20:29,099 –> 00:20:30,739 So the next day, two hundred and 345 00:20:30,739 –> 00:20:33,079 fifty supporters of Korah along with 346 00:20:33,079 –> 00:20:34,920 Dathan and Abiram they come and they 347 00:20:34,920 –> 00:20:36,939 bring these censors and they present 348 00:20:36,939 –> 00:20:40,380 them before the Lord and then we’re 349 00:20:40,420 –> 00:20:43,040 told verse 19 that the glory of the Lord 350 00:20:43,040 –> 00:20:47,640 appeared to the entire assembly and at 351 00:20:47,640 –> 00:20:49,859 that moment the whole assembly was faced 352 00:20:49,859 –> 00:20:51,839 with a choice. Moses said to them verse 353 00:20:51,839 –> 00:20:56,699 24 move away from the tents of Korah, 354 00:20:56,699 –> 00:21:01,400 Dathan and Abiram and then God gave to 355 00:21:01,400 –> 00:21:04,260 Moses these words. He spoke as a Prophet, 356 00:21:04,260 –> 00:21:07,099 verse 28, this is how you will know that 357 00:21:07,099 –> 00:21:09,540 the Lord has sent me and that it was 358 00:21:09,540 –> 00:21:11,760 not my idea, in other words Moses is 359 00:21:11,760 –> 00:21:13,760 saying I’m not in this position because 360 00:21:13,760 –> 00:21:16,619 I put myself here, it is God who’s put me 361 00:21:16,619 –> 00:21:19,300 here and this is how you’ll know. If the 362 00:21:19,300 –> 00:21:22,699 earth opens its mouth and swallows them 363 00:21:22,699 –> 00:21:25,560 then you will know that these men have 364 00:21:25,560 –> 00:21:30,979 treated the Lord with contempt and as 365 00:21:30,979 –> 00:21:34,099 soon as he said it, the ground of the 366 00:21:34,099 –> 00:21:37,599 desert split apart, a crevice, a crack 367 00:21:37,699 –> 00:21:40,000 rather like an earthquake, opened up in 368 00:21:40,000 –> 00:21:42,319 the floor of the desert, directly beneath 369 00:21:42,319 –> 00:21:46,280 Kora, Dathon, Abiram and the 250 who had 370 00:21:46,280 –> 00:21:48,339 brought these unauthorized censors 371 00:21:48,339 –> 00:21:51,280 before the Lord and they took a plunge 372 00:21:51,280 –> 00:21:59,800 to disaster. Now that’s the story and 373 00:21:59,800 –> 00:22:01,920 there is one very simple lesson that we 374 00:22:01,920 –> 00:22:06,719 are to take from it today. If you want 375 00:22:06,739 –> 00:22:13,099 to avoid Kora’s plunge to disaster, learn 376 00:22:13,099 –> 00:22:19,439 to submit to authority. Now that means 377 00:22:19,439 –> 00:22:23,979 first, to learn to submit yourself to 378 00:22:23,979 –> 00:22:27,599 others. And that’s a very important 379 00:22:27,599 –> 00:22:29,560 principle that is written right across 380 00:22:29,560 –> 00:22:32,280 the pages of the Scripture. I ran just a 381 00:22:32,280 –> 00:22:34,239 word study this week on the word submit 382 00:22:34,239 –> 00:22:35,939 or submission in the New Testament. 383 00:22:36,160 –> 00:22:39,280 It’s all over the place. It’s a fundamental 384 00:22:39,280 –> 00:22:42,260 principle of the Christian life, for of 385 00:22:42,260 –> 00:22:44,540 course, a Christian is first of all a 386 00:22:44,540 –> 00:22:47,880 person who has learned to submit to God. 387 00:22:50,380 –> 00:22:52,199 And one of the expressions of our 388 00:22:52,199 –> 00:22:54,319 submission to God is our ability to 389 00:22:54,319 –> 00:22:57,739 submit to others. And it is, of course, 390 00:22:57,739 –> 00:23:00,180 the very purpose of God that we learn 391 00:23:00,180 –> 00:23:02,560 that from the earliest stages in our 392 00:23:02,599 –> 00:23:06,000 lives. That is one of the good reasons, 393 00:23:06,000 –> 00:23:09,060 of course, why God places us in families. 394 00:23:09,060 –> 00:23:13,180 God places children in families not just 395 00:23:13,180 –> 00:23:15,400 so that we may be surrounded by love and 396 00:23:15,400 –> 00:23:16,859 protection and care—that’s a very 397 00:23:16,859 –> 00:23:18,479 important thing—but there’s also 398 00:23:18,479 –> 00:23:21,979 something else. So that we will learn 399 00:23:21,979 –> 00:23:26,660 from early in life what it is to submit. 400 00:23:26,660 –> 00:23:29,079 That is why the Scripture says so 401 00:23:29,079 –> 00:23:31,479 clearly, children, obey your parents. 402 00:23:32,439 –> 00:23:36,319 In the Lord for this is right, honor your 403 00:23:36,319 –> 00:23:38,939 father and your mother, that it may go 404 00:23:38,939 –> 00:23:43,439 well with you. God has organized, as it 405 00:23:43,439 –> 00:23:46,079 were, a structure of authority within the 406 00:23:46,079 –> 00:23:48,060 world. It operates within the family as 407 00:23:48,060 –> 00:23:51,939 well as within other spheres. And where a 408 00:23:51,939 –> 00:23:54,079 child or a young person living at home 409 00:23:54,079 –> 00:23:56,599 is rebellious against the authority of 410 00:23:56,599 –> 00:24:00,520 parents, that may very well be a 411 00:24:01,000 –> 00:24:03,800 resistance to the authority of God, from 412 00:24:03,800 –> 00:24:07,000 whom their authority is derived. If we do 413 00:24:07,000 –> 00:24:10,359 not learn to submit, as we grow up 414 00:24:10,359 –> 00:24:11,579 through our childhood and our youth, 415 00:24:11,579 –> 00:24:14,199 we may very well end up like 416 00:24:14,199 –> 00:24:17,119 unguided missiles throughout adult life, 417 00:24:17,119 –> 00:24:19,119 in which we operate by our own 418 00:24:19,119 –> 00:24:21,839 independent authority, accountable to no 419 00:24:21,839 –> 00:24:24,040 one, causing damage just about everywhere 420 00:24:24,040 –> 00:24:29,880 we go. If you do not learn to submit, 421 00:24:30,599 –> 00:24:35,560 you become a law to yourself. You become 422 00:24:35,560 –> 00:24:39,800 your own god. And you cannot, if you 423 00:24:39,800 –> 00:24:43,000 become your own god, be a Christian. 424 00:24:43,000 –> 00:24:47,260 You simply cannot. Now this principle of 425 00:24:47,260 –> 00:24:49,540 submission is brought before us in the 426 00:24:49,540 –> 00:24:51,160 scriptures not only in relation to 427 00:24:51,160 –> 00:24:54,680 childhood and youth, but also, for example, 428 00:24:54,680 –> 00:24:58,880 in relation to marriage. Wives, submit to 429 00:24:58,880 –> 00:25:01,939 your husbands as is fitting in the Lord. 430 00:25:01,939 –> 00:25:04,640 And then alongside that, the scripture 431 00:25:04,640 –> 00:25:07,579 says, Husbands, love your wives as Christ 432 00:25:07,579 –> 00:25:10,640 loved the Church, and then get this, and 433 00:25:10,640 –> 00:25:14,000 give himself up for her. 434 00:25:14,000 –> 00:25:16,640 What did Christ do in relation to the 435 00:25:16,640 –> 00:25:21,680 Church? He submitted his own interests 436 00:25:21,680 –> 00:25:26,239 and walked a costly path for the sake of 437 00:25:26,319 –> 00:25:32,459 the flourishing of his bride, the Church. 438 00:25:32,459 –> 00:25:33,839 He went through that which was 439 00:25:33,839 –> 00:25:37,400 incredibly costly so that his bride 440 00:25:37,400 –> 00:25:39,500 should flourish. 441 00:25:39,500 –> 00:25:41,520 So here, within marriage there are these 442 00:25:41,520 –> 00:25:44,520 different expressions of submission that 443 00:25:44,520 –> 00:25:47,119 are wonderful reflections of the very 444 00:25:47,119 –> 00:25:51,640 character of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 445 00:25:51,640 –> 00:25:55,040 It’s the same in the church. Ephesians 5.21 446 00:25:55,040 –> 00:25:59,880 …we submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 447 00:25:59,880 –> 00:26:02,280 The way in which we regard one another as 448 00:26:02,280 –> 00:26:04,939 brothers is with a kind of respect and 449 00:26:04,939 –> 00:26:07,599 mutual submission that enables the body 450 00:26:07,599 –> 00:26:10,160 of Christ to function. 451 00:26:10,160 –> 00:26:12,439 As we’ve read from Hebrews in chapter 13 452 00:26:12,439 –> 00:26:13,119 the word says, 453 00:26:13,119 –> 00:26:15,520 Obey your leaders and submit to their 454 00:26:15,520 –> 00:26:17,699 authority because they keep watch over 455 00:26:17,699 –> 00:26:21,800 you as men who must give an account. 456 00:26:21,800 –> 00:26:23,540 The same principle of submitting to 457 00:26:23,540 –> 00:26:25,660 authority runs for every Christian 458 00:26:25,660 –> 00:26:28,300 believer in the wider community. 459 00:26:28,300 –> 00:26:32,180 As we live as citizens, 1 peter in chapter 2 460 00:26:32,180 –> 00:26:35,020 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to 461 00:26:35,020 –> 00:26:39,880 every authority instituted amongst men. 462 00:26:39,880 –> 00:26:42,619 Whether it be to the King as the 463 00:26:42,619 –> 00:26:45,540 supreme authority or to governors who 464 00:26:45,540 –> 00:26:47,819 are sent by him to punish those who do 465 00:26:47,819 –> 00:26:49,219 wrong and to commend those who do right. 466 00:26:49,219 –> 00:26:53,319 Live as free men but don’t use your 467 00:26:53,319 –> 00:26:56,119 freedom as a cover-up for evil. Show 468 00:26:56,119 –> 00:27:00,079 proper respect to everyone. Fear God. 469 00:27:00,079 –> 00:27:03,479 Honour the King or as Paul puts it 470 00:27:03,479 –> 00:27:05,880 again in Romans in chapter 13 471 00:27:05,880 –> 00:27:07,680 we are to submit to the authorities 472 00:27:07,680 –> 00:27:11,560 because there is no authority except 473 00:27:11,560 –> 00:27:16,180 that which is established by God. 474 00:27:16,180 –> 00:27:19,400 That includes a teacher at school. 475 00:27:19,400 –> 00:27:22,000 Even a bad one. 476 00:27:22,119 –> 00:27:25,880 That includes the authority of courts in our land. 477 00:27:25,880 –> 00:27:27,880 That should make us think as parents 478 00:27:27,880 –> 00:27:30,280 about how we talk about the president 479 00:27:30,280 –> 00:27:32,040 or the government. We may have 480 00:27:32,040 –> 00:27:34,239 criticisms on different issues but we 481 00:27:34,239 –> 00:27:37,520 want to raise children to have respect 482 00:27:37,520 –> 00:27:41,319 for all those who have been placed in authority. 483 00:27:42,920 –> 00:27:44,599 Now this was the pattern of course of our 484 00:27:44,599 –> 00:27:49,319 Lord Jesus Christ. During his days on 485 00:27:49,319 –> 00:27:51,199 earth we’re told in the book of Hebrews 486 00:27:51,560 –> 00:27:59,640 his prayers were heard, why? Because of 487 00:27:59,640 –> 00:28:05,760 his reverent submission. I take, as I think 488 00:28:05,760 –> 00:28:07,839 is a very legitimate application for 489 00:28:07,839 –> 00:28:10,400 that, that if I do not show reverent 490 00:28:10,400 –> 00:28:13,180 submission, as God calls me to do, I 491 00:28:13,180 –> 00:28:16,839 can’t expect my prayers to be heard. He 492 00:28:16,839 –> 00:28:20,579 was heard because of his reverent 493 00:28:20,579 –> 00:28:25,839 submission. Althoug he was a son, I mean 494 00:28:25,839 –> 00:28:27,680 you can’t get higher authority than that 495 00:28:27,680 –> 00:28:31,420 to be the son of God. Although he was in 496 00:28:31,420 –> 00:28:33,800 that exalted position more exalted than 497 00:28:33,800 –> 00:28:37,219 any other person who has ever been, he 498 00:28:37,219 –> 00:28:43,160 learned obedience. He learned obedience. 499 00:28:43,160 –> 00:28:47,579 Think about that. He who was in the very 500 00:28:47,579 –> 00:28:51,959 nature of God subjected himself to the 501 00:28:51,959 –> 00:28:54,739 authority of the Father for us and for 502 00:28:54,739 –> 00:28:57,219 our salvation. He is born into the world 503 00:28:57,219 –> 00:28:59,339 as a baby. Through his childhood we’re 504 00:28:59,339 –> 00:29:02,359 told in Luke’s gospel he was subject to 505 00:29:02,359 –> 00:29:07,500 his parents. He told his disciples, 506 00:29:07,500 –> 00:29:09,599 I wonder if you knew this, obey the 507 00:29:09,599 –> 00:29:12,479 Pharisees. That’s in Matthew, Chapter 23 508 00:29:12,479 –> 00:29:14,839 at the beginning. He said don’t do what 509 00:29:14,839 –> 00:29:16,099 they do because they don’t do what they 510 00:29:16,099 –> 00:29:19,199 preach. But they sit in Moses seat so 511 00:29:19,199 –> 00:29:22,219 you respect their authority. Pay to 512 00:29:22,219 –> 00:29:27,359 Caesar what is Caesars he said. And he 513 00:29:27,359 –> 00:29:29,819 became obedient to his own father even 514 00:29:29,819 –> 00:29:32,199 when it was incredibly costly, even to 515 00:29:32,199 –> 00:29:37,160 the point of death on a cross. Now it is 516 00:29:37,160 –> 00:29:44,540 this Jesus who said follow me. When he 517 00:29:44,540 –> 00:29:48,619 said follow me he didn’t mean do your 518 00:29:48,619 –> 00:29:52,619 own thing. Now I find that this has 519 00:29:52,619 –> 00:29:55,219 raised very penetrating questions for me 520 00:29:55,219 –> 00:29:57,859 this week. I’m sat with a piece of paper 521 00:29:57,859 –> 00:30:00,420 and tried to write down answers to these 522 00:30:00,420 –> 00:30:04,979 questions that I now want to ask you. 523 00:30:04,979 –> 00:30:09,560 Who do you recognize as being an 524 00:30:09,560 –> 00:30:14,099 authority in your life? Who do you 525 00:30:14,160 –> 00:30:20,579 submit to? Who do you listen to? Now the 526 00:30:20,579 –> 00:30:22,780 older you get and the more powerful you 527 00:30:22,780 –> 00:30:25,219 become, the more difficult this issue 528 00:30:25,219 –> 00:30:30,300 will be. Who is there in your life who is 529 00:30:30,300 –> 00:30:35,479 a higher authority than yourself? For if 530 00:30:35,479 –> 00:30:37,140 there is no higher authority in your 531 00:30:37,140 –> 00:30:39,579 life than what you think, what you want 532 00:30:39,579 –> 00:30:42,540 and what you believe, you are set for a 533 00:30:42,640 –> 00:30:47,780 plunge to disaster. A human soul that has 534 00:30:47,780 –> 00:30:51,619 never learned to submit is a soul in 535 00:30:51,619 –> 00:30:55,280 desperate trouble. It is a soul ravaged 536 00:30:55,280 –> 00:30:59,280 by pride and by self-will. It will be a 537 00:30:59,280 –> 00:31:03,660 soul in constant turmoil. It is the soul 538 00:31:03,660 –> 00:31:08,660 of a tyrant. It is the soul of Korah. And 539 00:31:08,660 –> 00:31:11,819 it is a soul that is destined for hell. 540 00:31:12,160 –> 00:31:15,939 Now, that is the lesson of Korah’s 541 00:31:15,939 –> 00:31:19,260 Rebellion. And I want to suggest that it 542 00:31:19,260 –> 00:31:21,660 is one of the most difficult lessons for 543 00:31:21,660 –> 00:31:25,260 us to learn in our culture of rampant 544 00:31:25,260 –> 00:31:29,219 individualism. Those who will not submit 545 00:31:29,219 –> 00:31:31,459 themselves to others end up like 546 00:31:31,459 –> 00:31:34,199 unguided missiles doing untold damage 547 00:31:34,199 –> 00:31:37,260 wherever they go be it at work, in the 548 00:31:37,319 –> 00:31:42,739 family, in the body of Christ. The spirit 549 00:31:42,739 –> 00:31:51,680 of Korah is within them. I know a pastor 550 00:31:51,680 –> 00:31:59,900 who last year, not in this country, stood 551 00:31:59,900 –> 00:32:02,260 before his congregation in a meeting and 552 00:32:02,260 –> 00:32:12,260 said, I listen to nobody. He thought of 553 00:32:12,260 –> 00:32:16,400 course that he was listening to God, but 554 00:32:16,400 –> 00:32:18,420 his words were the surest indication 555 00:32:18,420 –> 00:32:23,479 that he was not. I shudder to think where 556 00:32:23,479 –> 00:32:30,020 that man will end up. But where the 557 00:32:30,079 –> 00:32:31,959 person who thinks that they are 558 00:32:31,959 –> 00:32:36,160 listening to God and listens to nobody 559 00:32:36,160 –> 00:32:46,760 else? It’s a delusion. It’s the verge of a 560 00:32:46,760 –> 00:32:52,219 plunge to disaster. I have to tell you, 561 00:32:52,219 –> 00:32:53,439 and it’s good that you should know this, 562 00:32:53,439 –> 00:32:55,719 that one of the greatest blessings of my 563 00:32:56,359 –> 00:33:03,160 ministry life is to work with a board and 564 00:33:03,160 –> 00:33:07,800 an Elder Committee where one regularly 565 00:33:07,800 –> 00:33:09,599 has the privilege of observing and 566 00:33:09,599 –> 00:33:12,040 participating with a group of people, 567 00:33:12,040 –> 00:33:19,520 mostly very strong individuals, who can 568 00:33:19,520 –> 00:33:24,839 vigorously argue a case, and who, time and 569 00:33:25,439 –> 00:33:27,319 again, will also say, when they have 570 00:33:27,319 –> 00:33:29,180 listened to someone else, 571 00:33:29,180 –> 00:33:32,199 you know, that’s true, I didn’t see that. 572 00:33:32,199 –> 00:33:34,719 That’s a wonderful expression of the 573 00:33:34,719 –> 00:33:38,819 spirit of Jesus Christ. Submitting to one 574 00:33:38,819 –> 00:33:42,780 another. It’s one of the keys to unity 575 00:33:42,780 –> 00:33:45,339 in the Body of Christ. It’s the very 576 00:33:45,339 –> 00:33:51,380 opposite of what Korah is all about. It’s 577 00:33:51,380 –> 00:33:53,040 very interesting to me that at the end 578 00:33:53,040 –> 00:33:55,699 of the New Testament, Jude identified 579 00:33:55,699 –> 00:33:58,020 some very destructive people who got 580 00:33:58,020 –> 00:34:01,660 their way into the early church. And he 581 00:34:01,660 –> 00:34:04,020 characterized them in three ways and if 582 00:34:04,020 –> 00:34:05,959 you look in Jude verse 11, that’s just 583 00:34:05,959 –> 00:34:08,040 one chapter of Jude, you’ll see what at 584 00:34:08,040 –> 00:34:09,840 least I had the idea for three of the 585 00:34:09,840 –> 00:34:12,840 characters in this series. Because Jude 586 00:34:12,840 –> 00:34:14,560 talks about people in the early church 587 00:34:14,560 –> 00:34:18,479 who had taken the way of Cain, who had 588 00:34:18,520 –> 00:34:21,659 rushed for profit into Balaam’s error 589 00:34:21,659 –> 00:34:27,120 and would be those destroyed in 590 00:34:27,120 –> 00:34:34,040 Korah’s rebellion. If you want to avoid a 591 00:34:34,040 –> 00:34:37,000 plunge to disaster, learn to submit to 592 00:34:37,000 –> 00:34:41,760 others. And here’s the very last thing. If 593 00:34:41,760 –> 00:34:44,320 you want to avoid an ultimate plunge to 594 00:34:44,320 –> 00:34:47,399 disaster, an eternal plunge to disaster, 595 00:34:48,000 –> 00:34:51,120 then learn to submit yourself to Jesus 596 00:34:51,120 –> 00:34:53,979 Christ. Now think about this for just a 597 00:34:53,979 –> 00:34:55,260 moment as we close. 598 00:34:55,260 –> 00:34:57,760 The special position that was given to 599 00:34:57,760 –> 00:35:01,439 Moses in the Old Testament really points 600 00:35:01,439 –> 00:35:04,600 forward to the unique position that was 601 00:35:04,600 –> 00:35:06,479 given to our Lord Jesus Christ in the 602 00:35:06,479 –> 00:35:07,000 New. 603 00:35:07,000 –> 00:35:09,760 Remember what God said about Moses? He 604 00:35:09,760 –> 00:35:15,360 sees the form of God. I speak with him 605 00:35:16,020 –> 00:35:20,879 face to face. Now Korah of course could 606 00:35:20,879 –> 00:35:23,580 never accept that. He was fundamentally 607 00:35:23,580 –> 00:35:25,639 opposed to the idea that God could place 608 00:35:25,639 –> 00:35:28,040 anybody in such a position of privilege. 609 00:35:28,040 –> 00:35:30,459 No, no, no. Korah thought that anybody 610 00:35:30,459 –> 00:35:33,199 could come to God in their own way. He 611 00:35:33,199 –> 00:35:34,459 couldn’t see why people should be 612 00:35:34,459 –> 00:35:36,120 restricted to hearing the Word of God 613 00:35:36,120 –> 00:35:37,439 through Moses, why they should be 614 00:35:37,439 –> 00:35:39,159 restricted to the offering that was 615 00:35:39,159 –> 00:35:42,459 made by Aaron. Why should there only be 616 00:35:42,540 –> 00:35:45,360 one high priest? Answer, Korah, because God 617 00:35:45,360 –> 00:35:48,639 says so. The issue boils down to one of 618 00:35:48,639 –> 00:35:50,979 authority. Who says how you can come to 619 00:35:50,979 –> 00:35:53,120 God? Is it you who says how you come to 620 00:35:53,120 –> 00:35:55,040 God? Or is it God who says how you come 621 00:35:55,040 –> 00:35:57,580 to God? It is God who says how you may 622 00:35:57,580 –> 00:36:00,340 come to God. And the fundamental issue 623 00:36:00,340 –> 00:36:02,560 here is the authority of God. And that 624 00:36:02,560 –> 00:36:04,080 takes us right to the heart of the 625 00:36:04,080 –> 00:36:07,600 Gospel. Because in the New Testament we 626 00:36:07,600 –> 00:36:10,360 have the One to whom Moses could only 627 00:36:11,360 –> 00:36:15,840 Moses was only a shadow. When Jesus 628 00:36:15,840 –> 00:36:17,919 Christ comes into the world we discover 629 00:36:17,919 –> 00:36:21,179 he not only saw the form of God, as Moses 630 00:36:21,179 –> 00:36:28,580 did, he IS the form of God. He not only 631 00:36:28,580 –> 00:36:33,919 heard the Word of God. He IS the Word of 632 00:36:33,919 –> 00:36:37,419 God. And when he came into the world of 633 00:36:37,419 –> 00:36:39,360 course he faced another version of 634 00:36:39,360 –> 00:36:41,219 Korah’s rebellion. This time it was 635 00:36:41,219 –> 00:36:43,659 Pharisees and Herodians who had precious 636 00:36:43,659 –> 00:36:45,600 little in common who found common ground 637 00:36:45,600 –> 00:36:48,199 in a little small group that began the 638 00:36:48,199 –> 00:36:50,560 attitude towards Jesus, that ended up 639 00:36:50,560 –> 00:36:52,620 with a great crowd crying, crucify him. 640 00:36:52,620 –> 00:36:55,840 His own family at one point said that he 641 00:36:55,840 –> 00:36:58,100 was out of his mind. The leaders rose up 642 00:36:58,100 –> 00:37:00,719 and said, we will not have this man to 643 00:37:00,719 –> 00:37:04,840 reign over us. So Christ gave a sign 644 00:37:04,840 –> 00:37:08,739 as to who he is. It wasn’t that the 645 00:37:08,760 –> 00:37:12,060 ground swallowed him up, it was that the 646 00:37:12,060 –> 00:37:14,780 ground couldn’t hold him. And on the 647 00:37:14,780 –> 00:37:17,260 third day he rose from the dead and in 648 00:37:17,260 –> 00:37:19,260 this way, Paul says, was declared with 649 00:37:19,260 –> 00:37:22,439 power to be the Son of God by his 650 00:37:22,439 –> 00:37:26,820 resurrection from the dead. And there are 651 00:37:26,820 –> 00:37:30,899 many people today who still take Korah’s 652 00:37:30,899 –> 00:37:35,060 position. You hear them in your office, 653 00:37:35,060 –> 00:37:38,419 you hear them in conversations with 654 00:37:38,419 –> 00:37:41,159 friends who do not yet believe. And 655 00:37:41,159 –> 00:37:43,399 they’ll say as Korah would have said, 656 00:37:43,399 –> 00:37:45,899 how can you say that people can only 657 00:37:45,899 –> 00:37:51,060 come to God through Jesus Christ, aren’t 658 00:37:51,060 –> 00:37:53,439 all the people holy, isn’t God amongst 659 00:37:53,439 –> 00:37:55,199 all the people, aren’t we all 660 00:37:55,199 –> 00:38:03,459 God’s children anyway? No we’re not. No 661 00:38:03,479 –> 00:38:08,860 we’re not, Korah. God has made a way in 662 00:38:08,860 –> 00:38:15,939 which we may come to him. That’s why in 663 00:38:15,939 –> 00:38:18,219 the Gospels there’s that great moment 664 00:38:18,219 –> 00:38:22,500 where Jesus’ glory is revealed and God 665 00:38:22,500 –> 00:38:24,679 says on the mountain of transfiguration 666 00:38:24,679 –> 00:38:31,899 this is my son listen to him don’t 667 00:38:31,939 –> 00:38:34,060 listen to the voice of every religious 668 00:38:34,060 –> 00:38:35,580 movement that the various cultures of 669 00:38:35,580 –> 00:38:38,060 the world have thrown up through history 670 00:38:38,060 –> 00:38:42,179 this is my son listen to him if you 671 00:38:42,179 –> 00:38:44,300 want to avoid an eternal plunge to 672 00:38:44,300 –> 00:38:49,139 disaster submit to the authority of 673 00:38:49,139 –> 00:38:55,500 Jesus Christ. He has died the righteous 674 00:38:55,500 –> 00:38:58,459 for the unrighteous to bring you to God 675 00:38:58,820 –> 00:39:03,860 and no one else can do that and on the 676 00:39:03,860 –> 00:39:05,739 last day there will be people who will 677 00:39:05,739 –> 00:39:07,939 stand before God like Cora with their 678 00:39:07,939 –> 00:39:09,860 own little sensors they’ll love their 679 00:39:09,860 –> 00:39:12,300 own sincerity their own good works and 680 00:39:12,300 –> 00:39:13,979 they will come before God and they’ll 681 00:39:13,979 –> 00:39:16,520 say here I am and here’s the good life 682 00:39:16,520 –> 00:39:20,060 that I’ve lived and if that’s how you 683 00:39:20,060 –> 00:39:25,820 come you take a plunge to disaster, 684 00:39:25,820 –> 00:39:30,060 how must you come? You must come through the 685 00:39:30,060 –> 00:39:34,219 high priest who has offered the 686 00:39:34,219 –> 00:39:39,100 sacrifice acceptable to God, Jesus Christ 687 00:39:39,100 –> 00:39:44,260 our Savior the Son of God who has come 688 00:39:44,260 –> 00:39:48,260 to reconcile you to God and through 689 00:39:48,260 –> 00:39:53,179 faith in his blood you may stand before 690 00:39:53,479 –> 00:39:58,060 him and on the last day find acceptance 691 00:39:58,060 –> 00:40:03,379 with God. Let’s pray together, shall we? 692 00:40:03,379 –> 00:40:11,379 How are you going to stand before God on 693 00:40:11,379 –> 00:40:14,340 the last day? 694 00:40:14,340 –> 00:40:21,620 Like Kora, or are you going to take your 695 00:40:21,899 –> 00:40:27,500 stand by faith in Jesus Christ who loved 696 00:40:27,500 –> 00:40:33,219 you and gave himself for you? 697 00:40:33,219 –> 00:40:36,260 The Son of God, of whom the Father says, 698 00:40:36,260 –> 00:40:39,419 listen to him. 699 00:40:39,419 –> 00:40:43,520 Let’s bow before the uniqueness and the 700 00:40:43,520 –> 00:40:45,500 glory of our Lord and saviour Jesus 701 00:40:45,500 –> 00:40:47,219 Christ. 702 00:40:48,100 –> 00:40:51,939 Let’s recognise just how much our pride, 703 00:40:51,939 –> 00:40:54,699 stubbornness and self-will needs to be 704 00:40:54,699 –> 00:41:01,600 broken. Teach us by your grace, dear Lord, 705 00:41:01,600 –> 00:41:06,860 to submit to you, and in that same grace 706 00:41:06,860 –> 00:41:12,540 to submit to one another. Deliver us 707 00:41:13,459 –> 00:41:19,459 from the pride of selfish ambition, 708 00:41:19,459 –> 00:41:27,179 from the deftness of foolish self-confidence. 709 00:41:27,179 –> 00:41:29,560 Lead us with humility, in the way of everlasting. 710 00:41:29,560 –> 00:41:35,219 Guide us we pray, through those great 711 00:41:35,219 –> 00:41:39,860 rocks that would threaten our voyage, 712 00:41:39,860 –> 00:41:45,399 bring us safely, into your presence, 713 00:41:45,399 –> 00:41:49,239 through Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord. 714 00:41:49,239 –> 00:41:50,820 Amen.