“Come with us and help us start a new congregation. We offer you a once in a life time opportunity to step out of the shadows and do something, be someone special!”
Or perhaps, “You can go on doing what you have always done and when your life is done… you will have done what everyone else has… But you could choose to come out and do something special! You could help to place the name of Christ where it has never been!”
We have worded this offer in various ways but it has come down to a special opportunity to start a new work where you are important rather than just being a nameless number in a multitude. If you worship God among hundreds or even thousands… what will your impact be? Where can you do the most good? Where will your children learn the greatest lessons on their need to take up the yoke of the Lord Jesus? Even your children have a chance to be on the front lines for Jesus!
We make this offer to you… Jesus knows you but we’d like to!
Jesus will always do you good… Now we’d like to!
Today’s article is based on very similar ancient offer given by Moses to his father in-law Hobab (a.k.a. Jethro) and some of Hobab’s extended family. It is the kind of offer that a Christian or a church should regularly give today. We’ll look at this virtually unknown offer… made long ago to a family outside of Judaism.
Have you ever heard a sermon based on this offer?
(Me neither…)
Hobab was Moses’ father-in-law. He was already “with them”… but not “of them.” (see also I John 2:19) We see this very common situation today. How many people do you know in and around the church that are “with” but not really “of” them? When they are called to stand up and march… Hobab (and his family) want nothing to do with it. They enjoyed “just camping…” or “keeping house” for the Lord. If you want to get to the Promised Land you must cease to just “camp out” at the foot of Sinai.
Notice first that they had been sitting at Mount Sinai for some 2 years. (Depending on where you start counting, see Numbers 10:11-12). Hobab has seen many of the incredible miraculous things that God was doing as He worked with Israel. Hobab’s family had wandered and encamped with Israel. Now… he needs to make the call. Are you or aren’t going to be a part of God’s special people, those called and chosen, or not?
Today we Christians are like ancient Israel,
We “are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR {God's} OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” I Peter 2:9-10
We are wandering through this life in search of the promised possession of God… heaven. We are doing our dead level best to get from here to there.
After sitting for 2 years and talking about the Promised Land, the order to march was given (Numbers 10:28)… Talking and doing are two very different things. It is now time to act. Moses looks at Hobab, this man who had meant so much to him. It was time to leave him behind. Moses just couldn’t do it without trying to share his blessings with him. Moses loved this man!
“We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD has promised good concerning Israel."
So as you see us… the Christians in your midst, you will find ourselves saying very similar things for the same reason… We care about you. God has promised us that He loves us, that He gave His only begotten Son to save us, and that He has a place prepared for us. Here is our offer to you….
“We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD has promised good concerning” …. The church, Jesus’ church.
Note:
“Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:25-27
We are His people and we wish to share His blessings that He has promised us… with you. Our offer predates Christianity, but love for you continues to be the core of all Christians’ care for the world.
Consider…. II Corinthians 5:10-11
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.”
We are not Protestants, i.e. we are not on some kind of protest march. You can see those things on TV. The streets of Iran were filled with them. We have no man made creeds. We are not simply followers of men…
We are on the most important journey anyone can ever undertake, we wish for you, invite you… to come along.
The important thing to remember is that God has cosigned our offer to you. He has bankrolled it so to speak. It will be good for you. Christianity will do you good. (People may aggravate you, but God will do you good!) This is a blessed journey, it has a purpose. This journey has a beginning, a road map with a specific route to follow. This journey has an incredible ending… a grand finale! Jesus said…
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, {there} you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." John 14:1-4
There will be struggles along the way but… Come with us, for God has promised us good…..
He has promised won’t you come?
If you are young and you wish for adventure… “And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men." Mark 1:17
If you are old and have had all the adventure your heart can take… “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy- laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
God has promised!
So what was Hobab’s response to the incredible “once in a millennium” offer?
“But he said to him, "I will not come, but rather will go to my {own} land and relatives." Numbers 10:30You’re kidding right? How can you turn this down? To align yourself with God… to be on the way to the Promised Land? I thought you were a priest??? (Yes Hobab was even a priest, a priest of Midian.) But he still turned “forever” down “for the sake of his family.” (For the sake of his family??)
Today we would say, “I thought you were a Christian?”
I recently spoke with some families about working with us… they thought it better for their families to stay in a liberal church that had rejected scripture as their guide. Yes even churches reject this offer! Moses’ offer and Hobab’s response to it are still very much with us. Hobab was tied to second best and second best was more comfortable to him (and them) than the great unknowns. How many people do you know that are so tied to worldly relationships that God is forced to take second place? There is a problem with that.
God has warned that He will not accept second place for (or to) anyone!
"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-39
God wants you… But we need you!
“Then he said, "Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us. So it will be, if you go with us, that whatever good the LORD does for us, we will do for you." Numbers 10:31-32
How many have found themselves in a pickle trying to figure out what to say as someone looks the situation over… Knows what it means and still turns away from it? What more is there to say?
“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and {then} have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” Hebrews 6:4-6
Tragic!
My little sister used to send her kids to us in the summer. Her intent was that I was supposed to work the boys to teach them how to hold a job etc. Today, as I contemplated the reaction of Hobab to Moses’ offer, I remembered a conversation I had with one of my nephews many years ago regarding working and earning money for the summer.
We were discussing his going out into the hot sun and working… he wasn’t at all interested. I asked him how he was planning to earn money. “Well, you know I think I have enough money!” was his reply.
How many people do you know have this idea about spiritual things? I think I have quite enough spiritual blessings… I don’t need any more!
Moses’ words spoke a very different story didn’t they? They spoke of priorities and true value.
“For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that {country} from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better {country,} that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:14-16
Moses and Hobab was very like Jesus and Jerusalem.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!” Matthew 23:37-38It doesn’t have to be that way. God has promised! If you are willing… Come with us and we will do you good.
Hi I am glad you stopped by our blog. These articles are from an emailing that we did several years ago. Today most of our work is on facebook
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If you wish to worship with us....
Las Vegas church of Christ
709 Dora Celeste
Las Vegas, NM 87701
Our meeting times are
10am Sunday morning for Bible study.
11am Sunday morning for the worship service.
6pm Wednesday evening for Midweek Bible study.
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yakipreacher@gmail.com
Be well
Jerry Blount
