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Tel: 08708 034670 Fax: 01920 468191
michael@walkerdine.net NEW for 2007 ~ Christian Games Website
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The Bronze Snakeby Michael Walkerdine inspired by Pastor John Jessop
The devil is not afraid of bibles with dust on!! The devil is not afraid of bibles with dust on!! The devil is not afraid of bibles with dust on!!
Turn with me to Numbers in the Old Testament
NU 21:1 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. 2 Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities." 3 The LORD listened to Israel's plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.( which means destruction)
NU 21:4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"
NU 21:6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
NU 21:8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
So what's the story all about?
This is one of the scriptures that had a great impact on my life 10 years ago, when I was looking to find the meaning of life! and it brought me to give my life to the Lord.
This one event in history if explained correctly should be enough to bring anyone to the Lord.
Now lets dissect the passage.
All through the bible we are told how faithful God is All through the bible we are told how God has plans for us,
All through the bible God answers prayer
Today we hear of miraculous healings – only a couple of months ago Marcia and myself saw Benny Hinn – and through Benny Hinn
God was able to reach his people God was able to touch his people God was able to heal his people God was able to lift his people
And guess what the very next day many of us are back to square one
Why is that!
The word and presence of God is like a fix Its like a pill
Unless you keep taking it the numbness, the pain and the lethargy returns.
Church is like a fire
And we are the hot coals in that fire.
But with a fire if a coal falls out onto the hearth it burns a hole and causes damage– it cools down slowly, and slowly it gets cooler and cooler until it is stone cold.
Now at any time that coal can be put back in the fire and it will heat up again - and become very hot – too hot to handle.
And we as people are like those coals – if we come to church each week, and go to house groups and go to the prayer mornings, and the bible study and we stay in the heart of the church activity and we read our bibles and we pray at all times – we will be on fire, we will be a church on fire.
If your out on a cold day – the breath is a mist in front of your nose – your fingers are cold – a shiver goes down you back. Isn’t it nice to get into the warmth in front of that fire.
As a church we need to be like a fire – so when the lost cross our doors – when they are at the winter of their lives and they are looking for the meaning of life – we should be that fire, that welcoming warm, glowing, winter blues melting fire.
Are any of us here on fire this morning – or just luke warm?
Do we sometimes not come to church on a Sunday – therefore falling out of the fire. I don’t mean not coming because you have prior commitments – I mean not coming because you don’t feel like it.
Well my friends that’s when you need to be in church – that’s when Lucifer is on your back - he's causing you damage – just like that coal that fell out of the fire and burnt the carpet
And the longer you stay out in the cold - the colder we will get.
If you feel out in the cold this morning - come back in - its lovely and warm in here – well soon warm you up and Gods here –
Am I talking to any one here this morning??
In the scripture the Israelites promised the Lord - that if he helped them to conquer the Canaanites - they would destroy all the towns.
You see they asked God for help - and God helped. But I don’t believe they just said
Dear God, how are you today, we had a great evening down the pub last night, I won a few quid at bingo, help me win on the dogs today- and by the way if you can see your way clear to stamp on the old Caneys – that would be brill – if you can we will trash the place - catch you some time next week - Amen
They would be praying - earnestly – they would have their prayer warriors out in force – it wouldn’t be a case of praying between eastenders and corrors –they would fervently, en mass, preparing themselves, cleansing themselves, offering themselves, for hours, days, weeks, and months.
And the prayers would be sincere – we don’t know hardship in our world- they did.
And their faith was stronger than our is now – and we have the bible to tell us all about it – we have the training manual –the hitch hikers guide to eternal life. – they didn’t – all they had was faith.
Is our faith strong enough?
Now the comparison between us and them becomes very similar in the next bit of the story.
The Israelites were winging, belly aching, revolting (I don’t mean they had a nasty whiff)
We've all heard the scripture - where two or three are gathered together………. Lalala
Well there is also another lesser known scripture in the book of ‘Tradus Unionus’ in the Old Testament. Where it says -
Where two or more are gathered together – there shalt be whinging, complaining, scheming, manipulation, striking, persecution, and I don’t like the food. – now this gem was written by Lucifer, and designed to be used whether wanted or not when someone or a group of people are holding a pity party….
And that’s what happened – they didn’t like the food, they were out in the wilderness – I don’t know about you but I bet school dinners would taste good out there.
You see they were ungrateful, and that meant they were ungrateful to God.
After all they had been through - they had been brought out of Egypt – strolled through the red sea – given food abundantly
They turned there backs on God. So what happened
The bible says the Lord sent the snakes to bite them. In those days snake bites would have been agonising, and there would probably follow a slow and painful death
Now I don’t believe the Lord sent the snakes to bite them. The snakes were there all the time – they hadn’t bit because God was protecting his people
I believe he allowed the snakes to bite them
Now listen - he allowed the snakes to bite them.
Think about this - if you don’t want something you are not likely to get it. Are you
You see I don’t want for Christmas a hand held palm computer – with auto route planning and navigation system – available at Dixon's in the Heathrow terminal building just before my flight to Miami. Marcia are you listening??
If I don’t want it - I am not going to get it – am I
So if the Israelites stop asking God for protection and blessings – what's going to happen?
You see they turned there backs on God – so God couldn't protect them - I am sure he wanted to - but they were all out of fellowship
You see if you are not on Gods side – who's side are you on?
you are either on Gods side or the devils side – there is no de militarised zone
the Iraq war - I am not going to get political – but if you were in ~Iraq at the time you were either for Saddam or against him its was clear cut
and that’s the way it is with God – and that’s the way it should be with your life
if you are a 100% on Gods side then your life and the way you live your life will be an example to others.
Is the way you live your life? – are you proud of it or ashamed? – is it Gods way or your way?
You cannot be a half way house. You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
So people were being bitten by the snakes – and they were dying painful deaths
What happens when you go out in the rain and you don’t take an umbrella? - you get wet
What happens when you go out in the rain with your family and you don’t take an umbrella? you get wet
What happens if the whole church goes out in the rain and no one takes an umbrella? you get wet
We need to put a team in for mastermind!!
What happens if a person goes out in the rain with an umbrella?
What happens when you go out in the rain with your family with an umbrella?
What happens if the whole church goes out in the rain and everyone takes an umbrella?
Now convert that to prayer
If one person prays – they have the ability to come under the cover of the blood – so the umbrella symbolises protection.
A family that prays has a bigger umbrella – therefore bigger protection
A church that prays - can protect the whole flock – and the odd person that hasn’t perfected a prayer technique but is trying will also be protected.
Just like the coals in a fire. If the church has the right, willing, God living, non whinging, praying, seeking, knocking and asking members then God can and will work miracles
But also remember that if one person is living their life in an un godly manner – then that will affect the blessing of the whole church.
And as a Christian - if a brother or sister is slipping - then lovingly we need to encourage them to change – my wife does it to me all the time
So the Israelites pleaded with God to protect them - God said to them make a replica of poisonous snake out of bronze and put it on a poll - those who have been bitten will live if they simply look at it.
Wow – if you have been bitten by a snake all you have to do is look at the bronzey wiggly thing on a pole – and you will be healed –
They obviously had to have faith that it would work. – there was no bible in those days
By coming back to Gods side – God could work with them – the Israelites got back in the fire.
That bronze snake – was like taking an umbrella out in the rain.
Back in those days the Israelites didn’t know the fuller meaning that Jesus would bring to this event.
Jesus explained that just as the Israelites were healed of their sickness by looking at the snake on a pole, all believers today can be saved from sickness of sin by looking to Jesus’ death on the cross. It was not the snake that healed the people but their belief that God could heal them.
Jesus replaced the bronze snake – in those days they looked at a snake on a pole – today we look at Jesus on a cross.
What comparisons can we draw from the Israelites and from Christians today
Israelites - bitten by snakes Christians - Bitten by sin
IS – little initial pain and then intense suffering CH - little initial pain and then intense suffering
IS – physical death from snakes poison CH – spiritual death from sins poison
IS – Bronze snake lifted up in the wilderness CH – Christ lifted up on a cross
IS – looking to the snake spared ones life CH – looking to the cross saves from eternal death
So we have to stay in fellowship with God We have to spend more time in fellowship with God We have to spend more time together as a fellowship in fellowship with God We need to find prayer partners We need to regularly pray with prayer partners We need to study his word, his training manual, the manufacturers hand book – how much dust does your bible have? Commit today to blow the dust into ~Lucifer’s face. And don’t let the dust settle again.
Just bow your heads
Ask yourself this question this morning – do you want more out of God this morning?
Because He wants more out of you
Is he going to get more out of you from this morning and onwards?
Do you want to change the way you are this morning?
Are you tired of the person you have become or are?
God wants to move in this place
God has plans for this place, his place, his kingdom
God wants to move in you this morning - will you let him?
Do you want a fresh start this morning – the cross of cavalry is here this morning.
Can you commit your everything - can you commit more prayer time, more bible time, more God time.
If you can God will meet you this morning - come forward
Brothers and sister the holy one is here – come forward
The power of the holy spirit – has a life changing force - come forward.
Friends come forward for prayer and receive a fresh anointing. The bronze snake is here this morning,
If this sermon has inspired you and you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour then say this short prayer and email me at michael@walkerdine.net
Heavenly Father:
I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart that Jesus is your Son, And that he died on the Cross at Calvary that I might be forgiven and have Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Father, I
believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you right now I repent of my Sins and will Worship you all the day's of my Life!. Because your word is truth, I confess with my mouth that I am Born Again and Cleansed by the Blood of Jesus! In Jesus Name, Amen.
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have prayed the Sinners Prayer and truly believe the words you read, then
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