BBC Sermon Cast

There is much uncertainty in life—even the Christian life. We attempt to make educated guesses about everything from the weather to relationships but are never entirely sure how it will work out. We don’t know the stock market and commodities will perform, how the race will go, or who will win major sporting events. We don’t know the future of our health, security, jobs, or income. What we do know is that God is both with us and he is for us. God looks upon us with a favourable eye and hence we are assured of a favourable future. We see this in Numbers 24.

One of the disciplines to which Christians, in the context of the church, are called is to show hospitality. Paul urges us to show generosity to saints in need and to open our homes to one another. What does hospitality look like? To whom should it be shown? How can we practically obey this biblical command? These are some of the questions we want to explore in this study.

Throughout history, people of God, to various degrees, have faced those who have wished and worked for their eradication. Yet, after two thousand years of new covenant church history, the church remains—because Jesus Christ remains! The Lord has preserved his people and continues to build his church, just as he said he would (Matthew 16:18). This is a major lesson and encouragement in the text before us. Despite appearances, God was at work among his people to accomplish what he had promised.

Disciples of Jesus Christ are called by the New Testament to be members of a local church, and members of a local church are called by the New Testament to serve one another in the church. Mark 10:35–45 highlights some important lessons about what it means to serve in the church.

Numbers 22 is a story of grace—of God preserving and protecting his people from evil attempts to destroy them. Too many Christians live in unjustified fear of outside forces. In our country, uninstructed and/or erroneously instructed believers are under the oppressive thumb of false ideas about sangomas, curses, and ancestors. Others are controlled by irrational fears of disease and death. This chapter helps us to confront these fears with the truth of God’s word and the promise of God’s grace.

If you are a disciple of Jesus, you have a responsibility to help someone follow Jesus by doing deliberate spiritual good in their lives.

Numbers 20 was filled with heartache. Thankfully, all did not remain dark for chapter 21 contains a great deal of encouragement. Though it recounts a sinful episode (vv. 4–9), it nonetheless also contains grace and forgiveness, military conquest, gracious divine provision, a song of celebration, and a wonderful fulfilment of prophecy. All things considered, this chapter is thematically about hope and new beginnings. Its theme is hope renewed.

David Livingstone wrote, “I am a missionary, heart and soul. God had an only Son, and he was a missionary and a physician. I am a poor, poor imitation of him, or wish to be. In this service I hope to live; in it I wish to die!” What does it mean for a church to be meaningfully involved in gospel witness—in evangelism? John 20:21–22 helps us understand.

In the opening chapter of Isaiah, we find a stinging rebuke against a sinful nation. God brings his case against this nation in four steps: He first charges them with rebellion (vv. 1–9), before presenting the evidence of hypocritical worship (vv. 10–17), before delivering the verdict of guilt (vv. 18–23), and finally pronouncing the twofold judgement of mercy for the obedient and justice for the disobedient (vv. 24–31).

All Christians are responsible before God to take themselves in hand, deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. To do so requires that we daily bring our bodies, minds, and wills in subjection to the lordship of Jesus Christ. But it is fundamentally important to understand that we do not live the Christian life in isolation. If we are isolated from other Christians in meaningful, Spirit-filled community, we are not living the Christian life, regardless of our protestations to the contrary. And, like the individual Christian, the corporate body is responsible to discipline itself before God for godliness.