08/01/2021 – Midtown Church
When Life Doesn’t Add Up (Series on the Book of Numbers)
Week 1 – “Passing The Tests of Life” with Efrem Smith
Main Text –
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 “‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Numbers 6:22-27 (NIV)
- Life, Tests, and Anxiety
- Book of Numbers: A People in the Test of the Desert Until They Pass or Fail
Have You Felt Like You Were in the Desert?
- God Blesses People in the Desert, So…
1. …You Don’t Have to Fear the Desert
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 “‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;Numbers 6:22-24
2. …You Don’t Want to Avoid the Desert
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’Numbers 6:25-26
3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! 4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”
Numbers 20:3-5
3. …You Can Get Thru the Desert with God
“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Numbers 6:27
Don’t Stay in the Desert Too Long; Christ Didn’t
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Matthew 4:1-11
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