Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Text:

Numbers 32:20-23:

20 And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,

21 And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

22 And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

 

Theme:

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself (Rev.)

 

Introduction:

• The Book of Numbers
  • the fourth of the books of the Pentateuch, called in the Hebrew be-midbar, i.e., “in the wilderness.”
  • In the LXX. version it is called “Numbers,” and this name is now the usual title of the book.
  • It is so called because it contains a record of
    • the numbering of the people in the wilderness of Sinai (1-4), and
    • their numbering afterwards on the plain of Moab (26).
  • Believed to have been written by Moses…as the other books of the Pentateuch also
• The text finds a peculiar passage of where Moses instructed the people to prepare for war.
  • They are to conquer all for God!
  • Verse 21 says, “And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,”
  • Moses then gives a profound warning to the people:

But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

• Moses basically warns the people just as the preacher today needs to be warned:
  • You had better CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF!

 

Body:

• As a preacher, you must CHECK YOURSELF:
  • FIRST à I’m Saved
    • Salvation is the process within this life that gives us life more abundantly. In this life, we must:
      • Repent
        • Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
        • Romans 10:10, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
      • Believe in Jesus Christ
        • the born, lived, suffered, hung, bled, died, buried, and rose again for the remission of sins
          • Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
      • Be baptized
        • Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
      • Receive the Holy Ghost
        • John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
    • There are four things that we have to do:
      • Admit – I am a sinner
      • Submit – I submit all my sinful self to God
      • Commit – I commit my life to His Word, Will, and Way for me
      • Transmit – Tell someone else of what God has done for me
    • Check to make sure that you are SAVED
  • SECOND — I’m Divinely Called
    • God Acts on our behalf à Isaiah 6:8a, “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
      • The Call of God — There are two types of “callings” from God
        • The Call to live right
          • 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
        • The Call to service
          • 2 Peter 1:10, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
    • Check to make sure that you are DIVINELY CALLED
  • THIRD — I’m in the Right Position
    • Where are YOU? — Isaiah 6:8b, “Then said I, Here am I;”
      • As paraphrased in the precious instruction of Eli to the young Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:9, “ Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.”
      • Be in the right place for God to bless you!!
      • God wants AVAILABILITY and not CAPABILITY!
      • Don’t be caught in the ______ when God calls!! 🙂
    • Our position is for His service! à Isaiah 6:8c, “send me”
      • The greatest of all reactions!!! Isaiah was WILLING to go, to work, to live for God!
    • Check to make sure that you are IN THE RIGHT POSITION
  • FOURTH — I’m Submerged in Him
    • Being SUBMERGED keeps the preachers connected!
      • Psalms 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, (submerged) that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
    • When SUBMERGED, you can’t help but be connected…regardless of the situation
      • 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
    • His Word can flow through me to others – because it is all about Him
      • Romans 15:16, “That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.”
    • Check to make sure that you are SUBMERGED
• ==>GOD’S GOT IT FROM HERE!!
  • Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
  • We have to trust Him!!
    • Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
  • God will take of YOU!!!
    • As the old gospel song says,

Through every day,

Along the way,

He will take care of you.

God will take care of you!!

 

Conclusion:

• CHECK YOURSELF…BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF:
• Don’t think that you can “be slick” or get away with any violation (verse 23 says):

But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

• “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD”
  • Everybody has iniquities or sins
    • It’s in our makeup à Psalms 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
    • We have sinned before à Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
    • We all STILL sin! à Romans 7:19-20, “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
• “be sure”
  • Know this one thing!!
  • You can’t escape!!
• “your sin will find you out”
  • . “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God”
    • Sin separates the creation from the Creator
      • Romans 8:7, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
      • Exodus 33:14-15, “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”
    • You cannot avoid the consequences of SIN!!!
  • The only way out is JESUS!!!!!!
    • 1John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
      • Required purity/perfection
        • Keeps us ever repentant before God
      • Joy is restored
        • Psalms 51:12, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
      • Spiritual Renewal
        • Ignites a fire using the “pilot light” already existing within us through the Holy Spirit
      • Divine Support
        • Lord, I need your help to go on!
      • Effectiveness in God’s work
        • NOW, after all this has been done, we can be effective workers for God. WHEW!!!

• So, CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF!!!

 

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