A Step Towards Generosity

Numbers 11: Israel’s Greed for Meat in the Wilderness

The Old Testament reading is from the book of Numbers chapter 11 verses 4 through 20 and verses 31 and 34. On page 9 119 of your view Bible, please stand in honor of God's Word. Numbers chapter 11 verse 4.

And The rabble who were among them had greedy desires and also the sons of Israel wept again and said Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt The cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone.

There is nothing at all to look at except this manna. Now the manna was like coriander seed and its appearance like that of the delim. The people would go about and gather it and grind it between two millstones or beat it in the mortar and boil it in the pot and make cakes with it and it taste was a taste of cakes baked with oil and When the dew fell in the camp at night The manna would fall with it.

Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout the families each man at the doorway of his tent and The anger of the Lord was kindled greatly and Moses was displeased. So Moses said to the Lord why has thou been so hard on thy servant and Why have I not found favor in thy sight that thou has laid the burden of all his this people on me.

Was it I who conceived all these people? Was it I who brought them forth that thou should say to me carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant To the land which thou didst swear to their fathers.

Where am I to get meat to give to all these people for they weep before me saying give us meat That we may eat. I alone am not able to carry all this people because it's too burdensome for me. So if thou are going to deal thus with me Please kill me at once and if I have found favor in thy sight and do not let me see my wretchedness.

The Lord therefore said to Moses gather for me 70 men from the elders of Israel whom you know to be elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting and Let them take their stand there with you.

Then I will come down and speak with you there and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you and I will put him upon them and they shall bear the burden of the people with you and So that you shall not bear it alone and say to the people consecrate yourselves for tomorrow and you shall eat meat.

For you have wept in the ears of the Lord Saying oh that someone would give us meat to eat. For we were well off in Egypt. Therefore. The Lord will give you meat and you shall eat. You shall eat not one day nor two days.

Nor five days nor ten days nor twenty days. But a whole month until it comes out of your nostrils. It becomes loathsome to you because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him saying Why did we ever leave Egypt?

Verse 31. Now there went forth a wind from the Lord and it brought quail from the sea and Let them fall beside the camp about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side all around the camp and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground and The people spent all day and all night and all the next day and gathered the quail.

He who gathered least gathered ten homers and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. While the meat was still between their teeth. Before it was chewed the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague.

So the name of that place. Well, it's called key broth at Teva because they buried the people who had been greedy. From keep off a Teva the people set out for.

Hayes Roth and they remained at Hayes Roth. Our New Testament scripture readings found in the book of Philippians. Be reading from chapter 4 beginning in verse 10. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Now that I'm speaking of being in need for I've learned in whatever situation. I am to be content. I know how to be brought low. I know how to abound in any and every circumstance.

I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Contentment as the First Step Toward Generosity

You may be see think your Bibles today and if you would turn to first Timothy chapter 6 first Timothy chapter 6. You're turning. I just want to mention something. You know, what's great about our fellowship of churches the fellowship of independent reformed evangelicals fire is.

That they truly are we true. They truly do pray for one another so this week one of the members of the board Errol Hale from California called us and Andrew and I talked to him. He wanted to know what they could pray about and what we could praise God about for this church and so we talked to him for a while and so February 3rd and 4th the board is going to be praying and for a portion of that time.

They'll be praying for Leroux Baptist Church. So this is a fellowship of churches. That's just unique. I think and I'm glad we're a part of it. Well, if you're there now, we're in first Timothy chapter 6.

I want you to follow as I read our text for this morning verses 6 through 10 first Timothy 6 6 through 10 now. There is great gain in godliness with contentment. For we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world.

But if we have food and clothing with these we will be content but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation into a snare into many senseless and Harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Father we pray now that you would attend the preaching of your word Lord, I pray that the spirit would make it real to every individual that is here.

That we might understand these things and we might grow as a result. These are instructions given to us commands given to us father that we must obey and so I pray that we would take them seriously. Father help us in this for we want to be distinguish Distinguishable disciples of Jesus in a world that's run mad with greed.

Help us we pray now in Jesus name. Amen. Every day every day without exception. We're bombarded with a message. You really won't be happy unless you have this unless you purchase that. Unless you possess this thing.

Our children reflect that quite. Frequently when you go to Walmart, where do they want to go? They want to go to the toy section, right? That's where they want to go. And so that's where they try to get you to go now as adults.

We're really not that different, but we're a little bit sophisticated. When we drive into Marion or Columbus, we don't stop at the car dealer. We don't always go to Menards. We don't always go to the Bass Pro Shop or in my case Barnes and Noble we don't just stop there, but what we do is we drive by the car lot and.

We.

Look at the cars. We wish we had that SUV and read grumble because we think that we need that SUV but right now we just can't afford it. We become discontented. One of the reasons why I believe that we are not generous and are giving to the Lord's work is because of discontentment.

You think to yourself things would be so much better if we had that SUV and so you start hoarding your money you start doing what it takes to buy it and When you're discontented that is when you're not satisfied with what you have you grasp for other things.

And so you have less to invest in the Lord's work. Now the pastoral epistle of 1st Timothy Explicitly addresses that issue of contentment. Now it's called a pastoral epistle because it was written from the Apostle Paul to his son in the faith Timothy who he whom he had left in Ephesus to set things in order in that Church it's called the pastoral epistle because it has to do with Shepherding the flock of God and in this epistle.

He tells him what to do about false teachers how to deal with them. He talks about the worship and the organization of the congregation. He talks about the church's Responsibility to take care of those who are in need.

Like the widows that are part of the church there and when you get to chapter 6 verse 3 he returns to the danger of false teachers and then moves on to the problem of money and Possessions and if you know says we look at it, you'll note a contrast here.

So look at chapter 6 verse 3. Pardon me, I I'm getting old. I can't see the numbers like I used to there we are. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness.

He is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words which produce envy dissension slander evil Suspicions and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth.

Imagining their godliness is a means of gain. Now the problem with these false teachers is not merely their false doctrine. The problem he says is their desire for gain. One sure mark of a heretic is when that desire for money starts coming out on top.

That is one sure sign that you're dealing with a false teacher. Now as opposed to that attitude that their their godliness if you will their their Ministry vehicle if you will is a is a way of financial gain as opposed to that attitude.

What should be the Christians attitude? And when you look at verse 6, here's what you read. He says now there is great gain in godliness with contentment. You see what he does, but great gain is godliness with contentment.

Look at the contrast these false teachers desire financial gain, but true gain great gain. Genuine gain is godliness plus contentment. That is true gain godliness plus contentment. That's it. That's great gain as opposed to all the accumulation of money and possessions.

And so I would suggest to you that the first step toward generosity, you know. We spent two weeks talking about God wants us to be generous givers. The first step towards that is to be content. So if we want to if we want to lay out a pathway to generosity I think this is the best place to start.

If you want to be generous then be content. Be content. Verse 6 contentment with godliness is great gain. The fact is true gain genuine gain great gain can be found in pursuing godliness and having an attitude of Contentment you may gain.

Listen, you may gain and hold on to wealth and never be content with what you have. You can have a ton of stuff. You can have a boatload of money and never be content with what you have. If that's the case, then you haven't gained anything at all.

You see the point he's making you can have all kinds of stuff. You can gain incredible riches, but if you're not content, you haven't gained a thing. You've missed the boat entirely. You will gain much if you pursue godliness.

That is if you expend your energy in becoming what God has called you to be. That's gain you want gain then expend your energy pursuing godliness. Pursuing the precepts and the promises of God. How do we become godly?

You know the whole New Testament the whole Bible is about that. Well, first of all, here's what we have to understand. By faith you lay hold of the promises of God. That's where godliness starts. The promise that Christ is yours.

If you believe in him the promise that you become God's friend. That you become his child as you trust in what his son has accomplished for you in his death and his resurrection. The promise that God will wipe out all The sins the record of all the sins you've committed.

Now you think about that this first step into godliness is to believe that that record that stood against you with all your sins that stood as an Indictment against you is wiped clean in the record book of heaven.

Can you imagine that every bad thing you've ever done every sin you've committed every bad thought every awful word. Everything you've ever done that stands against you because you've broken what God Commands you to do and you've not done what he tells you to do is no longer on the record books.

Wow.

That's where godliness starts. You believe that the promise that God is always for you and never against you. Now in Christ. And when you consider such grace you then obey the precepts of the commands of the Lord.

You hunger and thirst for righteousness. You love one another. You work hard at reconciling strained Relationships. You put to death greed and sexual immorality. Strife anger wrath. Lying all that offends the Lord Jesus.

And you put on kindness humility meekness patience forgiveness. All that reflects that Jesus wants us to do and to be. Right put off and put on and. You pursue godliness. You expend your energy. You believe the promises of God and on those promises you launch into obedience.

You devote yourself to cultivating godliness in every area of your life. You become a godly husband. You become a godly worker. Become a godly player. Right. You spend your energies to acquire godliness rather than spending your energies.

Acquiring money and material possessions. Think of what would happen if you expended as much effort in pursuing godliness as you do pursuing your paycheck. Your thought about that. You get up the same time every morning.

You get on the road. You get to work. You show up at The at your work area. You do that work. You work those eight hours. Right you discipline yourself to do all that. Think about that in the pursuit of godliness.

Disciplining ourselves to do the things that God's called us to do. To think the way we ought to think working on our minds. Changing our allegiances just as if we were working for a paycheck. True gain is not money, but godliness.

Look over. Just turn back one page to chapter 4 verses 7 and 8. Chapter 4 the verse 7 and 8. Have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths. Rather note. Train yourself for godliness. Takes training to be godly.

Train yourself for godliness. For while bodily training is of some value Godliness is a value in every way as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. You see how.

Valuable godliness is and so.

Acquire godliness. He goes on you will gain much if you learn contentment. Be content with what you have. Someone says to me. Oh, but you haven't seen our ratty furniture. My goodness what we have you might call American eclectic.

Nothing matches and by the way it just doesn't go with the color of the walls any longer. So we're gonna have to buy more furniture. We're gonna have to paint the walls. I mean we just got to do it. Well, can you be content with what you have?

Can you be content with what you have and I know I already I know what you're thinking. I I've heard it. It's shouted back at me. You mean we shouldn't buy new furniture when we need it. That's exactly what you're thinking.

That's not the point. That's not the point. You need to remember that once you bought the furniture. You don't have the key to contentment. That's the point. What drives discontent. The fact that if I think if I get something then I will be satisfied.

That's the point. The bottom line is so you do all that. Let me ask you. What have you gained? What have you gained? God says you have great gain not in acquiring. Not in acquiring you have great gain in contentment.

In another place God commands contentment with what we already have in Hebrews chapter 13. Verses 5 and 6 he makes that abundantly a clear in Hebrews 13 5 and 6 he says keep yourselves free from the love of money and be content with what you have.

For he has said I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say the Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me? Here we are again. We're commanded to be content. Why? Because we have God.

Because we have God. Through Jesus we now have God and God promises that he will provide for you. Remember the context of those verses. These were people suffering persecution and they were thinking about Leaving Jesus and Because if they stay loyal to Jesus they lose their livelihoods and What is he saying?

You've got God he'll supply your needs. You don't have to worry about that. You know, our call to worship today was Psalm 73 25 and 26. Whom have I in heaven but you and earth has nothing I desire beside you.

Ever thought about that term. Earth has nothing I desire beside you. I have God. Why do I need anything else? Right, isn't that an amazing statement I Said to the guys and men of faith yesterday, I think that sums up the entire battle of our Christian life.

Is God enough. It's got enough. That's an entire battle. Summarized in that statement now you say oh man, this is hard. I got to be content. Well, don't lose hope. Remember what we heard this morning in Philippians chapter 4 if you want to turn there.

Listen carefully to what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4. Beginning in verse 10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you Philippians have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity now.

Not that I'm speaking of being in need for I have learned I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound In any and every circumstance. I have learned the secret of contentment.

In any of her circumstance I've learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Notice carefully contentment is not zapped and you.

Contentment does not arrive in the middle of the night while you're sleeping after you have prayed for God to make you content. Right, it is something that you learn. It is something that you learn don't lose.

Hope it is something that you learn over the long haul by the power of God verse 13 I can do all things. You know, you know what verse 13 is actually saying. I can do all things. What's he talking about there?

I can learn to have be content when I got a lot. I can learn to be content when I have hardly anything in all those things. I Can be content because Jesus empowers me to be content in these circumstances.

You can learn contentment like any other gospel virtue you can learn contentment Through the power of God. You've got to learn it, but it takes the power of God. So God says be content be content. Someone has said the man who says the man who is satisfied with little has everything if you haven't got what you like.

Like what you have or more accurately if you haven't got what you like like what God has given you. Okay, so God wants you to be content but as you read on God gives you specific reasons why. Contentment is great gain.

Why is it great gain and in verse 7 and 8 he says Be content because you have listened because you have no power to possess. You have no power to possess. Look at 7 and 8 again, okay. Give me a little bit of time.

There we go. For we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing with these we will be Content be content because you have no power to hold on to your possessions.

This verse is striking to me. You find that you gain much with godliness and contentment. Since the possession of money and property is temporary at best. You enter and you enter life empty-handed. You exit life.

Empty-handed. So why do you spend the intervening years? Accumulating stuff let that sink in. You come into life with nothing. You leave life with nothing. Why? Then do we spend all those intervening years between the entrance and the exit?

Accumulating stuff. What good does it do? You see the point and that being the case you should be content with food and clothing. Yes, he means exactly that. I don't know about you. That is like.

Powerful.

What good does it do to accumulate things you you enter empty-handed. You leave empty-handed. So be content with food and clothing. Food and clothing. It's all you need. So God says anything above that is Incredible riches, isn't it?

Are you content with food and clothing or must you do just a little more for the kitchen? Maybe make the upstairs in your garage an office. Wouldn't it be great to have a sound system that covers the entire house not to mention Landscaping this place and the plans we have for a pond.

We must have those things. Would you be satisfied with the clothes that you wear and the food that you eat or? Must you have all these other comforts of life. Ask yourself that question. Have you ever known people who spent their entire lives accumulating money and possessions?

Think about it. So here's Stan and his wife Julia. Stan works at Honda. But man, he gets a second job and Julia gets a job outside the home as well. Why. Because it's imperative that they build their dream house and they purchase a few acres.

They get the house not to mention a couple of nice vehicles and actually start another business. They have everything. They have everything anybody could ever want that on the way home from party one day.

They hit a patch of ice and hit the pole and they are dead. Who gets the business. Who gets the beautiful acreage. What happens to the dream house. Now we could put it in terms like that. Ask yourself if I died tomorrow who gets everything that I have.

What happens to it all? What happens to it all. John D. Rockefeller was one of the titans of industry at the turn of the 20th century. That's getting to be a long time ago. I mean I was born in the middle of the 20th century.

So he's not that far from me, but maybe some of you never heard of he was the Elon Musk of his day, right? Unbelievable amount of money. The guy was unbelievably rich. He founded Standard Oil Company and man He took that from nothing to becoming one of the if not the richest man in the United States if not the world.

When he died, no one knew really what he was worth. No one could comprehend it. No one knew it's a reporter from the Wall Street Journal was talking to one of the corporate Executives and said how much did he leave and the executive replied?

All of it. Right all of it.

Now think about it. Here's a guy Elon Musk. If he died tomorrow what happens?

Right.

You've heard the saying you never see a U-Haul behind a hearse headed to the cemetery. Get the point. You get the point why expend all that energy? To achieve earthly gain when you don't have the power to keep a molecule of it not a bit.

Why not spend the energy pursuing godliness. Why not take the time to learn contentment. And why not use what you don't need to invest in what God? Thinks is important. Be content because you do not have the power to possess.

The Dangers of Loving Money

Now versus 9 and 10, you know what he tells us. Let's look at it versus 9 and 10. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation into a snare into many senseless and harmful desires. That plunge people into ruin and Destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. Be content because danger lurks. Be content because danger lurks.

If you don't believe that gain comes through godliness plus Contentment then look at what happens to those who desire riches. Look what happens to them they plunge into.

Destruction.

They plunge into destruction. They fall into temptation he says in verse 9. Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation. You end up using sinful means to acquire what you so. Deeply desire may be lying.

It may be cheating. It may be in a number of things. What happens is oftentimes. For example, you fall in temptation. So church attendance now becomes something you squeeze into your spare time since you're you're so busy trying to accumulate things and Expending your energies and all those things that will get you what you desire.

He says they fall into snares. You get enmeshed in a net of circumstances from which you cannot extricate yourself. Think of all the people who are in debt. Because they want they want they want and they're in debt and they can't get out.

Think of the fact that they can't get out of those circumstances like the loss of a family. Oh I could tell you stories about people who pursued their riches but lost. The things that were closest to them the people that were closest to them.

Loss of reputation. Right all kinds of things you get in fall into these snares. And then he says they fall into senseless and harmful desires as wealth increases. So do harmful pleasures and gratifications because now you have the wealth to get it all.

Now you have the wealth that you can easily acquire those things. But what happens. They overwhelm you and plunge you into moral ruin.

What a horrible story.

When you desire possessions more than godliness and contentment you walk the dangerous precipice of moral.

Disaster.

Doesn't take much to go over the edge. Well, how can that be you say we says here's why the love of money Is the root of all all all kinds of evil now? Too often people misquote this right? They say well, you know what the Bible says.

The money money is the root of all evil, right and we go. Oh, no. No, that's not what the Bible says. Oh, no, you're wrong. It doesn't mean that you can't have a lot of money. See we want to say yeah.

See you can have a lot of money. The Bible doesn't say it's wrong to have a lot of money and you'd be right. And we say no, no, no, it's not money's the root of all evil. It's the love of money. But the point is the point I want to I want you to see is guess what?

It's not then just rich people who are tempted to evil. What does it say? It's the love of money. It's the love of money. That's the root of all kinds of evil. This is.

Harder.

Why can rich people love money? What do you think. You cannot. Can middle people middle-class people love money? Can poor people love money? You see this doesn't make it easy sweet. Oh, it's okay. I got lots of money.

He's saying it's the love of money. Poor people can love money rich people. Everybody can love money. It is the love of money that gets you into danger. People will fall into Temptations snares and harmful desires because the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil now.

Don't misunderstand him. He's not saying that every sin that you see is motivated by the love of money. It's not what he's saying. He means that the love of money can lead you into every type of sin. Have people lied for the love of money.

Have people killed for the love of money. Have people stolen for the love of money. Have people prostituted themselves for the love of money. Have people dishonored their parents for the love of money.

You see the love of money Makes you capable of all kinds of sin. That's the problem. When the desire for money is present, you're capable of doing anything. And he says because of that love many have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves with many griefs.

You see the picture of someone impaled. It's proved to be the thing that kills them. Rather than lives of contentment and joy they live lives of misery and sorrow and despair and gloom. All.

Because they had to have. Wow.

You know what? Jesus made a promise. Jesus made a promise. He was talking to The people one day and he said this the thief comes to kill steal and.

Destroy.

But I have come that you may have life and Have it to the full. In other words Jesus gave his life that you might live a life that's full and joyful and That means he has by his death rescued you from greed and the Disoriented loves of this world.

He has given you the power to walk away from that greed. He has given you the power to love in the right way. Not the disoriented loves of the world and having rescued you from tyranny and the rule of sin.

He gives you then the pathway to freedom and joy. He says joy comes as you generously invest in kingdom work. Joy comes as you use your money to lay aside for yourselves heavenly treasures not earthly treasures.

And the first step I would suggest to you towards generosity begins with godliness and contentment. Do you want to make generous investments in God's kingdom work? Well, then recognize the horrific dangers.

Recognize the horrific dangers that come with discontentment and the lust for more. Recognize those awful dangers and turn your efforts to cultivating contentment and godliness. Turn your efforts to being content with food and clothing.

Don't waste your time and energy pursuing earthly treasures as if that will satisfy you and that's see you see. That's the motivation behind pursuing all these earthly treasures because We have in our mind that if I get that Then I will be happy.

You see and so contentment is the key here. Don't spend the days between the entrance your entrance to life and your exit from it. Pursuing the assets that you will leave behind. Spend those days acquiring true gain and investing in eternal rewards.

You see. That's the way of gain.

Father.

Thank you for your word, which is so precise and speaks to us in Ways that we cannot escape. And yet Lord we know you did not give us this that we might feel miserable and Live a life of joyless poverty.

Instead you have given this us these words of command and of warning So that we do not impale ourselves and that which brings misery and sorrow and despair. In fact father you're telling us this is the way to live.

This is the way of joy and as we honor you with our possessions and our money as we honor you with our attitudes of contentment and our desire and discipline for godliness As we do those things there is real joy.

Thank you for loving us and Instructing us. We thank you in Jesus name.

Amen.