Failure At The Finish Line Part 1

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. We'd like to think that our heroes have no flaws, but the Bible paints an honest picture, and Moses failed at the finish line.

He tripped just yards from the end of his race. Today, what happened and why God was so seemingly hard on the man he knew face to face? From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, someone once said that he wanted his life to end well. I guess Moses fell short. Dave, I have to say that I love the way you painted that picture, Moses running the race and then falling short just before the finish line. And yet what grace, because eventually he did get into the land. But God was trying to make a point, and that is that even devoted servants of God can sometimes fail and they can fail late in life.

These are lessons that we have to learn. And you know, we want to thank the many of you who support the ministry of Running to Win. Let me ask you a question. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner? Endurance partners are those who stand with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Here's how you can find info. You go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com and click on the endurance partner button, and there you'll find what an endurance partner does and what you can do to help us. Or if you prefer, you can call us at 1-888-218-9337.

That's 1-888-218-9337. Now let us listen carefully to God's word and learn the lessons that he intends to teach us. Failure at the finish line. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Christians never failed? Wouldn't that be great? Wouldn't that be wonderful if we always made wise decisions that we never committed ourselves to deaths that we couldn't pay? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we never spoke hastily and said some things that we later on would regret? Wouldn't it be wonderful if Christians always married well and they would seek God and find someone who would be fulfilling and they could live happily ever after?

It would be wonderful, but it ain't so. In fact, even the great Moses of all people made a serious error and disobeyed God near the end of his life, and he was disciplined for it. In order for us to understand what happened and some of the implications, there are several passages of Scripture I invite you to look up with me because they are all connected, and when we all begin together, we will all end together. First of all, Exodus chapter 17. Exodus chapter 17. The children of Israel have just crossed the Red Sea. This is very early on in their journey, and it says in verse 6 the people were very thirsty and therefore they were complaining to Moses and wondering where they were going to get some water from. It says in Exodus 17 verse 6, God says to Moses, Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people will drink. And so Moses did so in the sight of all of the elders and the people of Israel, and he smote the rock and water came out and everyone was refreshed and the two million people weren't angry with Moses anymore. Wonderful story. Well now what we need to do is to skip ahead 40 years and turn to the book of Numbers chapter 20.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers chapter 20. Here we have a story that is so similar that when you read it you think it's the same event, but I can assure you it isn't. It's an event that takes place nearly 40 years later because Miriam dies at this juncture and she dies just before the Israelites go into the land. Remember that at this point they have been wandering because they looked at the land at Kadesh Barnea and decided that they could not go in. I'm regretting that the series that I'm preaching on the life of Moses is coming to a close because there are many, many instances in his own life that we should have covered, but remember that the Israelites looked at the land at Kadesh Barnea and said no and God says you've been in the desert for two years be in the desert for another 38.

And now we come to the end of that period. And the children of Israel are thirsty again and the Lord says to him in Numbers chapter 20 verse 8, take the rod you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes that it might yield its water and you shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink. So Moses took the rod from before the Lord just as he had commanded him and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock and now look at what we read and he said to them listen now you rebels shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock and Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice and water came forth abundantly and the congregation and their beasts drank disobedience from a seasoned man of God. Now what I'd like to do today is to look at this failure on the part of Moses from three different perspectives three different perspectives and we're going to see its implications and its application for us today so stay with me as we go through the text. First of all let's look at this story from the standpoint of Moses. Moses might have looked at what he did and said to himself I was justified in what I did. First of all because he had gone through a lot of internal struggles even as a man 80 years ago he had been rejected in Egypt you remember when he thought that the children of Israel would understand how that God by his hand would deliver them and so he still felt that hurt of rejection and now he has been in Midian for 40 years and he's been in the desert for 40 years and for 40 years all that he has listened to are the grumblings and the complainings of the people and he is saying I'm fed up I'm tired of the whole thing.

Can't you give a guy a break? Furthermore look at the circumstances in which he lost his temper. These people were absolutely vicious in their criticism and by the way who were these people? These were not the same ones back in Exodus chapter 17. No we're talking about 37 years later. This is the new generation which held so much promise and look at the way they're reacting to him. These are the ones who are going to go into the land.

The old generation has almost died off. There are a few stragglers who still have to die in the next couple of months and then it's all over and they're ready to go into the land with the new generation and notice how they assail the motives of Moses and they question his integrity. Chapter 20 of the book of Numbers it says the people verse 3 contended with Moses and spoke saying if only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord we wish we'd have died in those plagues. Why then have you brought the Lord's assembly into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die here?

First of all they're saying to him you brought us here in order that you might see us die and then they're saying to us you broke a promise. Verse 5 why have you made us come up from Egypt to bring us into this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates nor is there water to drink.

That's an interesting remark. Whoever said that the desert was going to be the place of fruit and vines? It was Canaan and they weren't there yet but they are angry because they're thirsty and so they hurl all of this into the face of Moses. He goes to God and God says Moses stand at the rock probably a rock from which you drank many many times there is a stream there that is dried up for now but if you speak to the rock water will flow and so Moses stands there and he is so angry he takes his rod and he smites the rock twice and it felt good to get all of that anger out of his system. You ask Moses what do you think of your disobedience?

At this point in his life he'd say I was perfectly justified. Well now let's look at this disobedient act from the standpoint of the people. What would they say? Well to the people to the congregation it was a matter of indifference. They didn't care. First of all they didn't know what God had actually said to Moses. You see they were not privy to this communication and Moses I don't imagine stood up and said folks God told me to speak to the rock but I'm so mad I'm going to hit it twice. He probably didn't say that. They don't know what went on in that private conversation and so they said well whatever he does that's no big deal.

They were not aware of the fact that their leader was having an integrity crisis with reference to obedience and furthermore they were filled with joy because you did read it did you not? Verse 11 Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod and water came forth abundantly and the congregation and their beasts drank. The congregation says we've got water. Who cares about the technicality? Our beasts and our children and our wives.

We all have water to drink cool refreshing water and that's really what matters. Congregations perspective indifference. Well let's look at God's perspective. How did God view this? Verse 12 but ouch but the Lord said to Moses and Aaron because you have not believed me to treat me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them. Oh God was displeased. This morning on the in the car on the way to church our 15 year old daughter Lisa said to me well dad what is it that you're going to preach on this morning? I said Moses who disobeyed God by striking the rock instead of speaking to it. She said dad don't you think God was kind of harsh to not let him into the land just because he did that? So I reached back and I shook hands with her in the back seat and I said Lisa just listen to my sermon today.

So Lisa wherever you are just listen to the sermon today listen to the sermon today and we'll let the rest of you listen too. You see in the first instance in Exodus chapter 17 we know that that rock represents Christ. Paul says in 1st Corinthians chapter 10 he said they drank of that rock and that rock was Christ. Exodus chapter 17 God says smite the rock because Jesus Christ will be smitten with the rod of judgment on the cross when Moses struck that rock perhaps God the Son said to God the Father in a few generations that's what's going to be happening to me I am going to be smitten with a rod of judgment. Now when they come to the rock the Lord says speak to the rock because Jesus Christ had to die only once. He was smitten only once and the water flowed which is symbolic of the Holy Spirit and now when we want to drink and be refreshed by the power and the graciousness of the Holy Spirit all that we need to do is to speak to Christ. We believe on him and when we believe there is now therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. God wipes the condemnation away because he bore our condemnation but now when we need fellowship with God all that we need to do is to come to that rock and to speak.

It's even better than that. Jesus when he was here on earth said oh everyone that thirsteth he said those who are athirsty said come and those who believe on me from within them shall flow rivers of living water the Holy Spirit will actually gush up from within you and that you will be spiritually refreshed said Christ. And so you see there was some typology here that Moses messed up and so God says you were to speak to the rock and I'm asking you to speak to the rock and because you smote the rock you disobeyed me very clearly you will not enter into the land. You say well pastor Luther did Moses know all that?

No I don't think Moses knew that but you know it wasn't important for Moses to know all that what was important is that Moses obey even if he did not fully understand and you know that that is true of us too. You know there are some churches that believe that it's okay to have women as elders and they ordain women as elders. Now we here at the Moody Church don't believe that because we think that the New Testament is very clear that the level of leadership as elders in the church is really a responsibility that men have. Now women can have many responsibilities in the church and we as a church need to constantly be rethinking the role of women to understand that God has given them all the gifts that men have.

They have a lot of spiritual insight and they can serve and they can work in many different capacities but the question of eldership which is debated by some seems to be very clear in the scriptures. Now if you ask me now why did God give that pattern and why did he give those instructions I can't tell you because you and I know that there are many women who are gifted, talented, godly, sensitive, filled with wisdom who may in some senses be more qualified than some male leadership that sometimes comes to the surface. But did you know that it isn't important for us to know the whys and the wherefores? It is important for us to obey even when we do not understand. Now to save you writing that letter some of you are going to say oh you shouldn't have said that this morning because some of those churches that are doing that are being blessed of God.

They are growing churches. Well I need to point you back to verse 11 once again. Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod and water came forth abundantly.

Listen to me very carefully. The blessing of God is not always synonymous with the approval of God. The blessing of God is not always synonymous with the approval of God. There are some things that God blesses that he may disagree with and for which there will be discipline and judgment.

Bottom line, it is best to obey God even if you do not understand why it is that he gave the commandment. Moses may not have understood but it is also evident in scripture that he clearly deliberately disobeyed. So God says Moses you will not enter into the land.

Can you imagine the disappointment? This is the moment for which he lived all of those days in the desert, the 40 long years in the hot blistering sand. There was one thing that motivated Moses and that was for the great thrill that he would have to finally get into Canaan, the land that they had been talking about all those years. God says Moses no. If you want a commentary on what really happened, look at Deuteronomy chapter 3. This is Moses' own reflection on what happened. The book of Deuteronomy was given just before they enter into the land, just before Moses died, a couple of months after this experience that we were reading about of him smiting the rock in disobedience.

Notice what it says in verse 23 of Deuteronomy chapter 3. I also pleaded with the Lord at that time saying, oh Lord God, thou has begun to show to thy servant thy greatness and thy strong hand for what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do such mighty works and mighty acts as thine. And now he's pleading, let me I pray cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country in Lebanon. But he says the Lord was angry with me on your account and would not listen to me and the Lord said to me, enough. Speak to me no more about this matter.

Go to the top of Pisgah, which is Mount Nebo, and lift up your eyes to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south and see it for yourself, but you will not enter. Folks, take out a moment and think about Moses. To think that God would say, Moses, you can go to the gate and your eyes will see it, but there you must stop. Every dream that he had in the fiber of his body dashed forever because one act of disobedience. How do we look upon this incident? From the standpoint of Moses, initially he felt justified. From the standpoint of the people, indifferent.

From the standpoint of God, displeased. You say, well Pastor Lutzer, you normally have three points to your sermon and you've given us the three points. You can pronounce the benediction.

We can all go home early today and we can say that Pastor Lutzer must have had a very long vacation because he preached such a short sermon. You know that all that I've presented so far is the introduction. This is the introduction.

This is it. A little longer introduction than usual, but that's it. If you think that you're going to get by that easily, think again. Because what I want us to do now is to understand what was going through Moses' mind knowing that he would be dead within a year. What was going through Moses' mind to know that because of a decision that he made, there was failure close to the finish line and he would have to live with his dreams dashed in the sand.

What was he thinking about to handle this experience? And in order to understand that, we're going to look at one of the oldest psalms in all the Bible. It was a psalm written by Moses. It was a psalm written as he was contemplating the judgment of his generation and to know that he would be a part now of their judgment.

And just like they couldn't go into the land of the older generation, so he couldn't go in either. And I ask you to take your Bibles and to turn to Psalm 90. Psalm 90 written by Moses in an act of contemplation thinking about his relationship with God in light of his experience in the desert. Psalm 90 is a psalm that is very melancholic. It is a psalm that is plaintive. It is a psalm of wonder. It is a psalm of meditation.

And Moses is trying to put all of these experiences into perspective to gain some kind of an understanding of where it all fits within the program of God. And what a psalm it is. I want you to notice three contrasts in Psalm 90. First of all, there is a contrast between the frailty of man and the eternality of God. He begins by saying, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations before the mountains were born, or thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

But notice the contrast. Thou sayest to us, to us turn back into the dust, return, O children of men. He says in verse five, we are like grass that is here today and is gone tomorrow. We are planted and then we disappear and another generation comes.

My friend, that's really sobering, isn't it? We will be gone, another generation will come, and then someone will follow that generation, and on and on it goes. Personally, my prayer is that I might make it all the way to the finish line and serve my generation well. One of the things that really blesses me is the fact that running to win is now heard all throughout Nigeria, a nation of 200 million people.

I hold in my hand a letter from someone who says, I always listen to running to win. The teachings are very real and address the very real challenges in my Christian walk with the Lord. And he goes on from there to talk about the blessing that this ministry has. You know why we can do that?

It's because of people like you. Others have invested in this ministry. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner? That's someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Of course, you say, Pastor Lutzer, we need more info.

And I know that. Here's what you do. You go to rtwoffer.com.

That's rtwoffer.com. By the way, when you're there, click on the endurance partner button and you'll know what an endurance partner is as you hold our hands and get the gospel to thousands upon thousands. Or if you prefer, you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. Let me give you that phone number again, 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. To obey is better than sacrifice. Today, Erwin Lutzer spoke on Failure at the Finish Line, the last in a series of 12 messages about the life and times of Moses, a man getting closer to God. Next time, our series concludes as we contemplate the utter disappointment of Moses at being denied entry into the land of promise. This is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.