Bishan church

A servant and the Message

September 29th, 2008

How should a servant manage the message entrusted to him?

Let’s look at some of the Lord’s servants starting with the meekest man in the world- Moses.

Compliments from God Himself. Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

Waters at Meribah

God had a message for Moses and Aaron:

Numbers 20:8-9 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and SPEAK ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

What did Moses do?

Numbers 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he SMOTE the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

God said, SPEAK. Moses SMOTE. Water came out anyway. Either way still works. They still got their water so what is the big deal.

God’s response:

Numbers 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because
a)ye BELIEVED ME NOT, b)to SANCTIFY me in the eyes of the children of Israel,
therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Why so harsh?

Can a servant change the message simply because the outcome is effective or efficient?

To answer this we must first ask this question:
a)who is the servant and who is the Master?
b) what is the role of the servant?
c) how does the servant’s behaviour affect the Master’s message?

In ancient times, when a servant convey a message, it is not his place to change the message even if his life is at stake. An ambassador who brings bad tidings to an enemy king may have his head cut off. His master’s enemy may out of anger use the messenger as a proxy to vent his anger …off with his head!

The messeger represents the Master. If the servant can change the master’s message because ” it is better or more effective this way”, he is presumptuous. He pre-supposes he knows what the Master’s total plan and intent is. Such a servant is also conveying a message in his behaviour to the rest of the audience, that it is also permissible for others to be presumptuos as well.

Thus it is noteworthy to highlight what God said Nu. 20:12

1. in the eyes of the children of Israel - His audience, His people whom He wants to discipline
2. sanctify Me - is the servant conveying the message that God is Holy and above all?
3. believe me not - even in frustration Moses and Aaron should know their place and should not change the message EVEN when the result is still the same, i.e. they still got their water to quench their thrist.

The modern day christians find it hard to simply obey ” Thus saith the Lord” . Often times we reason that since an approach works, it is beneficial or effective in drawing people in, thus we may perceive that there is nothing wrong .

One of the most dangerous good intended thinking, that subtlely undermine the holiness of God and His message, is our response to baptism.

When you ask a modern day christian whether a person will be saved when he dies unbaptized at deathbed, some would say that they will leave it to God and that God may have another reason to accept the unbaptized believer. This is most gracious and commendable from human perspective. In private I too would like this to happen. Who wouldn’t want all our loved ones to go to heaven?

We are servants. We start with what is entrusted to us. We can only let our yes be yes and no be no and should not muddy the water by giving hesitant believers an open door of compromise.

What we are entrusted is the Great Commission. We know for sure that baptism is necessary for salvation. We do not know anything beyond that and we should be silent and not venture to hint alternatives.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

It is because the heart is deceitful, we see and hear what we wish for so when we try to say more than the entrusted slavation message, a believer may delay his commitment because ” maybe God does not mean what He says” .

It is too risky because eternity is involved.

What can we learn from our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirt?

John 7:16-17 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

John 8:28-29 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

John 16:13-14 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Notice what Jesus and the Holy Spirit are saying with regards to “strategic alignment” with the Father so that the Father is sanctified.

Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is MORE than these cometh of EVIL.

Entry Filed under: General