Life Lessons The Progression of Sin

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This morning we are continuing our Life Lessons from the Bible, picking up where we left off in the life of an Old Testament prophet named Balaam. In Part 1 we established a few things about this prophet from the account in the book of Numbers chapter 22. Namely:

·        Balaam loved money.

·        Just because God tolerates something does not mean He appreciates it.

·        If you cannot say no to yourself and to others, you will fail in life.

The story of Balaam intrigues me. For those just joining the story, allow me to give the quick overview of Balaam’s situation.

Balaam was a prophet of Jehovah living in what is now Syria during the Exodus of the Children of Israel with Moses. The Israelites were so numerous that they filled the land with their tents as they moved through Midian on the eastern side of the Dead Sea and on up the Jordan River Valley across from Jericho.

The King of Midian, named Balak, was afraid of the Israelites but knew he could not defeat them in a direct attack. He had heard about their God and how He protected them against their enemies. So King Balak hatched a plan. He decided to hire a prophet of the God of Israel and pay that prophet to pronounce a curse on the Israelites.

King Balak offered the prophet Balaam a lot of money to curse Israel. Balaam inquired of God and God told Balaam to not go. When Balak the king heard this, he immediately offered Balaam a lot more money, power, and position. Balaam loved money so he went back to try and convince God to let him do it.

Finally God told Balaam, go ahead … but do not say anything I don’t tell you to say. So Balaam saddled his trusted donkey and went.

He wasn’t far down the road before an Angel of the Lord stood in the way with his sword drawn to kill Balaam. Balaam didn’t see the angel, but his donkey did. Just before the angel struck, the donkey veered off the trail and into a field, saving Balaam’s life. Balaam got mad at the donkey and beat her until she got back up on the road.

This happened two more times until God opened the mouth of the donkey to speak to Balaam and then God opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel.

This whole account begs the question: If God was against Balaam going to Midian, why did He tell him to go head?

Ezekiel 14 tells us that if a person sets up an idol in his own heart and then inquires of God concerning a matter while worshipping that idol, God will allow the idol to answer them. Even a prophet will be deceived by the idol they set up to worship. The voice of the Lord will sound like the voice of their idol. God will confirm their delusion. The Psalmists said:

Psalm 81:12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.

Idolatry is sin. Balaam worshipped money. Money was his god. Money told Balaam what to think, feel, and do. Money, in and of itself, is nothing, until you idolize it. Money is not evil … it’s the love of money … and …

It doesn’t have to be money to be an idol. Anything, even another person, can become an idol.

Sin begins so small. But > Sin will:

·        Take you farther than you wanted to go.

·        Keep you longer than you expected to stay.

·        Cost you more than you were willing to pay.    

Sin begins as a mistake in judgment or an impulse driven act or a single bad decision. This is no doubt what happened to Balaam. Sin began small, like a seed, just an error, and it grew. This is:

The Progression of Sin

1.  The Error of Balaam

Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

·        An Error is a mistake, a sin, but often a single bad decision.

·        Repent of bad decisions before they become a habit or a way.

2.  The Way of Balaam

2 Peter 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.

·        An error left unchecked, unchallenged and unchanged becomes a way of life.

·        That’s just the way I am … so sad but so true.

3.  The Doctrine of Balaam

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

·        The word doctrine means teaching.

·        Balaam knew he could not curse the Israelites but he could teach king Balak how to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel so that they would, in essence, curse themselves.

·        He told Balak to move Midianite prostitutes in tents close to the camp of Israel and entice them to consort, intermingle, and intermarry. Then further tempt them to set up idols to worship and thereby anger God.

·        It worked …

Numbers 31:16 These caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam to commit trespass against the Lord … and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.

Joshua 13:22 – The Children of Israel, under the leadership of Joshua, killed Balaam with the sword once they entered the Promise Land.

Conclusion: How Do I Defeat The Curse of Balaam In My Life?

1.  Confess and forsake your sin.

Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

2.  Flee sin … Run Away!

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee sexual immorality …

3.  Make no provision for sin …

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Breaking the Cycle of Toxic Thinking

 Any body here talk to themselves? I definitely talk to myself, maybe a little too much. But talking to yourself is normal, and it is a good thing. With that said, here is my question to you:

What do you say to yourself, when you talk to yourself? I’m not referring to on-going narration you say to yourself as you get ready to leave the house or when you forget how you got to a destination. I am also not referring to the constant reminders you give yourself or work toward completing your tasks.

What I’m referring to is the on-going self-talk that you repeatedly say to yourself over and over again in your mind. What do you say when you talk to yourself? If you are like most people, there are times when you get stuck in a negative loop. You find yourself thinking about things that are not helpful and at times can be harmful. 

Some of those thoughts can sound like this:

•   I always mess things up

•   I never get things right

•   This is a disaster

•   They probably think I am stupid

•   Or, I am so stupid

•   I am a failure

•   I am just so bad with money

•   Why can’t I just be like them?

•   This is never going to change

•   God must be disappointed in me

What you say to yourself matters… What you say to the people around you matters. What you say to your children matters. What you say to God matters.

But what you say to yourself may matter more than what you say to others.

Proverbs 23:7 — “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

We must be careful how we think, because how we think shapes who we become. That’s powerful! What you think about yourself and how you talk to yourself in your thoughts have the power to shape who you are becoming.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in psychology explains it like this:

•   Your thoughts impact (help to form) what you believe

•   Your beliefs impact what you feel

•   Your feelings often impact what you do

In other words, our lives move in the direction of our strongest and deepest thoughts. The question is, what are you thinking about the most? What are you saying to yourself the most? Even better, what are you allowing your “self” to say to yourself?

Your thoughts have extraordinary power.

Through Christ, you have extraordinary power over your thoughts.

You are not a victim of your thoughts. Through the power of God you can choose what you think about and what you say to yourself. However, it is a matter of CHOICE.

Romans 8:6

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

If we find ourselves struggling with negative and destructive thoughts, could it be that out mind is set on the things of this world rather than the things of God? It says that when we set our mind on the things of God that it leads to life and peace.

Here is the truth:

Toxic thinking not only impacts you, but also those around you.

Psalms 4:23 — “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Whatever is in your inner world eventually becomes a stream to the outer world. In other words, if toxic thinking is flowing inside of us, it will show up in our:

•   Tone (how we speak to people)

•   Attitude (how we react to people)

•   Patience (how we treat people)

We have to break out of this cycle. Why? Because how we speak to ourself matters! It impacts not just ourselves, but the people around us. So, when we find ourselves constantly surrounded by negativity, toxic thinking, and negative thoughts patterns, what should we do? 

Here are four things we can do remedy negative thinking:

1.     Guard what you allow in your mind
Psalms 4:23 — “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

•   Don’t let negativity run unchecked in your life

•   We don’t have to sit listen to our self speak negatively

•   Not every thought is worth thinking about

•   You can’t always control every thought that enters your mind, but you can control what stays.

2.     Replace negative thoughts with truth
2 Corinthians 10:5 — “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

•   We guard what we allow in our mind, and then we replace those thoughts that do make it through.

•   Your thoughts are not in charge, Christ is

•   You don’t have to sit and listen to your self speak negatively to ourself

•   You can interrupt those negative thought patterns and replace them with the truth

•   When a thought comes your way,
1) — Don’t ignore it
2) — Ask yourself, is this true? (does it line up with scripture)
3) — What does God’s Word say?
4) — Declare God’s truth over yourself

•   Romans 12:2 — “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

3.     Fix your mind on God

•   The mind that is set on the flesh is death, but the mind that is set on the Spirit is life and peace!

•   If we want more life giving thoughts, peaceful thoughts, encouraging thoughts, joyful thoughts, loving thoughts, then we have to set our mind on the things of God.

Colossians 3:2 — “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

•   To “set your mind” means to intentionally place it somewhere. It is a choice you are making. You must choose that you are going to think about the things of God.

•   You have to avoid setting your mind on gossip, constant bad news, what people think about you, your past failures and mistakes.

•   Your thoughts are incredibly powerful!

•   However, through Christ you have incredible power over your thoughts

•   Through the power of God, you can choose to set your mind on God

‣    Remind yourself who God is

‣    Remind yourself of His promises

‣    Remind yourself of where your hope comes from

•   Isaiah 26:3 — “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

4.     Encourage yourself in the Lord

•   When you find yourself in a moment when you are surrounded by negativity, do what David did and encourage yourself in the Lord.

Psalm 42:5 — “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him…”

•   Notice what David did:

‣    He acknowledged his discouragement

‣    He did not allow it to consume him

‣    He was speaking the truth to himself

•   Encouraging yourself means reminding yourself:

‣    God is good

‣    God is faithful

‣    God is with you

‣    God is at work

‣    The season you are in is not the end

•   1 Samuel 30:6 — “David found strength in the Lord his God."

•   Encourage yourself in the Lord!

•   Remind yourself that you can

‣    Trust in the Lord

‣    You are not alone

‣    Your hope is in the Lord

 Gtcotr/ws012126 

Exodus 23 NKJV 

20 ¶  “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared."

• Numerous times in the Old Testament accounts, the appearance of what is called, “The Angel of the LORD”, is not a reference to a created angelic being or human messenger but rather an appearance of Jesus Christ Himself. 

• I believe, as do many scholars, the Angel referred to in this account is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus.  

• He shall keep you and bring you into what I have prepared for you. 

 

This evening, I want to present a New Testament overlay of this Old Covenant Word of God. In other words: What does this story mean for us today? 

 

Exodus 23 

21  “Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. 

22  “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 

23  “For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. 

 

These six enemies were natural enemies who were designed by God to parallel the six major spiritual enemies we face today. Who or what do these enemies represent in our lives and how do we defeat them? 

 

Here is a recap of these Six Enemies of the Soul – Each enemy provides a formidable temptation. The goal of the enemy is to keep us out of the Promise Land. You can find these enemies listed in Exodus 3:8 and 23:23.  

 

1. The Canaanite – Compromise  

a. We cannot live a victorious life with one foot in the kingdom and one foot in the world  

b. The Church should not mimic the world but the Kingdom.  

 

2. The Hittite – Dismayed  

a. To be terrorized and paralyzed  

b. Unsettled, confused  

c. To lose it and go to pieces  

 

3. The Amorite – Opinion Driven  

a. Stubbornly Opinionated  

b. Be unwilling to go to war with family and friends  

 

4. The Perizzite – Anything Goes  

a. Without walls; no standards; no boundaries  

b. There is a point, beyond which, tolerance ceases to be a virtue.  

c. You must be born again!  

 

5. The Hivite – Selfishness  

a. Blaming others for the pressure or problem  

b. It doesn’t have to be a bad heart to be a bad habit.  

 

6. The Jebusite – Threshing Place  

a. To be beaten down  

b. Rejected  

c. Lowly Esteemed  

d. Trampled under foot  

e. Tempted to feel worthless, discarded and of no value  

 

Again … how do we defeat these enemies and what happens when we do? God will do His part - He will cut them off … but what is our part in this? 

 

Exodus 23 NKJV 

24  “You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. 

25  “So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. 

26  “No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 

27  “I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 

28  “And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. 

29  “I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beast of the field become too numerous for you. 

30  “Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. 

31  “And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. 

32  “You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 

33  “They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” 

 

God expects us to correctly identify these enemies who are trying to keep us from entering the eternity God has prepared for us. This is an underlay of our eternity … a picture of our future. 

 

The implication is: If we obey Jesus and do what He said, He will save us and He will be an enemy to our enemies and a friend to our friends. As well, God will prepare a place for us to live without these enemies. So … 

• Don’t bow down to them … 

• Don’t be like them or do what they do … 

• Overthrow them! 

• Destroy their strongholds/pillars. 

• Serve the Lord your God. 

• Give God time to drive out the enemies from before you.