A RIPPLE GONE WRONG Micaiah Irmler Deuteronomy 2:1 NLT Then we turned around and headed back across the wilderness toward the Red Sea, just as the Lord had instructed me, and we wandered around in the region of Mount Seir for a long time. Numbers 13:26-33 NKJV 26 Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 14:1-10 & 36-45 NKJV 1 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” 10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. Key Thought: Don’t Let the Ripple turn into a . The Ripple of Rebellion vs. 13:26-33 Numbers 13:26-33 NKJV 26 Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” 1 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” 10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. Note: This ripple is moving rapidly. Doubting God’s Word. God provided. God protected. God paved the way. Discouraging God’s People. Defying God’s Will. A ripple will always go wrong when we rebel against what God has revealed. If you can’t drain your doubt then it with . We feed our fear instead of diluting our doubt. Note: When you have a revelation the report is irrelevant. Just because you feel it doesn’t mean you need to feed it. When God says it’s good you don’t need to see for yourself. If God says this is best for you then trust that he what is best for you. The Ripple of Regret vs. 36-45 36 Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, 37 those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land. 39 Then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. 40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned!” 41 And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord? For this will not succeed. 42 Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.” 44 But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah. Note: A few destroyed the futures of millions. Remember: Don’t live with the of regret. They Delayed What God Never Denied Them. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: 29 The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. 30 Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. 31 But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. 32 But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. 35 I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’ ” Never Does the Unbelievable. Question: Why wouldn’t God let them into the promised land? Because good works doesn’t get you there only does. Note: The promised land is not heaven but it is the Christian life. Note: This generation didn’t believe. This is shocking that this entire generation did not believe. Remember: is free you don’t take it by force. Reclaim the Ripple vs. 6-9 Numbers 14:1-10 NKJV 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” Note: This isn’t bad its bread. This battle is bread. This isn’t a fight it's food. Remember: This is not a this is dinner. Note: This is meant to feed our faith. Remember: The food you need for tomorrow is found in todays . Illustration: Those early days with no setup team, the entire church could fit into my Toyota Highlander and my Altima. But there was a fight. We started to need more equipment. It was a fight but its not a fight its food. A person who came to our church for just a few weeks. Said he was cutting some trees and told me about a trailer in front of someones house. The man knocked on the door and said is the trailer for sale. He said maybe. He said I was supposed to move out of state so I bought the trailer and never ended up moving so now it just sits here. When I went by he said you’re gonna use it for a church huh. I said yessir we’re just a small start up. He said well how about $1200 I said that’s a very generous deal we’ll buy it. He then called me and said its no longer for sale. I said oh I understand that’s a really good deal. He said I ’m going to give it to you for free. That trailer has been all over the state picking up trees, hauling church equipment, it was even stolen twice and once was gone so long insurance paid us out for it. Then we got a call that they found it. So now its Carlos Medranos you can go see it he chargers a nickel for a tour of the trailer. Well we had a trailer but no way to pull it. Each Sunday I would ask Dee Madden Raul Medina, or Gordon to borrow their truck to pull the trailer. We ran into another fight I would need someone to pull that trailer. I would either drive out to Morgan Hill borrow the truck and I was grateful to do it. Then on our 2 year church anniversary. I was exhausted so normally I would get the truck back to Raul Medina because it was his work truck but then I get a text that said you can keep it. I said thank you I will bring it back tomorrow. Then he said you don’t understand what I said you can keep it. For 9 years we’ve had that truck. It’s been to Oregan picking up trees, it’s hauled church equipment, during Covid I would preach the gospel from the back of that truck, I would make hospital visits, picking up church equipment, 12 miles to the gallon, Isaac Ressler was moving apartments and didn’t want to rent a Uhaul so he did it all with my truck, I would let anyone who needed a truck borrow it. But then the miles were adding up, and it was time to sell it. Through selling it and buying Jane a new vehicle I met Jerod and today Jerod is in church. Psalms 23:5 Thou prepares a table before in the presence of mine enemies. Note: Joshua and Caleb knew that strength for the battle would come from Scripture. Remember: God didn’t just provides strength for the battles but also from the battles you are to get . Remember: The battle is meant to be meet to mature you . My prayer: Lord make me hungry for the hardships that bring me to be spiritually healthier. Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. Remember: God’s is often disguised as problems.