Some get out but don't get in

On with what the ministry has been bringing before us already this afternoon, and I'll ask you to read with me in Exodus chapter 14. Exodus 14. Let's begin from verse 21 of Exodus 14.

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind, all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them on the right hand and on the left. Verse 29.

But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall unto them on the right hand and on the left. Let's read in Joshua chapter 3. Let's read from Joshua chapter 3. We'll begin from verse 14. And it came to pass when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as they bear the ark were come into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bear the ark were dipped in the rim of the water, for Jordan overflowed with all its banks all the time of harvest.

Then the waters stood up, and rose up upon a heap very far from the city Adam, which is beside Zaretan, and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea field, were cut off. And the people passed over right against Jericho, and the priests that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground until all the people were passed clean over the Jordan. We read in Numbers chapter 26 for just a very brief reading.

Numbers chapter 26. The last two verses of this chapter. But among those there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priests numbered, for they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness Sinai.

For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. I have one more scripture to read.

First Corinthians chapter 10. First Corinthians chapter 10. Verse 1. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat of the same spiritual meat, and all did all drink the same spiritual drink.

For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. But with many of them, you notice the margin says the greater part of them, the most of them, with most of them God was not well pleased. For they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Now these things were our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters as were some of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Neither let us commit a fornication as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents. Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now again he says, Now all these things happened unto them for examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

If I were to put a title on what I have on my mind, and I'll say first of all that I've had these thoughts on my mind for about three or four weeks, but I haven't made any notes. So I've just moved I guess in my heart to try to follow what has been the subject of the earlier ministry this afternoon, and trust it might add a little bit to it, perhaps in some measure. I want to title it simply, They got out, but they didn't get in.

That's obvious isn't it? There are those that got out of Egypt, but they didn't get into the land. And I want to say first of all it wasn't God's intention that they wouldn't get into the land. I think I could join almost the Red Sea with the River Jordan and say God intended they would go through the river, they'd go through the sea, and they'd go through the river, and they'd be into the land.

But they didn't. And you notice if you read carefully that in Exodus chapter 14 there's no mention they came out. The children of Israel went in.

The children of Israel went into the Red Sea. Oh you see, they did come out. We know they came out, but it doesn't say so.

It says they went in. And when you come to the River Jordan, it doesn't say they went in. It says they passed over.

Three times over, they passed over. So when I look at those two little pictures, I think it reminds me, and I hope it reminds every one of us that it's a picture of what baptism should be for every one of God's people. It's to be identified with Christ that separates us from an ungodly, deceitful, vile world that is contrary to God that holds men and women in slavery and captivity.

And it's to bring us into the blessing of being raised with Christ and to be seated with Him in heavenliness. But there's some perhaps that get out, but they don't get in. We read there in Numbers chapter 26 that these all perished in the wilderness.

And 1 Corinthians chapter 10 gives us the reason why they perished in the wilderness. And maybe I'm going too far this afternoon to suggest to you that there may be believers here, and there certainly are in the world, that they get out, but they don't get in. They know the reality that I've died with Christ, and they know for sure that salvation is theirs.

They know Christ died for them. Well, that's a wonderful truth. I look back to 71 years ago, almost, when God saved me.

And I agree with what my brother has already said that it's such a momentous occasion even for a child of Christian parents like I was, or I am, that I still remember it just as vividly now as it was then. I challenge anyone that doesn't know for sure how they were saved. Well, they can't give a clear testimony of the saving grace of God, of what a transformation it brought in their lives.

I can tell you that's the beginning of a life for God. Now, these people were brought out of slavery. They were brought out from the taskmaster burden.

They knew no longer the lash that fell upon them continually, and the continual labor seven days a week, no doubt, from sunup to sundown, laboring in this environment in which they were kept in captivity. They got out of it. God made sure they got out.

God delivered them. God did a work of deliverance. We read in 1 Corinthians 10 that they were under the cloud and under the sea.

Baptized under Moses in the cloud and the sea. And all the other privileges that are identified with that moment. But they never got in.

They never got into the land because God's intention was never that they should die in the wilderness. You know, God's intention for you and me is not just that we enjoy salvation. It's far more than knowing that I'll never perish in my sins.

It's far more than knowing that Christ died for me and I'll be in heaven. It's a lot more than knowing that I won't be in hell. Friend, you're a child of God.

There's more in salvation than that by far. God wants you to come into the good of all the rich blessings that the land speaks of. And the land isn't heaven.

The land is heavenly places. Heavenly environment. All that connects with our anticipation of what will be ours in the fullest sense when we're with the Lord Jesus.

But to be saved and to be out but not able to enjoy the blessings of knowing all that God has provided for me in Christ. You know, I'm only beginning now, and I'm a few years older than I was then, but I'm only beginning now, I think, to really appreciate what God has provided so abundantly. It is matchless grace.

We have an infinite God. He wants to give you and me far more than we're capable of actually receiving. And He wants us to feed upon it and enjoy it.

You know, that land really indicated it was a representative of all that God has provided you and me in Christ. You find the equation of it, or the equal of it in the epistle to the Ephesians, where you find the believers seated with Christ in the heavenlies enjoying access to the presence of God in that beloved one. Genuine communion with God.

The enjoyment of continual realization of the blessings that He has provided for us. The fullness of the Spirit of God that would make real to us all that God has purchased for us by the precious blood of Christ. I wonder, dear child of God, have you gotten out? Or have you gotten in? Have you really come to enjoy all the blessing and the fullness of God's salvation? You know why these people didn't get in? 1 Corinthians chapter 10 tells us.

First of all, Paul tells us in this chapter that they all shared an equal blessings. There was a provision made for them. There was all that God had provided them.

And listen, what God did for them in putting them under the cloud, protected them. God was their protector. He brought them to the sea.

They were baptized into Moses in a cloud in the sea. He gave them a new leader. He also brought them out to enjoy new food.

The manna. They had the water that was given to them from the rock. They had all these benefits, all the blessings.

What were they for? To incite them to go on and to keep making progress in their pathway. You know, when you think of that in relation to your life and mine, listen, Christ is our protector. We're under the cloud.

That cloud separated them from the armies of Egypt. Pharaoh couldn't touch them all night or all day. He's our protector.

We have protection, eternal salvation, and assurance in Christ our Savior. And we have a new leader. Christ is our leader.

And they were identified with him and essentially they were saying we will follow Moses right all the way. And yet they rebelled again and again. You and I have a better leader than Moses ever was.

Moses got angry. The Lord never gets angry with us, I don't think anyway. Sometimes I deserve it.

But anyway, I'll just leave that alone. I think that it's certainly true that we have a leader that will never fail us. He always takes us the right journey, the right direction.

The first time the children of Israel ever murmured, when they looked to the east where God wanted them to look, where God was wanting them to go, they saw the cloud because God was trying to draw them away from Egypt and to follow him. We have a new leader. We have Christ as our leader.

We have Christ as our food. They had the manna. We read that man did eat angel's food.

The tremendous provision, sufficient for their entire journey. And yet they murmured of it in chapter 21. We have water.

Christ is our refreshment, sustaining us along the way. And the great purpose for you and me is that he might draw us on with a greater desire to enjoy that which you're speaking of because the land and all of its bounty was far better than all they received in the wilderness. You know, sometimes it seems to me that as believers we just simply don't really have the capacity to really enjoy what it is to be feasting upon the riches of God's grace.

There are two men that did cross over into the land. Two men that actually got out and they got in. Caleb and Joshua.

Why were those two men the ones that got in? Well, first of all, of course, they saw the land. They saw the bounty of that land. They saw the walled cities and they saw the fortified strength of the enemy.

They saw all the rest of it. They saw the fruitfulness. They came to realize there's no land like it.

Nothing to compare with it. After 38 years they continued through the wilderness with patience, waiting for the moment when we could actually be there. I think that any time that you and I get a little taste of what God wants us to enjoy so fully in the Lord Jesus, we'll never want to go back.

You know, the children of Israel never wanted to go back to enjoy the slavery. They never talked about going back to once again get the lash up on their back. They never thought about that.

They never asked to go back to labor from sunup to sundown seven days a week. They never asked for that. They forgot all that.

You know, Egypt has some bad things. The days before a person is saved no doubt are days that they don't want to remember. But often times there are things about those days that their minds can go back to.

They remember the leeks and the garlic and the onions and the other things. The things that were satisfying to the flesh. They were attractive to the natural mind.

You know, it's a natural thing that you and I forget things that are distasteful. We would like to put away from our mind those things that cause us distress, but the things that we enjoyed. And sometimes we still have a hankering.

Is that the word you use in this country? Hankering? That's a southern word. We have a hankering for those things that we shouldn't be occupied with at all. They're rubbish.

They're distractions. They're things that will take us away from making progress. Paul says that with most of them God was not well pleased.

So they perished in the wilderness. The majority of them. And he tells us why they perished in the wilderness.

He says, first of all, they were lusting after evil things. You say, what were they lusting after? Just leeks, melons, garlic, nothing bad. But they were doing it because they were not satisfied with the food that God provided for them.

All that he had given them in the manna was sufficient. They didn't need any more. It indicates to me that there's a possibility that I can have a desire for something that doesn't really satisfy the soul whatsoever.

Not much nourishment of leeks, melons, and garlic. But the manna was all sufficient. Because the manna speaks to us of Christ.

And the perfection of the Word of God. And I can tell you that that's what God has provided to feed our souls and nourish us. They lusted after evil things.

God calls them evil because they were not food that he intended for them. He had taken them out of that. He says not only that, they became idolaters.

That takes us to Mount Sinai. You remember that they worshipped the golden calf. What was the problem? They had forgotten the covenant.

They had forgotten the relationship. They were ignoring actually the provisions that Moses had made for them. To guard them during his absence when they went up on the mount.

They got their sight on a man. And they forgot the presence of God in their midst. They were idolaters.

They worshipped something other than God himself. He says not only were they idolaters, but they were committing fornication. Idolaters, yes, but fornication also.

You remember it was the case of Balaam. He's the one that taught Israel to sin. They got involved in relationships that were contrary to the mind of God altogether.

So the food was a problem. Not only that, their ignorance of the presence of God in their midst, their failure recognizing God was still there, it wasn't just a man. And their wrong relationships with those who were God's enemies.

And then we find as well that they were tempting Christ into wilderness. That takes us to chapter 21 where they were testing God, putting God to the test because they were dissatisfied with the provision God had made. Serpents.

And then we find that they murmured. They murmured because because of their unbelief they refused to enter the land. And they were destined to wander into wilderness.

Five reasons and dear child of God, those things that keep you and me from enjoying the rich blessings of God. Lusting after evil things. Not satisfied with what God has provided us.

Not realizing the revision God has made in perfect leadership in the person of our Lord Jesus. Not feasting our souls upon those things that are so appropriate and so beneficial and helpful to our lives. You know, you and I I can tell you this as a person that's gotten a little bit older.

I don't use the word old yet. I'm just saying I'm a little older. I regret and I honestly say this, I regret the time that I was younger that I didn't spend studying the Word of God.

I heard Mr. Harry Bell once at the conference in North Ireland when I was in his service. He was there I'm sorry, that was the Lord of the Bible Reads. A man who had polio when he was young.

I understand. Couldn't go out and play soccer or football with the other boys. He spent his time studying the Word of God.

When he got up the brother who was with me said that man is a walking Bible encyclopedia. I wonder how much you and I know of the riches of God's provision for us right now in the Word of God as well as what is that that we can enjoy as seated with Christ in the heavenlies. May God help us dear brother.

Don't wander into wilderness. They wandered not making any progress just going here, just going there. No stability.

No direction. No function. No productivity.

Just waiting. Waiting the time out until the last man died. They all perished in the wilderness.

May God help us to have deep desires in our hearts to go on for God. To make progress in our spiritual life. And to enjoy the fruitfulness and the fullness and the richness of all that God has provided us in the Lord Jesus.

We have a perfect position. We have a perfect seizure. We have a perfect goal ahead of us.

May God bless all the ministry of His Word to our hearts this afternoon.