Festival of Homiletics: Wednesday Morning: Craig Barnes' Sermon

Craig Barnes' Sermon, 5/19/10  

"Preaching To The Rabble"

Numbers 11:1-6

Top 5 6 List:

1. Moses had many folks journeying with him during the Exodus... Craig Barnes describes the Rabblers as "They are on the journey but they don't believe in the journey."  They complain about the food and accommodations.  They long for the good ol' days back in Egypt, where at least they had food and shelter. 

2. For Pastors, Rabblers are frustrating, but they serve an important part of the congregation because they help keep us listening to God and for God and keep us in constant contact with God through prayer. =)

3. "Manna means 'What is it?' in Hebrew.  For 40 years in the desert, God nurtured the people with a question."  God was teaching them to ask the tough questions of our faith that keep us attuned to where God is at work in our world... "O God, what is it that you are doing?"

4. This same question of manna, "What is it?" nurtures us today as well.  We are to ask it each morning just as the Isrealites harvested it each day.  What is it that God is up to today?

5. Often the Rabblers on the journey of faith ask, "If only?" questions.  Be careful with these questions because when God answers them, we have to then like the answer.

6. "If only?" Questions focus us on either the future or past.  "What is it?" focuses us on the present, which is where we are to live. Present-Tense-Ministry is our call as ministers, but also all people of faith.  We cannot get people to the promised land, because that is God and God alone's job, but we can witness to what God is doing along the journey and encourage people in the daily searching for "What is it God that we are to do today?"