Preach on Me

Well, my thanks to Tommy for his welcome and his invitation in the first place to come and join with you this evening service.

I will do my best to speak clearly in this foreign language that you can hear, which is British English instead of your kind.

Especially, I think, as some of you have been listening to lots of the word being preached over this weekend already.

But it's a great privilege to me to come and be here with you this evening.

And to turn your attention back to part of the Old Testament reading that we heard a little while ago.

I'll tell you what it is in due course.

But you may have noticed from your order of service that the subject is preach on me.

It doesn't actually mean preach on me, and that means me.

It has to do, though, with the Old Testament reading, which was familiar to me from a fairly recent experience.

Because this time last week, I was in Pittsburgh, and I was preaching there also in a church.

That was the Church of the Incarnation.

Which, like the Church of the Advent here, is in league, I understand, with the Anglican Church in North America.

And I guess with good reason.

Some of you know the ins and outs of church politics that lie behind that.

But it's a great privilege, as I say, to be with another congregation of the same kind.

They use a lectionary, a list of Bible readings, just as you do here.

And one has this experience sometimes, if one is a preacher of the Word of God.

You turn to a part of the Bible which may be familiar or unfamiliar, and something jumps out at you.

A text is right there in front of you, and it says,

Preach on me!

Numbers 11, I thought.

What's there in Numbers 11?

There it was, if you've got your Bibles open still.

Numbers chapter 11.

Numbers 11 · chapter mention

Preach on me, it said, and it was Numbers 11, verses 4 and 5.

Numbers 11:4

Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving,

and the people of Israel also wept again and said,

Oh, that we had meat to eat.

We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing,

and the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.

But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manner to look at.

What on earth caught my attention about those verses?

Well, that was the reason for the verses.

Well, that was the reason for the verses.

And to explain that, I have to go back in a little bit of personal history.

My father was employed for 40 years by a mission agency as a missionary,

but not a missionary in another country than England.

He was a missionary in London, and he worked with the London City Mission.

His job was on every weekday of the week to go out in one or other of the blue-collar areas of South London with the gospel,

going from door to door with the Bible in his hand and the gospel in his heart.

And on Sundays, he also had the care of a little church in South London, and there he would preach.

And as I look back over his ministry, I've come to the conclusion that he was a very good evangelist and a very good preacher.

That's to say that he had a very good God who gave him those gifts, and he taught him how to use them.

An evangelist, but also a preacher.

And sometimes in much more recent years, because I've been a preacher myself for quite a while now,

I have sometimes found myself arriving at a church where my father preached many years before me.

And quite often, an older person in the congregation has come up to me and said,

We knew your father.

He preached in this church.

And we still remember what he preached on.

I said, Oh, yes.

We remember the onions.

We remember the onions.

That's right, it's a verse in the book of Numbers.

We just heard it.

We remember the onions.

Well, they remember the onions.

Well, they remember the sermon, which was more than I did, because I never heard it.

But although I've got some of Dad's sermons still around the place, and I still think they're pretty good.

This one I never located.

But what would it have been?

We remember the onions.

That's why I chose the title, Preach on Me, because it was a verse that leapt off the page, demanding it to be preached on.

And that's why I chose that verse.

Because Dad had preached it, and it stuck in somebody's mind that way.

Well, I don't know what he would have said.

As I say, I never heard it.

But I do believe that I know what he wants me to say to you about it.

That it's a word for all of us in this particular place at this particular time.

And I want to turn your attention back there to Numbers chapter 11.

Numbers 11 · chapter mention

And I want to take a verse out of that chapter and link it with a verse in the next book of the Bible, in the book of Deuteronomy.

And draw your attention to the fact that in each of these two verses, you're going to hear something about a forward march.

And something about a backward look.

First of all then, Numbers 11, verse 5.

Numbers 11:5

If you have the Bible open in front of you, you may like to look at it.

The people of Israel wept again and said,

Oh, that we had meat to eat.

We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt that cost nothing,

and the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks.

We remember the onions.

And we remember the garlic.

What was the forward march?

The great interest of this particular chapter is that it's part of the long, ongoing story of the life of the people of God,

as God calls them to come from where they've been for a long time,

into a journey, and at the end of the journey, a new land, which he has prepared for them.

And that's a story that will take up quite a chunk of the Old Testament.

It's the forward march of God's people at this early stage of their history as a company of those who believe,

or who at any rate say that they believe, in him.

I guess a number of you will know the writings of Eugene Peterson,

who was for many years, I understand, a pastor of a church not all that far from here,

and whose works many of you may know and value.

His translation of the entire Bible, which he calls The Message,

has a very interesting introduction to each book of the Bible,

and in his introduction to the book of Numbers, he speaks like this.

He says, here is a company of believers,

quite near the beginning of its journey,

and they are gradually learning to look to God for,

this is the theme he draws out of Numbers,

they are learning to look to God for

organizational help,

and for relational help.

They need organizational help,

so that they learn how to work together.

They need relational help,

so as to learn how to live together.

And the greater part of the book is taken up,

with God's people being taught those two great truths,

to learn from the Lord.

And on the story goes,

it's a very exciting story,

a very romantic one,

but what Eugene Peterson says about this particular part of it,

it says, well, exciting and romantic it may be,

but it's important to grasp,

I quote,

some of these less than romantic details

by which we are formed into the people of God.

In other words, this is about the nitty-gritty

of learning to belong to the people of God.

It's not always easy.

It's not always lovely.

Some of it is hard graft.

But that's the forward march,

and that's something they have to begin to learn at that stage,

and then go on learning all the time they are journeying

on the way to the promised land,

and indeed once they get there,

as they continue to be the people of God,

and eventually become the Church of Jesus Christ.

And here is this nitty-gritty stuff

as they march forward

into the future that God has prepared for them.

Lessons that are going to hold good

for the rest of their march through history.

So that out of this one verse in Numbers

has to do with the forward march.

It's all part of the forward march.

We belong to the people of God.

We step forward together.

We have to learn to walk together

as we move towards his goal.

Along with that,

what you find here in Numbers 11, verse 5,

Numbers 11:5

is the backward look.

Here's the forward march.

Hope you're all moving forward together.

Says Moses, follow me.

This is the way we're going.

And then he hears about this backward look.

This is where we arrive at our text.

The people of Israel wept again and said,

Oh, that we had meat to eat.

We remember the fish we had in Egypt.

It cost nothing.

The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks,

the onions, and the garlic.

But now our strength is dried up.

Nothing at all but this manner.

The backward look.

We remember the old days.

As things are just at the moment,

they say,

God or no God.

Journey towards something better or not.

All we've got to eat day by day

is this manner.

We're sick and tired of it.

We remember the onions.

We remember the good old days

before we embark on this dreadful journey.

Well, when the day is demanding

and the way is difficult

and, well, demanding, difficult,

you might say just plain dull.

Many of those days traveling through the wilderness

must have been very dull days.

And food becomes

a matter of great concern to them.

A focus of

all their attention.

And the backward look

as they're moving, we hope,

on the way forward

that God has planned for them,

the backward look is for some of the good things

that they seem to have left behind.

And God has said,

you had to leave them behind.

You're not going to find

onions in the wilderness.

You're not going to find

any of the goodies of Egypt

on the way that I am taking you.

And that's when

the manner for all it

had kept them going for so long

and would continue to do so for 40 years.

And it was good to eat.

But all the onions.

And how selective was their memory.

How extraordinary

that as they look back

to those early days

in that land of slavery,

the one thing they isolated

as a memory they cherished

was the onions of Egypt.

Is that all you remember about Egypt?

The onions and the melons

and the garlic and all?

Come on.

You were there for 400 years

and you know

the conditions you suffered under.

They got worse

and worse

and worse.

And the day you came out of Egypt,

you yourselves were celebrating

your deliverance.

and here you are

and all you can think about

is the onions

you left behind.

The forward march

of the people of God

which continues

through the whole

of the Old Testament

and on into the New

and is still the journey

that lies before us.

That's what we're

looking forward to.

The Lord taking us on

whichever way

he intends to lead us.

It'll be the right way

and the best way

and the straightest way

though it may sometimes

not seem so

the straightest way

home to heaven.

But the backward look

always still occasionally

hanker

for the onions.

Now it seems to me

that that's

not unrelated

to where many churches

in America are

at the present time.

I'm not quite sure

if we in Britain

are quite in the same position

but

there are sorts of things

that we move forward

towards

and other things

that we seem to be

leaving behind

and there are difficult

decisions

to be made.

How are the people of God

going to follow

in his way

especially

when we're in this

very curious

and anomalous position

which is not quite

like where I come from

of the Anglican church

in North America.

I imagine

that most of you

will know something

about the politics

of the church

that lie behind all this.

And it seems

to you

as it certainly

seems to me

looking on

as an outsider

that there are

certain things

that you are going

to be glad

to be rid of

in the Anglican church

you grew up in.

That is still so

in Britain.

It's just that we

haven't yet reached

the parting of the ways

and we hope

there may be

no parting of the ways.

But as you reach

that point

it's all very much

a matter of

the forward march

which way are we going

and what lies ahead

and the backward look

as to what we're going

to have to leave

behind us.

all these are

difficult decisions

to be made

and things

to be weighed up.

And I want to take you

on to the other verse

I've got

the other one

of these two

the first is there

in Numbers chapter 11

Numbers 11:5

verse 5

and the other one

is in the very next

book of the Bible

in Deuteronomy

this time it's chapter 8.

Deuteronomy chapter 8

Deuteronomy 8 · chapter mention

and again

it's

a verse which

says something about

the forward march

and something about

the backward look.

But I'll be wanting you

to notice the difference

between the forward march

in Numbers 11

embarking on that great

spirit led journey

into the new life

and the forward march

here in Deuteronomy

and similarly

the contrast

between the backward

look of the folk

who couldn't forget

the onions

and the backward

look of the people

in Deuteronomy.

Let's have a look now

if you've got a Bible

open in front of you

it's Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8

and the beginning

of the chapter.

I'll start at verse 1

the whole commandment

that I command you

today

you shall be careful

to do

that you may live

and multiply

and go in

and possess the land

that the Lord swore

to give to your fathers

and you shall remember

the whole way

that the Lord your God

has led you

these 40 years

in the wilderness.

the forward march

well

we're looking at it now

from God's viewpoint

the pattern

of the whole story

of that forward march

it's the story

of the church of God

in the Old Testament

and of the church of God

in our New Testament days

and the Lord is saying here

at the beginning

of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8

the Lord was leading you

for these 40 years

in the wilderness

in order to humble you

to test you

to know what was

in your heart

whether you would keep

his commandments

or no

and he humbled you

and let you hunger

and fed you with manna

which you didn't know

nor did your fathers know

so that he might make you know

that man does not live

by bread alone

but by every word

that comes

from the mouth of God

so what's the forward march

in the eyes of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8

from God's viewpoint

it's his plan

for that onward march

and it's the fact

that he has it all organized

in advance

and every step of the way

including

that mere 40 years

in the wilderness

with nothing to eat

but manna that came from heaven

and brothers and sisters

no onions

and all that

they had to do with

why

you see

what they were focused on

was something

that they missed

and couldn't see

why they should be

deprived of it

wasn't it cruel of God

to take them on

the terrible journey

without any onions

and he says

don't you realize

that the entire

it's going to be 40 years

the entire 40 years

is part of my plan

every detail of it

is there

I fed you with manna

for 40 years

to teach you

that man does not live

by bread alone

but by every word

that proceeds

from the mouth of God

there was a purpose

in that setup

it was on purpose

that I gave you

manna

and not onions

you had that

narrow backward look

to one particular thing

that you really

it was about the only thing

you did like about Egypt

wasn't it

if you're honest

you seem to forget

that the whole thing

that was there

was part of slavery

and I brought you out of that

and everything

that happens to you

from this point on

including the lack

of the onions

is designed to teach you

they had that

very narrow view

of what had been

going on hitherto

and God has this

extraordinary

all embracing

panoramic view

of where he's

leading them to

and every detail in it

is to be for their blessing

as well as for his glory

that was the forward march

as Deuteronomy

describes it

from God's viewpoint

it's all for your benefit

in the long run

why did he treat you

like this

so that he might

humble you

and test you

and know

what was in your heart

there was a purpose

all the way through

and what should be

your backward look

is something

well

much bigger

than the onions

what I want you to realize

he says

is not just

focusing on

certain things

you've had to give up

in order to follow me

but what I was

actually doing

when I brought you

out of Egypt

what I was doing

was bringing you out

of a place

to which I had

taken you

in the first place

and even your being

there was part

of my design

I want you to learn

the enormity

and the extraordinary

detail

of my plans

for my people

please do not focus

on the minutiae

on the tiny things

on the particulars

which is about

all you can remember

that you did enjoy

in Egypt

how they've grown

how they've been

magnified in your memory

come on

get it in proportion

they were only onions

for heaven's sake

and what I have

in store for you

is a land

flowing with milk

and honey

out of whose hills

you may dig brass

and we'll never want

for anything

come on my children

he says

what I want you

to have

is a true view

of what you've

left behind

and a true view

of what you're

going towards

move please

move please

out of Numbers

Numbers 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11

into Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8

and I think

that the present

turmoils

in Anglican churches

worldwide

which are

quite extraordinarily

interesting

and one of the

interesting things

about them

if I may say this

in brackets

is that

I find churches

here are looking

to

Anglican archbishops

in sundry places

on the face

of the globe

and they include

and have included

over recent years

as my memory

goes back a few years

not just to

archbishops

in Rwanda

and Burundi

and Uganda

or even to

the Archbishop

of Nigeria

which has more

Anglican Christians

than the whole

of Britain has

and Drexel

of the West Indies

Akinoli

of Nigeria

an old friend

of mine

who was

Archbishop

of the Southern

Coney

in South America

and all these

folk

who've got the goods

brothers and sisters

they've got the goods

which is more

than I can say

of some of our

bishops in England

but you see

through all this

denomination

as well as in

every other

denomination

that you have

folk who've got

their priorities

right

and when they

look backwards

they say

now

one or two

things good

but we're glad

to leave those

things behind us

and God has

opened up for us

something really

exciting and

interesting

in the years

that lie ahead

and we say

yes

and here in the

United States

it's come to a

crunch

am I right

and the Anglican

church is having

to say

well now

do we stick

with the people

who've still

got the vision

or do we stick

with the people

who haven't

it's not for me

to answer that

question

but it hasn't

come to us yet

in Britain

maybe it's on

its way

I think it's so

interesting when the

Archbishop of

Canterbury is torn

two ways

and has two lots

of bishops

one on either

side

putting him in

two different

directions

I find it so

exciting to be

here

among your

congregation

at the Church

of the Advent

as at the Church

of the Incarnation

down there in

Pittsburgh

last Sunday

to see that

out of a mess

God is saying

come on my

people

leave the

melons

the onions

the garlic

and all that

stuff

they were just

the condiments

I've got something

much nicer for you

that lies ahead

and follow me

through the wilderness

40 years of it

maybe

but you'll see

it's worth it

in the long run

let's pray together

our gracious

father we do

thank you

for the

onward call

to your

people

always at

every stage

of their

history

to be able

to leave

behind the

things that

need leaving

behind

and to

follow through

forwards to

those things

that need to

be reached

out to

teach us a

sense of

proportion

we pray

that the

things that

don't really

matter

and the

things we

can afford

to leave

behind

are left

behind

the things

that do

really matter

the things

that we

need to

reach forward

to

are the

things that

we do

reach forward

to

we ask

all this

in Jesus

name

amen