Crime and Punishment | Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

0:02 Beloved, grace and peace be unto you from God who loves us as a mother and a father, and Jesus Christ who alone is our resurrected, our risen, our reigning, and our returning redeemer. Before we get into the word of God on today, I want to thank all of you who were not only prayerfully supporting, but also present either on that premise or in online as we gathered last week at FedEx Field. What an amazing sight to see some almost 5,000 worshipers gather in that space and make glorious the name of our Lord, who is merciful, our God who is compassionate, and our God who is faithful. I thank you all. We're getting ready to ease into our summer season, our month of rest, and I'm excited that on next weekend, we're going to be blessed with the word of God from our summer interns who've been with us this year and have been such a tremendous blessing to the ministry of this church family. And I want to encourage you to pray for them even now and even more so to log on next weekend that we might receive a mighty word from our interns.

1:03 Coming off of FedEx Field, someone whispered in my ear a word that has left me struggling with God. He said to me, Pastor, the Lord has great things in store for Alfred Street. And although I believe that in the core of my heart, and I pray that you do as well, I am fully aware that wherever God has given potential, Satan always wants to bring a distraction. Satan always tries to detour us from what God has in plan. And so thinking about the dangers of being gifted with potential and not living up to it, the Lord's directed my heart to a passage of scripture that I want you to hear as I read out the New International Version. Won't you turn in your Bibles or on your smart devices to Numbers chapter 20? In the Old Testament, the book of Numbers chapter 20. And in those first 13 verses, there is an account that is deeply disturbing that I think merits our attention this morning.

2:04 Numbers chapter 20. Listen to the word of God beginning in verse number one. in the first month the whole israelite community arrived at the desert of zen and they stayed at kadesh and it was there miriam died and was buried now there was no water for the community and the people gathered in opposition to moses and aaron they quarreled with moses and said, if only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord, why did you bring the Lord's community into this wilderness that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain, no figs, no grapevines, no pomegranates, and there is no water to drink. Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell face down.

3:06 And the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord said to Moses, take the staff and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink. So Moses took the staff from the Lord's presence just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered together the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, Listen, you rebels. Must we bring you water out of this rock? Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I have given them.

4:15 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them. I want to hang out in verse number 12 where the Lord says to Moses and to Aaron, because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them. I want to talk a little bit today about crime and punishment. Crime and punishment. By now, I think we are all familiar with the events, the story, and the testimony of our sister, Sha'Carri Richardson. If you're not familiar with Sha'Carri Richardson, she is a phenomenally gifted sprinter, female black athlete, who won her trials to go to the next Olympics as a sprinter for the American team.

5:14 A few days after winning the Olympic trials, it came out that Shikari had tested positive for marijuana. For you see, Sister Richardson, in trying to deal with the grief of her mother's recent death, had smoked a little bit of marijuana to help ease the stress and to help her that she could run her best in honor of her mother. When it came out, Shikari did the honorable thing. she acknowledged that what she did was wrong, that it was a violation of Olympic rules, because the Olympic Committee still holds marijuana as a banned substance, even though it is not a performance-enhancing drug. And Shikari's story has sparked some controversy, not only within American circles, but particularly within the black community for two reasons. Number one, it raises the issue of the legalization of marijuana.

6:14 I know that that's a divisive issue within our world. I need to let you know I've never smoked marijuana. And because of something that happened in my family, I'm a little marijuana adverse. But I don't judge those who do smoke marijuana. You want to know why? Because I love some Cabernet Sauvignon. When I'm stressed, I reach for a glass of a little something-something myself. but it's also raised a divisive issue because shikari in punishment for smoking a little bit of marijuana which is not a performance enhancing drug which has now become legalized in almost every state of this continent she was banned from the olympics and prohibited even from running in the four by 100 relay which she could have helped us win gold and if you're like me it's a little disturbing to know that this phenomenally gifted black sister who was prone to win the gold medal has now been banned because she smoked a little weed. I don't know how you feel about it, but there's something about that that leaves a bad taste in my mouth that her punishment doesn't seem to fit her crime. Beloved, all of us ought to have a little balance in our lives that seems to be a little off when we see a punishment that doesn't fit the crime.

7:41 Something about Derek Chauvin killing George Floyd and only getting 20-some years but being eligible for parole in 15 leaves a bad taste in my mouth when there are thousands of black men in jail for a longer period of time for a lesser crime. There's something off when crime and punishment don't match. When someone's punishment seems more severe than their crime, it ought to leave a bad taste in your mouth. And if you're sensitive to crime and punishment, if you don't like the travesty of justice when punishment doesn't meet crime, then you ought to be a little perturbed, a little hung up, a little agitated by what happens here in Numbers chapter 20. Let me give you a little background so you don't miss the breakdown. Moses is leading the children of Israel through the wilderness.

8:37 The Bible declares that in Numbers chapter 20, they arrived in the wilderness of Zin by the waters of Meribah. And while they are there, Miriam dies. Miriam, Moses' sister, the one who kept a watch over him as he floated down the Nile River. the one who made the suggestion to Pharaoh's daughter that Moses' own mother be the one to nurse him. Miriam who's been by his side from day one. Miriam who walked through the waters with him. Miriam who sung a song of praise after they got through the Red Sea. Miriam who's been a prophetess and a leader among Israel. Miriam dies and Moses is grieving. Moses has lost his sister. Moses has lost a woman who's meant the world to him.

9:32 Moses has lost a woman who's been by his side since day one. And in the midst of grieving, while he's walking through the valley of the shadow of death, while he's depressed and trying to figure out what life is going to look like without his beloved sister, the Bible says that in that moment, the children of Israel decide they want to quarrel with Moses. These Israelites who have been, according to the word of God, stiff-necked and a pain in the behind have now come to Moses in the midst of grieving to complain and they say to Moses, why in the world did you bring us all the way out here? We had it better in Egypt where there were garlics and leek to eat. There are no figs out here. There's no Popeyes out here. There's no hot sauce out here. Moses, how could you bring us all the way out here to die? And then they have the nerve to say, and there's not even any water to drink. And Moses has had enough. These folk have gotten on his last good nerve.

10:47 So Moses and Aaron go to the 10th of meeting. The Lord shows up. Moses tells the Lord, look, I'm tired of these folk. They're complaining again and they want some water. God gives Moses some instruction. He says, Moses, don't worry about it. I got this. Go out there, talk to the rock, get out the way and let me be God. Mo, don't worry about it. Go talk to the rock. Get out the way. Let me be God and watch the water come out of the rock. Moses leaves the tent of meeting, goes to the church of Israel, says to them, how long do I have to do this for y'all? And rather than speaking to the rock, Bible says that Moses hits the rock twice. Moses is so frustrated with these folk, he hits the rock.

11:41 and watch what happens. The water flows out anyway. Moses does not obey what God said. God said, speak to the rock. Moses hit the rock and the water came out anyway. I want to make certain you see grace at work. Moses disobeys what God told him to do, but the rock still poured out water in spite of it. The miracle came even though Moses was disobedient. beloved I came by tell you that somewhere on your life's resume there's been that instance where you have disobeyed what God told you to do and God still worked the miracle in your life anyway somebody ought to be shouting an amen right there there's some moments God told you to go left and you went right and he blessed you anyway there's a moment God said no and you said yes and God blessed you anyway.

12:37 There's a moment God said, put it down and you picked it up and God blessed you anyway. Is there anybody watching today who knows about that rock moment when you disobeyed God, but the grace of God allowed the water to flow anyway, allowed the blessing to come anyway, allowed the miracle to happen anyway, allowed the blessings and the finances to come anyway. God blessed you in the middle of your disobedience. The water flows out. And Bobby, it looks like everything is fine. And then God shows up. And God says to Moses, because of that right there, you are not going into the promised land. Paul stop rewind God tells Moses because of that you are not going into the promised land the crime of hitting the rock is met with the punishment of being prohibited from entering the promised land hold on God hold on God Moses can't go into the promised land?

14:03 God, look at everything Moses has done for you. Look at everything Moses has put on the line for you. Look at all the heartache and hell Moses has gone through with these Israelites because you called him to this. And you mean to tell me Moses can't go into the promised land?

14:30 Beloved, it just seems to me that if anybody deserves a pass, it's Moses. If anybody deserves a little slack, it's Moses. If anybody deserves a little mercy, it's Moses. God, how in the world can you prohibit Moses from going into the promised land with everything that Moses has done. That scares me, y'all, because that suggests that no matter how much we think we've done for the Lord, there's a line by which God can prohibit us from walking into our destiny even if we think we've earned it. Moses can't go in. And God, please don't tell me it's because he got angry with the people of God.

15:24 Because if getting angry with church folk can keep you out of your destiny, we in a whole lot of trouble. I don't know how to preach this to you, but church folk can wear you out. Church folk can get on your last good nerve. Ministry leaders can agitate and frustrate you. And if Moses is prohibited because he got mad, you and I are in a whole lot of trouble. Can I push it? And God, you know these folk. You know these Israelites. A few chapters ago, you wanted to kill them. You told Moses, step out of the way, you'll kill them and we'll start all over again. God, you know how stiff-necked these folk are.

16:18 You know how much of a pain they can be. You know how they complain about everything. And God, if you wanted to kill them, how in the world can you get mad at Moses for being upset with them and hitting the rock? but beloved I came by to ask a question that I think all of us need to wrestle with what does Moses do that could upset God so much that God prohibits him from going into the promised land what is it about hitting a rock that that requires a punishment that denies the destiny God had prescribed. I need to know what it is that displeases God. I need to know what it is that upsets the Lord. I need to know what it is so that maybe you and I have a chance of walking into our promised land.

17:18 Can I drop a few ideas on you and then we'll get ready for the summer? What is it that keeps Moses out? Well, let me suggest to you, first of all, I would say this to Misha, that part of what keeps Moses out of the promised land, watch this, is that Moses wastes his worship with God. Moses wastes his worship with God. Come back to the wilderness of Zen right here in Meribah and watch what happens. The Israelites start complaining while Moses is grieving. Moses is mad. He goes into the tent of meeting. The glory of the Lord falls down. The Lord tells Moses, speak to the rock, get out the way, let me be God.

18:14 Moses leaves the tent of meeting and he's still mad with the Israelites when he hits the rock. Okay, I'm gonna run it again because you may have missed it. Moses is mad. He goes into the tent of meeting. The glory of the Lord shows up. God tells Moses what to do. And Moses leaves the tent of meeting mad with Israelites. Okay, he's still missing. I got to give it again. Moses is mad. He goes into the tent of meeting. He engages the presence of the Lord. And he leaves the tent of meeting mad. Okay, they say one more time, one more time. He's mad. He goes into the tent of meeting. He engages God and he comes out as mad on the other side as he did when he went in. And could part of the problem be that Moses went in to the house of the Lord, engaged God and left the house of the Lord with the same bad attitude, with the same nasty disposition, with the same anger that he had before he went in.

19:23 and what a shame to come out after the benediction the same way you went in before the call to worship. What a shame for you to walk in to the presence of God and walk out the same way you did before you went in because when you truly engage the presence of God and you worship the Lord and the Lord begins to speak to you something about you ought to change. Beloved, I suggest to you that the greatest damage to the witness of the body of Christ is done by people who go into church one way and come out the same way. And so your coworker doesn't want to come to church because they saw how mean you were on Friday and on Monday you were just as mean.

20:19 that they see how you acted during the week. You say you went to church on the weekend and the next Monday, you still got the same bad attitude that something about you ought to change when you engage the spirit of God and hear the word of God and witness the glory of God. Shame on you to log on every weekend and nothing change. Shame on you to claim you worship God and still got a funky disposition, shame on you to say you praise God and still cuss out your co-worker. Shame on you to be in the presence of God and nothing about you change. Because when you truly worship God, when you truly praise God, when you give God glory, when you open your ears to the word of God and open your heart to the moving of the spirit, something about you should change.

21:22 Okay, somebody doesn't hear me. You know, before COVID, I used to travel a lot to preach in other churches. Whenever I travel, usually they've assigned someone to come pick me up and take me to the church. Brooke, I remember I was preaching once at a church and they assigned a deacon to come pick me up. And when I got in the car with the deacon, it was obvious that he was a smoker. You could smell the menthol. You could smell the Newports in the car. Now, I don't want to say nothing because you know I'm trying to be user-friendly and it's kind of him to come pick me up. But while we're in the car, on our way to church, he lights a cigarette in the car. Now he rolls the window down, but he's smoking a cigarette in the car with me So I try to you know give some subtle hints that this is not cool I start coughing I roll my window down Trying to grab some air I'm hoping that he gets the sign that that that he probably shouldn't smoke in the car the brother didn't get it when he finished that cigarette he lit up another one so I'm in the car we finally get to church when we get to church and I get out the car I go to meet the pastor and when I shake his hand he gives me the brother handshake you know the handshake with a hug so he gives me a handshake he gives me a hug and then he pushes back and he says Howard when did you start smoking. I said to him, man, I don't smoke, but I've been in a car with your deacon that does.

23:10 And because I've been so close to him and what he does, some of what he does is now remnant on me and you can smell some of him on me. Beloved, I came by telling you that that's what ought to happen when you truly worship God. That's what ought to happen when you've been close to God. That's what ought to happen when the glory of God has descended and you've been in the midst. somebody ought to get close to you and say, wait a minute, I smell some glory on you. Wait a minute, I see some mercy in you. Wait a minute, there's some love in you. Wait a minute, there's some faith on you. Wait a minute, there's some hallelujah in you. When you've been close to God, some of that ought to linger in you. And what a shame to claim you've been close to God and there'd be no remnant of God in your daily living. So maybe, just maybe, God says to Moses, I can't let you in because you keep wasting worship.

24:10 You keep coming week in and week out and nothing about you changes. You're not ready for your promised land until worship changes you. Moses wastes his worship with God But can I give you another one? This one gets me. Moses is a wrongful witness of God. Moses presents the wrong witness of the Lord. Watch this.

24:44 Moses goes into the tent. And the Lord says to him, listen, I understand what's going on. Speak to the rock. I'm going to let some water come out. And we will handle this. Because the children of Israel, when they complain, Gilbert, the word for complain is this Hebrew word that literally means to bring forth a legal case. There's no water to drink in the wilderness. And their issue is valid. When Moses takes it to God, God is not angry. God does not say, let's kill them. God does not say, I'm tired of these Israelites. God's response is this. I get it. They need some water. Here's what you do.

25:36 Speak to it. Get out the way and let the water come. When Moses leaves the tent, Moses speaks in anger to a people God is not angry with. Beloved, here's the issue. The children of Israel cannot go to God themselves. They trust on Moses going to God on their behalf, and they trust that what Moses speaks is in alignment with what God has spoken. They believe that whatever Moses says must be what he heard from God. Now, here's the problem. God is not angry, but Moses speaks in anger and he leaves the people believing that God is angry with us when that is not what God said. And could part of the problem be that the witness of Moses in the eyes of those who did not know God did not match what God had spoken to Moses?

26:47 there's a problem when your life does not line up with the word of God and somebody's relying on you to be a witness of what God has said. Beloved, I came by to ask you a question. Does your life align itself with the word of God? Because there's somebody who doesn't read the Bible in your world. There's someone who's never prayed in your life. There's someone who doesn't go to church on your job. And they are looking at you like a Moses. You are the witness of what God has said. And part of God's issue is that your life does not line up with the word of God. here you are believing that no weapon formed against you shall prosper and yet you're trying to handle every enemy by yourself here you are saying that weeping only endures for a night but yet you're frustrated and impatient the first time something bad happens here you are claiming that all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord.

28:06 And you don't give God time to work out things in your life and there are people watching you and you are the only Bible they will ever read. And God's question is, does your life line up with my word? Do you live like you believe that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world? Do you live like you believe that God will take what was meant for evil and work it together for your good? Does your life bear witness to the fact that if you call on the name of the Lord, you shall be saved? Can somebody look at you and see Romans 8 that declares nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus? Does your life bear witness to the word of God? God says Moses listen you can't go in because you keep wasting worship you can't go in because your life does not line up with the word of God and I need people to be able to read the Bible as they look at you here's the last one and I'm done Moses you wasted your worship Moses you are a wrongful witness and Moses you withheld the wonder of God.

29:32 You withheld my wonder. Watch what the Lord says to Moses. Here's why you're not going in. You did not honor me among them. You need to know that word honor that shows up in Numbers 20. It's the same word as sanctify. And it literally means to separate. So watch the indictment. Moses, here's why you're not going in. You didn't separate me in the sight of the Israelites. You didn't separate me. What do you mean, God, I didn't separate you? You didn't separate me from you. Watch what happens. Here it is. See if you catch it. Moses comes out of the tent of meeting. And Archangels, watch what he says to the children of Israel.

30:26 how long must we bring you water out of this rock okay somebody you can catch it he comes out this is what Moses says uh there's some water in this rock but how long must we do it okay okay you still ain't caught yet Moses comes out and says all right there's some water in the rock but how long must we do this thing? And I think y'all God was sitting back looking at Moses and wanted to ask him a question. Moses, when you start speaking French, who's we? Because if water comes out of that rock, we ain't got nothing to do with it. If water comes out of that rock, we did not make that happen.

31:19 if that miracle is performed, Moses, you didn't have nothing to do with it because there's a moment in your life when you've got to separate God from the work of your hand and the intelligence of your mind and the passion of your heart and realize that if water comes out of this rock, it's not because I was so strong and not because I knew what I was doing and not because I was well connected, but because I serve a God who is able to make water come out of a rock.

31:55 God says, here's your problem. You're watching the miracles and you're taking credit for something you didn't have nothing to do with. Beloved, I don't know who I came by to preach to on this day, but I want to let you know that if there's some water coming out of that rock, it's not because a we. If God is performing that miracle, it's not because of what you did. And every now and then you've got to step back in your life and allow the people in your world to know it's not by my goodness and not by my righteousness and not by my wealth and not by my connections, but it is only by the goodness and the grace of God. Is there anybody watching who's had some water flow out of a rock and you can say to God be the glory for what God and God alone has done in my life.

32:52 God did this and God says, you've got to separate me. Okay, let me close like this. Since we've got the seminarians on the set and they're getting ready to finish their masters of divinity and hopefully one day they'll pursue their PhDs, I need to remind them of something as they pursue their doctorates. And that is simply this, that the greatest crime in the academy that will keep you from earning your degree is a crime called plagiarism. Anyone who's ever been to college, grad school, post-grad knows that plagiarism will keep you from earning your degree. Tamisha, I don't care how smart you are. If you get caught plagiarizing, you won't earn your degree. Well, somebody, maybe you need a reminder of what plagiarism is. So let me break it down in H.J. Wesley terms.

33:46 Plagiarism is simple. When you write something that you get from someone else and you take credit as if it's your own. That's all plagiarism is, that if you get it from somewhere else, but you present it like it's yours, you are not eligible for the degree. I want to say it one more again, that if somebody else gave it to you and you've got the arrogance to act like you got it by yourself, you are not worthy for the degree at the end. I come by to tell somebody, don't you plagiarize God. If you know that God woke you up this morning, don't you act like you did it by yourself. If you know that the Lord made a way out of no way, don't you act like you did it by yourself. If you know that God answered your prayer exceedingly and abundantly above what you can ask or think, don't you dare act like you got it by yourself.

34:46 I got to leave you, Alfred Street. But here is the easiest way to avoid plagiarism. You ready? It's real simple. When you know that someone else gave it to you, all you've got to do is put a footnote at the bottom of the page and cite your source. That's it. I feel like shouting, here's what makes you eligible for the degree. When you learn how to cite your source. Somebody, I need you to type that in the chat. Learn to cite your source. At the end of every day, cite your source. If it had not been for the Lord on my side, at the end of your journey, cite your source. The Lord has brought us a mighty long way. After every miracle, So cite your source. God made a way out of no way. You've got to know how to cite your source.

35:43 And if you won't waste your worship, and if your witness will line itself up with God's word, and if you know how to declare the glory of the God you serve by citing your source, we'll walk into this destiny together. Beloved, let's make certain We all make it