Integrity in Faith: Aligning Public Declarations with Private Lives
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the story of Balaam from the book of Numbers, focusing on the importance of aligning our public declarations of faith with our private lives. Balaam, a non-Israelite seer, was approached by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse the Israelites. Despite his initial public stance of only doing what God commanded, Balaam ultimately compromised his integrity for personal gain. This story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hypocrisy and the importance of genuine obedience to God's will.
The Israelites, after receiving God's law at Mount Sinai, were on their journey to the Promised Land. They faced numerous challenges, including the fortified cities and giants in the land, which led to their rebellion and subsequent wandering in the desert for 40 years. During this period, they encountered the Moabites, and Balak sought Balaam's help to curse them. Despite multiple attempts and religious ceremonies, Balaam could only bless the Israelites, as they were God's chosen, conquering, and comforted people.
However, Balaam's story takes a dark turn when he advises Balak on how to lead the Israelites astray through intermarriage and idolatry, resulting in severe consequences for the Israelites. This duality in Balaam's actions—publicly professing obedience to God while privately seeking personal gain—highlights the critical need for integrity in our faith.
Jesus' teachings in Matthew 7 further emphasize this point, warning against false prophets and the importance of genuine obedience. True character, as defined by God, is who we are when no one else is watching. Public professions of faith, such as baptism, are important, but they must be backed by a heart fully surrendered to God.
### Key Takeaways
1. Public vs. Private Faith: Balaam's story illustrates the danger of publicly professing faith while privately compromising. True obedience to God requires consistency between our public declarations and private actions. God desires more than lip service; He wants our hearts and lives fully surrendered to Him. [37:03]
2. The Consequences of Compromise: Balaam's willingness to compromise for personal gain led to severe consequences for the Israelites. This serves as a warning that compromising our faith for worldly benefits can lead to spiritual downfall and harm to others. Genuine obedience to God often requires sacrifice and steadfastness. [32:44]
3. God's Chosen People: Despite Balaam's attempts to curse them, the Israelites were continually blessed because they were God's chosen people. This reminds us that God's plans and blessings for His people cannot be thwarted by external forces. Our identity in Christ secures us in His promises. [30:49]
4. Character and Integrity: True character is defined by who we are when no one is watching. It's easy to put on a facade of righteousness, but God sees our hearts. Genuine faith requires integrity, aligning our private lives with our public professions of faith. [38:22]
5. The Joy of Obedience: Following God's will may not always be easy or make sense, but it leads to the most joyous and fulfilling journey. Obedience to God, even when it costs us something, brings true joy and purpose that surpasses any worldly achievement. [46:59]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[23:47] - Introduction to Balaam's Story
[24:28] - Opening Prayer
[25:25] - The Importance of Doing Whatever God Says
[26:26] - Israelites' Journey and Rebellion
[27:25] - Encounter with the Moabites
[28:24] - Balaam's Initial Response
[29:05] - Balaam's Attempts to Curse Israel
[30:13] - God's Blessing on Israel
[30:49] - Balaam's Continued Attempts
[31:20] - Israel as God's Comforted People
[32:03] - Balaam's Compromise
[33:22] - Influence of Moabite Women
[34:38] - Consequences of Israel's Rebellion
[35:23] - New Testament References to Balaam
[37:03] - Public vs. Private Faith
[38:22] - True Character and Integrity
[39:51] - Public Professions of Faith
[42:12] - God Demands More Than Lip Service
[44:35] - Jesus' Warning Against False Prophets
[46:59] - The Joy of Obedience
[49:33] - Final Thoughts and Invitation
[51:11] - Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant
[52:55] - Invitation to Respond
[53:34] - Closing Prayer and Baptisms
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Numbers 22:8 - "How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?"
2. Numbers 24:5 - "How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling place, O Israel."
3. Matthew 7:15-20 - "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits."
### Observation Questions
1. What was Balaam's initial response to Balak's request to curse the Israelites? ([28:24])
2. How did Balaam's actions change after he realized he wouldn't be paid for his services? ([32:03])
3. According to Matthew 7:15-20, how can we recognize false prophets?
4. What were the consequences for the Israelites when they followed Balaam's advice to intermarry with the Moabites? ([34:38])
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Balaam publicly professed obedience to God but privately sought personal gain? ([36:10])
2. How does the story of Balaam illustrate the dangers of hypocrisy in our faith? ([37:03])
3. What does Jesus mean when He says, "You will know them by their fruits" in Matthew 7:16? How does this apply to Balaam's story?
4. How can the consequences faced by the Israelites serve as a warning for us today about compromising our faith? ([34:38])
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you publicly professed your faith but privately struggled with obedience. What steps can you take to align your private actions with your public declarations? ([37:03])
2. Balaam's story shows the severe consequences of compromising faith for personal gain. Are there areas in your life where you are tempted to compromise your faith for worldly benefits? How can you address these temptations? ([32:44])
3. Jesus warns against false prophets in Matthew 7:15-20. How can you discern whether a spiritual leader or teacher is genuine or not? What practical steps can you take to ensure you are following true teachings?
4. The Israelites were led astray through intermarriage and idolatry. Are there influences in your life that are leading you away from God? How can you remove or minimize these influences? ([34:38])
5. True character is defined by who we are when no one is watching. What specific actions can you take this week to ensure your private life reflects your public faith? ([38:22])
6. Following God's will may not always be easy or make sense, but it leads to true joy. Can you think of a situation where following God's will was challenging but ultimately rewarding? How can this experience encourage you to trust God in future decisions? ([46:59])
7. How can you cultivate a heart fully surrendered to God, ensuring that your public professions of faith are backed by genuine obedience? ([42:12])
Devotional
Day 1: Consistency in Faith
Balaam's story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of aligning our public declarations of faith with our private lives. Balaam, despite his initial public stance of only doing what God commanded, ultimately compromised his integrity for personal gain. This duality in his actions—publicly professing obedience to God while privately seeking personal gain—highlights the critical need for integrity in our faith. True obedience to God requires consistency between our public declarations and private actions. God desires more than lip service; He wants our hearts and lives fully surrendered to Him. [37:03]
Numbers 22:18-19 (ESV): "But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, 'Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more. So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.'"
Reflection: Think about a recent situation where your private actions did not align with your public declarations of faith. How can you bring these two aspects of your life into alignment today?
Day 2: The Dangers of Compromise
Balaam's willingness to compromise for personal gain led to severe consequences for the Israelites. Despite his initial refusal to curse the Israelites, Balaam eventually advised Balak on how to lead them astray through intermarriage and idolatry. This serves as a warning that compromising our faith for worldly benefits can lead to spiritual downfall and harm to others. Genuine obedience to God often requires sacrifice and steadfastness. [32:44]
Numbers 31:16 (ESV): "Behold, these, on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord."
Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you are tempted to compromise your faith for personal gain. What steps can you take today to remain steadfast in your obedience to God?
Day 3: God's Unstoppable Blessings
Despite Balaam's attempts to curse them, the Israelites were continually blessed because they were God's chosen people. This reminds us that God's plans and blessings for His people cannot be thwarted by external forces. Our identity in Christ secures us in His promises, and no external force can change that. [30:49]
Numbers 23:8 (ESV): "How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?"
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt threatened or discouraged by external circumstances. How can you remind yourself of God's unchanging promises and blessings in your life today?
Day 4: True Character and Integrity
True character is defined by who we are when no one is watching. It's easy to put on a facade of righteousness, but God sees our hearts. Genuine faith requires integrity, aligning our private lives with our public professions of faith. Balaam's story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of hypocrisy and the importance of genuine obedience to God's will. [38:22]
Proverbs 10:9 (ESV): "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out."
Reflection: Consider an area of your life where you may be putting on a facade. What steps can you take to ensure that your private actions reflect your public declarations of faith?
Day 5: The Joy of Obedience
Following God's will may not always be easy or make sense, but it leads to the most joyous and fulfilling journey. Obedience to God, even when it costs us something, brings true joy and purpose that surpasses any worldly achievement. Balaam's story reminds us that genuine obedience to God often requires sacrifice, but it ultimately leads to a deeper and more fulfilling relationship with Him. [46:59]
John 15:10-11 (ESV): "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."
Reflection: Think about a recent decision where you chose to follow God's will despite the cost. How did this decision bring you joy and fulfillment? How can you continue to choose obedience in your daily life?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "The most important thing that you can ever do in your life is to do whatever God says. So with that, I want to take us back to this story of Balaam. And I want to follow through with this story just a little bit this morning before we get to this idea of how do we know to follow God's will or what happens when we follow God's will or we don't follow God's will." [25:25] (24 seconds)
2. "Listen to me closely this morning. With God there are only two choices. You are either going to be obedient or you've already been disobedient. You're either going to be a rule keeper or you're going to be a rule breaker. You're either walking in the light or you're walking in darkness." [37:35] (19 seconds)
3. "God wants more than just your Sunday attendance. God wants more than just your tithe. God wants your heart and your soul. He wants every part of you. He wants your checkbook. He wants your marriage. He wants your children. He wants what you watch on TV, what you listen to on the radio, what words come out of your mouth, what thoughts come into your head. He wants every part of you." [42:12] (27 seconds)
4. "Nothing else on this earth matters except your relationship with God Almighty. Get your priorities straight, church, because he is coming back again one day, and he is either going to look at that group of people who pat themselves on the back and say, didn't I do this, and didn't I do that, and didn't I praise you, and didn't I go to that church, and didn't I raise my hands, and didn't I sing, and didn't I go to the connect class like the preacher told me to, and didn't I pay my tithe, and didn't I, didn't I, didn't I? And he's going to say, I never knew you." [50:17] (35 seconds)
5. "There is only joy in the journey with Jesus. Anything and everything else. Anything and everything else is vanity of vanities. Because somebody else will break your record. Somebody will. And even if they don't, one day God's going to burn that record up. Nobody will care. Nobody will care." [52:07] (25 seconds)
### Quotes for Members
1. "The key to me as I was studying this, it was the amazing part that Balaam appears to publicly be willing to only do whatever God says. In other words, publicly appears to be aligning his life with God's will. And yet privately he was willing to compromise. I will follow what makes me more money. I will publicly do what I think God wants me to do, but privately I'm going to do what I want to do because it's going to make me more money." [36:10] (40 seconds)
2. "Most of us know what the word character means. In the dictionary character says it is the mental or moral qualities distinctive to that individual. Their strength and originality in a person's nature or a person's good reputation. But let me tell you what God says your character is. Your character, God says, is who you are when nobody else sees you. That's who you really are." [38:22] (35 seconds)
3. "How are we to respond to God's will, church? Total obedience. Total obedience. And if you're like, well, I'm unsure what that means, well, let me give you some indicators. It probably won't be easy. Probably won't be easy. It probably is going to cost you something. It's probably not going to make sense. But when you follow God, here's what I know. By experience, it is the most joyous journey you will ever take." [46:59] (45 seconds)
4. "Jesus says that you and I, when we will publicly declare him as Lord, he will publicly declare us in heaven. But that's only because privately we believed what we were saying. We're supposed to believe. And we took it to heart. In just a few minutes, you're going to see some people baptized publicly because they've already believed it in their heart. Baptism doesn't save them. Salvation comes when they believed in their heart and got their heart right with God." [48:44] (31 seconds)
5. "You want to know why? Because if you could gain the whole world and lose your own soul, you're a fool. Nothing else on this earth matters except your relationship with God Almighty. Get your priorities straight, church, because he is coming back again one day, and he is either going to look at that group of people who pat themselves on the back and say, didn't I do this, and didn't I do that, and didn't I praise you, and didn't I go to that church, and didn't I raise my hands, and didn't I sing, and didn't I go to the connect class like the preacher told me to, and didn't I pay my tithe, and didn't I, didn't I, didn't I? And he's going to say, I never knew you." [50:17] (41 seconds)
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