God differentiates between His representatives in the church.  It’s not all the same.  God puts people in the church as it pleases Him.  We saw these ministry gifts, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.  In Numbers 16 we see another story you’re very familiar with.  Remember Korah and Dathan?  Now, the people are complaining against Moses, against God, for many of the things that they’re enduring.  In Numbers 16 we see Korah, Levi, Dathan, and Abiram rose up before Moses.  One of the things that heretics do is they promote their doctrine, and so he had to round up a few folks to validate his point, his position.  It said, “And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown” (Numbers 16:2).  Isn’t that exactly the same thing that Paul said was going to happen at Ephesus?  From among themselves, men are going to rise up and draw to themselves.  Paul in faith says, I commit you to the Holy Ghost.  Hallelujah!  This spirit will never leave our gatherings.

So, God’s giving direction here, and bringing us into an understanding of where His heart is and how He responds to these things.  The Lord does hear.  Famous and renowned, those are usually the ones that get caught up in it because power, position, the satisfying of ego, once it’s part of our appetite, can never be fulfilled.  That’s why He said if you want to be great in the body, be servant of all; amen?  That’s the place you want to stay.  They gathered against Moses, against Aaron, and said, “You take too much upon you, Moses.”  Well, Moses had already said he didn’t want to go; amen?  Let’s go back to the burning bush.  This isn’t a guy burning with ego and wanting to go and make a name for himself.  He said, “I don’t want anything to do with this.”  Then when he saw, that God wasn’t going to let him off the hook, he came up with the thing, “Well, Lord, I can’t speak.”  Right?  So, here’s my brother, Aaron, and he’s able to articulate well, and I’m just not a good communicator.  It’s very interesting that once he humbled himself, obeyed the call of God, Aaron never got to say anything; amen?  That anointing was on Moses and he did a good job.  Praise God!  It’s the call and the gifts that are without repentance.  When God calls you and places you, He will gift you.  You don’t arrive in positions in the kingdom of authority by rising up and demonstrating gifts.  You demonstrate humility, you demonstrate faithfulness, and God will gift you to get the job done.  Here’s Moses at this particular time.  They’re saying to Moses, “You take too much on yourself.”

In Exodus 17, the people of God are coming out of the bondage in Egypt.  God, using Moses, had just worked all these miracles.  They’re delivered.  They saw Moses stand and hold his rod over the sea and it parted.  After being delivered, they murmured over no water.  They murmured over the manna.  We’re just a bunch of whiners, aren’t we, in our flesh?  That’s who we are naturally.  You’ll find out whether you’re living in the Spirit.  If you’re just whining that you’re not getting your way and things aren’t right, and, “I should be recognized for my greatness, and I should have my way at all times.”  If you’re always the one that has to determine where we go out to eat, and you’re always the one that has to determine how and where and when and why, just realize you’re back in the flesh.  These are just little side things we’re throwing in on the journey that will help you out because a man that’s alive in the Spirit is always going to prefer others.  A man that’s alive in the Spirit is going to be full of peace and gentleness and kindness and temperance and faithfulness and many of these other things.