LESSONS FROM A DONKEY

Numbers 22:22-35

Introduction: I have often said that we can find golden nuggets of wisdom in many of the Old Testament narratives. We just have to dig deep to find them. In the story of Balaam and his donkey, we can find lessons pertaining to evangelism.

A. We should strive to be more like the donkey and not Balaam

B. We should appreciate the value of lost souls and develop a love for them

1. Only then will we be motivated to try to save them

2. Only then will we be willing to suffer for such a cause

I. What was Balaam trying to accomplish? Why should we not to be like him?

A. Balaam was looking to curse the people of God (Num. 22:5-6)

1. We must strive to be a blessing to others (Rom. 12:14; 1 Pet. 3:9)

2. Even those who are our enemies we must bless (Matt. 5:44)

B. Balaam was motivated by his greed for profit (2 Pet. 2:15-16)

1. We must seek not our own profit but that of others (1 Cor. 10:33)

2. We are not to peddle the word, but proclaim it in sincerity (2 Cor. 2:17)

3. We are not to be motivated by selfish ambition, but by love for souls and truth (Phi. 1:15-17)

II. We need to be more like Balaam’s donkey

A. The Donkey was able to see the doom that awaited Balaam (v. 23)

1. As Christians, we are able to see the doom that awaits those who are on the road that they have chosen to travel

2. We do what we can to turn them toward another direction (Acts 26:20)

3. Although they may become violent in our persistence to turn them, we still try to turn them away from danger (2 Cor. 5:11)

B. We may cause them to become bruised or feel pain (v. 25)

1. They may feel the crushing weight of sin upon their fragile consciences (Psa. 38:17-18)

2. We want them to see that, if they did what God said, they would not be so afflicted (Psa. 119:67, 71)

3. If only they would turn to the Lord, their pain and affliction would be over (Psa. 25:16-18)

C. Balaam had never known the donkey to fail him or disappoint him (v. 30)

1. We must always maintain our integrity before all that we seek to convert (Tit.2:7-8)

2. Paul and his company always held themselves up as true examples in how they conducted themselves, when they were among the people they were trying to teach (2 The. 3:7-9)

3. Some of our friends and family have always known us to shoot straight with them; the gospel should not be any different

Conclusion: We must be like the donkey; always looking for those Balaams of the world that are on the road that leads to destruction. We must do everything that we can to turn them around, even if such may cause them pain or cause them to lash out at us. Let us always make sure that we conduct ourselves with integrity that they may have reason to believe what we are teaching them is indeed the truth.