Moses was accused, and we looked at that in a previous post in this series, and eventually after that accusation Moses acted in a way to avoid accusations and ended up making a big mistake in his ministry and life.
This is the satanic purpose of accusations – to bring you to a place where you disobey God. To push you and nag you until you feel so bad about the accusations you either back off from obeying God or you change course.
Let’s say you are the pastor of a local church and one of your team – an elder, a worship leader, an associate pastor – starts accusing you of being too controlling, for example. They accuse you again and again. It starts to filter through the carnal people in the church, the people who love listening to gossip and slander. And it starts to get under your skin! It starts to bother you – the constant drip, drip, drip. Whether you are giving them time to repent and they are still in your team, or you have asked them to step down and they are still (kindly) communicating with everyone in the church they no longer go to, the constant drip of accusations will bother even the strongest pastor.
So, there is two ways you can now act inappropriately. You can step down to the accusers level – you can get down in the mud with them, and start accusing them back. This is wrong. You do not have the time or energy to battle in the mud. Battles should be in the spirit. You should be praying for the grace to respond – not react – in the spirit – not the flesh – in love, grace and kindness – not reply with accusing back! The accuser will not derail your church, pastor, but you accusing back will. You telling the secrets you know will. You taking time to respond to the accusations will.
But the other way is this: the accusations get under your skin, so in the next instance where obeying God could lead to the same or similar accusations you hang back. Maybe new small group leader suggests a study that you know will not bless the people, but if you change the study programme, you know you are vulnerable to and likely to be falsely accused of being too controlling, so you just let it run. That programme is going to cause problems for your church down the road, and rather than be the good shepherd and ensure that your sheep are led to green pastures, you let them be led to wonky pastures and food that will make them sick, because you are scared of the accusations! That will stop your ministry and church being fruitful.
From the start of his ministry, Moses was accused and accused and lied about more and more. At the conclusion of his ministry, he was just about to complete his assignment from the Lord and lead God’s people into the promised land. But he was accused again, and it got under his skin. Read through Numbers 20 here in the NLT, and see how it finally got Moses to not enter his promised land:
20 In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.
2 There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! 4 Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? 5 Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord said to Moses, 8 “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”
9 So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. 10 Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” 13 This place was known as the waters of Meribah (which means “arguing”) because there the people of Israel argued with the Lord, and there he demonstrated his holiness among them.
The people accused Moses of being unloving and not doing enough to help them, and rather than speak to the Rock, Moses struck it. I have seen people accuse pastors of being unloving because they cannot get their own way over and over. That’s not going to stop a church, even if the accusers made a video about it and put it on TV! What will stop the church, stop the ministry, stop the minister, stop the leader is if they change their actions out of fear or frustration at the accusations and accusers.
Here is the way to handle accusations – just keep doing what the Lord says. The Lord is the God of Heaven and Earth, Our Great Redeemer and Shepherd. Your accuser is just a lost little sheep who has forgotten or refused to live for God and live in the Spirit, and has become vulnerable to their flesh and is now working for satan, a disembodied defeated spirit. To listen to an accuser and change what you are doing in your ministry is as dumb as ignoring the Lord and listening to a talking snake! Don’t be that dumb – keep doing what the Lord has told you to do.
Recently, I was accused of travelling too much. The temptation has been to cut back to honour my accusers. But then I would no longer be Spirit-led but accusation-led! That is no way to walk with Jesus. John Wesley had people in his church who told him to travel less, to not travel as far for a small number of people. I’m being accused with the same accusations as Wesley, and it didn’t stop his ministry because it didn’t stop him doing what God called him to do. Wesley actually said in the midst of his accusations: “I see no reason why I should change the course or tenor of my life”. That’s what I am talking about!
Listen very carefully indeed: God did not have an ounce of pity for Moses because of the accusers. God fully expected Moses to ignore the voice of the accusers and do what He was told by the Lord. It’s the same for all of us – God is not going to say, “well I know I told you to plant a church in Scotland, but someone who doesn’t even go to church anymore yelled at you that it’s too far and too expensive to plant that church, so I understand why you quit.” No, He expects you to obey Him over talking snakes!
Do what the Lord has told you no matter what the critics say – do not be accuser led! It sounds so simple, but at times, it takes boldness, courage, a thick skin, and if you are blessed, a few people around you who are encouraging you to obey Jesus!
Next week, we will look at what is going on inside an accuser’s mind!
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