Are you a Rabble? "I Am Just Not Getting Fed"

“I am just not getting fed.”

I’ve heard this and so have many pastors.

“Pastor, we are going to head somewhere else where we can get fed.”

Join the club.

The “I am not getting fed club”originated in Numbers when “rabble among the Israelites who followed from Egypt had greedy desires and the Israelites wept again and said, ‘Who will give us something to eat?” Numbers 11:4

A couple of lessons to determine if you are a rabble:
1. Unfortunately, there will always be rabble in our churches who have greedy desires. Just don’t be among them.
Listen to God, not man.

2. Not being fed stems from selfishness and a desire to be a consumer. They were greedy. It was all about their needs and their comfort. You have heard this before....
—I need something more in a kids/youth ministry. It’s not flashy enough or cool enough
—I don’t like the music
—the preaching is too long or too short or the pastor can’t relate to me
—you mean you want me to serve?
Rabble have a “Poor Me” attitude rather than a “Pour Me” attitude.

3. Rabble want to go back to the good ‘ole days (v. 5). “We remember the fish we ate freely and without cost....”.
They look at past victories and want to relish is those victories rather than chasing new opportunity to advance the Gospel.
They say, “we’ve never done it that way before!”
(We can no longer operate in the good ‘ole days unless you want your church to die!)

4. Rabble aren’t willing to sacrifice. They are looking for free stuff and just want to consume. They don’t want to give, they just want to take.
They aren’t willing to serve anywhere in the church. The only time they show up is to occupy a seat.

5. They can’t see the spiritual food in front of their face. “There is nothing at all to be seen but this manna.” (V. 6)
They can’t see the investment in them from those pouring into them. They really don’t want to make disciples, they want to make complainers.

6. Rabble sound wise but are fools. They are false teachers and instigators. They are instigators of dissatisfaction and make discomfort an excuse to agitate rebellion.

7. These rabble in Numbers weren’t all in. They pretended they were, but all indications pointed to just wanting the benefits.

8. Post traumatic church syndrome is real and most pastors have it.
Moses endured it but it came at a great cost. He wanted to die, “So if this is the way you are going to deal with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in your sight.
Most pastors have been at the end of this rabble and has taken an emotional toll that creates real pain.

Pastors are human too. Pastors are fleeing the ministry in droves not because of the ministry but because of rabble.

Monday’s are the days most pastors think about quitting because of foolish arguments or statements from Rabbles.

Would you do me a favor and examine your heart and ask if you have been a rabble?

If you find yourself being a rabble, STOP IT, confess and repent to God. Then, go to your pastor and seek His forgiveness.

The lack of advancement of the Gospel is not due to the laws of Washington. The lack of advancement is RABBLES. You keep our eyes (pastors) off the goal. You keep the Gospel from moving forward.

Another word for rabble? REBEL.

If you know of a rabble, go to them and lovingly confront these false teachers and instigators.

“I am just not getting fed” excuse needs to stop. If you aren’t spending time in the Word yourself, there is no sermon or ministry that can help you.
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Just be grateful that the fire of the Lord does not consume you. (Numbers 11:1)
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