Sermon Central
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Facing Evil Series
Contributed by Paul Decker on Jul 15, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: We must have the courage to confront evil.
FACING EVIL
S: Courage
Th: Profiles in Courage
Pr: WE MUST HAVE THE COURAGE TO CONFRONT EVIL.
?: How?
KW: Instructions
TS: We will find in our study of Exodus 7:1-13 three instructions that will show us how we are to confront evil.
The _____ instruction that shows us how to confront evil is…
I. BE GOD’S AMBASSADOR
II. SAY WHAT IS COMMANDED
III. DO WHAT YOU’RE TOLD
Version: ESV
RMBC 13 July 03 AM
INTRODUCTION:
1. Have you ever wished that you had the courage to make a difference?
ILL Notebook: Courage (Leading the Charge)
Many years ago there was a huge oil refinery fire. Flames shot hundreds of feet into the air. The sky was thick with grimy black smoke. The heat was intense - so intense that firefighters had to park their trucks a block away and wait for the heat to die down before they could begin to fight the fire. However, it was about to rage out of control.
Then, all of a sudden, from several blocks away came a fire truck racing down the street. With its brakes screeching, it hit the curb in front of the fire. The firefighters jumped out and began to battle the blaze. All the firefighters who were parked a block away saw this, and they jumped into their trucks, drove down the block and began to fight the fire, too. As a result of that cooperative effort, they were just barely able to bring the fire under control.
The people who saw this teamwork thought, "My goodness, the man who drove that lead fire truck - what an act of bravery!" They decided to give him a special award to recognize him for his bravery in leading the charge.
At the ceremony the mayor said, "Captain, we want to honor you for a fantastic act of bravery. You prevented the loss of property, perhaps even the loss of life. If there is one special thing you could have - just about anything - what would it be?"
Without hesitation, the captain replied, "Your Honor, a new set of brakes would be dandy!"
(By Mike Wickeft,from Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work,
Copyright 1996, by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen,
Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss)
Well, as we can see here…
2. Often, there are external circumstances that aid us in accomplishing great things.
…like no brakes.
As we continue in our series of Profiles in Courage, we are going to see this very thing.
For each of the people we will study this summer, we are going to find out that their demonstration of courage does not happen in the solitary confinement of their own soul.
Instead, it comes because they are keenly aware of the Presence of God.
TRANSITION:
In our Scripture reading this morning (Exodus 3), we are introduced to Moses.
And what we find out is that…
1. Moses was a reluctant servant.
When Moses approached the burning bush, he doesn’t seem to be as excited about hearing from God as we might expect him to.
In fact, as God gives him this great task to do, he is more than hesitant.
When he says, “Who am I?” it reflects a desire to stay a nobody.
You see, he had gone from being a famous and royal son to being a fugitive and unknown shepherd.
It appears he liked it that way.
The feeling we get is that Moses is trying to say, “You have the wrong guy.”
But what he is finding out is that God takes us beyond our comfort zone.
He does not leave the big tasks to someone else.
When God says He is with us, it is enough.
When God says He is going to do something, He is going to do it.
You know, there’s a difference between humility and unbelief, and Moses was close.
His excuses bring him right up to the line of unbelief.
But what Moses learned was that what he thought disqualified him did the opposite.
He was qualified in God’s eyes.
Whether he realized it or not, he had been prepared for this task of leading the people of Israel out of Egypt.
He was the man.
And as we come to our text today, we see Moses has changed.
He is no longer timid.
He no longer hesitates.
He is not frozen by discouragement.
So…
2. Moses had enough confidence to confront and battle a world leader.
I am sure that Moses was not naïve.
Facing Pharaoh was going to be no easy task.
And Pharaoh proved to be no pushover.
When Moses and Aaron ask for the release of the Israelites to celebrate a feast, there is no give on the Pharaoh’s response.
His response was one of disdain, “Who is this God?”
