Title: Moses’ Life Mission and His Five Big Excuses
Theme:
Text: Exodus 3 - 4
Introduction
When we think of Moses we often times think of this mighty man of God standing on the mountain and holding the 10 commandments. Or maybe you have the image of him with the rod held over the red sea and the waters begin to split. Seeing the power of God work.
What we forget is Moses didn’t start out this way. This man who was raised in the royalty of an Egyptian king (pharaoh). He was adopted into the family after coming close to being murdered. He was raised in the finest of schools, trained with the best of arts and skills. He had the respect of the kingdom.
Yet he knew he was different. He looked different and inside of him was a different purpose. He knew he was of a different heritage. One day he saw one of his fellow person (of the same heritage) being beaten by a supervisor. He became enraged and killed the supervisor. Then all came crashing down.
Although he buried the man in the sand to hide his bad deeds. The word spread and he was exposed. So he ran. To the back side of the dessert and for 40 years he was a shepherd. From heir to the throne to an ordinary shepherd, no one to lead.
When we meet Moses here he is out shepherding and he sees a strange sight. There is this bush that is burning yet it is not consumed. This gets is attention and when he draws closer he hears the voice. The voice of God.
Exodus 3:1-2 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. (2) And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
God – Jehovah “the one true God”
This was a shock to Moses. He is told immediately to take off his shoes. This ordinary ground had now become Holy because of the presence of God.
God calls him into a “deliverance ministry”. His nation has been in captivity under slavery. They had been praying for God to deliver them.
Exodus 3:10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Three Questions
Moses Question #1: Who am I?
(11) But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
Moses struggled with his identity. `` He just didn’t feel qualified; he thought God had picked the wrong leader.
This is an important question to be answered by many today.
Have you ever struggled with your identity? Have you tried to understand who you are?
When we struggle with who we are then it is hard to help others. Whether raising kids, or helping those around us.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
The dread of hell is that you'll wake up to the power that God has given you.
THE WORST NIGHTMARE TO THE DEVIL IS THAT YOU WILL DISCOVER WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST.
HELL’S WORST NIGHTMARE IS THAT YOU WILL WAKE UP AND BELIEVE THAT
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
Greater is he who is in me
No weapon formed against me shall prosper
I am more than a conqueror
I am not bound I am free
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
God’s plans for us:
Jeremiah_29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Question # 2: What am I called to do?
that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
Called to be a father or mother, called to be a man or woman of God, called to be a husband, a wife,
Jeremiah again reminds us:
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
God’s Response #1: I will be with you
(12) So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." (13) Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"
Moses felt a lack of intimacy. He didn’t know God well enough to describe Him to the people and lacked convictions concerning his relationship with God.
(14) And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (15) Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'
The anointing is the supernatural power of God operating through the natural to produce results that are humanly impossible.
We need to ask God to get in our stick.
That is to say the great need of the hour is God in our song, God in our preaching, God in our marriage, God in our business.
God in our gift, God in our talent.
When God gets in a thing it is not the same.
When God gets in a thing it can scare some people.
Just like Moses who had never seen his rod do anything like that before.
*God got in a rock and caused a river to flow out of it that quenched the thirst of 1 to 3 million Israelites.
*Got got in a donkey and caused it to speak and rebuke a rebellious prophet.
*God got in an axe head of Iron and caused it to swim up to the top of the water so the prophet could reach out his hand and take hold of it.
*God got in a little pot of oil and caused it to multiply till it met every need and provided an abundant overflow.
God got in a box, and they called it the Ark of the Covenant.
They placed this box inside the most Holy Place of the tabernacle (The Ark was made out of wood, but it was covered with Gold,) This is symbolic of the natural and the supernatural, the human and the divine nature of Jesus.
The Most Holy Place from the inside was covered in gold but from the outside the tabernacle was covered with badger skin.
No one would know by looking at the outside, that there was such a valuable treasure inside.
In similar fashion Today God has chosen to place his presence and glory in human tents;
Our bodies are the temples of God.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this (treasure in earthen vessels,) that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Question # 3: What can stop me?
Moses Question: What is I get nervous and can’t speak?
(10) Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."
Moses fretted about his inadequacies. Who would listen to him if he couldn’t even speak well?
What is that one thing that can make me fall? That one that causes me to close up. Moses was the way he spoke. You could tell that he was insecure. He was self conscience about the way he spoke. It may have been when he got nervous or just when he went before people. Who knows? The thing is it was the one thing that could stop him from moving forward.
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Cain & Sin
Genesis 4:1-7 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the Lord." (2) Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. (3) And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. (4) Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, (5) but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. (6) So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? (7) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
God’s Answer # 4: Guess who made your mouth
(11) So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? (12) "Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say."
Conclusion
I believe these are three questions we all must ask.
Who am I? We need to know who we are. Step back for a moment and evaluate. Look at the bigger picture. know that there are more people depending on us than we realize.
What am I called to do? This calling is only that which I can fulfill. Nobody can be a husband to my wife, nobody can be a father to my children, nobody can fulfill the call that I have on my life as the pastor of this church.
What can stop me? What is that which can stop me in my tracks? When it is brought to my mind I pause.
Addiction, pride, quitting, faith, etc.
