WHATS THE POINT?

Exodus 4:18-31
Introduction:
Why do we bother reading our Bibles, praying, giving, attending, witnessing, serving, etc?
Whats the point to all of this?
There is a cost to following Christ. The idea that we get saved and then just do whatever we
want is a cancer within the body of Christ. We as Baptist have been fighting people for years
about the concept of once saved always saved; and while I do believe that a saved person
cannot lose their salvation, we use it as an excuse for bad living. We want assurance of our
salvation while we live like lost people. Instead of trying to defend our bad behavior, why dont
we bear fruit of Christians?
Matthew 7:15-23 (NIV)
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn
bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears
bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree
that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,
`Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform
many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
In order for Moses to follow God, it cost him some things, and it will cost us these same things.
Jesus said that we need to count the cost before we follow Him.
Exodus 4:18-28
To follow God we must
1. Leave our comfort zone. You cant be comfortable and obedient to the will of God at the same
time. God usually has to make us uncomfortable so that we will trust in Him and not ourselves.
2. Leave our fears behind. No one likes rejection, and we are told over and over again that not
all people will accept what God is doing. God wants us to trust His plan even though it is not
easy.
3. Leave our pride behind. We cant be stubborn and do it our way and be obedient at the same
time. You must choose. God was going to kill Moses because Moses had not circumcised his
son as he was supposed to do. You must get right with God before you can move forward with
Him.

So why would anyone go to all of this trouble in order to follow God? Wouldnt it be easier just to
do your own thing? Whats the point?
Exodus 4:29-31
Moses and Aaron went and told the people what God said. Here are the results of their
faithfulness:
1. The people heard and saw.
2. The people believed.
3. The people worshipped.
Conclusion:
John 3:14-18 (NIV)
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that
everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands
condemned already because he has not believed in the name of Gods one and only Son.
John 12:32 (NIV)
But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
When we are obedient:
1. People will hear about Jesus and see Him in our lives.
2. People will believe and be saved.
3. People will worship Him.
Its not about us, its about Jesus!

Your Next Step Is Crucial by Thomas Dibble

Exodus 4:25-4:31
I will grant you that there is a point in life that you could get to where the next step
that you take is absolutely crucial. Life can:
Press on you
Shove you
Pressure you
Force you
to that place where it is critical. Things can happen in your existence that can push on
you until you feel that there is a choice that you must make in order to proceed. Life
can put the squeeze on you until there is a step you must make and that step is a
crucial one.

Its like you or I have been traveling on a pathway up into the mountains and the path
has become narrow.
The farther we travel the narrower the path becomes.
The farther we travel the higher we go.
The higher we go the more dangerous the trail.
The more dangerous the trail the more on guard and aware we should become.
We have been traveling down this path for sometime now when all of the sudden we
realize that this path is only just a few inches wide and the edges are crumbling.
The enemy of your soul will start you off on a path in life away from God. He will tell
you how easy this path is to travel on. He will tell you how wide the path is and how
much liberty you have on this path. You can do anything that you want to on this path.
But when you come to the end of the trail you will find out that he was lying to you.
You will see that your next step is crucial.
You will be bound up in sin and the pleasures of this world
You will be hooked on drugs
You will be addicted to the bottle
You will be bound up in immorality
You will be bearing the heavy load of the cares of your life all alone
And then you will realize that it wasnt worth going my own way.
The edge of the path drops off into a huge canyon on the one side while the other edge
hugs to the mountainside. We come to a point where one step in the wrong direction
will lead to destruction and one step in the right direction will lead to safety. It is an
important step to take. It is a stride that will bring one result or the other. The next
step is crucial.
Thats where some of us are in our walk with God.
Thats where some of us are in our life.
Thats where this church is in our existence today.
We have traveled to the place where the next step is an important one. We have
journeyed to a point where there is a choice to make concerning our walk with God. We
are at a position in our life where we must make a decision.
As a church we have got to decide whether we want to be a:
Bible believing
Truth declaring
God fearing
Lost soul loving
church or just a social club. The next step is crucial.
It could be today that you are at a point in your life that you are looking for something
more than you already have in your life. Can I suggest to you that you give Jesus a
try? Can I suggest to you that it is no accident that God has allowed you to be here
today? He is reaching for you today in this service. The next step is crucial.
Deuteronomy 4 is a prophecy that Moses is speaking to Gods people. He tells them
that by chance:
If they ever come to a place in their existence that they no longer serve God the way

they do now
If you ever find that you have been corrupted by the things of the world
If you discover that you are not in obedience to the word of God
If you find out that you have taken the wrong pathway for your life
If you are doing evil in the sight of almighty God
Moses says that there are some things that are going to happen to you as a people.
God will scatter you. God will not prolong your days. God will cause heaven and earth
to bear witness against you. You will serve gods of wood and stone. You will serve gods
that cannot see and cannot hear. You will be in a big mess.
Moses says that when you get to the place that you are being influenced by other gods
you had better beware because that is idolatry. Idolatry is always a corruption of the
heart. Idolatry always begins in the heart. It is an issue of the heart.
Before you point your finger at Israel and say how could they do such a thing. We had
better examine our own life first. None of us here today would serve a god made out of
stone or a god made out of wood. We would not be so foolish as to fall for that today.
But let me tell you that idolatry is anything that we allow to come in front of our
relationship with God and idolatry always is a matter of the heart.
Nobody can put a gun to your head a make you believe things that you do not want to
believe. Nobody can force you to believe something that you do not want to. Nobody
can make you backslide away from God. But if you do backslide its because you
backslide in your heart first and you allowed idolatry to creep into your heart.
Verse 29 of our text begins with four words that I want to draw your attention to.
These are four powerful words in reference to this passage of scripture. They are But
if from thence.
But if from thence! But if from that place of idolatry
In other words when you get to a position that you recognize that there is idolatry in
your heart then there is something that you can do about it.
But if from thence your next step is crucial.

The enemy has invaded our ranks- but if from thence

There has been influence from other gods but if from thence
We have corrupted ourselves with the things of the world but if from thence
We have done evil in the sight of the Lord but if from thence
We have provoked the Lord to anger but if from thence

Moses said that it is possible through the corruption of the heart that you could get to
this place but when you recognize it YOUR NEXT STEP IS CRUCIAL.
It is possible today in this service that you could recognize your dilemma or the
situation that you are in.
Im lost never repented
Ive strayed away from God
I have allowed things to get into my spirit

 Ive done some things that are wrong and now I cant break the hold of sin on my life
Ive lost my relationship with God
If from that point you are able to see where you have drifted and recognize your
conditionYOUR NEXT STEP IS CRUCIAL.

If
If
If
If

by some beautiful, merciful act of God you become aware of your condition
you receive a wake-up call
you recognize your dilemma
you acknowledge the predicament that you are in

THE NEXT STEP IS CRUCIAL!

You might say Pastor that was just for the Old Testament saints.
Deuteronomy 4:29-31
29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou
seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the
latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy
thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
The Bible says that even in the latter days if you will just call out upon his name
Some people here today are close to the edge. Youre close to losing your soul. One
step in the wrong direction would mean destruction and one step in the right direction
would mean safety. Before you do anything I want to remind you that your next step is
crucial.
Somebody here today needs to say Im not going to take that step to destruction.
Somebody needs to call out upon the name of the Lord today.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and
seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will
forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
I know you may be hurting right now
I know you may be in trouble right now
I know it might be difficult right now
But the next step is crucial.
If

youll just take a step toward:

Deliverance
Victory
Safety
The right road
In the right direction
Repentance

And say Jesus I am going to call upon you one more time. Ive done it in the past. Ive
done it yesterday. But today is a new day and Im calling upon you today.
The next step is crucialhowever we will not take the step that we dont want to take.
In fact throughout scripture God concedes this point. He never forces himself upon
anyone. He never makes anyone live for him.
He calls us.
He prompts us.
He pulls for us.
He reaches for us.
But he never forces us. He never makes us do anything that we do not want to do.
Who goes to church? Those who want to go to church.
Who doesnt go to church? Those who dont want to.
Receives the Holy Ghost?
Serves God
Prays
Reads the Bible
Lives for God
The critical issue or dilemma is that not one person will take that crucial step of
deliverance unless it is in your heart to do it.
The Bible speaks in the book of 1 Peter of the hidden man of the heart. You will not
take that first step until you deal with the heart. What most people do when the
preaching hits too close to home is shove the heart issue aside and refuse to consider
the heart. Thats why youre not listening today. Thats why you turn off the preacher.
The Bible lets us know that it is the Holy Ghost that causes the secrets of the heart to
be revealed. Thats why people resist the Holy Ghost because they will have to change.
Thats why people resist the presence of God. You can fool man sometimes into
thinking that everything is all right but you cant fool God. Man looks on the outward
but God looks at the heart.
Psalm 44:21
21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
Jeremiah 17:9-10
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to
his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Psalm 139:1-5
1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought
afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

The heart is the seat of your feelings and emotions. Thats where your feelings come
from and thats where your emotions come from. The Bible says that the issues of life
are in the heart.
Proverbs 4:23
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Dont let anything into your heart that is not right
Dont let corruption in
Dont let the world in
Dont let evil in
Because when it gets into your heart its hard to deal with and its hard to get it out of
your heart.
Your heart today will determine your next step. Weighty matters come from the heart
and we sometimes resist because its difficult at best to deal with the heart.
What should your next step be? You need to find out what is in your heart and if its in
your heart to be delivered God will do it. (saved, set free, forgiven)
The Holy Ghost will help you do that.
The Bible says to delight yourself in the laws of the Lord and he will give you the
desires of your heart. We like the desires of our heart but we dont like delighting
ourselves in the Lord.
Isaiah 55:6-7
6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon.
You dont have to solve all the problems of your life today but you must take a step in
the right direction. You cant fix everything today even if you wanted to, but you have
got to do something.
Anyone that knows anything at all about spiritual life knows that you can just sort of
drift along and seemingly get away with things for a while. Its like some dummy riding
around in the bumper cars at the amusement park just banging around through life.
Until God gives you direction or brings the issues of the heart to bear and we must take
some kind of a step.
The next step is crucial.
A nurse who worked in the paediatric ward at the hospital would always put her
stethoscope in the childs ear first and let them listen to their heart before she would
begin her examination. Their eyes would invariably light up with awe. But she never
got a response that was equal to, four year old, Davids. She placed the stethoscope
over his heart and allowed him to listen. What do you suppose that is, she asked? He
drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled gaze and looked up at the nurse as if lost in

the mystery of the strange beating sound deep in his chest. Then his face broke out in
a wonderful grin. He said, Its Jesus knocking on my heart.
Jesus is knocking on the doors of peoples hearts today.
He is knocking on the collective heart of this church body.
He is knocking on the heart of someone who has never really repented.
He is knocking on the heart of a person who has never received the Holy Ghost.
He is knocking on the heart of a person who has strayed from away from him and he
is saying - come home.
He is knocking on the heart of the Christian whom he desires to get closer to.
He is knocking on your heart today
The next step is crucial dont ignore your heart.

Moses - The Reluctant Hero by Tom Fuller

Exodus 3:1-4:31
What are you like when God calls you? Do you actively listen for His voice then jump at
the chance to obey? Or are you just kind of going along, doing your job, minding your
own business and when God calls you might reluctantly go along if He twists your arm
enough?
You might think that a spiritual giant would be the former - but believe it or not, the
latter better describes Moses than anything else. It gives us hope that even we can
become a reluctant hero.
We pick up the story of Moses after hes left Egypt, under a cloud of a criminal murder
investigation - ends up in Midian and marries into a sheep herding family. Its
interesting that when Moses left the palaces of Egypt, he ended up going back to what
his people did - shepherding - but something that he himself had probably not done
before.
Verse 1
So here he is, most likely in the southern Arabian peninsula - leading the flocks around
looking for pasture - and just happens on Mt Horeb - otherwise known as Mt. Sinai. Its
called the mountain of God - but thats only because of what happens later.
Apparently this was a fairly fruitful area of pastures and even fruit trees and when the
nomadic people need water, this is where they go in times of drought. Its not just one
mountain but a series of small mountains. Now whether you call it Mt Sinai or Mt Horeb
isnt really important for our discussion - it depends on which tradition of translation
you use - the important thing is the mountain where Moses will receive the 10
Commandments later on.
Verse 2-6
So the Angel of the Lord meets Moses here. Two things to note here - first that the
term "angel of the Lord" usually refers to Jesus Christ in His pre-incarnate state. This

same term is used 55 times in the Old Testament - first with Hagar when she was
driven into the wilderness in Genesis 16. Also when Abraham was about to sacrifice
Isaac, with the story of Balaam and his donkey, then with Gideon - and lots more.
Its not just an angel - there is a definite article in the Hebrew - so we have, I believe,
Jesus meeting Moses - but not only that but it is the angel of the LORD. This translates
the Hebrew word YHWH - the Fathers personal name that He will give to Moses here
soon. So we have the Father, the Son - in the flames of a bush - a bush that is on fire
but is not consumed. What does this remind us of, hmmm - perhaps Acts chapter 2
when the Holy Spirit came with tongues of fire? The trinity. Awesome picture!
So Moses says - hmm, thats interesting, Ill go take a look, its not every day you see
a burning bush that doesnt burn up. God didnt speak to Moses until he came close.
Why didnt God just bar the way - or appear "shazam!" right in front of him. Thats
Gods way - He tickles our interest, but if we ignore Him, we can just go on our way but if we come over and take a look, then He reveals more of Himself to us.
For Moses this would have been a frightening thing for sure. Most likely visits back
home would have been filled with stories about Gods visitations to his ancestors - and
here God is wanting Moses to know exactly how the line goes - from Abraham, now to
him. Its the same God. Moses is afraid - rightly so.
Verses 7 - 10
I notice a couple of interesting things here: God saw the suffering, heard the prayers,
and felt something - concern. Did you know that God feels? He has emotions. God
cries, God gets angry (though it is a righteous anger), God gets jealous (again, a Godly
jealousy) - just as examples.
Notice too that it was not what God knew that created concern - it was what He saw
and heard. God is actively involved with His people - of which you are a part, grafted in
through the death of Jesus Christ. God sees you, He sees your suffering - God hears
you, when you cry out to Him - and you have the ability to move God to action. Why
He does it this way I do not know - but I like it. He is a personal God.
God has come to rescue them - what a minute - didnt God send them down in the first
place? Yes - God knew He was sending them to a place where they would be
oppressed, then He also knew that Hed come down and rescue them out of it - and in
the process show His great power and concern. How else to demonstrate it?
The promise to bring them back to Canaan - even though He doesnt name the land
itself. So he finishes by telling Moses - "Ive come down to tell you to go."
Verse 11
Moses is basically saying "I have no qualifications to go - it is impossible for me to do
this." Its true - but youd think from a worldly perspective that Moses would be the
perfect person to go - raised in Pharaohs court hed know exactly how to approach the
king - and as a Hebrew he can fully represent his people.

But two things are going on here - one, in a practical sense Moses has alienated both
sides - wanted for murder by Pharaoh and rejected by at least some of his own people.
But spiritually it is also true - Moses cannot do this great thing - as much as he tried in
the flesh earlier with the Egyptian slave driver.
This shows Moses humbleness - and we should recognize that when God calls on us to
do His work that it is also impossible for us as well. Our mistake is that we think we
can actually do things for God. This is the first of Moses objections.
Verse 12
Here, of course, is the key - "I will be with you." Romans 8:31 "If God be for us, who
can be against us." John 15:5: "Without Me you can do nothing." Philippians 4:3 "I can
do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
The fact that theyd return to this mountain may be a prophecy regarding the giving of
the Ten Commandments.
Verses 13 - 15
The second of Moses objections - I need some credentials - whose orders am I
following? Thats when God gives His personal name "I AM WHO I AM." The word in
Hebrew is: Ehyeh - which is the verb "to be" in the first person singular. Yahweh is a
probably an early form of that verb in third person singular.
What does it mean here? Well - commentators go around and around - but sticking to
the context I like what Ken Barker says in the Expositors Bible Commentary. The name
I AM alludes to what God told Moses - namely that He would be with Moses - actively in his mission to Egypt.
"I am truly he who exists and who will be dynamically present then and there in the
situation to which I am sending you."
In verse 15 God uses the now familiar four letter word YHWH.
Verses 16 - 17
Basically God gives Moses the script - much of what He also told to Moses.
But then He tells Moses exactly how it is going to play out - we dont often get that
much.
Verses 18 - 22
This wasnt a lie - like "tell Pharaoh this when Im really going to do that" - God is
going to give Pharaoh every opportunity to let the people go - from easy to hard.
Pharaoh will reject every one - even the easy one of a three day journey.
Were also going to see God work with Pharaoh - from allowing Pharaoh to harden his
own heart to God enhancing that hardness - its a way to understand Gods judgment
on the unbeliever - but more on that later.

He also tells Moses that the elders of Israel will believe him. It may be one of the few
times they follow him. And that the Egyptians themselves are not the enemy - but
Pharaoh. Thats a good point - as Egypt is a type of the world - the people of this world
are not our enemy, but the master of this world - Lucifer.

Chapter 4
Verse 1
So now Moses launches his next objection - "Okay, Ill say all that, but what if they
dont believe me?" Now didnt God just tell Moses that the leaders would believe him?
Yes. Moses was not perfect - and neither are we - and I love how God responds:
Verses 2 - 9
God said "what is in your hand." God will often use what we have if we make it
available to Him.
It was an ordinary staff until Moses threw it down and let God have it. The purpose of
the signs is to validate that God sent the prophet - just as miracles attested to the
validity of the apostles.
No one would normally pick up a snake by its tail.
The second miracle could have been any serious skin disease - but not a wart something life threatening that turned the skin white as snow.
The third miracle involved turning water into blood.
Now I dont want to make this walk on all fours - and this is really just a devotional
thought, not an interpretation - but something about this strikes me as interesting the serpent has since the Garden of Eden been associated with Satan, who tempted us
to fall into sin (Gen 3:1, Rev 3:9) - which is typified by leprosy - and as a result
experience death - represented by blood ("the life is in the blood" Lev 17:11).
So here we have a picture of the human condition - which God has control over ultimately, through the death of a lamb (Passover) and The Lamb (Jesus). Awesome,
huh?
Moses isnt through objecting, however.
Verses 10 - 12
"Im not a good public speaker." You can tell that God is getting a little miffed at Moses
- the excuses are starting to get a little lame. If God can cause Moses to perform
miracles dont you think the talking part would be a piece of cake?

God, in His patience, tells Moses, again, that He would be with him, to help him talk.
He would even teach him what to say. You know - God still promises that today
Mark 13:10-11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry
beforehand about what to say . Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not
you speaking, but the Holy Spirit .
But Moses isnt done trying to weasel out of the assignment.
Verses 13 - 17
You can just hear God heave a big sigh, kind of grimace a little bit then go on. I wonder
how many times we get an assignment from God but we want everything to be done
for us - because we really dont want to step out in faith. We find any excuse we can to
avoid doing what God tells us. How much more could be done if wed just trust that
what we lack God will provide.
Of course God knew all this - but its really more for Moses benefit. And He is very
patient and gracious - preparing Aaron as the mouthpiece for Moses.
Verse 18 - 19
By telling Moses that those that were going to kill him are dead its almost like He is
anticipating an objection Moses hadnt thought of yet.
Verses 20 - 23
Here God hints at what will happen and at the end game - the thing that will finally
break Israel loose - the killing of the first born males. He also hints that once Pharaoh
hardens his heart - God will harden it still more.
Verses 24 - 26
There is no real clear way to explain this - but perhaps the best thing to say is that God
commanded Abrahams descendants to circumcise all their children. Moses didnt do it,
perhaps in deference to Zipporahs wishes. So even as God will kill Pharaohs first born
for his disobedience - it seems God is ready to kill Moses for his disobedience regarding
his son. Moses must prepare his family before he can journey to do this work for God in
Egypt.
Verses 27 - 31
We dont see the scene as God tells Aaron to go and meet Moses - I wonder if perhaps
these two had stayed in contact - or perhaps God just said "go here" and Aaron went.
As they journey back it happens just as God said it would - this, however, was the easy
part.
Conclusions

How do you react when God calls you?

Moses objections were: Im not qualified, I need orders, I need proof, I cant talk, I
dont want to do it. The more we simply do what He tells us to do without grumbling or
excuses, the easier it will be to know we are hearing His voice.
What is in your hand?
What do you like to do, what are you good at, where are you in your life situation? God
can take you in whatever place you are and use it - if you will throw down what you
have and let God use it for His glory.
Proverbs 3 says: "In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your paths."
Have your circumcised your heart?
There was something major that would affect Moses ability to serve God. Its good to
ask ourselves - is there something that will stand in my way - some sin, or broken
relationship, or something else I lack. Give it to God, get it right - then go on. That
doesnt mean you have to be perfect - Moses certainly wasnt. But were talking the
major stuff here.
Do you believe the prophet?
A prophet came with the message that you are infected with sin through the serpents
rebellion and that condition leads to death - but he carries with him orders from God
for rescue. Will you receive his message or reject it? Who is that prophet - its not
Moses Im talking about, but Jesus.
For more Bible studies, as well as an audio copy of this message with a lot more detail
- visit our website: www.CalvaryChapelNewberg.org

IT IS IN HIS HANDS
Exodus 4.1-31
S: Change
C: Trust in God
Th: Movin On Up!
Pr: TRUST GOD TO MAKE IT WORK.
Type: Inductive
I. WHAT IF? (1-9)
II. I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH! (10-11)
III. NOT ME! (12-13)
IV. GRACE (13-17)
V. FEET AND HANDS (18-23)
VI. A PROMISE TO KEEP (24-26)
VII. I TOLD YOU SO! (27-31)

PA: How is the change to be observed?

God wants to change you into something remarkable.
Stop resisting and be willing.
Trust God; He knows what He is doing.
Version: ESV
RMBC 24 February 08 AM
INTRODUCTION:
Last week, when we studied Exodus 3, we saw that
1. Moses had cold feet at a fiery bush.
While shepherding in the wilderness, Moses attention has been turned away from his
flock when he comes across a bush that is burning without being consumed.
When he gets to the bush, he also discovers that it talks, for God is in it.
It is here that Moses is called to return to Egypt to fulfill his responsibilities as the
deliverer of his native people, the Hebrews.
There is one major problem, though.
He does not want to do it.
He wants to stay in Midian, where he feels safe and secure.
He has settled down.
He has a nice wife.
He has two sons.
He gets along real well with his father-in-law.
Life has been good.
He does not want to go back to Egypt.
He left there under a cloud of suspicion and failure.
They want to kill him there.
Naturally, he is scared.
Which proves that
2. Fear can really confuse us.
ILL Personal
I am an example of that.
I have a fear of water.
There are multiple reasons.
I had a bad experience as a child during swimming lessons, and did not return to them.
Later, as a teen, I almost drowned during a required swimming class.
That was embarrassing.
It does not help, either, that my flotation point is about three feet under the water.
It is really hard to get air that way.
So for me, the definition of swimming is simply this: staying alive in the water.
Many of you know that Dondra and I went to Hawaii for our 25th wedding anniversary.
One of the things Dondra really wanted to do is parasailing.
One of the things that Paul really did NOT want to do is parasailing.

Guess what we did?

We went parasailing.
So Dondra and I went high in the air above the ocean.
Dondra had a great time.
She laughed, loved the breeze, and was enjoying the ride.
She had no fears.
I, on the other hand, held on for my very life.
I possessed a very rational fear that the cable was certainly going to break, and we
would go tumbling into the ocean, and we would become shark food.
Well, that did not happen.
We made it back into the boat, safe and sound, even though I was sure we would not.
O how fear confuses things.
In the same way, Moses was confused.
He is worried.
He is anxious.
He is fearful.
And so, his reaction to what God is doing in his life demonstrates that.
But here is what he needs to learn, and so do we
3. TRUST GOD TO MAKE IT WORK.
You and I need to evaluate the truth of this statement in our lives.
Do we really trust God?
Do we really believe Him?
Can God say something to us, and then that be all that needs to be said?
When God says it, does that settle it for us?
Moses really struggles at this point, for when we came to the end of our study last
week, God has guaranteed him success.
So what is his response?
It is another question!
OUR STUDY:
It is
I. WHAT IF? (1-9)
God says to Moses, They will listen.
It is a guarantee.
But how does Moses respond?
He says, I got that, but what if they wont listen?
You have to shake your head on that one, because, apparently, he is not listening.
For
4. Moses is getting hypothetical.
I did not say hysterical, but hypothetical, though perhaps you could make a case for
the former.
Lets hear Gods response in the text

Then Moses answered, But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for
they will say, The Lord did not appear to you. (2) The Lord said to him, What is that
in your hand? He said, A staff. (3) And he said, Throw it on the ground. So he
threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. (4) But the
Lord said to Moses, Put out your hand and catch it by the tail so he put out his
hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand (5) that they may believe that
the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob, has appeared to you. (6) Again, the Lord said to him, Put your hand inside
your cloak. And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his
hand was leprous like snow. (7) Then God said, Put your hand back inside your cloak.
So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was
restored like the rest of his flesh. (8) If they will not believe you, God said, or listen
to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. (9) If they will not believe even these
two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it
on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood
on the dry ground.
Moses is afraid.
So his emphasis becomes on what might happen.
His emphasis is on imaginary scenarios.
We understand why
He does not want a repeat performance of his former life in Egypt.
He does not want to be a failure again.
He does not want ridicule or rejection.
He does not want to be laughed at.
In the wilderness, he is safe.
Gods answer to the what ifs is interesting, isnt it?
The staff becomes a snake.
For the Egyptians, the snake was the symbol of the royal and divine power of the
pharaoh.
It was, literally, his crown.
So God is sending Moses into Egypt-land with power over their royal insignia.
It is a very profound and powerful sign.
You see, when Moses puts down the staff, God is in it.
And
5. When God is in it, it is enough.
How we all need to learn this lesson, dont we?
When God is in it, it does not matter what it looks like or how it appears.
When God is in it, it is enough, and what needs to be accomplished will be
accomplished.
So God continues to prove his power to Moses.
For if Moses was scared by the snake (and he was), he is going to be even more scared
by the leprosy on his hand.
Leprosy was the most dreaded of all diseases it was loathsome, insidious, and
incurable.
And you can imagine the relief Moses feels when he pulls his hand out again, and finds
himself clean.

So how does Moses react to these powerful signs?

Does he say, OK, I am on board
No, he says, OK, thats great, butI am not good enough!
II. I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH! (10-12)
(10) But Moses said to the Lord, Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or
since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue. (11)
Then the Lord said to him, Who has made mans mouth? Who makes him mute, or
deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? (12) Now therefore go, and I will be with
your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.
It is hard to believe, but Moses hides behind another lame excuse.
He claims that he is not a speaker.
He is a doer, not a talker.
He says, When it comes to speaking Lord, my knees knock, my stomach has
butterflies, and my tongue stutters.
Not only that, I dont think fast enough and my tongue is slow on the draw.
You know
6. For a man who cannot speak, he is quick with the excuses.
But God knows this.
He says, I know all about your mouth. I made it! So, no fear, man. I will be in
between your lips, and I will be right on your tongue.
In other words, this excuse, Moses, is another stinker.
So what should Moses say at this point?
We all know what he should be saying.
He should say, OK, Lord, I am ready to go!
But that is not what he says.
He says
III. NOT ME! (13-14)
(13) But he said, Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.
Send someone else. Send anyone else! Just dont send me. Keep looking. I am sure
there is someone more qualified.
How often has that been true of you?
That you know God wants you to do something and you offer every excuse in the book
to get out of it.
I dont know the culture
I dont know the lingo
I dont know my way around
I have kids at home
I am in debt
I have high blood pressure
My teeth are crooked
I did not go to seminary
I have nothing to wear

When all we have to offer the Lord is excuses, we need to beware, dont we?
Notice Gods reaction!
(14) Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses
7. Dont make God angry!
I can imagine God saying, Moses, dude, you are really making me angry!
And God was right to be angry.
For what Moses was really saying to God is I dont trust you.
Not a good thing to say, is it?
But God is not so easily put off.
For Moses call was clear and final.
In spite of all the excuse, he was still Gods choice.
And, thankfully, the Moses we see at this part of the narrative is not how we remember
him at the end of the story.
For there is
IV. GRACE (14-17)
(14) Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, Is there not
Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming
out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
You see
8. The Lord had already provided.
Aaron was already on the way!
Moses was not going to Egypt alone.
And he never was!
V. FEET AND HANDS (18-23)
So finally, perhaps the greatest miracle happens right here.
There are no more excuses and
9. Moses moves.
Moses feet are pointed to Egypt.
And Moses goes to Jethro asking for his leave that he might check out his family back
in Egypt, which was partially true.
Jethro was probably wondering, after all these years, why he had not asked sooner.
So Jethro lets him go with a blessing.
He sends him out with his best wishes.
And as the return to Egypt gets it start, Moses discovers that God has more to say.
10. God keeps talking.
He is giving him a hand by including some more information.
First, he reassures him that those that wanted him dead are gone.

No one is seeking a vendetta.

It is safe for him to go to Egypt in this regard.
On the other hand, though, there is pharaoh.
God warns Moses that pharaoh is not going to be impressed.
He is going to resist and refuse.
This is going to be tough, but he will not be alone.
But before it is all said and done, there is one more promise to keep.
VI. A PROMISE TO KEEP (24-26)
(24) At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.
(25) Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her sons foreskin and touched Moses feet
with it and said, Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!
Moses sons are not circumcised.
God is not going to let Moses go unless he corrects this.
As we read between the lines, this must have been a long time conflict between Moses
and Zipporah.
It looks as if Moses has just given in on the issue, but that will no longer be allowed.
He is going to die if this is not corrected.
Zipporah understands this.
She is shook to the core.
She is going to lose her husband.
You see, from now on
11. Neglect is not an excuse.
From Gods perspective, Moses could not return to Egypt to rescue the Hebrews
without showing obedience to the covenant.
It had to be that nothing could be said against Moses.
There could not be any issues of credibility.
And if the boys were not circumcised, there would be.
Finally, Moses meets Aaron and they return to Egypt, and here is the result.
God gets to say
VII. I TOLD YOU SO! (27-31)
(29) Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of
Israel. (30) Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the
signs in the sight of the people. (31) And the people believed; and when they heard
that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they
bowed their heads and worshiped.
After all these yearsfinallyGod was responding.
The Lord had taken notice.
The Lord had seen their misery.
So it is time to fall on their knees and bow to the ground.
12. It is time to worship.

Deliverance had come.

After all these years
Finally.
CHALLENGE:
ILL Drama The Big Picture
God has the big picture in mind.
So let me tell you something about that big picture that you may not be seeing right at
the moment.
13. God wants to change you into something remarkable.
We have been talking a lot about change lately, and change is an important concept in
Scripture.
What we have seen today is that Moses fought change.
He wanted to stay in Midian and forget Egypt.
But that was not what God had in mind.
He had an adventure in store for him.
And we are like this too.
We want life on our safe terms.
Secure.
Predictable.
Under control.
Our control!
But you know what God does to us when we are like this?
He disrupts us.
And He does it on purpose.
He does it on purpose because disruption exposes our idols.
Disruption reveals our needs.
Disruption stimulates our growth.
Disruption helps us to not take gifts for granted.
Disruption leads us to consider old things in new ways.
Disruption reminds us that there is only one sure thing.
God is enough!
And what He is doing is making you and me into something very remarkable.
The question is are you cooperating or resisting?
You see, we need to
14. Stop resisting and be willing.
It may be that you are having an awkward, uncomfortable and disorienting time in
your life.
Perhaps it is a painful time in your marriage
Or you are caught up in debt
Or depression is hanging around like a cloud of gray
Or the job is not all that it was cracked up to be
Or you are facing some sickness or disease
Or your future is so uncertain, you dont know which way to turn

Regardless of what you are facing, dont resist what God is doing.
Receive it.
Learn from it.
For it is not the end of the journey.
It is just a portion.
And when we are willing, we get so much more out of it.
This is why we need the attitude that is expressed in this prayer
ILL Will (S)
Lord, I am willing.
I am willing to receive what You give.
I am willing to lack what You withhold.
I am willing to relinquish what You take.
I am willing to suffer what You require.
Do you see what God wants from us?
It is not out ability.
It is our availability.
It is a complete abandonment to His will for our lives.
When I go into surgery, do you know who I really want to do a good job?
In fact, I want this person to bring their very best game that day.
Do you know who it is?
It is the anesthesiologist.
Call me a crybaby, but I dont want to feel any pain during surgery.
But here is the catch.
If I am going to have surgery, I really need to trust the anesthesiologist.
It is a complete abandonment on my part.
When he/she tells me to start counting, all I can do is trust that they are doing it right.
My life is now in their hands.
15. Trust God; He knows what He is doing.
Sometimes, this kind of abandonment, the leaving of our life in Gods hands, makes us
feel uncomfortable.
And, you may be tempted to say How long, Lord? How long? How long do I have to go
through this?
And His only answer is, Trust me.
He wants us to hang in there as we experience this detail because the big picture is
turning into something great
He says, Trust me to make something remarkable, for that is what you are.
So
Trust God, for He will make it work.
For Further Study: Genesis 17.9-14; Romans 1.16, 9.16-23, 11.33-34; I Corinthians
2.1-5; II Corinthians 4.7; Philippians 4.13; I Peter 5.7

BENEDICTION:

After the postlude has concluded, I will be returning to the platform. If you have any
prayer need or want to discuss a change that you feel God wants to make in you,
please feel free to come up and meet with me.
What holds you up from trusting God?
What changes in your life make you throw your hands up in the air?
What pains are you suffering that make you think all is lost?
What rights are being removed that makes you think that you have been forgotten?
What disappointments are you going through that are leading to a despairing outlook?
Or are you so busy, that you dont even have time to think of anything else?
For these, and every situation, please know this
God is worthy of your trust yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may
he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever
and ever. Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral
Appleby, Chris When God Calls
Boyd, Sheldon Youve Got to Be Kidding
Martin, Dave Excuses or Obedience?
McGowin, David Excuses Are Like Noses
Nance, Greg Making Moses Lead
Sisney, Terry Whats in Your Hand?
Other resources:
Briscoe, Jill. "Here Am I -- Send Aaron!" Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1978.
Gispen, Willem H. Exodus. Translated by Ed M. van der Maas. Bible Students
Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1982.
Henderson, David W. "Let the Adventure Begin." Discipleship Journal, March/April
2008, 38-42.
Pink, A. W. Gleanings in Exodus. Chicago: Moody Press, 1981.
Ramm, Bernard. His Way Out: A Fresh Look at Exodus. Glendale, CA: Regal Books,
1975.
Swindoll, Charles R. Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication. Great Lives from Gods Word,
vol. 4. Nashville: Word Publishing, 1999.