The Challenges of Change

Exodus 6:28–7:7 NKJV

28 And it came to pass, on the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the Lord. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30 But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?” 1 So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. 3 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” 6 Then Moses and Aaron did so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did. 7 And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Prayer

Message

Let’s admit something this morning. Change is difficult.

There are things in our lives we know we need to change. And when we have attempted the change they work, we have seen the benefits in short periods, and yet change is difficult, the continuance of seeing the change through can be brutal at times.

Diet & Exercise

Socially engaged

taking a vacation

Devotion-Bible study, prayer time, and consistent corporate gathering at church

Mark Twain said these words:

The only person who likes change is a wet baby.

Faith Baldwin

Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations. In other words, we must learn to live life each day knowing that our plans may be thwarted or altered. Amen?

Reinhold Niebuhr-American Theologian who died in 1972, wrote the Serenity Prayer that you have heard:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Change is what the book of Exodus is truly about. It is a story of God working in the lives of an infant people and we see birth pains through and through as Israel grows toward being God’s chosen people. The story of changing from a former life to a new life under the lordship of Jehovah. When we study Exodus, we see the constant debacle time and again of the people of Israel in a constant struggle to conform to God’s leadership in their lives.

You would say it doesn’t make sense. How would a people that had been enslaved for 400 years fight the new life God offered? In practical thinking, anything would have been better than what they had.

It does not make sense. And it does not make sense.

When we see the whole picture of reading the full story of the Exodus, we could easily ask why would they not accept the changes God offered in bringing real blessing to their lives?

You and I can be at a removed vantage point and see someone is in severe credit card debt. They are only making the minimum payments and you could counsel them with ease. “All you have to do is to cut up the credit cards and the problem will go away. Quit using them.” And they would be fearful as to how they would meet the next obligation in the next few moments. The cycle can be difficult to break.

You and I might know of a friend who is married. Their spouse has physically abused for years and we have seen the evidence. We see the physical signs of abuse and they admit its happening. And you would tell them and I would tell them to” leave the house and escape the environment” and they would comment, “where would I go? How would I make it? Who would take care of me?” Breaking the cycle of a former life as dysfunctional and deranged as it may be feels normal and change has its challenges.

Just as difficult as it may be to consistently diet and exercise or to be socially engaged or to plan a trip for the family.

Look with me at the backdrop screen for our study time today.

You see a horizon and you see the Sun. Many people are so fearful of the horizon (the unknown) that they can not plant their eyes on the Son, Jesus Christ to care for their life and make the changes called for to lead them a better place. This is the dilemma Israel faced. This is the dilemma Moses faced.

Dearly beloved, Exodus in the Greek means “exit or departure.” Exiting or departing a former life can be challenging, but being Christ centered in the change can bring real transformation.

Let’s learn today how to Exit or Depart from those things Christ would want to change about us. Let’s seek His help in overcoming the challenges of change He desires for your life.

Change can be Orchestrated by God for our Good

This is the second time Moses is commanded by God to go to the watering trough of confrontation with Pharaoh. Now think for a moment.... do you think Moses was very uncomfortable going a second time given what happened after his first encounter? Moses’ first visit to Pharaoh was disastrous to say the least. Do you think Moses had an even higher fear factor? Do you believe his attitude was more cynical? I believe I would be safe to say that Moses was anxious and fearful about revisiting Pharoah and leading Israel.

You may remember that a couple of weeks ago we discussed that Moses and Aaron did exactly what the Lord told Moses to do and Aaron was appointed as his spokesperson. Moses and Aaron went and requested of Pharoah to allow the people of God, the Israelites a three day break to worship God in the wilderness. As you know the story, the conditions went from bad to worse. The visit resulted in Pharaoh commanding the same quota of production, but having to gather the straw themselves to meet the quota of bricks. The visit resulted in additional and greater cruelty on the part of the Egyptians. The people were miserable and let Moses know it under no uncertain terms. As well, Pharoah accused Moses and Aaron of bringing on the problem by putting these thoughts in the Israelite’s head. You are distracting them from their work. We will be sure and get them focused for sure on their work. They will not even have time to think about such nonsense.

Here we are this morning as we learn of the second time God commands Moses and Aaron to visit Pharoah again. And all of this undercurrent I imagine is going through Moses’ mind as He is called to be obedient.

Oh dearly beloved, change can be scary.

With all of this background facing Moses and Aaron with the Lord’s second visit, Moses’ choice of action teaches us volumes about accepting change.

Moses had a choice because we know God is a God of grace and patience. But Moses did not make a choice, he accepted a command.

Dearly beloved, change for the Christian needs to be that simple when God is clearly commanding you to an action and you know in your heart of hearts He’s calling you to action, accept his command.

Was Moses fighting change the whole way? Sure. He was a broken record about his ability to speak.

Exodus 6:30 “30 But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?””

Moses had made excuses more than once about his ability to speak and God answered that objection by providing his brother Aaron as spokesperson.

Let’s be real this morning. Moses was concerned. Moses was waging a war of conflict within his members. Moses was compromised over the past turn of events when he visited Pharoah. Do you get it? Moses’ stomach was churning over the confrontation that was going to take place. Pharoah was godlike in his status, position and power in the civilized world. A simple word from Pharoah could change Moses’ destiny in an instant.

Oh listen dear church, that juncture Moses found himself in is the same juncture you and I face every day we get out of bed. What gods or God are we going to listen to? Which God are we going to render control of our being this day? There are many gods you face every day and the question you have to ask yourself is who will be victorious in my life? Am I going to let the God, my Heavenly Father guide me today?

The problem many times is the fact that when we do follow the Lord and He does bless, we forget that He is God and we become God. Look at what I am referring to.

Exodus 7:1 “1 So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.”

Exodus 4:16 “16 So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.”

Twice Moses heard these encouraging words from God Himself. “ I will make you as a God to Pharoah.” Notice something closely. I will make you “as God.” It did not say that I will make you God.

When you read Numbers 20:1-13 and you read of the error Moses made at Kadesh when he was instructed to strike the rod to the rock at Meribah and the given words he stated, possibly because of a bought of frustration with Israel or the fact the power for a moment had gone to his head, He did not follow God’s orders striking the rock for water in the exact manner God had called for. Due to Moses’ sin and the sin of the people, those Israelites that were of the age of accountability in that period were not able to cross the Jordan with the exception of Joshua and Caleb.

If we are not careful as God blesses and blesses and blesses, we can fall prey to believing that all of the good things coming about in our lives is because of us. And we sin by assuming the role of God rather than remembering it is God who is blessing.

Let’s move on:

Furthermore, God was orchestrating many moving scenes to the change God was bringing about in the life of Israel and the life of Moses and Aaron, but there must be a trust factor. There must be faith factor.

He told Moses these words:

“I am the Lord.” Those words alone are all we should need to trust God. Dearly beloved, you are going to face times of fear of the unknown, fear, concern and chaos. And all the time that it is going on camp in the confidence that God is with you. He loves you and He is working all things for good on your behalf.

So, I ask you the question this morning: what change are you fighting that you know God wants of you and you continue to make the same old excuses time and time again as to why you will not follow Him, why you will not trust Him, why you will not render your life over to Him?

Exodus 3:11 “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?””

Exodus 4:10 “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.””

Dearly beloved, there will never be a change God wants of you that He has not equipped you to complete and committed to walk with you through the process to see you to the victory line.

Change can Encounter Obstacles from God to Offer His Guidance Exodus 6:30-7:5

What is interesting is noting very closely what God called Moses to do.

Exodus 7:2 “2 You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land.”

All Moses was called to do is to be God’s voice box to Pharoah. Period the end. He was not called to have great charisma. He was not called to be a great motivator. He was not called to have great administrative or organizational skills. He was not even to be the change agent of the people. He was only to repeat what God called him to say.

If we read Exodus 7:2 as I just read to affirm what Moses call really was with the conditions spelled out in Exodus 7:3-4, let’s listen to the conditions Moses are working under.

Exodus 7:3-4 “3 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.”

Moses was called to share a message and God told Moses his message would not be heeded. Well, you would say in any other setting or any other condition or any other environment that if my boss told me to execute some goal or objective but in the same breath stated that I would not be successful, we would think that is ludicrous and we would not take on such a venture. We would simply say that does not make sense.

We need to remember that message and let it burn in our being. If we are not careful we can define success by world standards or accept the measures of the world’s definition of success in our lives and here at Mt Zion. If we succumb to world standards of success we might become highly discouraged.

As your Pastor, the Lord called me here to preach the Word and shepherd His people here called Mt Zion. He never called me to have great charisma. He never called me to be a great people motivator. He never called me to have a CEO leadership style in leading His church. He called me to preach the word, yes, preach it accurately and teach God’s word without inerrancy yes. He calls me to say exactly what He says and like Egypt, His Holy Spirit brings the result.

Many times I struggle with why we do not have 25 or so each week of new guests or the fact that 10-12 people surrender to the call of Jesus. I no more that as I understand why Moses would continue to face a hardened Pharoah and Moses knew ahead of time that Pharoah would not heed his voice.

I do know that my greatest concern and your greatest concern is that we are found faithful in sharing His Word. Dearly beloved, our satisfaction must come from what God has called us to do rather than concerning ourselves with what the world thinks we should be doing based upon what they think the results should be.

And, that is true for you in your calling. God may have called you hear to cut grass, God may have called you to administer hospitality, God may have called you to be the casserole queen. God may have called you to be a deacon or a greeter, or to write cards. God is calling someone now to be a church historian, we need a church photographer, and we need a videographer for our church right now.

You want to find peace with your calling? Do your calling with excellence with what God has called you to do and depend on Him for the fruit and results of your labors. Amen?

God implanted obstacles in Moses life and the life of Israel. It is recorded here in the Word of God.

Exodus 7:3-5 “3 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.””

What are the obstacles?

I will harden Pharaoh's heart

multiply signs and wonders in the land of Egypt

Pharoah will not heed you

We are blessed in this text in that we know why Yahweh is choosing these actions.

that I may lay My hand on Egypt

Bring My armies and My people-out of the land of Egypt

The Egyptians shall know that he is God

And that His children will know that he is God

In this case we do know why God is doing what He is doing. We still do not understand all the ways of God in His sovereignty and the way He chose to go about the process with Israel. We must trust His ways.

There will be times of greater confusion when we do not understand why God has placed obstacles in our way when we are attempting to live a life pleasing to Him.

We do know that obstacles grow us, teach us, mature our understanding of God’s power, we deepen our awareness of God at work, our faith expands, our trust deepens, our opportunities for change seem greater, His abilities become larger and on and on. Our love for Him deepens as we see His abiding grace, mercy, and provision exercised in our journey.

Change Creates Opportunities for the Goal of Jesus Leading our Lives Exodus 7:6-7

Exodus 7:6-7 “6 Then Moses and Aaron did so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did. 7 And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.”

Look closely at Exodus 7:6.

God commanded and Moses conformed. Amen! Oh dearly beloved this morning it is never too late to do what God is calling you to do with your life. Moses was 80 and Aaron was 83 years of age. These men were senior adults. Moses would serve the Lord over the next 40 years as the called out deliverer of His people Israel. Would Moses and Aaron and the people of Israel deepen in their understanding of God? They would. Would Moses mature and grow as a humble, yes, confident leader empowered by the Lord? He would. Would God present some hairy and scary scenes to prove His omnipotence and omniscience and His control? Parting the Red Sea? Overcoming the Egyptian army and chariots? Providing water, providing food in miraculous ways.

Ill. Barber

My barber has moved and made a large transition to Elmore County from Montgomery I will say over 20 years ago. She made a scary transition. Very rural location to barber. Bought a home and has fixed up and bought acreage. She has put herself into the community, her business and her home. Furthermore, she has had spiritual transformation and grown in the Lord and committed to her local church. She has developed a tumor on her brain. Too close to the brain itself. The tumor is inoperable.

Have you ever stopped to consider that all the moving parts of your life and times of desperation, times of frustration, times of insecurity combined with times possibly as this, and awakening time, a revealing time is a change orchestrated by God to draw you to Him? Do you believe that what you are facing maybe this moment as obstacles might be times that He reminds you that you need Him desperately? Is Change this day His reason because He desperately wants you to fall in love with Jesus? To accept Him in your life and make the best change ever?

Let’s pray.