Now is Our Time

Remember

It is important to remember, to know our history.

Not to dwell on the past and get stuck in it, but to know and understand our history and the ones God used to establish and build this church.

As we have learned more about the roots of EHBC I have been challenge and inspired by the people that make up our story.

Their courage, their faithfulness, their commitment, and their boldness.

They weren’t perfect and nor was this church, but God chose to use them, in there season.

Here’s what I want to put in front of us this morning

50 years ago, God chose a group of people and called them to invest their lives in a church that some said probably wouldn’t survive.

And for the last 50 years God has used countless people in this faith family to reach people far from Christ.

Here we are in 2024 and the people sitting in this room are the one God has chosen for this season.

He has chosen us!

For the past several months the passage that has rang in my ears is Romans 10:13-15

Romans 10:13–15 CSB

13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

God is all powerful, and could save people in whatever way He wanted to, but what Romans 10:13-15 is that He has chosen us.

You and me.

In this moment, in the history of this church He has brought each and everyone of us here...

not just for us to enjoy good music and a powerful sermon every week.

not just for our kids to have a fun and engaging place to learn about God.

not just for us to connect with people and build better relationships that encourage our faith.

Not He has brought us here, in this moment to help lead lost souls to the Savior who loves them and offers them abundant life.

How can the call on him they have not believe?

How can they believe without hearing about him?

How can they hear without someone speaking?

And how can they speak unless they are sent.

Brothers and sisters, we are SENT.

If you know Jesus, if you have trusted in Christ, and called on His name, then not only are you saved…you are SENT.

Moses was Chosen by God

In Exodus 3, the people of God are enslaved in Egypt with no real hope of escape.

God comes to a shepherd named Moses, speaking to him from a burning bush near the mountain called “Horeb”.

He tells Moses something that ought to sound really familiar to our ears.

Exodus 3:7 CSB

7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings,

It rings of the Words of Jesus we read last week, “My people in Egypt are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, and I have come to you, Moses, to go and free them.”

Moses had grown up in Egypt, even in the house of the Pharaoh, but for years now he had lived in Midian and was serving his father-in-law as a shepherd.

This was a big, important, and challenging mission, so understandably, Moses struggled to embrace this mission God was calling him to.

In Chapters 3 and 4, Moses responds to God’s call with 5 excuses why he couldn’t do what God was calling him to.

These are the same things that are going to keep us from embracing God’s call for us this year.

5 Excuses

1) I’m not good enough, Lord.

Exodus 3:11 CSB

11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Moses had messed up in Egypt, he killed a guy out of anger and it seems he thought he had ruined any chance of being used by God for anything after such a huge mess up.

There is this really paralyzing thought many of us have in our heads that really has no place in the life of a Christian.

It is that because I have sinned and have messed up that God can’t use me.

But what does Jesus say? He says He doesn’t come for the healthy and put together, He comes from sick and the broken, and He wants to use us in our healing and our restoration to be witnesses of the grace and mercy of God.

2) I don’t know a lot about God and the bible.

Moses asks God, “what if they ask me questions I don’t have the answers to?”

I have heard this excuse a million times, many of which were in my own head.

It is very possible that someone would ask you a question you don’t know the answer to, but here is what you do know if you are a Christian...

You know the one who created them and the one that offers them abundant life.

You can’t answer every question, but you can lead them to the one who can.

3) People won’t believe me.

Exodus 4:1 CSB

1 Moses answered, “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

The fear of rejection or people thinking we are weird of crazy is one of the most common reasons we don’t share Christ with others.

We believe, but we struggle to believe the those we tell about Him will believe.

The reality is that most people are willing to talk about faith and religion.

I think it is safe to say that only a very small percentage of people in our county (and even in our country as a whole) are opposed to talking about faith.

They are just waiting on someone to bring it up.

We aren’t responsible for making someone believe, we are just responsible to be faithful to share.

4) I’m not good with words.

Exodus 4:10 CSB

10 But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant—because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.”

God continually, throughout all of Scripture, chooses flawed, messed up people to accomplish His mission.

He knows our weaknesses and He will use us in our weakness to make Himself known.

1 Corinthians 2:2–5 CSB

2 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.

We don’t have to be eloquent word-smiths, just bold, compassionate, and courageous followers of Jesus.

5) I don’t want to go.

Exodus 4:13 CSB

13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

Whether it be fear, a lack of confidence, or wanting to stay safe and comfortable, ultimately Moses just didn’t want to go.

It is so much safer, more comfortable, and secure to let someone else do what God has called us all to do.

We use the excuse that they would do better…that we would just mess it up.

But God has promised Moses and He has promised us that He will be with us and will empower us to be His witnesses.

We have to admit that we really just don’t want to go and share, and then we must pray that God would change our hearts and open our eyes.

Don’t let excuses keep you from being used by God.

He has chosen us

for this moment in history, standing on the shoulders of those before us.

he has chosen you, he will use you

But, will you go, will you speak, will you share?

Bracelets

Up front here there are bracelets that we had made.

On one side they say 50 for 50, as a reminder to pray for our church to reach 50 people for Christ.

And on the other side, there is a number between 1-50.

This is the number we want you to commit to praying for in this season.

It is the person you will be praying for, a person you likely do not even know, who someone in our church might be sharing with right now that one day soon will be baptized right here.

And we want them to know who has specifically been praying for them.

In just a moment, I am going to pray and then I want to invite you to come, take a bracelet, and then to stop and pray over that bracelet, for the person represented in that number and for the 50 other people that we are seeking out this year.

After the band has their opportunity to get a bracelet and pray, they will begin to lead us in a couple of songs.

We are not going to rush this time.

In a few minutes I will come and close us.