Whats in Your Hand?

Journey Church, it is so good to be with you this morning. I have had the opportunity to watch you from a distance over the last several years, from your time in liberty high school, I remember you all building this building we are in right now, to see how resilient and faithful you were during this COVID era. Your faith is not just being seen in the community, it is being heard about in the community. Keep being faithful, faith filled and obedient to Jesus and there is nothing God can’t do through you and in you.

Well as Carlyle said I am Cam, In fact I grew up in these very parts of Peoria, on 8612 west salter drive and you could throw a rock and hit the best high school in this Peoria…Sunrise Mountain. I graduated there in 2010 so believe it or not I am not 18. Although I am flattered you thought I was. Now sunrise mountain is the best school in this area because it was there I met my wife Karlee. Here is a picture of her, I was a sophomore and she was a freshmen in high school and she got one good look at me and told me years later that I had ruined all other men for her. We have been going out for 13 years married for 8 of them and People always ask me “Cam how did a guy like you end up with a girl like her?” but to this day nobody has ever asked Karlee “how did a girl like you end up with a guy like him?” and I find that rather insulting. I’m just kidding, there is something special about meeting your spouse young. I tell people favor aint fair. Sometimes God blesses you early and other times you have to wait on the blessing, can I get an amen.

We do have three kids together, here is a picture of them, the little girl that is my oldest Lilly who is 6, the crazy boy on the right is Atticus Michael James, and lastly but not least is little Dean Thomas, my wife says he’s the most perfect and least perfect baby to end on. He’s such a good baby, but he’s too good and you think if there was another one just like you I would do it. So I gotta cast out that thought in name of Jesus!

So my name is Cam, that is my family and I am your friend.

I would like for us to pray as we jump into the book of Exodus and learn several lessons from the early life of Moses and his people. and let us ask Jesus for clarity on what he wants from us and for us during this time. (Pray)

Today is a continuation of a series we have been in for the last several weeks entitled “Storis of Old” where we are looking at stories of the Old Testament and looking at how human history may have changed in the last 3500 years, human advancement may have changed in the last 3500 years, but one thing that hasn’t changed is human nature. How God’s ways or not old, but present ways, what he’s wanting to do, build and shape in you is the same way he did with the people in antient times. Last week we looked at the story of Joseph and how Joseph no matter what he went through, was a man of integrity. He did what was right because it was right instead of trying to get what was his or to get a break he chose to live trusting in God and being a man of integrity. And what we saw from him was that he was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison and there he waited for years. Because when you live with integrity, it may look like you’ve lost in the moment, but you do not lose in the end. Joseph through a series of events became #2 highest command in all of Egypt and would make Egypt a prosperous country. He even went so far as to move his whole family including 11 brothers to live with him in Egypt.

This is where our story picks up at the beginning of Exodus chapter 1. It says this in Exodus 1:6-7 “Now joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died. But the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerus that the land was filled with them.” These few verses quickly take us to over 100 years of history where the Israelite people flourished in the land of Egypt, it would make some of them believe that the fulfillment of the covenant that God made with their ancestor Abraham would come true in their generation. But a new pharaoh arose, one that knew nothing about Joseph or all this Israelite did for the nation he now commands. It just goes to show, we often forget of the sacrifice those who have gone before made to get us to where we are.

But pharoah saw that the Israelites outnumbered the Egyptians and were worried that if the Hittites in the north were to come and attack and wage war, the Israelites would join them and take over Egypt. And so he enslaved them, oppressed, abused them and made them do build and do whatever he wanted, but this is what the text says in verse 12 “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread” isn’t that just like the church? The more we have been oppressed the more the gospel of Jesus has multiped and spread. When peter stood at Pentecost and 3,000 people gave their life to Jesus, it started 400 years of oppression and persecution that grew the church like a wild fire all over the world. Our fathers of the faith all of them but John died for the gospel of Jesus. Do you want to know what the greatest Christian movement in the world is? It is not the largest church’s with the biggest stages or largest screens, and most campuses, yes and amen to those churches. But the largest movement of Christianity is happening in places all over the world where people are being killed, imprisoned, dismembered, cut off from their families, hiding in underground churches. Jesus followers in China, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, all through the middle east where persecution is at an all time high. They are choosing faithfulness to God over safety for self and the more oppressed they are, the more they grow.

When the people of God are persecuted and oppressed there the Kingdom of God spreads and cannot be stopped. People are giving their lives to Jesus and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ because they fully understand the weight, the glory, the grace and the mercy of our King Jesus, that the troubles of this world pale in comparison to the glory that awaits them on the other side of heaven. And when we understand the greatness of Jesus, we are willing to give everything and all things to it. And yet we feel like we are being oppressed and persecuted because we are being censored on social media. Listen to me friends that might be the beginning of persecution and oppression, but this is nothing compared to what might and what will happen. Because Jesus said, in this world you will have troubles, the world will hate you because you love me, but take heart for I have overcome the world. The more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and spread.

They spread to a point where Pharaoh wanted the midwives of the Israelites to kill any baby boy born on the spot because he knew that if you could destroy a generation of boys you kill a group of people in that same generation. But the midwives chose to obey God instead of Pharoah and because of their obedience God blessed them also. So he made another decree that every Hebrew boy born shall be thrown into the Nile to die and this is how we meet our character for today Moses.

Moses was born and for three months his mother hid him from the eyes of the Egyptians up until the point that she could not keep him quiet any longer. So she made a plan and the text says that she made a basket and made it water proof and placed Moses in it to float down the Nile. It is interesting that the decree the Pharoah made to throw all the baby boys into the Nile would be the way God would deliver Moses into the house of the Pharoah. Where his mother placed him was right where Pharaohs daughter was taking a bath. She saw the baby, had mercy on him and through a course of events Moses’s mother was paid by Pharoah daughter to raise Moses for the next several years. Wouldn’t you like to get paid to raise your kids? All I get sometimes is noodle art or a poorly crayoned picture. Anyway.

For the next 40 years Moses was raised by the Egyptians but we can tell by the text that he never saw himself as an Egyptian. He knew who his people were. So maybe you know this story, Moses was walking one day and it says this in chapter 2 v.11a-12 “He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” Seeing how his people were being treated Moses filled with rage and anger decided to take matters into his own hands. Moses teaches us something you know yourself, “When we allow our emotions to dictate our decisions it almost always leads to disaster.”

How many times have you got into a fight with your spouse and your anger meter is at an all time high and you begin to concoct a stinger. They are insecure about something, or “your just like your mother,” or “maybe that’s why your dad” it might win the fight but it ruins the night and it makes you feel right. And after things are cooled and you get a level head you realize what you’ve done and you go back and say, “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean what I said.” And just because you may not have meant it doesn’t take away from the sting that you said it. It’ not just anger think about happiness, how many times have you boughten something in the moment that you were so excited and happiness about the salesman sold you and the next morning or later that day you think “what have I done.” Same goes for sadness, envy, jealously, lust, passion, disgust. You name it “When we allow our emotions to dictate our decisions it almost always leads to disaster.” In Moses’s case he killed a man and the next day he thought he got away but there were witnesses and he runs away from Egypt and he stumbles into a few women who are being harassed at a well and he saves them and because of this he marries one of them.

And Moses becomes apart of the people there, he receives a wife, land and he receives a staff and for the next 40 years Moses is a shepherd. Until one day Moses is tending his flock and he sees something that has never happened before and never happened since. It says in Exodus 3:2 “There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within the bush/ Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight why the bush does not burn up.” When the lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, MOSES, MOSES! And Moses said, Here I am.” God had heard the cries of his people back in Egypt and he is concerned for their suffering and he is about to call Moses to lead the charge through Egypt to deliver God’s people into the promised land.

Did you know that God gives a similar command to all of those who are Jesus followers? When Jesus rose from the dead his final command before he ascended into heaven was “Therefore Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit” and where you go I will be with you.” God had seen and heard the cries of sin and suffering int the world similarly how he saw the sufferings of the Israelites at the hands of the Egyptians and he has given every single one of us in this room a command and a job to go and build the kingdom of God one person at a time. It is to reach wider and walk deeper with God and others. This is your divine mission from God and yet I find myself exactly where Moses finds himself, and I would bet you do to sometime. He begins to list excuses to God.

The first one is in verse 11: “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Who am I Jesus that I should go to my neighbors, co-workers, friends, or family. Who am I? Do you know what I have done? My story isn’t special? I don’t know enough, my life is already jacked up and yet Jesus you are telling me to go evangelize and tell others about you? Who am I? Have you been there? God tells Moses just like he tells us, “I will be with you.” You do not go in your power, you go in mine. Who am I? You are a son or daughter of the most high king, saved from your sin, and chosen to build the Kingdom of God. I will be with you.

The second excuse is “Suppose I Go, who do I tell sends me? God replies tell them “I AM has sent me to you.” The Almighty God that needs to name but is ever present, and it an introduction and an announcement, I AM has sent you. Jesus Christ send you and empowers you to reach others.

And then Moses says in the beginning of chapter 4: “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say “The Lord did not appear to you?” Then the Lord said to him, “what is in your hand?” A staff he replied.” What is in your hand? What is in your hand? Here is the point of this entire message if you forget everything else I say do not forget this, “God has already given you the tools necessary to build his Kingdom.” He has already placed it in your hand. Moses for 40 years used that staff to Shephard sheep being prepared to shepherd and lead the people of Israel. It is that staff that was used to turn the Nile into blood, when he threw it on the ground it became a snake and ate up the snakes of pharaoh, it was that staff that was used to turn the red sea into a highway, that staff that Moses used to split the rock and water to come out, the staff that as long as it was raised in the air the Israelites would win in their battles, that staff that helped Moses as he climbed up Mount saini as he received the 10 Commandment that would change history and nations as we know it. WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND.

God has already given you the tool necessary to build his Kingdom. We just have to look down and realize we already posses it. We don’t have to wait to receive it, God has already given it to you. Friends I want to tell you today that the Kingdom of God is not a then and there Kingdom, it is a here and now kingdom, it is not something that is going to be built one day It is currently under construction and you are called by God to use what is in your hand to build it. And it might not be something physical like a staff but an attribute that God has given you.

And this is not just picking scripture and taking it out of context and trying to make it fit, this is something that God has done all throughout the scriptures. Noah had his righteousness and his craftsmanship, Abraham had his faithfulness and because of it a great nation was born, Joseph had his integrity, Aaron his speaking ability, Joshua had leadership, Rahab had her hospitality, samson his strength, David had the stone and the slingshot years before he used it to take down Goliath, Solomon his wisdom and his wealth, Esther her beauty and conviction, Mary her devotion to Christ, Martha her servanthood for Christ, the little boy had 5 loaves and 2 fish that was used to feed thousands, the Peter and the other disciples were fisherman and were able to use that gifting and become fishers of men, Paul had his mind and understanding of scripture and because of that we have 2/3rd of the new testament today. What is in your hand?

A lot of us need to stop looking around at the gifts that God has given someone else and wishing that we would have that same gift. If God hasn’t given it to you its because he’s entrusted you with something that is better for you. Just like at the end of this encounter with God Moses says, “I can’t speak well.” God says, Your right, so I am sending your brother Arron to be the mouthpiece for you.” Which goes to show, that we have what’s in our hand, but we are to build together, because a weakness to us is a strength to someone else, and the Christian life was never meant to be lived alone but always in community with others. What’s in your hand?

Moses after running out of excuses and knowing his mission returned home, collected his family, packed up his stuff and left for Egypt and it says “he took the staff of God in his hand.” Church, “God has already given you the tools necessary to build his kingdom.” This is a story of old, but it is also a story of now. So, Just like Moses, Go and fulfill the mission, and take what God has given in your hand with you.

- Pray