Untitled Sermon (11)

Tonight I want to take a few moments and follow up from our Easter Focus this past Sunday morning.

If you weren’t with us Sunday, we looked a portion of the story of Moses, specifically how God called Him and how God’s plan and purpose worked out in his life.

And what we learned is his journey of faith consisted of at least three seasons.

The first was what we called a season of grace, blessing, and zeal. We called it that because the first 40 years of Moses life were one of blessing. Stephen put it like this in

Acts 7:22 ESV

22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.

Acts 7:

In this first season of his life, everything was looking up for Moses. Because of God’s grace he was blessed and had excelled at all areas of life. He was a man full of zeal and determination.

And what we learned is, when a person first comes to faith in Jesus, like Moses, the grace and blessing of God is heavily upon their life. In fact, when a person comes to faith in Jesus, its like getting a boost of spiritual steroids. Spiritually speaking it is a high like no other as for the first time you experience the grace, love, and mercy of God in your life. As for the first time, the Holy Spirit of God takes up residence in your life. There is nothing like it.

And as a result, it creates a spiritual energy and zeal in us that is hard to contain. And that’s why when you’re around a new Christian we often find it exciting, irritating, and concerning all at once.

It’s exciting because when you’re around a new Christian it’s a great reminder of how transforming faith in Jesus is. How faith in Jesus literally turns somebody into a different person.

It’s irritating because it can be convicting. Convicting because in that moment we realize that maybe we’ve lost some of our zeal and excitement for Jesus. That maybe we’ve grown too comfortable in our faith. And it irritates us.

It’s concerning because we know something the New Christian hasn’t discovered, and we don’t have the heart to tell them. We know the faith journey is a marathon and not a sprint. And while the season of grace, blessing, and zeal is amazing, eventually they will encounter other seasons.

Which led us to the second season Moses encountered on his journey. We called it a season of wilderness. We called it that because when Moses got ahead of God’s plan, it resulted in him having to spend 40 years in the wilderness. A season where Moses would learn to depend on God. A season where God would shape and mold Moses into a man He could use. Because at the end of the day, Moses would need more than zeal to accomplish God’s plan. What he would need is total dependence and trust in God as God worked through him.

And the same is true for us. The fact is, nobody likes going through wilderness seasons. But the wilderness is the place where God teaches us to depend on Him. The place where we trust Him in a way we never have. A place where we come to realize that without God, we are sunk.

And so, if a new Christian isn’t ready for it, the wilderness can be a jarring experience as in a moment they go from being on top of the world, to finding themselves in a wilderness that seems hopeless.

But the good news is, the wilderness season doesn’t have to last forever. Because if we’ll learn to trust God, we can come to a place of renewal as God then renews his plan and purpose for our lives. However, this time, God’s in the driver seat, and He’s the one who directs our zeal, not us.

And it’s at that point God can launch us into His plan and purpose for our lives.

So those are the seasons, and as we learned, their cyclical. Meaning they repeat. Over and over and over again as God continually ignites us, shapes us, and launches into greater areas of spiritual growth and opporutnity in our lives.

So, with that as our backdrop, tonight I want to take a few moments and talk a little bit more about the process of renewal and what it may require from us.

Because in order for God to fully launch us into his plan and purpose, there are some expectations that God has for us.

So, for the next few moments, I want to highlight two requirements for renewal to take place in your life:

Requirement #1 - To be renewed, you have to quit living in the past.

To be honest, Moses struggled with this, and and as a result argued with God’s plan and purpose for his life as he came up with 3 excuses why God couldn’t use Him.

Excuse #1 - It didn’t work last time I tried this, why would it now?

You may recall, the first time Moses tried to deliver His people, it didn’t go well. The people rejected him and it resulted in him having to spend 40 years in the wilderness. So, at this point, Moses is like, “I don’t know God, what if they respond in the same way again? What if they reject me?”

Probably a valid concern, but Listen to how God responds:

Listen to what to How God responds.

Exodus 3:13–14 ESV

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

God says, “Moses, here’s the difference between then and now. Last time, you went in your own zeal and power. But this time, I’m sending you. This time, you have the full weight of my name and authority behind you. So, if they ask, “Who sent you? or Who do you think you are?” You say, “The Great I Am as sent me.”

So, that’s Moses first excuse, but God assures Him the circumstances are different. Last time Moses led the charge, but this time God is leading the charge.

Excuse #2 - Because of what happened last time, they won’t listen to me.

Listen to how Moses responds to God’s answer:

Exodus 4:1 ESV

1 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.’ ”

Acts 4:1 ESV

1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,

In response to God’s assurance, Moses basically says, “God, I really appreciate you backing me, but I really don’t think they’re going to believe that you sent me.”

So, how does God respond? Listen to what the writer tells us:

Exodus 4:2–9 ESV

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.”

After doubting God once again, God assures Moses they’ll know he was sent by Him. So He gives Moses three signs that he can perform and show them if they doubt it. The first involves his staff turning into a snake. The second his hand becoming leprous and then restored. And the final would be turning some water from the Nile into blood.

So, God says, if they doubt I’ve sent you, perform these signs.

But it’s still not enough for Moses, as Moses comes up with one final excuse.

Excuse #3 - I’m not qualified.

Listen to what Moses says next:

Exodus 4

Exodus 4:10 ESV

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.”

Moses basically says, “That’s great God. I appreciate the name support. I appreciate the signs and wonders, but at the end of the day I’m just not a good communicator. At some point I’m going to have to talk, and that’s not going to go well. I’ll mess it up.”

And it’s at this point God has about had it with Moses. Listen to how God responds to this final excuse:

Exodus 4:11–17 ESV

11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s 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.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 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. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Exodus 4:17-

God basically says, “Enough Moses. Who made your mouth? Rhetorical question, I did. Moses, this time I’m sending you, and this time I’m going to speak through you. You’re not getting out of this. This is my plan and purpose for your life. So stop doubting what I can do through you. If anything, I’ll let your brother Aaron get up and speak for you in front of the people, but he’s going to get what he says from you, because I’m going to speak through you period. Moses, you’re the man for the job.”

You know what this tells us. It tells us that Moses lacked self confidence to do what God was asking Him to do. Why? Because Moses is looking in the rear view mirror. He’s looking at past failure. Because he had a history of trying to do it himself. And now he’s scared. He’s scared of history repeating itself. He’s afraid of failing, again.

But what he hasn’t realized yet, is this time it’s different. This time God is sending Him. This time God is working through Him. This time He’s in God’s timing. Now, instead of depending on what he can do, He’s going to depend on what only God can do through him.

Here’s how this applies to us. If we want to accomplish God’s plan and purpose in our life, if we want to be renewed, we can’t move forward while looking in the rear view mirror. We can’t live in the mistakes of our past. We can’t let the fear of past failures grip us. We have to be confident in what God has called us to do and move forward in a way we never have before. In His power.

I think this is a challenge for a lot of Christians who are coming out of a wilderness season. Because as your coming out of the wilderness of a failed marriage, it’s easy to think, “How could God ever use somebody like me?”

As your coming out of the wilderness of drug and alcohol addiction, it’s easy to think, “I really blew it. Why would anybody believe in me?”

As you come out of the wilderness of poor choices and bad decisions it’s easy to think, “I’m not worthy to being used by God. Nobody is going to listen to me. Nobody is going to believe that I’ve changed. Nobody is ever going to put faith in me.”

I see a lot of people in the church who live with that mentality. People living in the failures of their past, lacking confidence to believe that God actually has a plan and purpose for their life. That God could use someone like them.

It’s exactly what the enemy wants you to believe. But it’s not true. In fact, you’re exactly the kind of person God can use. Somebody who doesn’t derive their confidence from themselves and what they’ve accomplished. In fact, it’s hard for God to use people who don’t think they’ve ever failed or they have it all figured out. Because why would they need God’s help.

That’s why God typically uses the broken. People who have a past. People who have had failures. People who truly understand, they don’t have what it takes. Those are the kind of people God can use.

But for that to happen, we have to stop doubting God’s ability to use us. Stop doubting His plan and purpose for our lives. We have to quit worrying what others might think or say. We have to be confident that God uses broken people to work supernaturally. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 ESV

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

1 Corinthians 1:28 ESV

28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

God is looking for men and women who know they have nothing to offer. People who have made mistakes. People like Moses, and people like you and me. Because its through people like that, that God’s power is clearly seen.

To be honest, in the beginning days of my ministry, I thought Denise and I’s divorce and remarriage would limit God’s ability to use us. What would people think? What would people say. I thought it would be a black mark on our ministry.

But what I’ve learned is it increased His ability to use us. Because through our failure, God showed up, and showed us and the world that if God can heal our marriage, he can heal others as well. We are living testimonies of His power.

And what was true for Denise and I, is true for all of us. But for God to use us, we have to quit living in past failure and embrace the victory that comes through faith in Jesus.

Requirement #2 - To be renewed, we have to move forward in full obedience.

This was a struggle for Moses as well. Listen to what happens next as Moses finally gets over his past and heads for Egypt:

Exodus 4:24–26 ESV

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 son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

This is an interesting and startling part in the story. Because out of nowhere, after everything seems to have been settled between God and Moses, God wants to kill Moses.

So, what’s going on here?

What’s going on here is apparently God had asked Moses to do something, but Moses refused to do it.

So, what did he refuse to do. Apparently he refused to circumcise his two children. And we know this because in response to God seeking to put Moses to death, Moses’s wife takes a knife and circumcises her boys.

So, a good question might be, “Why is this a big deal? Why would God take Moses out for not circumcising his sons?”

Well, to be honest, scholars have a number of interpretations and reasons for God’s action here, but most boil it down to a couple of reasons.

First, regardless of why God wanted Moses to circumcise his sons, Moses should have just been obedient. In other words, if God asks you to do something, don’t question it, just do it. Because if you don’t, you risk forfeiting what God wants to do through you.

Second, there was a reason God asked Moses to do this. He asked because for the Jew, circumcision was the sign of God’s promise and covenant that God had made with Abraham way back in Genesis 17.

Genesis 17:9–14 ESV

9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

To make it simple, circumcision symbolized God’s future promise of redemption, and the act of circumcision symbolized the faith of the one who put their hope in that. The promise that one day God would raise up a redeemer. And so in order to pass on the faith and commit oneself to God, all male children were to be circumcised as a sign that they were God’s covenant people and their hope was in the promise God had made.

But for whatever reason, Moses is refusing to do this with his children. Why? We don’t know. But his wife is smart enough to figure out if somebody doesn’t do it, it’s not going to go well for Moses. So, she takes it upon herself to circumcise her boys, and it is acceptable to God.

The point of the story is, if you want God to be fully renewed, you have to be fully obedient. Otherwise you risk God cutting you out of His plan.

Here’s what this is saying to us. The fact is, if you want to be fully renewed and be launched into God’s plan and purpose for your life, you have to identify and cut out areas of disobedience. Areas where you know what God has said, but you refuse to act or change.

For some, it may be sexual sin. Maybe it’s porn. Maybe it’s an inappropriate friendship with somebody who isn’t your spouse. And you need to cut it out.

For others, it could be something as simple propensity to gossip. And you need to cut it out.

For some, an unwillingness to obey and trust God financially. And you need cut it out.

Honestly, it could be anything that is contrary to God’s will that you are unwilling to do or give up. And the problem with not wanting to give it up, is that God may cut you out of the plan he has for you.

I know we don’t think God would do that, but He would. Listen, if He was willing to take Moses out of His plan for disobedience, what do you think he’s going to do if we are unwilling to obey?

The Apostle John puts it like this:

1 John 3:9 ESV

9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

John says for those who have put their faith in Jesus, there is no excuse to stay in sin. In fact, the implication is, if we continue in sin, then God’s seed probably doesn’t abide in us.

Again, I think this is the challenge for a lot of modern Christians. They want to be used by God, but their unwilling to give up what keeps them from being used. They’re unwilling to obey God’s Word. And at the end of the day, while God uses broken people, He won’t use people who claim to know Jesus, but live like the devil.

The good news though is, if we will confess and repent, God will forgive. John writes:

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That’s the good news. But in order to repent, we have to grab the spiritual knife, and cut the sin out. And in our case, the spiritual knife is Jesus. And if you’ll let Him, He’ll help you cut the disobedience out of your life.

Time of Prayer

Two prayer focuses:

Focus #1 - Ask the Lord to help you let go of past failures and embrace the victory you now have through faith in Jesus.

Focus #2 - Ask the Lord to identify areas of disobedience and help you to cut them out.