Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

I recently started a book on the importance of the leader’s personal spiritual development.

There is a poem that gripped me:

Holy One, there is something I wanted to tell you, but there have been errands to run, bills to pay, meetings to attend, washing to do… and I forget what it is I wanted to say to you, and forget what I am about or why.

Oh God, don’t forget me please, for the sake of Jesus Christ.

I know that life is really really busy:

Clyde and Mary, with your work schedule, farm work, and grandkids, life gets busy.

Delmar and Lynn, keeping a farm going, cutting hay, cooking dinners, and making time for Heehaw and Huckabee, life gets busy

Terry and Susie, it seems you are busier since you have retired with home improvements, changing lights, and going to Kentucky, life gets busy

When Bekah and I married, I told her pastor, it will take a little bit of time to adjust to a schedule, but I am sure things will slow down soon.

His response, when you figure that out, please let me know!

In , Moses’ life had been altered drastically.

He left Egypt, fearing the people that raised him and rejected by the Hebrew people who were his real family.

Now we find him tending his father-in-laws flock, on the back side of the dessert, trying to keep up with everything he had to do.

In the busyness he saw something that caught his attention.

A bush was burning, but was not consumed.

I wonder what would have happened if he had let his busyness keep him from investigating?

The following conversation might not have happened.

But he took time from his busyness, and God spoke to Him.

In this conversation, the Lord gave him direction that changed the course of his life.

And it all happened because he took time to listen when God whispered to him, come closer, I have something I want to say.

Leaders in the church have a unique responsibility.

At our church, with the exception of the pastor, people volunteer.

You all know there aren’t a whole lot of perks with being a deacon, except we get Bulgulgi at times!

We serve in our positions, not because we were elected, but because the Lord has laid a burden and a call on our hearts for such a time as this.

I firmly believe that the Lord has brought these three couples to come alongside Bekah and me to do all that God wants in our church at this time.

But our leadership is not based on good qualities or human wisdom, we lead effectively ONLY when we are willing to develop our relationship with the Lord.

Moses seemed to have it all together.

He was raised very wealthy in the home of the leader of Egypt.

However, he felt something calling him.

At first he did not handle it the right way.

By the time we see him in chapter three, he lost everything and he was tending sheep that didn’t even belong to him.

But the Lord was about to use this moment to take him deeper.

No longer would he be defined by his Hebrew roots or Egyptian training, God’s word to his life would define him.

Does this mean that Moses had it easy once he stepped into the leadership position the Lord had for him?

No, actually, life got a little harder and a whole lot busier.

Yet, he understood a spiritual leaders is not willing to escape the problems or the tension, rather, they will look to the Lord and make time for Him to speak to them.

Had Moses not had this encounter with the Lord, he would have been ill equipped to lead Israel.

Likewise, as leaders in our church, we will be effective ONLY when we make time for the Lord.

When we see something or hear something from the Lord, we need to take the time to seek Him and listen to what He has to say!

Our public ministry will only succeed based upon private devotion to the Lord.

As pastor, I have to be very conscience to never let the busyness of pastoring take my time away from His presence.

If I do, my preaching and leadership will become dry.

But we have the promise in:

I doubt many people know that we are meeting tonight in this setting, but I know one person who does know, that is the Lord.

And we are going to pray tonight.

I first want to pray for each of you that the Lord will draw you closer to Him and honor your time and effort in leadership in our congregation.

Then I want us to pray that the Lord will take us deeper in Him!

We won’t physically remove our shoes, but we will come to Him and say, God I don’t mind waiting for what you want to do in my life!

Then I want us to pray for our church and what God has planned for us!

Isaiah 43

Holy One, there is something I wanted to tell you, but there have been errands to run, bills to pay, arrangements to make, meetings to attend, friends to entertain, washing to do... and I forget what it is I wanted to say to you, and mostly I forget what I'm about or why.

O God, don't forget me, please, for the sake of Jesus Christ....

O Father in Heaven, perhaps you've already heard what I wanted to tell you, What I wanted to ask is, forgive me, heal me, increase my courage, please.

Renew in me a little of love and faith, and a sense of confidence, and a vision of what it might mean to live as though you were real, and I mattered, and everyone was sister and brother.

What I wanted to ask is for peace enough, to want and work for more, for joy enough to share and for awareness that is keen enough to sense your presence here, now, there, then, always.

Amen