Anyone - Just Not Me!

Introduction

I know of a man that suffered a disastrous business failure in 1831.

He then experienced nervous breakdown in 1836

Twenty years later he was defeated when he ran for president.

Abraham Lincoln was no stranger to rejection and failure.

Rather than surrendering, Lincoln refused to quit

My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure - Abraham Lincoln

Elected in 1861, Lincoln became the most beloved president ever

The Bible is full of unlikely successes

Abraham was too old

Joseph was abused

David had an affair and was a murderer

Peter denied Christ (3 times!)

The Disciples fell asleep while praying

Martha worried about everything

Paul was too religious

Moses had a problem with speaking

We all have seemingly legitimate reasons to avoid getting involved in God’s work.

“I don’t know how! I can’t do that! I am not called to that!”

Sometimes it is that we just don’t want to commit.

“God, get someone else…anyone else — just not me!”

(Briefly summarize chapters 3 & 4)

In Exodus chapter 3, God ambushed Moses at the burning bush

He then called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery

In chapter 4:1-9 God patiently worked on convincing Moses

He gave him miraculous signs (staff into snake, hand turned leprous and normal again, not to mention whole burning bush thing)

Read Text

Exodus 4:10–17 NIV

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”

Pray

Moses was horribly unfit for the task

Maybe he had become settled in His shepherd’s life and couldn’t imagine doing anything else

When Moses finally submitted to the Lord, the impact on history was monumental

Big Idea: When God says “go,” focus not on who you are, but on who He is…and go!

Every follower of Christ is gifted and called in unique ways

Like Moses, Many deny or avoid God’s calls

CORNERED BY GOD’S CALL (v. 10-12)

God had Moses right where He wanted Him…cornered

God will get our attention in His own way

It is usually unexpected

Moses’ was curious about this bush that was burning but not consumed

He went to check it out and that’s when God cornered Moses

I have a skittish Siamese cat

She rarely comes out of her hiding places

I lure her out with food or noise

Once I have her cornered, I can catch her (usually)

Moses was captivated by the mighty voice of God emanating from the burning bush

God Gently Counters Each Excuse

Don’t fool yourself - You will not win an argument with God

Even after God had performed amazing miracles, Moses still had objections

“I am slow of speech” — Please send someone else”

“Moses, think about this - I gave you a mouth”

“I am the one that allows you to see and hear…or not”

“You understand this don’t you? I am the Creator.”

“You can do this”

“Now go to it - I will be with you all the way.”

“I will help you and teach you what you need to know.”

God had Moses cornered - how could he not be convinced by now?

God Gently, But Relentlessly, Holds Moses’ Feet to the Fire

Moses still tried to get out of it

Exodus 4:13 The Message

He said, “Oh, Master, please! Send somebody else!”

More accurately ...

“Oh, Master, please! Send someone else…ANYONE else! Just not me!”

“Send whomever you want…but please not me!”

It was Moses’ last ditch effort to get out of it

He knew (I believe) it was a done deal now

When God says “go,” focus not on who you are, but on who He is

God’s is Divinely detailed and always at work

It is God’s omnipotence, not your incompetence, that makes the difference

God’s is Divinely detailed and always at work

FACE TO FACE WITH GOD’S PROVIDENCE

It seems as though Moses had gotten on God’s last nerve

When Moses said “Lord, send someone else,” God’s anger was kindled

On the one hand…Moses was correct - he was seriously unqualified for the task

On the other hand…he was the man chosen by God - nothing else matters

Isaiah 55:8 NIV

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

Moses came face to face with Divine providence

God is constantly involved in our lives, maintaining a purposeful and ordered existence

Even though God’s plan to bring in Aaron was set in motion long before this, God’s anger was kindled

God’s anger is not like our anger

His anger is based upon His righteous perfection

“What about your brother, Aaron?”

“He can speak well!”

“By the way, he is on his way to meet you right now!”

Aaron is not some last minute miracle that God pulls out of His hat

Aaron was always an integral part of God’s plan

When we trust in God’s sovereign plan, we can be sure that He will provide

THE LORD KNOWS OUR NEEDS BEFORE WE KNOW THEM

God knows what we need before we can even form the question

He knows our thoughts before we think them

Moses asked, “What shall I say?”

At the time of need, God provides just what we need...

God Teaches

Exodus 4:15 NIV

You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.

God spoke through His prophets

He gave them the verbal inspiration to speak His very words

God speaks to us today through His inspired written word

2 Timothy 3:16 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

God promised to give Moses’ the words to speak

God sent the Living Word, Jesus Christ, to establish the New Covenant

We need what God’s Word provides

Our Teacher is the Holy Spirit

John 14:26 NIV

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

…How will Pharaoh be convinced that I am from you, Lord?

God Confirms

God confirms His plan in many ways

The Holy Spirit draws people to the truth, by faith

Sometimes signs and wonders confirm God’s plan

How did God confirm His power to Pharaoh?

“But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it” (v. 17)

Did God give Moses a “Gandolf” blessing?

On June 12th, a pastor at Bethel church quoted a line from “The Lord of the Rings”

Then they slammed a Gandolf-like staff on the floor and commanded racism to be gone once and for all

It was just a stick - they used it for their own curious purposes

Moses’ staff was just a shepherd’s staff - not magic

God used it for His sovereign purpose

As Moses confronted Pharaoh, he used the staff to verify that he came in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Our Covenant keeping God provides many signs or tokens of His faithfulness

He used the rainbow as a sign (Genesis 9)

Circumcision was also a sign (Gen 17)

God speaks to us today through His inspired written word

Since God reveals Himself through His Word, it is also a token of His covenant with mankind

The gift of the Holy Spirit verifies that He is at work in this world

God established His church as a sign of His covenant and His plan that we live as His people under the New Covenant

These tokens remind us that Christ came and fulfilled the Father’s will through His death, burial, resurrection, and the promised gift of the Holy Spirit

They remind us that He isn’t finished

He has commissioned us to take His Good News to the world

He has assured us that He will return to gather His Church to be with Him

Jesus gave instructions that His church observe two essential signs of His Covenant with us

Water Baptism: A demonstration of the personal commitment one makes to Jesus - symbolizing our death to sin, burial of the old nature, and rising to new life in Christ

The Lord’s Supper: He instructed us to “commune” with Him and one another regularly around the Lord’s Table

As we close today, we will gather around the bread and fruit of the vine - symbols of Jesus’ broken body and spilled blood

We will search our hearts, pray, partake, allow the Lord to minister to us, and worship Him during this precious moment

Challenge

It might be difficult to compare yourself to the great and wonderful prophet Moses

Moses was just a man

He had flaws

His faith was weak at times

We are sinful humans in ourselves

But God calls us to His mission

God tosses out our excuses by bringing us face to face with His providence

There is nothing that He has not already prepared for those that call upon Him and obey His voice

Salvation

The Word

The Holy Spirit

The Body of Christ

Hope

When you get right down to it, God’s call upon Moses was simply a challenge for Moses to trust God

“You call me Sovereign Lord? If you believe that, just trust me…and go”

When God says “go,” focus not on who you are, but on who He is…and go!

Do you trust the Lord today?

Regardless of how we answer that question, the proof is in our obedience

We can obey God’s word and follow His plan through faith in Him