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Speaker: Rev. Shine Thomas
Posted on: 2009-11-22
Series: Exodus

Series: Exodus
Scripture: Exodus 3:10-4:17

HF: This morning we are going to see:

• How man responds to God call.
• If I have wasted my time not listening to God’s call how will God respond?
• If I come back to him now will he use me now?

Brief History:

• Moses is in Midian for 40 years.
• Moses now is well settled in his cattle business.
• Suddenly, Moses had the burning bush experience.
• God spoke to him from within the burning bush.

Exodus 3:10 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." God wanted Moses to go as the deliverer of the Israelites to Egypt. See how Moses responds. He responds with an excuse.

Excuse 1 – I doubt myself

Exodus 3:11 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" The first response of man to God’s call is an excuse. Moses is giving an excuse for not going to Egypt.

• I doubt myself for this job.
• Who me, I am not qualified.
• I doubt my ability.

See, Moses tried to do this deliverance act 40 years ago but it was an utter failure. If he was a failure then he thought he would be a failure now. This is the same problem we have. If I was a failure in ministry or leadership years back I feel I will be a failure now. How can I do it now?

What we must understand is that from then and now there is CHANGE that is happening.

• You change - You are not the same now.
• People change - People are not the same now.
• Circumstances change - The situation is not the same now.

Understand God has moulded you now and you can do the same things now which you failed before.

See what God says, Exodus 3:12 12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

I will be with you Moses, so now go to Egypt.

Excuse 2 – I do not know enough

Exodus 3:13 13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

• I do not know enough of the Bible.
• I do not know your name.

See, God never wanted Moses to tell what he did not know about God. God wanted Moses to tell what he knew about God. Many times we do not share the gospel because we think we do not know the Bible. God never asked you to do that. God wants you to start sharing the little what you know about God.

See what God says: Exodus 3:14 14 God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God said I am who I am. Moses your calling is not based on you, it is based on me. It is important to know who is calling you for the ministry and it is not based on you. The reason why many people fail in the ministry is because they do not know God.

Now God is speaking to Moses very specifically about his plan in ''Exodus 3:15-22 15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
16 "Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.'
18 "The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.' 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.
21 "And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians."''

• God told Moses Who He is. v14
• How to approach the Israelites. v16
• The destination of their travel v17
• How to approach the king (Pharaoh) v18
• What to tell him v18
• Finance needed for the ministry v21-22

God gave an elaborate plan. God has a clear blueprint for your ministry. God knows where to fund you for your ministry. God is just looking at your availability.

Still Moses is coming up with an excuse.

Excuse 3 – I do not think it will work

Exodus 4:1 1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?"

Moses is telling what if they ask me a question that I do not have an answer to? Many of us give this excuse for not sharing the word. What if someone asks me a doubt, I will get stuck?

Now God gives Moses 3 proofs.

Exodus 4:2-4 2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.

Now, God did not ask Moses something he did not have. God asked Moses, “What is in your hand?” God uses what you have and he does not want what you do not have. God can do great signs and wonders just with what you have. If you are willing to give your stick to God – Singing, sharing, preaching, giving God can use that and perform great miracles. You will not know the full potential of what you are capable of unless you give what you have to God. Let us give our small things, small talents and abilities to God.

See this miracle. God said, “Throw it down.” Moses threw it down and because of his obedience it became a serpent. Now God said, “Pick it up by the tail.” You never catch the snake by the tail; you always hold its head. This was beyond human thinking and the snake became a stick again.

See the 2nd and 3rd proof given by God. ''Exodus 4:6-9 6 Then the LORD said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow. 7 "Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.
8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground."''

Now God gave 3 proofs or miracles for Moses to perform. Look at Moses’ response.

Excuse 4 – I do not speak well

Exodus 4:10 10 Moses said to the LORD, "O 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."

Moses is telling he is slow of speech and tongue, but listen he is fast for giving excuses. Listen Moses was telling an excuse when he said he is slow of speech and tongue. Acts 7:22 22Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. See what God said back to Moses. Exodus 4:11-12 11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Our inadequacies are not a problem for God. Understand our lack of knowledge of language, lack of talent etc are not a problem for God, he just wants your availability.

Excuse 5 – I do not want to do it

See what Moses replied. Exodus 4:13 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." The real fact was that Moses did not want to go to Egypt and did not want to listen to God. He said everything is good Lord but send someone else. The Lord became angry with Moses. Exodus 4:14 14 Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses. God finally gets angry if you are not willing to listen to his call. If you have not listened to God’s call in your life God responds with anger. The sin of excuses will finally be judged. You will be judged for your excuses.

See what God tells: Exodus 4:14-17 14 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 his heart will be glad when he sees you. 15 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. 16 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. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it."

Do not let someone else do what God is calling you to do. Moses let someone else do a part of his job, Aaron. He used Aaron for speech. Many of us are letting others do what God has called you to do. It is a big problem let me tell you. Moses asked for assistant and this assistant landed Moses in trouble. Once the children of Israel left Egypt this assistant, Aaron got the children of Israel into serious trouble. It was Aaron who led the children of Israel into making an idol of bronze while Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. Do not let anyone else do what God is calling you to do and be very careful when you select assistants because they can really land you into great trouble.

Conclusion: Moses knew he cannot play anymore with God, He is angry. Finally, Moses obeys God to go to Egypt but he did it with some compromise. He got an assistant, Aaron. Exodus 4:20 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. Think of the ministry that he did because of his obedience. Over 2 million Israelites were delivered out of slavery because of Moses’ ministry. Child of God what is your response to God’s call today. God is calling you, he has put a great burden on many of you but you are still quite about it. Are you willing to obey or are you giving excuses for what God has called you for? If you obey understand God will accomplish a great ministry through you which when you think may be mission impossible. You will be able to touch 1000’s of lives only if you obey his call today. God has a plan for your life but he never expects you to carry out the plan. He wants you. He will see that his plan in your life is carried out. How many of you will surrender your life today for God’s plan? He just wants your availability. He is waiting to use you my dear brother, sister, father, and mother. Come forward if you have decided to come out of your excuses to obey God and be used by God. Let’s pray.