Availability...And a Game of Chess

I could see Moses playing the part of me and as God says check. Moses says well I got another move up my sleep perhaps will accept this one and God says check again. Moses comes up with 1/3. Let's call this one the excuse or the attitude of inability. I may go in there. I may tell them that I have met with God in his name for us as Yahweh.

The existing one and what they look at me as I will so were still not to follow you in the space it for 40 years I've been attending see if I haven't even been around people felt that a task or responsibility before you.

You felt inadequate for the task. When Moses was given a difficult task by God. He had several questions regarding how things could be accomplished. God didn't give him all the answers he wanted but what God did clarify for Moses was who he is who God is and Moses took comfort in God's power. Maybe you need the same message from God today. This is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi. Stephen is continuing through his series called out of Egypt with this message that he is called availability in a game of chess. Interesting. I believe it was Neil Moody who originated the thought that for 40 years.

Moses thought that he was somebody for the next 40 years in the desert of Midian, he would discover that he was nobody.

And then in the next 40 years.

The final 40 years of his life he would learn that God could make somebody out of nobody what he is about to receive a call let's pick it up in chapter 3, verse one Moses was pastoring the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush and Moses looking and behold, the bush was burning with fire. Yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, I kinda chuckle when I hear his response because it leaves out perhaps how he was feeling his eyes popping wide his mouth dropping open I must turn aside now and see this marvelous light. Why the bush is not burned up.

When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look God called to him from the midst of the bush and said Moses. Moses said here I am God said do not come near here. Remove your sandals from your feet for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. He said also I am the God of your father the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

Then Moses hit his face, for he was afraid to look. God, the Lord said, I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their suffering. The Israelites didn't know that they forgot it abandoned them, but he said I was watching all the while, so I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good gracious land, a land flowing with milk and honey to the place of Canaanite in the Hittite in the Amorite.

The parasite invite in the Jebusite and now behold the cry of the sons of Israel has come to me. Furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them and let me stop right here before we get any further. If you have notes. I suggest you pull them out because were about to enter the call of Moses and the excuses that he will give to God and telling God that he isn't the one for the job they are the same excuses. Ladies and gentlemen that you and I use as well.

I believe the church is filled with people who have heard the call of God that imperceptible that that it in audible voice ministering to their spirit and saying I want to do this I want you to minister here. I want you to serve there.

I want you to speak my name there in a corporation or there in the neighborhood. I want you to become my representative and we all give one of five, perhaps several reasons why we say no to God and Moses becomes a classic illustration of an individual could receive a call from God but yet refused or tried.

I want to give you the first excuse before we even read any further, it is the excuse or the attitude of insignificance. Look at verse 10 therefore God says to Moses, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh so that you may bring my people, the sons of Israel out of Egypt and here's the point where we would think that Moses would job as if he had been waiting for 40 years. I know 40 years ago that I was the man for the job. And finally you come to me. I'm ready.

What is he say Moses said to God, whom I lie that I should go to Pharaoh that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt and you want to mark in the margin of your mind whenever you read this passage I believe that God probably spoke under his breath.

That's exactly what I wanted to hear. That's wonderful. I think of Moses had responded well. Lord, it's about time you called me.

I am the man for the job God would've probably said 40 more years in the desert know because Moses responded with this thought. I think God was pleased but yet God would not let him be excused.

He says who am I now after 40 years. I realize my insignificance. I realize the fact that I am perhaps not to appoint myself, but I'm to be appointed by God for this task, I that I should go to Pharaoh. Have you ever had the opportunity of having someone come to you and ask you, perhaps, to serve in some way in the first thought that goes through your mind is when what he asked me. Perhaps you been in that corporation and got us placed you in the hallway of a man who needs Christ and you sense God's spirit saying I want you to be the one to witness for me on the job.

Have you ever thought whom I want you to notice what God says in response, his responses basically I am with you.

His responses certainly verse 12. I will be with you and they shall be the sign you that it is I will send you when you brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain, God didn't say shame on you Moses. What a poor self-image. Why don't you ever say anything like that again yourself up somebody well we are significant in Jesus Christ and who he is. But in terms of ministry our efforts in our flesh are totally insignificant list.

God is with us Says I know you wore in and I'm not necessarily looking for a dynamo to go to Egypt I'm looking for dependent disciple to approach Pharaoh. So Moses, knowing that he can't get around that one comes back with a second one will call this the excuse of ignorance.

Perhaps you use this one as well.

Verse 13 then Moses said to God, I'm going to the sons of Israel and and I shall say to them, the God of your fathers and sent me to you that I may say to me what is his name what shall I say, in other words mothers is saying I don't have all the answers. I don't know what to say what board should I say if they come back and asked me to have the record that I haven't been schooled.

I don't know what I'm supposed to say all the answers. I've never thought would gotta trust you to get involved in something or speak something. The first thing the rest of you might all I can get boxed in not knowing what to say but better just keep quiet. I think Moses about this mood would make sense and perhaps get got off his back and affect what you notice what God said. Verse 14 God said to Moses when he summarizes, I'll give you the answers as you learn to know me. God said to Moses, verse 14. I am who I am but you shall say to the sons of Israel. I am has sent you.

I am the word Yahweh or the name Yahweh comes from the verb. Ha ha.

Which means to be.

He is saying I am simply the existent God is a characteristic or an attribute of himself that he is revealing in a sense, for the very first time, to anyone on planet Earth is in effect telling Moses. I don't want you to necessarily know all the answers.

I want you to know me using the basis for Moses his ministry is not knowing all the answers, but knowing God. The basis for any ministry that you or I may have is not based on the fact that we got it all mapped out. We got all the answers, no it is that you and I know God and how do I get to know God's interesting Jesus Christ. In fact, turn to John chapter 8 verse 24 refers to himself with exactly the same Greek word translated in the Old Testament Septuagint John chapter 8 verse 24.

Start with verse 22. Therefore, the Jews were saying, surely he will not kill himself. Willie since he says where my going where I am going, you cannot come. Jesus was saying to them you are from below. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. I said therefore to you that you shall die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am the word he should be italicizing your translation it's implied he says unless you believe that I am that I am the existent one, it's the same word that God views that could be translated back into the Old Testament.

I am Yahweh you want to know how you get to know God by spending life or spending time studying and getting to know the life of Jesus Christ, when it be interesting if we had candidates for ministry and instead of giving them all of all of the answers and all of the methods and all of the programs we gave them a plan that would enable them on a deeper level to get to know Jesus Christ. No, I believe there is so much failure in ministry. I believe it's because you and I know very little about him, and we know so much about what we are about God told Moses out there when Moses said.I don't know all the answers. God said I want to reveal myself to you because I want you to get to know that I am the cyst God I return as you get to know me. I will give you the answers I will direct your path in ministry and what he says. Furthermore, verse 15, though she shall say to the sons of Israel, the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham to God of Isaac, and Jacob sent me to you. This is my name forever and this is my memorial name to all generations go gather the elders of Israel together and say to them exactly what I told you. Verse 17 so I said I will bring you up and out of the affliction of Egypt, the land of the Canaanite in the Hittite and all of the other rights to a land flowing with milk and honey they will pay heed to what you say why because you come in with all authority now because you come in with the authority of my name and they will heed you say to them, the Lord, the God of the Hebrews is met with us. So now please let us go three days journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Verse 19, but I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go except under compulsion, so I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my miracles which I shall do in the midst of it, and after that he will let you go by this time I think Moses is getting rather nervous. I think perhaps the him sheet of never looked better.

He's probably dancing about on his bare feet. The sand is getting hot and he's thinking now wait a second I can get out of this. I told him I'm ignorant.

I told him I'm insignificant and Eddie is come back with exactly the solution so that I will still be the individual to minister for him. What can I say next. I have mentioned to you on past occasions, one of the most delightful ladies in my life. My grandmother and I am hoping she is planning to be with us on our anniversary Sunday.

Perhaps I've mentioned in the past. One of the things that she taught my three brothers and as we were growing up in the service center or my parents minister. She taught us all how to play the game of chess. We had a name for her cold. It was cold and rainy on you ever called your grandmother Granny's kind of a term of affection. But don't let her name fool you she was really vicious when it came to the game of chess. It wouldn't be long before the game turned into a chase.

I was running with my king, and she was chasing me with all of her pieces still intact, and sooner or later I would hear her little voice as she looked over at me through her glasses as she would say check and you know how you can take your king and exchange it for that. The castle and other little move any chess players here you know you can you can change them. When hates on really supposed to do that once we bargain for six or seven times and keep switching nothing back and forth. After a while we hear her say again, check. Finally, after all of the finagling all the moving and doing all those little moons we thought we can get out of checkmate. Sooner or later we'd see her grin and she say checkmate. I learned to love and hate that woman all at the same time as I read the story and reread it I could see Moses playing the part of me he's dancing about trying to avoid God saying checkmate and his God says check.

Moses says well I got another move up my sleep. Perhaps he'll accept this one and God says check again. So Moses comes up with 1/3.

Let's call this one the excuse or the attitude of inability but just tell them downright unable are not only unqualified not only ignorant, I'm unable to chapter 4 verse one then Moses answered and said well what if they will not believe me or listen to what I say, for they may say the Lord is not appear you. In other words, what Moses is saying is they may deny my leadership.

I may go in there. I may tell them that I have met with God and his name for us is Yahweh. The existent one and what they look at me as I will so wide were still like to follow you.

And let's face it, for 40 years I've been tending sheep.

I haven't even been around people totally unable for this job. But I love God's response. In fact, his responses lengthy at this point because I really believe ladies and gentlemen, like Moses, you and I come back with this. We are unable to do that may chance the possibility not may God will come back and instruct Moses in a very profound way. Look at verse two and the Lord said to him, what is that in your hand Moses.

So looks at it he says that the staff and God said, throw it on the ground so he threw it on the ground and it became a serpent and Moses fled from it now implied in this. This was evidently a poisonous viper. Otherwise Moses who knew animals well not fully so here his his staff perhaps 6 feet in length or in height. He throws it down and becomes a poisonous viper and you see Moses barefoot taking off across the desert running and God says, in effect, stop, come back. Verse four stretch out your hand and grasp it by the tail thing. Moses is probably wondering if God knows much about animals because I would imagine if you grab a snake grab it by the head so it can bite the tail so that it can turn around and strike see that was part of the act of faith that was part of God revealing to Moses his power over nature.

Moses I want you to grab that snake by the tail. Put yourself there. I've tried to picture this, in my mind and I think Moses spent an hour trying to work his way around that snake till finally he lunges for the tail and he grabs it and he closes his eyes, perhaps shrinking with fear and all of a sudden it feels hard. The text tells us that it did turn back into a staff verse five you see Moses this is been done, that they may believe that the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob is appear to you. This is undeniable. Your I doubt if any of them get wise to turn into a viper and you just casually walk over and bend down and pick it up by the tail and would press them. Moses still wasn't convinced. So God says in verse six. Put your hand into your bosom right inside your cloak, and he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out to hold his hand was white or leprous like snow. Moses perhaps was horrified and God not taking too much time, lest he of a heart attack says will just put it back in your bosom again when he took it out.

The whole verse seven, it was restored. Like the rest of his flesh, and it shall come about verse eight if they don't believe you or heed the witness of the first sign that they may believe the witness of the last time. Well Moses is thinking this is wonderful. I got authority and I have power, but is it really enough and I want you to note the third sign. This is significant, it shall be verse nine if they won't believe these two signs or heed what you say then you shall take some water from the Nile and poured on the dry ground and the water would you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground that this really isn't any more amazing than the first two when you think about it it it takes about the same amount of power. I imagine we could calibrate the amount of power to turn a serpent into a rod and a rod into a serpent as a way to turn water into blood.

What's the point. The point is that the chief god of the Egyptian was what the Nile God. This was the most powerful God and in Egypt's pantheon, and God was in effect showing Moses that I have authority over the most powerful God in Egypt you take water from the Nile God in all turn it into blood, but I think there's something else here. Perhaps it's because the children of Israel had been in Egypt for over 400 years had been impressed by the magnificence of Egypt. Perhaps they were beginning to wonder is this God more powerful than the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, can he really pull this exodus off. I think this sign was not for Moses. I think this sign was for the people of Israel to recognize that Yahweh was the most powerful God in all the way. Moses said, Lord, I'm unable of pulling this off. And God says in effect, I will empower you.

Let's take a look at the fourth will call this the excuse of inadequacy. Chapter 4 verse 10 we need to hurry.

Then Moses said to the Lord. Please Lord, I've never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past nor since that was spoken of thy servant, for I am slow or literally heavy of speech and heavy of time. It's a possibility. And some commentators think that Moses stuttered that Moses had difficulty getting his words out, and so Moses pull this one out. This is the big one God wants me to go and speak to Pharaoh. Lord, do you remember that I stutter. Do you recognize the fact that I am slow of speech, I have never been eloquent. Now you'll have to find somebody else. God says in verse 11. But what he says the Lord said to him, verse 11, who has made man's mouth to make some dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind, is it not I the Lord now then go, and I even I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to say. In other words, I'm not going to correct. Perhaps this speech problem, but I will overshadow your efforts all overshadow that that bumbling that thought of you standing before the Pharaoh and not being able to get those words at all overshadow that you just go and I'll be glorified in your availability.

Not your ability see ladies and gentlemen, we have the idea that God is looking for people with the impressive resume spiritually.

Will all of the qualifications. ABCD we have that mentality because were so used to this in society and we would think that if God is seeking out people to serve him. He wants a resume. See next chapter 6 that little church that it just exploded into existence had a problem in all kinds of money because they were selling land as need be, and they were to give that money to widows and yet some of the widows were being overlooked and so the Holy Spirit impressed the apostles. Let's choose out men to make sure the widows get the money to chose well where the account is in the church where people who work with money, no choose out from among you men fall of the Holy Spirit.

The implication is men who are empty of themselves and filled with the presence of the Spirit of God, Jesus Christ comes to planet Earth and he's to choose 12 people to introduce his kingdom program to planet Earth, where would you go well I go choose 12 of the most brilliant graduates of the rabbinical school and yet he overlooks it he bypasses it, and he goes and chooses 12 on more than been why he does need eloquence you need the impressive qualifications he needs men and women who are dependent who are available who are still with the spirit of God's control to God, says Moses, in effect, did you forget I made your mouth that way, you forget that I created that particular impediment did you forget that in my design you were wired that way. So what will you say no Moses. This is what all call an attitude of your reference, but he said I please, Lord, send a message by whomever thou wilt. We could translate it. Please Lord send it by somebody else.

In other words Moses is saying I'm through playing. I don't want to hear checkmate on and not the pieces over and over to get up and leave and got I want you to choose somebody else because I'm simply saying to you know God in effect responded after encouraging him with the presence of Aaron who would turn out to be a problem later. God basically said Moses I didn't call anybody else. I didn't ask someone else. I asked you ladies and gentlemen, the truth of the matter is that when you hear the spirit of God witnessing to your spirit that you are to be involved. Your to serve your to speak here. The Wendy's call nobody in that particular court room where you have been placed that residence, that occupation that ministry your his plan. You say have I really been issued a call would you turn to Matthew plays with me. Matthew chapter 28 and I want to show you how this call fits perfectly with all of the excuses that Moses used in trying to deny the ministry God wanted for him you say well I'm insignificant. Lord, he says, already has been given to me and in effect in acts, he will say I give you that it authority.

I I transfer the authority of myself to you insignificant yourself. Yes, but I have given you a dose.

All you need of my authority for ministry. You say I don't have the credentials right, you don't.

Verse 19.

So go in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit. You say I don't know what to say.

All you need to do verse 20 is to teach them to observe all that I have commanded you to Lord, would you send somebody else low. I am with you always, let me apply this quickly. Two ways from the life of Moses we can discern at least two wonderful things about the call of God number one. Your past doesn't handicap God's power, Moses perhaps could have made reference to the fact that he was a fugitive. It didn't handicap the power of God in his life matter what kind of past you've come from the body of Christ and by the cleansing of his blood, you can be a ambassador number two. Your inadequacy doesn't hinder God's performance. We have far too much of the charisma the day in the church with far too much personality we have far too much energy in the flesh, impressive things, impressive people. I wonder of God is searching today in our fellowship for those who will understand.

Apart from him, I am nothing. The abilities well they're not all there, but I will be available. I believe ladies and gentlemen that the church is filled with people who have heard the call to ministry a call to purity a call to a life of faith called to a life of distinction who an effective said that I would suggest that ladies and gentlemen for you play any further that you simply as we would do in the game of chess. Take your king and just lay him over as a symbol of surrender. It is by that surrender that you and I can hope and pray to impact our generation for Jesus Christ. People who are not being impacted because we are denying call with one of these excuses unable to qualify I'm insignificant. I'm not eloquent you somebody wonderful thing to know that God would use Moses is Moses final surrender. The plan of God. This reminder from the life of is very powerful. If you have a comments a question I would like more information about our ministry. You can send us an email if you address it to info@wisdom online God work. We'd really like to hear from you would like to learn how God is using these lessons to build you up and say Stephen's desire is to help you know what God's word says understand what it means and apply it to your life. If God is doing that.

Please let us know in the make sure to join us back here next time. As we continue through Exodus on wisdom