Mars Hill Fellowship

MESSAGE |

Here I am Lord, Send Me!

SERIES |

Sermons 2015

SCRIPTURE |

Exodus 4:10-13

SPEAKER |

Pastor Joseph Ardayfio

KEY THEME |

I.   In this series, we are examining God’s design for the church and the powerful impact that the church can make in this world.

I.  We return back to our theme for 2015 which “Be Strong and Very Courageous”

1. In the beginning of this year, Pastor Joseph encouraged the congregation to have the resolve to trust God with all of their heart. Courage means to remain steadfast in the face of difficulty or opposition

II.  In the book of Exodus, God called Moses to partner in His work in the earth.

1. God told Moses that He had heard the cries of the children of Israel. God promised to lead them out of bondage into their own fertile and spacious land.
2. Moses was excited about the proposition of God delivering the people, but he didn’t realize all that this would entail. It is easy for us to get excited about something that God is going to do and then realize that it will require something from us. The Lord chose Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:7-10)

III.  Moses did not exactly jump at the chance to assume leadership. He had several reasons why he didn’t think that God’s plan was the best.

1. “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11-12)
   1. The Lord promised to be with Moses. The believer’s source of power is not wrapped in their personal identity but in who is with them! 1 John 4:4b says “the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” God promised Moses success in his journey.
2. He cited ignorance. “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13-15)
   1. Moses was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to answer basic questions from the people.
   2. God instructed Moses to tell the people that God revealed His name to him, Jehovah—“I AM WHO I AM” or “I was, I am, I always will be!”
3. He cited lack of credentials. “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” (Exodus 4:1)
   1. God gave Moses 3 miraculous signs: A staff that turned into a serpent; a hand that turned leperous when put in his cloak; and water from the Nile that become blood.
4. Finally, he called attention to his lack of ability. “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” (Exodus 4:10)

IV.  What did Moses perceive about himself?

1. Moses’ perception of his calling was based upon his limited perspective of what he thought that he was capable of doing.
2. I’m not very good with words.
3. I never have been (His perspective was limited by his past)
4. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. (His perspective was limited on what God could overcome)
5. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.

V.   The problem of isolating our calling to just what we see (the “I” perspective)

1. When we focus on what we say about ourselves instead of what God says to us about ourselves, we limit our perspective to our perception.
1. God’s perception is always greater than our perspective (Isaiah 55:8-9)
   1. ISAIAH 55: 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
2. We can easily assume that what we think/say about ourselves makes us qualified/unqualified for God’s assignments. However, this reasoning would mean that God wasn’t aware of the details in our lives.
3. In Exodus 4:13, Moses reveals the true motivation behind his objections.
   1. Moses resolved: “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” Moses believed that God had made a mistake in the assignment.

VI.   The blessing of seeing ourselves according to the true “I AM”

1. ¹¹ Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord?
2. God + anything is extraordinary
   1. We often try to find adequacy in our own strength. In the kingdom of God, our adequacy is measured by our willingness to be submitted to the will of God.
   2. When we see ourselves as His vessels, we allow ourselves to be used by the GREAT “I AM”
3. God has any/every resource at his disposal – but we have to get the glittering image out of our head. We tend to reverse-engineer what Christianity looks like and make assumptions that God only uses people who have been perfectly trained, understand all of the circumstances, have spent extensive time practicing and preparing, have proper qualifications, will not be subject to temptation or timidity, will always have the right words, and will always walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The truth is that God uses broken vessels who are yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ to do amazing things in the earth through the power of Christ.
4. Our personal inadequacy is not a reason to be disqualified from God using our lives for His glory. When we feel most inadequate, we must realize that God can do amazing things
   1. He can change us,
   2. He can change our circumstances through us,
   3. He can demonstrate His power through our weakness, or
   4. He can send others who will partner with us in our assignments
5. With Moses, God didn’t choose to perfect his public speaking skills. Instead, God chose to display His greatness through Moses’ weakness. We shouldn’t deny the assignments of the Lord – simply because we want God to do it a different way. If God is God – Let Him be God

VII.   God made the very mouth that Moses considered as a weakness. If Moses focused on the one who was with him, he would take stock in God’s promise: “12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

Sermon: Here I am Lord, Send Me!