false starts

8/3/2019 False Starts

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False Starts Exo. 2:1 15; Acts 7:17 34

Since September, we at TLC have embarked on a teaching series The NakedTruth. The series seeks to unmask lifes issues and challenges and providesanswers, insight to these issues in the light of the Word of God. God provides, for

us, through His Word and by His Spirit answers to all that life throws our way. Weneed to see them, interact with them and respond to them. The topics we havecovered so far include "Sometimes its hard" and "When your yesterday collideswith today". We continue our series today by considering the topic of "FalseStarts". False Starts often occur in life, how does God respond to them and howshould we? As a nation famous for our sprinters we are familiar with the conceptof False Starts. In sports, a false start is a movement by a participantbefore being signalled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. Falsestarts are common in racing sports and it occurs when anxiety to get the beststart plays a role in the athletes' behaviour. In some sports false starts disqualifyyou from the competition. Recently in Daegu, South Korea Usain Bolt false

started in the 100m final and that false start led to his disqualification from therace. Show Bolts False Start. One headline read: "Usain Bolt displays hisanger". It must be a frustrating, disappointing and demotivating thing to happento any athlete.

Just like in races, life is filled with False Starts A misguided or unsuccessfulattempt to begin something. Sometimes when we false start we feeldisappointed and demotivated and even disqualified from life or that aspect oflife. Has this ever happened to you? Maybe you are feeling this way know. Andsometimes the false start occurs regarding a legitimate need. For example:Abraham, in the bible, had a false start. God had promised him a son as his heir,

but it did not occur in the tinge that Abraham and Sarah considered reasonable.So, after about ten years of waiting, Abraham, at his wifes suggestion fathered achild with Sarahs Egyptian slave Hagar and this precipitated no ends ofproblems. False Start but God would redeem the situation. About 15 years laterGod gave the promised son Restart.

Why do we have to wait so long sometimes for the thing that is perfectly OK?Why can't I get it now? In our impatience many times we jump the gun. You knowyou have the potential, you have had a dream for so long, as long as you couldremember was on your heart to doyou may even had attempted it before anddid not succeed. You had a false start; it is not the end you can restart.

Moses is a good case study as we consider the False Starts of life and ouropportunity to Re-Start. When we look at Moses there is no way look at his finishand see or imagine his beginning, nor could we look at the beginning and in anyway see the finish.

At the end of the Book of Genesis the Hebrew people lived in peace in Egypt formany years but then a Pharaoh came to the throne that viewed the Israelites as

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a threat to his nation. Many scholars speculate that some time before Moses wasborn Egypt had been invaded and dominated by conquerors known as theHyksos. For years the Egyptians suffered under the yoke of these foreigners, buteventually they rose up and drove them out. From that day on the Egyptiansbecame suspicious of any people that werent like them...people like the

Israelites who lived in their northern region. Even though the Israelites had livedamongst them for a long time, they had never really blended in. They lookeddifferent; they ate different; they talked different; and of course they worshippeddifferent. These Israelites served only one God vs. the dozens the Egyptiansworshipped. And worst of all there were too many of them! If the Hebrewsdecided to overthrow the Egyptians, their numbers were a threat

So the Pharaoh decided to do a pre-emptive strike. First he enslaved all theIsraelites and then to reduce the risk war by reducing the number of potentialsoldiers Israel might be able to put into battle. And one of the ways he did thatwas by ordering every newborn male child to be thrown into Nile. Moses was one

to the children destined to be thrown into the Nile. Moses was born to die! Thereshould have been no way that this child should have lived to see adulthood, butMoses mother was a woman of faith. From the get go, Moses life is a false start;a life that was not to start. Sometimes we don't appreciate the tension and dramain the text because so much time is covered in a few lines but Moses was borninto hardship, enslaved, oppressed parents and he himself destined to die beforehe even had a chance to live.

Can you imagine anyone having a more difficult start? So often we look back onour lives and say: (1) If you had gone through what I have gone through youwould understand why I am where I am right now! (2) If you understood all the

pain and all the hurt and all the tragedy in my life you would lower yourexpectations about my future! Sometimes I find the modern mind to be self-defeating. If everything is not perfectly right we are tempted to give up, we throwour hand up in defeat. Life is hard but God provides an opportunity to overcomethe hardships of life through faith in Him. Do not allow your past to determineyour future, no matter what our start is; it does not determine our future. Moseshad a bad start but his future was bright. In the hands of God our future can bebright too. The key is that God can take any situation and make a way wherethere seem to be no way.Pregnant mother difficult times but GodYoung person you are worried about your life, your future but GodYou grew up in difficult circumstances but GodLook to God for irrespective of what is going on God is able to make a way wherethere seem to be no way. The bible says: "the people that do know theirGod shall be strong, and do exploits." (Daniel 11:32) Life was not easier forJochebed but she know her God and should stood in faith in God and this gaveher hope when all looked hopeless, gave her strength when she was weak...

In verses 56 of Exodus 2, Jochebed made a basket and waterproofed it, and

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then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bankof the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen tohim. (Ex 2:3-4, NIV) For yours I have read into the text that Pharaohs daughtersaw Moses by accident but this is not so. The language used indicates that hismother deliberately and strategically put him, by faith, in this position so that

Pharaohs daughter would see him. When we turn to God it does not mean thatwe stop thinking, reasoning Jochebed was strategic. Her strategy was as aresult of her faith faith without works is dead (James 2:26 NKJV). It isnot just a chance she took, she considered her situation and evidently prayedand then acted. She knew that Moses was special By faith Moses parentssaw he was no ordinary child (Hebrews 11:23) And yes, the last personyou would want to find your infant boy as a Hebrew woman was the daughter ofPharaoh but in faith Jochebed did it. Did God tell her to do itit seems soandGod came through in the situation? Pharaohs daughter adopted Moses andgave him back to Jochebed to nurse God made a way where there seemed tobe no way. God had given the parents of Moses more than they could ask or

even imagine. Not only was his life spared, but was now protected by none otherthan the Pharaohs daughter and to top it off they are allowed to keep him andtrain him in the ways of God and they were even paid to do it. What should havebeen a false start God had caused a restart. Blessed be the name of the Lord.But the drama had only just begun.

When Moses was weaned he was taken into the household of the Pharaoh, werehe was raised as the son of the princess. Moses grew up in a holocaust! Everysingle Jewish boy was killed except for him. He knew in his heart and soul hewas a Hebrew, knowing he looked different than every other boy his ageworse,he was probably jeered and teased repeatedly, the brunt of prejudice because

Genesis 43:32 tells us Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that isdetestable to Egyptians But God had Moses in training, the call on his liferequired a certain type of training and it was available only in the courts ofPharaoh. God was refining for Himself the deliver of Israel. Who could haveguessed that God would choose this individual to be the founder of the nation ofIsrael when he was raised in the wisdom of the Egyptians?

Application:1. We are all here alive for a purpose. Some of us should have ben dead

already but there was a Jochebed in your life, maybe you dont even knowwho it is but there was someone holding your name before the throne ofgrace and that is what has kept you over these many years.

2. Don't underestimate what God can use. Your training may seem to be far

from that God would want but God is not limited to use us only in the ways weconsider. Maybe, just maybe you have been far away from Him all theseyears but He had you where He wanted you for such a time as this, to bechange agent in your family, on the job or even in the nation. Who know,God's ways are above our ways.

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Lets go back to the text: between verse 10 and verse 11 nearly 40 years arepassed over in silence. The account in Exodus throws no light on the nearly 40years Moses spent in the courts of Egypt. We started with Moses as a baby andnow we see him as an adult. In the intervening years there are several facts that

we need to understand about the life of Moses. Stephen in his account before theSanhedrin in Acts 7:22 tells us, Moses was educated in all the wisdom of theEgyptians and was powerful in speech and action. Moses was raised as anEgyptian prince and was given a remarkable education in the courts of Pharaoh.He was likely educated at the Temple of the Sun which was known as theHarvard of Ancient Egypt. He would have studied the various sciences,mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, medicine and religion, philosophy and thelaw. It appears that he was a great student for the verse says that he was mighty in words and deeds, in fact the Jewish historian Josephus in hisAntiquities of the Jews gives an account of how by the time he was thirty Mosesled the Egyptian army to victory in a battle against the invading Ethiopians

mighty in words and deeds.Let us be careful to consider that in Exo.2 verse 11 Moses is now this militarychampion, the articulate and learned prince of Egypt. When you consider thehistory there is possibly an arrogance that Moses has. I am tempted to believethat his has lost the kernel of his faith the new philosophies, the new religion,his successes and his new way of life has pulled him away from his core belief.This is demonstrated in how he handles the situation that is about to face him.When Moses saw the abuse and oppression meted out to his fellow Hebrews hisheart went out to them. He clearly saw the need for a deliverer and his motherwould have told him that he was that deliver. Boosted by his military knowledge,strategy and accomplishments, along with his elite intelligence, one day as he

witnessed one of the Egyptian taskmasters beating one of the Hebrew slaves hetook matters into his own hands and could not sit still any longer and started whathe thought would have lead to Israels deliverance. Acts 7:24 & 25 says, Hesaw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to hisdefence and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that hisown people would realise that God was using him to rescue them, but theydid not. It is tempting to think that as Moses witnessed the abuse to his fellowHebrew that something just snapped. But scripture in Exodus portrays that thiswas all a part of a preconceived plan on the part of Moses. He decided that iswas time to take action so according to verse 12 of our text, Glancing this wayand that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in thesand. He looked this way and that but unfortunately he never looked up. Heknew Gods will. But the problem was that he did not bother to seek Gods wayand Gods timing. He was trying to do Gods will in his own way and in accordingto his own timetable. That is the problem sometimes we understand what Godswill for our lives is but things are not happening fast enough to suit us, webecome anxious. We false startwe try to give God a hand.Did the cruel taskmaster deserve to be punished? Yes! Was it wrong to beat theHebrew as he did? Yes. Moses motivation was right but his timing and his

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methods were all wrong. The significant thing here is that Moses plans are notthe same plans made by God for the deliverance of the Hebrews. Moses becamea murderer in an attempt to strike the first blow for the freedom of Gods people.Moses desiring to carry out Gods plan for the deliverance of the Hebrews, eagerto do great things for God, forced a situation that led to a personal disaster.

There is a principle that we need to recognise:

1. False Starts lead to personal disaster:

a. Personal Rejection: Exodus 2, verse thirteen says, The next day

he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in thewrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" The man said,"Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killingme as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought,"What I did must have become known." (Exodus 2:13-14)

Moses thought that the men would recognise him as someone who was

fighting on their behalf and had there interest at heart but instead when hetried to stop a fight between two Hebrews he cannot believe the response.They said: Hey, Mr. High and Mighty, who died and left you in charge?Youre not our leader. What are you going to do kill us if dont do what yousay?Application:b. Personal Fear and anxiety: Then Moses was afraid and thought,

What I did must have become known. It appears that Moses was rightfor the very next verse (15) says, When Pharaoh heard of this, he triedto kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live inMidian Moses fearful and anxious because his secret was out and the

Pharaoh had found out and was now gunning for him. It happened soquickly, Moses moved from hero to villain in two days.Application: Lifes circumstances can change so fast. What we were sureabout yesterday leads toc. Personal lose and isolation: Moses had to flee to someplace that

the power of Pharaoh could not reach him. He fled to the desert in theland of Median. He lost everything, all that he had built over the years,know all the training was not longer all that. He is also isolated cut offfrom his friends, relatives. From riches to rags. He must have thought ashe made this journey that his life was over, that God could not and wouldnot ever use him again. He was wrong of course. But it would take him

many weary years to realise it.Application: Our loses might not be as dramatic but.

Application: Some of us fall into the same traps as Moses did. We grew uparound Church, know bible or grew up with at least Godly principles. At one timemaybe even surrendering our life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ but now weknow better. Teenage years or worse even the college years and suddenly youget some new knowledge hear about things like evolution (a rubbished theory

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by modern scientist but still taught as true). We learn some philosophy, we getlittle knowledge and we believe know everything. We let go the God who hadkept us because now we can manage our lives. Worse if we have beensuccessful in varying areas of our life; arrogant, self important, self-focussedfalse start. One aspect of our lives ok but the other shambles. False Start. False

starts bring pain, trouble, disappointment, disillusionment, discouragementIsntthis situation just so real to our lives? Sometimes our greatest mess-ups happenwhen we are trying our hardest to do our very best. It is true to differentmeasures for all of us. In the practical, everyday nitty gritty reality of life it is sohard to trust God with our lives, isnt it?

1. Many jump the gun by believing sex and love are the same thing, when

intimacy is traded for something superficialfalse start and we are paying forit ever sinceemotionallyphysicallyfinanciallyspiritually we want afamily but go about it the wrong way.

2.Even in the areas of success and wealth, many are desperate to makemillions, take short cuts, only to get caught and later say, I knew what I wasdoing was unethical, I just didnt know it was illegal but really they knew! ItsMoses all over again; glancing this way and that and seeing no one; he killedthe Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Have you ever noticed that you dontglance this way and that to make sure no one is going to see you dosomething good? It is when we are about to do something that violates ourconscience, Gods Word, our core values, that we look to make sure no oneis watching. Moses thought that his own people would realise that God wasusing him to rescue them, but they did not.

Remember: the end never justifies the means! God is as interested in the wayyou get there, as He is that you get there. There is a reason the Scriptures say,Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Ps27:14) Have you noticed that the things that come fast and easy will take youdown fast.

The School of the DesertThe school of desert is the place where we are forced to face ourselves, its aplace of isolation, sometimes we may be in a crowd but isolated in our hearts. Itis the place where God attempts to break our will and conform it to His will. It

happens when we have come to the end of self-lead life then God can begin towork in our lives. It is when we have come to the end of ourselves, having pushhard enough and manipulated long enough, that God finally gets your attention. Itis then that you discover that God is saying, Cease striving and know that Iam God (Psalm 46:10, NASB). F.B. Meyers gives a wonderful assessmentwhen he wrote, Such experiences come to us all. We rush forward, thinkingto carry all before us; we strike a few blows in vain; we are staggered withdisappointment and reel backand there our vision clears We have

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opportunity to find God. If we are willing we experience breakthrough in our livesof untold magnitudes. The very thing that was such a failure yesterday, God re-uses, resuscitates and restarts. After Moses returned from the enforced exile inthe desert of Median years later he was a different man, one fit for years ofselfless and obedient service.

ApplicationPerhaps the only good thing about failure is that God uses our failures to teachus important things.First, we learn through failure is that no matter how talented we are, how

educated we may be, without Him we can do nothing. Jesus tells us in John15:5, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I inhim, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

The second thing God teaches us through our failures is that we are capable ofterrible things if we persist in our way instead of pursuing His way. Mosesbecame a murdered.

Thirdhiding our wrongs doesnt erase wrong: it only postpones its discovery.According to Exodus 2:12, Moses hid the body of the slain Egyptian in thesand but by next day the deed is known. When we have done wrong somevery human instincts kick in; deny it, excuse it, rationalise it, reinterpret ourshortcomings. But the best and only real way to hand it is to fess up. To callfailure, failure; to call sin, sin. To admit we were wrong so that we can becleansed and restored and go on with our lives.

The final lesson that God can teach us through the failure of our own plans is thatGod is capable of working for us and in us, in spite of us. Moses the man whobotched things so bad on his own was used mightily of God. His name ismentioned 700 times in the Bible. He was used by God in a greater way than

any other Old Testament character, when he through failure learned to followGods plans rather than his own. If Moses can raise from his failures to beused by God so can we.

This was the man that would personify what it meant to live in relationship withthe living God who had lived his first 40 years worshipping pagan gods.Who would have guessed that God would entrust him with the care of the 10Commandments when it clearly states, Thou shalt not murder.No wonder Stephen says, This is the same Moses! All of us need thistransitional phrase in our lives!

This is the same (Insert name)

That the person who was, doesnt disqualify you from the person who willbecome. Maybe having had so many false starts, so many mess ups, so manyfailures, you have allowed your life to be defined by your worst moments ratherthan the moments that are yet to come. Maybe you have jumped the gunbecause life hasnt come to you the way you thought it would or should.

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I would like us to look at Moses...the man this AM. He was the great law giver, amighty man of God and one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. Yet as westudy him we will find him to be a very ordinary individual. He had all the

problems and hang ups that you and I have. He was not some super beingspringing from a phone booth with a giant "S" on his chest. He was simply anormal man empowered of God for a ministry which he was able to accomplishtotally in the power of God. Whenever he was in the flesh it stood out like a sorethumb. This should be an important encouragement to us because whatever Godhas called us to, whether large or small, He will empower us to accomplishexactly as He did with Moses.So, Moses fled into the wilderness. Some might say "life begins at 40....but forMoses he probably felt like his life was over! But God had a plan! And Hes gotone for you, too! For 40 more years, Moses sat in the wilderness. He had time toreflect, didnt he? You see, I believe that Moses needed to be humbled before

the Lord....and being banished into the wilderness after living a "privileged life"would be quit humbling! He went from royalty to sheep herder! And Moses had alot of time to think. Im sure that he felt like he would no longer be the one todeliver the children of Israel. He had gotten married, and probably accepted hishumble life.

But guess what? God wasnt finished with Moses! EX chapter 3 tells us that Godspoke to Moses thru a burning bush and instructed him to go deliver his people.Moses didnt believe God. In vs 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that Ishould go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 And God said, "Iwill be with you. Theres the difference in the first attempt to free the Israelites

and this one. This time, Moses is allowing God to do the work! Too many timeswe attempt to do things in our power and volition when it is GOD that must be atthe helm! I dont care how powerful or mighty you are. Its not by might, nor bypower, but by the Spirit of the living God that we can accomplish ALL things!PHILLIPIANS 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.and that goes for you and I today! We can do NOTHING in and of ourselves,without the power of Christ dwelling inside us!

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Impatience With God

Acts 7:18-7:34

OPEN: Caitlin was a 4 year old and an only child. She really wanted to have ababy sister and kept pestering her mother asking when she could have one. Onemorning Caitlin told her mother, "Maybe if we both prayed out loud, God wouldhear us."So they prayed together. As soon as they finished, Caitlin asked, "What did hesay?"Her mother explained that it doesnt work that way; sometimes it takes a longtime to get an answer.Caitlin was indignant: "Do you mean we were praying to an answering machine?"

Caitlin wanted an answer from God.

She didnt want to be put off.She didnt want to talk to some celestial answering machine.She didnt want God to get back to her some time

She wanted answer NOW!!! And she was impatient because God didnt seem to answer quickly enough.

You know you dont have to be a 4 yr old to suffer from that kind of impatience.

ILLUS: The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poiseand quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustrationand irritability. One day a friend saw him pacing the floor like a caged lion.

"Whats the trouble, Dr. Brooks?" asked the friend."The trouble is that I am in a hurry." said Brooks. "but God isnt."

Its easy to become impatient with GodEven some of the great men and women of Scripture grew impatient.A case in point is Moses.

Now Moses is one of the greatest men of the Bible.He is a model for preachers and elders and men of all walks of life.In fact God told Moses that one day He would raise up a prophet like unto him that prophet being Jesus. And so Moses was a model even for Christ.

And he was a man of great faith.Hebrews 11 tells us that the decision Moses made to chose his own people overthe Egyptian culture hed been raised in was a decision based on faith.But Moses faith here was marred by impatience.And his impatience cost him dearly.

We all know the story:

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Moses is born in a time of trouble.His people have lived in peace in Egypt for a couple of hundred years or so. Butthen a Pharaoh come to the throne that viewed the Israelites as being dangerousno his nation.

The suspicion of many scholars is that some time before Moses was born Egypt had been invaded and dominated by conquerors known as the Hyksos.For years the Egyptians suffered under the yoke of these foreigners, buteventually they rose up and drove them out.

From that day on the Egyptians became suspicious of any people that werentlike them... people like the Israelites who lived in their northern region.For, even though the Israelites had lived amongst them for a long time, they hadnever really blended in. They had looked different They ate different

They talked different And of course they worshipped different.These Israelites served only one God vs. the dozens the Egyptians worshipped.

And worst of all there were too many of themIf the Hebrews decided to overthrow the Egyptians, their numbers were a threat

So the Pharaoh decided to reduce the risk by reducing the number of potentialsoldiers Israel might be able to put into battle. And one of the ways he did thatwas by ordering every newborn male child to be thrown into Nile

When Moses born, his mother Jochebed obeyed the order, but herobedience to Pharaoh was a bit creative. Instead of simply throwing her child intothe water to drown she built a him a boat of bulrushes and set him afloat trusting God for the outcome.

And God did!He delivered her child.He arranged for daughter of the Pharaoh to find him love him and desire toraise himThen Pharaohs daughter saw the need for someone to raise himAnd again - in the providence of God - Jochebed was chosen to be hisnursemaid

So for the next 40 years of his life Moses was raised in the courts of Egypt. AsActs 7:22 tells us:Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful inspeech and action.

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But not only that his mother raised him to know he was a Hebrew. And sheraised him to know that the Israelites were his people and that God had madepromises to his people.

Amongst those promises was one that God had made to Abraham about 400 yrs.

previously: "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a countrynot their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But Iwill punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out withgreat possessions Genesis 15:13-14

So Moses knew God had saved him.He knew that God had made a promise 400 years previously that his peoplewould be enslavedAnd he knew that the time was growing near for his people to come out of Egyptand return to Palestine.

Moses grew up believing he was a man of destiny.And he reasoned that God had saved him for a reason.Perhaps he was the one to lead Israel out of the slavery of Egypt.

But day after day he saw the cruelty of Egypt.He saw his people being enslaved and mistreated.He saw the daily beatings the received.

And I believe that day after day he prayed for God to come and show him what todo.But God was silent.

God didnt answer his prayers.

Day after day, the anger built up in him.Day after day, the frustration of not being able to do anything ate at him until oneday he grew tired of waiting.He decided it was time to act.

He reasoned: God has saved me to rescue the Israelites from the Egyptians. ButGod isnt acting as quickly as I think He should be. Therefore, God must want meto fulfil the prophecy MY way.

And so, when Moses saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew heintervened. Exodus tells us Moses looked around to make sure no one waswatching. Then he struck the taskmaster and killed him.And then he buried him in the sand.

Acts tells us that why Moses did what he did:Moses thought that his own people would realise that God was using him torescue them, but they did not. Acts 7:25

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Not only dont they want to follow him - his killing the taskmaster is commonknowledge and he realises he will be punished for what he had done. And so heruns into the desert and spends 40 years in exile.

NOW A FEW THOUGHTS1. Impatience with God can cause us to do foolish things.Moses knew what he was doing was wrong.He looked around to make sure nobody was watching.He took matters into his own hands.And then he buried the evidence.

He knew it was wrong.But he was angry at the mistreatment this taskmaster was dishing out.

James 1:20 tells us the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of

God.

I have seen Christians who behave just that way.Ive not seen it here, and pray I never do.But Im not preaching this because anybody here is doing that. If I were to waituntil you folks got caught up in this behaviour Id probably be too late to the party.

Christians are tempted to act foolishly when theyre angry.

Ive seen Christians get angry about something in church. Something they areconvinced has to be rectified or the church will fail. But nobody seems to be

doing anything about it.The Elders arent doing anythingThe preacher isnt doing anythingAnd well Gods isnt doing anything either.So they decide to help Him out.Theyve just GOT to fix the problem no matter how much damage they cause.

And so they look around to make sure no one is watchingAnd they begin a whispering campaign in the church They kill the offender.They assassinate his/her character.They question their motives or actions or general behaviour.And they enlist others in their cause.

But they do it quietly burying their actions so that they wont be caught. Andthe more that their will is thwarted the angrier they become.

Ive been a preacher long enough to know that this happens in even the bestchurches. In fact, this kind of behaviour is as old as the earliest churches.

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Paul wrote the Galatians:The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbour asyourself. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will bedestroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:14-15)

This kind of mindset had settled into the church at Galatia. They were biting anddevouring one another destroying each other to get their way.

And then Paul goes on to say: The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexualimmorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord,

jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy;drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who livelike this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Notice, among the sinful actions God condemned were:

Hatred, discord, fits of rage, dissensions, and factions.And Paul says: Ive warned you before dont do that - it could rob you of yourvery salvation.those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:21)

When we do things that arent according to Gods will, we can get ourselves introuble. And because Moses was impatient with Gods timing he spent 40 yearsin the wilderness. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but his rashness costhim.Impatience with God will do that to us as well.

SO the thing to remember is this: impatience with God will cause us to do foolishthings.

2. Impatience is often caused by believing God isnt going to do anything. ThatHe doesnt care.And so we may come to believe God needs MY help.

ILLUS: I recently ran across the following e-mail from GodI am God.Today I will be handling all of your problems.Please remember that I do not need your help.If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attemptto resolve it on your own. Kindly put it in the SFGTD box (something for God todo). It will be addressed in My time, not yours.

Now, of course, we know God didnt send that e-mail.But it perfectly captures the problem so many of us have with waiting on God.

You see, Moses problem was that he made the mistake of believing God wasnt

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going to act and so HE had to.

You know the old phrase God helps those who help themselves?Not only is that NOT in the Bible its pure heresy.If God helped those who helped themselves Hed have helped

Cain (he helped himself to vengeance on his brother Abel) Delilah (she wanted to help herself to Samsons hair) Judas (he wanted to help himself to 30 pcs of silver)

God doesnt help those who help themselves.He helps those who obey Him and listen to Him and wait upon Him.

Granted, God wants to use you or I for His purposes.But make no mistake - He doesnt NEED for us to step in and save Him whenthings get a little dicey.Hes a big God and He can take care of Himself.

What God wants are people who obey Him and listen to Him and wait upon Him.

James tells usBe PATIENT, then, brothers, until the Lords coming. See how the farmerWAITS for the land to yield its valuable crop and HOW PATIENT he is for theautumn and spring rains. You too, be PATIENT and stand firm, because theLords coming is near. James 5:7-8

Be patient. Wait upon the Lord.Psalms 27:14 "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the

LORD."

But at times its hard to be patient.And at times our impatience can cause to us to act rashly.And our rashness can hurt us in terrible ways.

3. But the good news is this - with God even our rash decisions can be used byHim for His glory.

The Bible is filled with stories of people who messed up.People like Peter who messed up and denied he knew Jesus 3 times.People like Abraham that great man of faith, who is shown in Genesis to havestruggled in his faith.People like David who committed adultery and arranged for the death of afriend.And of course - people like MosesFor 40 years Moses languished in the desert because he didnt trust God enoughto wait.

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40 years.But then one day God met him on the side of a mountain and He gave Moses a2nd chance.And with that 2nd chance came the salvation of an entire nation.

Our God is the God of 2nd chances.Of undeserved forgiveness.Of a new chance at life.

CLOSE: The late Paul Leonard told a story about paying his way through OhioState University It was a struggle. His father died during his senior year in highschool, and his mother had become blind.With her encouragement, however, he enrolled at Ohio on the eve of the GreatDepression.By night he was a taxi driver, and during the day he waited tables in a campusdining hall.

"At lunch one day I was serving a table where faculty members were seated. As Ireturned to the table with my tray held high, the unthinkable happened! I slippedon a spot of gravy on the floor and watched helplessly as the plates slid off thetray, spilling onto an especially well-dressed man, one of my professors.My heart sank.What could I do to atone?I grabbed a towel to clean him up, but I only spread the mess over more of myprofessors suit.

"Dont worry about it young man. These things happen." Was what I wanted to

hear.Instead he locked his eyes on me and asked,"Mr. Leonard, what are you going to do about this?""Im so sorry sir. Ill pay to have your suit cleaned," I responded."I dont believe this suit can be dry cleaned my professor countered "Mr.Leonard, I believe it is only fair that you buy me a new suit.""Yes, sir," I managed to say.

With a knot in my stomach, I agreed to meet him at a downtown Columbus mensstore the following day. I recognised the name of the store, and exclusive mensclothier specialising in custom-tailored suits. I also knew that I could cover theexpenses only if I were able to make payments over several months of work andscrimping. As I walked in the front door of the finely furnished store, I grew evenmore apprehensive.

"Oh there you are," the ever-proper professor remarked. He had arrived early. Healready chosen the fabric and the tailor had already taken measurements.My professor, a regular customer, had apparently vouched for my trustworthinessbecause the clerk nonchalantly accepted the professors remark, "Mr. Leonard

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will be responsible for the bill, as I have indicated."

More than a little disorientated, I turned to follow my professor out of the door.Then he stopped. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked."Yes sir," I responded. "It will take time, of course, but I"

He interrupted me with words directed to the clerk."Lets see that Mr. Leonard is fitted for a suit just like mine. And put them both onmy bill."

Not only was my debt canceled, but I received what I did not deserve. And mybenefactor provided me with more than a suit and an indelible memory.He gave me an encounter with grace."

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Getting Ahead of God!Exodus 2:11-15Acts 7: 20-29

Last week in our first in the series on the life of Moses we examined how Amram

and Jochebed, the parents of Moses, passed on to their son a heritage of faith.The time came that they had to hand their son over to the daughter of Pharaoh.According to Exodus 2:10, And the child grew, and she brought him toPharaohs daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses,saying, Because I drew him out of the water.When Moses was weaned he was taken into the household of the Pharaoh, werehe was raised as the son of the princess. She named the boy, Moses, a namethat was rooted in the event of her finding the baby, meaning to draw out as shehad drew him out of the Nile.God had given the parents of Moses more than they could ask or even imagine.Not only was his life spared, and protected by none other than the pharaohs

daughter, but they are allowed to keep him and train him in the ways of God andthey were even paid to do it. What a gracious God we serve.Between verse 10 and verse 11 nearly 40 years are passed over in silence. Theaccount in Exodus throws no light on the nearly 40 years Moses spent in thecourts of Egypt. We left off with Moses as a baby and now we see him as anadult. In the intervening years there are several facts that we need to understandabout the life of Moses. But Stephen in his account before the Sanhedrin in Acts7:22 tells us, And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, andwas mighty in words and deeds. Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince andwas given a remarkable education in the courts of Pharaoh. He was likelyeducated at the Temple of the Sun which was known as the Oxford of Ancient

Egypt. He would have studied the various sciences, mathematics, astronomy,chemistry, medicine and religion, philosophy and the law. It appears that he wasa great student for the verse says that he was mighty in words and deeds.The fact that he was mighty in deeds seems to indicate that he also hadsome military experience. The Jewish historian Josephus in his Antiquities of theJews gives an account of how by the time he was thirty Moses led the Egyptianarmy to victory in a battle against the invading Ethiopians.Preceding the events of verse 11 and those that follow is a decision that Mosesmade in his heart described in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews (vv.24-26). By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son ofPharaohs daughter, (25) choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people ofGod than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, (26) esteeming the reproach ofChrist greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.This seems to tell us that during that time Moses had made a critical decision toidentify with the Hebrew people.At some point Moses had come to believe that he was to be Israels deliverer.Once he understood this divine calling upon his life he made his decision to givehimself sacrificially to his people, he was ready for action. As we have alreadyseen Hebrews 11: 24-25 records, By faith Moses, when he became of age,

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refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter, (25) choosing rather to sufferaffliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,The decision that Moses made was truly remarkable. God did indeed intend forMoses to be the deliverer of His people from bondage in Egypt. Even thoughMoses was schooled in all the knowledge of the Egyptians there was much hat

Moses had to learn yet. There would be a time when he would know the ways ofthe Lord, but for now he was too full of his own ways. In a later time he would beempowered by God, but now he was acting in his own self-energy. Moses wasrash, impatient, headstrong and headed for trouble.We take up the biblical account of the life of Moses in verse 11, Now it came topass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren andlooked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of hisbrethren.Verse 11 in our text sets the stage for the coming events by saying that ithappened when Moses was grown. According to Acts 7:23 Moses was, fortyyears old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.

According the later part of this verse, he went out to his brethren and looked attheir burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.When Moses saw the abuse and oppression that his fellow Hebrews were underhis heart went out to them. He clearly saw the need for a deliverer and he wanteddesperately to help them. Finally one day as he witnessed a one of the Egyptiantaskmasters beating one of the Hebrew slaves he could not sit still any longer.Acts 7:24 says, And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avengedhim who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian.It is tempting to think that as Moses witnessed the abuse to his fellow Hebrewthat something just snapped. But scripture portrays that this was all a part of apreconceived plan on the part of Moses. He decided that is was time to take

action so according to verse 12 of our text, he looked this way and that way,and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Helooked this way and that but unfortunately he never looked up. He knew Godswill. But the problem was that he did not bother to seek Gods way and Godstiming. He was trying to do Gods will in his own way and in according to his owntimetable.That is the problem when we understand what Gods will for our lives is butthings are not happening fast enough to suit us, we become anxious. We try togive God a hand.Did the cruel taskmaster deserve to be punished? Yes! Was it wrong to beat theHebrew as he did? Of course. But when Moses stepped in began his ownOperation Deliverance, he was energised by the flesh not by the Spirit of God.Invariably when you act in the flesh you will have something to cover up. But it is

just a matter of time until the truth catches up with you. The sand always yieldsits secrets, and corpse was not as hidden as Moses has supposed.Charles Swindoll puts it this way, Neglecting to ask Gods counsel,neglecting to seek Gods timing, you step in to handle things. And by andby, youve got a mess on your hands. Your stuck with a corpse, with ashovel in your hands and a shallow grave at your feet. [Charles Swindoll.

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Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication. (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1999) p. 43]Moses motivation was right but his timing and his methods were all wrong. Thesignificant thing here is that Moses plans are not the same plans made by Godfor the deliverance of the Hebrews. Moses did not see himself as a murderer butas one striking the first blow for the freedom of Gods people.

Moses desiring to carry out Gods plan for the deliverance of the Hebrews, eagerto do great things for God, forced a situation that led to a personal disaster.There is a principle that we need to recognise,God will not bless what he has not designed.Exodus 2, verse thirteen says, And when he went out the second day, behold,two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, Whyare you striking your companion? (14) Then he said, Who made you aprince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed theEgyptian?What a terrible put down. Moses knew he was to be the deliverer and hesupposed that everyone else would recognise it to. Acts 7:25 gives commentary,

For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God woulddeliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. But instead when hetries to stop a fight between two Hebrews he cannot believe the response. Theysay. Hey, Mr. High and Mighty, Who died and left you in charge? Youre not ourleader. What are you going to do kill us if dont do what you say?Moses was both astonished because his secret was out and afraid because ifthey knew then Pharaoh either knew or would know shortly. The remainder ofverse 14 says, .So Moses feared and said, Surely this thing is known!It appears that Moses was right for the very next verse (15) says, ThenPharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled fromthe face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a

well.One would assume that Pharaoh already knew of Moses decision in rejecting hisEgyptian upbringing. To Pharaoh this must have seemed the grossest kind ofungratefulness. And now he hears the Moses has actually killed an Egyptianofficial. This is only one remedy for a disloyal and out of control prince, have himkilled.Now the only recourse open to Moses was to flee to someplace that the power ofPharaoh could not reach him. He fled to the desert in the land of Midian. He musthave thought as he made this journey that his life was over, that God could notand would not ever use him again. He was wrong of course. But it would takehim many weary years to realise it.The School of the DesertWe will leave the lessons learned in the school of desert till next time but for nowsuffice it to say, it is when we have come to the end of self-lead life that God canbegin to work in our lives. It is when we have come to the end of ourselves,having push hard enough and manipulated long enough, that God finally getsyour attention. It is then that you discover that God is saying, Cease strivingand know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10).F.B. Meyers gives a wonderful assessment when he wrote, Such experiences

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come to us all. We rush forward, thinking to carry all before us; we strike afew blows in vain; we are staggered with disappointment and reel back; weare afraid at the first breath of human disapproval; we flee from the scenesof our discomfiture to hide ourselves in chagrin. Then we are hidden in thesecret of Gods presence from the pride of man. And there our vision

clears; the silt drops from the current of our life; our self-life dies down;our spirit drinks of the river of God, which is full of water; our faith beginsto grasp His arm and to be the channel for the manifestation of His power;and thus at last we emerge to be His hand to lead an exodus. [F.B.Meyer.Lance Wubbels. ed. The Life of Moses. (Lynnwood, Washington: Emerald Books,1996) p. 30}

After Moses returned from the enforced exile in the desert of Midian years laterhe was a different man, one fit for years of selfless and obedient service.

Application

Perhaps the only good thing about failure is that God uses our failures to teachus important things.First, we learn through failure is that no matter how talented we are, howeducated we may be, without Him we can do nothing. Jesus tells us in John 15:5,I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him,bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. The prophetic wordstaken from Hannahs prayer in 1 Samuel 2:9 speak to us when she said, forby strength no man shall prevail.The second thing God teaches us through our failures is that we are capable ofterrible things if we persist in our way instead of pursuing His way.Thirdhiding our wrongs doesnt erase wrong: it only postpones its discovery.

According to Exodus 2:12, Moses hid the body of the slain Egyptian in the sandbut by next day the deed is known. When we have done wrong some veryhuman instincts kick in; deny it, excuse it, rationalise it, reinterpret ourshortcomings. But the best and only real way to hand it is to fess up. To callfailure, failure. To call sin, sin. To admit we were wrong so that we can becleansed and restored and go on with our lives.The final lesson that God can teach us through the failure of our own plans is thatGod is capable of working for us and in us, in spite of us. Moses the man whobotched things so bad on his own was used mightily of God. His name ismentioned 700 times in the Bible. He was used by God in a greater way than anyother Old Testament character, when he through failure learned to follow Godsplans rather than his own. If Moses can raise from his failures to be used by Godso can we.

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Well these days you can buy almost anything imaginable on eBay including amans life. Yeah, no kidding, an Australian man has put his life up for internetauctionhis house, his job, his friends. It started really with his broken heart afterhis wife left him a couple of years ago. He said he wants a fresh start. Now youcan sell your stuff, but everywhere you go, you take you with you.

Im Ron Hutchcraft and now most of us would not go to those kind of extremes,but some of us do know the feeling of wishing we could start over, get that freshstart, move from a life thats unfulfilling to a life that matters. Millions of us havediscovered where new beginnings can be found. It says this about Jesus in theBible, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new hascome ( HYPERLINK "http://bible.gospelcom.net/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+5%3A17;&version=31;" 2 Corinthians 5:17 ). Now, thatsnot just a new environmentits a new you. Many of us actually divide our lifeinto the same two chapters that they divide human history intoB.C. and A.D.me before Christ and after. Its all the difference in the world.

Something happened when Jesus died on that cross that released Gods powerto overcome the sin that has scarred our life and to make us into what Godcreated us to be from the inside out. After all, if He can walk out His grave underHis own power, is there anything He cant do in your life?

Our website I think will be a spiritual encouragement to you. I invite you to gothere. Its ALifeThatMatters.org because God put you here to live a life thatmatters.

F.B. Meyers gives a wonderful assessment when he wrote, Such experiencescome to us all. We rush forward, thinking to carry all before us; we strike a fewblows in vain; we are staggered with disappointment and reel back; we are afraidat the first breath of human disapproval; we flee from the scenes of ourdiscomfiture to hide ourselves in chagrin. Then we are hidden in the secret ofGods presence from the pride of man. And there our vision clears; the silt dropsfrom the current of our life; our self-life dies down; our spirit drinks of the river ofGod, which is full of water; our faith begins to grasp His arm and to be thechannel for the manifestation of His power; and thus at last we emerge to be Hishand to lead an exodus. [F.B.Meyer. Lance Wubbels. ed. The Life of Moses.(Lynnwood, Washington: Emerald Books, 1996) p. 30}

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