Sunday Message: Moses' Faith, Part 3

It was the late. Aw, Tozer who said these words,

it is doubtful. Whether God can bless the man

greatly until he. First of all, hurts him deeply.

You see it to you again, it is doubtful whether or not God, can

bless the man greatly until he first of all hurts him deeply.

Why is that? Is that true?

Well. It is true.

Because Jesus is is all you need, but Jesus is never.

All you need until Jesus is all you got.

See, we got everything else. We have our income, we have our

family. We have our job.

We have our cars. We have our health, we have our

talent, we have her education, who needs Jesus.

We got everything else that we need, but the problem is, Jesus

is really all you need. Until you realize that, You are

far from walking. Intimately, with our Lord.

Man, by nature is autonomous. He's independent.

He's self-sufficient. He is in control, he is

self-reliant, he wants to be in control of his world.

And so by Nature. He goes that direction.

Only to realize that is not. That God is in charge of

everything. He needs the Lord, he needs to

depend upon the Lord for everything.

So God sets out. To erase your independence from

him. To establish your dependence

upon him. That's what God does when he

takes you through the desert. He wants you totally dependent

upon him for everything. After all the Lord said in John

15, without me ye can do. Some things all things you can't

do anything. Without the Lord.

We think we can. We think we can raise our

children without the Lord. We think we can have a good

marriage without the Lord. We think we can preach a sermon

without the Lord. We think we can do everything

that we do without the Lord. Because we're talented were

eloquent. We are gifted.

We are well educated. This is not true.

It might be true, your well-educated might be true,

you're talented and gifted, but you need the Lord in everything.

You see spiritual growth has is like a coin, right?

There's two sides to a coin. There's a human side and the

Divine side. so when you look at spiritual growth, look at it

from The Human Side, and it primarily deals with scripture,

right, we're to grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord

and Savior, Jesus Christ, second Peter 3, verse number 18, The

Bible tells us in second Timothy chapter 3, that that God's word

2 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

is inspired right? And therefore because it is, it

is that one thing that is profitable for man to equip him

to do everything he needs to do. so from The Human Side in order

for us to grow spiritually, We need the scripture and the

spirit of God uses the word of God in our lives.

To grow us in our walk with the Lord.

But the flip side of the coin is the Divine side.

And from God's perspective, it's not the Scripture its suffering,

that's the Divine side. And he's in charge of the

suffering. You're in charge for lack of a

better, phrase of the scripture, and reading and studying and

memorizing, and applying that scripture to your life by the

Divine side. God uses suffering to perfect

the soul. Remember Psalm 119 verse number

67 before I was afflicted. I went astray.

But now I keep your word. Before I was afflicted, I did

whatever I wanted to do. I did life my way.

But now, because I've been Afflicted.

Now I keep your word. It will be great if we were

committed to the scriptures and we were so committed to them

that every day we'd read them and memorize them and apply

them, but we just don't. So God uses suffering.

He uses Affliction, he uses distress, he uses for lack of a

better phrase, the desert to drive us to his word.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray but now, now I keep your

word. What's next verse?

You are good and do us. Good.

Psalmist, only knew of the goodness of God after his

affliction. Because then he was able to

understand the word of God and then he was able to stand that

God himself. It says, in verse number 71, it

is good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn

your statutes. It's almost makes it very clear

that there's something about Affliction that teaches me the

statutes of God. That without the Affliction, I

would not learn the lessons. I need to learn God knows what

you need the best. So on a date of your toes are

says that it is doubtful whether or not God can bless them and

greatly until he's first of all hurt him deeply he is so right

on. Every man, scripture.

Was hurt, significantly. That God might use him greatly.

Every man for lack of a better phrase was broken.

Their self will was shattered. Their independence from God.

Was broken to a point where they learn to be dependent upon God.

So God could use them mightily. For his glory.

And for his purpose, Years ago, many years ago.

I did a series maybe some of the of you remember it.

Tom, you might remember this. It was called invitation to

intimacy. You're not serious.

A long, long time ago, at least 20 years ago, maybe 25 years

ago. I don't know, invitation to

intimacy. We wanted to invite people to

walk in an intimate relationship with the Living God.

And so we told them, it begins with the Divine inheritance, you

want to walk into intimate with God, it begins with a Divine

inheritance. Paul said, it this way, in

Ephesians chapter 1 verse number 11, because we've been redeemed,

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

we have obtained, an inheritance having been predestined.

According to his purpose, who works all things.

After the counsel of his will to the end that we who were the

first to Hope in Christ. Would be to the praise of his

glory. Paul says, we've been redeemed

because we have been predetermined to be partakers of

a Divine inheritance. Peter would say this way in

First Peter, chapter 1 verse number 3, blessed, be the God

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

and father of our Lord, Jesus Christ who according to his,

great Mercy. Has caused us to be born again

to a Living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

from the dead in order to obtain an inheritance which is

imperishable and undefiled, and will not fade away.

Reserved in heaven for you. To walk in intimacy with God, it

begins with a Divine inheritance.

But it's also number two, balanced by a disciplined

obedience. It's balanced by a disciplined

obedience because I had been redeemed.

I now have a responsibility to live in obedience to my God.

And so there is this desire I have as Paul would say that

bodily exercise profits little but godliness is profitable for

all things. Therefore discipline, yourself

unto godliness. First of the four seven and

eight. First Corinthians 9, Paul was

his I beat my body into subjection.

I discipline myself, lest I be disqualified from the ministry.

Paul knew about discipline. So he would reiterate it over

and over again in his Epistles about discipline, your life unto

godliness. So that which begins with the

Divine inheritance, is now balanced with a disciplined

obedience. And that which is balanced with

a disciplined obedience. Is beautified in a daily

silence. It's beautified in a daily

silence, be still and know that I am God.

Isaiah 30 says this in silence. And in trust, shall be your

strength. How many times did the psalmist?

Say, I wait silently for the Lord.

Silence is such a major part of walking and intimacy with our

God, it's like a marriage, right?

When is the marriage beautified? It's not beautified amidst, the

hubbub of activity with family and friends, and all kinds of

social activities. No, it's beautified in the

silence, Mom and Dad husband, and wife together in silence

cultivating. The relationship, when there are

no distractions around you, it's just you and your wife, are you,

and your husband? So that which begins with the

Divine inheritance is balanced with a discipline.

Nope. The ants and as beautified in a

daily silence. but, That intimacy is always battled with

a diabolical vengeance. Satan does not want you to walk

intimately with the Lord. So he is going to attack attack

attack all the time. He goes about like a roaring

lion seeking whom he may devour, right?

And so we need to resist him steadfast in the faith.

We need to Shield ourselves with the armor of God, so because

he's going to attack us, we must arm ourselves with the armor of

God if he's in 6 10 to 18 realizing that Satan does all he

can. To keep us from walking.

Intimately, with the Living God. The invitation to intimacy.

It is a invitation that's extended to man.

To walk with our Lord. It begins with the Divine

inheritance, it's balanced with a disciplined obedience.

It's beautified in a daily silence its battle with a

diabolical vengeance. Ah, but it blossoms in a desert

experience. That's where blossoms.

In a desert experience. Listen to the words of Peter.

As he concludes his first epistle.

Writing to Jews who had experience the ultimate desert.

All kinds of distressed and affliction, all kinds of

persecution and hardship Nero had had given all of his efforts

to persecute the Christians and they were being killed and

destroyed on a daily basis. and so, Peter in his epistle, And we

did a series on Peter and we entitled it, hope for those who

hurt. Because there was no one hurting

more than the Jews that were scattered abroad.

Then these Jews were, and they needed hope, and Peter gives

them hope. In the end.

First 10 for p25 says these words after you have suffered

for a while. In other words, your suffering

is inevitable. It's going to happen. and after

you've suffered for, A little while, the God of all Grace.

The personal Ministry of our God is to extend Grace, to all those

who suffer. So the God of all Grace is going

to do something that will cause your life to Blossom as it's

never bloomed before. By saying this. the God of all

Grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will

himself, perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you So

after you've suffered for a little while, God is going to

perfect you, he's going to supply all that you need.

There's something lacking in the word.

Perfect is a word used in two different ways of scripture, The

Mending of Nets, right? Or the many together of broken

bones, putting them back together again, putting Nets

back together again after you suffered for a little while.

God is going to put you back together.

Again he's going to let you go through difficulties in the

hardships and and and tie the Nets together.

Mend the broken bones, put them back together so that you can be

one. and then, he's going to Confirm, you other words.

It's a phrase that's used in ancient literature to speak of

making one solid as Granite immovable.

You'll emerge tougher than you've ever been before stronger

than you've ever been before after you've suffered for a

while. He'll perfect.

You he will confirm you. He will strengthen you.

He will fill you with his strength.

God wants to fill you with his strength but we're so busy

trying to exude Our Own Strength that we had no time to rely upon

God to fill us with his strength.

We want to show everybody how strong we are.

Instead of God infusion us with his strength. but after you've

been broken, After you've been desolate.

After you're on your own, with no one to hold on to accept the

Lord, will fill you with his strength.

And then he'll establish you. He'll settle you, he'll lay a

foundation. The foundation is laid and

established to the point where it's in unshakable and

immovable. But happens after you've

suffered for a little while. There's some of you might be

here today and say, well, you know, I've gone through

suffering and I've gone through persecution and I've gone

through hardship and I've gone through distress, whether it be

emotional relational financial and all those kind of things.

But no, that's happened to me. I'm not confirmed, I'm not

perfected. I'm not strengthened, I don't

see anything being supplied in my life.

Well, there's an answer for that.

He tells you up in verse number 5.

God is opposed to the proud. But he gives Grace.

To the humble. God of all Grace will do this.

But he opposes the proud. But it is give Grace.

To the humble. so, in the process of your desert

experience, Instead of relinquishing yourself and

relinquishing your pride and relinquishing all that.

You think you are to the Lord and throwing yourself on his

grace and his Mercy, you are still kicking and screaming and

fighting and becoming bitter because of your situation and

your circumstance and you don't understand why and you get so

upset and you get so frustrated. Because your pride.

So God does not bestow his grace.

On the prideful, but only on the humble.

A need to humble yourself before the true and living God.

All that plays itself out in the life of Moses.

It's all right there. and you know, as you go through Hebrews

11, I could spend years on each character taking you back to

Genesis and exodus explaining all these people to you, taking

you back to Joshua and judges and letting you see the

character of these people develop before you we could do

that. But that would take us forever

to get through Hebrews. Right?

And we're not Jewish people Jewish.

People would know the historical background of all those

characters inside and out, right?

Even know them. We don't But every once in a

while, we take a brief moment to help you fill in the blanks.

She can begin to understand what it means to walk by faith and

not by sight. To believe.

Absolutely. What God has said.

And behave accordingly to all that.

God has said, And Moses and Abraham are written about more

than anybody else in Hebrews 11. And we know that that Moses

would prefer the imperishable. We know that he would perceive

the invisible because it says that he endured as seeing him

who is unseen. He was 11.

We know that he would forsake their treasures and Riches of

Egypt that he might hinder her Affliction with the people of

God. So you prefer the imperishable,

he perceived the invisible, and we know through the book of

Exodus that he he performed the impossible.

But the only way he could perform the impossible was that

he had to pass through the invaluable.

And that was on the backside of the desert in Midian. now, the

writer of Hebrews doesn't tell us about that, but the book of

Exodus does In the Jewish audience would know about Moses

because they knew that Moses was Israel's greatest leader.

But what made Moses Israel's greatest leader?

Because you see Moses in and of himself could not convince the

Hebrew people that he was their deliverer.

Although he tried always so desperately, tried he killed an

Egyptian, we saw in Exodus chapter 2 because in Egyptian

Exodus 2 · chapter mention

head had mistreated one of his one of his Hebrew people.

So he killed them to show his power, his strength, his

athleticism, that people will sit back and say, whoa, man, the

man is strong. Look at that guy, maybe he will

be our deliver. No didn't respond.

And then the very next day, there were two Brethren to

Hebrew people. Who are arguing?

He broke up the fight so he can show them that.

He was a peacemaker. But they said, what are you

gonna do? Kill one of us to, they weren't

ready to accept him as their leader.

But he was doing all he can to prove to them.

Hey I'm your guy man. Look at me.

I can do these kind of things. Follow me but nobody wanted to

follow. Although he was.

Well educated, and he was a very educated, man.

Very intelligent man. Very wise man.

Moses was Acts tells us that he was mighty and deeds in mighty

words. He could speak.

He was able to perform great acts of wonder.

Great guy. Magnificent man.

You see him very self-confident. You see him very independent.

You seem very self-reliant. You see him in control, right?

All the things that we would say well this guy can lead this

guy's a man. This guy's a man's man.

This is the guy we need to have lead us.

But nobody was following. So, by faith.

That is he believed what God Said.

He fled to Midian. He fled to Midian. interesting

that in the book of Exodus, It says he's words.

Verse 16, Exodus ship to another priest of Midian had seven

daughters and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to

water their fathers flock. Then the shepherd's came and

drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered

their flock. Wow, imagine the scene Seven

women, because, He only had seven daughters and they went to

to draw water for the Sheep, but other Shepherd's came and moved

them out a way out of the way in Moses sees that.

So what does Moses do? He does what?

He's been educated to do, he does what he's been trained to

do, he warns them off, he defends the women, and we would

applaud that and rightly. So, he did the right thing.

But, even in that, he was showing that he didn't need God.

He just needed to do what he could do himself.

And so he moved them all away and the women like me.

Who, look at this guy, man. Look at Moses muscles.

Take a whole bunch other Dad. Look at this.

When they came to her Elder, father, he said, why have you

come back so soon? They said, in Egyptian delivered

us from the hand of the Shepherds and what is more?

He even drew the water for us and one of the flock.

Wow, dad, you should have been there.

This guy was incredible. He went in and took a staffing.

Well, what about that map? Move them all the way and then

he filled the trauma often. Why did sheep?

So the father says, as any good father would too, he said well

where is he then? Where is he then why is it that

you have left The Man Behind invite and to have something to

eat? Go get the guy, ask him if he

wants to stay forever, just go get them.

Moses was willing to dwell with the man.

And he gave his daughter zipporah to Moses that she gave

birth to a son. He named him gershom and he said

I had been a Sojourner in a foreign land.

Next scene is. 40 years later. At Mount, Horeb Mount Sinai.

Would God would appear to Moses in the burning bush.

So you have a man, Moses. Hoofer the better part of 80

years. Saw himself as the man.

But had to come to a place to realize.

They needed God. She never read about Moses and

prayer. Never read about Moses, walking

and intimacy with God Walking with God, the cool of the day

and fellowshipping with his God, you never see those things in

Moses, his life. Description doesn't record those

things. We know by faith, we knew what

God Said, and God have to speak to him and move him.

And so he knew that, but we never saw Moses of the men of

prayer and prayer is that one element that shows us our

dependence upon God, right? Show me how long you pray and

I'll show you how dependent you are up on.

God, show me how little you pray.

And I'll show you how much you depend upon your own education,

your own skill, your own Financial, well, being your own

person Hood. So simple as that.

So, here's Moses. Never really spent time in

prayer. He was one who was never.

Said of one who sought after God or waited on God.

He used human logic human wisdom.

And Riley, so he was gifted that way.

He used the fact that he was an educated man who knew what to do

all those things. But none of that qualified him

to be God's man. The qualified him to be

pharaohs, man. That qualified him to lead in

Egypt. But in qualifying, the lead in

God's Kingdom. Because God has a different set

of Standards than the world does. and so, while he Had been

to the school of, man. By faith, God led him to Midian

a dry desert Place. Modern-day Saudi Arabia because

although he was educated in the school of man, He now had to be

educated in the school of God. In the school of God, there's

only one professor. It's God himself.

And the classroom is not air conditioned or done remotely so

you can sit at home on your bed and do the schooling.

No, the classroom is the backside of a desert?

When you graduate. You graduate with a PhD in the

ways of God. That was Moses.

He would graduate with the PHD in in the ways of God.

When you come to Exodus chapter 3, you can already see a

Exodus 3 · chapter mention

difference in Moses. It says, in chapter 3 verse

number 11, Moses said to God, who am I?

That I should go to pharaoh and that I should bring the sons of

Israel out of Egypt. Who am I?

Well, 40 years earlier he was trying to convince him that he

was the god. And then in verse number 1 of

chapter 4, Moses said, what if they will not believe me or

listen to to what I say for? They may say the Lord has not

appeared to you. You can't reason with these

Jewish people, you can't sit down with them and have a

conversation with them. I tried that it doesn't work

verse 10 of chapter 4. Then Moses said to the Lord,

please Lord, I have never been eloquent neither recently, nor

in time past nor since you have spoken to your servant for I am

slow of speech and slow. Of ton, we're 40 years earlier.

He was very verbose, he would speak all kinds of things

because he was eloquent and words, he would try to reason

with everybody, talk them into following him, but now, 40 years

later, Can't speak so much. I'm slow of speech.

What can I say? What do I say?

How do I say it? Different kind of, man. and

then, In Exodus chapter 14. When they have been released.

Exodus 14 · chapter mention

From Egyptian bondage, listen to the words of Moses to show you

the difference of how this man is at the age of 80.

That he was at the age of 40. Verse 10 of chapter 14 and

Pharaoh Drew near the sons of Israel looked and behold the

Egyptians were marching after them and they became very

frightened. So the sons of Israel, cried out

to the Lord, then they said to Moses, is it?

Because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us

away to die in the wilderness. Why have you dealt with us, in

this way, bringing us out of Egypt is this?

Not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt saying leave.

Us alone that we may serve the Egyptians for it would have been

better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the

wilderness. Hmm, so what do you do?

Moses said to the people did not fear stand by, and see the

salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today

for the Egyptians. Whom you have seen today, you

will never see them again forever.

The Lord will fight for you while you keep Silence, the

Great. Moses learned.

Psalm 103 thousands. First number 7, mark it down.

He made known his ways to Moses. His acts to the children of

Israel. He made known his ways to Moses

his acts to the children of Israel.

Moses knew the ways of God. But the children of Israel did

not know the ways of God. They could see the acts of God.

They could watch God from a distance.

But they did not know the ways of God.

That's why the psalmist would say these words.

Or put it this way. Exodus 33 Moses said this.

I pray you Lord. If I have found favor in your

sight let me know your ways that I may know you.

You don't know God, unless, you know the ways of God.

And so Moses is cry. Was Lord.

Show me your ways. Teach me your ways.

So you go to the Psalms. And it says, in in Psalm 25

verse, number four, make me know your ways O.

Lord, teach me your paths, Lead Me In Your Truth and teach me

for you are the god of my salvation for you.

I wait all the day but it's all dependent upon the ways of God.

And then it says in verse number nine, he leaves the humble and

Justice. He teaches the humble his way,

he doesn't teach the Arrogant as way he teaches the humble his

way. Doesn't the Book of Numbers.

Tell us that Moses was the meekest man on the face of the

Earth. He made known his ways to Moses.

But the children of Israel. Could only watch the acts of God

from a distance. And then, it says over in Psalm

27. Teach me your way O Lord and

Lead Me in a smooth or level path because of my foes again,

the song was Christ, Lord, teach me your ways, Psalm 86.

So many 6 verse, number 11, teach me your way O Lord I will

walk in your truth unite My Heart To Fear your name and I

will give thanks to You O Lord my God with all my heart and

will glorify your name forever. Who was the guy that glorifies

it? The name of God forever.

He's the guy who give thanks to God in his heart.

Who's the guy who gives thanks to God in his heart, the guy

whose heart has United to fear the lord.

And who is the guy whose heart is United to fear?

The lord? It's the guy who says, Lord

teach me your ways. I want to know, you're with my

ways are irrelevant. My family's waves are

irrelevant. Lord, your ways are relevant

your ways. Your ways are the only thing

that makes a difference. Teach me.

Your ways. Psalm 95.

Listen to this. God says for 40 years, I

loathed. That Generation The Generation

that came out of Egypt. I load them and said they are a

people who are in their heart. Why do they are in the heart?

Here it is. Ready.

And they do not know my ways. Therefore, I sworn my anger,

truly, they shall not enter my rest.

Wow, how about you? You know, the ways of God.

What did Jesus say? I am.

The way. And the truth.

I am the life but he says, I am. The way.

I'm the only way. In other words, it's my way or

the hell way, there is no other way on the way.

And you got to cry for me to know the way.

Like Moses did. And God brought Moses to a place

in his life where he would depend upon God for everything.

No longer was he self-reliant no longer was.

He self-confident? All of us confidence was in God.

All of us dependence was upon God.

No longer. Was he an independent thinker?

No longer. Was he an arrogant individual

knows all about Lord? What do I do now?

Lord, teach me your ways. Lord, if your present does not

go with us, we are not leaving from this place because we need

you, we're not going anywhere unless you go before us.

Lord, we need you. So, when the psalmist says, he

may notice ways to Moses. But his acts to the children of

Israel. Moses would walk.

In intimacy with his God. Because he the path through

that, which is invaluable. Because it is doubtful.

Whether God can bless the man greatly.

Until he is. First of all hurt him deeply.

Let me pray with you. Father, we thank you for this

day. We thank you for the time as

brief as it is that we could spend a new word.

But we are grateful for the reminder.

The man, Moses. Who learned the ways of God?

May we be those kind of people Lord.

You have said that you are the way.

You are the only way there is no other way.

You are that way. And father we want to know your

ways. We want to know you.

We don't want to air in our hearts.

We don't want you to loathe this generation.

We want you to love this generation.

So, we're asking. That you would do a mighty work

in all of our lives. Draw us closer to you, Lord.

Stop at nothing. To make us the people you want

us to be. That we might totally Rely Upon

Our God for everything. Erase our independence from you.

Establish our dependence upon you.

And we will give you glory. until you come again, as you

most surely will in Jesus name, amen.