LIFE IF MOSES

 

Five Lessons From the Life of Moses - Ex 3:10-11 - May 27, 2007

 

Intro:  Today we are going to learn five lessons from the life of Moses when applied will positively impact our lives.  This message helps emphasize the material I supplied to you this morning on the Book ok of Exodus. 

 

1.  The first lesson we learn is, a life won to God can bring a change to society.  Moses

      when he became totally won over to God changed a society and liberated a

      people.  Talk about his interceding for Israel for 40 days and Wilberforce.

 

2.  The second lesson is, God wants to help His people by setting them free from

      bondage.  Bondage can come in many forms.  Some are obvious, such as

      addictions, substance abuse and acting out.  Some are secret and subtle.  Fear,

      gossip, anger, control, manipulation, lying and envy.  Bondage is slavery and God

      wants to set you free.  The greatest news for anyone in bondage is knowing that

      you can be set free.  Quote, 1 Cor 10:13

 

a.  Moses was Israel's deliverer.  Jesus is ours.  John 8:36, says that who the Son sets

     free is free indeed.  Paul in his letters talks about a freedom that can only be found in

     Christ.

b.  If you are in bondage today to anything, whether physical, spiritual, mental or

     emotional come to Jesus today and He will set you free.

 

3.  God has laws and precepts He wants to give us.  God wants to introduce the law

     of love.  Matt 22:37-40

 

a.  He wants to introduce the law and power of grace and mercy.  John 3:16

b.  He wants to give you the law of forgiveness. 

c.  He wants to give the law of peace and contentment.  In John 14:27, Jesus promises

     to give peace and leave peace with us.  Paul wrote in Rom 16:20, that the God of

     peace will crush Satan.  In Rom 14:17, we learn that the Kingdom of God is all about

     righteousness peace and joy.  This is a law God wants to give us.  He also wants to

     give the same ability and reality.  Paul has in Phil 4:11 where he stated that whatever

     state he found himself he had learned to be content.

 

4.  The fourth lesson we learn is that God will provide a sacrifice,  The lamb was the

      sacrifice provided at the passover.  God in His grace and mercy allowed a substitute

      for sin.  In the Old Testament the writer of Hebrews says it was the blood of animals.

 

a. In  the New Testament, God provided a more perfect sacrifice.  Jesus Christ became

    our all sufficient, one time sacrifice and substitute for sin. 

b.  The reality church is that we could not save ourselves, by words, deeds throughts or

     attitudes of goodness.  Isaiah stated in Is 64:6, that our righteousness is as filthy

     rags.  We needed help and Jesus is God's answer.

c.  God has provided the way and all we have to do is accept it.  The problem for most is

     the idea of help.  Pride is man's downfall that is why there are so many religions. 

     They come out of man's desire to work out his own salvation and way to heaven.    

d.  Jesus' body was broken for our iniquity and sin.  Jesus' body was shed for the

     removal of our sin.  Talk about St. Patrick in the bowels of the slave ship.

 

5.  The last lesson we learn this morning is failure can be turned into success by God.

 

a.  Moses tried to create change when he was 40 by killing an Egyptian taskmaster.  It

     resulted in his fleeing Egypt for the back side of the desert.  He spent 40 years in the

     desert loosing his delusions of grandeur and self inportance. 

b.  When God called he was a different man.  It is amazing how failure, lack of success

     or being put on the shelf can change you if you let it work its full work.  These things

     can make you bitter or better  In Moses case it did.  Same with the Apostle Paul, he

     spent 14 years in obscurity before Barnabus came to get him to work in Antioch.

     In Moses' case and Paul's these experiences molded them in powerful men of God.

c.  If you have failed remember the story is not over.  God can change your failure into

     success.  Edison tried over 800 times to invent the light bulb.  Henry Ford has many

     failures before he perfected his automobile.  Colonel Saunders failed in business

     multitudes of times and did not start his Kentucky Fried Chicken Business until he

     after 65.  Close with my sabbatical and the lessons I learned.

 

I.  That success will burn you out and make you are hard person to live with.  Your     

    priorities will be wrong.  Your health, family and relationships will suffer.  I

    reconnected with my family.

II.  That you should beleive the best but don't be surprised by the worst in people.  The

     church is full of people and all are capable of good and bad.

III. Failure will come and don't let it make you bitter but better.  I went from every body

    wanting me to no one seeming to care.

IV. Call out to God and He will come and minister to you. Jesus in the garden was

     ministered to by an angel.  My devotional life improved.  I learned in those months

     my relationship with God was more important to Him that anything I did for Him.

V.  I learned that my wife was wonderfully gracious. 

VI. I learned that if I don`t learn my lesson the first time I will repeat it and that is

     something I really don`t want too.