It’s easy to believe God is always with us when our life is going well. But, what about when life seems to be throwing us curve balls left and right? What about when we have stress from all sides? What about when we don’t feel confident moving forward? Good morning church. How many of you today have experienced God’s grace in your life this week? Are you thankful for it? The reality of life is that we will not always find it easy to sense God’s goodness. In fact, sometimes we have trouble remembering just how good and gracious God really is. We all encounter seasons like this from time to time. This morning we’ll get a reminder on what God’s grace is. The Bible makes it clear – if you are a follower of Jesus, you are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, God’s grace is clearly important. In fact, God uses His grace to strengthen and refine our faith, often through the fires and trials of life.
Read 1 Peter 1:6-7 The Message
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Our faith, Peter asserts, is even more valuable than gold. It is a precious commodity that is worth the struggles and trials of life. Through those struggles, we learn God is faithful and that His immeasurable grace is with us at all times. I want us to jump in this morning, looking at a somewhat familiar story from the Old Testament. Many of us have heard about a guy named Moses. He’s celebrated in many Christian settings like ours and rightfully so. However, toward the beginning of his time hearing from God, he had an experience that deepened his understanding of God’s grace. Specifically, he discovered how God’s grace is often showcased through God’s presence with his people.
Read Exodus 4:1-12
Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?” 2 Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. 3 The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 “This,” said the LORD, “is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.” 6 Then the LORD said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous [a] —it had become as white as snow. 7 “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. 8 Then the LORD said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. 9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.” 10 Moses said to the LORD, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” 11 The LORD said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
What a story, right? God was faithful enough to go with Moses everywhere he went, which allowed him to eventually accomplish incredible things for the Lord. But it didn’t come without the refining events like we read about in Exodus 4. God’s grace is with us even when we have questions. It is so interesting the first thing we see in this passage is a consistent question that Moses asks God: “What if?” Do we ever ask that question of God? Oftentimes in life, we can look back on decisions we chose to make or not make and ask “what if?” It’s sometimes easier to dwell in the “what if.” But, this “what if” from Moses is a little different. This question to God comes from a place of doubt not just intellectual questioning. Doubt is something we will get more in depth later on in this series, but we have to be aware of the questions we have for God, many of which originate from a place of doubt.
Mark 9:24…
..Jesus encounters a boy who was demon possessed.
Demon possession was often a diagnosis when they had no other diagnosis. More than likely the boy had a form of epilepsy and suffered from a seizure disorder. He speaks to the boy’s father, who eventually says these amazing words: “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Is it possible to have faith and doubt? This man did. And I have as well. I believe God can do it, my questioning has to do with WILL He do it. It seems to be that God is alright with our questions. Doubt will slip in from time to time into our lives. God desires we trust that He is all powerful and we can trust Him to be with us even when we have questions.
Another great example of this is when the angel Gabriel visits Mary the mother of Jesus. After telling her she will give birth to Jesus, Mary says, “How can this be?” She had doubts, she couldn’t grasp how this amazing miracle of life would happen through her. But eventually, she spoke by faith and proclaimed, “I am the Lord’s servant…May it happen to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
How often do you bring your questions to God? Through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, God has made a way for us to connect with Him through prayer. We can tell Him what is on our heart anytime, anywhere, including the questions we have for Him. He’s big enough to handle each of them, showing us grace through every step and process. Even When We Don’t Believe with certainty. One of the most beautiful signs of God’s grace is that He’s willing to reveal Himself to us through an almost unlimited variety of ways and means. God is willing to show up in miraculous ways in order to get us to the place we need to be. Even when we don’t fully believe, God’s grace still shows up.
Moses’ initial inquiry toward God has to do with the Israelite people. They were doubting that God ever appeared to Moses in the first place. So, the Lord provides two different miraculous signs for Moses to perform. These signs prove God is indeed with the people in this journey and that Moses is an able messenger. And maybe today, God brought you to this place specifically to hear these words spoken over your life as well. God not only is with you, but He is gracious enough to reveal His faithfulness time and time again. Each one of us is on a different journey, and along the way, we often struggle to believe God is present and working in the midst of our struggles and trials. It’s a human tendency and condition. But when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, things begin to change.
Read Romans 8:14 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
When we begin to talk with God about our questions and doubts, we start to understand how our faith will be strengthened by believing God is for us. He is listening to us and aware of our questions. He is for us and with us. Moses sees God work two miraculous signs, both of which he is told to do; even if the people don’t believe his message. But prior to the people even seeing them, God strengthens Moses’ faith through these signs. I wonder if God has been working miracles in your life and your story that no one even knows about yet. Things that no one else has ever seen. Holding on to what God does for us in private can make us stronger. But even when we don’t understand what He is doing, God is showing us He’s with us, and this is a massive gift of grace to us. Even When We Don’t Know What to Say… and there are many times it is difficult to explain to others how God speaks and what we believe He is speaking to us.
Read Luke 12:12
… for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
God’s timing is perfect! When we most need the words, God will give us the words we need. Our Exodus 4 passage concludes with these profound words from God to Moses: “Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” That’s the call from God today. To go and share the good news of Jesus with others.
Who is He inviting you to go to this week? Who do you need to speak to this week? Have you been reluctant to have certain crucial conversations because you fear you won’t have the right words to say? Do you fear that you don’t have enough training or any training at all? It’s in these very moments we see the grace of God in our lives. We realize He is with us, has been with us, and will continue to be with us always… until the very end of time.
Today, we got a glimpse into the early life, and the growing faith of Moses. Yes, the same man who had doubts, who was frightened, and who couldn’t grasp how God would use him or could use him… this is the same Moses listed in the “hall of faith” found in Hebrews 11.
Read Hebrews 11:24-28 Hebrews 11:24-28 NIV By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. I can only imagine if Moses were here today. I imagine he would say it was only by the grace of God that he was able to accomplish the things he did in his life. And yes, Moses was an amazing human, but he was still just a human. The same kind of human you and I are. He was a broken, fallible, human who was saved by the grace of God. If you have doubts, questions, or fear here today, then I think you’re in good company. Give them all over to God today. Trust that He is for you and with you and he wants you to communicate with him and He with you. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… it is the gift of God.” -Ephesians 2:8
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The link to this past Sundays sermon is below
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsCommunityChurchOrlando/videos/3529500390638411