Trusting God's Call Series

Trusting God’s Call

Exodus 3:1-12

- We’re continuing our study through the book of Exodus, and as we study, we’re asking the question, “What can I learn about honoring God from this passage?”

- Last week, we looked at trusting God’s timing.

- Moses was ready to deliver his people from the Egyptians, but it wasn’t yet God’s timing.

- Moses wouldn’t be back to deliver his people until 40 years later.

- But God used his time away from Egypt to teach him more about being a leader.

- When it comes to God’s timing, it’s important for us not to rush, not to give up, and not to lose faith.

- Today, we’re going to talk about trusting God’s call.

- Sometimes, it’s fun to look at how different countries do things differently.

- For example, when Americans answer the telephone, most of them simply say, "Hello."

- The response is a bit different in other countries.

- Germans answer a ringing phone with their last name.

- In Denmark, the Danes will answer with both their first and last names.

- Russians say, "I’m listening."

- The curious French say, "Hello, who’s on the line?"

- Italians greet callers with "Ready" upon which the caller demands, "Who's speaking?"

- The Spanish give the command, "Speak!"

- The Chinese proclaim, "Hey, hey, who are you?"

- Just as there are different ways of answering phone calls, there are also different ways to answering a call from God.

- Every follower of Christ has a calling in life.

- And it’s important for us to trust God’s calling because He always knows what’s best.

- So let’s look at three things this morning that are part of trusting God’s call.

I.) Listen for His call- Vs 1-6

- When I was a kid, there were 2 things I loved to play with my brother…cops and robbers, and GI Joe.

- I thought cops and soldiers were so awesome, and when I grew up, I was going to do both.

- Well, I did one of them, joining the military, but the other one, law enforcement, was part of my plan for when I finished my enlistment in the Army.

- Of course, in the back of my mind, there was a bit of hesitation, because like I said last week, I also felt a calling to be a pastor.

- Anyways, I went on several ride-alongs with local and state police…

- I even went with the Wardens.

- But the entire time, even though I thought it would be such a cool job, I couldn’t get rid of that hesitation.

- When Sherri and I got married, I started working as a bank teller, but still, there was a hesitation, knowing it wasn’t what I was supposed to do.

- Then one day, I received a message on Facebook from the Chief of Police in Baileyville.

- He said he was looking for a full-time police officer and because of my military background, he was wondering if I’d be interested in the job.

- I wasn’t looking for the job at the time, and I didn’t know the Police Chief well, so I thought, “Maybe this is from God. Maybe I’m supposed to be a cop.”

- And of course, some of those thoughts I had when I was a kid came to mind, such as “Cops are awesome! They get to put the blue lights on in the cruiser and pull people over, and drive fast, they carry a gun, and wear cool uniforms…”

- So there was part of me that was jumping up and down inside, and I was ready to say yes.

- But there was a problem…Sherri didn’t have a peace about it…

- And, even though I didn’t want to admit it, in the back of my mind, there was still hesitation…

- I didn’t have a peace about it.

- I met with the Chief, and asked a bunch of questions about the job, but then, God made it so abundantly clear to me that the answer was no…

- The call to become a pastor that I had suppressed in the back of my mind, it began to surface, and grow…

- And I knew God was saying no to the police job, because He had other plans.

- God was telling me it was time to start training for the ministry.

- In order for me to make the right decision, though, I had to be listening for God’s call…

- That’s where we find Moses in this passage…listening for God’s call…

- For 40 years now, he’s been perfectly content with being a shepherd and living in Midian.

- He’s 80 years old, and it’s very likely that he thought he would live out the rest of his days in Midian, watching over his flock of sheep.