Keystones Of God Moments Series

KEYSTONES OF GOD MOMENTS

EXODUS 12:1-16

INTRODUCTION:

THIS IS THE FINAL MESSAGE IN A SERIES WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING ENTITLED GOD MOMENTS. WHAT I HOPE HAS HAPPENED IS THAT YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT YOUR LIVES AND SEE THE WAY GOD HAS ACTED IN THEM TO CREATE SPECIAL MOMENTS BETWEEN YOU AND HIM. I KNOW I HAVE.

I HOPE WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE VARIOUS KEY POINTS IN DIAGNOSING GOD MOMENTS AND TO REALIZE THAT GOD MOMENTS CAN COME FROM BOTH POSITIVIE AND NEGATIVE SITUATIONS IN LIFE.

RECENTLY LESLIE AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFICIATE AT A WEDDING AT MY FORMER CHURCH IN TEMPERANCE VALE. WHILE THERE WAS NOTING SPECIAL ABOUT THIS, THE GRANDMOTHER OF THE BRIDE CERTAINLY CAN ATTEST TO A GOD-MOMENT OF VALUABLE ADVERSITY IN HER LIFE. SHE WAS VERY FAITHFUL IN LOOKING AFTER HER FIRST HUSBAND WHO HAD EMPHAZEMA BUT EVENTUALLY SHE WENT THROUGH THE ADVERSITY OF HAVING HIM PASS AWAY. AS I SAID THOUGH GOD WORKED POWERFULLY TO BRING A VERY NICE MAN INTO HER LIFE AND I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF OFFICIATING AT THEIR CEREMONY. NOW HERE IS THE TOTALLY AWESOME THING. SHE MET HER SECOND HUSBAND AT THE VISITATION OF THE FIRST. HOW’S THAT FOR A GOD MOMENT OF VALUABLE ADVERSITY.

TODAY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IN CONCLUSION TO THIS SERIES IS GO OVER A FEW THOUGHTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN DETERMINING IF YOUR SITUATION WAS TRULY A GOD MOMENT AND WILL ALLOW YOU TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.

POINT ONE: THE CONNECTION KEYSTONE

I’M SURE YOU’VE HEARD IT SAID THAT HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS 20-20. WELL THIS SAYING ISN’T ALWAYS TRUE. WHEN IT COMES TO GOD MOMENTS YOU MIGHT NOT SEE YOUR PAST CLEARLY, AND SOME REMARKABLE, EVEN MIRACULOUS GOD MOMENTS MAY SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A CONNECTION WITH THE EVENT TO TRULY REMEMBER THE GOD MOMENT OVER TIME.

WE ALL WANT TO KNOW THAT WE’VE CONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER, SOMETIMES IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS. THERE ARE TIMES OF CASUAL CONTACT WHEN WE MEET AND EXCHANGE GREETINGS, BUT NOT MUCH IS SHARED. BUT THERE ARE OTHER SIGNIFICANT TIMES OF SHARING WHERE WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THE PERSON WE ARE TALKING TO HAS HEARD US. WE LOOK FOR CLUES, BOTH VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL CLUES TO REASSURE US THAT THE PERSON WE’RE SHARING WITH HAS REALLY TAKEN IN WHAT WE’VE SHARED. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT AS A PASTOR WE HAVE HAD CLASSES IN DEVELOPING LISTENING SKILLS TO ASSIST US IN COUNSELLING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROVES THAT OUR BRAIN FILTERS MEMORIES, SOMETIMES CAUSING THEM TO BE INACCURATE. INTEREST, EMOTION, AND DISTORTION ALL CAN AFFECT OUR MEMORY. A TIME IN WHICH YOU FELT UNCONNECTED TO GOD IS ACTUALLY A TIME IN WHICH YOUR INTEREST OR EMOTION PREDISPOSED YOU TO SHUT YOUR EARS TO GOD REASSURING VOICE.

INTEREST AND EMOTIONS INFLUENCE WHAT THE BRAIN SIFTS OUT TO SAVE AND HOW IT WOULD SAVE IT. IF YOU DON’T TKINK THIS IS TRUE, AS A MAN WHAT THE SCORE OF THE HOCKEY GAME WAS LAST NIGHT. MOST OF THE MEN WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL YOU. NOW ASK THEM THEIR WIFE’S DRESS SIZE AND FAVORITE COLOR. IN MANY CASES IT’S A DIFFERENT STORY. WHILE WE DON’T WANT TO SAY IT, BUT IT’S TRUE, INTEREST IS A DETERMINING FACTOR IN WHAT WE REMEMBER.

THE SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS IN LIFE WE REMEMBER CAN ALSO BE DETERMINED BY OUR EMOTIONS. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD IT SAID “THAT HURT ME SO MUCH” “THAT MADE ME SO ANGRY” “HE WAS SO GOOD TO US” AND THEN RIGHT AFTER IT WOULD COME THESE WORDS “I’LL NEVER FORGET IT.” IT’S EMBEDDED IN OUR MEMORY.

DISTORTION IS ALSO A WAEPON THAT THE ENEMY WILL USE TO CONFUSE US ABOUT MOMENTS WITH GOD. MEDICAL STUDIES HAVE REVEALED THAT YOUR BRAIN WILL ACTUALLY DISTORT A MEMORY BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE. THUS YOU CAN UNCONSCIOUSLY, CHANGE A MEMORY’S SHAPE TO FIT A SHAPE ALREADY PRECONCEIVED BY YOUR EXPERIENCE OR ENVIRONMENT.

IF I WERE TO LINE UP TEN PEOPLE ON THE PLATFORM, AND THEN WHISPER A STORY TO THE FIRST, BY THE TIME IT GOT TO THE TENTH, THE STORY WOULD CHANGE. IT COULD CHANGE BECAUSE OF DETAILS THAT WERE OR WERE NOT REMEMBERED. IT COULD CHANGE BECAUSE OF CULTURE. STORIES WILL SOMETIMES BE DISTORTED TO ASSUME THE CULTURE OF THE PERSON TELLING IT. ALL THESE ARE TOOLS SATAN USES TO TRY TO KEEP US FROM SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS WITH GOD.

THE CONNECTION CORNERSTONE BASICALLY SAYS THAT A CONNECTION HAS TO BE MADE BETWEEN GOD AND YOU, AND GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE. ASK THE QUESTION: HOW HAS THIS SITUATION EFFECTED GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE? REMEMBER A GOD MOMENT IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER WAYS THAT GOD IS LOOKING AFTER US IN THAT IT WILL HAVE A LIFE-LONG IMPACT TO OUR LIVES.