Available – “Must Be Present To Win”
By D.J. Castilleja
The last few weeks we have been talking about the Church Family. It is our hopes that you will really grasp and take hold of this concept of church being more than a building, more than a place to go on a Sunday morning, but a loving, intimate family.
Last week we talked about the first part of church family. This first part is faith. It is our faith that unites together. It is what we all have in common. We could say that it is our faith that is the shared genes in the church family. We are a family because we all share the same faith in God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus.
And as a church family we all share in the raising of future generations of those who are full of faith. We struggle with other who share our faith, and we work to bring in and adopt others to our faith in Christ.
Today we are going to talk about the second part of church family, and that is availability.
We live in a very time sensitive society. Everything that we do is compared to the watch or clock. Someone once said, “Time is what we want but what we use the worst.” There is always something competing for our time. How do we choose what gets the privilege of our time? Who gets our priority?
What kind of things do you do with your time? Work? Play games? Go do your hobbies? How about spend time with your family? If you ask me spending time with your family is a great way to spend your time. What about your church family? Do you make time to spend with your church family? This last question isn’t as easy to answer. Even for me.
I would say to you that one of the biggest barriers to our faith, our growth, and even our church growth is being available for one another in the church family.
I will be honest with you. As a pastor. I will say that one of the difficult things for me is to make myself available to others. For example, one of our goals for the year was to have someone over for dinner and spend more time with others in our church.
If you are anything like me, your schedules get filled up pretty quickly and the spear time I do have I like to have for myself and Amanda. When things do come up suddenly, I confess that sometimes for a moment I have a sigh. “There goes my afternoon.” You know what that is like. But when it comes to family we make time. The same should be said for our church family.
I think the problem we often run into is when we start thinking of church, even Solid Rock Church, as just another thing we do. Or perhaps another organization, like the Chamber of Commerce, or a civic club. But when you got married, you didn’t say I commit my life to an activity or club. You committed to a person.
I mean think about it. If this is a family. What would happen if the father was never around? Some of you may have personal experiences with this. When the father is not around there is something that is missing. In fact, we might say that the father is neglecting the family. Wouldn’t that be true in any family?
When you commit to a church you are not committing to a charter but to people and relationships. I am not saying that church family should be a higher priority than your personal family, but it should be a priority, not a chore, or a duty.
It all comes to being available. You see when we are not available we will miss out. We must be present to win. What do I mean? We win when we are available to others to bless them, and we win when we are available to God. In order to bless others and be blessed we must be present. We must be present to win.
Why is it necessary to know, learn and make ourselves available? Why is making ourselves available so important? It is important because God has called each and everyone of us to build His kingdom and his church.
It doesn’t matter how skilled you are, what matters is how available you are.
Can you relate? I mean think of the struggles we face with being available. What keeps us from getting into the word of God every morning? What keeps us from attending a Lifegroup? What keeps us from making a simple phone call to our brother or friend who you know is going through a rough time? What keeps you from asking your neighbor over for a simple dinner?
I would say to you that our struggle is our availability.
Exodus 3:1-14
3:1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
This is verse is very significant. What was Moses doing here. He was shepherding a flock of sheep. It is important to know that this was a very lowly job. But it was a job that I think Moses was satisfied with. It was a humble, hot, smelly job, nothing that you would go home to your high school reunion and brag about. It was during this low part of his life that God appeared to Him.
Now this is why this is so important. What was Moses before he was a shepherd. He was a prince to the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was the king and ruler of all Egypt. It is for Pharaoh’s that the Great Pyramids were made. He is the prince. In the book of Acts (7:22) we learn and I quote: Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
Why didn’t God use Moses then? Moses had influence and persuasion even to the Egyptians. God did not use Moses when He was the most powerful or the most experienced, the most educated, or at the highest position in life. No, God waited until he was available.
Were there perhaps barriers to God’s plan if God would have chosen to use Moses while he was still a high prince of Egypt? Maybe he was too powerful to be useful I don’t know.
Let this be an encouragement to us lowly of humans. Moses saw more of God in the dusty, hot, dirty desert than he ever saw in the palaces of Pharaoh.
2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."
Moses says, Here I am. Moses is available.
5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
Do you want to know why this message is so important today? Here it is. There is a great need in the world. People are hurt. There are broken relationships, broken marriages, people starving. We have a world in need. God sees great need. God hears the prayers of those in need. He calls us to meet that need.
The only way that is possible is if we are available. We have to be present to win. You see we are not the only one who win. We get blessings as well as those we serve.
That is one of the great things about God. He lets us be a part of His plan. Make sure you catch that. God lets us be a part of His plan. Think about. If God wanted to, he could just set the Israelites free. God doesn’t need Moses, but chooses to use Moses.
Can you imagine this picture? God himself breaks on the chains of bondage of the Israelites and lets them go. Who gets the credit? I can tell you already that God has probably already done great miracles in each of our lives, yet perhaps we didn’t give him the credit. Instead, we say… “Oh look at the great luck I had today. I got a new job. Wow I must be a great person.” How many of us have attributed great circumstances to luck, fate, or our own credit.
Look what happens later with Moses. He goes to Pharaoh, says that “ the God of Israel says to let my people go. I can just see the jaws of the Israelites fall to the ground. “You man the God of Abraham said this? The God that we haven’t heard from for more than 400 years (keep in mind USA is about 230 years old). That God told you to let us go.
(Ex 5:2) Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go."
… and it takes a plague to change the mind of Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. No, it takes 10 plagues for the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. I mean God is showing up everywhere. God turns water into blood, makes frogs cover the land, makes gnats appear, then flies, then the livestock dies, then boils appear on the skin, then it hails.(very rare, just snowed for first time in Baghdad and Egypt is closer to equator), locustseat all the crops, there was darkness, then all the first born is killed.
Wow, finally after all this Pharaoh lets them go. No not so fast. The Israelites get a head start on their escape but God parts the Red Sea and finally stops them.
So we can see, even if God does show his glory upon the earth it doesn’t mean people will believe. Look at Jesus. Came to the earth, performed miracles, said I and the Father Our one. People still denied him.
So, therefore God, can and will use us to be his instruments here on earth. People are in need all over and God is going to use us, We have to be available to win. Isn’t that a prize you would like to win?. Working for God!
11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
Can you perhaps feel at this point that Moses feels a little inadequate. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? I don’t have the education. I don’t have the wealth.
Maybe you feel the same way as Moses in this instance. I am not equipped. I am not educated in Christian Ministry. I don’t feel like I am ready.
Many people feel like they can’t be in ministry. They say, “will I am no Billy Graham.” I would say to you that I am not a Billy Graham either, and neither is Mike. But what if that was our attitude. Because we are not the best at it, I am not even going to try.
Does a high school football player quarter back say I am not going to play football because I will never be a Brett Farve, A Tony Romo (I see that I stepped in sensitive territory there), or a Tom Brady. We wouldn’t have high school football.
It is our nature that says these things, and compares us to what we are not. That is Satan putting doubts in our heads. But here in the next verse we see what God says about that.
12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."
It is God who gives us power. Not you. I must say this is a struggle. I get almost a since of shame sometimes. Like D.J. you should be ashamed of yourself thinking YOU are going to do it on your own power.
It is the almighty, all powerful God who will give us power.
Do you know what the name Moses means? It means to “Draw Out.” I think we all have a part of Moses in us. Perhaps God will draw out of us what He needs from us?
“I will be with you.” That’s all I need to hear from a burning bush right? Not for Moses.
13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ’The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ’What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?"
14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ’I AM has sent me to you.’"
First thing we see in these verses is that Moses is seeking guidance from God. We can do this also.
Second, what about this name. I AM. Moses is asking… Who do I say is backing me. Pharaoh will surely not believe me. God simply says, I AM sent you.
In other words THE GOD sent you. Not pharaohs many little God’s but THE GOD. What else can God say. THE ETERNAL, THE ALL KNOWING and the EVER PRESENT GOD.
Pharaoh did not know this God, so it really didn’t matter who sent Moses. God would reveal himself.
But to the Isrelites
Who sends you? What we don’t need, what God doesn’t need are people with agendas. People who essentially say, “I am here for my own interest.” Because God has worked greatly in our lives, we say Lord I am Here. I am available. Use me to your will.
I don’t know about you, but that’s all I need to hear. I am with you.
The same God who called an available Moses from being a shepherd, later called the fisherman, who were disciples, to build his first church. And today, he calls us. If we are available.
You must be present to win.
Now how do we make this practical for you and me? How do we fight through the urge to procrastinate.
Some of you right now are thinking, I should invite Susie and Ray over for dinner. But that is as far as it goes. A simple wish or our list of things we would like to do.
Commit to making it more than that. Deliberately seek out to make new friends. Take the risk. Be the one to step out in faith and reach out to your neighbor and your brother and sisters in Christ.
To build a family we must work on our relationships. Relationships take work. Maybe this is something you can do right now.
So right now I am going to give you my 4 step plan to strengthening your relationships.
1.Take out a piece of paper. Write down a name of someone in your church family or a neighbor.
2.Get their phone number.
3.Get your calendar.
4.Call them and schedule a time to be together.
If need be do this with your wife and kids too.
Ok, I know this is a little silly, but to be really truthful it is not that easy. The hardest part of this whole subject is making the call. Make time to be with others. When you call someone and meet with them you are blessing them. In return you are blessed. Both of you win! But you must be available. You must be present to win.
Be available to one another.
This is a struggle that is very Western culture. Many other cultures, especially in Europe and the Middle East and in Asia. It is very different. They are intensely more social. We have become a culture that is very inhospitable to others. Family and communal time is a priority.
Here is our culture we are self oriented. Here in our culture we get sucked in to media. What’s on tv tonight. Wouldn’t you know that a reason that I have heard several times for missing out on our youth group is that they were missing their show on TV! Watching TV you don’t have to interact with anyone. Besides the trash that they show, the fact that you don’t have to socialize with anyone is the big down side. We are very self absorbed. I confess that this is a growth area for me.
Think about it how many of you are actually missing the T.V. shows right now because of the writer strike. All they are showing are reruns. Now would be a good time to put our plan in to effect.
Make a commitment to break out of that bondage.
As Christians and members of a church family it shows. We like to talk about how involved we want to be. We want to be closer to our church family, but it is not that easy we must be available. Or how close to God we want to be, but when it comes down to it we make ourselves unavailable… even to our Father in heaven.
How many times are we unavailable to be in devotion, or to pray or to go to a life group?
But: D.J. we just don’t have money to go out. Well… you don’t have to pay for it. Just simply say would you would like to go get a bite to eat… do you want to come along. Or just go and get some coffee and the starbucks or mochas and javas. Or invite someone over to watch a movie with a few snacks.
But: I am going to miss my favorite TV show? Record it, look it up online. Or just forget it all together.
It is important to really grasp this today. It is God doing a work in me. Not me doing a work for God. It is not about me. IT is about God. Trust God to be the source in your life. Trust God to give you the tools you need. Take the leap of faith and step out on to the unseen path. When we are available God will use us and bless us.
When we are blessed, when our neighbor is blessed, we win. When we are available we win. We must be present to win.
