INTRODUCTION
• There is nothing more important than worship.
• All God does begins with worship, not activity.
• It is deep relationship with God.
• It is allowing God to dig into us at the deepest levels and transform us.
I. REPOSITIONING FOR RELEASE
• The story of Mt. Horeb (Mt Sinai) and the burning bush.
Exodus 3:3,5,10-11, “When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5Then He said,…I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”
• Last week we opened this up…”Who am I?”
• That is the big question, and here is the answer: Only God knows.
• Who you really are and who you were created to be.
• Before life and sin marred you and me.
• Transformation is God restoring us to who we were intended to be.
• Worship releases our destiny. God is getting to that in Moses in this event.
• There is a freeing, a releasing that begins to take place.
• God is declaring your life is given for more than just you, for others.
• He frees us to free others.
• Worship has to do with relationship between God and man.
• God’s terms of worship is our surrendering to Him and His person.
• There are 4 things that God requires of Moses; that begin his transformation.
• It is the stripping back of our props, our façade, the things that keep us from Him.
• Moses had plenty. He had lost the chance of a lifetime; to be Pharaoh.
II. 4 STEPS BACK TO REALITY
1st – Chapter 3:5 - The first thing God does to remake Moses is very uncomfortable.
• He intentionally makes him vulnerable.
• “Take off your shoes” - this isn’t about the ground here.
• Take off your shoes. Saying we’re gonna deal on my terms. You are going to be uncomfortable.
• He is on the side of a mountain, standing on rocks.
• But this is about foundations. What do you live out of? Man’s undergirding or God’s?
• Human confidence is great but it cannot accomplish the kingdom of God.
Only standing on Him…Matthew 7:24, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
• What makes worship worshipful to God? Your stance before Him.
• Do you see His greatness, do you bow before Him?
2nd - “Throw down your rod.”
• 4:1 - Moses asks a reasonable question. “What if they don’t believe me?”
• Sounds harmless enough. What is that about?
• God asks him what is in his hand, a staff? No
• His identity! Friends he was holding all he was; he was a shepherd. If you are a public speaker, it would be your voice; an athlete, your body; a truck driver, your truck.
• You see? This is about identity. Moses was being changed.
• Worship does this. It brings us to reality; that we prop ourselves up…props…universal studios…props convey an illusion…the doors small so people look big.
• We all know how to do this. We have props, that become our identity.
• Clothes, car, money, power, education or even I don’t have anything so I am justified in acting how I do.
Matthew 10:38, 38“And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake will find it.”
• If you are to fulfill your destiny you must allow God to strip those props back. Worship will do that, relationship with Him, surrender to Him will do that.
• Bowing to Him. Let Him peal you back.
• Look at 4:20 see the staff now? Called the staff of God.
• What was Moses’ identity is now God’s tool for transformation.
• Vs.17 - “Take the staff which you will use to preform signs” - miracles!
• Moses surrendered his crutch and God rebuilt his life!
3rd - “I have a weakness.”
• 4:10-15 - Surely you don’t expect me to do this with my issues, but God says your limitations are not limits to me.
• I use weakness, be you.
II Corinthians 12:9 - Paul had to deal with his weaknesses.
And he has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
• Yes other people speak better than you. So then he thinks God can’t use him.
• Just like you and me.
• He compared himself to others and disqualified himself from possibility.
II Corinthians 10:12, “But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.”
• Coming into intimacy with God in worship brings us from our reality into His.
Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
• God can use you in the midst of your limitations. Joni Erickson Tada - in wheelchair
4th - Bringing others into life.
• A disciple is one who follows. A disciple is one who builds disciples.
II Timothy 2:2, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
• God’s movement will always take you towards others, after you have bowed to Him.
• To free them and deliver them.
• Moses had grown into an anointing of power. It didn’t happen in a day and it didn’t happen without struggle, but it did happen.
• Moses was told to take a lamb and put the blood on the doorpost. This is the covenant of the blood of the Lamb.
• Bring your whole household under the covenant.
• The power of Egypt didn’t have the ability to overcome the power of the Lamb.
The only thing that will bring His power to prevail is the covenant of the blood of the Lamb.
John 1:35-36, “Again the next day john was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’”
Exodus 12:1-13 - Moses freed people when he applied the blood of the lamb. Same for you and me.
Close
Come and worship me, I will remove from you all that hinders your destiny, I will heal, redeem, restore, and renew you.
But you must bow down before me on my terms, not yours.
Take off your shoes, throw down your staff, surrender your weaknesses, and I will use you to deliver others through the blood of the Lamb.
