Listen to sermon : http://www.wayneamydutoit.com/Wayne/one/
{Desire: Motivating Factors what is going to help people make a change, motivation/consequence}
Look at the story from the characters perspectives,
No matter where you are you are in life you have a past, you have a history that helps define who you are and
why you see the world the way you do. Each of our stories is very different and yet we are share things in
common. We all go through seasons in life and our response to those seasons will determine the future course
of our life.
I have had quite a bit to do with Compassion, which is a child sponsorship organisation that is freeing children
from poverty, and they do an amazing job. They focus on holistic development of the child to provide them with
the opportunity so many of us take for granted. What is done with that opportunity is then up to the child and
the family.
Some children use the opportunity to change not only their lives but the lives of their children, breaking the cycle
of poverty. Others unfortunately do not and they drift back into the statistics of humanity.
The population of the world is growing, can one life really make a difference?
Can you really make a difference?
Can you change the world?
No matter the phase of life, amount of money or education can your life matter ?
Are you young? You’re not too young.
Are you old? You’re not too old.
Are you sick? Don’t waste the breaths you have left.
Today we are going to look at a life that was never meant to matter .
We are going to examine the factors involved and the choices made by those involved . This is very important to
catch, we are not just going to look at the outcome of a great life , with a perfect start or just at the person who
changed history. We are going to look at the ordinary people involved in an extraordinary story.
Thinking that you can change the world will lead to pride .
Believing you can never do anything is undervaluing yourself and mocking God as creator .
So what is the answer?
Well simply we will look at a life that did change the world and investigate how this person was used by an
infinitely powerful creator to change the course of history. It is not us that has the ability to change the world but
we are a valuable vessel that is a holy temple for the very presence of God that can and wants to change the
world to achieve His will . God has things he wants to do, and if you want to get on board he will do them through
you.
We are going to look at a few aspects of one of the greatest men in the Old Testament, and that is Moses . It
can’t be denied that his life was significant , it mattered, his life altered the course of a nation and the history of
the entire world.
Before you think that this doesn’t apply to you, and start making excuses like
“I’m never going to change a nation , I can’t even change my own bad habits ”
“This type of thing is good for others, but you don’t know what I’ve been through, you don’t know what
I’ve done. I’m too old, too young, too sick to whatever”
You may even get spiritual with me and say that we are not all called to change the world, “I just follow
Jesus, my life is all the testimony that is required, I’m shining my light in my world by just living a good
life and people will just know that I’m different and maybe in 10 years someone may ask why I’m
different and then it will be my chance”
Problem is when it comes you will probably miss it because you are not accustomed to sharing your faith
and you will not know what to do when given the opportunity. “Well the Holy Spirit will speak for me” I
say maybe but if you have not made preparing to share the gospel a priority when the opportunity
comes the Holy Spirit will have nothing to bring to your mind to say because you are a dry well.
And to some extent I agree, not everyone is called to be the key world changer, or more accurately
to be the one seen as leading the ministry. But as Paul points out 1 Corinthians 12 we as believers are a
body and each member of the body has a role to fulfil . Each role in the body enables the
body to change the world . So you are called to be a world changer , if
you are in the body of Christ you have a responsibility to make disciples, baptise and
teach people about the saving power of Christ .
Remember the old pictures or posters that I believe in photoshop is a halftone-dot effect.
I have taken rembrant’s picture of Jesus and applied the Halftone effect to it and used it as the picture
for this sermon. The picture seen from a distance is that of jesus, but as you zoom in you notice that the
picture is simply made up of many little dots. A dot on its own is not very creative art (well depends on
your taste in art) but when many dots of different shades are used they form a picture. That is how the
body of Christ works. As a follower of Christ you need to find your place in the body and start doing your
bit. Read 1 Corinthians 12 for more on this.
There are many parts to a body and as we will see there are always many characters in every story, each
of whom has a part to play. Without each person playing their part the story does not run its course.
This is true for you and I, in different seasons we fulfil different roles and that is good , and
today the challenge to each of us is this:
This is great because if you are a foot in the body today there is no reason you can’t serve as an arm in
another season of your life.
What season are you in?
Are you fulfilling your purpose in this season?
Do you even know that there are seasons and options for service?
One thing you need to understand about God , is that there is always more work to do , God
knows that being a Christian is impossible without Him so He made a way for us to carry God ,
the Holy Spirit. So now if God is in us doing the work, well now we can’t complain that there is too much
work, you are not the one doing it you are the vessel through which it is done, so just get to it. God
has agreed to do all the heavy lifting, so stop complaining and start!
(READ)
Exodus 1: 22 ESV “Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews
you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
{Knowledge: skills and knowledge required to make a change}
Context: the Hebrews had moved to Egypt when Joseph was second in charge, about 400 years later
the Hebrews have become slaves to the Egyptians and the Egyptians feared that the Hebrews would
rebel so the order was given first through the midwives but they didn’t fulfil it then through the order to
the Egyptian people.
Basically if you are a baby Hebrew boy you are dead, if you are found you will be thrown into the Nile .
(READ) Exodus 2:1-10 ESV
Characters and seasons
● First characters we encounter are Moses’ mother and sister, Moses is a baby and needed looking
after
o Moses was not supposed to make it
o The Pharaoh knew if you can destroy a generation of men you can cripple a nation. (The
enemy still attacks the men of our nations today, if he can keep them from growing up,
assuming responsibility, turn the things that make a man great , into socially unacceptable,
try to say there is no difference between the sexes , then you can cripple a nation.
[different sermon])
o How many other children died, how many were thrown in the Nile.
o How many mothers stood on the shores of the river weeping for their lost
little babies
o What about those children, couldn’t their life have been significant?
We are talking about the significance of one what about them?
▪ Their life was significant and they fulfilled their part of Gods plan ,
did God make the people kill the babies, No!
● ( READ Psalm 139:14-16 ESV)
▪ But he knew each of them and they lived the life they were given for however
short.
▪ Each breath we are given is from God , Colossians 1:15-20 says that
God holds all things together . That means even the atoms of your
being is held together by God. So if you are breathing it is on
purpose , God has given you that breath what are you
going to do with it?
What season are you in? Are you a mother or a sister, are you able to protect others. Can you do what you can to
look after someone who is not able to look after them self. Can you feed someone, clothe someone, provide
emotional support to someone. Share your experience to help others make it through their tough times. Help
release someone so that they can move into their next season of life, not hold anyone back.
The next character we encounter is the Princess
● The princess’s life is invaded by the reality of her father’s order to kill all the
baby boys
o She was bathing in the very river where babies were being killed
o She knew but did nothing until the knowledge she had impacted her own life, it invaded
her existence
o She had not experienced the loss of a child or the grief of holding a mother
as she grips the body of a baby that has been dragged back out of the
river .
o Reality was happening around her, but to her they were only stories that she
could ignore .
o It is easy to change the channel when an ad comes on showing how children are starving,
being raped, turned into murderous child solders .
o It is more difficult when you are standing face to face looking into the eyes of someone
that is marked for death purely because they were born .
o Then one day one of those stories broke through and interrupted her day .
o Moses having been placed in a basket, lying alone defenceless, crying and scared
o Moses needing someone to step in and provide an opportunity for him because he was not
in a position to do it himself.
o Moses got her attention, now this could have gone either way . The princess could
have just sent a servant to fulfil her father’s order to throw Moses into the river and that
would have been the end of that.
o Instead God moves her heart, and she responds, she does
something!
o She not only does something she makes a commitment to look after Moses , she provides
protection , she didn’t save all the Hebrew babies , but she saves one .
o This baby now has an opportunity .
o We don’t know what happened to her after this, but her legacy is clear .
o What season are you in? Are you a princess, can you provide opportunity?
▪ Maybe you are in a season where you are called to allow the sad stories of the
world to break into you daily life.
▪ Maybe you can sponsor a child, maybe you can spare $48 a month to change a
life.
▪ Maybe you can step in and provide an opportunity for someone, you never know
what God intends to do through their life.
▪ Without the princess Moses would have died, whose princess are
you?
▪ The great thing about being in a princess season is that you can impact many
lives, by being willing to make a commitment to do something.
▪ Her compassion lead to the liberation of a nation .
o You can’t solve all the problems but don’t ignore the ones you see , do
something, it’s inconvenient it will cost you something, time, money,
heartache .
o But you may be the last thing that stands between death and life.
o One life can alter the course of destiny, one princess altered the
course of the world . All she did was provide some money, then she has provided
opportunity for Moses to live in the palace and get educated.
o This could have cost her, she disobeyed her fathers’ order.
o How many opportunities have we missed, let’s not miss any more.
(READ) Exodus 4:2 ESV
Moses has a choice, give a recap of the story to this point.
Moses and the burning bush
● Moses the choice he has to make use of the life he has been given
● The sense of injustice, trying to do it on his own
● The call of God and the call to lead
● The call to use the opportunity he was given
● The excuses Moses gives
Have you taken a breath recently, if so you have been given it for a reason
● Where you come from is not an accident
o Make it count
o Had a rough start, many challenges, maybe you need a princess, then become a moses,
share your lessons, lead others
o Got an education use it be a Moses
● How we are all at different points of the journey, sometimes we are needed to help, sometimes we
are to lead and make choices, do what you are called to do not just what you think you are able.
Challenge / Application :
{Ability}
What stage of the journey are you in?
Are you in the
● Baby stage – needing the support of family, recuing from a princess
● Family stage – where you can provide the security of a family
● Princess stage – where you are able to rescue someone, you can provide the means of liberation
o Provide examples
o Sponsor a child, become a big brother, run strength, run a shine program to help young
girls, mentor someone,
o Let the world around you interrupt your day and make a decision that will cost you but
change the life of another.
● Set your own course – where you have people in your life who have or haven’t played these roles
and you must now make your own choices.
o Will you choose to follow God
o Do the hard thing take the stick in your hand, whatever that it and use it for the glory of
God
o One runaway, murderer who should not have survived childhood, has a few invest in him
and he makes some poor decisions
o God challenges him to literally use what he has in his hand, to face his past and liberate a
nation.
o Will you choose to use the gift of life you have, your every breath or will you choose to
waste it? You are making a choice either way, what do you choose??
Response :
Provide an opportunity for response to the purpose of the message
Provide an opportunity to respond to Christ, if that was not the direct purpose and only if applicable
based on the audience and Holy Spirit prompting.
