Do You Trust God?
Exodus 3:10-11 (NIV) “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
For the time that I’ve been allotted this morning, I’d like to speak from the subject: Do You Trust God?
As we study this text of scripture and research commentary we learn that it’s been approximately 300 years since the death of Joseph until the time when those of Egyptian authority no longer remembered the awesome leadership of Joseph; thrusting their nation into a position of power. It was the wisdom of God carried out in the person of Joseph that not only solidified the Israelite’s survival, it was the same divine wisdom that caused the Egyptian nation to become the focal point of the ancient world. God allowed them to have gain when all other nations suffered from the famine. They had food, not because of their own wisdom and knowledge, but because of the wisdom of God.
Now we find that history is repeating itself, Joseph – the dream interpreter once forgotten by Pharaoh’s cupbearer, is now being forgotten the new Egyptian regime.
Exodus 1:6-10 (NIV) “Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."
These verses are the backdrop that leads to the severe depression and hardship inflicted upon the Israelites by the Egyptian during their final years in Egypt. The new king became jealous of their prolific nature and prosperity.
Isn’t it disturbing that when the blessings that God has for you begin to manifest themselves that some folk become obsessed to the point that you become their enemy. Better yet, isn’t it good to know that we serve a God who hears our cry and is concerned about HIS people?
Exodus 2:23 (NIV) “During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.”
I. God’s Concern
Exodus 2:24-25 (NIV) 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
• Lee Williams’– Come me about me.
o Lord I'm down in this mean old world I need you
o Come on Jesus and see about me
Exodus 3:7 (NIV) 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.
God has a plan that He’s personally involved in;
Exodus 3:8 (NIV) 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. .
• One more day, one more step, I am preparing you for myself, when you can’t hear my voice, please trust my plan I am the Lord, yes I see and yes I understand. (Smoke Norful)
Exodus 3:9 (NIV) 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.
II. God’s Challenge
Exodus 3:10 (NIV) “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Further review of this text reveals that one of God’s chosen servants don’t Trust Him. After all that God has done for Moses, when it comes to God asking Moses to exercise his faith, Moses rejects God – in other words Moses say to God “I DON’T TRUST YOU.” Just for clarity, Moses did not say that he didn’t have faith in God, he said; “GOD, I DON’T TRUST YOU.” Due to the fact that Moses is talking to God from the burning bush, indicates that he believes that God exist, therefore faith is present.
There is a difference between Faith and Trust: FAITH is a noun and is something that one possesses; whereas TRUST is a verb and requires action. In short, faith is trust in motion (or action). Trust put feet on Faith; Faith says I BELIEVE. . . . Trust say I CAN or I WILL. . . .
James 2:17 (NIV) “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
Illustration: In the nineteenth century there was a gentleman by the name of Charles Blondin. Charles became the first man in history to walk on a tightrope across Niagara Falls. People gathered to watch him walk 1,100 feet suspended on a tiny rope 160 feet above the raging waters of Niagara Falls. Charles did not use a net or safety harness of any kind during his performance. The slightest mistake would be fatal for Charles. Once Charles walked across the rope on stilts; another time he took a chair and a wood burning stove with him and sat down midway across, cooked an omelet, and ate it. Once he carried his manager piggyback across the Niagara Falls on the tightrope. On another occasion he pushed a wheelbarrow loaded with 350 pounds of cement across the rope. To get the enthusiastic crowd involved he asked the cheering spectators if they thought he could push a man across sitting in a wheelbarrow. A mighty roar of approval rose from the crowd. Seeing a man cheering loudly, he asked, “Sir, do you think I could safely carry you across in this wheelbarrow?” “Yes, of course.” “Then get in,” Charles replied with a smile. The man quickly refused.
Can you see the difference between Faith and Trust? Faith says I BELIEVE. . . . Trust put you in the wheelbarrow.
God is asking Moses and us to get into the wheelbarrow – until we willingly jump into the wheelbarrow, we are saying “GOD, I DON”T TRUST YOU”.
God’s Request: Exodus 3:10 (NIV) “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Moses Reply: Exodus 3:11 (NIV) 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
Why would Moses not trust God, considering all the things God has done for Him?
1. God spared Moses’ life via Shiphrah “shif-rah” and Puah “poo-ah”, the Hebrew midwives who disobeyed Pharaoh direct order to kill all male Hebrew boys at birth.
Exodus 1:15-17 (NIV) “The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
2. God used Pharaoh’s daughter to raise Moses as her own in Pharaoh’s house, when all Hebrew boys were considered enemies of the Egyptians.
Exodus 2:9-10 (NIV) “Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
3. God allowed Moses to escape Egypt for the murder of an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew worker.
Exodus 2:15 (NIV) “When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.”
4. God provided for Moses in a foreign land for forty years:
Exodus 2:21-22 (NIV) “Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
Why would we not trust God, when He’s proven Himself to be Faithful, Loving Caring and Personally Concerned about YOU?
Like Moses, have we taken God’s grace and mercy for granted? You know, Grace – God’s unmerited favor and His Mercy that washes way our guilty verdict of death due to our sins.
Have we forgotten how God has sustained us during our challenging and difficult times? Have we forgotten how God has made a way out of no way; have we forgotten that God continues to provide all our needs; have we forgotten that God protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy? Do we not understand that it is God who has privileged us when others still suffering?
Has society so corrupted our minds that we can no longer see the goodness of God?
• I understand that a loved one may have broken that covenant relationship, but can you TRUST GOD?
• I understand that your company has gone thorough a “right-sizing”, but can you TRUST GOD?
• I understand that many in authority are abusive, motivated by greed and can’t be trusted to do what’s right, but can you TRUST GOD?
• I understand that political climate is at it’s worst ever, but can you TRUST GOD?
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
John 14:1(NIV): "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”
Psalm 42:5 (NIV): Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God
III. God’s Commitment
Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) – The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
As Moses focused on his personal shortcomings:
• Exodus 3:12 (NIV): 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.”
• Exodus 4:12 (NIV): Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
• Exodus 4:15 (NIV): You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.
As Moses was concerned that no one would believe that he actually spoke with God:
• Exodus 3:20 (NIV): So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.
• Exodus 4:8-9 (NIV): Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.”
God proactively demonstrated His ability as a provider:
• Exodus 3:21 (NIV): “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.
• Exodus 3:22 (NIV): Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.”
Illustration: There is no situation that you can get into that God cannot get you out off. Pilot in training and the master instructor.
There was this person taking flying lesson. After several successful lessons, the instructor told the trainee to put the plane into a steep and extended dive. Upon doing so, the engine stalled, and the plane began to plunge out-of-control. The master instructor set back relaxed, not showing any signs of panic. After a few seconds, all the things that the instructor had taught came to mind and the trainee quickly corrected the situation. Once under control, the trainee turned to the instructor and began to air his frustrations. The master instructor calmly said to him, "There is no position you can get this airplane into that I cannot get you out of. If you want to learn to fly, go up there and do it again."
God is saying that as you serve Me, there is no situation you can get yourself into that I cannot get you out of. If you trust me, you will be all right."
Biblical Examples of God Delivering His People of their messes:
o Abraham pretending that Sarah was his sister – Genesis 12:12-13
o Lot being caught-up in the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah – Genesis 19
o Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers – Genesis 50:19-21
o Jonah flees from God and prays for deliverance– Jonah 1
o Naomi having to return back to Bethlehem – Ruth 1:6
o Peter – Sinking after walking on water – Matthew 14:29-31
o Peter being restored after denying that he was one of Jesus’ disciples – John 21:15-25
o Thomas – speaking publicly about not believing that Christ was raised from the dead, unless he placed in finger where the nails were – John 20:25-29
Conclusion:
God is on your side and He is worthy of our trust. He has proven Himself and He wants to help you. So let’s give our trust to the One who truly deserves it Jesus Christ. Let’s go to Jesus with confidence and faith, setting before Him our cares, concerns, praise and thanksgiving.
1 Peter 5:7 (NLT): Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Psalm 37:5 (NIV): Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psalm 55:22 (NIV): Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
