Series: Recovering Stolen Identity & Reclaiming Misplaced Destiny: Part 5: The Moses Story: "what Are You Doing In The Backside Of The Desert?"

SERIES: RECOVERING STOLEN IDENTITY & RECLAIMING MISPLACED DESTINY: PART 5: THE MOSES STORY: WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE BACKSIDE OF THE DESERT?

1. Exodus 2:11 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 21 Then Moses was content to live with the man (Jethro), and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22 And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.” 23 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

2. Exodus 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 back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” 4 So 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.” 5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

INTRO: “RECOVERING STOLEN IDENTITY & RECLAIMING MISPLACED DESTINY (PART 5): MOSES, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE BACKSIDE OF THE DESERT?

ABOUT STOLEN IDENTITY AND MISPLACED DESTINY AMONG GOD’S PEOPLE.

Identity: Answers The Question: ‘Who has God called me to BE?’ Destiny: Answers The Question: ‘What has God called me to DO?’ Identity Theft - When information about you is stolen by someone else and used without your permission. Identity theft also occurs with Christians. Satan steals your true identity through defeat, discouragement, delay, denial and deception about your real destiny. Moses Will Be Another Example Of This.

ILLUSTRATION ON IDENTITY THEFT

Illustration: Farmer, Eaglet, Naturalist (Outside Barn, Roof Of House, Mountaintop Sun)

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT DESERTS?

Deserts Are Places Ill-Suited For People That Are Unprepared To Deal With Extreme Geographical climates. Many biblical passages speak of literal deserts & wildernesses such as Sinai Desert, Judean Wilderness, Arabian Desert, Paran Wilderness. The dangers deserts present to human survival can be a warning of what life becomes when we evict God from our lives to do our own thing. Deserts can be the very places where God finally finds, shapes and calls us back to Himself.

LESSONS FROM THE LITERAL DESERT

1. A Place Of Very Harsh Conditions: They lack abundant water, so vegetation is sparse and the creatures that dwell there are often predatory and poisonous.

2. A Place Of Solitude, Being Separated From Other People To Contemplate. Jesus was tempted in the desert before he began his public ministry. He was hungry and angels came and ministered to His needs. “Going into the desert” means more than daily prayers, weekly church gathering, reading a Bible chapter, attending spiritual workshops, etc. It’s a serious examination of life before God – away from distractions, demands, preconceived ideas of Christianity.

3. The Desert Is A Place Full Of Hidden Surprises & Potential. The desert seems empty and void of life, but things are not always what they seem. Adaptable animal life thrives in the desert - many species of insects, birds, reptiles, mammals. Individuals have potential, but we become so accustomed to interpreting things in a certain way that we miss the treasures hidden in us.

4. The Desert Is A Place Of Extremes In Temperatures That Is Rarely Comfortable. Most people think of the desert as a dry, hot climate. While temperatures can soar to high degrees, it can also be very chilly at night with temperature dropping to about 100 degrees in one day. Being prepared for the climate necessitates an odd array of clothing & protection. Desert experiences teach us that anything can happen suddenly to us – Be ready.