Streching Your Faith Series

Title: Streching your Faith

Series: The Faithtastic 4 -Mosses

Text: Exodus 3: 7-10

Intro: Many People do not understand the fullness of faith. Some people would even say it’s overrated. But in Hebrews 11 God tells us that faith is a crucial part of our relationship with Him.

See without faith, there is no trust because trust and faith go hand in hand. Faith is believing in the things not seen, faith is the hinge that holds the Christian to a personal relationship with God.

It’s what gets ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

This month we are diving into a series called “Faithtastic 4” where we will be looking at Stretching Your Faith, Living By Faith, Unshakeable Faith, and Contagious Faith.

This week will start with Stretching Your Faith as we take a look at the life of Moses.

1. MOSES’ FAITH WAS STRETCHED BY BEING ASKED TO GO BACK TO EYGPT TO FACE HIS PAST

Let’s look in Exodus 3: 7-10 I’m sure Moses had no intentions of ever returning to Egypt, let alone to Pharaoh.

In order to do what God requested of him, Moses would have to go back to the place that he had fled from, a place where he was raised to rule over the Israelites and then he later found out that he actually was an Israelite, the place where he then killed an Egyptian, and the place where he chose to give up his royal status.

We see here that God is asking Moses to do something uncomfortable something that is very cross grain to Moses. Just as God asked Moses to do something uncomfortable, the Lord will ask and direct us to do things that we are not comfortable with.

Now let’s look at Moses’ response to God’s direction. And try and put yourself in Moses’ shoes and ask yourself if this would be your response too.

Go to Exodus 3:11 “But who am I…..” 3:13 Indeed when I come to the children of Israel….” 4:1 “ But suppose they will not believe me or listen…..”4:10 “ O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your …..” 4:13 O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.” It’s one thing to hear God asking or telling you to do something, it’s another thing to hear it and obey. It takes faith to obey.

I think Moses is a great representation of all us.

We hear God speak and then we get busy telling God why we can’t do what He’s asked us to do. In all of Moses’ responses to the Lord Moses is talking about “I”, I’m not good enough, they won’t listen to me, when I go….. Moses was showing a lack of faith in the Lord.

Instead of knowing that if the Lord God was sending him, then God would equip Him and God would be the one to deliver His people. Finally it comes to the point that Moses must make a decision, either to continue in his lack of faith in the Lord or choose to step out in faith in response to the Lords directions.

We too are given direction from the Lord and have a choice whether to hear only or to hear it and in stretching our faith, act on it. Moses chose to stretch his faith by acting on God’s direction.

Let’s heed Moses’ example and be people who act on God’s direction in our life.

2. MOSES’ FAITH WAS STRETCHED WHEN HE WAS FACED WITH OPPOSITION

Let’s take a look at when Moses went to Pharaoh in Exodus 5:1-2 and we see in chapter 5 verses 5-8 Pharaoh’s response. And what did Moses people think about this? Let’s see in verses 20-21.

So we see here that Moses’ is facing his own people and they are complaining against him.

Here you have Moses who is following what God asked him to do. And pharaoh kind of laughs at Moses and say’s “I’ll show you, I’ll increase the load on your people.”

So now Moses’ people are coming against him with the attitude of “I don’t want you here, we don’t want this.” So I ask myself, “did Moses have a little doubt, a little insecurity at that time?” Maybe, but what we see here is that no matter what the cost was, Moses didn’t give up but continued to push forward. Moses leaned on his faith knowing that God would come through.

How many of us when we’re faced with opposition with our family, or friends, situations, or just people, throw up our hands in retreat or do we persevere in our faith, trusting God.

3. MOSES’ FAITH WAS STRETCHED WHEN THE PEOPLE HE WAS SENT TO, AREN’T TRUSTING GOD