The Moment

A young soldier and his commanding officer got on a train together. The only available seats were across from an attractive young women who was traveling with her grandmother. As they engaged in pleasant conversation, the soldier and the young woman kept eyeing one another; the attraction was obviously mutual. Suddenly the train went into a tunnel and the car became pitch black.

Immediately two sounds were heard: the “smack” of a kiss, and the “whack” of a slap across the face. The grandmother thought “I can’t believe he kissed my granddaughter, but I’m glad she gave him the slap he deserved.”

The commanding officer thought, “I don’t blame the boy for kissing girl, but it’s a shame that she missed his face and hit me instead.”

The young girl thought, “I’m glad he kissed me, but I wish my grandmother hadn’t slapped him for doing it.”

And as the train broke into the sunlight, the soldier could not wipe the smile off his face. He had just seized the opportunity to kiss a pretty girl and slap his commanding officer and had gotten away with both (illustration from another Sermon Central Contributor).

OPPORTUNITY - Moses was given a tremendous opportunity and he almost walked away from it.

There will be defining moments in our life that will forever change us.

Moments that will inspire us. Moments that will hurt us.

Moments that will change the course of our lives.

Moses had one of these amazing moments with God.

Here he was taking care of his father-in-laws flock and he sees this “bush on fire.”

That was not unusual in the dessert, but what was unusual was that the bush was not being burned up. It was only on fire.

Then the bush speaks to him, “Moses. Moses” (Exodus 3:2).

At that point I would have moved very quickly far away. In fact, I probably would have wet myself.

But Moses responds, “Yeah. This is Moses.”

Unbelievable. Moses begins to have a conversation with God through a bush that is on fire but not being burned up.

Download this: This is not normal.

To me this seems incredibly weird, but Moses has a defining moment with God. It changed him for the rest of his life.

God gave Moses the responsibility of leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt and for 40 years led about 1-2 million people through the wilderness to the edge of the promised land.

He had a DEFINING MOMENT with God. That’s what I want to speak with you about tonight.

Let me share with you 3 ways to have DEFINING MOMENTS with God.

1. Choose to be comfortably uncomfortable (“forty years later”)

40 years after what? 40 years after Moses killed the Egyptian (Acts 7:28).

Think about it. For 40 years Moses was uncomfortable.

Starts in the palace of Pharaoh – ends up in the back of the dessert.

Starts as the leader of people – ends up taking orders from his father-in-law.

Starts with the finest of clothes – ends up wearing shepherd’s skins.

For 40 years Moses was comfortably uncomfortable.

In fact, when Moses had his son he named him Gershom – meaning, “a stranger in a foreign land.”

Moses was uncomfortable.

Refuse to be comfortable in your walk with God.

Refuse to be average in your pursuit of God.

Never settle for comfort! Live for meaning.

Choose to be comfortably uncomfortable!

2. Quit living as though your purpose in life is death (“in the desert”)

Moses found himself in the dessert.

He could have walked away from the burning bush. He could have said, “I am happy working for Jethro. The sheep business is going good. Profits are up.”

No. He stopped. He listened to God.

He found that MOMENT that defined him forever.

Sure he made excuses at first. But somewhere in that conversation with the burning bush he decided to quit living as though his purpose was death.

At the end of your life it will be impossible to have a great life unless you have had a meaningful life.

Your life has meaning. It is more than attending school. It is more than hanging with friends. It is more than showing up at church.

Your life gets meaning when you have a moment with God.

3. Dare to pursue a dream that is destined to fail unless God gets involved (“I will send you to Egypt”)

Moses knew that unless God intervened Pharaoh would never let the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Moses got three promises from God:

1.I am with you.

2.I will give you the right words at the right time.

3.I will give the help you need.

God has an amazing plan for your life!

He has given you abilities, talents, and gifts that can be used for Him.