Who Am I
Category: Peace & Assurance
Key Passage: Exodus 3:7-10
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: November 16, 2022
We’ve just gone verse by verse for a little bit on the life of Moses. We’ve talked a lot about it. You can divide his life into three parts: the first 40 years. He was basically the first—well, we don’t know how many years, maybe seven or eight years—of his biological appearance, and then he was raised in Pharaoh’s court. When he turned 40, something happened. He realized, “Hey, my God is Jehovah, and my people are Hebrews.” He said, “I’m rejecting the world, and I don’t want that. I refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughters.” He refused that. By the way, you can’t get a Moses without separation. And he was ready to go. He knew what God wanted to do. We’ve looked at that; that’s over in Acts 7. He knew that God wanted him to be the deliverer of Israel from Egypt.
He was raring to go. He had everything. He was mighty in words and deeds, and man, he just marched off in his own way and his own time. And he fell flat on his face. You remember that? He defended the Israelites and killed the Egyptian, and he fled from the face of Pharaoh, and he ended up over in Midian. He went from being the center of his world to nobody knowing him—a stranger in a strange land.
Forty years. You’ve heard it said—I think I’ve said it getting weaker to you know—the first 40 years he was learning that he was somebody. The second 40 years he was learning that he was a nobody. In the last 40 years he was learning that God uses nobodies.
But he’s kind of there. He’s at the end of that second 40 years; he’s 80 years old now. He was out in the back side of the desert there, on Mount Horeb, there at Mount Sinai, and the burning bush, and it was not consumed. God—when you’re on fire for the Lord, you don’t get consumed. The devil consumes people, but he uses them. Remember, he turned aside to see that. And when he turned aside—by the way, if you’re going to walk with God, if you’re going to be close to God, you’re going to have to turn aside. It’s not going to happen just by coincidence; you have to do it on purpose. And when he turned aside to see that, God began to speak to him. And really, tonight we’re talking about the calling of Moses.
And we’re just picking it up there. God’s speaking to him, and we’ll read just a couple of verses, and then we’ll pray, just try to glean, just try to get some truths. I hope they’ll be helpful for you. We’ll start in verse number seven, Exodus 3 and verse number seven of God’s word tonight. If you’re there, would you say amen? Good. If you’re able to, would you stand, please, just show the word of God respect and to get your blood flowing a little bit one more last time before we sit back down.
Exodus 3, verse number 7. And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry.” By the way, remember Moses saw it 40 years ago and he tried to do something about it at a flock. But God’s sending at this time. And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows, and I’m come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good land and large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.” That means ice cream, amen.
Under the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites—all the “ites” brothers, amen. That’s what that means right there. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me, and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Would you pray with me that God would speak to your heart, my heart tonight? Father, Lord, we sure need you. Lord, it is a wonderful book, but I, you know, I can’t do it justice. Lord, we need you to come. And would you take these truths and apply them to each individual, Lord? Father, maybe something that’s just said off the cuff, would you use it in their heart and life? Lord, help me not to say anything you don’t want me to say. But Lord, would you use your Spirit, your word, and do a great work in our hearts tonight? Father, we’ll thank you. We’ll praise you for what you do. Lord, help me to empty myself of pride or all that and try to preach a good message. Lord, just let somebody get help tonight. You are pleased. Well, thank you, Father, for Jesus, then we ask. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated. Once you just see something here real quickly, in verse number seven, it’s also found in verse number five. Let’s go back to those verses, if you would please. Verse number seven there. And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their…” What’s the next word? “…by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.”
Look at verse number nine, if you would please. “Now therefore, behold the what? Cry of the children of Israel is come unto me, and I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppressed them.”
Now, just for a little bit, just going on, turn a couple of different places. Would you look over Numbers chapter number 20, please? I want you to just see this. And there are so many places we can look at in the Bible about this, but we’re just trying to stick to this instance for the most part. I think if we can look at a lot of different angles of this truth, we’re trying to stick with the context of the children of Israel getting delivered from Egypt.
Numbers chapter number 20. Would you look at verse number 16, please? Numbers 20 and verse number 16. “And when we…” What’s the next word? “…cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel and hath brought us forth out of Egypt, and behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border.”
Would you look over in Nehemiah? Nehemiah, Nehemiah, Esther, Nehemiah, Esther, Job—the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah, Nehemiah 9 and verse number nine. The Bible repeats something often. He’s trying to put some emphasis on it. Nehemiah nine and verse number nine. “Nehemiah 9:9. And didst thou see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heardest their cry by the Red Sea?”
We’ll look over in Psalms 106. Psalms 106. Psalm 106 and verse number 44. Psalms 106 and verse number 44 of God’s Word. I appreciate you looking through God’s Word. It’s a neat thing to see. You’re looking in God’s Word. Wonderful sight. God’s people digging in God’s Word. Psalm 106, verse number 44. “Nevertheless, he regarded their affliction when he…” And interesting, when he heard their what? Cry.
Brother Bobby Robertson, he’s in heaven now, in Gospel Light Baptist Church, Walkertown, North Carolina. He used to tell a story about, I believe, a teenage girl that rode the buses—I believe she rode the buses—but a teenage girl. And he said she started coming. I think maybe she’d gotten saved. God worked in her life, but she started coming every service down to the altar. Now that happens. Always a wonderful thing. But he noticed this girl in particular; she’d come every service, and she’d be crying. And I’m talking about she was not maybe super loud weeping, but just every time she’s crying. And I’m not sure if he talked to her personally himself or someone else, but he found out what’s going on with this girl? She comes down, she’s crying every time. And someone told him, I think it was, she’s burdened about her mom getting saved. And she’s coming; she’s praying for her mom to get saved.
Well, sure enough, a little while later on, they had a service—I’m not sure if it was a revival or not—but they had a service, and her mom came. And the invitation time, praise the Lord, the mom came down, and the mom got saved. And they got talking with the mom, kind of, you know, what brought you here and what, how’d you come and why’d you get saved, that type of thing. And the mom said this: she said, “I could not—I could not get past my daughter’s tears. I’ve seen her crying for me to get saved, and I couldn’t get past it. When my daughter, I’ve seen her crying, shedding tears, that just—I just couldn’t get past it.”
You ever hear the song, “Tears are a language God understands”? Friend, the children of Israel began to cry. That’s when the Lord—very clear right there we just read it, verse 44—when he heard their cry.
And there are some things, some things in the kingdom of God, God looks with my people, and they get so intense about it, they’re crying. God heard. They had been in bondage suffering for 400 years. And when the men began to cry about it, I wonder if they started crying in the first 200 years what happened. It took them 400 years. He began to cry. He heard them; he paid attention when they were crying.
Charles Finney, that great revival evangelist years ago in our country, God used him in a great way in our country years ago for revival. He used to say there can be no revival when Mr. Amen and Mr. Wet Eyes are not found in the congregation. He’s a man that knew something about revival for sure. I thought about when’s the last time I’ve really cried and cried out to the Lord in my prayer time, cried out to the Lord. He was very, very clear, and he says it multiple times in different places: when the children of Israel began to cry, God said, “I’m going to pay attention.” Just the tears; they’re crying.
Let’s look at a couple other things. If you go back over to Exodus chapter 3, Exodus chapter 3, let’s keep going. We’re in verse number 7. We’ve got verse number 9, and there also, but let’s get that middle verse, verse number 8 there. Exodus 3 and verse number 8. He says, “I am”—this is God—“and I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good land.” Watch this: “and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.” That was a phrase often used. It’s kind of like a prosperous land, a very fertile land. And a land flowing milk and honey, into the place of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Now just for a moment here, this land—let’s just talk for a moment about it. I’ve never really noticed, but notice he says it’s a large land. If you go back over to chapter number one, chapter number one of Exodus, and verse number seven, I want you to see this. Remember the children of Israel in Egypt, they were restricted to Goshen. That was the land where we really have a hard time knowing how big or how small it was, but it was a portion of Egypt that the children of Israel were supposed to live in. And it seems from this verse here, because Israel had grown so much, it was really a small area for that many people to live in.
Look at verse number one there. Exodus 1, verse number 7. “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” Many scholars tend to think it just means they were bursting out the seams; they didn’t have any room where to go. Goshen became very small. And it’s a debate about how many—most would say at least a million and a half, you know, in the wilderness there; some will go up to three million, but according to who you talk to. But that many people living in that small land is just small, and they’re kind of crunched in there without oppression. I blessed you, but it got small in there, and I’m about to give you a new dwelling. That’s what he’s telling them. I’m going to give you a good land and a large land.
Now, let me say this: according to verse number eight, God had already decided he’s going to do something. Look at it: “And I am going to come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.” God already made the decision. In fact, I don’t know when this was written. Moses is the one that penned the first five books of the Bible. I don’t necessarily think this was penned already, but forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
God had a timetable on it, but would you look over in Genesis 15? I want you just kind of see this. Genesis 15 and verse number 13. Genesis 15, verse number 13. “And he said unto Abram, Know of surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall be afflicted, shall afflict them 400 years.” So it’s already, you know, 400 years they are going to be afflicted.
Now, do this, if you would: go over to Exodus chapter 12. I just kind of want to show you here. Some say this is a contradiction. I’ll tell you what I think, and I think most people would agree with this, and most of you probably already know this, but so you’ll know how to answer if it comes up. But look over in Exodus chapter 12, Exodus chapter 12, and verse number 40, if you would, please. Exodus 12 and verse number 40. Man, you are quiet tonight. Y’all act like you are studying, our students out there. Wow, you are good students tonight. I tell you what, Ms. Chisgar—Ms. Chisgar is jealous. Her kindergartners don’t do as good as y’all are doing out there. You are intelligent, I tell you for sure.
Look at this. Exodus 12, look at verse number 40. “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was 430 years.” Wait a second. He said 400; here it says 430 years. “And it came to pass at the end of the 430 years, even the selfsame day, it came to pass that all the host of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.”
You said, “Well, what’s the answer to this thing?” Well, they were in the land 430 years, but they were afflicted 400 years. Remember Joseph? That first Pharaoh, they found favor underneath him, but that passed off real quickly. They were afflicted, if you notice it closely over there in Genesis, 400 years, but they were there sojourning or visiting that land for 430 years. But here’s the thing I want you to see. By the way, I remember, oh, I don’t know, it was Vacation Bible School somewhere. Somebody was trying to trick us: “How long were the children of Israel in Egypt?” “400 years.” “No, nope, that’s wrong.” “No, 400—yeah, technically it is 430 years, but we’re not here trying to technically everybody, you know, understand what I’m saying, you know? But anyway, but they were oppressed 400 years.”
But here’s the thing I’m trying to show you: there was a timetable. God was going to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. It was set. It was already—already done. Some things God is going to do, no matter what you or I or anybody else does about it; God’s going to do it. It’s already predicted. It’s already prophesied. It’s already set in the mind of God. Doesn’t matter who does what. This is going to happen. There are some prophecies in the Bible, and those are going to happen. And the children of Israel were going to get delivered out of Egypt. It’s set. God’s going to come down there and do it.
And God is simply coming down to Moses and saying, “Hey, Moses, I’m going to let you have a part of it.” Now, friend, there’s one thing—oh, maybe it’s said, “Well, God, you sure are blessed to have me work for you, something for God.” I understand. It’s probably a good motive, but it may be a better way to look at it. You know, God lets me have a part of this word. I’m very thankful. God wanted the church in Smyrna, Tennessee, and I’m thankful God let me have a little part of it.
God’s going to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt, no doubt about it. It’s set in stone. Genesis 15:13, Exodus 12—we know it’s going to happen. It’s going to happen. But Moses, I’m going to let you in on this thing here.
Last Thursday, me and Brother Anthony were out, and we—oh, maybe I think 20, 22-year-old young Egyptian man, kindest guy in the world, had been around religion, just needed someone to open their New Testament and show them from the Bible. Any soul winner really could do the job. It just is so easy. And I don’t always—I don’t always have the right attitude, for sure—but I really said, “Lord, you know, I realize anybody could have did that. Thank you for letting me have a part.” I always—it, you know, it kind of keeps us from getting what they call the fat head.
And the honest truth is, Moses, you’re this great man. Well, you know, I don’t know. You can debate about that all day long until the cows come home. But the honest truth is God said, “Hey, Moses, I’m going to let you have a part of my work. I’m going to do so, and I’m going to let you have a part.” We’re so blessed to be able to have a part in God’s work. It’s a wonderful thing. It’s such a blessing that, man, God working in lives, and God lets—and simply what was God doing? And I said, “Hey, Moses, I’m going to deliver the children of Israel. I’m going to do it. Tell you what, Moses, I’ll let you have a part of it.” What an honor. Just, whatever it may be.
I mean, I look at Brother Frank. Brother Frank’s cut the grass around here about 2,475,000 times. And somebody might say that’s a small task. Oh, that’s a big task, friend. But Brother Frank, God’s letting Brother Frank have a part. And he loves so much; he’s a great soul, and so many other things. But just what an attitude: “I get to have a part in what God is doing.” It’s a privilege. It really is.
Now, another thought with this thing here, another thought with it: would you look over in Acts chapter number seven, please? Acts chapter number seven. We’re just trying to pull some truths out of this thing. And, yes, God allows man to make choice, and there are some things I think hinge on what man chooses to do, but there are some things that are just set. God’s going to do work. We’re going to do something here. They’re younger. What a privilege when God lets us have a part in it.
Acts chapter number seven. We’re just kind of jumping all over the place a little bit here as we studied this life of Moses. And I want you to see this: Acts 7, and would you look at verse number 26 there, please? Acts 7, verse number 26. This is right after Moses had killed the Egyptian. He was defending the Israelites and he killed the Egyptian. And then verse number 26: “And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove: and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?” But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, “Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Thinkest thou to kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?”
Look down verse number 35, verse number 35, Acts number seven. “This Moses whom they refused…” Wow. He pushed him out of the way. “Get out of here! Who made you a judge, a ruler over us?” “This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler to judge? The same did God send to be a ruler and deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.”
Now here’s the thing for just a second here: the people had rejected Moses. People said, “No, Moses, you’re not our leader. You’re not over us.” Fooling on you. They refused him. They rejected him. Very obvious in Scripture, what was going on. Now, 40 years later, God’s coming to Moses, and God says, “Hey, Moses, they refused you.” Now, friend, here’s the thing with this right here: it doesn’t matter. Don’t get too shook up about what people think or say about you. That’s not the big deal. The big deal is what God thinks or says about you.
Because the people had refused Moses—“Get out of here, Moses! You’re not our ruler”—and God said, “Well, Moses had a lot of learning to do for 40 years. But 40 years later, God says, ‘Well, actually, Moses is your ruler.’” You see, God’s got the final say-so in these things. Don’t get too shook up about people. If God wants to use you in a certain way, all hell cannot stop God from using you in that way. What matters is what God says, what God wants to do. You make sure you’re right with God. You make sure God can put his hand of blessing on you. God can take care of what everybody else thinks or says.
They had refused Moses, but God said, “No, I think I’ll just use Moses.” Look in verse number 25. Verse number 25, Acts 7, verse number 25. I got to find it in now. I got busy and left my finger there, my right index finger. I left it. Acts 7. Look in verse number 25, if you would please. Verse number 25. We’ve showed this before, but this is interesting. This is when he was 40 years old; he killed the Egyptian. “For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.”
We’ve talked about this. So when Moses was 40 years old, he knew that his calling—God had already commissioned him: “You’re going to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt.” He knew that at that moment. Now, the timing wasn’t right, and Moses didn’t follow God’s leading, didn’t go about it God’s way. But God had never changed. The people didn’t get it; they refused; they rejected Moses. And God said, “Moses, that calling I put on you years ago”—once the Bible said with Romans 11, “the gifts and callings of God are without…”—and God said, “I’m not changing.”
Maybe years ago, God’s put a desire in your heart to maybe be a Sunday school teacher, bus worker, have a neighborhood Bible study in your neighborhood, whether it be adults or children. Whatever maybe. I don’t know what it may be. But be careful. “Well, that was years ago.” I think of an instance recently, someone that was showing me about the relative in their life that is just ending very tragically right now. And they said, “In my opinion, their relative said, ‘I believe they were called to preach years ago, and they never have done it, and they won’t do it.’” And I don’t know. And sometimes someone can backslide to the point maybe they can’t be a pastor, but they can still preach—a nurse, I’m preaching to the junior church, children’s church. But I’m simply saying God had put that in Moses years before. I think when he was a child, probably back there with his biological parents. But we know by the time he was 40, he knew what he was supposed to do, but he had 40 more years in the school of the backside of the desert out there, you know, being a nobody. But God said, “Moses, they refused you, but I have not.”
And sometimes it takes years before God brings to fruition the things he wants to do. Don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel. Don’t get discouraged. I’ll say, “Well, I can never—God will never use me.” No, no, no, no. God’s put a stamp on you; he doesn’t take that off. He’s got a plan. And this is 40 years later, and God said, “No, Moses, I know they reject you, but I have not.” And I’m calling you here. I got a plan for you here.
Remember Joseph? And he had the dreams about the sun and the moon and stars kneeling down to him. Well, it took at least 13 years for that to be fulfilled, probably a lot longer. But it ended up happening. God puts things in your heart and mind. I mentioned on Wednesday night, but it’s amazing the heart of a young child; sometimes God has called them to the mission field. It’s amazing how many missionaries say, “Hey, God put that in my heart way, way back.” And all these years later, God says, “Moses, I’m going to do it. I called you to do it. I haven’t forgotten about it. You just been having your training; it’s been getting you ready for 40 years.”
Let’s keep going on this thing here. Let’s go back over to Exodus chapter 3, if you would please. Back over there. And would you look at verse number 10? We’re just trying to point out what God wants us to point out as we cover these verses. Verse number 10, Exodus 3 and verse number 10. He says there, he says, “Come now, therefore, I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
Now, a couple of things about how God calls it. Notice the wording of it. God says, “Hey, Moses, here’s your job. You’re going to go to Pharaoh.” A couple things about that. First of all, God had prepared Moses for years and years in Pharaoh’s court. Pharaoh knew how things ran over there. He knew where to go. It’s a different Pharaoh, but Moses understood that system; he had been raised in it. There’s a chance he was raised to be one of the Pharaohs, you know, the only daughter, and he didn’t have any other grandchildren, so on and so on. We don’t know about all that. Many think that. Rabbis are thinking—we don’t know that. But I’m just saying Moses understood Pharaoh’s court.
So God says, “Oh, Moses, you’re 80 now, but now all that—you never understood why I was allowing all these things in your life. You’re like in a—like a yo-yo, turning out like a yo-yo. What the world? Why am I, you know, biological parents, Israel, and now I’ll be here with Egyptians and doing what I am? Why do I have to go through all this? And I’m going to end up back over talking to Pharaoh?” And if anybody really was trained and personally prepared for this position, Moses was. And the first thing God says, “All right, Moses, we’re going back over there to Pharaoh.”
Remember what happened when he was 40? Remember whose face he fled from? Remember that? Let’s say I’ve got it, I think, down here somewhere. Oh, go back over to chapter number two, Exodus chapter 2. And look in verse number 14, if you would. Exodus 2 and verse number 14. “And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Thinkest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?” And Moses feared, and said, “Surely this thing is known.” Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well."
Wait a second. Now, Moses, you’re going to have to go face your fear. If I’m going to be used, if you’re going to be used by me, part of this thing is you’ve got to go back—the thing, the different Pharaoh—but you’ll have to face the face of Pharaoh; you’ve got to go back and face it. And God can use that so many different ways. I think of a man years ago that was here on Wednesday night, I think it was, and just God had led—we talked about dealing with things in your past that you need to deal with. And I had no idea, but oh, a couple nights later, I don’t know, maybe a week later, I don’t know, but he came, and he never dreamed this fellow to be like him, but he came, and he said, “I got to meet with him.” We met one night up here, and he just was crying. He said, “Man, it just seemed like that night it was just me and you in there, and God’s…”
And another one of his relatives had been telling me how his marriage and different things was on the rocks. And he got to do something about this situation, whatnot. And, boy, God really dealt with him about dealing with the past issue in his life. And I believe God used that night and different things. And as far as I know, his marriage and things are doing good today, as far as I know. And sometimes you’ve got to go back and face some fears. I don’t mean to be inappropriate. We do have our children in the Master’s Club. But I think of just, I don’t know how many of the past—and I don’t like to deal with it ever—but it’s part of the ministry, but dealing with, oh, sexual abuse. And I think every single time I’ve dealt with it, the last couple times, always the individual had been abused as a child and they never dealt with it. Oh, it’s just—it’s just kind of an ongoing thing. Last time I dealt with it, not too long ago, and they said, “Well, that’s what the police detective said: ‘It’s just—you just grant that that’s happening then.’” Then that person had been messed with; they never dealt with it. And sometimes you have to face your fears.
And Moses here, Moses, you’re going to have to go back and face Pharaoh. And it can be applied in so many ways. Maybe, maybe, man, I like to be a soul winner, but I just can’t talk to people. Well, you may have to face your fear. You can—“I can do all things through Christ”—thinking. Maybe you’ve been praying for your uncle to get saved for 40 years. “Might I want them to get saved, but I can’t.” Yeah, maybe you can’t wait until—you may have to face your fear.
I would like to—I would like to be a, you know, where I teach the Bible. And I used to have a Bible study at work. That was a great blessing. It was a privilege of mine. And we used to meet in the locker room at work. And, boy, it’s interesting. It was a Union Tank Car Company; we made railroad tank cars in East Chicago. It was an interesting place to have a Bible study in that locker room. I mean, we’ve had all kind of interesting things. I can’t even tell all of them that happened in that locker room. But there’s no privilege to do that. But I’m saying maybe God wants you to do something like this. “I can never teach the Bible.” Something like that? But what you could—you may have to face your fear a little bit. “Well, that can’t be God’s will if I get fear involved.” No, it’s a good chance it is God’s will.
Moses, you’re going to have to go back. No, I had to go back and face Pharaoh. And he did. We’ll get to it a little later on. He didn’t start off as bold as he ended up. He ended up real bold, but not the first time. But he faced him, and he did what God wanted him to do. And a wonderful thing about it. Now let’s keep going. We’re just kind of going verse per verse. We’re back over here in Exodus 3.
Would you look down to verse number 11? Verse number 11, Exodus 3, verse number 11. “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
John Wesley’s commentary says this about this statement there, and it’s amazing. If you study a lot of these commentaries, you know, the oldest one said this, and a lot of the other ones say the same thing. The other guy said, you know. So John Wesley, I think he’s the first one that said it—I don’t know—but a lot of Matthew Henry’s and all these, a bunch of other ones said the same thing. Whoever said it first, they got it from him, anyway. He says, “The more fit any person is for service, the less opinion he has of himself.” I’ve always been…
And Moses says—it’s very typical when God calls people. Isaiah, “Hey, I’m going to call you to a life of service.” He saw the Lord high and lifted up in Isaiah 6. That was his calling also. After he saw the Lord, and God gives him a commission of that thing there, what did he say? He’s the first thing he says: “Woe is me! I am an undone—unclean lips.”
Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1, verse number five. We used that verse with abortion a whole lot: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee… and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” He is calling him; that’s Jeremiah’s call. The next verse, verse number six, Jeremiah 1, verse number six. Then said I, “Ah, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak: for I am a…” Is what Jeremiah—seven? God called him. God uses humble people.
Just, just 40 years earlier, Moses, he was mighty in words and deeds, remember that? We’ve studied about that. Acts 7: mighty of words and deeds. And it fell flat on his face. It wasn’t God’s timing; he wasn’t doing it God’s way. Forty years later, God’s calling him. It doesn’t say anything here about mighty in words and deeds. Later on we’ll get—he’s like, “I can’t even talk right.” But God said, “Yeah, now I want to use you this way.” God—and God said, “Moses, hey, you’re humble now. I’m ready to use you now.”
I was talking with Clay McNeese. Remember Clay McNeese? He’s preached here a couple times. Ms. Barb—he was Miss Barb, Brother Larry’s pastor for years and years in Maryland. He’s preached our old-fashioned service for us before. Anybody remember Clay McNeese? He’s just—I always enjoyed. He just enjoyed a talk to. He’s just humbled down to earth, and all his kids and his grandkids are all in church, I think maybe even great-grandkids now. And we were talking about all that. But he made a little statement. He’s just a country fellow. He’s from North Georgia, if I remember right? And just to come, and I like to, and sometimes I just put it out, you know, just on my level, if you will. I don’t need all that, just for me. And he said this: I was talking about that. He said, “You know, anything I really did that amounted to anything for the Lord”—he’s older, oh, in his 70s—“anything, and you can’t get around and preach like you like to. But,” he said, and he’s just talking back, he said, “you know, anything I did that amounted to anything,” he said, “the Lord had to push me into it. I really didn’t want to do it.”
And that kind of stuck in my head. And Moses said, “Me? Who am I? I can’t do that. I can’t do that.” And God said, “Yeah, now you’re ready for me to use you now.” And God’s calling him to be the man that delivers the children.
Let’s keep going. Let’s get one more verse, and we’re going to go home tonight, amen. Praise the Lord, nobody said amen right there. Wow, that’s pretty good. Y’all are paying attention. Wow. Look at verse number 12 right there, verse number 12, Exodus 3, verse number 12. And Moses said, “Who am I to do this?” And God said, verse number 12: “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee.” That’s always—just seems like always—God’s answer to fear. And if God’s with you, everything will be all right. I like the way he said it: “Certainly, I will be with thee.” “There shall be a token of thee that I have sent thee when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt: ye shall serve God upon this mountain.” And he did; that’s Mount Sinai. You got the Ten Commandments and all there.
Fear is part of doing pretty much anything for God. The antidote of that: “I’ll be with you.” Isaac, boy, God—let me just read it for you. Genesis 26:24. “And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not; for I am with thee.”
Jacob, “I want you to go back to your hometown.” Man, I don’t want to go there. They know what a crook I am, a manipulator I am. Genesis 31:3. “And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.”
The man that follows up behind Moses later on, Joshua, his successor, Joshua 1:5 and many other places. “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.” A wonderful verse here. I recommend you memorizing this verse: Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee.” It’s all over the Bible.
Fear comes, and it will come. Watch the antidote. God says, “I’ll be with you. I’ll be with you.” I’ve got to make a tough decision. I don’t know what’s going to be the outcome. I don’t know who’s going to like it or not like it. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Have God in that thing. By the way, that’s a pretty good thing when you’re trying to figure out what is right or wrong. Maybe just ask yourself, “Will God be with me if I do this? Does God be with you?” I think it’s for me all right.
Man, I get that phone call: “Cancer. I got this. I got that.” Someone old this afternoon, Ron and Joe and Ms. Joe, one of her friends passed. “What am I going to do if this person…” Whatever may be, and she’s all right with that. But how can I—am I ever going to be able to handle that? Yeah, God will be. You’re not going to go along. He’s very present help in trouble.
Moses said, “Lord, I can’t do this thing.” “As I’ll be with you. It’ll be all right. It’s going to be okay.” If you’re a born-again Christian, he said, “I’ll never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Friend, it’s going to be all right. I don’t like it that—I don’t like it that the Conservatives didn’t take the Senate either. I wish they would have took the Senate, kicked out the White House, took that, and all of the House. I wish they would take it all. But, friend, it’s going to be okay. He’s with us. I don’t get too flustered. God’s got this thing. The Lord’s with you, friend; it’s all right. It’s all right.
Now, one last just general thought here, we’ll be done for tonight. But I don’t want you just think about this. We studied really last week, but when Moses—he started getting over the burning bush, and God said, “Hey, Moses, remember what did he tell him to take off?” Shoes. Maybe as we walk in this all—you just walk it, and you’re going to get—and God said, “Hey, Moses, take those shoes off,” when Moses got on holy ground. God blessed…
God, pretty quick into it, God said, “All right, Moses, we’ve got a job for you to do. Let me give you a calling. I’m going to revive some of those dreams I put in your heart way, way back.” Yeah, that’s my plan all along. But you see what I’m getting at the very end here? When you just get real clean and you get close to God, God’s not really for museum Christians. Look at me. You get close to God, guess what? I’ve got something to do. Somebody go help, somebody go love, somebody go minister to them, somebody go deliver the Lord. Moses, man, he got on the holy ground, and I said, “Moses, let’s go do something now.”
Isn’t it interesting? “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise.” You don’t stand with wise men; you walk. “But a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” That’s what I’m probably—you hang around, you’re doing something. And God said, “Moses, you’re getting on the holy ground, and get over here close to me. Now, let’s go do so.” And God said, “Hey, Moses, those dreams, that’s what we’ll do.”
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? You’re here tonight, and I’m not going to ask you to raise your hand about any certain thing, but you’re here tonight and you say, “You know, just somewhere along the line, God spoke to my heart.” Maybe it’s the tears. Friends, sometimes I need it. “Lord, just bring the tears. I need to get into this thing in my heart.” Maybe I need to have the right attitude. “Lord, thank you for letting me have a part in your word. Thank you. What a great thing you’ve allowed me to have a part of it.” Maybe God—when Moses was humbled, I said, “All right, and I want to use you.”
Maybe it’s, “Boy, I don’t need to live in fear. The Lord’s with me; everything’s going to be all right. I don’t want to live in fear. God’s got it. God’s got it.” But you said, “God spoke to my heart.” Would you just spend some time with you that? Would you do that? Would you come to an old-fashioned altar? You’d just be obedient to the Lord as he guides. Would you stand, please? Would you do that? Have a word of prayer. Would you spend some time just doing business with God? Let him work in your hearts. We’ll pray; the instruments will play. Would you come?
Father, thank you. Lord, I pray, Lord, would you use some of these things being said just to be a help? Lord, would you take them and would you speak specifically to the hearts and lives as you see fit? We want to hear your voice tonight. Lord, help us to be very, very close and real with you tonight in a few minutes. Well, thank you, Lord, for what you do. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Would you spend some time with the Lord as we play? Would you do so? I appreciate just God’s who you’re wonderful and just being faith in the house of the Lord on Wednesday night. Glad to see everybody out tonight. Good to have Brother Copeland, Ms. Copeland with us tonight. That’s a blessing. Would you dismiss this word of prayer, please, brother?
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - Who Am I - Wednesday PM 11162022