Pastor Dave Martin ~ Cross Creek Community Church ~ June 3, 2007

“God’s Desert Refinery”

Life of Moses part 3

Exodus 2:15-25

Key Principles from last week…

Isaiah 48:10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

In the Desert of Failure & Flops…

1.    Be Learning to “Sit Self Down”.

Exodus 2:15 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.

·         The Midian desert is no man’s land… arid, dry, barren, rocks & sand, craggy, hot, little vegetation

·         Located in the Sinai Peninsula it held very few people and many valuable lessons for life.

·         After fleeing Egypt the first thing God tells us is Moses sat down… self sits down.

·         Being raised in the finest of Egypt, thinking he was a somebody and losing it all… Moses hit bottom

·         Experiencing failure should prompt us to sit down, shut up and reflect… Moses sat down

·         Moses took a deep plunge… bruised, battered… success ran threw his hands like the desert sand

·         His carnal attitude of self-centeredness and energized plans backfired… he finally learned truth.

·         He’s done with trying to look good on the outside, tired of wearing a false face  of being a hypocrite

·         A broken man will stop trying to protect his image… at risk of being vulnerable & transparent

·         God’s Desert Refinery… lonely, quiet a place to “hear” from God…

·         The Hebrew word for desert is “midbaar” that comes from “dahbaar” meaning “to speak”

·         The deserts of our lives is where God often “speaks” to us… doctor mentions the C word, lose of a loved one, financial difficulties, wayward child, nasty divorce… 

·         Moses learned to sit self down… “Humble yourself before the Lord & He will lift you up”

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

2.    Be Refreshed with Springs of Living Water.

John 4:13-14 ¹³ Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

·         Where did Moses sit… by a well.  Hot weary, broken… what cool refreshing water… how good it is

·         I don’t know if you’ve ever been there?  Days without water, mental pressures circling your mind…

·         Possibly vultures circling overhead just waiting for supper… But God directed Moses to a well

·         Moses’ tank was on empty… he needed refreshing water… Jesus said He is the “Living Water”

·         Whoever drinks the water that He provides will never thirst again…

·         Many of you have drank from the Living Water that wells up to eternal life… Jesus refreshes souls!

·         You may be feeling like Moses this morning… Big Failure, major flops, maybe filled with yourself…

·         Lacking a relationship with Jesus Christ the Son of Almighty God… you’re in a desert and the vultures are circling… the desert will win if you don’t personally trust Jesus Christ as Savior & Lord

·         Deep in your soul there may be a God-sized hole you have been trying to fill for years… you can’t…

·         Sin has separated you from a Holy God… sin must be dealt with or you’re vulture meat forever.

Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

3.    Be Developing a Servants Heart.

Exodus 2:16-20 ¹⁶ Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. ¹⁷ Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. ¹⁸ When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" ¹⁹ They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock." ²⁰ "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat."

·         When we down and broken… God fills our tanks so we can serve Him… He encourages us.

·         Moses again attempts a rescue… seven daughters of a priest & their flocks… help the underdog.

·         There are no shortcuts in developing a servants heart… Moses stepped up to the plate…

·         This was God’s perfect timing & plan… Moses delivered God’s people though on a smaller scale

·         Faithful in a little the Lord will give you more (Mt 25:23)… Moses was faithful with the seven!

·         Isn’t it good to know God doesn’t give up on us?  We can be our worst critic… I can’t be used again

·         I failed & flopped… For the rest of my life I have to sit in the penalty box… dejected, filled w/ regrets

·         Psalms 68:6a “God sets the lonely in families…” That’s why God is growing us so much… hurting people, broken toys, lonely people come here to get refreshed with Jesus!

·         Moses took the first step in overcoming failure… He sat, God replenished, He served

·         Girls returned home early, why?  An Egyptian (by the way he was dressed) helped us… he even went way beyond by watering the entire flock for us… Don’t let him go!  He’s a keeper!  Invite Him!

4.    Be Sensitive to God’s Sovereign Plan.

Exodus 2:21-22 ²¹ Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. ²² Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land."

·         Moses found himself in no man’s land… no family, prestige, friends, money, power, dignity…

·         Broken, surrendered to the Lord, replenished, well activity… this offer seemed good…

A.W. Tozer said, “A true & safe leader is likely one who has no desire to lead, but is forced into a position of leadership by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit and by the press of the external situation”

·         Not only were these circumstances orchestrated by God… we see God’s blessing him also.

·         In these few verses we see a glimpse of Moses life… a new wife and two baby boys according to Acts 7:29 – the first was Gershom “A stranger here”… now working for his father in law - sheep

·         Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land” – His son Gershom will always remind him

·         Be sensitive to God’s Sovereign plan… God is working all around us, be aware & join Him in it.

·         It is wise for us today as Christians, those who have been born into God’s family to be sensitive of who and where we are… We too are strangers & foreigners, pilgrims, ambassadors, we’re sojourners, aliens on this earth… our home, our kingdom is in heaven

·         Be sensitive to God’s sovereign plan… Humbly walk in TRUTH before Him

·         You’re not of this world… live for the Lord, be a champion for Christ, Be a Difference Maker!

5.    Be Faithful over the Long Haul.

Exodus 2:23-25 ²³ 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. 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.

Acts 7:30 “After 40 years had passed…”

·         Verse 23 just says… during that long period… God gives us more in Acts 7:30… it was 40 years

·         God used 40 years to train Moses to become the powerful leader he was… training takes time!

·         Surrounded by wasteland, Moses spent years being a husband, father and sheep herder

·         God’s desert university taught Moses about family, sheep and desert survival for future use…

·         It taught him to rest and rely totally upon the Lord… 40 years of teaching, humbling, preparing…

·         That long period Moses was found faithful… God always uses time to test & train.

·         “Let a man prove himself”… willing to be obscure, isolated, harse environment… found faithful

·         God prepares each of us for the task He calls us to… Moses it took 40 yrs for this God-sized task

·         We see over these 40 years the Lord was still concerned for His people… God’s Timing

·         Midst of failures & flops… God still sees and is working in ways beyond our comprehension

Psalms 34:17-18 ¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. ¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The Desert…

·         Is where God gets our attention

·         Is Lonely, barren, hot, uncomfortable

·         Where the time required depends on You (in large part, how responsive you are to the Holy Spirit)

God’s School of Self-Discovery

·         Do you feel like you’re in a desert?  Dry, arid, scary, everything falling apart?  Sinful habits?

·         You may feel like you’re a million miles from God… look up & see vultures circling for the kill…

·         I invite you to turn from your sins and trust Jesus Christ as your Savior…

·         You will never get out of the desert without Him… He’ll give you refreshing water for your soul.

Deuteronomy 32:10-12 ¹⁰ In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, ¹¹ like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions (wings). ¹² The LORD alone led him…

Living In His Divine Favor…

·         God Encircles us.

Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

·         God Cares for us.

Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

·         God Guards us.

1 Samuel 2:9 He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. "It is not by strength that one prevails;

·         God Guides us.

Psalms 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

·         God Shapes us.

Isaiah 64:8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Jeremiah 18:4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

Invitation / Prayer

Closing: Potter’s Hand

“Moses, A Man of Selfless Dedication”, Charles Swindoll; Word Publishing 1999

“Experiencing God”, Henry Blackaby; LifeWay Press 1990

“Acts”, John MacAurthur; Moody Press 1994

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