Ep. 5 | Responding to the Word Rather Than Reacting to the World

Text: Exodus 2:11-2:15

11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

“ONE DAY” (Exodus 2:11)
Between verses 10 and 11…

God is not giving us a detailed record of history, but rather, He is deliberately giving us specific details recorded from history.

• The focus lies on specific occurrences which point us to and piece together significant moments in His redemptive plans.
  

MOSES - Silence from 3-39; 41-80 - 63%

JESUS - Silence from 2-12; 12-30 - 81%

QUESTION: DO we randomly shoot the arrow of time God has given us, or do we intentionally seek the face of the ONE who created us and plug into the purpose and plan He has designed for our life?

1.The DIVINE Passion of Moses

What is PASSION? Comes from passio (Latin) which is derived from the word pati meaning “to suffer.” Ultimately, PASSION is that for which we are willing to suffer.

INSIDE THE MIND OF MOSES: Acts 7:25 He said of Moses, “He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.”

2. The DANGEROUS PROGRESSION of Moses

(a) He LOOKED at the PROBLEM

• ASK A FEW QUESTIONS: Let your problems drive you to prayer…not the perpetrator. He plugs his passion into the problem instead of plugging his passion into God’s plan and purpose. Are we plugging our passion into God’s purpose or are we trying to plug God’s purpose into our passion? Is our purpose a prisoner of our passion? The RIGHT PASSION in the wrong place is powerless. Do we assume a position before God’s promotion?

  (b) He LOOKED at the PERPETRATOR

  (c) He LOOKED at the PENALTIES

  • Are we trying to limit disapproval or fully please the LORD?

3. The DECISION-MAKING PROCESS of Moses

REACTING vs. RESPONDING

Reacting ABOUT THE NOW | Responding IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY

Reacting BASED ON FEELINGS | Responding BASED ON FAITH

Reacting LOOKS AT THE WORLD | Responding LOOKS AT THE WORD

Reacting IMPULSIVE | Responding THOUGHTFUL

Reacting SEEKS TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM | Responding SEEKS GOD’S GLORY IN EACH SITUATION

Reacting SEES THE IMMEDIATE CIRCUMSTANCE | Responding SEES THE BIG STORY

Reacting PUTS US IN THE PLACE OF JUDGE | Responding RECOGNIZES THE TRUE JUDGE

Reacting PERFORMED IN OUR POWER | Responding RELIES ON GOD’S POWER

Reacting SEES PEOPLE AS PROBLEMS | Responding SEES PEOPLE AS SOULS

Reacting DEALS WITH THE SURFACE | Responding DEALS WITH THE SOURCE

Reacting BRINGS PERPLEXITY | Responding BRINGS PEACE

Reacting DEALS WITH THE PHYSICAL | Responding DEALS WITH THE PHYSICAL & SPIRITUAL

Reacting FOCUS ON THE ONE WHO REACTS | Responding FOCUS ON THE ONE TO WHOM WE SURRENDER

Reacting WIN/LOSE | Responding WIN/WIN

Reacting GLORY GOES TO MAN | Responding GLORY GOES TO GOD

Acts 7:35 – “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

• It’s not that he was wrong in his passion, but HE wanted the position before the PROMOTION. Are you seeking a worldly position rather than waiting on and walking in the Word?

Five Key Elements in Moses’ DECISION-MAKING process (Hebrews 11:23-27)

1. There was a…CONTRASTING of Wrath (11:23,27)

2. CHOOSING of the Will (“chose” and “refused”)

3. COUNTING of the Wealth (“considered…”)

4. CONTENTMENT in this World…but NOT with this world (“He endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”)

5. CONCENTRATION on the Win (“He looked to His reward”)