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Date Posted: Wed, Nov 15 06
Author: Kenny B
Subject: When God Gets Us Out of Our Way

When God gets us out of our way
Lessons from Moses (Exodus 4:10-16)
Notes taken from Pastor C.B. Akins Sermon
A Message close to the heart.


I’ve got issues. You’ve got issues. All of us have issues. In simple terms, there’s more to me that you cannot see, that gets in my way and keeps me from becoming all that God want’s me to be. Truthfully, most of our failures in life, most of our shortcomings, the real reasons we have not accomplished more is not the fault of others, but rather is directly attributable to the fact that we have stood in our own way. We’ve told others what we cannot do. We’ve set limits on our own progress. We have self-imposed boundaries on our own accomplishments. It’s not so much what others have told us we cannot do, cannot accomplish, and cannot achieve. That’s not our REAL problem. Our real problem is that we have bought into what others have said about us. We believe the devil’s lie and the enemy’s report. But the devil is a lie. It is no secret what God can do. What He has done for others, He’ll do the same for you. For with God, all things are possible.

Have you been blaming others for where you are not, and what you don’t have, and who you have failed to become? Do you assign blame to others when the real problem of your bad attitude does not stem from outside of you, but is caused by internal issues!

Again, all of us have issues:

1) Cain had some hate issues. He viewed what Abel was doing as competition. When you have hate issues, you will see competition where there really is none. And that makes it hard for you to celebrate the success of others because of your own hate issues.
2) Noah had some drinking issues. He tried to drown his troubles.
3) Samson and Solomon had issues with members of the opposite sex. They had women weaknesses. They could not soar to their apex because of their weakness. Let’s be honest: Some of us would be better if we dealt with this issue in our life. For example, you’d already been out of school if you hadn’t got hung up on her. (Amen!) You’d still have your own place and your own car if you hadn’t listened to him.
4) Peter’s got “foot-in-mouth” issue. He specializes in talking too much. Some people live a life of constant regret because they simply talk too much.
5) Abraham had lying issues. When he got in a tight spot, he’d tell a lie to try to get out. Do you know some people like that? They’ve been lying so long they even lie when they don’t have to lie. If the truth will set you free, then lies will lock you up!

Don’t you know that God is depending on each of us to get beyond our internal issues, to go on and fly high, not just for our sake, but also so we will not negatively impact the travel plans of others who are trying to get somewhere? Somebody needs to see Christ through you. Somebody needs a helping hand from you. Somebody needs to see you overcoming so they will know they can overcome as well. Don’t let your issues become somebody else’s issues.

Issues in your present are always rooted in your past. None of us have a past that is squeaky clean. Regardless of how big your Bible is, or how shiny your cross is, your past is not squeaky clean. In fact, your present…is not squeaky clean either. Yet, just because you’ve messed up in the past does not mean you have to go with the flow. No, you can choose to go against the tide. It’s more difficult. It takes more energy and it also takes more nerve. But it also leads to higher ground. The flow is going down but God wants us to go up, in spite of our dirty past, we can still “swim upstream”.

Moses was rejected by the people he tried to help. He was responsible for killing a person and he had a stuttering problem which caused him to feel inadequate (Exodus 2:11-14). These things were in his past, but it was about to interfere with his present. God wanted to use Moses in spite of his issues. God wanted to use Moses to liberate/deliver his people from Pharaoh. But Moses was holding it up because of his issues.

Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."
(Exodus 4:10)

But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."
(Exodus 4:13)

Can we relate? Maybe we are allowing our issues to worry us. And consequently, they are getting in the way of us doing Real ministry. Are your issues becoming our (the collective body of Christians) issues? Maybe it’s time to set them down, so we can be set free. Free to do the work of Christ, unhindered. God never calls us without equipping us. He does not call the gifted and the qualified, but He gifts and qualifies those He calls. He never asks, nor commands anything from us that He has not prepared for us to be able to give or do. God is calling us to a new level. And God’s new blessings require from us--new commitments. God has equipped us to respond to His call. It is a call to greatness.

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How does God get us out of our own way?

1) God will give us confirming evidence when we lack confidence.
a. Read Exodus 3: 11-14.
2) God will give us power from above us, so the issues of people around us, will not become an issue within us.
a. Read the story of the staff and the snake in Exodus 4:1-5.
3) God makes up for our hang-ups by giving us a “hook-up”.
a. Read Exodus 4:10-11.

You may have stains, you may have issues. We all have issues. But somebody needs you to cast your light into their darkness. Somebody’s hurt you, but they need your help. Shine…shine…shine…because God’s your source of power. He can still use us despite our stains. Not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

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