#4  (THE "5 EXCUSES OF MOSES" SERIES)

 

"BUT I'M NOT ELOQUENT!"

 

TEXT:         Exodus 4:10-12

 

INTRO:       Our own fears and weaknesses can hold us back from a great life if we submit to them.  But oh the rewards when we do face them and conquer them!

 

ILLUS:   A professional photographer by the name of Eric Valli worked for National Geographic and was on assignment in Nepal.  His assignment was to get a picture of a man named Mani Lal doing what he has done for decades, gathering honey at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, the home of the largest honeybees in the world!  He would do this by climbing up a nylon rope below Mani Lal as they approached the hives and thousands of the largest honeybees circling their heads in anger as the honey is extracted!  Eric's problem was his weakness for heights!  They would dangle 395 feet from this cliff!  As they climb, Eric with all his gear, they arrive hundreds of feet up and find the nests and the work begins, and the thousands of honeybees begin buzzing them. Eric was petrified with fear, while Mani Lal was calm and INDIFFERENT; this was just another harvest for him!  Eric's panic grew until he was ready to drop, but he took a deep breath and decided it was better to take a few stings and live than fall and die!  He overcame his fear and won a photo competition for his efforts that helped establish him in his career.  -- Source Unknown

 

Moses, and people like us have weaknesses that can hold us back from doing what God calls us to.  What we need to remember however is that the same God who calls us will equip us to do what we are called to do!  If we shrink back in fear over our weaknesses we will never experience the great joy and satisfaction of watching God do great things through our lives!

 

It does not matter that we are weak when He is strong!

 

PROP. SENT:  The Bible teaches us that our weaknesses can be overcome with God's help; He enables us to do what He has called us to do!

 

I.      FOCUS ON FAILURE!     4:10

 

A.   Weakness Targeted!     4:l0a

1.  Moses now attempts his 4th excuse at getting out of God's call on his life!

a.   "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." 4:10a

b.   His other excuses all dealt with others not believing him.  Those excuses failed, now he tries the excuse that focuses on his own weaknesses!

2.  He is probably not lying, he very well may have been a poor communicator, but so were others used by God!

a.   Consider the Apostle Paul in II Cor. 10:10 “For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."”  (NIV – emphasis mine)  He was very down to earth guy!

b.   Luther was said to be a very poor speaker early in his ministry!

3.  The world would be a sad place if they had yielded to their weaknesses!

 

ILLUS:    ENRICO CARUSO WAS TOLD BY ONE MUSIC TEACHER, "YOU CAN'T SING, YOU HAVE NO VOICE AT ALL!"  HE IS TODAY ONE OF THE GREATEST SINGERS!  BEETHOVEN'S MUSIC TEACHER SAID ABOUT HIM, "AS A COMPOSER HE IS HOPELESS!"  AN EDITOR TOLD LOUISA MAY ALCOTT THAT SHE WAS INCAPABLE OF WRITING ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE POPULAR APPEAL, WHICH OF COURSE, WAS BEFORE SHE WROTE "LITTLE WOMEN."  WALT DISNEY WAS ONCE FIRED BY A NEWSPAPER EDITOR BECAUSE HE THOUGHT WALT DISNEY HAD NO GOOD IDEAS!  F.W. WOOLWORTH WAS 21 WHEN HE GOT A JOB IN A STORE, BUT HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO WAIT ON CUSTOMERS BECAUSE HE WAS TOLD HE HAD NO SENSE FOR CUSTOMERS!  -- Source Unknown

 

4.  Moses was more focused on his weakness than on God's strength!

a.   Moses only saw his past...

b.   … and his present situation, which was still that as a bad speaker!

 

B.   Walker vrs. Talker!     4:l0b

1.  However, Moses had one quality that was strong, he may not have been a good talker but he was a good walker!

2.  Moses was solid, and with 40 years as a shepherd he had developed the heart of the kind of leader God would be able to use to lead Israel out of slavery!

a.   Israel needed an example first, a talker second!

b.   Moses' strength was his commitment and consistency!

3.  The most important elements of leadership he possessed already, being an example!  The talking part can be learned easier than the walking part!

4.  In the Master's hand his weakness will develop into a strong gift, but only if he allows the Master to help him!

 

ILLUS:    POLAND'S FAMOUS CONCERT PIANIST AND PRIME MINISTER, IGNACE PADEREWSKI WAS A MASTER PIANIST!  ONE DAY AT A CONCERT HE WAS TO GIVE AN UNUSUAL THING HAPPENED.  A LONG LINE OF PEOPLE HAD GATHERED EARLY TO GET FRONT ROW SEATS, INCLUDED IN THIS GROUP WAS A MOTHER WITH HER YOUNG SON THAT SHE HOPED WOULD GET GREAT INSPIRATION FOR PLAYING THE PIANO FROM THIS EVENT OF HEARING A MASTER PLAY.  AS THEY WERE LET INTO THE HALL FOR THE CONCERT THIS MOTHER MANAGED TO FIND SEATS UP FRONT.  AS THEY ENTERED THEY NOTICED THE BEAUTIFUL STEINWAY ON THE PLATFORM.  AS SHE SAT DOWN WITH HER SON, SHE FOUND A FRIEND SITTING NEAR HER AND SHE STRUCK UP A CONVERSATION WITH HER.  SHE DIDN'T NOTICE THAT HER YOUNG SON HAD SLIPPED AWAY FROM HER AND HIS CHAIR!  IT WAS NOW ALMOST 8 O'CLOCK AND THE ROOM DARKENED … A SPOT LIGHT CAME ON THE PIANO AND SUDDENLY TO THIS MOTHER'S HORROR SHE LOOKED AND HER SON WAS SEATED AT THE STEINWAY ON STAGE!  BEFORE SHE COULD DO ANYTHING THE LITTLE BOY BEGAN PLAYING "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR" ON THE PIANO!  THE MOTHER GASPED WITH HORROR, BUT BEFORE SHE COULD MOVE FROM HER CHAIR TO RETRIEVE HER ENERGETIC SON THE MASTER PIANIST PADEREWSKI HIMSELF WALKED OUT ON STAGE TO THE PIANO AND STOOD BEHIND THE YOUNG BOY STILL PLAYING "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR!"  HE BENT OVER AND WHISPERED TO THE BOY, "DON'T STOP, KEEP PLAYING!"  THEN HE REACHED OVER THE BOY WITH HIS LEFT HAND AND BEGAN TO ADD A BASS PART.  SOON HE REACHED AROUND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOY WITH HIS RIGHT HAND AND HE ADDED A RUNNING OBBLIGATO!  TOGETHER, THE OLD MASTER AND THE YOUNG BOY HELD THE CROWD MESMERIZED WITH A STIRRING PERFORMANCE OF "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR"!  THE LITTLE BOY WAS NOT ASHAMED OF HIS WEAKNESS AND WITH THE HELP OF THE MASTER THEY GAVE A STIRRING PERFORMANCE!  ARE YOU REFUSING TO DO WHAT YOU CAN DO AND THEREFORE NOT LETTING THE MASTER REACH AROUND YOU TO BRING THE HOUSE DOWN?  -- Source Unknown

 

5.  God certainly knew about Moses' weaknesses, yet God called him to do a task!

a.   God is not hindered by our weaknesses, only if we fail to yield!

b.   God always knows what He is doing when He calls us!

6.  Moses’ consistent nature of 40 years of shepherding would serve Israel well in the same desert Moses had served in for 40 years ... the problem of speech God can fix, the walker can learn to be a talker!

a.   It would have been much more seriously a problem if he had been a talker and not a walker!

b.   People need our example more than our words!

c.   Moses was a strong walker, he would also become a strong talker with God's help!

 

II.    FOCUS ON FAITHFULNESS!   4:11-12

 

A.   Wholehearted Trust!    4:11

1.  God responds to Moses' complaint over his lack of speaking ability!

a.   God asks, "Who gave man his mouth?" a clear reference to God's involvement with man's creation!

b.   Which is harder to make; the actual mouth, or saying a few words?

c.   If God can make the greater the lesser will be no problem for Him to deal with!

2.  This is a call by God for Moses to trust Him for doing the easier thing if Moses indeed believed God made the hard thing already!

a.   Literally the expression in Hebrew is "who has set a mouth in man?"

b.   The idea is of God's creative power to do a very complicated thing!

3.  Sometimes weaknesses yielded to God actually enhance the supernatural acts of God, so that in our weakness He is made strong!

 

ILLUS:    AS NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES, JAMES JEFFRIES WAS ONE OF THE MOST ARTICULATE AND DYNAMIC CHRISTIAN SPOKESMEN IN THE COUNTRY.  IN MANY WAYS, JEFFRIES' SON NEIL WAS A LOT LIKE HIS DAD, STRONGLY BUILT, ATHLETIC, GOOD LOOKING, AND WITH A DEEP COMMITMENT TO CHRIST; HOWEVER, IN ONE WAY HE WAS VERY MUCH HIS FATHER'S OPPOSITE, HE WAS A TERRIBLE SPEAKER. HE HAD A SEVERE STUTTERING PROBLEM THAT MADE IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SPEAK LIKE HIS CHARISMATIC WELL SPOKEN FATHER.  HE WAS ALSO VERY SHY, THOUGH VERY INTELLIGENT, PROBABLY THE RESULT OF THE EMBARRASSMENT OF THE YEARS OF STUTTERING.  EVEN THOUGH, HE WAS PICKED TO SPEAK AT AN FCA NATIONAL CONFERENCE.  OVER A THOUSAND ATHLETES WERE IN ATTENDANCE, MOST DID NOT KNOW ABOUT NEIL'S STUTTERING PROBLEM.  AS NEIL BEGAN HIS SPEECH, MOST THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE OR SKIT AND THEY ALL BEGAN TO LAUGH!  ON THE PLATFORM, NEIL BRAVED THE SITUATION AND CONTINUED TO SPEAK TALKING ALMOST 20 MINUTES TO SAY WHAT YOU AND I COULD HAVE SAID IN 5-10 MINUTES.  AT THE CONCLUSION TO HIS SPEECH AN AMAZING THING HAPPENED.  THE AUDIENCE SOON REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NO JOKE OR SKIT, AND THEY HAD BEGUN TO LISTEN, EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED.  NEIL OFFERED AN INVITATION FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE TO GIVE THEIR HEARTS AND LIVES TO JESUS CHRIST AND ALL ACROSS THE AUDIENCE YOUNG MEN STOOD AND BEGAN TO MOVE TOWARD THE ALTAR TO GIVE THEIR LIVES TO JESUS CHRIST.  MORE YOUNG ATHLETES GAVE THEIR HEARTS TO JESUS CHRIST AT THIS CONVENTION THAT AT ANY PREVIOUS FCA CONFERENCE IN THE PAST!  NEIL WAS NOT ELOQUENT, BUT HE WAS PASSIONATE, AND HIS WALK WITH GOD MOVED THESE MEN MORE THAN HIS TALKING ABILITY!  -- Source Unknown

 

4.  God can do more with AVAILABILITY than He can with just SHEAR ABILITY!

5.  Natural abilities can impress people -- but supernatural ability can improve people!

6.  God was calling Moses to trust Him wholeheartedly, what Moses is weak at is no problem for God, God will develop this ability to speak as he makes himself available to God!

a.   If God can make his mouth...

b.   He can certainly train it to speak properly!

7.  Moses needed to heed the last line of verse 11: "is it not I, the Lord!"

a.   God can do anything!

b.   He has no plans to make us fail in the call on our lives; He will equip us with whatever we need to succeed in doing whatever He has asked us to do!

c.   We need to trust Him wholeheartedly!

 

B.   Willing & Teachable!   4:12

1.  Here comes the final issue, "are you willing and are you teachable Moses?"

a.   God's response to his excuse is "NOW GO...!"

b.   God adds, "I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

2.  God simply needs two things to accomplish His purposes in our lives:

a.   Willingness to follow through (obedience).

b.   A teachable spirit!

3.  ANYONE who has these two ingredients can be used by God to do great things!

4.  It is a sad thing when we see those in the world do great things because they have these two ingredients and then when we look at the Church we lack these!

 

ILLUS:    A GUY BY THE NAME OF JIM MERTZ WAS A CHRISTIAN AND FOUND HIMSELF EXAMINING HIS LIFE ONE DAY AS TO HIS WILLINGNESS TO SERVE GOD AND WHETHER HE HAD A TEACHABLE HEART.  HE MADE THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS:  JIM WAS WATCHING A MOVIE ONE DAY AND IN IT HE SAW A MUSLIM MAN STOP AND FACE THE HOLY CITY OF MECCA 5 TIMES A DAY AND PRAY TO ALLAH.  HE WAS NOT TOO BUSY TO BE CONSISTENT TO DO THIS AS A MUSLIM.  JIM ASKED HIMSELF, "DO I REALLY LOVE JESUS LIKE THAT?" JIM WAS LATER READING ABOUT A YOUNG MOTHER WHO WAS SEEN THROWING HER PRECIOUS NEW-BORN BABY IN THE GANGES RIVER AS A LOVE SACRIFICE TO HER GOD!  WHEN ASKED ABOUT DOING THIS THE MOTHER REPLIED, "YOU SEE, WE ALWAYS OFFER OUR VERY BEST IN SACRIFICE TO OUR GOD!" JIM THEN ASKED HIMSELF THE QUESTION, "DO I REALLY LOVE JESUS THAT MUCH? WHAT HAVE I SACRIFICED FOR HIM, HAVE I TRULY GIVEN MY BEST TO HIM?" JIM WAS ONCE IN A HOSPITAL FOR 10 DAYS RECUPERATING FROM A BOUT OF PNEUMONIA, IT WAS A SATURDAY MORNING AS HE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AT THE WINTRY BLOWING COLD WHEN HE NOTICED AT THE STREET CORNER A YOUNG LADY WHO WAS STANDING IN THE FREEZING COLD SELLING ROSES.  HE NOTICED THAT NO MATTER HOW SHE WAS TREATED, NO MATTER HOW COLD, SHE STAYED THERE ALL DAY SMILING TO SELL ROSES FOR A CULT LEADER, THE REVEREND MOON. JIM WEPT AS HE ASKED HIMSELF THAT QUESTION AGAIN, "DO I REALLY LOVE JESUS THAT MUCH?"  ONCE HOME, ON A SATURDAY MORNING HIS DOORBELL RANG, AS HE OPENED THE DOOR THERE STOOD 2 YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY WERE SMILING AND ANXIOUS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR DOCTRINES AND THEIR RELIGIOUS SECT.  THEY WERE NOT DOCTRINES JIM COULD ACCEPT BUT HE COULD NOT GET OVER THEIR DEDICATION AND SINCERITY.  AS THEY LEFT AND HE WATCHED FROM THE WINDOW AS THEY WENT FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE JIM ASKED HIMSELF AGAIN, "DO I REALLY LOVE JESUS, AM I ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST?  WOULD I GO OUT AND KNOCK ON DOORS TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST?  THE ISSUE ISN'T ABILITY, IT IS PASSION, WILLINGNESS TO GO, AND TEACHABLE TO GROW!  -- Source Unknown

 

5.  This was all God was asking from Moses – “Go,” and He would teach him!

a.   Moses' excuses were not acceptable!

b.   God was not unaware of the problems Moses possessed, but these were not problems for God!

6.  God can handle deficiency, but He requires dedication!

a.   Moses' 4th excuse was not sufficient; it was not accepted by God!

b.   Moses was to focus on being faithful, not on being a failure!

7.  The great faith chapter in Hebrews 11 is full of stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things, the chapter is about faith, but it is full of action verbs ... people who went and DID great exploits for God!

a.   Action to go is what God is looking for first!

b.   He can supply the talent as we are faithful to serve!

c.   The first place of learning is that of responding!

8.  By world standards Moses had been a complete failure, he was laughable!  But, he was the raw material God used to do a great work!

a.   It mattered how Moses saw himself, at first he thought himself a failure!

b.   With God's help however, he would be a success!

9.  It is vitally important how we view ourselves!

 

ILLUS:     THE STORY OF THE FAMOUS CHERRY SISTERS IS AMAZING!  4 GIRLS LEFT THEIR HOME IN IOWA IN 1893 TO DEBUT ON A STAGE IN CEDAR RAPIDS IN A SKIT THEY WROTE THEMSELVES.  FOR 3 YEARS THE CHERRY SISTERS PERFORMED TO PACKED THEATERS THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE WEST; PEOPLE CAME TO SEE THEM ... BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS YOU MIGHT THINK, NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE SO GOOD, BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE SO BAD!!!  THEIR UNBELIEVABLY BAD ACTING ENRAGED CRITICS AND PROVOKED SPECTATORS TO THROW TOMATOES AT THE WOULD-BE "ACTRESSES."  WISELY, THE SISTERS LEARNED TO TRAVEL WITH AN IRON CAGE ON STAGE THAT THEY COULD RETREAT TO IT IN TIMES OF VERY ANGRY REACTIONS FROM THE CROWD FOR THEIR OWN PROTECTION.  AMAZINGLY, THE GIRLS NEVER BELIEVED THEY WERE BAD ACTORS, AND IN 1896 THEY WERE OFFERED $1,000 A WEEK TO PERFORM ON BROADWAY, NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE SO GOOD HOWEVER, BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE SO BAD!  7 YEARS LATER, AFTER THEY HAD EARNED A RESPECTABLE FORTUNE OF $200,000 THEY RETIRED FROM THEATRICAL LIFE CONVINCED TO THE END THAT THEY WERE GREAT STARS AND TALENTED!  THEY BELIEVED THEY WERE THE BEST TALENT TO HIT BROADWAY TO DATE!  THEY FAILED TO SEE THEIR OWN FAILURE, AND INSTEAD COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO BE DEVOTED TO WHAT THEY PERCEIVED WAS A CALLING, ONE THAT COULD BE DONE!  HAD THEY SEEN THEIR OWN ABILITY AS FAILURE, THEY SURELY WOULD HAVE REMAINED IN IOWA AS POOR FARMERS!  -- Source Unknown

 

10. Moses’ success was in God's hand in spite of his own inabilities, he just had to go willingly and be teachable!

a.   What has God called you to do?

b.   Are you making excuses still?

c.   Are you more focused on your weaknesses than His strength and His call?

 

CONCLUSION:   A focus on weaknesses can keep a believer from productive ministry.  Our weaknesses will not hinder God's work, only our lack of will to be used will do this!  Strengths develop as we yield ourselves to do His will.  Our weaknesses therefore are not valid excuses from ministry, for God is made strong in our weakness!  It is not failure that troubles God as much as it is faithlessness!  What excuses are you using to not serve God?