(Exodus 6:28-7:6) Redefine Your Success! - A Call to Change our Misconceptions

On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, the Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?” And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”

Our narrative this morning should teach us that -

We need to define our success as faithfulness.

And we will understand why by comparing the problem of Moses with God’s greater purpose.

So let’s first consider -

1) Moses’s Problem: I Am a Nobody! (Ex 6:10-12, 28-30)

This isn’t the first time we have encountered this.

This is Moses consistent problem at the burning bush.

Exodus 3:11 ESV

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Moses goes back to this struggle after Pharoah and Israel refused to listen to him.

Let’s begin by considering -

a) Moses’s Doubt: Who Am I? A Nobody.

Exodus 6:10–12 ESV

So the Lord said to Moses, “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”

There is a brief interlude for the genealogy

and then Moses reconnects us to the story in - Ex 6:28-30.

Exodus 6:28–30 ESV

The “Uncircumcised lips” is a fun play on words.

To be uncircumcised here is to be unusable and outside God’s power.

Moses probably remembered his near-death experience in Exodus 4:24-26, when God was judging him for failing to initiate his children with the sign of the covenant >>> Circumcision.

Without circumcision you are outside God’s covenantal power and blessings.

Moses uses a figure of speech to say - I am uncircumcised.

That essentially says - I am so terrible of a speaker, that I am unusable by God.

His reason for self-doubt – if the people of Israel won’t listen to me, then how will the great pharaoh listen to me.

It is a really good point.

Moses is a practical, and he makes a really logical point.

But is he right?

If we define success as a positive outcome,

then that makes a lot of since.

ILLUSTRATION:

I am not that old, but I lived long enough to watch people in my church

- dismiss what Scripture says, simply because it was not going to have a positive outcome.

As though, Positive outcome should be the LORD of our lives.

Our actions should not exclusively be decided, based on if it is profitable.

A church is not a, for profit business adventure.

A Christian is not profiteer.

I am not saying be blind and foolish either.

But our definition of success should not be - does it have a positive outcome?.

What was -

b) Moses’s Mistake: He Thought Success Was Found in a Positive Outcome.

And we will see more about this as we work through the text.

Now consider,

how did Moses mistake effect him?

Observe his -

c) Moses’s Self-Inflicted Struggle: Defeat, frustration, guilt, and anger. (Summary of Ex 5,6, 7)

By the time we get to Exodus 6:28 – 30,

how would you describe Moses’s demeanor?

> He feels defeated, because Pharaoh won’t listen to him.

> He feels defeated, because Israel won’t even listen to him.

> He feels frustrated and betrayed – because Israel situation got even worse after he talked to Pharaoh.

His frustration and defeat, likely made him guilty, because he could not convince the Pharaoh to deliver his people.

He knows he’s a terrible speaker, and he has failed his people.

> And that defeated attitude, frustration, and guilt – has led him to anger.

Exodus 5:22 – 24, and Exodus 6: 12 is not the response of a cool and collected person, but the response of an angry man.

Exodus 5:22–23 ESV

Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

Exodus 6:12 ESV

But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”

But as we continue,

we will learn that this struggle is self-inflicted.

The struggle is because Moses had a wrong view of success.

He thinks success is a positive outcome.

But let’s now consider –

2) God’s Greater Purpose: That All of Egypt Will Know His Name. (Ex 7:1-5)

I have made some pretty hard statement about Moses thus far.

Did Moses really suffer because he had the wrong view of success?

Moses mistake becomes really obvious when we begin to examine Exodus 7:1 – 5.

What does the first five verses of Exodus 7 teach us about God’s purpose in the Exodus?

First –

a) God’s Different Plan: Pharoah Was to Reject Moses and God. (Ex 7:1-3)

Exodus 7:1–3 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

I think that,

one of the hardest ideas to wrap your head around – is why God would send you to do something you’re going to fail at?

We are so hard wired for positive outcomes, that it is hard to wrap are brains around the idea that God wants us to fail.

Moses was literally given a job that God planned for him to fail at.

God never intended Moses to be able to convince Pharaoh to let his people go.

What does that do to Moses’s view of success?

You can’t define your success as a positive outcome,

if God intends you to fail, as part of his perfect wisdom.

(REPEAT)

You can’t define your success as a positive outcome,

if God intends you to fail, as part of his perfect wisdom.

He is struggling with defeat, frustration, guilty, and anger.

But whose fault is it?

In Exodus 5:22 – 23,

Moses accuses God and blames God for his problem.

But whose fault really is it?

You can’t define success as a positive outcome,

because God doesn’t promise we will all have positive outcomes in our lives.

This is the root of the lie of the health and wealth Gospel.

And I wonder how often you and me struggle just like Moses

with the defeat, frustration, guilt, and anger…

Simply because we have the wrong definition of success.

And this isn’t just an odd example in our Bibles.

Suffering is part being a Christian.

1 Peter 4:13 ESV

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

We are told to rejoice in sharing in Christ suffering.

Matthew 16:24 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

I can’t say it better than this

- you are doomed in your Christian walk

- if you believe that success is when everything works out - we have a positive outcome.

But God is not calling us to be narcissistic.

I don’t go out of my way looking to fail.

Nor do I go out of my way to look how to suffer.

I just recognize that sometimes – part of God’s will.

But we always have to remember

- that God has a bigger design than our temporary success.

When we face obstacles – may we remember that simply means God has a bigger design than temporary success now.

I hope you will now observe with me -

b) God’s Bigger Design: That the Egyptians Would Know the Lord. (Ex 7:4-5)

I asked the question a few minutes ago.

Why would God called Moses to a task he planned Moses to fail at?

It sounds ridiculous.

Your nonbeliever here, I can hear your thoughts – that is crazy.

You worship of God that at times leads you to fail.

But here’s now my answer.

When God calls us to a task we will fail at,

he is also working a bigger plan than you can imagine.

Consider God’s bigger design -

Exodus 7:4–5 ESV

Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”

Why would God lead Moses to fail?

Why would God not deliver his people, and cause Pharaoh to listen?

It is not a lack of power.

It’s because he has a different purpose.

He designed it,

so that Pharaoh would rebel against God,

so that all of Egypt when no who true God is.

Remember when Pharaoh said –

Exodus 5:2 ESV

But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

The rest of Egypt would have had the same sentiment.

They never heard of this God named the Lord.

And surely the gods of mighty Egypt were more powerful then the Lord.

And how would God show that Egypt’s God’s made of empty stone,

but the Lord is the one true living God.

God designing it,

so that he will show incredible signs and wonders in Egypt,

and they will know who the Lord is.

Was Moses failure a pointless act for God?

Was God wasting Moses time?

Was God playing with his head, making him wait?

Oh, no.

God in his mercy and love even for Egypt,

is using Moses’s failure,

by design,

to make his name known.

So that even the Egyptians could know the true and only God of heaven and earth.

3) Redefining Success: Faithfulness to God. (Ex 7:6)

So far,

I’ve been cautioning us not to use positive outcomes as a measuring stick for success.

> Sometimes God designs it so that we suffer and fail.

> And he always does it because he is a bigger design in mind.

>>>>But nevertheless – it makes no sense to define success as a positive outcome.

So then – how do we define success as Christians?

I believe the success in the Christian life – is measured in our faithfulness.

What did God expect Moses to do?

Not to convince Pharaoh,

But to do exactly what he called him to do.

Exodus 7:1–3 ESV

How did Moses respond to God’s correction?

Exodus 7:6 ESV

Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.

The language of this text,

emphasizes that Moses and Aaron did exactly what God called them to do.

They were faithful.

What God demanded of them was not positive outcome,

but the faithfulness to God’s word.

CONCLUSION:

So I ask you -

What defines your success?

Do you define success as positive outcomes?

Or do you define success as Faithfulness God, leaving the results to God’s all-wise plan?

CAVEAT:

Many times we neglect our human responsibility because God is sovereign.

We wouldn’t say it that way,

but we use God’s sovereignty to excuse our luke warm Christianity.

But Faithfulness is not luke warm Christianity.

Jesus taught his followers this -

Matthew 16:24 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Jude 3 ESV

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

1 Peter 4:10 ESV

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

I have been in churches that emphasize God’s sovereignty - and it is hard to find sold out servants for Christ in those churches because God’s in control.

I have been in churches who emphasize our human responsibility - and they are numbers driven and forget that God is sovereign.

Is it to much to ask

- to ask Christians to trust God and to be faithful.

I challenge you not to define you success as positive outcomes,

instead trust God and his perfect plan.

I challenge you not to simply believe God is sovereign,

but to be faithful to your sovereign God.

- How are you faithful to living like Christ?

- How are you faithful in trusting and obeying the word of God?

Is your life defined by faithfulness?

I challenge us to be faithful, and trust God.

Related Media

Related Sermons