God’s Grace in the Life of Moses

How God Made Moses into the LAW Giver – By Grace

John 1:16,17

February 2, 2015 AM

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com

 

I.       Introduction (John 1:16,17)

 

A.    The Bible is FULL of pictures, portraits, of what Grace is like. What Grace DOES in the lives of people.

B.     Grace began with God. It is His nature, to be gracious. What does that mean again?

 

1.      A constant Attitude that gives, and gives, and gives towards those who deserve nothing

2.      Holding back wrath and condemnation that people DO deserve

3.      Being kind at no cost to the receiver – paid for by the giver

4.      Something Greater than anything this side of heaven!

5.      Not a license to live as we please – but to live better

6.      God’s work on my life to make me more like Jesus – Changing ME and not the other person

7.      In summary:

 

a.       Yes, you have rules, Godly expectations of yourself and others – you never throw those out (God’s Grace did not get rid of His laws)

b.      But Grace does NOT mean demanding, exacting, sharp, harsh, fierce, mean

c.       It means Softness, Yielding, Tolerant, Kind, Patient, Forgiving

 

II.    Background

 

A.    When you think of Moses,

 

1.      You probably think of a man whose greatest accomplishment was the giving of the perfect Law of God to the world, and the deliverance of the people of God from Egypt.

2.      So, you might tend to think of him as a stern, harsh, cold, judgmental man, who obeyed God’s Laws exactly to the letter. Demanding, and requiring perfection of those around him, because HE was a man of the Law!

3.      Now, if anybody COULD HAVE BEEN cold hearted, harsh, judgmental, it would have been Moses – but he wasn’t!

4.      But Moses was anything but a harsh, cold, judgmental person (Numbers 12:3).

 

B.     You see, God shows us how that GRACE was at work in Moses’ life long before the Law was at work, so that when Moses gave the Law to the world, it was given through a flawed, imperfect person, not from a perfect person

C.     Stop and think about it.

 

1.      There was grace on the life of Moses – great grace (Exodus 33:12,13,17)

2.      It was GOD’S kindness, compassion, forgiveness, poured out upon this failure of a man

3.      It was to this man, to the recipient of God’s grace, that God gave the world, the Law

4.      The LAW, which has many expectations, and rules, and requirements of people, was given by a failure; by someone who was unable to live up to its expectations. It was given by Moses!

5.      While GRACE, with all its love, and compassion, and kindnesses, and second chances, was given by Someone who is perfect, and who lived up to ALL of the law’s expectations and rules, and regulations! By Jesus! Now tell me which one is GREATER?!

6.      "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:16,17)

 

D.    So, as we look at our first example of grace this year, let’s take a good look at Moses, BEFORE we explore and the Laws that God gave him for the world to live by.

 

1.      It might just change the way we see grace. It certainly will change the way we see the law from now on!

2.      Yes, the law came by Moses, and Grace came by Jesus Christ

3.      But before the law, there was grace!

4.      I will show you that there was and is no man capable of being perfect enough for God to give the Law by, so he first gave grace to someone, through whom He would give the law!

 

III. Message

 

A.    Grace Was Shown in Moses’ Birth (Exodus 1:7-16, 22; 2:1-2)

 

1.      It wasn’t a perfect birth

2.      Born at the worst time

 

a.       Think about how Moses’ parents felt when they learned Jochobed was pregnant!

b.      All Jews were enslaved, oppressed, owned – no freedom whatsoever

c.       They were hated, and feared

d.      Laws were made to slaughter all male children – infanticide – abortion

e.       Yet, it was the right time – God’s time – for Moses to be born!!!

f.       THAT is grace!

 

3.      Yes it was Planned. But not by his parents, or by the government, but by God!

 

B.     Grace Was Shown in his Protection (Exodus 2:3-10)

 

1.      Moses was a 3 month old BABY

 

a.       He could not protect himself – he could not save himself

b.      His parents couldn’t save him

 

2.      GOD had to protect this very small child!

3.      Jochobed did what only a godly, full of faith woman could do

 

a.       Trust God to do what she and her husband could not do!

b.      She put baby Moses into a basket, and let that basket float down to where Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing!

 

4.      And can you imagine the heart-stopping moment when the young lady heard Moses’ cry?

5.      God’s grace was there, guiding everything

 

a.       Pulling the heart strings of Pharaoh’s daughter

b.      Keeping back the alligators and crocodiles

c.       Keeping that basket from sinking

d.      All the things that could have gone wrong – GRACE worked it all out!

 

C.     Grace Was Shown in His Purpose and Calling (Exodus 2:11)

 

1.      Moses knew from a very young age that he was a special child

2.      GOD had put this young Jewish man into Pharaoh’s house

3.      Being prepared for greatness – maybe even to become Pharaoh one day!

4.      So Moses was trained in the finest education and learning

5.      Moses became experienced in every form of leadership and was groomed for success

6.      Grace was busy in Moses’ life, giving him a purpose and calling

 

D.    Grace Was Shown in His Failures (Exodus 2:11-15, 3:1)

 

1.      At 40 years old, Moses feels ready to act…

 

a.       He saw such injustice

b.      But he acted without God

c.       And reacted in anger

d.      He murdered a man – and not just any man – it was a government official, like a Garda, or policeman – that is ALWAYS seen as super serious!

e.       And things went wrong!

 

1)      He expected the people would instantly follow him

2)      But people ran from him – feared him – rejected him!

 

2.      You see, God’s justice and judgment, perfection would have stopped Moses from doing such wrong. But God’s justice was not at work that day… GRACE was! God’s GRACE was there

 

a.       Not to protect him from failure

b.      But to show him the consequences of living and reacting without God

 

3.      Grace means God allows people to do wrong

 

a.       The Prodigal son – allowed to be stupid and waste his life

b.      Pharaohs held the entire nation of Israel as slaves for almost 400 years

c.       Religious people cruelly mocked and crucified our Saviour

d.      And God did NOTHING – because GRACE was at work! Not the law!

 

4.      In the midst of Moses’ Failures, God’s grace was there

 

a.       As God Knocked him down (Ex 2:15)

b.      Drove him out of Egypt

c.       Humbled him – took away all the crowds of fans and all the honours

d.      Gave him only some stinking sheep to take care of

 

5.      He hadn’t left Moses! Grace was just as much at work in his FAILURES as it had been in his birth and protection and preparation!

 

E.     Grace Was Shown by God’s Kindness and Patience (Exodus 2:16,21,22; Cf Acts 7:29-30)

 

1.      It was when Moses was at his lowest…

 

a.       That God gave him a wife

b.      And a family – two boys

c.       And time to heal

 

2.      And God waited on Moses – was very patient (that’s grace)!

 

a.       Waited for Moses to cry out to Him, to seek him, and find Him

b.      Waited for Moses to lean upon Him, and trust His ways

c.       And yet Moses stayed silent

d.      40 years Moses stayed silent. Ignored his aching heart. Stewed in bitterness

e.       God waited for Moses to be ready to listen, and understand, and yield

f.       That’s GRACE!

 

3.      You had better start THANKING GOD for His grace with you!

 

a.       Waiting on you to get born again

b.      Waiting on you to get right with Him

c.       Waiting on you to start doing things HIS way instead of always your way!

d.      The very fact that you have done so much wrong, and are still alive proves God has GREAT grace!

 

F.      Grace Was Shown by His Conversion (Exodus 3:1-6; 4:1-5, 18-20)

 

1.      Changed this once-proud, now broken, defeated loser, into a GRACE BUILT Man

2.      Through whom God could give the greatest LAWS ever imagined

3.      How did God change Moses?

 

a.       By punishing him? Deserved it

b.      By accusing him? Moses had all the accusations flying around in his head all the time

c.       No

d.      By GRACE – being kind to him

e.       By calling him a SECOND TIME

f.       By attracting Moses to Himself

g.      By revealing Himself, who HE is to Moses (Ex 3:13,14) – it is not about YOU Moses! It is about ME!

 

G.    Grace Was Shown by God’s Enabling for the Call (Exodus 3:10-12)

 

1.      Moses had lost the ability to speak well, to command audiences more than 3 (his wife and two sons), and to stand up to enemies and threats like he had 40 years earlier

2.      Well, that meant GOD now could teach Moses how to do things God’s way!

3.      And teach him, He did!

 

H.    Grace Was Shown When Moses Learned to Care for People (Numbers 12:1-3)

 

1.      When Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt in victory

 

a.       And then gave them God’s laws on Mt Sinai

b.      ALL the people BROKE those perfect Laws

 

2.      And when his own sister and brother got upset at him, and started pointing out his faults, and inadequacy…

3.      What was Moses to do?

4.      Well, Moses finally figured out that GOD have given HIM grace, so that HE could have grace to give to the people!

5.      That meant…

 

a.       Give them ANOTHER chance, and another one after that, etc (Numbers 14:22)

b.      That meant… PRAY for and intercede for the people when God was ready to wipe them out (Psalm 106:23).Moses blew it one time when he thought HE needed to be wrathful when he should have been more prayerful!

c.       That meant… Wait on them to get right and be soft towards the will of God

d.      And that meant keeping his mouth shut when he should have rebuked Aaron and Miriam

e.       Grace meant to treat others just like GOD had been with HIM for all those years!

 

6.      You see, the Law of God didn’t teach Moses about grace…

7.      GOD having grace with Moses, THAT produced grace in Moses

 

IV. Application

 

A.    Next time the devil says God should just abandoned you…

B.     Next time the devil whispers that you are useless…

C.     Remember WHO it is that is doing the talking!

D.    And take a good long look at where you came from – where GOD brought you from!

 

1.      Maybe born at a tough time – maybe not planned, or expected

2.      But here you are – a product of the GRACE of God!

 

E.     Look back over your life and notice God’s Protection

 

1.      It was probably there when you didn’t deserve it

 

F.      Realise that you have a GREAT Purpose and Calling

 

1.      May not be to face down Enda Kenny, or Vladimir Putin

2.      But to raise some godly children, who stay clean from this world’s destructive sins

3.      Or to teach a Sunday School class, week after week

4.      Or maybe to preach to some lost and dying soul

 

G.    Accept God’s Grace IN the midst of ALL your Failures

 

1.      As God humbles you

2.      Breaks you

3.      Changes you

 

H.    Take Notice of ALL God’s Kindness and Patience With You

 

1.      HOW LONG has God been waiting on YOU?

2.      How long has your wife, or your husband, or your children been waiting on YOU to change… to get saved… to get right… to start loving again?

3.      And how GOOD has God been to YOU?

 

a.       Do you have a wife? A husband? Some children?

b.      Do you have a job? Health?

c.       Then GOD has been good to you when HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HARSH!

 

I.       Has God Been Allowed to Convert YOU? Someone Like you? Then believe it was because of GRACE that God loved you and saved a sinner like you!

J.       Has God Been Enabling You? Slowly moulding, shaping, teaching you to reach this generation!

K.    Is God Giving You a Care for People, Like God Cared for YOU?

L.     Then GOD’S Grace has been at work in YOUR life just like it was in Moses’

M.   The question is, will you ACCEPT God’s grace at work on you? That will be the day you bow the knee, like Moses, and become a Grace-Made Man, or Woman! Saved by grace, changed by grace, and used by God’s great grace!

 

V.    Conclusion and Invitation

 

A.    When you think of Moses, remember God’s Grace!

1.      You see, God’s GRACE was at work in Moses’ life long before the Law was at work, so that when Moses gave the Law to the world, it was given not from a perfect person, but through a flawed, imperfect person, who needed forgiveness, and patience, and second chances!

B.     Oh Thank God

 

1.      The LAW, which has many expectations, and rules, and requirements of people, was given by a failure; by someone who was unable to live up to its expectations. Moses!

2.      While GRACE, with all its love, and compassion, and kindnesses, and second chances, was given by Someone who is perfect, and who lived up to ALL of the law’s expectations and rules, and regulations! By Jesus! Now tell me which one is GREATER?!

3.      "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" John 1:16,17

4.      Now you know why Christians follow, love and worship JESUS!

5.      Today, you need to stop trying to live up to the LAW, and live up to God’s grace

 

February 2, 2015 AM

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com