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
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