Text: “What is that in your hand? – “Exodus 4:2”
Scripture:
“Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So, Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob – has appeared to you.” Exodus 4:2-5 NIV
Introduction:
Gods desire is that you His Church be the Salt and Light that He has made you Matthew 5:13-16. His desire is that “as a hot knife moves through butter” you may move through the enemy’s domain gaining victories and the spoils of war on your journey. He the enemy is a defeated foe – When Jesus declared “It is finished” – John 19:30 – Jesus imposed a death blow on the enemy and he is bleeding out. You are a victorious warrior.
Many will try to stand against you, many will be your foes, but know this “You are the victor in Christ.” As you stand in Him “all that is His is yours” and none will triumph over you.
You today can proclaim that in Christ you boast – More blessing than Adam ever lost.
I tell you today that: –
- Even as a new born child is pure and clean – so are you – John 15:3
- Even as a new born child has before it a life of wonderment so do you.
- Even as a new born child has before it a life of promise so do you.
- Even as a new born child has laid out like a sheet in front of it a life of adventure so do you.
As a child of God His desire is to amaze you at every step on your journey.
Child of God let me tell you – “Do not believe the lies of the enemy” – after all he was a liar from the beginning and he has not changed – John 8:44.
Christ has been to the darkest places that humanity could ever conceive. He has returned from there.
- He will as a result of His journey sustain you.
- He will be by your side never leaving or forsaking you – Hebrews 13:5
- He will provide His victory – Yes! Note that it is – His Victory – 1 Corinthians 15:57
- He will provide us with the ability to be overcomers.
- The Bible tells us – 1 John 5:4 that if we are Born Again then we have been given the marvellous gift of faith and it is that which because of Him enables us to be overcomer’s.
His Overcoming, His ongoing Dominion are His Gifts for you to Possess and to Live and Walk In
I’m sure today that you are tempted to not believe what I’m saying but I want to re-assure you that
- God loves us Unconditionally, regardless of our Unworthiness.
- He has called us Worthy and his Own.
- We are His Children, made in his Image.
In our heads, we comprehend those sentences. But it’s another thing to embrace them in our hearts and live in light of their reality.
Let me take you to a familiar portion of God’s Word – Exodus: 4 if you have been on your Christian journey for a while you will recognise this to be the section where God speaks to and commissions Moses to lead and deliver Israel from the bondage of Egypt and slavery.
Moses is one of the most known characters in the Bible and he is one of the most preached about in the Bible.
Consider for a moment his story. Here we discover a man who once held one of the highest positions in all of Egypt – Only One Down from Pharaoh himself – Now however we discover him a demoted to the rank of Shepherd.
A Shepherds role was considered to be one of the lowliest and demeaning jobs and to make it even worse the Sheep he was looking after weren’t even his they belonged to his father-in-law Jethro.
Moses arrives with his sheep to Mount Sinai – This was just another ordinary day, there was nothing special about it – just another day with the sheep. But then the most extraordinary happened – God appeared before him, right there amongst the sheep on Mount Sinai he was face-to-face with Almighty God. This was a situation that most people of his day believed would bring instant death.
Let’s not take for granted this moment of meeting between God and Moses, its monumental and terrifying to Moses. Try to put yourself in the sandals of Moses for a moment now.
Now a conversation starts, and God says to Moses – “What’s that in your hand, Moses?” – “I-I-It’s my shepherd’s staff.” – “Throw it down.”
Now this is not just a stick Moses picked up to play with. It is not just a walking stick to help him as he walks with the sheep. The staff he had and cherished was an absolute essential item for him to make a living as a shepherd.
Shepherds would use the crooked end to pull sheep back into the herd when they strayed, and it served as an extension of their arm, so they could grasp things that were just beyond their reach.
The blunt end was also very important. If the herd was attacked by an animal, then the shepherd could use the blunt end to defend the sheep with. It would serve as a He could also use the staff like a baseball bat (bate de béisbol) to beat back the animals or offenders.
The staff that Moses had in his hand was one of his most cherished possessions, it was essential for making a living, and at times simply for staying alive. Moses would never leave home without it, it was indispensable, essential and vital to his everyday life. Amid these thoughts racing through his mind the pervading declaration of God standing in front of him is – “Throw it down.”
There was nothing ambiguous (ambiguo) or left to the imagination it was quite simply, quite clear – “Throw it down.” Moses may have imagined (in that moment that seemed like hours) that God was telling him to get rid of his staff and he might never see it again. It was a good staff. He had smoothed the handle, kept it oiled and cherished it Moses was used to it and he had fond memories attached to that staff.
“Throw it down.” Still resonated through his thinking – A shepherd’s cloak, or a few coins, maybe his sandals would not have been more manageable. But his staff Oh! No, this was tantamount (equivalente) too giving up his livelihood. To get rid of it could mean death in the desert where wild animals and poachers thrived.
Moses could have tried to get into an argument with God, perhaps trying to bargain with Him but the Bible simply tells us that Moses did as he was commanded and threw the staff down.
What Do We Learn from This?
Well! We discover a very significant challenge. We all have things that we hold dear to our hearts, they are of vital importance to us, they carry with them sentimental feelings BUT the QUESTION that comes to us today is WILL WE THROW THEM DOWN?
We can identify some basic things which we consider essential to our health and well-being such as: –
- Homes
- Cars
- Clothes
- Food
- Money
The thought to Moses was terrifying but he did it and the thought to us today might be just as terrifying but let me tell you that God is no man’s debtor.
Let me tell you right here and now that God will never do miracles to show off and likewise God never asks a question that he does not already know the answer. When God asks us a question it is for our benefit. When God does a miracle, it is to manifest His glory through it.
What God had in mind on that momentous day was to reveal to Moses that he could Take Something That Had No Life, Something That Was Dead and Make It Come Alive” and that’s just what He did with Moses staff.
“That question, “What is in your hand?” is one of the most important questions in life that you might face.
Child of God today “What is in your hand?” – Pastor, Church Leader “What is in your hand?
If we cling to things even our “Identities, Influence and Status in Life” there is every possibility that God will ask us to “Cast it Down” because all of the time we cling onto it there will be no life in it.
- What is in your Hand?
- What is your Identity?
- What is your Income?
- What is your Influence?
Let me tell you without any area of doubt that if you will take these things and give them to Jesus he will do things in your life you could not even begin to imagine.
Moses discovered through the experience he went through that it was the turning point in the history of the world.
God takes those Dead, Simple, Unattractive, Broken and Disastrous things in our lives and changes them into something of value and beauty.
Moses did as he was commanded and cast down the staff and then God Told Him to Take It Up Again and you know if we cast down at God’s command He will either allow us to Take Up That Thing Again but will have Changed It Gloriously into something He Can Use Powerfully, or He Will Give Us Something Significantly Better in Its Place.
In the story of Moses, we find that the Staff is never referred to as a Staff anymore – No! from then onwards it is described as THE ROD OF GOD.
With this Rod of God (and remember it still looked the same) – Insignificant, Simple perhaps even a little Foolish: –
- Moses parted the Red Sea – “Exodus 14:16”
- Moses turned the Nile Waters to Blood – “Exodus 7:9”
- Moses saved the wanderers by bringing forth water from the rock – “Numbers 20:11”
- Moses oversaw the conquest of enemies and led the people to the Promised Land – “Exodus 17:9”
God today wants to take that which you will surrender to Him, that which you will as the Holy Spirit touches your heart (Cast Down) whatever it is He will take it and utilise it to bring to nothing the desires of the enemy.
Today the truth is that as God’s People we are Anointed, we are Appointed, and we are Allocated.
It is a fact today and relevant to everybody who has declared Christ as Saviour that “we are anointed.” Jesus stood up and declared “For the Spirit of the Lord” – Luke 4:18…….. Even so we as children of God declare the same and we have an “anointing that abideth ….” 1 John 2:27
We are not simply “Saved and Anointed” but we are “Saved to Serve in the Power of that Anointing”
In your community you are appointed of God. The community in which you dwell is better, blessed and benefitting simply because you are there. Why? Because you bring the Kingdom of God to it.
It is an Anointing, an Appointing and Allocation to a place only you can fulfil.
Conclusion
“What is that in your hand?” God is calling us to a new dedication of both our Inward and our Outward Resources.
God has done such significant things, but He will do greater still so – whatever it is that God is speaking to you off at this moment – Release It into His Hands and See the Glorious and Powerful Things He Will Do with It.
God is testing us right now. As the body of Christ, Why? Because we are not willing to throw down our most valuable possession (Whatever That May Be).
Jesus Christ into your life then congratulations, it's great to know you have joined the family of God.What now?
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