"THE EXCUSES OF MOSES"
		

                             Exodus 3:1-4:17
	

INTRODUCTION
	

1. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush...
	

   a. He called him to the task of leading the children of 
	
		Israel out
	

      of Egyptian bondage
	

   b. In response, Moses gave excuses as to why he did not think he was
	

      the man for the job
	

2. The excuses of Moses, and God's response to them, will serve as the
	

   basis for our study...
	

   a. For in a similar way, as God's people today, we have received
	

      from God a special calling
	

   b. Not to go to a country to deliver those in physical bondage, but
	

      to a world to deliver those in the bondage of sin - cf. Mk 16:15;
		

      1Pe 2:9-10
	

   -- Too often, though, we behave just like Moses, making the very
	

      same excuses!
	

[Let's begin by reading Exo 3:1-10, refreshing our memories of how God
	

called Moses (read).  Reminded of this call, we are now ready to
	

consider the first of five excuses given by Moses...]
	

	I. "WHO AM I?"
	

   A. FOUND IN EXO 3:11...
	

      1. Though Moses was once a member of the ruling house of 
	
		Egypt...
	

         a. He was now but a lowly shepherd
	

         b. 40 years had passed since he had been in 
	
		Egypt
	

         c. He was an 80 year old man, already past the average life
	

            span for his generation
	

         -- This prompted Moses to wonder whether he was the right man
	

            for the job
	

      2. But God's response was quick, and should have been adequate...
	

         a. "I will certainly be with you..." - Exo 3:12
	

         b. God promised to be with Moses, and this alone should have
	

            been sufficient
	

         c. As Paul later wrote, "If God is for us, who can be against
		

            us?" - Ro 8:31
	

   B. SOME USE THIS SAME EXCUSE TODAY...
	

      1. Trying to excuse ourselves by believing that we are
	

         insufficient for the task
	

         a. It is true that by ourselves that we are insufficient
	

         b. But God can make us sufficient - cf. 2Co 3:5-6 - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but hour sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as iministers of jthe new covenant, not kof the letter but of the 1Spirit; for lthe letter kills, mbut the Spirit gives life.

         c. Look what He did with the apostles! (uneducated and
	

            untrained men - Ac 4:13)
	

      2. Through Jesus, God has provided us the same assurance given
	

         Moses - cf. Mt 28:20 - teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am pwithyou always, even to the end of the age.” 4Amen.
	

      3. With His help, we can accomplish anything He wants us to do!
	

         - Php 4:13 -  I can do all things uthrough 6Christ who strengthens me.
	

[As will be apparent later, any excuse for not doing what the Lord has
	

called us to do is simply a smokescreen.  So it was with Moses, and we
	

find him quickly coming up with another excuse...]
	

II. "WHAT SHALL I SAY?"
	

   A. THIS EXCUSE IS FOUND IN EXO 3:13...
	

      1. Moses knew that should he go to the children of 
	
		Israel, there
	

         were bound to be questions
	

         a. Such as, "Who is this God who sent you to us?"
	

         b. And perhaps, "Why are we to leave this country we have come
	

            to consider our home for over 400 years?"
	

         -- Moses expresses inadequacy in knowing what to say
	

      2. Again, God's response was quick...
	

         a. "Thus you shall say..." - Exo 3:14-15
	

         b. God tells Moses what he needs to say in response to their
	

            questions
	

   B. AGAIN, A SIMILAR EXCUSE IS SOMETIMES GIVEN TODAY...
	

      1. We try to excuse ourselves by saying that our knowledge is
	

         inadequate
	

      2. But God has told us what to say...
	

         a. It is really quite simple - cf. Mk 16:15-16 - And He said to them, "Go into all the world nand preach the gospel to every creature. 16 oHe who believes and is baptized will be saved; pbut he who does not believe will be condemned.
	

         b. How simple? - cf. 1Co 15:1-4; 2:2 - Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel ^awhich I preached to you, which also you received and ^bin which you stand, ^2 cby which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless ^dyou believed in vain.

³ For ^eI delivered to you first of all that ^fwhich I also received: that Christ died for our sins ^gaccording to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day ^haccording to the Scriptures,

[And so, as with Moses, we have no reason for saying "what shall I
	

say?"  As we return to Moses, we see that despite God instructing him
	

what to say, he soon raises a third objection...]
	

III. "SUPPOSE THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE ME?"
	

   A. THIS EXCUSE IS FOUND IN EXO 4:1...
	

      1. Now that he knows what to say, he balks at the idea that the
	

         people may not listen
	

         a. Is he afraid of failing?
	

         b. Has he already forgotten that God will be with him?
	

      2. God responds by equipping him with several convincing
	

         proofs...
	

         a. The ROD, which turns into a serpent - Exo 4:2-5
	

         b. His OWN HAND, which turns into leprosy - Exo 4:6-8
	

         c. The WATER, which will turn to blood when dropped on the dry
	

            ground - Exo 4:9
	

   B. SOME HESITATE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL FOR THE SAME REASON...
	

      1. The fear of failure keeps them from trying
	

      2. But just as God gave Moses convincing proofs, so He has given
	

         us the evidences necessary to convince the honest and sincere
	

         person...
	

         a. The Word of God, able to produce faith - Ro 10:17; Jn 20:
		

            30-31
	

         b. Especially its evidences concerning the resurrection of
	

            Christ, fulfilled prophecy, etc.
	

         -- With such aids, we cannot justify our inactivity in sharing
	

            the gospel with others!
	

[You would think by now Moses would accept the call; but a fourth
	

excuse is quickly given... ]
	

IV. "I AM SLOW OF SPEECH AND SLOW OF TONGUE"
	

   A. WE FIND THIS EXCUSE IN EXO 4:10...
	

      1. Moses claims that he is not an eloquent speaker
	

      2. But God is not moved by this objection...
	

         a. He already knows the inability of those He calls - Exo 4:11
	

         b. But He is able to make up for anyone's shortcomings
	

            1) Again, promising to be with Moses - Exo 4:12
	

            2) He had even arranged for Aaron to be Moses' mouthpiece
	

               - Exo 4:14-16 (who was sent earlier so as to arrive
	

                 about this time - cf. Exo 4:27)
	

   B. SOME CHRISTIANS TRY TO USE THIS EXCUSE AS WELL...
	

      1. But it did not stop the apostle Paul - cf. 1Co 2:1,3-4 - And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the 1testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you aexcept Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 bI was with you cin weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching dwere not with persuasive words of 2human wisdom, ebut in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 
			

      2. It has not stopped others
	

         a. I know of some who overcame speech impediments to become
	

            preachers
	

         b. I know of one who despite stammering would preach any
	

            opportunity he could
	

      3. At the very least, we can make use of those who can speak by
	

         arranging studies for them with others (as did Cornelius -
	

         Ac 10:24,33)
	

[We have considered four excuses that Moses gave; but as mentioned
	

earlier, they were really smokescreens.  The true reason for all these
	

excuses is revealed in Exo 4:13...]
	

V. "PLEASE SEND...WHOMEVER ELSE YOU MAY SEND"
	

   A. MOSES SIMPLY DID NOT WANT TO GO!
	

      1. The previous excuses were simply a smokescreen attempt to hide
	

         this fact!
	

      2. Now that the smokescreen is removed, God's impatience with
	

         Moses becomes evident
	

         a. His anger was kindled against Moses - Exo 4:14a
	

         b. Read verses 15-17 with an emphasis on the word "shall" to
	

            appreciate the anger of the Lord
	

   B. BRETHREN, THE SAME IS TRUE WITH US TODAY!
	

      1. Any and every excuse we could offer is only a smokescreen
	

      2. We really would rather that God use someone else!
	

      3. We really don't want to do what God has called us to do!
	

      4. But brethren, the anger of the Lord is kindled against those
	

         who do not live up to their calling!
	

      -- If we have been making excuses, we need to repent!
	

CONCLUSION
	

1. With Moses, we know the rest of the story...
	

   a. He answered the call, and went to 
	
		Egypt
	

   b. With the help of God, he delivered the children of 
	
		Israel out of
	

      Egyptian bondage
	

2. But what about us?  What will be the rest of our story?
	

   a. Shall we heed the call to preach the gospel to the lost?  V vvvvvvn bbbbbc] c]c ]xc b,,nn,nn,n,, l,nblnl v   g, b m m m   ,
	

   b. Or shall we make excuses and one day suffer the wrath of God?
	

   -- Only time will tell, but I pray that I encouraged all not to make
	

      excuses...
	

What about the call to obey the gospel of Christ?  Are you making
	

excuses for not responding as you know you should?  Another lesson will
	

address some of the excuses people give for putting off obedience to
	

the gospel (see "Why Are You Waiting?"), but if you know what you
	

should do, you need to act today!