Cultivation - The Practice of Disciplemaking, Part 1

Let's pray together. Lord, we are once again grateful for the opportunity you give us as a church to study the Bible and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. We thank you, Lord, that we have the opportunity as a body to worship you together. And we pray that as we come together tonight, that you'd remove from us the busy distractions of this day. Coming from work and trying to settle down and unclog the memory bank that we might be able to With clarity of mind, ponder the things of the Scriptures.

We pray, Lord, that our hearts and ears and eyes would be open and receptive. To what you have for us tonight, because you do speak through the power of your word. Help us to have ears to hear. In Jesus' name, amen. Tonight, I want to talk to you about the p of disciple making. We've been studying this whole topic for the last several weeks, and tonight is probably the most important issue that we've addressed yet. And you will see tonight. some very important issues for your own personal life. And I trust that when you leave tonight and go home, you'll be able to think back on what the Lord taught you through his word and it will revolutionize the way you look at life.

And the ministry God's called you to engage in. We already looked at the prerequisite for disciple making. We move from there to look at the purpose in disciple making.

To look at the priority of disciple making and the power of disciple making. Tonight we look at the practice of disciple making.

And we look at it in terms of cultivation. If the prerequisite is our authorization, if the purpose is maturation, if the priority is preparation. and the power is intercession, then the practice is cultivation. When you think of cultivation, you think agriculturally. You think of the land, you think of the breaking up of the ground, making the soil ready so that whatever is planted there will be able to grow. Webster defines cultivation this way: the giving of attention to the development or advancement of something.

The tra and the refinement of something. When you think of cultivation in the spiritual realm, it is just that. It is the preparation of that individual's life that they might grow in Christ-likeness. That their lives might be stirred up in such a way, like ground is cultivated, so that that soil is fresh, so that it can produce great fr. That's the practice in disciple m. It is our responsibility as disciple makers to be involved. In cultivation in the life of another individual. And tonight we want to talk to you about what that means.

I really thought that I could finish tonight, but I'm not going to be able to do that. So tonight we're going to look at the essentials to cultivation and next week we'll look at the elements of cultivation.

That's our outline. And believe me, the things you're going to hear tonight, you're not going to read in a book. You're not going to find them someplace in the library. They are biblical principles designed to help you understand the ministry that God's called us to. And it's going to be unlike anything you can ever imagine. I don't know what your expectations are this evening. I don't know what you're thinking about what this means in terms of the practice of disciple making, but I can guarantee you this: it's nothing.

That you thought it was. It's not. Let me show you. Turn with me in your Bible to Philippians chapter 3.

And we're going to look at the essentials. We're going to interpret them, we're going to illustrate them, and then we're going to incorporate them. That's where we're going this evening. All right? Hopefully, we can finish that. If not, that's okay. We got next week. But we're going to begin first of all with the interpretation of the essentials.

Philippians chapter 3. Is going to help us understand the negative as well as the positive aspect of this essential element of cultivation, the practice in disciple-making. Philippians 3, verse number 3. For we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. If you have a pin, I would encourage you to outline or to underline that verse. That one verse, above all verses in the Bible, define For you, what a Christian is and who a Christian is.

Paul says, We are the circumcision. We are the marked ones. Unlike the false circumcision in verse number two, unlike the false people, we are the true people.

And how do you know the true circumcision? How do you know the true marked believer? How do you know them? Simply this. They worship in the Spirit of God. They glory in Christ Jesus and put no con in the flesh. That last phrase is of utmost importance. They put no confidence in the flesh. That is the negative aspect I want to talk to you about as we begin this evening. They put no confidence in the flesh. When you speak of the flesh biblically, it deals with the fallen, unred humanness that each of us possess.

The flesh pictures the human ability apart from God. Paul would say this in 2 Corinthians 11, verse number 18. Many bo according to the flesh. The Christian is not like that. The unbeliever boasts according to his humanness and what he has, but the believer is different. In fact, over in John:, it says, The flesh profits nothing. That's why Christ said, Without me, you can't do anything. With me, you can do everything. Without me, you can't do anything. Because the flesh, apart from the spirit, is nothing.

Also know this. In Romans 7. 1, Paul said, I know nothing good dwells in me. That is, in my fl. Paul says, there is nothing in me, nothing in my humanness, there's nothing about my human ability that's any good. Now, you see, this is so important when it comes to the practice of disciple making. Because there are some of us who think that we can be very good disciple makers. There are some of us who believe that we are very good at what God's called us to do. And therefore, we can accomplish that.

But to understand this aspect, there is no confidence in the flesh, helps us to understand the essential element in cultivating. The life of another individual. You can't do it. Only God can do it. Talked about it on Sunday, Galatians 3. Paul said, You foolish Galatians. How is it you began in the spirit, are now trying to be perfected in the flesh? How is it you can live without the sustaining grace of God in your life? You see, let me illustrate for you this way.

Let's say after church is over, you go outside, you see your neighbor right out here in the parking lot, and he gets in his car, opens his door, puts it in neutral, and begins to push his car outside the parking lot. You say, is your battery dead? He says, no. Are you out of gas? He says, no. You say, then what are you doing? He says, I'm going home. You're going home? Well, why don't you just drive the car? And he says, no, this is better. This is faster. This is more essential. This is what I like to do.

And you scratch your head and you think for a minute, wait a minute. You mean to tell me it's better for you to open the car door, put your car in neutral, and push your car home than to get in it, turn the key on, and drive home? That's ridiculous. Paul says, you foolish Galatians, why is it you think that having begun in the spirit, now you can try to be perfected in the flesh, in your own humanness, in your own ab. And for lack of a better phrase, most Christians live their lives without any sustaining grace of God.

To empower them to do the ministry. Vance Hadner said it this way: He said, If the Holy Spirit was taken out of the church, 95% of what goes on in the church would continue as is. He's right. It would. Think about your home. Because the greatest place to do disciple-making is in your home, right? And you know what? Our homes, if the Holy Spirit was taken out of our homes, our homes would function pretty much the way they are today. No difference. Because we don't live a life dependent upon the Spirit of God.

We live a life confident in the flesh. And Paul says, the marked ones are those who put no confidence in the flesh. That's the negative aspect. The positive aspect is the marked ones put all confidence in spirit. They put all confidence in the Spirit. We talked about it on Sunday about walking in the Spirit. So you don't fulfill the lust of the flesh. And Paul would say in that chapter in Galatians chapter 5, these words, verse number 26: If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Essentially, what he's saying is that if you're living in the Spirit of God, if you're walking in the Spirit of God, you're not going to be boastful. It's the arrogant person. It's the one who's always envious. It's the one who's always jealous. It's the one who's not walking in the spirit. They're walking in the flesh. They're trying to accomplish a spiritual agenda by their own means, thinking that their way is the best way. When Sandy and I got, excuse me, when Lor and I got married, I'm sorry, Sandy was my first wife.

When Lor and I got married after Sandy died, When I stood before the people at our wedding reception, I gave them a verse. I said, My wife and I have a verse we want to share with you, a verse that is to govern our marriage from this day forward. And I quote from them Psalm 20, verses 7 and 8: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They shall be brought down and fall, but we shall rise up. And stand firm. Think about that. Some of us trust in chariots and some in horses.

Some of us trust in our abilities and our talents. Some of us trust in our educational experience. Some of us trust in who we know. And the Bible says, those who trust in the externals shall be brought down and fall.

But those who trust in the name of the Lord our God shall rise up, and they are the ones who will stand firm. Those are the ones who will have strength. And that's the way our lives should be governed. Jeremiah said it this way: Jeremiah chapter 17, verse number 7: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extend its roots by a stream, and will not fear when the heat comes, but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease to yield.

Fruit. Jeremiah says the same thing. The man who trusts in the Lord, who lives In de upon God, who has confidence in God and not in Himself, is the one who has deep roots, who, when the heat comes, is not going to wither. When difficult times come, he'll be able to stand strong. Why? Because his confidence is not in himself. His confidence is not in the external. His confidence is not in the flesh, but his confidence is in God alone. That's important. God said in Zechariah chapter 4, verse number 6: It's not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord.

King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, verse number 12, when surrounded by the enemy, he, Lord, we don know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. And that's the way the Christian needs to live his life. Samuel Stevenson said it this way: A city full of churches, great preachers, let men, grand music, choirs, and organs. If these fail, what then? Good workers, eager, earnest, who labor hour by hour But where, oh where, my brother, is God's almighty power? Refinement, education. They want the very best.

Their plans and schemes are perfect. They give themselves no rest. They get the best of talent. They try their uttermost, but what they really need, my brother, is God the Holy Ghost. That is the description of modern evangelicalism. We have everything we need. We look good. We act good. We smell good. We speak good. We live good. And so we think that our church is good, but we function without the power of the Spirit of God energizing our life and watching what God does. It's simply put this way: if you can explain what happens in your ministry.

In the natural realm, it's not a supernatural experience. You ought to be able to say, you what? I don know how it happened. I don know what's going on. I don't know what God's doing, but God did it. If you can explain it, God didn't do it. Simply put. And that's what we need to understand about disciple making. The ab and the opportunity to invest your life into someone else demands I put no confidence in the flesh, but all confidence in the spirit. Put it this way. As a father leading your home, it demands you put no confidence in the flesh, but all confidence in the spirit.

As an individual who ministers in the church, whatever your ministry is, I don't care if you're an usher, I don't care if you're a greeter, I don't care if you're a t I don, of course I care if you a teacher, usher, ag. Okay, I mean it that way, but whatever your ministry is, the point being is that if it's not energized by the Spirit of God, it's all done in the flesh, and the flesh profits nothing for eternity. So important. Whether it's our church or whether it's our family. No matter what it is, we are striving, we are scheming.

If need be, we go without sleeping in order to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. If we got to get up earlier, we'll get up earlier. If we got to work longer hours, we'll work longer hours. But we are going to do what needs to be done. And we find ourselves exhausted. We find ourselves worn out. We find ourselves wondering what on earth is going to happen next. All the while to find out that everything we're doing is energized by selfish motives in the flesh that accomplish nothing for the kingdom of God.

And the Christian life, in the Christian life is a supernatural life governed by the Spirit of God energizing one's person. Now, let me bring it home to you by an illustration.

This is point number two. I got to illustrate this for you because I want you to understand it. And because Because I've spent the last three or four months studying the book of Exodus, Moses is going to become our example. Now listen, Moses is the greatest leader Israel ever had. And will ever have until Messiah comes and rules on the throne of David. But Moses was the greatest leader. If you want to know what it means to lead, As a father, you master the life of Moses. If you want to know what it means to lead in the church, you master the life of Moses.

If you want to know what it means to lead anywhere, You master the life of Moses because his life is filled with principles that help you understand how to relate to people, how to lead people, and how to be used of God in a mighty way. Okay? You with me? God said Moses was the greatest leader Israel ever had. So if God said it, guess what? It's true, right? So, we got to understand the life of Moses. Now, I'm not going to be able to give you every nick and cranny detail of this man's life and what happened.

In his life, in order to lead the nation of Israel out of bondage. But I want to give you a sketch tonight because, you know, in a few months, in a few weeks, excuse me, we'll be. Studying verse by verse through the book of Exodus, and we'll get to know this man inside and out, all of his flaws, as well as all the great things God did in his life. But you need to understand something, so I want you to turn with me to Acts chapter 7.

We're going to begin in Acts 7, then we'll go back to Exodus 3 and Exodus 4. Acts 7, because Stephen in his sermon gives an excerpt about Moses and his life. And you need to understand, listen very carefully. Moses prepared himself. And Moses had a plan. But I want to let you know something. It wasn't good enough. Because it wasn't God's preparation and it wasn't God's plan. Now, a lot of us spend time preparing ourselves, a lot of us have a plan. And we want to enact that plan. And we think it's a good plan.

But you know what? It fails because it's not motivated and operated by the Spirit of God in our lives. We try to control the events of life. And for all you control freaks out there, this sermon's for you. So that includes all of you. Okay? Because all of us are control freaks. We all like to control our environment. We all want to control our job market. We all want to control our families. We want to control everything around us so our world is comfortable, fine, sweet, and dandy. Only to find out that our world's nothing like that.

And so we need to understand Moses' life and what God did in him to make him the leader he was. Notice Acts 7.

We'll pick up the narrative in verse number 20. And it was at this time that Moses was born, and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months. in his father's home. And after he had been exposed, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. And Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians. And he was a man of power and words. And Deeds. Now stop right there for a moment. The Bible says that Moses was a man of great influence.

He was a man of power and of deeds. This man was educated in the fin schools of the day. There was no better university than the University of Egypt. It was the best. And Moses would graduate from the University of Egypt. Sum cum laude, or whatever those guys were called, who had graduated at the top of their class. I mean, he was number one, and he was a man.

Powerful in words, pers with words. Listen, this is important. Eloquent with his words. Same word used of Apollos in Acts 18, where it says that Apollos was mighty in the scriptures. Apollos was persuasive through means of the scriptures. Moses was a man powerful in word. Mos was prepared because he had been specifically prepared by Pharaoh's daughter to make sure that this young Hebrew Grew up to be the best he could possibly be. And so, Moses, knowing where he was, what had happened in his life, developed a plan.

His plan was to pull off the Exodus. His plan was to convince the nation of Israel that he was their deliverer. Let's pick up the narrative. But when he was approaching the age of 40, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

Now these verses are filled With all kinds of things about this man Moses. He went and decided to go visit his brethren one day, and he saw. Something happening he didn't like. So, what did he do? He struck the Egyptian. He struck the Egyptian dead. You see, Moses was a powerful man, Moses was an influential man. And he was thinking that if he somehow could demonstrate to the Israelites the greatness of his power, the supremacy of his leadership, that they would just. Naturally, follow them out of Egypt.

He would lead them away. I mean, after all, he was the greatest leader that ever lived. He would be the greatest man in Egypt, the most educational man in Egypt. And yet, the Israelites did not understand, nor did they follow. Look what it says. It says this. And on the following day, he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, Men, you are brethren. Why do you injure one another? But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, Who made you a ruler and judge over us?

You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you? And at this remark, Moses fled and became an alien in the land of Midian. You see, he goes the next day thinking that what he did was so great, so grand, so wonderful, that when he saw two of his brethren fighting, he went to break them up and said, Hey, th, let's be peace. Remember, this is a man with powerful words. This was a man with supreme eloquence. This was a man with great education. This was a man with great leadership ability.

This was a man who was self-ass, self-confident, and self-sufficient. And the Israelites said, Wait a minute, who do you think you are? Who made you rule over us? Who made you judge over us? Who gave you a right to come in here and tell us what to do? You see, Moses had a plan, but it was refused by Israel. They didn't accept the plan. He had a plan for the Exodus. He had a plan to make it work. If they would just believe in his power, if they would just believe in his leadership skills, if they would just trust him, he would lead them.

But he couldn't convince him. And so he fled to Midian. Mos, as powerful as he was, as influential as he was, knew nothing. Of the power of God. Be still and know that I am God was not a part of Moses' methodology. He didn't understand that. He was self-confident because of his leadership skills, because of his education, because of his strength. He was self-ass. It never crossed his mind he couldn't pull off the Exodus. He knew for certain he could. He was self-sufficient, so self-sufficient, he never asked God for help.

He didn't need God. I mean, who needs God when you got everything else, right? He looked to the left. He looked to the right. He looked forward. He looked backward. He saw he was free. He smote the Egyptian. He showed his power. He showed his strength. He looked everywhere. But up. He didn't look up. He didn't look to God. And therefore, his plan fail. Here I am. I'm your deliverer. Follow me. But the Israelites didn't rally around him. Instead, they refused his efforts. Whenever we try to initiate our plans and ideas in our own strength, they will always come to ruin.

Mark it down. They always will. If you're in a ministry and your ministry is frustrating and your ministry is struggling, you've got to ask yourself the question, am I operating in the flesh? If in your marriage, you're trying to lead your family and your marriage is coming to ruin, you've got to ask yourself the question: Am I trying to operate this marriage in the flesh? Am I trying to control my marriage? Am I trying to control my family? Am I trying to control the situation? You've got to ask yourself that question.

Because if you're trying to initiate your plans in your own strength, it will not happen. It won't. On the flip side of Moses' preparation and Moses' plan comes God's preparation and God's plan. God drove him to the back side of the desert. He was there for forty years. Forty. Until one day God decides to show up and speak to this man through a burning bush. Now you know the story. And I'm going to show you how God prepared this man, and how, when God prepared this man and God showed him his plan, it wasn't refused by Israel, instead, it was received.

By Israel. Turn back with me if you would, to the book of Exodus, the third chapter. Moses would soon abandon his own vision of being Israel's deliverer. And would soon see him as God's instrument for God to carry out his plan. You see, we want to carry out our plans. That 's not the way it works. We are designed to carry out God's plans. Forget about your plans. What are God's plans? What does God want you to do? This is so important. Remember, no confidence in the flesh. All confidence in the Spirit.

That is the essential element. And it's illustrated in the life of Moses. And while this is just a brief sketch of his life, you'll have the wonderful opportunity each and every Sunday morning going through this man's life and seeing every detail of it and what God did to prepare him. But you will notice, we won't read through the first nine verses of Exodus chapter 3 as God appeared to him in the burning bush.

But I want you to notice what Moses says to God. And you'll notice a completely different man 40 years later than when he slew the Egyptian and thought he could pull off the Exodus.

Gone will be a self-ass. Gone will be a self-confidence. Gone will be a self-sufficiency. You'll see a different kind of man. Because God had to break the man before he could use the man. Look what it says. Verse 10, Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, Who am I? Wait a minute. Where was the guy who said, I'm your deliverer? I'm Moses. I'm the man. Now he says, Who am I? Who am I? That I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt.

Who am I? Here's a man. Who had an identity crisis? Who am I? Some of you say that. Who am I to disciple somebody else? Who am I to teach somebody else? Who am I to lead my family? We ask ourselves that question: Who am I? Moses asked that question: Who am I? And God would say, Moses, now's the time. Moses, now you're ready. Moses, this is what I want you to do. I want you to lead my people. Out of bondage. Listen to what God said. And he said, Certainly I will be with you. And this shall be the sign to you, that it is I who have sent you.

When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain. This man had an identity problem. And what was God's solution? His pres. I am with you, Moses. I am with you. You see, why did he have to have God with him? Because before he recognized he didn't need God. I can do this thing. Who needs God? Now he's saying, Who am I? And God says, I'll be with you, Moses.

See, he recognizes he can't do him. And God promises His presence. You see, to establish his Moses, to establish Moses' worth, to lead The nation out of Israel, God said nothing about his talents, his education. God didn, You what, Moses? You got a great education, bud. Oh man, you've got a great education, Moses. You're strong. Moses, you are powerful in words. You got all those things, Moses. You can do it. God didn't say that. What did God say? I'll be with you. You see, it's not a what you know, it's who you know.

It's whose you are. God dwells in you, and God says, I'll be with you. I'll take you through the process. You lean on me, it'll happen. You walk away from me, it'll fall. But you lean on me because I will be with you. As you walk with God and you talk with God. You grow strong for God. Read on. Then Moses said to God. Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you. Now they may say to me, What is his name? What shall I say to them? Where shall I stay?

He goes from having a problem with his identity to having a problem with insecurity. What am I going to say? I have no word. Wait a minute. Isn't this the guy who is powerful in words? I have nothing to say. What am I going to say? What am I going to say sent me? And what is God's solution to this man's insecurity? He says this. God said to Moses, I am who I am. And he said, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I am has sent me to you. Know what God's problem is, God's solution is for your insecurity?

His p. Remember John 18? Oh, I love John 18. Oh man, you know, as I think about our trip to Israel and think about the issue on the garden there at Gethsemane and looking there at the East Gate from the From the Mount of Olives, realizing that that kid run a brook drops right down there. That in that night in John 18, all the disciples are able to see the torches coming, the soldiers coming with lighted torches. They knew he was coming. So, what does Jesus do? He goes to meet him. They come with torches to search for the light of the world.

They come with swords and weapons to fight the Almighty King. So, what does he do? He goes to them, he meets them at the garden entry. He says, Who do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. And he says, I am. And immediately, all 8 individuals fall backwards. Just wham. Like a domino effect. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And the remarkable thing about this is not that they fell over, it's just that they got back up again. And they got back up and he says, Who is it you're seeking?

You see the power of I am. He says, I am. You tell him, I am sent you. You see, in the midst of all of our insecurities, we forget that the power of God resides in us. Because God Himself dwells in us. Amidst our identity crisis, we realize that the presence of God is that which enables us because He's with us every moment of the day. He says, I am. I am whatever you need. I am your wisdom. I am your righteousness. I am your sanctification. In spite of all your ignorance, I am Moses. Moses goes on in chapter 4.

We'll skip over a few verses. And Moses answered and said, What if they will not believe me? What if they will not listen to me? For they may say, The Lord has not appeared to you. And the Lord said to him, What is in your hand? He said, A staff. He said, Throw it on the ground. So he Flew it on ground that it became a serpent, and Moses fled from it. But the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail. So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand.

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. And the Lord furthermore said to him, Now put your hand into your bosom. So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then he said, Put your hand into your bosom again. So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. It shall come about that if they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first signs, they may believe the witness of the last sign.

But if Shall be that if they shall not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground in the water. Which you take for the Nile will become blood on the dry ground. You see the power of God? He reiterates over and over. Over again, I am in the wonderful power of Almighty God to do whatever He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it, however He wants to do it, through whomever He wants to do it. And Moses, upon receiving three signs as to the power of God, God was guaranteeing him, listen, Moses, I am going to work through you.

You got nothing to worry about, Moses. It'll be me. No matter what anybody else says, no matter what anybody else does, it's going to be me working through you, Moses. I know you're insecure. I know you got an identity problem, but it's me, Moses. You have my presence. You have my p. Verse 10. Then Moses said to the Lord, Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past. Nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. He says, Look.

I'm inade. I'm inade. I'm insecure. I got an identity problem. And I am inade to do what you've asked me to do. I'm slow of speech. I'm not eloquent. I cannot do what you've asked me. And the Lord said to him, Who has made man's Mouth. Who's made man's mouth? Or who makes him dumb, or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is not I the Lord? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to say. Moses, you have my promise. What's my promise? My promise is: Moses, I will give you the words to say.

I hear people all the time saying, you know, I don't know what to do in evangelism, I don't know what to say in evangelism. I don't know how it's saved when it comes to discipl somebody else. What am I ever going to tell my kids? God says, here's my promise.

Amidst all your inade, I will give you the words to say: I will do it for you. That's my promise. F. B. Meyer said this: God does not want excellence of speech or of language in his messenger. but the emotion and power which comes on those who speak at a direct audience with the Eternal God. He says, God's not looking for somebody who has great speech, who's a great orator. A great preacher. He's looking for people who, after having an audience with God, leave His presence empowered by God to be able to share that God with somebody else.

That's what he wants. What look like a limitation is really God's prep. For you to prove his strength, God always promises to supply his strength in your weakness. He does. He does. Paul would say in 2 Corinthians 12, verse number 9, that God said to him, My grace is sufficient for you. And Paul would ask three times for that thorn in the flesh, whatever that was. And I'm glad I don't know what it was. Aren't you? I'm glad I don't know what Paul's thorn in the flesh was. Because you know what? No what we'd say?

We'd say this. We'd say, well, that was his thorn, but mine's worse than his. That's what we'd say. So God doesn't tell us. But God does tell us that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. God wants to show him strong. So God gives a promise to Moses. Now listen.

Now it gets really, really, really good. Here it comes. You're ready? Verse 13, but he said, Please, Lord, send whomever you will. But don't send me. Send some else. Send another messenger. I am not only. Insecure. I am not only ignorant. I am not only inade. I am not only having an identity crisis, I am totally inept. I can't do it. You got to send somebody else. I'm not qual. I'm not qualified. Now, listen to this. Then the anger of the Lord burn against Moses. Folks, listen.

This is so practical. This is so pract. Listen, the bottom line for Moses is that he did not want to go back to Egypt. He didn't want to go. And God's anger burned against him. Deficiency does not disqualify. It doesn't. Whatever your insecurity, whatever your inade. Whatever your inability is all irrelevant to God. But one thing God won't stand for. Is your unav. And that angers God. Tonight, if you're here and you're saying, you know what, I can't disciple anybody else. Those are all excuses. Because the bottom line is, you're saying, God, I'm not going to go to Egypt.

I'm not going to do what you said. I'm not going to do what you commanded me to do to make this. I'm not going to do it. That's essentially what you're saying. Psalm 14:1. The fool says in his heart, no God. No, Moses said, no, God, I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to Egypt. And the anger of the Lord burned against Moses. And don't think for one moment that the anger of God doesn't burn against his people today. When they say, God, I'm not going to do what you've called me to do. Discipleship is the lifeblood of the church, it's what makes the church function, it makes the church pulsate.

Disciple making is the lifeblood of your family. The ability to teach and nurture your children, to teach and nurture your loved ones. Keeps the family strong, keeps it on course, keeps it following the will of God. And for us to sit back and say, oh, God, I can't do it. I don't have this, I don't have that, I can't say it this way, I can't do it like that guy does it, is all surface issues. Because the bottom line is, we're saying, God, I will not do what you've asked me to do. That's the bottom line.

And God said, How dare you, Moses? How dare you, Moses, even begin to broach that issue with me? And he said, Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently, and moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. God gave him A provision. God always provides where you are un to perform. He does, and that's what God did. Listen.

Why did God appear in a burning bush? Think about it. I need to write this down because when I ask this question on Sunday morning, a few months from now, I want you guys to shout it out because all those people who weren't here don't know the answer. Why didn't God just appear as the angel of the Lord? I mean, Abraham had the angel of the Lord come to him. But the whole Sodom and Gomorrah thing, why couldn't God just come down and appear to him and say, Hey, Moses, here's the deal: why the burning bush?

Here's the answer. If available, any old bush will do. See that? See the contrast? Moses was unavailable. The bush was available. So God used the bush. God wants to use the man, but he was unav. He didn 't want to go back to Egypt. He didn 't want to do what God said. But one thing you notice, Moses was a completely different man now than he was 40 years earlier.

Everything had changed about the man. And God taught him, there's only one way to pull off my plan, and that's through my power. My pres, my promise, and my provision. That 's it. Only one way. I need a man humble enough to do My plan, my way. And notice verse number twenty-seven of Exodus four.

Now the Lord said to Aaron, Go to meet Moses in the wilderness. So he went and met him at the mountain of God, and he kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord which he had sent him, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel, and Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people. So the people what? Believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about the sons of Israel.

And that he had seen their affliction, they bowed low and worship. You see that? God 's preparation and God's plan. When done his way, it is received by God's people. Moses' preparation and Moses' plan was refused. By God's people. Note the plan was the right plan. It was to bring Israel out of bondage. But Moses wanted to do it in the flesh, and it could only be done in the spirit. And that's what we need to learn. God says, listen, this is what I want you to do.

And if you're not going to do it my way, it can't be accomplished. And that's why, I'm going to tell you right now, that's why our marriages struggle. That's why our ministries struggle. That's why our disciple-making struggles. That's why we have hard times. Because we get back and we sit there and say, Okay, this is what I'm going do. I'm going to function this way. I'm going to make it happen for me, and I'm going to do all. I can to make sure all my ducks are in a row so everything follows just exactly as I want it to happen.

That's not how to do the work of the Lord. The work of the Lord is done only through the power of the Spirit of God energizing an individual's life. Leaning upon him every moment of the day, walking the Spirit, saying, God, I can't do this, but you can't. You can make it happen, I can't. Whether it's my marriage, my family, or my church, only God can make it happen. Disciples had the same problem. Mark chapter 9. James, John, Peter came down off the Mount of Transfiguration. The disciples couldn't cast out a demon.

Couldn't figure it out. And Christ finally had to cast the demon out. And when he came to a house, They finally took the Lord said, The Lord side said, Lord, why is it we couldn't do this?

In Mark chapter 3, verse number 15, they were equipped to cast out demons. And in Mark chapter 9, they couldn't do it. They said, Lord, why? Why is it once you have told us what we could do, once you empowered us to do it, why is it we cannot do it? He said, these things only come out by prayer. Fellas, the only way this is going to happen is if you depend upon me. You just can't go around doing whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it. You've got to depend upon me. Same story in Luke chapter 5, verses 1 to 8.

And Peter's fishing. He's done. It's over. He's tired. He's going home. He didn't catch anything. And Jesus says.

How about throwing the net on the other side? And Peter says, You've got to be kidding me. I am worn out. I have fished all day. I am a fisherman. You are not. You are a carpenter. You're a wood guy. I'm a fisher guy. And you're trying to tell me to cast my net on the other side? Oh, well, to humor your Lord, that's what I will do. That's in the Greek text, by the way. So he takes it. Throws it over the net, and sure enough, there are so many fish in there, he can't even begin to pull it into the boat.

He falls down on his knees and says, Depart from me, I am a sinful man. What's he saying? Oh, Lord, even in that area that I think I am an expert in, even that area which I think I am sufficient in, even in the area that I have a job in, I. Need you. See, we go through life thinking, I can do that without God. I can make that. I can handle that. And God says, no, you can't.

No, you can't. And that's what God wants to teach us. The whole cultivating process, the practice of disciple-making is this: it's not about you, it's not about how you do it, it's all about God and what He once done. And if you miss that, Your ministry will struggle. Your family will struggle. Your marriage will struggle. Be still and know that I'm God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. He will.

But that's what God wants done. I'll close with this. Come now, you who say, today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. Yet, you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes a. Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this. or that. But as it is, you boast in your arrogance, all such boasting is evil. James says, those of you who say, hey, tomorrow, let's do this.

Hey, tomorrow, let's go here. And leave out the fact if God wills. Don't go around in your arrogant boasting, thinking that you have tomorrow in hand. Don't go around thinking that you can control your environment. Don't go around thinking that you're in charge. Because you're not. It's called arrogant boasting. And James says, don't do that. If the Lord wills. If God desire for me to do this, I will do it. And then he says this: to him that knoweth to do good. And do it not, to him it is sin. Context is this: to him that knows the right thing to do, to him who knows to depend upon God and doesn't do it, he is sinning again me.

This is what James says. If you go around boasting, living a life without dependency upon God. James says, that's sin, because you know what to do. You know the right thing to do, and you refuse to do it. In essence, he says, you're like Moses, who says, please, Lord. Send somebody else. I ain't doing it. I ain't going. Send somebody else. Don't be that way. Live a life dependent upon God. Watching God operate in it through your life. Next week, I'll talk to you about what that means as we incorporate this principle into our lives.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for today and the great joy we have in knowing that you are king and we are not. That you're in charge. You rule. Our job is to follow. As servants. And I pray that for every person in this room today, you give them the strength they need to live in the light of your word. Father, forgive us for trying to make our marriages work in our own strength. Forgive us for trying to make people love us. Forgive us for trying to make things happen for us. Forgive us, Lord, for trying to make the ministry work.

It's your ministry. It's your marriage. It's your family. It's your church. Help us, Lord, to depend upon you for all things, to lean upon you for strength, p, grace, and sustenance. Help us to be led by the Spirit of God so that we don't fulfill the lust of the flesh. In Jesus' name, amen.