Charles Price - Take Off Your Shoes

well give your neighbor a high five and say keep going for gold and you know what keeps us going for gold is God's Word amen how many ready for God's Word it is an absolute joy to be able to have dr. Charles price with us here tonight he is no stranger to a lot of people how many of you have ever heard him on the radio or seen him on TV been touched by his ministry at some point dr. Charles just look around absolutely amazing you know he came to Christ at the age of 12 watching a Billy Graham film he then came to Toronto from England in 2001 and in 2001 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of Divinity degree by Tyndale University right here in Toronto he has been the senior pastor of people's church for 14 years and I went on to his website last night and I love that the front slogan of their website it says Toronto our home the world our neighborhood isn't that amazing you know we really are a celebration of the nation's here in the Fellowship of Christian Assemblies and we're delighted to have such a man of the word and great integrity and honor among us here tonight he has preached in over a hundred countries on six continents and is the author of seven books he's got some of them here tonight we encourage you to check them out in the back foyer on the way out he is an amazing teacher of the word he's been married to his wife Hilary since 1980 they have three grown children two grandchildren and tonight you are going to get touched by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the word of the Lord ladies and gentlemen please welcome to this podium and to the Fellowship of Christian Assemblies dr. Charles price thank you so much well good evening and thank you Dwayne for that exaggerated introduction I heard about a man it was introduced on one occasion to speak at a business mans meeting he was a businessman and the chairman said it's a delight to have mr. thorn so to speak to us today he's a very successful businessman he owns an oil well in Texas last year he made over ten million dollars and today he's our speakers we got up he said well thank you very much for that introduction I just a few Corrections need to make firstly I live in Oklahoma not Texas secondly we didn't make ten million dollars last year we lost ten million and certainly it's not me you're talking about it's my brother but it is good to be with you and I have read up a lot on the FCA and the last weeks when I was invited to come and speak here by Pastor tech he told me that he was desperate would I please come and so who are these people what do they do what do they believe and I discovered a great kinship in many areas of the truth that means so much to you and that is central to your lives and central to your fellowships I love the name the Friends of Jesus Christ that's how privileged isn't it he's not just our God though he is not just our Lord though Jesus Christ is not just our Savior though he is he's a friend and that is one of the most wonderful things about the Christian life and many people know what Jesus does for them but they don't know him as a friend and so that's I think your particular church tech well I want to read from Exodus chapter 3 this evening I've changed my mind a couple of times since asked for a title I don't I'll be honest with you here I don't like being asked for title way in advance because I haven't had time to think about it or prayer better or sense what maybe the concern on the heart of God I used to often ask God to give me sermons and he rarely cooperated so now I ask him to give me burdens and to speak and address the particular burden relays on my heart for a particular occasion and the theme of this conference of course is going for gold and I want to look at somebody who looked as though he was going for anything but gold for the first eight years of his life the man is Moses we had read to us from Hebrews chapter 12 we're surrounded by this great crowd of witnesses who testify through their faith in God so the utter faithfulness of God in their lives one of those men was Moses we didn't begin to discover that until he was about eighteen and I want to read to you from extra chapter three I read little bits as we go through first of all in verse one now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law the priest of Midian and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb the mountain of God there the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up so Moses thoughts I'll go over and see this strange sight why the bush does not burn out and when the Lord saw that he had gone over to look God called to him from within the bush Moses Moses Moses said Here I am do not come any closer God said take off your sandals to the place where you are standing is holy ground this is a familiar story to most of you no doubt God meeting Moses at the burning bush but you don't find it strange that the first thing God asks Moses for is his shoes take off your shoes what do you thought God would have more important things to talk about Moses is meeting God in this traumatic way he has never met God like this before God has manifested himself in this phenomena of the burning bush a bush who went on burning but did not burn out and when Moses first saw it's out with his sheep and that was burning that was none you shoot that wasn't unusual in the heat of the Midian desert a bush might spontaneously burst into flame but then when I didn't it would burn itself out very quickly but whereas most has looked across at this bush it was burning and burning went back to his sheep looked back again still burning stop for his lunch looked again still burning he's all go and see this great sight what isn't the bush burn out and when he came God spoke to him out of the bush Moses take off your shoes is this simply etiquette if you talk to God take your shoes off now I suggest there's a very good reason why God said this to him and let me read on in verse 6 and we'll come back to that in a moment then God said I am the God of your father that God of Abraham the god of Isaac and the God of Jacob that this Moses hid his face because he was afraid look at God probably embarrassed as well because you see the last 40 years of Moses life he had lived as a failure on the backside of the Midian desert and the god of your father yeah I remember my dad had a relationship with God and the God not just of your father but of Abraham Isaac Jacob yes I've heard all those stories Moses hid his face then the Lord said this in verse 7 I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering so I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a goodness spacious land the land flowing with milk and honey the home of the Canaanites Hittites amirite parasites highlights and Gebbie sites I practiced that versus afternoon and now the crowd is lights has reached me and I have seen the way the gypsies are oppressing then now let me pause that moment you notice everything God has said is about himself so far he says I have seen the misery my people I have heard them crying out I am concerned about their suffering I have come down to rescue them their cry has reached me I have seen the way the Gyptians are President eight times God says I I Me Mine i I I have heard I have seen I have come down I will rescue them I am doing something and I imagine Moses got very excited imagine he he thought himself this is fantastic this is wonderful at last after all these years at last after 400 years of slavery God you are gonna do something thank you what are you gonna do next verse so now go I'm sending you a bigger pond I'm sending you but I thought you just said you were gonna do it I thought you just said that that you had come down and you've seen the way they're being we're being oppressed that's right Moses I'm gonna do it they're gonna do it through you gods strategy in our world is people God doesn't send angels to evangelize you know he could do he has millions of them John tried to count them once and he said there were ten thousand times ten thousand that's a hundred million and many more he said that could not be counted I think he did very well counting a hundred million and then he stopped counting cards got millions of angels but he never sends angels to the mission field be a lot cheaper if he did of course they wouldn't need any support if they get into trouble no problem persecution no problem either just disappear or cloud but a lot better with angels wouldn't it be a lot more effective wouldn't its neighbor if an angel not in a neighbor's door and so I've come to tell you about Jesus Christ maybe hide his wings be on his back first of all and then just to give some credibility flap them in front of him don't you think your neighbors would sit up and take notice wouldn't be a lot more exciting he sent an angel the pastor of the local church teacher announced next week a preacher will be Gabriel and say which Gabriel the angel you think people would turn up you bet they would he doesn't do that he gives you a tech or Duane he gives ordinary people I suggest you this is why God asked Moses to take off his shoes because Moses I'm gonna do it I will be the only explanation for what happens you can only be able to explain it in terms of God I'm doing it in your shoes you ever wondered about a verse occurs three times in the Bible it's a rather interesting verse in Isaiah 52 is the first time it appears it says how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news what a strange verse why doesn't it say how beautiful is the mouth of the one who brings good news wouldn't that make more sense how beautiful is the mind of the one who brings you good news wouldn't that make more sense how beautiful is the personality and the one who brings you good news wouldn't that make more sense he says how beautiful of a feet and Jim talked to us earlier about running to win the race that is marked out for us you run it with your feet Paul as you know in Romans 12 tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice how do we do that well of course we can do it lock stock and barrel Lord everything I am I give to you but it's good to be specific as well and sir I suggest you the first part of our anatomy that God requires is our feet you see can be willing to speak for God you can be willing to be willing to work for God but if you're in the wrong place you'll be of no use I suggest you the first part of the first part of our Anatomy that God requires is our feet let me put you in the right place first of all and then I suggest you and this is just a little detour and then we'll come back to X's three and then got your feet he asked you for your eyes remember jesus said I tell you open your eyes and look at the fields they are ripe for harvest this was to his disciples when they had gone into Samara to buy food he stayed by the well a woman came out Jesus was waiting for her a thirsty woman so thirsty she'd been married five times singing and that would help and now she was living with a boyfriend and Jesus knew all of that was simply a symptom that deep in her heart she was thirsty for something she'd never yet found he says I'll give you that water and you'll never thirst again and his disciples came back they were amazed he's talking to a woman partly because he was a woman and he was a man partly because she was a Samaritan and he was a Jew and Jesus rebuked them and said I sent you to reap a harvest you have not worked for open your eyes and look you pass this woman on the road yes you did you probably said good morning and when she was out of sight you probably said to her I wonder why she's going in the heat of the day she must be an outcast some of you might have said I think she's probably been married a few times and everybody's scared if she's gonna take their husband excellent you may have been right but you never saw her you never saw her open your eyes that woman is right said Jesus in saying open your eyes and look at the fields there right for harvest and he's talking there about that woman and in Samaria which is a place where they least expected to find disciples you remember because the Samaritans and the Jews had no no dealings with one another and the most unexpected places open your eyes you know I serve in the people's church down the road here at least 10 miles away and you know we have our strategies for evangelism and we we have our plan and thoughts about how to reach people with the gospel but you know the people who really get converted don't come the way that we strategize to reach them the unexpected people we had a moment Bishop driving home one day not driving home driving to his church Mormon Church and it was snowing and he got held up and they got to buy the people's church and there was a lineup of traffic and he had his two children the back of the car and he was frustrated because he was late he said I wasn't preaching that morning and in the in the Mormon Church but I had to be there and we were gonna be late and my son and the back seat said why do we go to lists church instead his dad said that was so stupid apparently Mormons say things like that but he said the car in front of me pulled into the people's church parking lot and I followed in and my wife said what are you doing he said I don't know let's just go here anyway and the parking space came in sat in the balcony end of the service he came down with his wife was the several people who had come to speak with me and he was in the line and as he got closer than we were talking face-to-face he said who told you I was coming this morning I said I don't think I know you he said no you don't I said well no one told me he said that you've just talked about me and to me and I said oh that is a friend of mine he didn't tell me about you he just told me what to say and that morning he and his wife were converted their two children their two children were saved in the youth ministry a few weeks later I tell you it it caused a very exciting bit of trouble in the moment you in Toronto he was leading a kanye chanel near where we are and he went back next Sunday and settler people we misunderstood we've got it all wrong and he began to bring him down to the people's church and then see the moment of thought has closed that church and sold the building to stop him doing any more damage now we don't have a strategy for reaching Mormon bishops but God did it young man called me one day 21 years of age could I come and see you I said certainly came in one afternoon and he said I don't know what life is all about but I know it's not in Islam he was from an Islamic country Iran his family moved here around him I know that doesn't have the meaning of life I've looked in all kinds of New Age philosophies and they don't have it and I know they don't I've tried self-help tactics and that's like trying to pull yourself up with you with his shoelaces that doesn't work so I decided to see if Christian had anything to say so I came here last Sunday he said I sat in the balcony at the end of the service when I went out and when I went home I hadn't understood a single word not a single word I couldn't tell anybody what I'd heard I couldn't put a sentence together it was all foreign to me this was the previous Sunday but he said to me although I didn't understand the word I knew it was true what is it that is true right recognized straight away the Holy Spirit was at work because he bears witness the troops he doesn't always explain it he just bears witness to it and I knew that this young man was in trouble he's gonna get saved he wasn't careful and he did three weeks later and when he got converted our settlement says you're right he should have stayed away and God did a revolution that boy's heart and he became strong witness on the University of Toronto campus started discipleship groups for young people led Center Christ and then I invited him a group of young people back to my home one day just to have an informal time to get excited Bible study group with a young men who are either new Christians or not yet Christians I invited them all to come out and they came to my home and that was a mistake because I have two daughters and he's now my son-in-law because he married one of them but we don't have a strategy for reaching young Iranian students they say lord help us to open our eyes and to look trimmer Michael Jackson died they released the film soon after called this is it remember that maybe you don't it's not your style probably but they produced a film called this is it which was based on the rehearsals that Michael Jackson was doing that some shows before he died and there was a Michael Jackson found a young lady in early 20s who had been to see on the Saturday night the film this is it and she was driving past the people's church the next morning and we had a big sign outside that said is this it it was an advert for Alfa that was the thing is this it and she saw is this is what that must be to do with this is it it must be about Michael Jackson so she parked a car came in sat down at the back the music started and she realized this is not like Michael Jackson but she was actually hedged in there was some people decided some people this side we can get out and one of the ashes who had assured her to a seat so she was on her own had never seen her before kept his eye on her at the end of the service as those were leaving he intercepted and said it's been lovely to see you here this morning and have you been before she said no well I'm very glad you came why did you come so I thought it was about Michael Jackson oh why do you think that she told him the story he said did you enjoy it she said yes and as we sort of that he led her to Christ came and Thomas saw the next week and that and I thought that's it that's one of these stores were where somebody just makes a decision you never see him again but a bad freaks lady she came to me and said I know this is it girl because I think you were told about me and she was converted baptized over a silly thing like this is it confused with is this it I'm glad we had nachio opened his eyes and loved when he's got your eyes then he asked you for your ears because in jeremiah 23 jeremiah says who has listened and heard his word and god said if they had stood in my counsel and listened they would have proclaimed my words to my people you see what words we're gonna give to people you have to let God give you those words you have to open your ears towards him and you know God put you in unexpected places sometimes and you find yourself saying unexpected things where I live there are a couple and the we didn't know them just seen them once in a while that's all we knew about them and I came home one day and my wife said to me I hear that mrs. so-and-so the lady of this couple died last night a heart attack oh I'm sorry to hear that and in my heart I thought I should go and visit him just offer my condolences but I didn't two weeks later I took one of my children had for breakfast and we were sitting in this restaurant and there was a man sitting on his own in the next table and when I said I thought oh that's the man from the underworld whose wife died so I said I think I know you you live on such-and-such he said yes I said your wife died reason said yes as I'm so sorry to hear that and so we talked about it and what it's like for him now that he's on his own and and he said I've come out here to have some breakfast through Saturday morning because I'm lonely at home I said you come here every day said no no every day I just come on a Saturday I said would you mind if I joined you sometimes he said love that to arrange to meet on a Saturday morning and he didn't running about me and I didn't know much about him we began to talk and share things he was very much into Noster damn German Nostradamus you know that prophet back in the 14th century or something he gave me a book on that so I gave him John Scott's book basic Christianity and we agreed to read a chapter of each book and then next time we talked about it I talked about his book he talked about my book and the time came when he got to the clincher in basic Christianity he's I knew there'd be a catch somewhere he's telling me now I have to repent and believe I said so why don't you he said I'm not sure I'm ready I said why not anyway he did repent and believe it was life to Christ few months later he died suddenly almost identically to his wife went to bed died in the sleep got a phone call from his son two days later saying and stand you had breakfast with my father on several occasions yes we used to meet regularly his flow over that 18 months would met he said he talk about it it was a very meaningful time for him so we're gonna have a funeral but it's not really funeral he said it's just a memorial there's nothing religious in it there'll be no singing no praying but would you come and talk about your breakfast with my dad I said love to so I came to the memorial service and people said all kinds of lovely things about him and then his son got up and said my dad made a new friend in the last 18 months of his life and he used to talk all the time at his breakfast with Charles so I'm gonna ask Charles to come and talk about their breakfast together so I did and I told them the books we'd swapped I told them that he had received Christ into his life and though we were here morning his body we need not mourn his soul and he could have heard a pin drop totally new for most of those people and afterwards you know they had refreshments and Peter Cartman said could you have breakfast with me one day but you see I I hadn't obeyed and God gave me a second chance I felt the spurts they go and talk to him and just offer your condolences I didn't and so god engineered it when we went for breakfast he'll be at the next table but you see take off your shoes open your eyes that was give your feet to God open your eyes then open your ears who was listening heard his word and then the next thing is he asks us for our mouth the beautiful person has our fifty verse for the sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary you know there's nothing more satisfying than listening to an instructed tongue there's little more frustrating than listening to an uninstructed tongue and God says there I will instruct your tongue and you know that you have an instructed tongue because you will sustain the weary you won't keep upon them burdens you'll lift the burdens by the words that you speak to them so how beautiful on the mountains of the feet of those who bring good news their feet had been obedient God has put their feet in the right place at the right time for the right purpose that eyes have been open they've seen what God sees they've asked him to show them what he seized it's woman over here this boy over here this man over here it's neighbor you don't like then give him your ears and listen and smoothy says then give him your mouth and speak an instructed word into prepared hearts you see can be what speak for God but on your terms your feet are in the wrong place some who say Lord I'm available to you provided it's in Toronto or providers in Ontario or provided this in Canada I don't want to go anywhere else so North America anyway and I say I'm sorry I I don't any conditions like that I want you to be available to go anywhere at any time at any price and be where I want you to be you know before God looks at our ability he looks at our mobility how mobile are you and I ask you tonight have you taken off your shoes metaphorically and said god I give them to you let me take you back to Exodus chapter 3 when God said to Moses I'm sending you in verse 11 Moses said to God Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring these lights out of Egypt in other words I'm just a failure Who am I I was brought up in the Royal Palace of Pharaoh and I had opportunity but I blew it and fled out here into the Midian desert for the last forty years have been a shepherd looking after sheep living on the backside of the desert I married a shepherdess I'm living with my mother-in-law and the whole family for my I almost looked like a sheep smell like a sheep talk like a sheep hello whoo yeah haha man and God said to him in verse 12 when he said Who am I I will be with you he didn't say Moses you know actually if you think about it I've been preparing you add in the sheet in the desert with the sheet for 40 years you're gonna be another desert for 40 years and if you think she / problem you wait till you get this and I said there you know I've been preparing you you know you've been living with you with your in-laws man if you think that's difficult you might like put you with the Israelites for 40 years no he doesn't say that all of that's irrelevant I'll be with you see what qualifies us for ministry is the life of God within us nothing more it's good to study of course it's good to do all of that I had a letter recently from a church you said we're looking for a pastor and you might know somebody that you could recommend to us and they sent me the criteria they had laid down for this pastor he had to have a certain amount of education purely reasonable that is certain degrees they specified they wanted him to be married for some reason but that was a specification and so on and so I were back and I said ylim thank you for your letter but I'm gonna be concerned about the qualifications you've laid down I'll tell you why Jesus wouldn't qualify to be a pastor and any pastoral role of Jesus wouldn't qualify for it's a little suspect I said what didn't you say he needs to know God he needs to live in fellowship with God he needs to be a friend of God he needs to know where it is for God to be worked in him and through him he needs to be a man who couldn't care less whether people like him or not only that he pleases the father I said I could send you somebody who would have the qualifications you ask I can recommend something who no use to you at all but I could perhaps give you a name of one or two people who don't fit that criteria but will turn your church upside down and they never replied they probably thought was being cheeky you know but it frustrates me when we superimpose on the work of God and the standards of men I will be with you of course we need to study of course we need to be educated cause for you to be equipped to cause him to stir up the gifts and within us and that's by effort and energy and we are unique all of us have different gifts and we need to identify them and and stir them up but Moses you have to understand this is going to be me God in your shoes and who you are becomes extremely secondary it's Who I am that is the issue and so Moses says the obvious thing well who you because in verse 14 Moses said to God supposed to go to Israelites and say to them the god of your father's has sent me to you and they asked me what is his name then what should I tell him so he did this old trick if not simple who are you he said if I go to the people they asked me who are you what should I tell them in other words who you you say you'll be with me and God said to him in verse 14 I am Who I am this is what you are to say please rise I am has sent me to now that doesn't sound like a very cooperative answer you know who are you I am Who I am well I know you are who you are but who are you it's a very wonderful answer isn't it now I was past tense of the burning bush remember your call remember your commission and live on the basis of that or he doesn't say I will be in Canaan to welcome you when you eventually arrive and pat you on the back and say well done good and faithful servant now not I was or I will be but I am Moses in the present tense in any situation in any crisis when your back is against any wall I am totally sufficient Moses my name is irrelevant it's my person my eternal present tense in your life that is the issue and Moses it's not youth is going to listen I'm gonna do it in you it's gonna be in your shoes through your body it's you who's gonna get tired at the end of the day it's used we have to struggle with all the issues that Moses did struggle with in the wilderness but your power your resources is not in yourself and I'm not back in the burning books to remember when you're there or waiting for you in Canaan I will be at any time in any situation in any crisis totally sufficient for you so what if Moses have to do now well I won't read it to you but you'll know the story has to be two things as to obey what God says and trust who God is those are two operative things in the Christian life God said go to Pharaoh knock on his door and say to him would you please let my people go and Moses in effect said but he knows me you know I grew up with him because I was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter who's now Pharaoh his grandmother because he's 80 years ago I know pretty might kill me yeah he might what well I can't do that who's with you I am you obey what I say you trust Who I am so Moses went knocked on the door will you please let the Israelites go why should i because God said I don't know your God dang Pharaoh shut the door in his face no sir I knew that would happen more now well go down to the river and take your staff in your hand and strike the river strike the river yeah Moses you got to learn something obey no questions obey what I say and trust I am okay go down strike the river and the water began and turned to blood and you know the miracles of the ten plagues and eventually after a tenth plague the worst plague of all for these rights when the firstborn son in every Israelite house died in every Egyptian house died in his bed that night the firstborn carver every gyptian cow out in the field died that night first one lamb of every sheep in Egypt died that night the firstborn puppy of every dog the firstborn kitten of every cat died that night but his lice didn't go to bed that night they took a lamb you remember they slew the lamb and it took the blood of the lamb and they marked the doorposts of each of their homes when the Angel of Death passed over or came to Egypt he passed over the places marked with blood why it's called the Passover and the is writes that night roasted the lamb they were dressed with their coats on that belts around their waist their shoes on their feet their staff in their hand and they ate the meat of the lamb ready to run in the strength of the lamb the mum of the word came you're free and you remember they left that night and everything must have been wonderful until they came to the Red Sea in chapter 14 I'll just turn you there and we'll we'll finish with this in just a moment in Chapter 14 they got to the Red Sea and they discovered they were unable to cross over and they faced a crisis that began to grow by the hour the red sea was too white to bridge too deep to wade through too long to go around and so the people began to grumble and then beyond the Satan Moses Moses how do we end up here did you not check the directions before you left and while they were standing complaining to Moses on the banks of the Red Sea they looked over their shoulder and there they saw in the distance a cloud of dust in the cloud of dust the silhouette in the Egyptian army and their worst fears were realized Pharaoh had changed his mind and was coming back to round them up and take them back as slaves once again and when the people saw the Red Sea in front and they saw the Egyptian army behind they went into panic says in verse 10 of chapter 14 as Pharaoh approached his wife looked up and there with Egyptians marching after them they were terrified and they cried out to the Lord they said to Moses was it because there's no graves in Egypt that he brought us to the desert to die what have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt didn't we say to you in Egypt leave us alone let us serve the Egyptians as better will be better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert this is the people in panic terrified it says is it because I know graves neither is this a plot II you really on that side of you let us have a cul-de-sac here here they are caught between the devil the deep red sea and what does Moses say to them I love what he says in verse 13 of chapter 14 most of the sons of the people do not be afraid what the Red Sea we can't cross the Egyptian army who couldn't defend themselves against don't be afraid stand firm and you see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today the Egyptians you see today you'll never see again the Lord will fight for you and you need only to be still how can Moses speak them like that but I read sin from the Egyptians coming up behind and his LED stands up and says don't be afraid the road will fight for you I imagine there were people there who said numbers of spiritual Moses you've got to be practical in these situations they say it now so it probably city then how can Moses speak like that the Lord will fight for you don't be afraid I think mostly must have prayed very quickly I think he must have said God we've got a problem that we got to we're gonna read same front of us and we can't cross we're gonna dip tsunami coming behind us and we can't defend ourselves against it against them everybody's in a panic so we've really got three problems I don't know what to do but I want to remind you something God it wasn't my idea to come it was yours I told you I couldn't do it you said I will be with you I said who you you said I am Who I am no words God you said that you will always be in the present tense everything I ever need and therefore father I have absolutely no idea what to do but this is your business not mine so thank you amen isn't it great to know you can talk to God like that and he could turn to the people and say don't be afraid the Lord will fight for you and you only need to be still but he probably said in his breath but don't anybody ask me how I don't know what he's gonna do now you remember God calls the mist to descend the fog and it's load is the Egyptians down and so they got bogged down in the fog and God said to Moses take your staff Moses has learned you obey what God says and you trust who God is take your staff and hold it over the water so Moses took his staff and held it over the water and stayed there all night I imagine all kinds of rumors went around the camp that night where's Moses was our leader he's standing over here with his staff in his hand I'm sure the law said I think he's flipped and there's another person as a piece of string on the end of that staff with a hook on it no one is fishing the Moses knew that you obey what God says and Trust to God is in relax and when the Sun broke the dawn broke and the eastern sky to their amazement the waters had parted and they went through on dry ground and as they're coming at the other side remember the Egyptians now all of them came into the pass through the Red Sea Moses said what do I do now I'm glad to take your staff and hold over the sea and he did and it began to flow as normal and the Egyptians were drowned and God used the first problem the Red Sea to destroy the second problem Egyptian army it's interesting how when you give your problems to God he cannibal they can cannibalize each other and now they're through on the other side and I said I'd finished with that that I have to finish with this and what do they do well in chapter 15 Moses started to sing and Miriam joined in with her tambourine and I want to read you part of what they sang I won't sing it to you because I I don't sing I have a moving voice which means people move when I do sing so but let me read you the words of what they sang and as I read them to you see if you can spot something that's missing they sang chapter 15 I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted the horse and it's rider he is held endlessly the Lord is my strength of my song he has become my salvation he is my god not praising my father's got an exalted the Lord is a warrior the Lord is his name a bit later your right hand alone was majestic in power your right hand O Lord shattered the enemy in the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you bit later verse 11 who among the gods is like you O Lord who is like you majestic in holiness awesome in wonder working wonders you stretch out your right hand on your swallowed them in your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed in your strength you guide them to your holy dwelling etc etc etc did you notice what was missing Moses absolutely nothing about Moses it's all about God they don't sing two four six eight who do we appreciate give me an N and give me an O oh give me an S yes give me an e e give me another s yes what's that smell roses who's our champion roses who delivered us roses no they didn't say that they didn't even mention Moses in our day of celebrity culture we often get so focused on personalities and it is tiring it's never work people do for God is what God does in people you know they even said in this song they said to God you stretched out your right hand I imagine Moses probably said excuse me everybody I stretched out my right hand all night but they've got it what have they got it's God in Moses shoes whose battle is it the Lord will fight for you and you only need to be still Moses told them so if the battle is the Lord's why in the world are we worrying about someone else's battle is the church you lead yours or gods if it's yours you'll spend a lot of sleepless nights trying to work out how to make it work and of course you have to struggle with those issues if it's dodging put her head in the pillow at night and say lord thank you and trust you who strengths to operate in is it yours or is it gods whose battles you engage in is it yours or is it God if I have a key verse in my life it is first Thessalonians 5 verse 24 he who calls you is faithful and he will do it not he who calls you is faithful so you do it but he calls you he'll cause his favor and he will do it let me ask as I finish have you given your shoes to God honestly it's all part of the lingo of Christianity that we surrender to God but is it actually true we said Lord hey take off my shoes because this is your business alone I want to be involved with I want to take my shoes and I don't care whether it's at work in my church my home riding the subway sitting on a bus I want my eyes to be open my ears into my mouth ready and thank you you'll always have something for me to do I'll give you my shoes before Moses could replace Joshua before Joshua replaced Moses they had to go and take the city of Jericho you remember and Joshua has been the first city in entering Canaan and Joshua suddenly saw a man it never seen before dressed as a captain in his army Joshua went up to him and said are you on our side or there's a force or against it and the man said neither on your side on their side I've come to take over not to take sides um Joshua recognized this is the Lord probably a what we call technically a theophany an incarnation of God it was God in human form standing there pre appearance of Jesus Christ and Moses and Joshua fell on his face before him and sir what do you want me to do and you know what he said said take off your shoes gosh Republic looked up and said them you got a thing about shoes I knew Moses told me yes Josh sure I have a thing about shoes every place where you place your foot I will give you if I'm in your shoes and Joshua to learn the same lesson and Moses could write back you know after 40 years energies around me he says in all these years our shoes did not wear out pretty good shoes one thing doing gods and your shoes they don't wear out because he is always enough I don't know where you are in your own walk with God but we can be so wrapped up in all the correct bullet points of doctrine strategies for ministry structures of our local churches all of which is important and not for one moment he crying any of that but detach from God himself and maybe he sent you tonight I want you to come back and take off your shoes and let me be your strength that maybe your life let me be your power God doesn't give us strength you know he is a strength and ask we bow heads in prayer in a few moments Duane is going to come and lead us in a time of ministry and I asked that he would do that because he is aware of what you have many ways and therefore comfortable with and I'm a visitor as far as that process of responding is concerned and how you do but I want to lead you in a prayer his pray with me Lord Jesus Christ thank you that you love me and I love you back I'm a friend of Jesus Christ that forgive me I've been wearing my own shoes during where I wanted to go doing what I want to do and Lord Jesus say I'm sorry please forgive me and by our Holy Spirit I've only fill me afresh but take charge at my feet my eyes my ears my mouth my whole body presented to you as a living sacrifice thank you you want this more than I do and I wanted Lord Jesus and thank you for the life you got to live in me in power in Jesus name I thank you amen

Channel: FCA Ministers

Views: 10,987

Rating: 4.7402596 out of 5

Keywords: charles price, ministry, moses, exodus, fca, fellowship of christian assemblies, Christianity (Religion), Religion (TV Genre), Christian (Adherents), Leadership (Quotation Subject), spiritual leadership

Id: KEmRyowH9hc

Length: 56min 13sec (3373 seconds)

Published: Fri May 22 2015