Ken Davis - Liberty University Convocation

thank you very much it is my delight to be here with you I was here two years ago I was absolutely inspired by your youth your enthusiasm and your love for Christ it is a delight to watch you worship it just it just fills my soul to watch you worship and I'm glad to be here today too before I begin what I have intended to bring you this morning I feel it's important that we introduce ourselves I haven't been here for two years and so I want you to know me just a little bit and please know this before I begin the introduction about a week ago I turned 66 years old and I am at the absolute pinnacle of living fully alive in my life there are 60 pounds behind me that once I dragged along as an impediment to what God wanted me to do there is a new awareness of the fact that every single day every single moment God is speaking to me trying to get me to open my eyes to what he might have to live fully alive as I did the research for my book fully alive I look back on my life and saw that God's hand had never left me you are not here by accident you are not even in this Congo convocation by accident I don't believe you're even sitting next to the person you're sitting next to by accident God in His sovereignty has chosen to pay attention and what he wants for you is for you to live fully alive and you do that by paying attention to him I remember my first phase of life the innocent stage of life I brought some pictures this is me in the innocent stage of life we have that picture yes yes God said God said make him handsome from the beginning and give him overall in this picture in this picture I did not have the wrinkles and age spots that are on the back of my hands I had dimples where each one of my knuckles now exists there was only a dimple then each morning I got up and when my feet hit the floor the entire day was an opportunity to live it was like an empty page I could write anything I wanted on it in the innocent stage of life and as I look back I can see God's hand on me as that little tiny boy and then I moved on to the insolent stage of life this is a picture of me as a freshman in high school do any of you know the word Brylcreem you don't do you some of your your teachers do Brylcreem a little dab'll do Lea listen only the instructors only the older people a little dab'll do you it was a tube of grease basically this is what a whole tube will do to you right there that's what you saw and then I moved on to the idiot stage of life [Applause] that picture makes me want to throw up can't you just smell a disco ball spinning like crazy somewhere in the background this time in my life I only cared about one thing to be famous this was a picture that I had made that went out to all the studios this is the picture that went to all the comedy clubs this is a picture that in a way reflects the fact that I was on a journey to find some worth some purpose in my life fascinating I had been a believer in Jesus since I was a little boy but he decided Jesus didn't have what I needed Hollywood had what I needed and I put my family I put my moral values I put everything on the altar to chase a dream that couldn't never ever be and now I stand before you today and I am no longer in that stage of light life I no longer have pirate shirts like that I no longer look like that I don't have the bling hallelujah I am now living in the idiot stage of life have we got a picture of the idiot stage of life actually this isn't the idiot stage this is the confused stage that's why I said idiot again because I am totally confused none of you are it is so silent here I do this in front of people who are my age and they laugh hysterically here's the description of what I am going through in the confused stage of life it is the stage of life when you spend more time looking for the things you need to do what you need to do than you do doing what you need to do when you sit down at a desk and lose a pencil without moving you lose a pencil it is a time of life when you spend two hours looking for the keys to your car and then it hits you perhaps I left them in the console of my car where I usually keep them so you unlock your car with the keys you've been looking for for two hours to check the council I'll share this and then I'll get into where I'm going that way as we go along if I accidentally use the wrong word two times in a row then you'll go oh it's okay he's in the confused stage of life I have had to develop a little dance in order to even survive I call it the airport Macarena a little dance that just to check that I have everything I need before I leave and some of you may recognize the airport Macarena it goes a little like this now no no I'm with you I recognize that Liberty is known as a conservative school and so when I did this I saw many of you going yes amen amen I do the airport but when I did this I saw thousands go no I do not do that I do not do that well you need to do that because I'm telling you if you miss your keys you'll hear them when you do this you can hear them true story if you've seen this on the internet it went viral I did not steal it from an Internet if you've seen it there this is my story meeting at church Airport Macarena no keys check where we met no keys check the reception area notes no keys and then I realized what I had done I had left the keys in the ignition of the car I do it all the time been married for 44 years my wife constantly says to me do not leave the keys in the ignition of the car someone will steal the car do not leave them there and I continually say to her baby in the confused stage of life the ignition of the car is the easiest place to find the keys the car never slips in that little crack in the sulphate never slips down there find the car well there's the keys well I knew she was gonna be mad so I ran outside empty parking lot no cars in the parking lot of the church my car had been stolen so I grabbed my cell phone called the police I gave them a description of the car I confess that I had left the keys in the ignition of the car which by the way in Tennessee is a crime I said I left the keys in the ignition of the car and it has been stolen then I made the most difficult call of all I called Diane when she answered the phone I said sweet baby I have disobeyed you I left the keys in the ignition of the car and the car has been stolen was silent no encouragement nothing just silence a silence that just screamed I told you finally I thought the call had been dropped so I said are you still there and my wife said ken I dropped you off [Laughter] have you ever been there done not yet it's coming it's coming Johnny I said we'll come and get me she said I will as soon as I convinced this policeman they have not stolen your car so I ask you will you indulge me will you kindly listen to a confused older man who has a message from God for you today will you okay that was an overwhelming response let's pray father in these moments please help us to understand that to live fully alive is to be totally available to you that our life is nothing without you and that everyday is an opportunity to live once again recognizing your power and that really there are no excuses help us to hear your call and respond in Jesus name Amen in the book of Exodus there is a marvelously rich story I have not yet found the depth of this ocean story of Moses being called by God most of you know the story of the angel plura appeared to him in flames of fire from a burning bush what an amazing amazing story sadly we read by that stuff so quickly oh yes a bush was burning and yet we don't realize that these were real people they had real blood flowing through their veins Moses at the lowest point in his life a man who once walked the corridors of power in pharaoh's court is now guarding watching filthy nasty stupid sheep way in the back of a desert and a bush catches on fire and of course we imagine that Moses responded as Bible people do behold a bush Burnet give me a break let's get in his skin there's no way he went behold a bush there is no way if we could translate what happens in his heart it had to come close to Wow freaking me out now I'm not gonna go into this very deeply but I will tell you that if you look carefully the Moses was absolutely amazed he noticed not only that the bush was burning which freaked him but it wasn't burning it was burning but it wasn't and the Bible says that he went over to look at this strange sight now isn't this wonderful this blows me away God is not a couch potato he's better than any Hollywood producer this is better than lightning flickering through the clouds a burning bush in the middle of the desert he did this because he wanted to get Moses attention I guarantee you that I'm only here for one reason this morning God has two he wants to get my attention he wants to get your attention he wants more than anything else for you to know what it is to live fully alive to be everything he created you to be and we're trapped into thinking that our ability to follow him and live like that is limited to our ability or disability how amazing Bible says he went over to look at the bush and when he got over there God spoke to him from within the bush let me tell you something students if God tries to get your attention and a burning bush doesn't get your attention and then you go over and the bush is burning and it isn't really burning and that doesn't get your attention I guarantee if the bush talks to you that will get your attention and the Bible says that God spoke to Moses from the bush and he said Moses Moses and Moses in in a moment intelligence said Here I am and that's where our story starts really the Israelites are in absolute agony being being captive to absolute cruel people and God comes to Moses when he saw he went over to the bush God said to him Moses Moses and Moses said Here I am God said do not come any closer God said take off your sandals for the place where you're standing is holy ground now we back up and I want to talk about us this morning God spoke to me this morning I felt the nudge of his spirit there is no doubt in my mind as you were at this university that God is saying something to you every day every morning sometimes for a year he has asked you for the same thing over and over again asking you to trust him in some way asking you to give of yourself in some way asking you to to renew the temple of His Holy Spirit in some way asking you to share Christ with someone I have no idea what it is but in your heart right now you are stirred to remember God's voice and I am Telling You that just as Moses stood next to that burning bush when God taps you on the shoulder no matter how he taps you on the shoulder you are standing on holy ground it is Almighty God the maker of the universe who is there who is speaking to you who is asking you to move to glorify his name to experience what he intended for your life to get a taste of what it is to live fully alive Moses fell on his face all good responses so far and then the Lord said I have seen the misery of my people in need I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering and then God says the words that Moses has so wanted to hear God says so I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians I can just see Moses going good you come down him and bring a sword and some stuff because there's some people I want you to meet he wants the Egyptians to pay for what they have done he wants his people to be free he promises to bring them up out of slavery into the land of milk and honey he says and now the cry of the Israelites has reached me verse nine and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them I love this three or four sentences ago God said I have come down is that an amazing think of the problems you're facing imagine if if something you wanted to see accomplished and suddenly God appears in your bedroom and he says I have come down and then he says to Moses now you go I don't mean to this seat may seem like it is not appropriate but itis war just a second ago you said you was coming down evey Hill preached one of the greatest sermons I've ever heard on this message and the entitled this sermon you are God's answer God has chosen to work through you and each day he whispers in your ear something that will help you move toward life glorifying his name and this is where Moses starts with the excuses and I'm going to hurry through this but I would like you first of all to get a picture in your mind of even the smallest thing that God has asked you to do even the smallest moment where you felt his presence moving you in a certain direction and then think of that in context of how Moses responded God said now you go you go Moses's response is found in verse 11 Moses said to God and forgive me for putting in a voice inflection to Moses this does not sound like the charlton heston were used to Who am I I'm a nobody you may not have noticed but I'm no longer in the courts of Pharaoh I no longer walk with power I used to hold a scepter and now I hold a sheep thing Who am I gods response to Moses was a lot like the first excuse we we make write them down I'm a nobody God why would you ask me to do this I am a nobody now let me quickly give you God's response to that that was not God's response God's response was this when Moses said I'm a nobody God's response was I know now I see some of your professors leafing through their Bibles going I don't see that anywhere here where does it where does it say I know the truth of the matter is that it's that's exactly what it says God said to Moses Who am I I'm a nobody basically Who am I am look where I am I've only got this stick what what and God's response was not I'll make you as somebody God's response was I'll go with you God is not looking for extraordinary people he's looking for ordinary people who will trust an extraordinary God God wants you you are God's answer you say but wait till you see my grades when this semester is through God wants you God said to him I will go with you now what is your name uh right here this young lady in purple quickly tell me your name right there I cannot hear you Deidre Deidre imagine that as you just about go to sleep tonight imagine Deidre that you're just about to sleep and you're your bed stand catches on fire no look at me Deidre you're looking at your bed Stan you reach for the phone to call and then you notice that it's burning but it's not burning and then you go over to look because there's not even the smell of smoke and when you're looking your bed Stan says Deidre and I don't know what God is asking you to do but let's assume Deidre that he asked you to do what he wants you to do and you are convinced that it is God Deidre I don't know you I want to shake your hand afterwards but I'm telling you I have an idea that you would be gone you would do it this is God you should have seen my bed stem it was burning and it didn't burn my stuff is still there but Moses had another excuse this is Moses a second excuse look at this so God has just told him I I God will go with you deidre would be gone I'm telling you not Moses Moses has got another excuse he says this I don't know what to say you can search your scriptures you'll find it in verse 13 Moses said to God suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them the god of your father's has sent me to you and they ask me what is his name I don't know what to say how many of you would be honest enough that they're to admit that there have been times when God has asked you to just make a simple proclamation of his love and you refused because you weren't sure what to say miss your hands please look at the scriptures because when Moses said I don't know what to say God said I'll tell you what to say I'll tell you he spends the whole next chapter say save this high school little girl in my in my ministry class we challenged them to witness to their friends she came into my class head I don't know I don't know what to do weeping I said what is the problem she said you have no idea how many friends I have I just know where to start I remember leaning across the desk and I said Beth pick one dick one and I remember her going oh and so she picked one she came into my office very quickly she came into my office the next week tears streaming from her face and told me the story she had brought this child to our little ministry group and on the way home she was gonna give her a trach the little little written out gospel thing and she was so scared to do that and so she thought instead of that I'll ask a question so she asked how did you like how did you like the meeting and her friend said I loved it I loved the leader but that was me I loved all the games we play I love that but I hated the Jesus part whoa what do I say now without even knowing that God spoke to the spirit of this little girl and she of it she asked another question what did you hate about the Jesus part and her friend began to weep and said Jesus could never love me and then poured out a story of abuse of times in her life when she had drawn lines and crossed them when she had disobeyed God when she became everything she didn't want to become and God could not love her and my little friend Beth pulled the car over and told her story when she was done with her story her little friend said I would like to pray to receive Christ like you did and so she prayed to receive Christ Beth is in my office Monday this is true weeping she tells me this story she's still weeping I said Beth what's wrong she said it was so great to see God moved but now it's over I said pick another one Beth let's seven of her friends to Christ her senior year and she still doesn't know what to say God is so amazing there are no excuses as we move into this Christmas season the marvelous Incarnation we live in the country where they're trying to remove every every symbol of God's incarnation every symbol of his sacrifice from the public square and we are so afraid that we'll say the wrong thing listen God will tell you what to say and when he does say it with boldness because one day every knee every knee is going to bow thank you worship team for reminding us of that so God says to Moses this is what you say to them there you go you'd be huh you'd be gone you'd be writing texts to your friends already going that's wonderful here where God asked me to go not Moses he's got another excuse chapter 4 Moses says so you'll go with me yes I just have to say that yes okay but if you're with me and then they say that what if they don't believe me write it down we use this so often what if they don't believe me what if I don't fix it what if the problem doesn't go away and God's answer is always the same it's not your job it's not your job anytime you come to believe that it is you who actually changes a heart you cease to be a witness sir and become a manipulator it is our job to be faithful in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ it is the job of the Holy Spirit to bring men and women to repentance it's not your job then I see some of you thumbing through the Scriptures going I don't see it's not your job where does it say it's not your job God said to Moses what's that in your hand Moses said that's a stick sheep stick sometimes the sheep do bad things I hit him with a stick God said throw it down now you won't find this in the scriptures but if the man had blood in his veins I guarantee had my blood in his veins I guarantee you this is Moses's response throw it down why his sheep stick Moses throw the stick down okay there's really no need to get testy I'll throw it he threw the stick down you know the story it turned into a snake God is demonstrating to Moses that it is his power that will make the difference in people's lives I'm gonna be with you these are the kind of things I'm gonna do now go pick up the snake and you know Moses is going no you pick up the snake you need to read through this before the end of the year Moses was given a death sentence and God healed him I will be the one to make them believe God said Moses has another excuse verse 10 Moses said to the Lord excuse me yeah I I don't I don't I excuse me I don't I don't I don't cut I don't talk talk good scholars some Bible scholars believe that Moses stammered that he had this affliction all of his life we don't know but I don't talk talk good I don't talk it doesn't matter what's your Excuse is it doesn't work it doesn't work God replied and I think there began to be the little of the anger we see later in his voice he said who made you who made your lips if you don't write anything else down please write this down students God will never ask you to do anything he hasn't perfectly prepared you to do never ask you to do anything years ago a friend of mine came here to Liberty University to speak he if I remember right the switchboard shut down after he spoke actually he did a television show from here David ring and if you know the name David ring David has cerebral palsy when he talks you can barely understand but you will not miss a word he says I can barely pronounce the name of Jew Jesus I cannot stay his name David said but I'm gonna brag about Jesus until the day I die and then he looks at his audience and asks the question what's your use amazing man went across the border into Canada David by the way there will be tens of thousands of people because in heaven because God said to David I want you to be a preacher everybody told him you can't do that they told me couldn't have children either he had three they told him II couldn't finish school he finished they told him he could never be a preacher tens of thousands of people we'll be in heaven because of this man's ministry we were going into Canada I have to tell this very quickly we were going into Canada and we were crossing the border and I got delayed because the border people thought I was smuggling something into Canada yeah it was videotaped so the same kind of videos were making available to you after this program it just drives me crazy my Christianity drained from me completely it was in a small pool at the base of my feet when David came across I said you know what David if there's gonna be customs in heaven I don't want to go I'm serious I do not want that's the last thing I want is to stand at customs and have to stand like this and then do that I don't want to do it David looked at me and he said yes they are mean people David also brought videotapes they stopped him at the border and asked him what's in those boxes and David said hips and he said the customs agent said how many and David said I do know how many and he said the mean man leaned across the counter and said you count them and David looked at me and he got this twinkle in his eye he said you know suddenly my handicap got worse he said I began to count [Music] [Music] [Applause] he said the man leaned across the counter and screamed at him what's wrong with you David said I looked at him and I said hey now you maybe you made me lose count [Applause] the beauty of speaking here is you know the stories you know the history Moses's next excuse was send somebody else and I'll just tell you quickly God's answer no no because he wants you to know life because he wants you to glorify his name because he has something for you that is beyond the excitement of anything you could plan for yourself because he wants to go beyond your ability to show his glory he sent Aaron along but we know that because of Moses the people of Israel were freed because of his obedience even in the midst of doubt go through the list of excuses today ask which one you're using and when God calls when you hear that ringtone there's only one answer yes Lord send me show me life in abundance let me glorify your name in Jesus name and God's people said amen you

Channel: Liberty University

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Rating: 4.8761611 out of 5

Keywords: college, liberty university, convocation, school, university, liberty, ken davis, christian, convo, bible, christianity, community

Id: MeBZh_REZ6o

Length: 34min 46sec (2086 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 27 2012