Good Intentions, Wrong Actions
Moses The Evangelist • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewPastor Bill Sizemore delves into Moses' life as a preview of Jesus, focusing on Moses' good intentions leading to wrong actions. Moses, trying to save his Hebrew people, ends up killing an Egyptian, revealing that human wrath doesn't achieve divine righteousness. The sermon stresses the importance of love over anger in actions and the need for understanding and patience in sharing the gospel. Trust God, be patient, and show love to illuminate God's grace to those who don't comprehend His ways.
Notes
Transcript
Evangelizing people that don’t know they need a Savior.
The right intention with the wrong action
Introduction:
Moses the Evangelist
All through the pentateuch, the first five book of the bible, Moses wrote of the coming Messiah through pictures and types. Moses is himself a type of Christ as the deliver of the Hebrew people.
46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
Last week Torin opened up the book of Exodus not with the story of Moses but with that conclusion of Joseph. Joseph was also a type of Christ as he suffered for the sins of others and was exalted as the savior of the world.
There was peace in the house of Israel until both Joseph and his Pharaoh died. Egypt was conquered by an Assyrian King that knew nothing of Joseph.
God had already prophesied to Abraham of this 400 year affliction of his people. At the right time God would send a deliverer that deliver’s name is Moses.
1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
Good Intentions, Wrong Actions.
Good Intentions, Wrong Actions.
11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
Instead of trusting in God to deliver he took matters into his own hand.
God saved Moses and gave him position to do God’s work.
What God starts God will finish.
Slavery methods don’t portray salvation.
Slavery methods don’t portray salvation.
Moses used the same methods as the task masters to bring salvation. The people perceived a trade of one task master for another.
13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.”
The wrath of man never produces the righteousness of God.
The wrath of man never produces the righteousness of God.
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
We won’t share the gospel with the methods of the world.7
We won’t share the gospel with the methods of the world.7
Love is the platform for salvation.
Love is the platform for salvation.
Love cast out fear.
Love cast out fear.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Love is willing to sacrifice for the betterment of others
Love is willing to sacrifice for the betterment of others
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
What if Moses would have walked over to the Egyptian and said, “I will take his beating.”
Understanding Comes after Salvation.
Understanding Comes after Salvation.
23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
People are not seeking a Savior. The Savior is seeking them.
People are not seeking a Savior. The Savior is seeking them.
Moses was observing from the palace and not the pain.
Moses was observing from the palace and not the pain.
Exodus 2:11, “One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens…”
Jesus took on the form of a servant to win the servant.
Jesus took on the form of a servant to win the servant.
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
To be used of the Savior you must enter into the sufferings.
To be used of the Savior you must enter into the sufferings.
Moses didn’t understand what God was doing.
Moses didn’t understand what God was doing.
Moses had an opportunity to teach Pharaoh the goodness and blessing of God like Joseph did.
Moses had an opportunity to teach Pharaoh the goodness and blessing of God like Joseph did.
Joseph suffered wrongly and was cast into prison, yet he remained faithful.
God gave Joseph dreams for the King and found favor with God and men.
Moses became an enemy of the state instead of a friend to sinners.
Moses became an enemy of the state instead of a friend to sinners.
15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
When slavery is all you know it’s hard to understand freedom.
When slavery is all you know it’s hard to understand freedom.
Even after the Hebrews were set free they longed for the comforts of their slavery.
So are the people of God today. We have been set free from sin and shame and yet we still think it has value for our lives. We glorify the sin our past and still run to it because we don’t understand the freedom we have been given.
Final Thoughts:
Trust God to show His character of love to those around you. Our ways are not his ways.
Be patient as God works out his plan. Our timing is not his timing.
Don’t assume that people understand or are looking for God. You don’t know what you don’t know.
Be willing to struggle for the salvation of others.
Prayer Response:
Pray for wisdom as we look for opportunities to share the gospel with the world that doesn’t understand God.
RGroup Questions:
In what ways can our good intentions lead to wrong actions, similar to Moses when he killed the Egyptian?