The Making of a Man: Phase 1

[0:00] You guys know what's been going on in his life last couple months, so it's all yours, brother. Good to be back.

[0:18] I'm going to lie if it didn't feel like home once I came here. It's been an adjustment, obviously, moving different states, different church, different pastor.

[0:33] I was pleased to find that in this church you only tithe to the church because I was tithing to the church and the pastor told me I got to do them personally. So it's been a relief getting that discount, you know.

[0:46] It's been a joke. It's a joke. It's been a joke. So it works good, thank God. School's okay.

[0:57] Church is good. It's thankful for this place and came back right where fate's sitting June 2021.

[1:15] I walked in this place just, I was saved, but not grounded at all. And, you know, it's, I'm thankful for this church and everything that this church has done in my life.

[1:30] And all the men here, pastor, I don't want to start naming everyone else. You know who you are in my life who've taken time. And this is the place where I fell in love with this book.

[1:46] And I love this book. And it's a changed life. And I appreciate Bible Baptist Church of Sylmar and what it's done for me personally and my family.

[2:01] So thank you. And God's good. And he's been faithful. So amen. If you stop tithing to your pastor, then you're backslidden.

[2:22] All right, let's get into that book that he loves and I love and I trust you do too. And let's go to our series to the book of Exodus in chapter number two, where we're going to continue working our way through by the grace of God and by the leading of the Lord, I trust, through this book of Exodus.

[2:43] And of course, the ground we've covered and still continuing to cover, we're leading up to the Exodus.

[2:54] It's still off in the distance by way of chapters. And this morning, we'll be in chapter two. What we started the chapter with last week, and the message was letting go of your baby.

[3:12] And how Levi, or sorry, the son of the man of Levi, I'm looking at verse number one, Amram and Jochebed had to let go of something that they could no longer control.

[3:27] And when they let go, it was an opportunity for God to begin working. And they didn't have any clue what the Lord God saw and what he had intended for this man, Moses.

[3:38] And so as we continue this study, it's going to now step right into what God was doing with this. But what they did, they had to do their part and just let go of it and leave it in the hands of God.

[3:52] And the final thought from last Sunday was when they did let go of their baby, they weren't letting go of everything. They were clinging to faith. And Hebrews 11 displayed they had faith.

[4:04] And by faith, they did something, they made the list in Hebrews 11. And there was much to say about that. And it's a powerful concept and some things in our lives that maybe we still, to this day, hang on to that we need to let go of and put it in the hand of God.

[4:22] But this morning, we're going to begin in verse number 11. And we're going to read all the way to chapter 3 and verse number 1. And the message now is looking at Moses and his development.

[4:35] And so I want to preach a message I'm calling The Making of a Man. So in verse number 11, follow along as the Bible reads, And it came to pass in those days when Moses was grown that he went out unto his brethren and looked on their burdens.

[4:50] And he spied an Egyptian smiting in Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way. And when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

[5:03] When he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together. And he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?

[5:15] Intendest thou to kill me as thou killest the Egyptian? And Moses feared and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses.

[5:27] But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

[5:41] And the shepherds came and drove them away. But Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. And when they came to Ruel, their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon today?

[5:55] And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and also drew water enough for us and watered the flock. And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? And why is it that ye have left the man?

[6:06] Call him that he may eat bread. And Moses was content to dwell with the man. And he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she bare him a son and called his name Gershom.

[6:18] For he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage.

[6:29] And they cried. And their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning. And God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

[6:40] And God looked upon the children of Israel. And God had respect unto them. Verse 1 of chapter 3. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the backside of the desert.

[6:54] And came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. So let's pray and then we'll get back in. Father, please, please, please take this time.

[7:07] Take this passage. And take our hearts. And instill something in us, in each one. Lord, reveal something to each of us. By your spirit.

[7:19] Help us to understand how you make a man. And the working that you do. That we can't do. Nobody can do.

[7:32] Lord, help us to submit ourselves. Submit our upbringings. Submit everything we are. Into your hand.

[7:43] For your glory. For your usage. And may Jesus Christ get something. For the price that he paid.

[7:54] For every one of us. Please help us now. Help us to be clear and understood. And may you use this in our lives. We pray in Jesus' wonderful name.

[8:06] Amen. So we're only getting the highlights of a man's life. Whether you realize it or not.

[8:16] And I'll prove this to you. But Moses is 80 years old. By the end of what we read. 80 years old. And what do you know about him? We just read it.

[8:30] Last week. This week we read the whole thing. It's 80 years. We're just getting. Not even much of a bit and a piece. It's hard to even call that. For 80 years of existence.

[8:42] What's interesting to me. Is that I see in the scriptures. It's something that God reveals about this man. And I think he does it specifically. As I'm. Kind of coming to understand and believe.

[8:55] A very real reason. Moses lives out his life. In three very defined phases. They're very clear. And you could just read past.

[9:08] And never really get anything out of that. But when you're. When you come across a spot. I'm going to take you to. We're going to see that. That he lives. 40 years here.

[9:20] And then 40 years here. And then another 40 years. To top it off. And in this passage. We began in verse 11.

[9:30] It came to pass in those days. When Moses was grown. There's 40 years already accomplished. I'll show that to you in a moment. And it came to pass. 40 years had transpired.

[9:41] The next time that phrase shows up. In verse 23. Another 40 years has passed. And it came to pass. In the process of time. And the next thing you know. The Lord shows up.

[9:52] And tells Moses. To go back to Egypt. Now there's. There's a very. I think. I think these increments. Are.

[10:02] Are defined for a reason. Now I need to take you to Acts chapter 7. So please keep your place. But this is the. The proof. That I promised. Acts chapter 7.

[10:13] And you don't catch this. When you just read through Exodus. It doesn't stand out.

[10:24] Until you get to Acts. And then you. Then you may just pass right by it. But if you. You're almost forced. To stop and notice it. When the Bible repeats itself.

[10:36] Especially in numbers. In a man's life. It's too obvious. To just overlook. And so look at Acts chapter 7. This is where Stephen stands up.

[10:47] And he's just preaching. His heart out. Giving a history. A detailed history. Of the children of Israel. He actually gives us more information. Than Moses gives about himself.

[10:59] Back in Exodus. In chapter 7. In verse 22. I'll begin in 21. Just kind of connecting it to last week. And earlier in the chapter 2.

[11:11] 7. 21. And when he was cast out. Pharaoh's daughter took him up. And nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned. In all the wisdom of the Egyptians.

[11:22] And was mighty in words. And in deeds. And when he was full. 40 years old. It came into his heart. To visit his brethren.

[11:33] The children of Israel. And we just read that. In Exodus chapter 2. Where it came to pass. That Moses was grown. He was how old? A full 40 years old.

[11:47] And now pay attention. Because I don't want to keep turning back here. But notice clearly verse 22. I'll refer to this in a minute. Moses was learned. In all the wisdom of the Egyptians.

[11:59] And was mighty. Mighty. Mighty. Mighty. Mighty. In words. And in deeds. Let's just table that in your mind for a moment.

[12:10] So in Egypt. Under Pharaoh's daughter's care. He was nourished up and raised up for 40 years. Okay. That's the first increment. The next one is later in Acts chapter 7.

[12:23] Look a little bit lower. To verse. You see in verse 28. Where the one Hebrew said. Will thou kill me? Will thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?

[12:35] And in verse 29. Then fled Moses at this saying. And was a stranger in the land of Midian. Where he begat two sons. And when 40 years were expired.

[12:48] There appeared to him in the wilderness. In Mount Sinai. An angel of the Lord. We didn't read that. But that was the next verse. In chapter 3. In verse 2. Where we stopped.

[12:59] So now we have Moses living 40 years in Egypt. Under Pharaoh's daughter. Then we have him 40 years in Midian. You can't miss that.

[13:09] Then when you read in Deuteronomy 34. In verse 7. The end of Moses' life. Do you know how old he was when he died? The Bible tells you.

[13:20] He was 120 years old. Now this is. The Bible is defining this. Very clear increments.

[13:31] And stages. Or phases. Of this man's life. This is not a coincidence. It's too much to just be a coincidence.

[13:41] I think God is going to show us. Something about this. He's going to show us. How he makes a man. He's drawing our attention.

[13:52] To these increments of 40s. They're clearly pointed out in the scripture. I find it highly unlikely. That it's just a coincidence. And they're all three different.

[14:06] Very, very different stages. Or phases of his life. Now I might note something. About that last 40. It was Egypt. Then Midian.

[14:17] And then it turned out to be 40 years. In the wilderness. Wandering around. And leading God's people. From place to place. To place. To place. To place. To place. But that thing there.

[14:27] Was not God's intention. That was not God's design. For the last 40 of Moses. That was because of the rebellious children of Israel. That would not believe the Lord.

[14:38] And go in to the land. Moses sent the spies into the land. They were describing or describing the land. They were to come back with the information. He's preparing to go in and take it.

[14:50] And they said. We aren't going in there. We're scared to go in there. And because of their rebellion. And then of course Moses' anger. And smiting the rock. Sealed his own fate. But this next 40.

[15:01] God did not plan for that to be a wandering. Through the wilderness. It could be that God gave him 40 in Egypt. 40 in Midian. And he prepared him for something.

[15:13] And then had the promised land. In his future. But he never realized that of course. Now in chapter 3. Back in Exodus.

[15:24] You can go back to chapter 3 of Exodus. And where I stopped. Where Stephen. Where we stopped with Stephen's message. In verse 2. The angel of the Lord appears to him.

[15:35] At 80 years of age. And the angel of the Lord. Gives him. It's at a specific moment in his life. And a specific place even.

[15:46] In his life. And God reveals himself to Moses. He speaks to him directly. He calls him Moses. Moses. He calls the man.

[15:59] And he gives him a purpose. A calling in life. A plan to use him. He's going to now visit his people. Like he had promised to Abraham.

[16:10] And fulfill that promise. And Moses. You're the man. And he's calling him. To do something. Now this is 80 years.

[16:23] At this point. Now what I want to do in this passage. What we've read. These 80 years. Is I want to look at these phases of his life. Because I believe there is much to be learned.

[16:35] About the first 80 years of his life. And because there's so much to be learned. We're not going to be able to learn it all. In one Sunday. It's not possible. But we'd be here quite a while.

[16:47] And so what I want to do. Is go through phase one. The making of a man. Phase one. This week. And couple it. Lord willing.

[16:58] Next Sunday. With phase two. And try to draw some conclusions. As to what God is going to do then. In chapter three. Calling him and sending him off.

[17:09] Into service. But before he can do that. There's some work to be done on Moses. And we need to understand phase one. Before we can understand phase two.

[17:22] And the more I'm digging into this. I don't know how many times I've read this passage. This last two weeks. Feels like hundreds and hundreds of times. That I feel like this.

[17:33] I feel like what's coming out of it. For me is profound. And I'm not trying to puff up a message. To make it get you to listen. But I think.

[17:44] I really do. I think this is profound. And so I beg you to listen. And pay attention. Even if it starts to get dry somewhere. To see what this is all about.

[17:54] The making of a man. I think God put it in these increments. He revealed this to us. He didn't do that for everybody. And you can hardly really tie anybody to such a thing.

[18:05] But Moses shows us something. And I think we need to learn from it. So let's take a look at this. Phase one. The first 40. Look at Exodus chapter two. We read this verse already.

[18:16] It came to pass in verse 11. In those days. When Moses was grown. The first 40 are already done. How are we going to learn anything about him right here?

[18:31] Because it's already accomplished. From verse 10. The child grew. She brought him into Pharaoh's house. And he became her son. And so she called his name Moses.

[18:42] And then all of a sudden. 40 years old. What are we going to learn? Well 40 years in Egypt. According to Stephen. The result of that is that he was learned.

[18:55] In all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And was mighty in words and deeds. I want to consider with you this morning. First of all.

[19:05] The things that Moses received. In the first 40 years of his life. The first phase of his life. Spent in Egypt.

[19:18] One thing he received. Was education. He was learned. In all the wisdom. Of the Egyptians.

[19:29] I know you can just read on. In Stephen's message. And just pass right by it. But I'm forced this week. To really. Stare at it.

[19:39] Because that's all we have. In his first 40 years. He was learned. In all the. In the wisdom. Of the Egyptians. And was mighty. In words and deeds.

[19:51] Moses received. An education. Moses' mind. Was sharpened. By tutors. And by educators. Those I would presume.

[20:03] That were reserved. For royalty. For. Pharaoh's. The king's. Daughter's. Son. He was sharp.

[20:15] He had access. To the best. I don't doubt. With. For a minute. That Moses' education. Was far superior. To what he would have received. Had he grown up.

[20:26] A Hebrew slave boy. But he's being trained. In the king's house. By the king's daughter. In the king's daughter's house. No doubt. He had a superior.

[20:37] Education. He wasn't stupid. He wasn't lacking. In knowledge. He wasn't some spoiled. Rich kid. He was much more than that. So much so. That the other phrase.

[20:48] We read. Was that he was mighty. In words. And deeds. That means he's. Said some things. Some mighty things.

[20:58] And that he's. Done some things. No. He's done some. Mighty. Things. At 40 years old. I got curious. About this phrase.

[21:10] I parked on it. And said he was mighty. In words. And he was mighty. In deeds. And I thought.

[21:21] What did he say? What did he do? That was. Worthy of saying. It was mighty. And so I thought. Where would this be. In the Bible?

[21:31] Where could I find. Some evidence. Of what Moses said. Or did. And I began. Just looking through. Some of these places. Like what Stephen did. In recalling the history. That's all I knew to look at.

[21:42] I looked at a few. And. And nothing stood out. Nobody touched it. Everything started with him. Coming back. In the. In the battles with Pharaoh. And leaving Egypt. Nobody touched. That I could find.

[21:54] His upbringing. I didn't. Comb through the scriptures. Every verse. But I didn't see anything. So I looked at the phrase. Mighty. In. Something.

[22:06] And I saw that. I want to say. A dozen times. Maybe. That. That phrase. Somebody being mighty. And. One of the cases. Was Apollos. In Acts chapter 18. He was mighty. In the scriptures. Most of the time.

[22:18] It's a reference to God. That he's mighty. In work. Or mighty. In strength. He's mighty. In war. The Lord. Mighty in war. And so most of it's on the Lord.

[22:29] But there was one phrase. That matched. What the Bible said about Moses. In Luke 24. There's two fellas. Walking on a road to Emmaus.

[22:39] And the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Unbeknownst to them. Was caught up to him. And walked with him. And asked him. What their deal was. And what they said to him. I need to give you the quote.

[22:50] He said that they believed. That he was a prophet. Mighty in deed. And word. Before God. And all the people. The only. Scriptural.

[23:02] Comparison. That I can put. Of this phrase. Said of Moses. Is what men said about Jesus Christ. Now I'm not comparing Moses. To Jesus Christ. Saying they're one and the same.

[23:13] But no. What men said about Jesus Christ. Was also said about Moses. What did. What was Jesus Christ. Mighty in deed. He raised the dead. I mean.

[23:23] He told the wind. To be still. And it obeyed him. He walked on the water. He fed thousands of people. With virtually nothing. Now I'm not making Moses.

[23:34] A miracle worker at all. But. The deeds that Jesus Christ did. Were called mighty. The words that he spoke. Were his preaching. And his teaching. It was. It was.

[23:45] Never man spake like this man. He spake as one having authority. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. Unintimidated. Spoke the truth.

[23:57] Took a firm stand. And that's the only thing to compare. Moses' first 40. Is that he was educated. He was learned. But he was also experienced.

[24:10] He was experienced. He received in Egypt. Experience. He has done some things. He has said some things. And they were mighty things. At that.

[24:21] Now the particulars of these. I can't speak to. I don't know that anybody can. They're not described. But they're not necessary. But it's safe for us to assume.

[24:33] That Moses has done some things. He's put his education to use. That Moses. He's rising to power. Perhaps.

[24:43] He's getting his name known. He's displaying all the marks. Of his elite. And of his royal upbringing. He was mighty in words. And mighty in deeds.

[24:55] This is something he received. In the phase one. The first 40. There's something else I need to point out. And we read this in this passage. I'll refer you back to it. In Exodus 2.

[25:06] And I'm going to call this. He received. Or gained. Instincts. Of authority. Or of leadership. Maybe call them leadership skills.

[25:17] I don't know if that's a good term. But I like better. Instincts of authority. Sounds tougher. To me. Sounds higher. And I think maybe that's just a combination.

[25:27] Of his education. And of that experience. And it just. It lifted him up to being. And it's shown in his character. Watch this. In chapter number 2. We read this in verse 11 and 12.

[25:39] Midway through 11. It says. He looked on their burdens. And spied an Egyptian smiting in Hebrew. One of his brethren. And he looked this way. And that. And when he saw that there was no man.

[25:49] He slew the Egyptian. And hit him in the sand. Now. I can't just pass by that. He's a cold blooded killer. He took matters in his own hands there. And it wasn't some psychotic rage.

[26:01] In court. They would say that. If they had security footage. He looked this way. And that. He knew what he was doing. And then he buried the evidence. He knew what he was doing. It wasn't some psychotic rage.

[26:14] No. But he. He stood up. For his brother. And. Interestingly. The next day. He does something very similar. In verse 13.

[26:24] He goes out the second day. And there's two Hebrews striving. And. He gets involved. And he says. Hey. Why. Why are you smiting your fellow? And you're the one in the wrong. What do you think you're doing? And the question.

[26:35] They. They ask him. Is in verse 14. Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Why did he say that? Because he's exhibiting the attributes. Of a prince. And a judge.

[26:47] Somebody in authority. Somebody in power. Somebody over them. Questioning their actions. Moses is acting like. This is the way they perceived his behavior.

[26:59] Then later he ends up in Midian. We read this in verses 16 through 19. When he gets there and sees these shepherds picking on these girls. And they had already drew water.

[27:12] Filled the troughs. To water their father's flocks. In verse 17. The shepherds show up and chase them off. But in verse 17. We read this. But Moses stood up and helped them. Three times.

[27:23] In a short passage. Knowing very little. We see him standing up. We see him defending others. Delivering these ladies against the shepherds.

[27:36] What am I saying? I'm saying he's showing these instincts of authority. Or of leadership. He displays boldness. He's an avenger. I didn't read it back in Acts.

[27:47] But that's what Stephen said. He was an avenger and a defender. He's a deliverer. Moses is showing himself to be this alpha male. That stands up for other people.

[28:00] Three times in a row. He intercedes on the behalf of others. He takes matters into his own hands. He's not passive. He's not just mind my own business. Look the other way.

[28:10] Kind of. No. It's not. He just steps right in. It's the kind of guy he is. He's got instincts to take action. And instincts to get involved. And to do something.

[28:22] And in this case he writes the wrong. He doesn't allow the wrongdoer to succeed. And what I'm showing you is this is his character. This is what's revealed in the book about the man.

[28:35] After phase one. After 40 years of growing up in Egypt. This is who he is. He's educated. He's experienced. He's a man's man.

[28:48] He is unintimidated. He's authoritative. He's even aggressive. And in addition he's made some regretful mistakes. And because of that.

[29:01] He's a killer. And because of that he's a fugitive. And so now one more thing. Look at verse 19. When the girls go back to their father.

[29:12] The priest of Midian. And tell them why they're there. Here's their answer. Verse 19 they said. An Egyptian delivered us. Out of the hand of the shepherds.

[29:25] He's in a brand new environment. But he is the product. Of the first 40. He can't escape that. This is who he is on the inside.

[29:37] He's an Egyptian. That's how he was reared. That's how he was. He developed over 40 years of his life. His personality. His individuality.

[29:49] His instincts. You just can't erase that. This is who he is. And he could say. I'm not an Egyptian. I'm a Hebrew.

[29:59] They say. Who are you kidding? You talk like an Egyptian. You dress like an Egyptian. You act like an Egyptian.

[30:11] Don't tell us you're not an Egyptian. The way you talk to those shepherds. You know what the Bible says about the Egyptians and shepherds? It says that the shepherds are an abomination to every Egyptian.

[30:24] He was raised that way. He despised those shepherds and ran them off. And here's what I want us to know.

[30:35] This is okay. The man Moses. In phase one of his life. The first 40 years spent in Egypt. It's okay who he is.

[30:46] Now the murder thing. The rage. Or whatever you call it. That was him. That wasn't good. That wasn't godliness. But the man that he is. Understand. God.

[30:59] Chose. To put Moses. In that household. This was God. It wasn't Moses' choosing was it? It wasn't even his parents choosing.

[31:12] They left him in the river. It was God's choosing. It was God's doing to rear him in Egypt. So the outcome of phase one.

[31:24] The man we see. Was of the Lord. It was divine. It was God's doing. Understand. Get this part.

[31:35] Get it. Sink it in. Hang on to it. This was the Lord's doing. God is going to use these qualities in this man.

[31:48] He's going to use them. He directed him. To get him. He instilled them in him. Indirectly. Through Pharaoh.

[31:59] And Pharaoh's daughter. He's going to use them. But not yet. Why? Because. Well. These qualities are going to need some refining. And as a matter of fact. There's some more things. In what we'll see next week.

[32:10] Phase two. That needs to be inserted in the man as well. He's not ready. Not at all. He lacks some other attributes. But we'll get to phase two next week.

[32:24] Now let's revisit these things. That were inputted. And instilled in the man. Who he is in phase one. And let's consider.

[32:36] That God is going to use them. He received number one. An education. An education. Realize this. Moses grew up absorbing incredible amounts of information.

[32:53] I don't know how many years. If all 40 were for teaching and training. And then he was allowed to go on. I don't know. The timing there.

[33:05] But what I know is that he was trained in all the wisdom. Of the Egyptians. All of it. All of their history. All of their rulings. He came out looking and sounding like a prince and a judge.

[33:18] This man was learned. And God is going to use that intense training. That formation. Of that mind.

[33:30] But those years of education that he got in Egypt. That's just in my opinion. In all of this. It's just a foundation for what God was going to do with him. God. Was going to take him aside.

[33:43] And educate him. In the future. Think about this. No man. On the face of this earth.

[33:54] Of all of humanity. Not one man. Has received more. Revelation. Than Moses. You can't find one.

[34:06] You could say that Solomon. You could say that Solomon got wisdom and knowledge. Understanding from the Lord. I'll give you that. But what I'm talking about. Is classroom. Learning.

[34:18] Hearing the voice of God. In words. And recalling those words. And then. Regurgitating those words.

[34:29] And writing them. And teaching them. To other people. Nobody. Has received the amount of information. And instruction from God. Than Moses.

[34:40] He was the recipient of the commandments. The statutes. The precepts. The judgments. It wasn't like. Dispersed it among the guys. No. It was. One man. Input all of it into Moses.

[34:52] Sit down. And listen Moses. I've got a lot to cover. And it's going to take 40 days. And you're not going anywhere. And he gave it to him.

[35:03] And Moses. Taught the people. And Moses. Took that. And he penned. These instructions. Let me show you a place. Keep your place there. But look at. Look at Deuteronomy. Chapter 4.

[35:15] Of the hundreds of. References here. That I could take you to. It feels. We'll look at. Look at just a few. Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4.

[35:25] Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4. Deuteronomy 4. And I'm just going to read verse 1.

[35:41] Now therefore hearken O Israel. Who's talking? Moses is speaking to them. Now therefore hearken O Israel. Unto the statutes. And unto the judgments. Which I.

[35:53] Moses. Teach you. Israel. For to do them. He. Was the professor. The teacher. The trainer.

[36:03] Moses was. Look at chapter 5. And verse 1. And Moses called all Israel. And said unto them. Hear O Israel.

[36:14] The statutes. And judgments. Which I. Speak in your ears. This day. That ye may. Learn them. And keep them. And do them.

[36:25] And I could just keep. Going throughout this. I could show you so many times. Where the. The Lord. Spoke to Moses. Moses. Took the words of God. And taught the people.

[36:37] All of these laws. When they had a problem. What did they do? Did they go to their Bible? Did they go to prayer? They went to Moses. For him to tell them. The judgment of God.

[36:47] Talk about. Being learned. In the ways of God. In the righteous. Holy. Statutes of God. That were all brand new.

[36:58] To the world. And he imparted them. The Moses. He was the teacher. Of everything. That God said. Everything. And do you know.

[37:09] Who wrote the largest. Amount of scripture. Do you know. That it's. Not even close. Second place. Do you know. That Moses.

[37:19] Wrote three times. More than. Any other. Bible author. You didn't think that. Did you? He was a prophet. He was a scribe.

[37:31] He was a teacher. He was a scholar. You didn't think. Moses was a scholar. Did you? You didn't think of him. As being that educated.

[37:42] That wise. That smart. Oh he was. Oh my. He was a head and shoulders. And then some above everybody. Everybody. Moses was.

[37:55] And so. In the first 40. He got an education. This first 40. He was learned in all the way. It was a. It was a foundation. For something.

[38:06] God's going to use. In the future. To. Teach him something. Totally different. He knew what it was. To sit down. And learn. And to write.

[38:17] I mean. That was natural to him. And God was going to use it. I also showed you that. He gained. In Egypt. He gained experiences. Those mighty words. Those mighty deeds.

[38:30] So Moses is already. This guy. That is. Accustomed. To being in the spotlight. This is not a new thing. For him. He's already done.

[38:42] Some mighty things. He's already said. Some mighty words. He's already. Been in that spotlight. It's natural. For him. To step. Into a position.

[38:52] With all eyes. On him. Some people. Would cave. They'd crumble. Their knees. Would knock. They'd run away. And we even know. We'll see. Moses. Threw up some excuses.

[39:03] But God just. He just batted him away. Because this man. The Lord had already been. Doing a work in him. In the first 40. Preparing him. To use that very thing.

[39:16] In the last. We really don't know anything. About these experiences. That he had. In Egypt. I already said. They were mighty. Whatever they were exactly.

[39:29] But maybe. Maybe we don't know about him. Because. Whatever he did. In the first 40. Whatever words. These mighty words. Whatever these mighty deeds. Were that he did.

[39:40] If we compared him. To the mighty words. And the mighty deeds. That were going to show up. In the last 40. We might not even think. Them to be mighty at all. But the experiences.

[39:51] That Moses had. In Egypt. Mighty as they were. Would pale. In comparison. To what. God was going to use him. To do. Because he really.

[40:02] Hasn't said anything. As holy. As what God's going to give him. And he hasn't done anything. As powerful. As what God's going to do. With that rod. In his hand. There's going to be some.

[40:15] Some mighty. Experiences. But so. In Egypt though. The man. The stage. Was being set. With experiences. And then finally. The instincts.

[40:25] Of authority. This leadership. Quality. Little did Moses know. Little did he know. That down the road. How much of this. These instincts.

[40:36] Were going to come into play. How much he was going to be. Using them. Down the road. He was an absolute. Leader. If there was ever a leader. On the face of this planet. He wasn't the leader.

[40:47] Of 50 people. In a congregation. He wasn't a leader. Of 500. 5,000. People. Those guys. With the big churches.

[40:58] Don't know anything. About Moses. It was millions. That he led. And the Bible. Likens him. To a shepherd. Leading a flock.

[41:09] Just leading them out. Remember how he was. Defending all of these. Other people. And interceding. And standing up. For the ladies. Remember that. Look at Exodus. Chapter 32.

[41:24] That's a characteristic. That's inside the man. That was instilled. In him. An instinct. Exodus 32.

[41:40] And I just want to show you. One case and point. Here of this. There's many. But this one's pretty plain. Verse 30. This is where he came down.

[41:51] Off the mount. And they're. They're worshipping. A golden calf. And things get ugly. And God's going to kill them.

[42:02] And in verse 30. It came to pass on the morrow. That Moses said unto the people. Ye have sinned a great sin. And now.

[42:13] I go up unto the Lord. Peradventure. I shall make an atonement. For your sin. And Moses returned unto the Lord. And said.

[42:23] Oh. This people have sinned a great sin. And have made them gods of gold. Yet now. If thou wilt forgive their sin. The only place in scripture.

[42:35] Where it just. Drops off. He doesn't have any bartering chip here. He doesn't have any words. To even go on. If you'll forgive their sin. And then what he comes up with.

[42:48] And if not. Blot me. I pray thee out of the book. Which thou hast written. Look at that interceder. Look at that one standing up.

[42:58] For the one that did the wrong. Look at Moses' character on display. But a little bit tweaked. This time. It's changed. But it's. It's still those same instincts.

[43:10] That I'm showing you. That were brought on. In the first phase. The first 40. Now here's where we're going to close. And try to bring this morning to a point. And hopefully to something that you can take with you.

[43:22] But this is not really the end of it all at all. You might be prone to look at this picture of Moses in Egypt. As a lost man. Growing up in the world. It's a type of the world.

[43:33] Absolutely. You might dismiss it all. Just say. That's just life in Egypt. And whatever he came out with. That's what he came out with. And all the baggage. And he's a murderer.

[43:44] And you could just see the ugly. But I want to suggest to you that life in Egypt. Whether it's a picture of the world. Or of a lost man or not. It isn't all wasted time.

[43:57] As you may suppose. And just try to overlook any race. Life in Egypt can teach you some valuable things. And you can learn a lot from Egypt.

[44:09] And you can gain a lot from an experience in Egypt. And furthermore. God has and God will seek to use.

[44:22] What was instilled in you in Egypt. To glorify himself. Understand this. Just like Moses. Didn't have a choice in the matter.

[44:34] Of how he was raised. And where he was raised. You didn't have a choice in the matter. Did you? Did you pick your parents? Did you pick the street you'd grow up on?

[44:46] Did you pick the school that you'd go to? Did you pick your aunts and uncles? Did you pick any of that where you'd spend the holiday? And none of that was your choosing. So who chose it for you?

[45:00] It was the hand of God. It was the mind of God that puts you where he puts you. Now I know you think. Yeah but I was lost. I was on my way to hell. So it's all just the devil.

[45:13] But you're underestimating God. You're not seeing it. What he's showing us. In the life of Moses. The first phase. Your existence.

[45:25] Your birth. Is from the Lord. Your upbringing. And the places. Of the Lord's choosing. Because it definitely wasn't yours. It was out of your hands.

[45:40] But it was influenced. And it's influenced you to be. The one that you are today. You're not who you are today. Had it not been for those parents. Or for those places.

[45:50] Or for all of those ingredients. You are who you are. Instinctively. Personality. From the first phase. You may still be in the first phase.

[46:03] For that matter. All of these things. Like we see with Moses. Are directly related.

[46:15] Who he became. They were directly related to things. Out of his control. Maybe he didn't want to go to school every day. And be trained. But he had to. And it was of the Lord.

[46:28] It was out of his control. But get this church individual. God knew. God saw. God was present. The whole time. Whether you. Or whether Moses.

[46:39] Knew anything about it or not. Whether the rest of Israel. Had any idea. What was really taking place. In Pharaoh's daughter's house. God knew.

[46:51] He knew exactly what he was doing. We just didn't see it. Until it showed up. Years later. What I want us all to take away. From phase one. Is that God can use.

[47:05] Elements. Of your past. Elements that maybe. If you're closer. If you look closer. Maybe he. He purposed it. And you'd say.

[47:15] No. I was lost. Lost parents. It can't. It's all wicked. No. You're underestimating God. You're not getting it. God can use. Elements of your past.

[47:26] To prepare you. To shape you. To form you. Into a vessel. That can bring glory to him. That's what he wants to do.

[47:36] By the way. His will. Is to form your life. Into one that he can use. If it's submitted to him. All the baggage. As you suppose.

[47:48] All the things ingrained in you. Minus the sin. He wants to get that out. But the person. And the way you think. And the way you talk.

[47:58] And all of it. Is by his hand. You might say. Well. I'm no angel. And if you knew my upbringing.

[48:08] And where I'm from. Hey. I don't care. God knows that already. Remember. It was his direction. His choosing. Of where you were born. And where you were brought up. This is nothing new to the Lord.

[48:21] You're not an angel. But that's okay. God's not trying to use angels. He tried that already. It didn't work. He's using dirt now. That's what he's using.

[48:33] And it pleases him. To use dirt. The Bible says. He remembers our frame. He knows that we're dust. He knows we have a ceiling.

[48:47] Don't beat yourself up. Because you're not him. Because you have something in your past. That's. It's not pretty. It's a mar. A scar.

[49:00] So. Don't limit God. Don't underestimate. The Lord's hand in your life. From the beginning. And don't misunderstand his ways.

[49:14] Because we're seeing it in Moses. He has got a plan. Moses doesn't know it. Aaron doesn't know it. The elders of Israel have no idea.

[49:25] As far as they know. They're never going to see this murderer again. He's gone. But God has a plan. And God's going to use the very thing.

[49:37] That you would say. Was unfortunate. He wasn't able to grow up a Hebrew. In church. Worshipping God. But no. You're underestimating him.

[49:50] You don't know the mind of the Lord. He's fine using dirt. And taking dirt. And cleaning it up. And then putting it on a new path.

[50:02] And using it just the way he made it. This is phase one. This is the first 40. And Moses isn't ready for his calling yet.

[50:14] There's another phase that we'll study next Sunday. Something else that's in store for him. 40 more years. But phase one.

[50:25] We don't want to erase it. That'd be stupid. And that would be foolish. God's going to use all of it. It's just part of his plan. For that man. So how does that apply to you individually?

[50:39] And exactly? I don't know. But I know that you have an upbringing. That was out of your control. And there are things in your life. Minus the sin. But there are things in your life.

[50:49] And in the way you were brought up. The places. The people. The things that shaped you. And understand God knew you. He formed you in the womb. It wasn't an accident.

[51:00] And he's prepared. If you'll surrender and give yourself to him. He's prepared to use you. Just the person you are. For his glory. And he'll do it.

[51:12] He's given some of you personalities. He's given some of you minds. He's given some of you hands and abilities. That not everybody has. But you have it.

[51:23] So what are you supposed to do with it? You're supposed to give it to him. You're supposed to. Sacrifice it on an altar. And see what he wants to do with it.

[51:35] And so we'll stop here with phase one. I know it kind of hangs almost. But I hope that you were able to get that much out of it. Of what that phase one's about. And then we'll watch something next week that's different.

[51:50] But Moses needs something else. And so do we. So do we. So let's. We're just going to dismiss this. So.