How do we know if the message at church was Biblical?
This was originally a Facebook status post and thread but I decided to post it as a blog. I started reading through the Bible at the beginning of this year. I'm currently in Exodus. I’ve been purposely reading slowly and paying attention to every detail. One of the observations I made through Genesis and even in Exodus is that God doesn't ask people to do things. He commands them! Duh. I know. Just bear with me.
I guess I could cite several examples, but consider Moses. God says to him, "I will send you to Pharaoh" (Ex. 3:10). It doesn’t sound as if God was interested in how Moses felt about it yet Moses speaks up nonetheless. He offered the LORD excuses as to why he was not the person to go. He essentially claims he’s a “nobody” (v. 11), that the people of Israel wouldn't believe him (3:13; 4:1) that he's isn’t "eloquent" (4:10) and then finally tells God to "send someone else" (4:13). The presumption! How did God respond? In anger (4:14). Moses finally decides to go once he realizes that God was not asking, but commanding him. I made the following observation about God’s responses to each of Moses’ objections/excuses.
I guess I could cite several examples, but consider Moses. God says to him, "I will send you to Pharaoh" (Ex. 3:10). It doesn’t sound as if God was interested in how Moses felt about it yet Moses speaks up nonetheless. He offered the LORD excuses as to why he was not the person to go. He essentially claims he’s a “nobody” (v. 11), that the people of Israel wouldn't believe him (3:13; 4:1) that he's isn’t "eloquent" (4:10) and then finally tells God to "send someone else" (4:13). The presumption! How did God respond? In anger (4:14). Moses finally decides to go once he realizes that God was not asking, but commanding him. I made the following observation about God’s responses to each of Moses’ objections/excuses.
You'd think that God would respond to Moses' objections by motivating Moses much like a modern day feel-good motivational speaker would seek to motivate, but God doesn't do that. God implicitly agrees with Moses' self-assessment and the assessment of his fellow Israelites. God agrees with Moses' objections, but does not accept them as excuses! This is what I mean:
In conclusion:
The point in all of this is that God does not need our talents or lack thereof. He needs only our obedience. Moses may have sounded humble on the surface, but unbelief was at the root of all his objections. Disobedience can mask itself as humility.
Taking my queue from the LORD I also learn that a good way to measure whether a sermon is biblical is if at the end of the sermon you’ve grown more confident in God. Motivational speakers seek to build one’s “self-confidence,” but God seeks to build our confidence (faith) in Him. The litmus test of whether a sermon is biblical is whether the preacher exalts the audience or God. At the end of a sermon are you more in awe about your own potential or in awe of God?
- When Moses said he was nobody to be telling Pharaoh what to do God didn't say, "Moses! Have a better self-image. You ARE somebody!" Instead God says, "I'll be with you" (3:12). Moses WAS a nobody in Pharaoh's eyes! But God meant to communicate that the deliverance of the slaves wasn't dependent on who Moses was, but on who God was.
- When Moses says to God that the slaves wouldn't believe on his word alone that God sent him (Ex. 4:1-9) God doesn't say to Moses, "Your so negative! Be positive!" God agrees with Moses that the slaves wouldn't believe on Moses' word alone so God grants him the power to perform miracles, "that they may believe that the LORD...has appeared to you" (v.5). Miracles would serve to confirm Moses' divine commission. Next!
- Moses says he's not "eloquent" that he's not a good speaker because he's "slow of speech and tongue" (4:10), but again God doesn't say. "Yes you are a good speaker!" God says, "I know that [Aaron] can speak well...he shall speak for you..." (4:14, 16). Appointing Aaron was more an act of mercy and concession on God's part. He could have used Moses just as well because the Exodus didn't depend on Moses' persuasive powers or lack thereof. God had already told Moses that Pharaoh would not listen anyway unless he were "compelled by a mighty hand" (Ex. 3:19) and that was exactly what God planned. He was going to beat Pharaoh into into submission until he cried "uncle!"
In conclusion:
The point in all of this is that God does not need our talents or lack thereof. He needs only our obedience. Moses may have sounded humble on the surface, but unbelief was at the root of all his objections. Disobedience can mask itself as humility.
Taking my queue from the LORD I also learn that a good way to measure whether a sermon is biblical is if at the end of the sermon you’ve grown more confident in God. Motivational speakers seek to build one’s “self-confidence,” but God seeks to build our confidence (faith) in Him. The litmus test of whether a sermon is biblical is whether the preacher exalts the audience or God. At the end of a sermon are you more in awe about your own potential or in awe of God?
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