I. Hearing But Not Obeying
     Moses was working one day when he hears God talking from a burning bush: "Moses, I have heard the cry of my people in Egypt. So now go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:7ff) Does Moses say, "Oh, thank you God for speaking so clearly to me and telling me exactly what you want me to do. I will do that immediately." ? No, Moses says, 1) "Who am I? I am no one special." So God says, "I will be with you." Does Moses say, "Oh, you'll be with me. Okay, now I understand. No problem. I will go."? NO! Moses says, 2) "I don't know what to say." So, God says, "Say this " So Moses says, "Oh, now I get it. I'm on my way," right? NO! Moses says, 3) "They won't believe me." So God gives him two signs: the staff that changes into a snake and his hand that changes into leprosy. But still Moses does not obey. He says, (now remember, this is the fourth time) "I'm not a good speaker, I'm not qualified." And God says, "I will help you." So FINALLY Moses says, "Okay, God. Since you said, 'I will send you, I will be with you, I will tell you what to say, I will make the Egyptians believe you and I will help you.' Okay, okay, okay OKAY! I'll do it." Right? NO! Moses says, "Oh, God, please send someone else!" (Ex. 4:13) Then the Bible says in Exodus 4:14

Exodus 4:14

"the Lord's anger burned against Moses."

Five times God spoke literally, directly, clearly to Moses. Five times Moses disobeyed what God told him to do. If God spoke to us today we probably wouldn't obey Him. Gideon didn't even though God played the fleece game. Moses didn't even though God spoke to him five different times. We probably wouldn't either.

     Moses is an excellent example of the main point of my message today: our problem is not FINDING the will of God. Our problem is not HEARING the will of God. Our problem is OBEYING the will of God.

     For God? Philippians 1:21 " For me to live is Christ." A good question to ask yourself is "What am I living for?" "For me to live is ____________?" "For me to live is to make a lot of money" or "For me to live is to get a good education" or "For me to live is to hold a respectible position or title" Can you honestly say "for me to live is Christ"

     How easy it is to say that I am living for God. If I am living for God, then all I have, all I am and all I hope to be belongs to Him.

II. What Has God Already Told Us?
     Let's say, for example that we want to know what God's will is for us in a certain situation. For example, who should we marry? We need to ask ourselves two questions: Question #1: What has God already told me to do (or not to do)? Question #2: Am I obeying what I already know to be true?

     Let's look marriage. What has God already told us to do? (Hint: What does the Bible say about this subject?) 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" 1 Corinthians 7:39 says, "A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord." Christians should only marry and therefore only date other Christians. It is NOT the will of God for you to date a non-Christian. It never has been, it never will be. To date and marry a non-Christian is directly going against the will of God according to the Bible.

     As we at SYME are looking around at other men and women, are we obeying this? Men, are we dating women who are not Christians, or who aren't growing in their Christian faith? Ladies, are we attracted to men because they have good jobs (or good English)? Or are we attracted to men who are trying to live a life that pleases God?

     I hope that none of us are like the woman in this story. There was a poor, old Scottish woman who traveled around the country selling buttons and shoestrings. When she came to an intersection, she would take a stick and toss it into the air and go the direction the stick pointed to when it landed. One day, someone saw her tossing the stick in the air several times. This person asked the Scottish lady, "Why do you keep tossing the stick into the air?" The woman answered, "Because, it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to go to the right." She kept throwing the stick until it pointed in the way SHE wanted it to go.

     Do we do that to God sometimes? We want to go this way and do this activity but we know it's not the will of God to do this. So, we keep throwing the stick into the air until it points in the direction WE want to go? Do we do that with God? Should we do that to God?

     Many times we look to God to give us specific directions for our lives. But at the same time, we forget or fail to obey the directions he has already given us. Love the Lord with all your heart. Love your neighbor as yourself. Be kind. Consider others before yourselves. Let your conversation always be seasoned with salt. Put away all wrath, anger, etc. God is directly telling us what to do through the Bible. Every time we open the Bible we are hearing the words of God. But the question is, are we OBEYING those things?

     Our problem is not finding the will of God, like "where is it?" Our problem is obeying what we already know, what God has already told us to do.

by Denny Smith
LINKS TO . . . Other Bible Messages Genesis Esther Daniel Philippians James Complete Discipleship Topics