You're Fired
Growing in Life's Deserts (Moses)
Ignite #6 March 11, 2007
Mike Matijevich
mmatevich@aol.com

Intro:
* Obvious question- "Do you experience God on a regular basis?"
- Do you have personal encounters with God?
Do you feel God speaking to you?
Do you recognize Him?
* Today - Ignite - How to experience & connect with God on a regular basis.
* Important if you are a believer & are a little dry spiritually. Hopefully you'll be sparked.
* Moses… experienced God.
His story found Exodus 3…
Background:
- Tough time for the Israelites when Moses born.
- One day saw an Egyptian abusing a Hebrew and killed him-
Future Pharaoh now the Ultimate fugitive.
Exodus 2:15 tells us Moses fled to Land of Midian (a desert place)
* "Desert":
- Little water, dry, plants are nasty, reptiles… etc.
- Means you are ALONE.
* Translated "wilderness" in other passages (the land between Egypt & Palestine)
* Also means "to speak"- God used many desert times to speak to His people.
*** Many of you & our church family are going through "Desert Times" right now.
- Just got bad report from the doctor. (A health desert)
- Marriage problems- (Marital desert)
- A child-rearing desert.
- An emotional desert.
* God allows the deserts to speak to us.
Moses was in a desert place &…
Ex. 3:1-2a God spoke to him out the bush that was NOT consumed…

* How do react to a desert dwelling in your life?
1. Sometimes a PRIDE centered way - we go,
- "Why me God I'm too good for this…"
- "I don't deserve this."
2. Sometimes a very IMPATIENT way- times running out.
- I don’t have time for this God- I'm ready for this to be over."
- "Come on let's go God." (Try to hurry God up)
* Moses didn't react in either of those ways…
3. He reacted in a Mature way.
- Not "why me" but "what now" " I receive it".
* We need to come to that place where we say, "Thank you Lord, you know best so while I am here in this dry, desert place not my will but your will be done."
Remember God purses an intimate, powerful love relationship with all of us.
* What is God saying to YOU?
* Are you listening?
* It is all about the Desert.

Note: Sometimes you hear people say, "I found the Lord." "I found God."
NO! God found YOU.

SO if we are to understand what it means to experience God on a day to day basis…

IT IS ALL ABOUT…
I THE SEEK! Exodus 3:1-2
(God is seeking us)
* God is seeking us.
Rom. 3:11 "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."
Lk 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

* So often God is seeking us and we IGNORE Him.
* Respond to the Lord by saying, "Lord I know you are saying something to me & I want youtop reveal yourself to me in a powerful way."

* The SEEK leads to…

II. THE PEEK Exodus 3:4

* God shows a little window as to where He is going & what He wants us to do with us.
Ex. 3:4 "And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I."

A. God gets our attention BEFORE He speaks to us.
1. God speaks through His Word, people, events, songs, church services.
* He is a God that likes to talk to you & me.
* We miss out because we are into OUR LITTLE DEAL.
(Pray God, "Help me to recognize when you are speaking to me.")

B. God speaks through the ORDINARY in EXTRAORDINARY ways.
1. When we are not locked into God we MISS Him in the ordinary- we don't live extraordinary lives.
- Why feel "DRY"
- They are not GROWWING spiritually- You're MISSING God.
* Unfortunately, I miss many times God has used the ordinary.

SO- when you know that God is about…
- You can ask, "What is God trying to tell you about your marriage, career, or how to lead your children.
1st of all he'll get your attention in a desert

III. THE WEAK

Exodus 3:7-8

A. God is going to reveal what He is going to do to a servant, leader before He does it.
1. Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

Exodus 3:9-12a "

* What does God think when Christians pray like…
- "Lord be with us as we travel… bless Pastor Mike as he speaks today."
- Don't pray DUMB prayers.
McDonald's order - pray, "Bless this to nourishment to our bodies."

B. I am weak before God- that is the position that God wants us in.
1. In the desert we get weak. Little water, food, etc.

IV. THE TWEAK (Exodus 4:20
(Moses was willing to make serious tweaks in his life)
Ex. 4:20 "And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand."

A. Moses left his job, left his in-laws & moved to EGYPT. (Major adjustments)
1. How can you make major adjustments in your…
- Marriage - unless you KNOW where God wants you to go in your marriage?
- Parentally- how can you make the necessary adjustment for your children if you don't KNOW what God expects of you for your children?
* We have to be WILLING to make ADJUSTMENTS!
* Moses was willing to make those adjustments.

CONCLUSION:
We have to say, "God I want to be moldable at your disposal."
Because we are WEAK- I have to say, "God I am weak & sinful I need your grace & mercy."
"God help me to see you while I am in this desert."

* If we do then I believe God will say to you, "You're fired!" (Fired up with faith)
You're on fire!