A MAN’S GOTTA DO WHAT A MAN’S GOTTA DO!
June 19, 2005
Exodus 14:10-23
The bottom line for us from the life of Moses is that a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do when a man’s gotta do it. There are times as men of God when we are called upon to enact an extra-ordinary faith in the face of uncertainty and challenge.
For you to be a man of God to your family and your church will require you to stand up and stand out by the Spirit’s power. You are not called on to do anything alone and of yourself.
1. Moses exemplifies a pattern of Biblical leadership.
Let’s realize something right now: true Biblical leadership is found only in those who live by faith. Hebrews 11:23-29 outlines the faith of Moses and how he as a leader was only a leader because of faith. In fact, verse 26- “[Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
Guys, our reward as leaders will ultimately be found when we reach heaven. So often we look for immediate answers and satisfaction to our decisions and leadership. Moses looked ahead to the ultimate of rewards- not earthly pleasures.
So how does Moses exemplify to us Biblical leadership?
a. Moses was a Learner.
Moses had to learn tough lessons in his younger years. And so should we.
His life in the desert was a time of learning. If we as men could realize that those trying “desert” times of our lives are to be times of growing in our faith and coming into what Romans 8:29 says of realizing that we are being conformed into the likeness of Christ.
b. Moses learned to Listen to God.
Now perhaps you won’t hear the voice out of the burning bush but if your heart and ears are open to the Lord you will hear God speak to your spirit. In listening to God he was able to be obedient to God’s call.
c. By listening to God Moses learned to Lead.
Despite his short-comings and despite his sense of inadequacies, Moses became a leader not because he was so perfect but because God worked through him due to his faith. For you to be a leader in the lives of people around you, you need to stop trying to be perfect in every decision and realize the power that is at work within you- because of faith.
2. Moses embodies spiritual leadership in spite of insurmountable odds.
We will all face insurmountable odds in life. Some will deal with greater adversity than others. Some will seemingly have easier answers than others. But regardless of your lot, you can see an example in Moses despite the opposition. What were they?
a. Problems. “When Pharaoh drew near…”
Who or what is the Pharaoh in your life? What is bearing down on your family and your home? What issues and stresses are you facing as you walk the holy journey?
Quite likely “Pharaoh” is drawing near in your family. Quite likely there are temptations your family is dealing with. Maybe “Pharaoh” has come in the form of a serious disagreement between you and your spouse. Perhaps “Pharaoh” has come in the style of financial difficulty. Perhaps “Pharaoh” has come in the place of job stress, or relationship trouble. Whatever is happening I can guarantee you that there is a spiritual warfare happening. And when it is, you must be the man of God and stand in the gap for those God has entrusted to you.
When you do, there will be a blessing and freedom you never dreamed possible for your wife and children. I firmly believe that if the man of the house is the man of God there will be the life-giving Holy Spirit at work in every circumstance.
But also know that the same devil that is approaching on the outside is the same devil at work within. There will be opposition from those nearest to you. There will be questions about what you do. Nothing wrong with accountability. I believe that we must be held accountable for the decisions we make. But know this: there will always be someone somewhere with a critical spirit.
b. Criticism. “Then they said to Moses…”
Maybe the criticism is not from within the home but from within the Church or from within the community. There will be those you work with who will not understand the spiritual decisions you make. You cannot worry about those.
Any time you are a leader for Jesus Christ you will be criticized. As a pastor I sometimes feel the stress from those who want wholesale changes and others who want no changes. To me the choice isn’t one or the other or in between. I want us to do what God wants to do. If it means doing no changes then that is what we will do. If it means wholesale changes then we must do that. If it means a little or lot of both, then we will go there.
Spiritual leadership cannot turn on criticism. When we as men and fathers lead, we must realize that our leadership is not to be influenced by criticism but by the Holy Spirit who is supposed to be at work in our heart.
Moses needed to also look within himself and realize that perhaps his greatest enemy was himself. How many of us need to look in the mirror and see the lack of faith in our own heart.
c. Unbelief. “Why do you cry to Me?”
The Lord questioned Moses in such a way not because He didn’t want to hear from him but because He wanted Moses to believe. After all these years and all of these experiences Moses still struggled with unbelief. Sometimes our greatest enemy is “our self.” Sometimes we get in the way of God.
For us as men there will be times of unbelief. The odds will seem so great and the strength seemingly so exhausted. But yet we must buck up in our faith and believe God.
We as men will face struggles within our own lives even as we are attempting to lead our families. However, we should take comfort in knowing that God doesn’t help those who help themselves as much as God helps those who are helpless. We need to realize our helplessness in the face of insurmountable odds. And it is here that we will find that “faith is the victory.”
3. Moses emphasizes faith in the face of fear.
We must approach our responsibility as men as a role of faith. Our wives need us to be the rock they anchor to. Our children need us to be the “tree planted by the rivers of water.” Our church needs us to stand firm in the storm and not be moved.
Despite his own limitations Moses gives advice to his people. It is the same kind of advice that we as men must keep in mind as we lead.
a. Belief. “Do not be afraid.”
We need to be men who assure our families in times of anxiety. The heat will be on and we need to not be the kind of man who adds fuel to the fire but be men who are cool-headed and even-handed in times of fear.
b. Patience. “Stand still…”
Sometimes we think we need to be actively pursuing the enemy when in fact we need to simply and patiently wait on the Lord. We are called to “stand still.” This means not only patience but standing our ground in the faith. And let God do the rest.
c. Vision. “…see the salvation of the Lord…”
Our patience will help clear the fog and increase our visibility. We need to celebrate with our children especially those times when God comes through. They need to see Dad as a man of faith who depends on God. I think the worse harm to a Christian home comes not so much from Dads who are lazy but Dads who are too independent. Balance is vital to vision.
d. Victory. “The Lord will fight for you…”
Ultimately, conquest over conditions can only truly come through the Lord fighting for you. I don’t want victory any other way. If a battle is won by me then I am the loser.
e. Peace. “…you need only to be still."
Chuck Swindol points out that this is the hardest part of the prescription for any of us. Don’t be afraid, stand still, see the Lord work and fight, and then quit talking. We tend to want to talk about our problems rather than place them into God’s hands.
Conclusion
Consider the great victory that was won because Moses was the man of God. As he stood facing the Red Sea and the army of Egypt bearing down on his people, no doubt his heart was in his throat. But he did what he was supposed to do: he trusted God.
And ultimately, you as a man of God must trust God. Maybe it won’t be a staff in your hand and maybe you won’t have to save your family from Egyptian slavery but your faith is what will change their lives for eternity.
When we stand as men of faith and pray for our families and be the men of God in everything we do, we will see remarkable things happen. Here is how it was summed up in verse 31: “And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.”
It is important for your family to put their trust in the Lord. As men we should desire that more than anything else. We should want our wives and children to put their trust in God. God desires this as well. And what is more, God desires for those in our care to put their trust in us. It is vital to their growth that they learn to trust their leaders. But it is also vital to our personal faith that they see that we are men of faith not men of self.
Moses grew into a self-less leader who learned to pattern a life of faith. Men of God: pattern a life of faith for those God sends your way.
And remember as you face the uncertainty of the sea in front of you and the certainty of destruction behind you: A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.