CALLED AND SENT

Read: Exodus 2:11-15 3: 1-12

Living in this world in the early Twenty-First Century is like being on an ocean liner which has a gaping hole in its hull. Below decks the water is rushing in ... people are screaming and running around frantically. While up in the ship's ballroom the dance goes on. The dining halls continue to do a rushing business. Back toward the stern some panicky ones are scrambling into the lifeboats until they discover that every lifeboat is riddled with holes. The officers keep assuring the passengers over the P.A. system that things are under control - the pumps are working well. So the sun-bathers keep sleeping by the swimming pool and shuffleboard continues.

Yet, just one look below deck at the water pouring in and anyone can see that the ship won't be floating much longer. One after another people come up from below deck with a sober look on their faces.

"This ship is finished! Get to the lifeboats!", they cry.

But few listen. Weren't they just told by the ship's officers that things are under control?

As the ship begins to list to one side the passengers finally panic. But to whom shall they listen?

Shall they listen to the ones who scream ^."Man the lifeboats!"?

Shall they listen to the ones who cry "Jump overboard with your life jacket you may still have a chance!"

Shall they listen to the ones who say "Calm down, the pumps are working fine!"?

Or, shall they listen to the crazy fools who are walking through the ship shouting,

"Gather starboard amid ships. A rescue craft is now taking on passengers. It will pull away in 20 minutes to clear this ship before it goes down. Hurry!"?

Where it came from no one can explain. But there on the starboard is an old tub, quite small, that looks like the second cousin of the Mayflower.

"Man, I ain't goin' to board that old thing. I'll take my chances where I am."

"They've got to be kidding. I've got a first class cabin here, and I'm going to sleep on the deck of that creaky tub?"

"Fifteen minutes left. Hurry!" "Ten minutes. Please come."

"Five minutes. All aboard. This is the last call."

A few dozen people have boarded the old craft. A bell rings. It pulls away and before it has gone a hundred yards the bow of the liner dips down and it slides into the deep for good.

It's not enough to know that the world is in bad shape,

- everybody knows it's in bad shape

- everybody knows something is wrong.

There are countless voices calling for action of this kind or action of that kind.

"Revolution is our only hope!"

"Peace is our only hope!"

"Birth control is our only hope!"

"Love is our only hope!"

"Religion is our only hope!"

"Understanding is our only hope!"

Yes, and how many people who go out there and proclaim that Jesus is our only hope are as powerless and ineffective as the rest! Because while they shout that Jesus is the answer and the ship is going to sink, they keep picking up quarters and dollar bills from the deck, watches and rings left behind in the panic, and when nobody's looking they scramble back to their cabins and stuff them under their pillow. They say Jesus is the answer but they're not living that way. Their message has no power!

When Moses was a young man he had a burden for his people, Israel. Such a burden,

such a loyalty, that he killed an Egyptian who'd been pushing a Jew around. Moses figured he was able to do something. After all, he lived in the palace - he had connections. But when it was all said and done what could Moses do? Nothing! He had to run for his life.

Forty years passed. Moses was no longer an Egyptian nobleman, He was a nothing. A non-entity out in the wilderness of Midian.

Now God calls him.

"Moses, go down to Egypt and set my people free."

"Now Lord? Lord you're forty years too late. When I lived in the palace I had some power, some influence, I could have done something. But now I have nothing."

"Good, Moses, I'm glad you finally learned that you have nothing. Now I can use you.''

''But Lord, what authority do I have to stand before Pharaoh and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?''

"My authority. You will have my Name and in my Name you will find my power."

And so it was that, stripped of everything else - nothing but God alone at his side, Moses brought Israel out of bondage and through the wilderness to the borders of the promised land.

When will we learn this lesson? That God cannot use us to rescue men from the sinking ship of this world and bring them into the Kingdom until we know that we have nothing in ourselves to rely on, and go forth armed with nothing but the message God gives us and the power God gives us.

When Jesus called his disciples, whom did He call? Did he skim the cream off the top of Israel? Men of influence, power, noble birth, wealth? No, Jesus scraped the bottom. He took the dregs. And even these dregs had to be wrenched away from every earthly thing they relied on. He took men who had almost nothing to start with and then made them leave even the nothing they had.

Matthew had to leave his tax office.

Andrew, Peter, James and John left their fishing.

Simon the Zealot had to quit the revolution.

If you think Jesus called you to discipleship because you had something to offer, guess again. Jesus doesn't need your good looks, or your great intelligence, or your big bad reputation.

When Jesus called you, if you will remember, a light came on in your inmost soul and you suddenly saw how utterly worthless you were - how shallow and superficial was every asset you thought you had.

When Jesus called you, you were dead in your sins! There wasn't a thing about you that recommended itself to Him. He called you because He heard your inmost heart crying out for forgiveness. And if there is anybody reading this who is having trouble hearing that call of Jesus it's because you're still unwilling to admit that your spirit is bankrupt

- still trying to be something in your own right,

- still trying to maintain a front before the eye of God who misses nothing.

Give up trying to deceive yourself and God and you will hear the voice of your Shepherd calling you by name today in love.

After Moses was called, he was then sent to deliver the children of Israel. And notice how Moses was equipped for the job. God didn't say,

"I'm going to enroll you in Cairo Seminary for four years - then you'll be ready."

God didn't say,

"Dig under yonder rock and you'll find five tablets of gold with my handwriting - they will be your credentials."

God didn't say,

"I've deposited three million in the Bank of Egypt. You'll need it for your campaign."

He just said,

"Go in my name."

("It took me forty years to get you down to nothing - now you're ready - go.")

In John 20 we see Jesus sending the disciples out to rescue men and women from the sinking ship of this world. And He sends them out the same way Moses was sent centuries before.

"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."

"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

In other words, they go out with nothing except the message of Jesus crucified and risen - and the Spirit given them by Jesus - nothing else!

We think we have to add something. And every thing we add to help the cause of our ministry merely dulls its edge.

Our clever thoughts.

Our importance.

Our gift of gab.

We're like David rattling around in King Saul's heavy armor - at least David had enough sense to throw it off.

Before Jesus can send us out we have to come down to nothing. We have to come to the place where we despise our own cleverness and see our sparkling personality, and our heavy reputation, for what they are: a pile of garbage.

When we have come down to nothing - absolutely nothing - then Jesus can send us out to call people to the rescue ship of His Kingdom. Then He can safely entrust to us the two essential things;

- His message

- His Spirit.

Who's ready to be sent forth from this place today with these two things and nothing else?

First, the message of Jesus - crucified and risen.

What else do we have to tell that world out there^, So why are we beating around the bush?

Jesus is the rescue ship. He may look quaint, old fashioned, unreliable to the world, but He is the only answer .... the only answer. There is salvation in no other!

There is no other deliverance from the load of guilt and sin that weighs down every heart on earth

There is no other escape from the judgment which is soon to visit this planet but Jesus.

And He is as quick to answer the cry of a broken spirit as ever. He still brings good news to the poor,

and release to the captives,

and recovery of sight to the blind,

and liberty to the oppressed.

"As the Father has sent me, even so send I you", so go, and proclaim my name from wherever you are to the uttermost parts of the earth and I will confirm your message with signs following.

Second, go in the power off the Spirit Jesus now pours out upon His people through His blood and death.

Our power, my friends, is

- not in our eloquence,

- not in our skills,

- not in our connections with men in high places,

- not in money.

Our power is in the Spirit of the living God.

As you walk around the deck calling people to come to the Rescue Ship you may be wearing shoes. And when your shoes wear out you may need to buy another pair. But your power is not in your shoes.

You may get hungry and need to go to the cafeteria and buy lunch. But your power is not in your money or in your lunch.

Your power is the Spirit who dwells in you and gives your words authority and your life strength. And remember, the Spirit doesn't belong to you at all - you belong to the Spirit. He possesses you - so obey Him.

There is no difficulty, no obstacle,

no enemy, to which the Spirit of the Lord in you is not equal. You can do all things by the power of the Spirit that raised the Son of God from the dead if you will rely on Him, and obey His leading.

The same Jesus who called us into His blessed Kingdom when we had nothing in ourselves to recommend us, is now sending us forth with nothing in ourselves to recommend us to that sinking ship. We are utterly destitute of all the things that we once relied on and all the things the world looks up to.

We go out with two treasures given us afresh this hour by Jesus Himself;

His message and

His Spirit.

Those who are willing to go forth with these and nothing else may go out in weakness. They may go out in fear and trembling. They may even go out weeping, but they will come back with rejoicing bringing their sheaves with them.

Take Jesus and His Spirit with you - letting go of everything else - and you'll have a harvest, friend, and a good one before the ship goes down.