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This blog post is Part 14 of a series entitled "From Fear To Freedom" by Pastor Jeffrey Dean Smith of Donelson First in Nashville, TN. 

Message Date: May 12, 2024

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Is there any area of my life off-limits to God? As you contemplate this question – consider your marriage; dating life; friend circle; those places in your heart unknown to anyone else; potentially a place in your past left hidden; the battles in your mind; and so very many other parts of your life…Off-limits essentially means I am saying… “God, what you desire for my life is not what I desire for my life.”

You know… when you truly make the decision to give God every area of your life, every area, not just some areas; not just the easy areas; not merely the comfortable areas; all areas; every single area of your life… when you do this, here is what happens: I begin to conform my life into the availability of God’s will. Meaning… you begin to view all areas of your life available to God; available for Him to do as He desires. And essentially what happens is that every facet of your life begins to align with God’s will - - the end result: A life yielding genuine glory to the Holy Father.

Imagine if we each truly endeavored to live in such a way - - I can tell you this… if we would, I presume the Church and her impact would literally transform as we each shift our full focus and energy and thoughts and passion and strategy into desiring that all areas of our lives would bring glory to God. Too, what would transpire individually, and in turn, would impact corporately the Church, is that you would each better see areas of your life which too have been neglected; areas that have been confined behind closed doors; that have been secretly protected in the dark; areas unknown to anyone else; areas potentially even ignored by yourself. You see… it is often these “off-limits” places within one’s life in which one permits circumstances, the past, hurt, the “I deserve this” excuse, and any other pretext to convince you, for any number of reasons, okay let’s call it what it is… for any number of selfish excuses that this “area” is forbidden or prohibited from God.

When you and I come to such a place of surrendering every area, even the former “off-limits” areas to God, God then begins to take a deep dive leaning into those areas that have been neglected helping bring to surface areas needing addressed; helping reveal the neglected “dark areas” and bring them into the light.
The man, Job, said these words that are recorded in the OT:

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light. Job 12:22

And Jesus said these words we find in the NT in the book of Luke:

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17

Now… I must forewarn… such a process can be difficult and painful and can awaken within us each past emotions and memories and hurts that, though possibly old and buried for quite some time, are still as real and raw as the day they first surfaced in one’s life. This is precisely where we find Moses in the story today. For those not privy to where we are in this story, last week, we studied where Moses angered God for his reluctance to keep spinning in an attempt to avoid God’s call on his life to go back to Egypt and to tell the King of Egypt to release the nation of Israel, who for 400 years, have been under Egyptian captivity as their slaves.

Today we jump back into the story and see that Moses has now decided to obey God’s will and to return to Egypt. Let’s begin:

Exodus 4:18-23

Do you notice the abrupt shift in the story? 5 times in Exodus 4 God has told Moses what He wants him to do. 5 times Moses has essentially said, “Send someone else!” But now... look at what happens at the beginning of verse 18. God stops talking, and in the very next sentence, Moses is in the process of visiting his father-in-law, Jethro, to say, “I’d like to return to Egypt!” Why the change of heart? After this intense fire-side exchange on the mountain with God, Moses is now ready to go. Of course, this does not mean he won’t trip up again; this does not mean he won’t ever again feel fear… of course he will. But now Moses is different! How does such a mindset shift come upon Moses? I presume there are many thoughts and emotions consuming the mind and heart of Moses in this moment. 40 years of running and hiding while too settling into a life of contentment essentially falls apart in this one conversation with God on the mountain. So there is very much a process of Moses coming to terms with it all while standing next to the fire conversing with God. 

As a result of this conversation with the Creator of the world, several factors greatly dictate what happens next for Moses. Today I want to unpack three of these for you:

1. Time with God emboldens me to follow God.

I would add this:

Time with God emboldens me to forfeit my fears and ferociously follow God.

Do you know what embolden means: Embolden /English/ noun = to give [someone] the courage or confidence to do something. For the first time in the story, here we see Moses take the first step from fear to freedom in his own personal journey with God. We see this, not merely in his actions, but too in the words Moses uses when speaking with Jethro, his wife’s father.

Exodus 4:18

On a side note, let me say how refreshing it is to see the courteousness and respect with which Moses converses with his father-in-law. He surely did not have to. For one, Moses is an 80 year-old man. He can pretty much come and go as he desires. He did not have to go see his father-in-law at all before beginning the journey back to Egypt. Secondly, God has told him to go. Period. Moses does not need to ask permission from his wife’s father to do anything. God called him to go and that is that. But… what a great example of reverence and respect to request the permission of Jethro to return to Egypt. We have lost such reverence within our culture today, have we not?

Why this reverence toward his father-in-law? I presume it has something to do with the fact that Moses has been in the presence of this man for now 40 years, and this time spent together has brought upon a lasting impression worthy of such respect. This is too precisely what has happened with Moses while on the mountain of God. Moses walked onto the mountain that morning as a man consumed with the past; a man broken; a man haunted by his regrettable failings; a man truly under-confident; a man consumed with fear. Now, having spent time in God’s presence this man is immersed in a new day; a new beginning; a confidence to move forward; a commitment to journey back across the hot, dry Egyptian desert; a man ready to do the will of Jehovah God.

Notice too something Moses says. It’s subtle. It’s quick. And if you are not privy to the entirety of the story, you very well may have passed it up. But it truly reveals the heart of a man ready to go! Before I point this out let me quickly say this and to remind you as a church of why we take such deep dives into our times of study and scripture…We could've easily picked up the story here, week one, where Moses is about to stand before the Pharaoh saying, “Let the people of God go!” We could have started here, and it would've been a fantastic study for us. But in doing so, we would have missed so very many specific details that help us clearly capture the fullness of all that is happening in this story personally in the life of this man, Moses - a man coming to the end of his fears and embracing the call God has for his life.

It is so important we study all of the story, not just for knowledge sake, but too, to help you and I understand how to best connect this Biblical story to our very real and personal and broken lives, learn from both the celebrations and mistakes of this man, and too apply his life journey to our own as we each come into a new day of ultimate freedom leaving behind all of our fears. So… what does Moses say that is so revealing of this man’s changed heart? Read with me again:

Exodus 4:18

“What,” you say, “is so amazing about these words?” Well, when I read through the book of Exodus again this week, I paused when analyzing Exodus 4. As I was reading, I knew I had heard similar words, just two words, as this before in this study. Over the past 14 weeks, do you recall hearing these words about the people of God as it relates to any previous choice on the part of Moses? Again, its subtle. But it is there… and it is truly, truly remarkable once you see it! Journey back with me to Exodus 2. At verse 11, we read that Moses has now grown up. Moses chooses to leave the palace and embark upon his own personal mini-exodus. In doing so, he too exposes his personal sympathies toward the people of God:

Exodus 2:11

Do you see the same two words here as do appear in Exodus 4? They actually appear twice in this one verse. Let me read it again as you listen, really listen, to this passage. As you do, notice on two occasions the usage of two words:

Exodus 2:11

40 years have passed in this man’s life. Yet, oh how a man’s heart can remain the same in so very many ways. In this case, the heart of a man for his “own people” once again is revealed. Moses chooses to leave the palace to go and see, with compassion and conviction, his “own people.” Here in Exodus 2, Moses takes the first step refusing to be seen as merely “the son of Pharaoh’s daughter” among his own people. And now in Exodus 4, after 40 years of living consumed with fear, we read again where Moses is ready to be used as God’s instrument to redeem his own people. Look at Exodus 4 again, now with a fresh perspective to what is being said!

Exodus 4:18

Amazing right! Not just amazing… incredible! Unfathomable! And truly remarkable! And again, Church, such a realization to us, the reader of this story, how essential deep dives are into the discovery God has for us of the very, so very, many jewels within His Word that are ours for the taking! Let me remind you, Church… 40 years have passed since Moses left the palace to walk around and see the hard labor under which his “own people” were living. 40 years! And though much has transpired and changed within this man Moses over these 14,610 days, one thing has remained the same…the man Moses still possesses a heart of compassion and conviction for his own people.. so much so, that now, having just stood by a fire conversing with a Holy God, the time has come for Moses to leave behind the fears of the past, confidently step into a new day, and return to Egypt, to be used by God, to redeem his “own people.”

You see these people are not just God’s people. They too are Moses’ people. The story is so personal because we see this is a story of a man whose heart has now fully become aligned with the heart of God as he understands the call on his life to be God’s instrument to the people whom he loves. How I wish you and I could be consumed by the same love for our people today. Though “our people” are not necessarily enslaved to a life of brutality with whips and beatings and sweat in the hot desert sun, there are people, “our people,” our brothers, and sisters, around the world, across the street, and often even in our own homes, facing a similar imprisonment as a slave to their own personal regrets, brokenness, and fear. 

How amazing would it be as we journey on with Moses that we capture the heart of this man in a way that would inspire within us each a willingness to set aside our fears and to face the injustices of our world audaciously as we place our very lives at stake to “go.” Before we move on to another thought, I think what is essential that you note, that you must not miss, is the reality that:

The heart of Moses changed having been in the presence of God!

I wonder if you would be willing to answer this question today: When was the last time I allowed the crackle of the fire and the aroma of the smoke, to draw me more intimately into a conversation with God as I step into His presence and listen to His voice? I wonder how so very many of us miss such an opportunity because we are simply never willing to let God position our hearts to journey step in step with His. Oh, Church. This is what I long for in my own life. And it truly is my prayer for your life that, if you are not actively doing so, that you begin now, this very day, intentionally setting aside daily time to be alone with, and in the presence of, God. For... I will never fully capture the will of God nor the confidence to fully follow God without having sat in the presence of God.

2. Time with God emboldens me to obey God… no matter the outcome.

Exodus 4:21

Notice two things God immediately tells Moses:
1. Obediently follow me.
2. You will fail.

Notice before telling Moses he will fail, he first tells Moses to do what? 

Exodus 4:21a

God unapologetically tells Moses to do “all” that He has given him the power to do. Moses has been told by God that what is most important in this journey is not the outcome of the choice, rather the obedience that should shape the choice. Obedience always supersedes outcome. God told Moses, “Pharoah will not agree with you.” Moses could have said…Wait a minute. I have been settled here for 40 years. I am now an old man. I am married. I have two sons. Our home is here. We are safe here. I work for my father-in-law here. I provide for my family’s livelihood here. And now you want me to pack up, leave it all behind, travel hundreds of miles across the hot, sandy, scorching desert to return to a place where I have been a wanted man to stand before the most powerful man on the planet and to give him a command he will surely find to be ludicrous. And then, after all of this, you are telling me, “I will fail!” Moses could have said, “Absolutely not!” We do know this - - the Moses we knew before his time on the mountain with God would have surely said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” But not now! Not this new Moses! Moses is now a different man determined to be obedient to God in all of his ways… regardless of the outcome. What this moment really teaches me is this Church:

I obey God not because I am confident in the conclusion of my ways. I obey God because I am confident in the command of God’s will.

During the fall of my first year here, I got to be a part of re-shaping an event that has happened here for many years. Once hearing about this event, I got to work praying and thinking and strategizing over how we can best produce an amazing event in the fall to reach families here in the Donelson community with a great outdoor event to which we now refer as: Fall at Donelson First. I had been told by several of our Ministry Team members that this event in the past had been extremely expensive to make happen and too required many, so very many, volunteers. At that time, I shared with our Ministry Team that I would spend some time praying about whether or not we were to continue producing this event, or that the Time had come for us to look at putting our resources into a different event. I remember after a considerable amount of prayer I knew that God was leading us to continue this event. So I obediently followed God's will and continue to do so into this year. Unless the Lord tells us otherwise, Fall at Donelson First once again will be a highlight event of our year this coming October 2024. When the day finally came that fall day of my first year in early October, I remember being so excited seeing so many people on our campus; people whom I had never met; people who rarely come on our campus; people who have never been on our campus; people who potentially will never again come on our campus… But I remember being so excited walking around meeting families, loving on them, getting to know them, inviting them back to our church, and just simply being the hands and feet of Jesus to these people here in the Donelson community. I too recall one of our members stopping me that day and telling me that he thought this event not necessary because, in the past, it had never produced the results, I assume, he wanted. I've never forgotten his words…“I don't know why we do this event. It is a waste of our time and money because we rarely see anyone from this event coming to attend our church after the event.”

Well, though Moses was not on my mind then, I do see the obedient steps Moses took in the desert with God and how they mirror the steps we take now as it relates to following God's will. You see…With God, obedience is never a waste of my time. God essentially told Moses, “At first, you will not get the results you want!”

Exodus 4:21-23

I presume that so very many Christians miss out on experiencing the fullness of God's blessings because they, at first, do not get the results they want! I too presume that so very many Christians miss out on experiencing the fullness of God's blessings because they too are limited in their ability to trust the outcome to God. Meaning this… so very many well intentioned people are content with playing it safe, standing on the sidelines, waiting to have all the answers before fully diving in with God, and not willing to completely trust God’s leading out of a fear of failure or a concern over the outcome. Look… the Moses that walked toward that burning bush was exactly this man – a man content with playing it safe; a man satisfied with playing it safe… or actually, not even playing at all! But the man who came down from the mountain that day was too a different man – a man of confidence; a man ready to “go;” a man determined to obediently follow the Lord. How? How did this happen?

Confidence to do the hard stuff knowing I very well may fail stems from one reality, one very critical factor… Time with God.

Lastly, look at what happens next. At first glance, it’s a truly bewildering part of the story:

Exodus 4:24

Wait a minute! What? Is God really about to kill Moses… after all He has been through with God! Yes. God is going to kill Moses. “Why,” you ask? Well, the answer to the “why” is just as important to your life and to mine as it was to the life of Moses. And too, the answer speaks to just how very seriously God considers our obedience. And this is why my last point is so critically important for us to receive before journeying on with Moses.

3. Time with God emboldens me to do the hard stuff.

Now in this case, the “hard stuff” was done by Moses’ wife. [More on this in the weeks to come.] 

Exodus 4:24-26

This outrageous moment comes out of nowhere, does it not? We have been journeying with Moses for 14 weeks, and now, just as he begins his journey back across the desert to stand before the Pharaoh, we read where “… the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him.” How would you respond if you knew… that God was going to kill you! It is perplexing, is it not? Especially after all of the talk that Moses is the one – the chosen one… look at it again!

Exodus 3:7-10

What happened from Exodus 3 to Exodus 4 that changes the mind of God? It’s simple: An “off-limits” area. Let me refresh your memory as I quickly take you all the way back to before the time of Moses -the time we studied three months ago when God made a covenant with Abraham:

Genesis 17:9-14

Why circumcision? Why not a tattoo? Why not an ear piercing? Or, honestly, if something has to be cut, speaking on behalf of all men… why a man’s private’s? Well, simply… circumcision is important to God. Circumcision /Hebrew/ = to cut; to seal a covenant. As a religious rite, circumcision was required of all of Abraham’s descendants as a sign of the covenant God made with him. It is an expectation God has established that His people are to follow. And Moses knew this! This act of circumcision is an obedient act symbolizing one’s complete loyalty to God and the covenant He has made with His people. True circumcision, though another conversation for another time about the health benefits of such an act to the male, was an act of obedience God expected for complete surrender to His will and ways. Paul essentially says this very thing to the Church in Rome when he writes:

A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God. Romans 2:28-29

Moses had overlooked, for whatever reason, a part of the covenant God has made with His people - a very intimate part of the covenant that demonstrates complete obedience to God. What is interesting about this sin of disobedience - - it was not hurting anyone! It was not hurting Moses, his son, his wife, nor the nation of Israel. But this did not matter. Disobedience is disobedience no matter the impact or effect of such a choice on anyone!

Church… we see just how serious God takes obedience. After the life-changing conversation the two had on the mountain of God, God takes obedience so very seriously, He is willing to end the whole journey right here in this moment with Moses somewhere between Midian and Egypt. Now, let me pause for a moment to say this: This is a really good thing. Though.. it may not appear as such to Moses, or to us, in the moment. I am not referring to a removal of foreskin here. No! I am referring to an even deeper and more intimate process in the life of the follower of the Christ…a wholly and complete surrender; a circumcision of my entire being; a personal destination at which one arrives once having totally exhausted self-reliance. You see church, the right thing is often too the hard thing!

Once I begin the progression of dying to self, which by the way originates at the moment of salvation, God is never wholly satisfied with the posture of my life. Rather, He continues the incessant, and often painful, procedure of “cutting” away those areas of my life not pleasing to Him.

Here we see that even Moses, this chosen man, is not exempt from God’s expectation of complete surrender. Too, the “right” in my life, no matter how exemplary, never trumps nor overrides any area of my life that has not been fully surrendered to obedience. No matter how very many things I do right, in the eyes of a Holy God, one act of disobedience is worthy of death. Look at how serious Jesus takes this idea:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

No matter what good I have accomplished for God, God still demands a complete cleansing of my pride, lust, desires, ambitions, plans, attributes, service, thought life, private life…Church, you and I never, never come to the end of a complete surrender to the Christ. Never. The prophet Jeremiah prayed this:

Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. Jeremiah 10:23

Paul wrote this to the Church in Rome:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1 

Moses was on the journey of a lifetime. And yet God still had personal work to do on the heart of the man, Moses. And I remind you… this journey upon which Moses has embarked with God is not only about standing before Pharoah. Too, this journey is not solely about freeing God’s people from 400 years of slavery captivity! As is always the case with God - - This journey is personal. It is always personal with God. We see here that God is just as concerned about one person as he is about all persons. God isn't only doing supernatural work in the nation of Israel. God too is working on the heart of Moses. This is an act of worship for each of us, too; an active and ongoing and never-ending surrender… to give your body fully wholly unto the Lord.

I implore you this week to do exactly this…Spend time with God. Get in the presence of God. Silence the busy in your life and give Him the attention He deserves. And as you do, consider asking this question of the Almighty Father: “What today, Lord?” “What today, Lord, have I kept “off limits” in the dark that needs brought into the light?” “What today, Lord, hard thing shall I do?” “What today, Lord, shall I surrender to you?”

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Jeffrey Dean Smith is a husband, father to Bailey & Brynnan, author, and the Senior Pastor at Donelson First in Nashville, TN. If you are in Music City, meet Jeffrey and enjoy iced tea on the front lawn each Sunday at 10:30a.