Who Sent You?

Finishing the church family theme, Pastor Tim set two passages side by side: Moses at the burning bush, asking who he is to go to Pharaoh, and the seven sons of Sceva in Ephesus, trying to drive out an evil spirit in the name of a Jesus they did not know. One man went because God sent him. The others went because they had ambition. The question for every believer is simple: who sent you?

The Big Idea

It's good to know before you go. Church family matters because none of us has enough knowledge to go it alone: where your experience runs out, someone else can stand with you.

Scriptures

• Exodus 3:11-13: Moses asks God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?" and God answers, "Surely I will be with you."
• Acts 19:11-13: God works extraordinary miracles through Paul, while some itinerant exorcists try to use the name of Jesus "whom Paul preaches" without knowing him. The story continues in verses 14-16.

1. Two Texts, Two Origins

• In one passage, a man is on assignment because God sent him. In the other, men are on assignment because of ambition.
• The greatest enemy in the church is not Satan; it is ambition. Ambition will have you talking down the very work God placed you in to build up.
• Just because you can does not mean that you should.

2. Moses: Called, Not Qualified

• Nobody liked Moses: not the Egyptians, not the Hebrews, not even Moses. He argued with God about his own voice.
• God does not call the qualified. He qualifies those he calls. If God wills it, God will cover the bill for it.
• Moses could not go in the power of a prince of Egypt. He went in the strength of the God who called him in the wilderness.
• Don't confuse the calling of God with the popularity of the crowd. Promotion comes from the Lord, so be faithful to the assignment and let the assignment giver lift you up in due season.

3. The Sons of Sceva: Skill Is Not the Same as Being Sent

• They were known, practicing exorcists, and arguably successful, until they met a challenge they were not prepared for.
• Having skill and having notoriety is not the same thing as being sent. When God sends you, the demons can't stop you.
• Early success can feel like mastery when it is really beginner's luck. Sometimes we follow the pathway of success instead of the footsteps of God.

4. Four Things to Know Before You Go

• Know God: not just about him, but well enough to stop when he says stop. Verse of the day is a good starting point; then graduate to study.
• Know yourself: your flaws and all, and the places you are not yet prepared for where God is taking you.
• Know the problem: listen before you speak, and ask "How can I help?" before offering advice. Two ears, one mouth.
• Know the people: what they need to be built up. Sometimes what helps most is the honesty of your own story, because God is looking for people who simply say yes, not superheroes.

Message Takeaway

Before you go, make sure God sent you. Be faithful to the assignment, not the applause. Take time to know God, know yourself, know the problem, and know the people, so that when God brings people to you, you have room to serve them, and in serving them, serve him.