We are a KJV Bible, hymn singing, strong preaching, soul winning church. Don't expect anything liberal or trendy.

David Cloud, Way of Life Literature

Encouraging God's people to seek and walk in the OLD paths, this message was preached on Sunday evening, Sep. 17, 2023, by ...

Lester L. Roloff was born on June 28, 1914 in Dawson, Texas. He grew up there on a cotton farm. At the age of 12, he was saved, and at the age of 18, he surrendered to the Lord's call to preach. He graduated from Baylor University and attended Southwestern Seminary for nearly three years. During this time, he pastured two part-time churches. He then pastured four full-time churches before the Lord called him, in 1951, to be a full-time evangelist.

Lester L. Roloff was born on June 28, 1914 in Dawson, Texas. He grew up there on a cotton farm. At the age of 12, he was saved, and at the age of 18, he surrendered to the Lord's call to preach. He graduated from Baylor University and attended Southwestern Seminary for nearly three years. During this time, he pastored two part-time churches. He then pastored four full-time churches before the Lord called him, in 1951, to be a full-time evangelist.

Lester L. Roloff was born on June 28, 1914 in Dawson, Texas. He grew up there on a cotton farm. At the age of 12, he was saved, and at the age of 18, he surrendered to the Lord's call to preach. He graduated from Baylor University and attended

Lester L. Roloff was born on June 28, 1914 in Dawson, Texas. He grew up there on a cotton farm. At the age of 12, he was saved, and at the age of 18, he surrendered to the Lord's call to preach. He graduated from Baylor University and attended

Still a BaptistDr. Paul ChappellFri, 09/22/2023 - 17:30 This month I will celebrate my fortieth year being ordained as a Baptist pastor. No one could have prepared me for the changes that were ahead in the church and ministerial landscape over this forty-year period.I was raised as a Baptist and trained to be a Baptist preacher. While I believe there has been a succession of truth passed down through the ages, I have not found a line of church succession named “Baptist” that is identifiable every week of world history. I do believe, however, that churches whose doctrine of salvation and mode of baptism is scriptural have always existed since the time of Christ. And I believe that today those doctrinal distinctives are found in biblical Baptist churches.� I don't believe in a “Baptist Bride” position that only the churches which can trace their succession to the time of Christ are legitimate or that only the people who are members of such churches are part of the bride of Christ referred to in Ephesians 5:25–27. I have friends who are not Baptist who are wonderful Christians. � One of the Baptist distinctives is individual soul liberty. I believe every Christian must make doctrinal decisions based on his or her understanding of the Word of God. Even this article is not written to force my convictions on you. It is written to challenge your thought processes, especially if you are a Baptist pastor.� I am not a denominational Baptist. Most large Baptist denominations have struggled and compromised in recent decades over a variety of important issues, including the inerrancy of Scripture, creation, alcohol, women pastors, and ordaining gay clergy. I am happy to not be a part of such groups and have identified throughout my whole ministry as autonomous, or independent, of Baptist denominations.� Yet, I'm still a Baptist—and I am one by conviction. As I see Baptist pastors distance themselves from the name Baptist or young men who were, like me, saved and trained in Baptist churches claim that the name Baptist is unimportant, I have concerns. I invite you to think through some of these with me.Why Some Baptists Discard the NameI do believe there is a thought process a man who is trained as a Baptist but chooses to minimize or entirely shed the name works through. I'm just not convinced it is the right process.� Sometimes it is a marketing decision.� I get the fact that we want to present our church in brochures and on our websites and social media as something appealing. We don't want to seem negative. Good marketers remove the “distasteful” aspects of their products. So, in following the marketing logic, many pastors remove the name Baptist.� But it's worth asking the question: who are you winning when you do this? It's probably not unsaved people, who often don't understand or care about the differences between Baptist or non-denominational anyway.� I have found maintaining our historic and biblical identity helpful to our church family. If we lose potential members from different denominational backgrounds in that process, we likely have gained a good spirit in the church, maintained doctrinal purity, and attracted people who appreciate or become discipled in our doctrinal convictions.I don't want people to visit our ministry websites or social media or to even drive by our church without knowing we are unashamedly a Baptist church.Sometimes it is a perceived stigma.Some who withdraw from the name Baptist do so because a mentor who strongly identified as a Baptist sullied the name to them—perhaps through moral failure or a mean spirit or just plain weirdness. So now this disillusioned pastor wants to remove everything from his past.� Although each pastor and church will certainly have stylistic variances from the previous generation or from where they were trained, someone who is hurt by the past or believes there is a stigma to his heritage may take more pronounced steps to cast off any similarities to his recent predecessors. This is usually not just one thing, but is often a combination of things, including a distaste for having leadership requirements in the church, turning to more trendy cultural alignments, and avoiding strong doctrinal positions in preaching. I was recently talking with a pastor who is working through some of these issues, and I happened to call him “brother.” He responded, “Don't call me brother; that's the way I used to talk.”� The problem with this kind of reactionary thinking is that focusing on doing things differently than your past means that your experiences, rather than God's Word, becomes the standard for how you operate.� And speaking of God's Word, Ephesians 6:21 says, “But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things.” (Sorry, brother, I couldn't resist.)Of course, shedding the name Baptist because of its stigma is not always because of hurts of the past. Sometimes it is just the concern that the public at large looks down on Baptists as being narrow-minded, out of touch, or mean-spirited. There is definitely a negative stereotype media portrayal of born again Christians, and sometimes Baptists, along these lines. And the truth is that there is a stigma to the name Baptist. But there is also a stigma to words like church and Bible.� But is removing the name the right answer?What the Name Baptist MeansWhen considering words of identification, it's good to know what those words represent. In the case of the word Baptist, there is a rich heritage and biblical identification that I do not see in any other single word. Identifying as a Baptist encompasses a biblical position and historical identity. At our church, we teach this in our new members class and emphasize it to our church family.� Biblical distinctivesI like to use the acrostic with the word BAPTISTS to explain the Baptist distinctives to new Christians. I explain that although there are non-baptist churches that hold some of these beliefs, the eight of these as a whole is what sets Baptist churches apart from others; they are what makes us distinct.� Biblical authority in all matters of faith and practice: We believe the Bible is inspired and infallible and is the final authority. It is from God's Word that we understand and teach the fundamental doctrines of our faith as well as pattern our church polity. (See 2 Timothy 3:16; John 17:17; Acts 17:11; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20–21.)Autonomy or self governing power of the local church: We believe that every local church should be independent of a hierarchical framework or outside governmental structure. (See Colossians 1:18; Acts 13–14, 20:19–30; Ephesians 1:22–23.)Priesthood of believers: God's Word assures believers that we have direct access to God through our relationship with Christ. We believe and teach that the priesthood of the believer is the unspeakably precious privilege of every child of God. (See Hebrews 4:14–16; 1 Timothy 2:5–6; 1 Peter 2:5–10.)Two offices within the church: Scripture only mentions two church offices—pastor (also referred to as elder or bishop) and deacon. These two offices are to be filled by godly men of integrity in each local church. (See Philippians 1:1; Acts 6:1–7; 1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:6–9; 1 Peter 5:1–4.)Individual soul liberty: We believe that each person must make a personal decision of repentance and faith in Christ. (See Romans 10:9–17, 14:1–23.) Parents do not make this decision for their children, and the government cannot make it for its people. Additionally, each person is responsible before God in matters of holiness and� conscience.Separation of church and state: The state should have no power to intervene in the free expression of religious liberty. (See Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:29–31; Romans 13:1–4.)Two ordinances—baptism and the Lord's Table: These ordinances have no part in salvation and only serve as pictures of what Christ did for us. (See Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Acts 2:38–43, 8:36–38; Romans 6:1–6)Separation and personal holiness: We believe that Christ's ultimate sacrifice demands our complete consecration, and we desire that our daily living would reflect the holiness of our great God. (See 2 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Peter 1:16.)We could list more, such as believers' baptism by immersion and the church as a body of saved, baptized believers. But ultimately these and others are embedded in the distinctions listed above.Historical identityThe history of those who have held Baptist convictions is a history of choosing to suffer for Christ over enjoying the favor of men. Whether at the hands of oppressive emperors or under the Roman Catholic Church or even from the Reformers themselves, Baptists have stood courageously through persecution for their biblical convictions.I think of Felix Manz in Switzerland who preached salvation by grace alone followed by believers' baptism for church membership. (This was in contrast to the Reformers who were teaching salvation by grace but church membership by infant sprinkling.) For his convictions on baptism and church membership, Manz was imprisoned multiple times and—because he kept preaching it and planting churches across Switzerland—was ultimately executed by drowning. I've stood on the shore of the River Limmat where his mother and brother watched him taken out to the middle of the river for his execution.� I think, too, of the whole congregation of the earliest Baptist church in Wales. Established in 1649, it was originally located in the town of Ilston but soon relocated to nearby Swansea. John Myles served as the first pastor, until he, along with several members from the church, fled persecution by immigrating to the American colonies. They ended up in Massachusetts where the same group established a Baptist church in 1663—the earliest Baptist church in the state. The town of Swansea, Massachusetts was named after this church's hometown in Wales. True to Baptist beliefs of individual soul liberty, the town was one of the first towns in New England founded on the premise of religious liberty for all.� We are all aware that, as rich as our history is, there have been those who claimed the name Baptist but we wished they wouldn't have! I have been clear with our church family over the years to state our disagreement with Baptists whose doctrine was false, such as Westboro Baptist, or whose spirit or ministry philosophy is toxic. But we have not allowed these exceptions to drive us away from our true heritage.Functional implicationsRemaining a Baptist is more than keeping the word on your church sign. I have always believed that having a Baptist church means having a church of Baptist people.� I remember back when we were averaging under fifty people in attendance and needed a pianist. A dear family visited our church, and the wife was an excellent piano player. They were saved but had previously been baptized in a church that taught a non-biblical view of “speaking in tongues” and that this was the evidence of salvation as well as that one could lose their salvation. Our belief about baptism is that the mode is immersion, the order is after salvation, and the authority to baptize rests in a church of biblical doctrine. (This is the historic Baptist position.) Thus, we encouraged this family that if they believed the doctrinal statement of our church, they should consider being baptized to identify with Christ and be added to our church. They chose not to be baptized in a Baptist church. We lost a pianist but kept our conviction. Had we filled our church with people of different doctrines and practices, we would today be more of an interdenominational church.Another practical aspect of remaining a Baptist church is following biblical teaching regarding the Lord's Table. First Corinthians 11 makes it clear that observing the Lord's Table was required, not optional, for the members of the Corinthian church. And the context of 1 Corinthians is clear that the Lord's Table is for a saved, baptized body of believers: “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth…” (1 Corinthians 1:2). It may seem easier, maybe even more polite, to let an unsaved person take the elements, but it is not scriptural.� Church polity is another practical distinction of a Baptist church. Baptists are not elder ruled in the sense of a small group choosing the next pastor. In fact, the most congregational decision of a Baptist church is the election of pastors and deacons. We see this in Acts 6 in the verbiage, “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men…”� (Acts 6:3). In the pastoral epistles of Timothy and Titus, we see that pastors lead the daily ministries of the church, working with deacons. In Ephesians 4:11–12, we see pastors are to equip the entire congregation for “the work of the ministry.”Additional ConsiderationsSo where does this leave a Baptist pastor thinking through whether being a Baptist is a an asset or a liability? Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind.The pressure on young Pastors to “succeed” is real.Our human nature desires the acceptance of others and the affirmation of numeric growth.� It was probably easier to be a Baptist in America fifty years ago when many large and influential churches were Baptist.� While there are still thousands of strong Baptist churches, the pressure to attract a crowd is great. And sometimes the quickest path to do that is by not taking a clear doctrinal stand.� But there is a ripple effect to this. When one church planter or pastor changes his polity, doctrine, or stand, he quickly encourages others to consider the same path. Seminars are conducted and books are written on how to transition away from the perceived stigma mentioned above. Guys are on social media every day or at meetings encouraging one another in each other's transition from their Baptist heritage.� Pragmatism is prevalent.� I remember being asked by prominent people in our community if the name Baptist was necessary. No doubt we lost some donations because we kept the name. However, God has provided and has enabled our church to build a large campus as we have grown numerically and to be a leader in missions giving within the Baptist world for many years.� I decided forty years ago I wasn't going to market the church identity away to hopefully get some other denominational people to join. Some good Christian people did this in other eras. For instance, the Christian & Missionary Alliance was built on this philosophy. (It began as two parachurch organizations focused on outreach and missions and eventually morphed into a denomination.) But those were different days when some sound truth was to be found in various types of churches. I still would not have participated in such a movement then, but I especially would not today as the ecumenical trend of our day downplays vital doctrines and clear biblical practices.� Rarely does a pragmatic pastor change just one major tenant of faith or distinctive. Usually there is a domino effect that follows as more beliefs become “non-essentials.”Some of the men who downplay the name Baptist have enough theological grounding to reject liberal doctrine and woke ideology with its false teachings of social justice and anti-family dogma. But many of these pastors have adapted a type of virtue signaling by removing the name Baptist or even doctrinal terms like atonement, sin, judgment, hell, or anything that might seem offensive to unsaved people.� � This idea of being relevant by downplaying truth was introduced in my lifetime in the seeker-sensitive movement forty years ago. This movement has had an impact on every group—Baptist and others.I remember thinking that being relatable was going to be key for me in growing a church in Southern California. Thankfully, a pastor preached a message that offended me. But the message also reminded me that being culturally sensitive is not as important as being Christ sensitive. (I eventually wrote a little book The Saviour-Sensitive Church on this thought. Also, this experience in my life has emphasized the need to lovingly pray for and purposefully dialog with pastors who are tempted to make unnecessary changes.)Most unsaved people don't know the difference between the name Baptist and any other label. I've always focused on reaching unsaved people rather than attracting people from other churches. In fact, it is interesting to me that while many in the seeker philosophy advocate dropping one's distinctive identity in order to reach the lost, at a second look, it appears they are trying to reach a broader number of people from various church backgrounds.A pastor needs to be careful of trying to accommodate every person. Decision making based on “not wanting to offend everyone” is not leadership. This type of philosophy has led American churches into wokism and a low view of Scripture.I still believe in the importance of making our message understandable. To that end, I employ methods like using projection on screens while I preach to show maps or pictures. I also believe there is value to making our message relatable. We try to use tracts with attractive graphics and think through what our church posts on social media. There is no reason to be sloppy, outdated, or mean spirited in conveying our message. Even so, relatability is not the goal. It is only part of keeping the message understandable.� Two illustrations of this are Peter and Paul as they preached the gospel in two different settings. When Peter preached in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), he knew that his audience already understood monotheistic religion and looked for a Messiah. Thus, most of his message was simply pointing them to Christ as their Messiah. On the other hand, when Paul preached to the Greeks in Athens (Acts 17), he spoke of the many false gods and used illustrations and quotes from their culture in his message. Yet, Peter and Paul both related to their audience, and neither of them adapted or compromised the message itself in order to have a stronger appeal.� An effective preacher longs for people to understand truth, but he does not water down truth so as to seem relevant. Making the message understandable is important; changing the message to make it palatable is wrong. � The incremental changes pastors make today will be made in excess by the next generation.There is always a tendency to push things further along in the direction in which they are already headed. So when a pastor leans into a direction away from his heritage, those coming up in his ministry tend to take further steps in the same direction.� The likelihood of young men who grow up in a church that has relegated the identification of Baptist to a non-essential becoming Baptist pastors themselves is not strong. Young people in these churches who have a heart for things of the Lord tend to have more excitement about graphics and the presentation aspects of ministry than the desire to personally declare the gospel. I believe we send a dangerous message when we change our emphasis from doctrine and preaching to relevancy and excitement.� Dropping distinctives is not necessary for growth.� Thirty-seven years ago, the Lord brought Terrie and me to a dwindling congregation of about twelve at Lancaster Baptist Church. In those early years, I made repeated decisions to take bold stands for truth and to teach the Baptist distinctives of our church while at the same time passionately and strategically saturating our community with the gospel. For eighteen months, I knocked on five hundred doors per week in my personal soulwinning in addition to training our church family Thursday nights and Saturday mornings on how to share the gospel. The Lord blessed those efforts, and for the past thirty-two years now, I have pastored what some call a “mega church.” And all of this happened in Los Angeles County, California.I have found that God honors His Word and that people appreciate a pastor who is not given to change.� I believe the strongest churches in history have had strong commitments to truth.Do not believe those who tell you that dropping your distinctives is necessary to reach people. Our church today has the same doctrinal stand and convictions that it did when it was running twenty in attendance.� Does the Name Baptist Really Matter?Yes, there is something to a name.� Most parents check the meaning of a name before they give it to their children. And all decent parents want their children to value and uphold their family name.� We live in a day when society is forcing the change of traditional terms. Usually, there is an anti-God and anti-family agenda behind that.� While it is true that there are a variety of terms or nomenclature that can be adjusted for sake of clarity (Sunday school or small groups mean the same thing), there are some names that matter. In the case of the name Baptist, I have chosen to identify with the truth it represents and the people who died to pass it down.And forty years later, I am thankful to still be a Baptist.� Category Pastoral Leadership

Temple Baptist Church - 8-27-2023Luke 1:5-17Introduction:� A.� This morning, I want to continue to preach on “Walking With God”.� We look in the New Testament for the first time and find the last of the Old Testament Prophets, John the Baptist.� B.� I want to set the background for the ministry of John the Baptist.� The heavens had been silent for 400 years with no voice from God, no word of the Lord other than the canonized Old Testament.� 1.� The People of Israel walked in times of great spiritual darkness.� Religion had replaced their hope in a coming Messiah.� � Today, religion or the lack thereof has replaced the hope of salvation and a coming Lord.� 2.� � My mind goes back to 1 Samuel, chapter 3, where the Bible said, “And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was…� 3.� The light of God is going out in America and the rest of the world this morning.� Let us look at John the Baptist who walked with God in a hard time and spiritually dark time and place.� C.� In the days prior to the revelation of the Israel's Messian, Jehovah God made flesh, Jesus Christ—the Son of God, one of the most important men in the Bible, John the Baptist, walked with God in Expectancy.� � As John walked in Expectancy in the time of the First Advent, we MUST be found walking in light of the Second Advent.� 1.� The Prophecy of John the Baptist.� Isaiah 40:3� The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.� 2.� The Revelation of John the Baptist.� Matthew 3:1-3� In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,� (2)� And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.� (3)� For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.� 3.� The Identification of John the Baptist.� Matthew 11:7-11� And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?� (8)� But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.� (9)� But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.� (10)� For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.� (11)� Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.� 4.� The Person of John the Baptist.� a)� John the Baptist was a miracle man.� � Luke 1:18� And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.� Luke 1:24� And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,� b)� � John the Baptist� was a Spirit filled man.� Filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb.� Remember that this was the last of the Old Testament prophets and during that time, the Holy Ghost came upon people, and He also left them.� The Holy Ghost did not indwell the Old Testament believer.� c)� John the Baptist was a consecrated man.� A Nazarite from his birth, though the word “Nazarite” is not mentioned, the biblical separation of a Nazarite was there.� He cared not what the world thought of him.� Luke 1:15� For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.� d)� John the Baptist was a privileged man.� He was God's messenger until the revelation of Christ.� We are privileged in our day to carry the message of old to this last generation.� e)� John the Baptist was an expectant man.� He knew that he was the fulfillment of prophecy sent to prepare the way of the Lord and to make His paths straight.� HE IS COMING AS HE SAID!� f)� John the Baptist was a valued man.� Our Lord said that John was the greatest prophet ever to be born and his message was a simple one.� REPENT AND BELIEVE ON THE MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST.� D.� John the Baptist!� 1.� John the Baptist was a chosen man for a specific time.� John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (To be commissioned for a special task or mission.� We are a chosen generation.)� 2.� John the Baptist was a dedicated man to a specific cause. Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. (John lived a clean life for the Lord.� We are to live a clean life for the Lord.)� 3.� John the Baptist was a� different� man in an ungodly world.� Matthew 3:4� And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.� 4.� John the Baptist was a strong man in the face of adversity.� Matthew 11:7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?� Mark 6:17-18� For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.� (18)� For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.� 5.� John the Baptist was not a soft man.� Matthew 11:8� � But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.� 6.� John the Baptist was a faithful man who continued to cry in the wilderness.� Matthew 11:10� � For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.� � 7.� John the Baptist was a preaching man who continued to put forth the Word of God.� Matthew 3:1-2 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,� And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (John preached the way of salvation and the coming of the Messiah.� We preach the way of salvation and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.)� 8.� John the Baptist was a rewarded man who lived to know his Messiah's coming.� � John 1:29� The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.� 9.� John the Baptist was a humble man.� John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.� (John knew that he was not there to place himself on a pedestal but to glorify and point people to Christ.� We that are saved are to glorify Christ and point sinners to Him.)� 10.� John the Baptist was just a man.� Luke 7:19� And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?� (We are just people but are the light and salt of these last days.)� Conclusion:� We are to occupy until He comes.� We look for Him expectantly as His coming is imminent.� � Titus 2:11-14� For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,� (12)� Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;� (13)� Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;� (14)� Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

� Temple Baptist Church - 7-9-2023Exodus 3:1-11� Introduction:� A.� Over the past few weeks,� I have been preaching about “Walking with God.”� We need people who are willing to pay the price required to walk with God.� The price begins with going to Him “without the camp.”� My introduction to this message will be short because most of us are familiar with the life of Moses.� B.� Moses was one of the greatest men, spiritually, who ever lived.� Moses would not have been a man of our choosing if we were to pick out a deliverer from the children of Israel.� What makes Moses such a notable example of “walking with God” was the impossibility of his circumstances.� � 1.� God is the God of Impossibilities.� 2.� What you ain't, God is.� What you think you cannot do (notice I used the words “think you cannot do”), God can!� 3.� From birth as supposedly� the son of Pharoah's daughter to the age of 40, Moses was being readied to deliver the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt.� 4.� Educated in all the wisdom� of Egypt and privileged with the royalty and power of Egypt.� � Acts 7:22-25� And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.� � 5.� The Greatness of Moses' Choice.� Hebrews 11:24-27� � By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;� (25)� Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;� (26)� Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.� (27)� By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.� � (It is unimaginable to us!� He left the riches, comfort, and power of Egypt—the most powerful nation on earth to suffer the reproach of Christ with a nation of slaves.� We give up so little to gain so much and this man gave up to, in the eyes of the world, to gain so little.)� a)� Moses had the spiritual fortitude� to turn his back on all that the world had to offer while suffering the wrath of the most powerful man in the world to bear the reproach of Christ.� b)� If there was ever a good example� of going without the camp, it was a man named Moses.� � c)� Saved from death� by his parents when he was born, he became the son of Pharaoh's daughter and heir to the throne of Egypt.� � d)� Nursed and raised� by his mother, he put his faith in the coming of the Messiah.� He gave up all that a man could ever dream of for the love of Christ and the privilege to bear His shame and reproach.� It is impossible to walk with God while holding hands with the world!� � 6.� Moses tried to do the right thing� at the wrong time with failure instead of success.� � Acts 7:22-25� And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.� (23)� And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.� (24)� And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:� (25)� For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.� � 7.� Moses thought that he could deliver� Israel by his own strength.� Moses was not up to the task.� 8.� It took Moses another 40 years� on the backside of the desert to finish his preparation for delivering Israel.� Before God could use Moses, he had to become humble.� a)� � God had to change Moses� from Might to Meekness.� b)� God had to change Moses� from Learned to Learner.� � c)� God had to change Moses� from a Superior to a Shepherd.� He needed to learn to be a shepherd to a flock of sheep and goats so as to shepherd the “sheep and goats” of Israel.� d)� � God had to change Moses� from the Possible before he could do the Impossible!� C.� On the backside� of Sinai, he met Jehovah God in the Person of a Burning Bush that was not consumed.� There, God showed Moses the purpose for which he was born.� D.� The word “impossible” is only found 9 times� in the Bible with every reference being found in the New Testament.� In both the First and Last Mention of impossible, it times impossible with faith and faithlessness.� 1.� The First Mention� is in Faith� -� Matthew 17:20� And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.� 2.� The Last Mention� is in Faithlessness� -� Hebrews 11:6� But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.� E.� I want to look at 4 instances� of such impossibility found in this man's life that made his faithfulness in walking with God such a great measure of faith and resolve.� � What will stand out in this message is that the impossible places in the life of Moses set an example for us to follow in the impossible places of our lives.� 1.� The impossibility of God's Choice.� Numbers 12:3� (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)� � (I would have picked a warrior, a champion, the most physical man that I could find to face the most powerful man in the world.� Moses was humble, lowly, poor in spirit.� I have known some extremely shy, what we would call backward people, but not the meekest man in the earth!)� a.� God chose Moses. � Hebrews 11:23� By faith Moses,� when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.� � (If God choses you to serve Him, it is He that will equip you.)� b.� God sent Moses.� Exodus 3:10-12� Come now therefore, and� I will send thee� unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.� (11)� And Moses said unto God,� Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?� (12)� And he said, Certainly� I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.� � (If God sends you, He will go with you.)� c.� God used Moses.� � Deuteronomy 34:10� And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,� � (IF God uses you, He will be glorified through you.)� d.� Who am I?� Moses felt inadequate to deliver the people of God, but he was the man of God's choosing.� God would give him the ability that he lacked.� The meekest man in all the earth would lead the millions of Jews out of bondage and to the Promised Land.� When it is impossible with us, it is possible with God.� e.� Will you and I walk with God when we come to the end of self?� What you are not, God is!� 2.� The impossibility of Moses' Foe.� � Exodus 3:10-11� Come now therefore, and� I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.� (11)� And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?� � (God sent a man who could and would get the job done!� The task was already done in God's eyes before He ever sent Moses.)� � a.� God raised Pharaoh up.� Romans 9:17� For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh (Exodus 9:16), Even for this same purpose� have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.� � (God placed him upon the throne of Egypt because he was a God hater and a cruel taskmaster.)� b.� God hardened his heart.� Exodus 10:27-28� But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.� (28)� And Pharaoh said unto him,� Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.� � (Pharaoh had already hardened his own heart and God finished the job!)� c.� Will you and I walk with God when facing an impossible foe?� What you can't do, God can!� 3.� The impossibility of Moses' Journey.� � Exodus 3:12� And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee:� When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.� (God had already promised complete deliverance before He ever sent Moses!)� a.� The impossibility of the Red Sea!� The Gulf of Aqaba.� With mountains on either side, Pharaoh's army bearing down upon them, and the Red Sea before the—God said, “Go forward?”� The impossibility of impossibilities!� � (The Red Sea!� A man standing on the shore can only see app. 3 miles because of the curvature of the earth so all that Israel saw was water.� They may as well have been standing on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean as far as their view was concerned.)� b.� The impossibility of the Command!� “Go forward.”� Exodus 14:14-16� � The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.� (15)� And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they� go forward:� (16)� But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.� (Can you imagine?� Nothing but water ahead with no visible path to cross and God commanded Moses to tell Israel to “go forward.”� There will be times in your life that you will see only the impossible lying before you, but God gives you no option but to move ahead.)� c.� The impossibility of the Crossing!� “Dry ground!”� Exodus 15:8� � And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.� � (God divided that great body of water with the blast of His nostrils.� They went through a path of dry ground with over a mile of water standing on either side.)� Matthew 19:26� But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.� d.� Will you and I walk with God when facing our “Red Sea?”� 4.� The Impossibility of Feeding and Watering the Nation of Israel in the Desert!� a.� Manna From Heaven.� Exodus 16:35� And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.� b.� Water From the Rock.� Exodus 17:6� � Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.� c.� Will you and I walk with God when the hard times come both financially and physically?� 5.� Moses was a chosen man� for a chosen purpose and, where God guides, God always provides.� God chose an impossible man for an impossible task to glorify a God of Impossibility!� Conclusion:� Will you and I walk with God when faced with impossibility?

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