Future Opportunities | God Only Knows | Pastor Adam Bishop

End of the day, I think that's happening in every single one of us. I think it's a compass directing our life. And I think it's either directing us towards the past with our emotions, with our feelings, with our memories, with the regret, whatever might have shaped us, maybe even some good things in our past. Or we're being pulled forward by the future. And part of being a follower of Jesus is recognizing we're a new creation. Part of being a follower of Jesus is recognizing, like I just mentioned a few moments ago, there's a great plan, purpose to the lives that we are living. But just for a second, I can't prove this to you, but I think it's true. I think the default setting for most of our lives is to actually be held back by the past. [00:25:04] (44 seconds)  #BreakFreeFromPast

Now when I read Exodus chapter three, have a number of questions that pop into my mind. In fact, that's a really fun way to study God's word. When you read God's word, just keep asking questions. And as you ask questions, God's word will begin to come alive and you'll begin to see some things perhaps you've missed before. And obviously, the Holy Spirit plays a big part in that. But one of the things when I read Exodus chapter three that I ask myself is how many times had Moses passed by this bush before? [00:30:46] (24 seconds)  #OpportunitiesInRoutine

Because they're monotonous. They're boring. They're routine. It doesn't seem like anything's happening. I mean, you're a student and you're going to class day after day after day, there's a word for that. It gets old. Right? Maybe you're in a job and it feels that way, and it's the same thing over and over, and it's the boring monotony, and it's the routine, and it just doesn't feel like any advancement is happening. Maybe you're a stay at home parent with little ones. That's an incredibly challenging season. You're longing for adult interaction, and you got the same routine day after day. You gotta take care of the things you gotta take care of with little ones. And and we could go on and on about times in our lives and seasons in our lives and tasks in our lives where it just feels like we're stuck in the monotony and in the routine. And might I suggest just for a moment that oftentimes that's where God meets you. [00:32:27] (58 seconds)  #ShowUpBePresent

One of the things I tell our boys, be where you're supposed to be. Where are you supposed to be right now? You're supposed to be at school? Get there. Practice? Get there. Church? Get there. Be where you're supposed to be. It's a good principle for us as adults as well. Be where you're supposed to be. That's why gathering on Sundays matters with God's people. I'm grateful that you're here on a Sunday. I'm grateful that we broadcast our sermons online, but I'm old school y'all. I'm of the opinion that nothing beats being with God's people in God's house. And when you show up with God's people in God's house, I'm just telling you, it may feel routine. It may feel monotonous. The sermons may be c minus at best. I get it, alright? But here's the idea, that as you can commit yourself to the consistent routine of being with God's people, it's in the routine that God presents the unique. [00:33:57] (42 seconds)  #StopDenyingGodsCall

It's hearing God's word week after week after week, then there's that particular one day where through the Holy Spirit in me, God connects with the Holy Spirit in you and gives you the word you've been looking for for months, sometimes even years. Aren't you glad you didn't sleep in on that particular day? This is how it works where God meets us in the everyday routine. It's why being in his word matters. You could spend day after day after day in God's word and go, that was good. I'm I'm glad I spent time in God's word. And then one day breakthrough. [00:34:40] (30 seconds)  #GodEquipsYou

God tells Moses what he has in the store for him and Moses like, man, you got the wrong guy. I think you're supposed to get the shepherd the next village over. I am not a good speaker. How am I gonna tell the most powerful person in the world to release your people? You ever tried to tell God what he can't do? You ever tried to tell God why you're not the person that he wants to use? This is what Moses is doing, but I love how God responds. Let's keep reading the passage and see what God says. [00:37:50] (30 seconds)  #JustShowUp

But what God wanted Moses to see was it was the very weakness that Moses had that would be the greatest opportunity for God to show his strength. Y'all do know that's how God wants to work. He's not interested in propping us up. See, our names never saved anyone. It's the name above all names that rescues and saves people. And the way that God gets his name through us is by using our weaknesses, church. That's how this works. So let your weakness rise to the surface. Don't don't push it down. Get to a place where you're super comfortable with what you're not good at. Acknowledging that that might be the very thing that God uses. You see, God is not limited by our limitations. He specializes in using our weaknesses. [00:40:43] (42 seconds)  #CommunityMakesPossible

At some point in our lives, church, here's a really good step in spiritual growth, to develop a redeemed stubbornness. Are any of y'all stubborn in the house? Okay. Don't point at your spouse, it's not kind, alright? It's not kind. I I'm stubborn. I'm really stubborn. Ask my wife. She'll give you all kind of stories. Some of them are doozies. Alright? So I'm pretty stubborn. Okay? What I've had to pray for over the years, because let's be real for a second, that can create tension, challenges and problems. I've had to ask God to redeem it. Hey, God, can you redeem this? And y'all, by God's grace, and I'm a I'm a I'm a work in progress just like everybody else, but by God's grace, I'm praying for redeemed stubbornness, that I'm just not gonna listen to people when they tell me stuff can't be done. [00:41:33] (43 seconds)  #SeeWithGodsEyes