1310. Are You Available? Part 2

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. His intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything so he established daily chapel services. Today, that tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University Chapel platform. Today, on The Daily Platform, we're continuing a message from evangelist Aaron Coffey, which was preached at an evangelistic service at Bob Jones University.

Aaron graduated from BJU and traveled with the Steve Pettit evangelistic team in the early 2000s, and this was before Dr. Pettit became president of Bob Jones University. Today, Aaron leads his own evangelistic team that ministers to Christians all around the United States. Yesterday, we left off where Aaron was teaching about God's graciousness to us, even when we do not trust. I'm so thankful that God is long suffering like he was with Moses. I mean, God had every right to say, you know what, Moses, I've been wrestling here with you for a few minutes, and you know what, I've had enough.

You know, I'll find somebody else. Folks, that's not what God does. You know what God does? Listen to this.

It's so awesome. Moses is still struggling with this lack of authority. You know what God does over the next eight verses? You know this story?

It's awesome. What does God do? He says, Moses, would you take your hand and stick it inside your cloak? When he pulls it out, what was all over his hand? Leprosy all over his hand.

Horrible disease. Would have killed him, eventually. He said, Moses, take it, put it back inside your cloak. When he pulled it out, it was made whole. He says, Moses, take your rod, throw it on the ground. And what happens? It becomes a serpent. He takes it up again. He says, pick it up, and it becomes a rod once again. Folks, what does God do over the next eight verses in His kindness and His love? You know what He does? He gives to Moses His power.

Now, I want to talk to you for just a minute, OK? So, He's already given Moses His authority. He's already given Moses the promise of His presence. But here we find, and we know what God wrought in the land of Egypt through this man, Moses.

But here we find God giving to Moses His power. And I have a question for you tonight. Do you believe that you have God's power? Now, on one side, I mean, we're, you know, I'm a cessationist. I think sometimes we get a little weird when we start hearing the word power.

What do you mean? I got power. Do you believe that you have power? I want us to look in Acts chapter number one, another place where we find the Great Commission where God, where it's recorded by Dr. Luke that Christ ascends up into heaven. And what do we find there in Acts chapter number one, verse eight? Listen to what Jesus says before He ascends up.

This is another place we find what we call the Great Commission. Listen to what He says. He says, but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. What does He mean then when He says you'll receive power? He said, He just said that back in Matthew chapter number 28. He says, all power is given to me.

Now I'll send you to go. And that, as I mentioned a minute ago, that's the Greek word exousia. It's talking about authoritative power. This is a different word, power.

This is the Greek word dunamis. It's really a word where we get our idea of something that is dynamic. It's something that is powerful.

Really ultimately, when they were coming up back in the early, the early 1900s with explosive called dynamite, they actually took from this Greek word because it's the idea of an explosive power. Now I got to ask you this one more time, Christian. Do you believe that you have power because Jesus just said that once the Holy Ghost has come upon you, you're going to receive power. Now you say, what do you, what do you mean power? I mean, can I like make things shoot across the room? You know, teleport across campus.

That'd be nice, huh? What do you mean I got power? Power to make things levitate? Folks, what does it mean for a believer to have God's power in his life? You know what it means? It means the ability of God, the power of God to do what God calls us to do, even though you think you can't do it. Even though it's the ability to obey what everything about you doesn't even want to. It's the ability of God to say no to lust. It's the power of God to say no to anger. It's the power of God to say no to discontentment.

Do you believe you have it? I think there are so many Christians who live in defeated Christian lives and enslaved to sin who do not believe that they have the power of God in their life over sin through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Folks, God has given us His power over sin in this life. But Moses is still struggling. He's shown this lack of adequacy. He's shown this lack of authority. And in spite of all of God's promises that keep coming to him, he's still struggling. Look at the next verse, verse number, verse number 10 of Exodus chapter 4.

And listen to what it says. Next, Moses shows a lack of ability. He's shown a lack of adequacy, a lack of authority, but listen to what he says. And Moses said unto the Lord, oh my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore. I've always found that a little funny. Sounds pretty eloquent to me. I'm not eloquent, neither heretofore. Nor since thou has spoken unto thy servant, but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue. Now folks, I don't know what was going on with Moses. But here's what Moses, Moses has the audacity to say to God, God, I can't do this. And here's why.

I have something wrong with the way I am physically. And you know what? You don't find God, say, oh no, no, no, there's nothing wrong with you, Moses.

God doesn't say that. I don't, I don't know. Apparently he had something wrong with the way he talked. I don't know if he had, I don't know if he stuttered. I don't know if he had a speech impediment. I don't know if he was like from southern Egypt and he talked like I do.

You know, I don't really know. But the bottom line is listen, listen to what God says to him in the next verse, verse number 11. And what we find is God's showing him his plan for his own personal life, just the way he was made. And the Lord said unto him, who made man's mouth? Or who maketh the dumb or the deaf or the seeing or the blind? Have not I, the Lord, now go therefore and I will be with thy mouth? Folks, what does God say?

God doesn't say, oh, Moses, you're right. My bad. Yeah, man, what was that?

Yeah. Man, Moses, my bad, I blew it. When you were going through the assembly line of life and I was putting you together like, like Mr.

Potato Head, I blew it. I put the wrong tongue in your mouth. You're right, Moses. Now what does God say?

He says, Moses, let me tell you something. I made you. Let me tell you what else I make, Moses. I make blind people. Moses, I make deaf people. Moses, let me tell you what I don't make. Moses, I don't make mistakes. Moses, you are exactly who you're supposed to be. Exactly how you're supposed to be, according to my plan.

Now go. Do you know how many people sit on the sidelines of the Christian life and they blame it on something about them physically? So much comparison. How much comparison has gone on from the people in this room today between you and somebody else? Man, if I was like him, if I was like her, it'd be different.

Whether it's something physical, or maybe it's the way you're raised. You know how many people, if I, man, if I, if I didn't have all these things because of the way I was, what, folks, and we could go on and on and on. And I want you to know something. That when you, when God has a plan for you, and yeah, we mess up, people around us mess up, but nothing can thwart God's plans for you. And everything in your life has all fit together to have you, I mean all the way to the point where you're sitting right where you're sitting tonight. Folks, we have a sovereign God who's in control of all things and He's working all things together. For the good of His people. For the building of His church. And everything that happens in your life, I'm telling you, ultimately is according to plan. Moses though, is not done.

And one last final struggle. Moses has shown a lack of adequacy, lack of authority, lack of ability, but then finally, and you know this story, he ultimately shows a lack of availability. And Exodus chapter 4, 13, and he said, Moses said, oh my Lord, send I pray thee by the hand of Him whom thou wilt send. And I think here it's maybe a little confusing what it, of what he says. I'll tell you exactly what he says. He says, God, would you send somebody else?

I'm not available. And folks, I want you to know that God has been so patient, so long-suffering and forbearing with Moses. He's given him promise after promise after promise after promise. But look at the first phrase of verse number 14.

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. You see here, what are you telling me? That if I say no to God, He's going to get mad at me? Folks, I mean, I don't know where I could go in Scripture to show any better how long-suffering God is with us weak people.

He is so ready to come alongside and help us. He gives us promise after promise. The promise of His presence, the promise of His person, the promise of His plan, the promise of His power. But I think there comes a point where people, where people say, God, I don't care what You've given me.

I don't want to obey You. And this isn't a God who's quick-tempered. He has proven how slow to anger He is.

But I do think that God as a good, kind, loving Father comes to the point, can come to the point, many times does, where He says enough is enough. This is me with my little Joby. You saw the picture. Joby is, he is a, he's a, he's afraid of nothing. We want him to be a little bit, you know, just so he doesn't get hurt. When he was just a little guy, off he's going out into the middle of a parking lot at some, you know, at a church that we might be at.

I have people come and be like, hey, you know, your little two-year-old's out there in the parking lot running around with his older siblings who know to be careful. And I'm like, what? And you know, you run out and you get him and bring him in, hey little buddy, no, no, no.

You've got to stay right here. And I'd make him hold onto my pants. He had to hold onto my pants. And, but man, I'm talking, next thing I know, he's gone and, and, and he's right back out there again. You got to get him and like, no, a little more earnest, right? No. Folks, I got a question.

I mean, Joby just as, I mean, when you turn around, he's right back out there. Does there ever come a point where I bring a little bit of heat into his life? Yeah. Why?

Because I'm a meanie? No, it's because I got plans for him. And it really, you know, involves both of his legs working. And as a father who loves his son, I'm going to intervene. And folks, I'm telling you, God knows how to intervene.

And I want to, I want to, when you look at this idea of, of, of are you available? I really, you know, on one side, I want to, I want to, I want to bring the challenge in a couple different ways and, and we'll, and we'll be done here, but on, on one side, this is very specific for, for Moses. This is a vocational change.

I mean, Moses is a shepherd with sheep. And then all of a sudden God is calling him to be a leader of this huge, of this huge nation of people. So this is no doubt about a vocational change and it's a big deal.

And I think that I would love to, to, to, to, for just a second here, draw in that narrow of an application. Maybe you're here today and in the midst of trying to figure out what God wants you to do, there is a wrestling match going on. And you right now in your own heart, even as you think about what major you're in, you're wrestling through a lack of adequacy and a lack of authority and a lack of ability and a lack of ultimately, maybe you've landed on a lack of availability. And I do think that right now at such a crossroads, perhaps time in your life, maybe vocationally the question of am I really available is something you need to massively wrestle with. And I think you need to wrestle with it in light of the promises He's made. He's promised you His presence, His purposes, His person, His power. And maybe tonight you need to surrender. God's going to go with you.

You're just not sure you believe Him. And so maybe there needs to be that narrow of an application in some of your hearts and lives tonight. I like to broaden it out because I think I should. Folks, this idea of being available to God, it really touches every part of my life though, because these promises are the same for all of us.

Maybe you're vocationally headed just the direction that you know God wants you to go. But still, when it comes to being available, folks, this is every day of my life. Am I available to take a stand in the dorm room? Am I available to turn the TV off because it's just getting raunchy? Am I available to tell the truth even though there might be some consequences? Am I, am I available to get out of bed and spend time with God in the morning? I mean, when you start thinking that phrase, am I available? Folks, I mean, I got saved.

OK. I got saved when I was 21. I told you a little bit of it last night. I was going to Greville Tech, 21 years old, I get saved. And folks, I was so overwhelmed with God's mercy and His grace that He would save a sinner like me, it just blew my mind.

I couldn't believe it. That God would save a sinner like me? And I mean, I'm just, I'm, I am absolutely, I have such an appetite for the Bible, for the, for the, an understanding of the Gospel and what had happened to me.

And I, I was so all in. I mean, it's like I invited God into my life and into my everything. It's like God, here I am. Especially that's what I felt like.

I didn't really understand, I didn't really understand then with what power He moved in. From my perspective, it was just like I let Him in, but that's just because I didn't quite understand yet. But I, I mean, it's like God, here I am. Here I am, you can have every part of me. You, you can have every — here I am, here's my — I mean, it's like, it's like my life was a house. God, come on in, here's the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, the hallway, master bedroom, I'm all yours God.

I'm in it, I'm in it. He had every part of me. You know, after a few months of being saved, you kind of come off cloud nine and I came back down to the real world and the ups and downs of the Christian life. And you know what God started doing? It's, I mean, and He's been doing it ever since. He walks up to these little, these little closets in my house, in my heart. And it's like He knocks on these little, these little areas in my life.

He does it, I'm telling you, He does it all the time. It's kind of like He says, hey Aaron, so what's, what's, what's in this little secret compartment of your heart? This little closet of your house, do I have this too? And He's constantly showing me little areas that you know what, I've just not wanted to give to Him. And some of it I don't even realize as I'm going through life that this has become such an idol to me. And He constantly, sometimes it's things that I've given to Him in the past and then, you know, I've taken them back and it's just amazing how God is constantly at work showing me areas of my life that need to change, that I need to give to Him, that I need to surrender. Folks, it is forever in front of me. Am I available?

Are you available? And, and, you know, it's just so funny, my, my son Joby, I actually have a story very similar to this with, with Liam, my eight year old and then with Joby, with Joby it was much more recent but, you know Joby, he's so funny, he, I come into his bedroom one day and he, and he's been over and right as I walk in the bedroom, he's picked something up and he puts it behind his back. And I said hey buddy, whatcha got? And, and he's, and he just kind of takes a step back.

I said hey dude, whatcha got man, give it to daddy. And he takes a step back and I'm like come on dude, what is it? You know, I don't even really care but he's challenging me here so I'm like come on, hey buddy, right now. And he's back up against the corner, I mean I literally am pulling his hand out, I am un-, I'm, I'm, I'm peeling fingers off of a squished ant.

You know, that probably wasn't squished ten seconds ago. And you're just kind of like, can I tell you something? Did you know that I'm about that stupid? Spiritually the things that I think I got to have. And I don't know how many times God in his goodness, I'm telling you in his goodness, I sometimes, it's like he, he's like has to peel my fingers off of some stupid idol that I think I got to have. And you know what, I mean, then here's me, it's like by the time I finally let go, by the time I turn around, I, sometimes, I've already started to construct another idol. You know, John Calvin said that the human heart is a factory of idols.

And you know what that means? That means that this isn't some one-time decision, ooh, I want to, I want to surrender to God, then I'll never struggle again. Ooh, I remember the day that I made myself available to God. Now I do think we have big moments in life, there's no doubt about that, but you want to know how often I have to come to God saying, God, you've got to have all of me and I need you to help me surrender.

It's got to happen every day of my life. Folks, again, tomorrow morning Aaron Coffey's got to come saying, God, here I am. This is a daily dying to myself, making sure that God's where He's supposed to be, at the center of my life. Folks, we are such foolish people who think we know what's best for us. God has better plans. We have to be people who live life available.

Are you available to God in every area of your life? You know, speaking of an ant, I heard a pretty funny fact about ants. Did you know that ants have overwhelming vision when it comes to the ability to see itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, little bitty microscopic things? Ants have vision that is beyond ours. They can see incredibly for two inches.

Beyond that, they can't see anything. Folks, that's how we are. We get so wrapped up in this temporal life. And folks, we need God to help us see who He is and what He's doing and how He's called us to be a part of it. Are you living your life available to God in the big picture of your life, in the little bitty moments of your life?

You know, I was actually just doing a Bible study with my team this morning. We're reading a book together, How Do People Change, by Paul Tripp. And even in that book, he was talking about the little moments of life. There's these big moments.

You have a few big moments in life, but your life is made up of all these little moments. And folks, we've got to be available to God in all of it. He's given us everything we need that pertains to life and godliness. We've got to trust Him. And what this really comes down to is are we going to obey Him?

I mean, the Christian life really just comes down on a daily basis. Am I going to trust and obey? Am I going to trust and obey?

May God help us. You know, I don't know the need of your heart. I don't know what God is doing in your heart. I don't know how you need this message tonight.

I was thinking about just college students and where you are, where I was when I sat where you sit. I needed to believe God's promises to me. I needed to believe that He was for me and given me everything that I needed to live this life in obedience to Him. Folks, He has through His Son, Jesus Christ.

We have everything that we need. May we submit to Him. May we live lives of obedience to Him. You've been listening to part two of a sermon from Aaron Coffey, an American evangelist, which was preached at Bob Jones University. You can learn more about Aaron and his team at his website, coffeministries.org.

That's coffeministries.org. I'd like to thank you for listening to The Daily Platform. I hope that you've enjoyed it. I hope it's been a blessing and an encouragement to you.

We are living in very unusual times. This is just such a crucial time for all of us as believers to walk closely with the Lord. I hope you'll take the opportunity to follow us up on these other things that we have at bju.edu and find out what it is that God is doing in through the ministry of Bob Jones University with our 2500 students who are coming here to get a biblical worldview and see life from God's lenses and then go out with an accredited first class education and go out into the world and make an impact for Jesus Christ in the workplace as they go out and serve in local churches, not only here in the United States, but our students are globally in demand Christ centered servants who are trying to serve the Lord throughout the world for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So thank you again for listening. Encourage your friends to listen and to be nourished and strengthened through God's word. God bless you. We hope you'll join us again next week as we study God's word together on The Daily Platform.