Faith,
Have you had any “lost years”? Vincent Van Gogh, before becoming a painter, spent most of his 20s drifting between jobs as a teacher, missionary, and art dealer. This is often called his “lost decade.” John Lennon’s “lost weekend” was actually 18 months of separation from his wife, filled with adultery and drunkenness. While a creative time, it was a time of alienation. Many Christians are unaware that the Apostle Paul also had what scholars call “lost years.” After his conversion to Christ (around A.D. 33–36) and the beginning of his first missionary journey (around A.D. 46–48), the New Testament is pretty silent about what Paul did for 10-14 years. Clearly, the Lord was preparing him for ministry, but what happened during those years of silence?
This Sunday at Faith, we’re going to explore Moses’ “lost years.” He wasn’t necessarily lost. Exodus 2 is pretty specific as to where he was, but he hadn’t yet fulfilled his ultimate vocation. He was in hiding, hundreds of miles from Egypt, with a death warrant on his head from Pharaoh. How long did this go on? 40 years! For 40 years, the great deliverer of the Hebrew children worked as a shepherd, pushing sheep around the desert. My guess is that Moses became pretty comfortable as a shepherd. But then, on one ordinary workday, the great, good Shepherd set a bush ablaze to capture his attention: “Go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10).
Isn’t it good news to know that God always uses our desert wanderings, our lost-ness, to prepare us for His great next? And while the desert is always a mix of fear, hiding, and wandering, there’s nothing better than receiving a true, God-ordained direction from the One who never lost us in the first place.
We will have a very nutritious worship experience this Sunday! God will be there, and He knows our faith needs a Shepherd to make His-story.
In Christ alone,
Pastor Brad
***Here are this week’s message notes. Click here.
And here are some deeper dive videos relevant to the journey:
Faith Makes History Capital Campaign
God’s Name YHWH (4:00)
What makes God holy? (6:35)
Who was Moses’ wife? (4:22)