Prepared in Secret | Bryson Koch | Full Service

Well, what's up Southeast family? We are  continuing on our summers and continuing   camp and this week we are at middle school camp.  Uh if we've never met before, my name is Derek   and this is Tanya who is in our student ministry  team at the Indiana campus. And so Tanya, tell   us a little bit about what's the theme of camp  this week. What are our students learning? Yeah,   so we partner with CIY and our theme is kingdom  worker. And so we did a musical theme this year.   And so what that means is God has a rhythm and  he wants us to be a part of that rhythm. Love   that. And so I know that God is always on the  move in our lives, but especially during these   set apart moments at camp. [music] Do you guys  have a story of how God is moving in one of our   students this week at middle school camp? Yeah.  Um there is an incoming seventh grade gal at one   of our schools and she attends um she just has  a home life that's pretty rough. um and um just   walks through certain circumstances that we um  our hearts are burdened for her. Um and so last   night she had a moment with the Lord um to where  she was just very overwhelmed and recognizing the   sin that exists inside of her um and just how much  she needed a savior and was able to be received by   another student in our small group. and leading  up to camp, these two gals did not interact. Um,   and so it was a sweet unifying moment um,  [music] for us to witness that and for them to be   together. That is so cool. I love that. And I know  you had mentioned the theme being kingdom workers,  

right? Is that And so what are some specific  things that uh, we're hoping that our middle   schoolers take away? Yeah. [music] And so, um,  I think one of the things is if we're going to   identify the name of kingdom workers, what that  means is before we think about what we're going to   do externally, we have to start internally looking  ourselves and see, okay, who are we and who's are   we before we can think of the external side. That  is so good. And so, as camp continues and I know   that conversations that are being had here, we're  hoping and praying that they [music] continue uh   throughout camp, but not only through the rest of  the year. And so for our online family who maybe   couldn't be a leader at camp this year, be here.  How can we be praying for these students? Whether   it be the next week or so of camp or throughout  the rest of the year. Yeah, that's so good,   [music] Derek. Um I really think we know prayer  is a strategy for [music] the students um that we   really want to reach in our community and in the  schools around us. And so what that looks like   is we need to be praying specifically that they  would be reminded of what they're learning, but   that it's not just up here, but it connects into  their heart. Um, and for them to walk away and   want to be in that community back with us in MSM.  That is so good. [music] And so online family,   would you join us as a church in praying for these  students that Tanya, her team, and all the rest of   our campuses are praying [music] for as they're at  camp this week and throughout the rest of the year   as we continue to pray just for God to use the  next generation of our [music] church. Yeah. Well,  

it's always so awesome to get a look in at  all of our camps. It's a really big part of   what we [music] do here at Southeast. We've had  camps all throughout the summer. We got one more   coming up this next week. But guys, we are so glad  that you are here worshiping with us today online.   Welcome to Southeast. My name is Sarah. I'm part  of our [music] Essie online team and this is my   friend Josh. He works here at our maker campus  as part of our connections team. Yeah, part of   the heart of our church is to connect people  to Jesus and one another. And we want to help   you get connected. So whether you have a prayer  request, looking to join a group serving team,   become a member, I don't know what it is, but  we want to help you get connected to the life of   our church. If that's you, you can text the word  connect to 733733. You can also drop something in   the chat below. We'd love to get to know you and  give you opportunities to dive into the heart of   our church. Yeah, absolutely. You know, one of  the visions of our church, Josh, is to unleash   the full force of our church to love people one  at a time. And so, we have a really special serve   opportunity coming up in September. And we're  calling it the full force food pack. And so the   goal in September over these couple of days is to  pack 2 million meals to be distributed not only   locally to a lot of organizations that our church  is a partner of, but also globally to so many   different people across the world. And it's such a  cool opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus   in a really literal way, being able to pack all  of these meals. And the coolest thing about it,   Josh, there's no minimum age required for this.  So you can bring your entire family, your friends,   co-workers, even your small group can all be a  part of this. And so if you want more information,   text the word full force to 733733. Yeah, it  truly is just a great way to begin serving. We  

would invite each and every one of you to join  us for that. Another way that you can just get   involved more is through groups. We believe that  disciplehip happens in groups. Again, we want to   connect people to Jesus and one another cuz we  understand the importance of walking through   life with Christian brothers and sisters. So if  you're interested in finding a group this fall,   you can text the word groups to 733733. We'd be  happy to find a place uh to connect you where you   can grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord  and with others. Yeah, we love groups around here.   But Josh, I want to just say uh we don't normally  have giant popcorn buckets and cups of soda behind   us in the atrium. It is the start of our at the  movies series at our in-person campuses. But   online family, we have something really special  for you. So, we are starting a new sermon series   today called the unexpected leader. And so, we  just wrapped up the book of Genesis last week.   So today we're starting the book of Exodus, just  going to that next book of the Bible. And so we   have Bryson Cook, who is the Franklin campus  pastor, talking through the life of Moses. And   so we're going to be talking about Exodus 1 and 2  today, specifically about how the Lord prepares us   in seasons where we feel like nothing's happening  sometimes because, you know, in our lives,   whether it be, you know, a job change or praying  through hard relationships or family situations,   sometimes it feels like where is God? Where is  he in the midst of all of this? But Bryson's   going to talk about how God's there the whole  time and preparing us behind the scenes. Yeah,   I can't wait to hear what Bryson's going to say.  Because Bryson's preaching, our Franklin Online   family might be joining us this morning. We are  so glad that you're here. Thank you uh for being   willing to jump on to worship with us. Now, for  all of us, let's jump in and worship together.

[music] Sometimes you got to taste through the darkness.  Sing through the fire. Praise when it don't make   sense. [music] Sometimes you got to stare down  the giant. Worship from the lion's d. [music] Sometimes you got to shout it from the mountain.  Louder in the valley, trusting that he's going   to get you there. Sometimes [music] you got to  welcome the wonder. Wait for the [music] answer.   Worship with your hands in the air. I'll praise  you anywhere. I praise praise. [music] Give him   praise in the highest. Praise praise. Give  praise in the highest. He is [music] worthy. is worthy of all of [music] the praise.

Sometimes you got to praise in [music] the  prison and cry out to heaven and shout till   the door wide. Sometimes [music] you got to stand  on your shackles. Pray in the [music] battle.   Worship with your hands high. I'll praise  [music] you anywhere. I'll praise your praise.   Your praise in the highest praise. Your  praise. Your praise [music] in the highest worthy. [music] He is worthy of all  [music] the praise. Your praise in   the highest praise. [music] Your  praise. Your praise in the highest. worthy [music] is worthy of all of the praise.  Yes, [music] he's worthy of it all.

Faithful all my life. Blessings day and  [music] night. Countless reasons why I'll   praise you everywhere. Every [music]  promise kept goodness every step each   and every mile. I'll [music] praise  you anywhere. Faithful all my life. I'll praise you anywhere. Every  [music] proise goodness every step   and everywhere. I'll praise  [music] you anywhere. Praise [music] God. Your praise [music] in the highest [music] worthy worthy of all your praise.  [music] Your praise. Your   praise. The highest praise. [music]  Your praise. in the highest [music] worthy [music] of the praise

[music] worthy All of the [music] [music] Is anyone grateful to be in the house  of God together this morning? This is a song of   gratitude about who he is and what he's  done. Let's sing it together. [music]   There was no way until you made one. And  grace upon [music] grace. Hallelujah. Even though I don't [music] deserve it,  you did it. Even though I couldn't earn it,   you give it. We say, [music] "Oh, who am I  that you keep [music] me on your mind?" God,   just grateful for you. [music] I'm just  grateful for you. And all my life you   been right here [music] by my side. I'm just  grateful for you. I'm just grateful for you.

and holy holy one. [music] I give you glory for  only you. [music] Even though I don't deserve it,   you [music] did it. Yes, you did.  Even though you [music] can't [music] keep me on your mindful [music]  for you. I'm so grateful for you. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. Heat.

[music] I'm just grateful. [music] Oh yeah. You [music] never left my side. And [music] I'm lifting both of my hands cuz you gave me  [music] chance after chance after chance. [music] But I'm giving [music] you after [music] I'm gful. [music] [music] [music] Really grateful. Yeah. [music]  You right here by my side. for you.

[music] Who am I? [music] Heat. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] I'm just grateful for you. [music]  I'm all right. If they say I'm my God,   I'm just grateful for you.  I'm just grateful for you.

[music] magnify the name we [music] worship. All my words are sure [music] I got nothing new. How could I [music] express all my gratitude? I could [music] sing these songs as I often  [music] do, but every song must [music] stand   and you never do. We sing together today. So  [music] I'll throw up my hands and praise you   again and again [music] cuz all that I have  is [singing] love. [music] We worship you.

I know it's [music] not much.   I'm nothing else fit for a king except  for a heart singing [music] hallelujah. Hallelujah. [music] I've got one response. I've got just one move. [music] With  my arms stretched wide, [singing] I will [music] worship you. Yes. So I can  go my [music] praise you again and again.   All in [music and singing]  our heart is a hallelujah. Hallelujah. [music and singing] I know it's not much. [music] I know this is for I  [singing] know [music] it's still for a heartlue.

[music] [singing] Hallelujah. [music] You're the author, [music] the  perfector, my provider, and my defender. So [music] come on my soul. Oh, don't  you get shy [singing] on me. Lift of   your soul. [music] You've got a lion inside of  those lungs. [music] Get up and praise the Lord.   Let the people say yes. [music] Come on my soul.  Hold on. Shine on me. Lift up your soul. You got   a [music] light inside. Get up and praise [music]  the Lord. [singing] Heat. Heat. Heat. [music]

Yeah. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Heat. [music] Heat. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Nothing [music] except Heat. Heat. Heat. [singing] [music] We say hallelujah. [music and singing] [singing] [music] [music] Hallelujah. [music] Hey, all creation se [music] [music] all the [music] earth will shout your praise. Our  hearts will cry. These bones will sing. [music] [music] All the earth will shout your [singing] praise.   Our hearts will cry. [music]  These bones will say great.

[music] Our hearts will cry. [music] Will [music] It's your [music] So we pour out our praise. Pour  out [music] our praise. It's your So [music] we pour out our praise to you. [music] So we pour out [music] before you know we [music] [music] are great. [music] How great are you?

[music] Are you [music] worship, God? You are worthy to be praised, Lord.  [music] We magnify your name today, God,   with whatever we've brought in here today, Lord.  Whatever we're walking through, God, we lay it   at your [music] feet today, Lord. Maybe we're  standing here and we don't know the power that   is your name, God. the love that it provides, the  peace that it provides. Lord, if that's any one   of us here today, God, I pray that we leave here  forever changed [music] today, Lord, in the name   of Jesus. Amen. Lord, and everybody said, "Amen."  Amen. Church, we've got an exciting day ahead. Hey   there, I'm Bryson Cook and I am the Franklin  campus pastor. It is so great to be here with   you all uh this morning. You know, if there's one  thing that I know about us as humanity, it's that   something stirs within us. When we hear a good  story, especially the story of an unlikely hero,   like someone rising out of obscurity to save the  world or overcome evil or make an impact that they   never could have dreamed of. You know, it's the  picture of an ordinary teenage girl from District   12 who's just trying to protect her sister and all  of a sudden she's a symbol of hope for thousands.   Or or it's a frustrated farm boy staring into the  desert sunset wondering if there was just more to   life than this and all of a sudden he grows up  to be a Jedi master. Or or it's a simple hobbit  

living a quiet life that goes on to liberate an  entire realm from the clutches of evil. You know,   all of these stories, as different as they are,  they paint a picture of the same kind of person.   Uh someone who could have never imagined  the impact that they would one day have.   Someone who couldn't see the full story when  it began. Someone who didn't know how their   ordinary lives would become part of something much  bigger than themselves. Yeah. And for many of us,   I truly believe this. Like we want these stories  to be our stories because deep down we all want   to know that our lives matter. That God can use us  to impact and change the lives of those around us.   That our ordinary lives are are part of something  much bigger than ourselves. And yet, if we're   being honest, most of us, I think, struggle to  believe that. I've seen it in my own life. Like,   we believe that God uses people. Yeah. But we're  just not convinced he wants to use us. We look at   our lives and see our ordinary routines and jobs  and responsibilities and struggles. And it's easy   to think that real significance and impact belong  to someone else. uh the heroes of other stories   like surely those that seem more gifted or more  qualified or more spiritual than us. But we open   up to the book of Exodus like this incredible  story of God delivering his people from slavery   through the leadership of a man named Moses.  It's a book full of burning bushes and miracles  

and split seas. And and yet before there's ever a  bush on fire or before the sea itself is ripped in   half, before Moses becomes one of the greatest  leaders in all of scripture, there's simply a   little baby in a basket. Because here's the thing.  One of the great themes of scripture is that   God loves to raise up the unexpected leader. The  ordinary person, the seemingly unlikely people the   world looks over, the the people who don't yet see  what he sees or know what he's doing. Like that's   who he changes the world through. And so over  the next four weeks, we're going to be working   through the book of Exodus in a series that we're  calling the unexpected leader, exploring how God   uses ordinary people and ordinary places to make  an extraordinary difference for his kingdom. Now,   if you were to walk into a bookstore and  browse through the section titled leadership,   you'll find a thousand different definitions  of what a leader is. But through a gospel lens,   quite simply, leadership is not about position or  platform or qualifications or being upto-date on   the latest trends. Leadership is is really all  about influence. Like to lead is to influence,   to inspire, to point others towards a a vision  or a goal or a way of life, whether you know   you're consciously actively doing it or not. And  for followers of Jesus, that looks like leading   people towards relationship and life with him,  which this is what this means. Leadership isn't  

reserved for the few people with the right title  or the biggest stage. Like, it's a call on every   one of us. And it branches into every sphere of  influence that God places you in. Like whether   you recognize it or not, you're leading and  how you're shaping the emotional and spiritual   atmosphere of your home for your spouse and your  kids or or the decisions that you make influence   the culture every day in your workplace or or how  you're helping your friends believe and value and   pursue different things like that's leadership.  Listen, the question that we want to hone in on   in this series isn't am I a leader? The question  is, hey, what kind of leader am I? Because your   life is always leading and pointing somewhere. And  the people most influenced by your life, like your   kids, your spouse, your friends, like they're  watching and they're following your leading,   even when you don't realize it. And the greatest  truth ultimately behind your leadership and   influence is that God is always moving and working  as the ultimate leader in whose image you're made,   forming you more and more into the leader that  you were made to be. And the book of Exodus   opens showing us that reality that before Moses  ever has a title, before he ever speaks a word,   before anyone else sees God working through him,  God is already shaping people and circumstances   that are pointing his life towards something long  before he'll ever see it. You know, in this first   week, what we're going to see is God is constantly  working behind the scenes preparing his unexpected  

leader for unexpected things and how he might  be moving and preparing you. If you've been with   us this year as we've studied through the book  of Genesis, you'll remember how it ends. God's   working powerfully through a man named Joseph to  save his family, to bring them into a place of   stability in Egypt. And then you turn the page to  Exodus and right away the story shifts. Goes like   this. Eventually, a new king came to power in  Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he   had done. Joseph's forgotten. History's ignored.  A new Pharaoh rises to power. It feels threatened   by the growing population of Israelites. And  immediately things go dark for God's people.   Look, the the people of Israel now outnumber  us and are stronger than we are. We must make   a plan to keep them from growing even more.  Maybe your translation might say that Pharaoh   wanted to deal shrewdly with Israel. And if  you've been tracking the language of Genesis,   like that should stop you for a second because all  the way back in Genesis 3, the serpent who tempted   Adam and Eve in the garden is described with that  same language of shrewd and crafty. You know,   like the the cobra symbol that often adorned  the headdresses of Egyptian kings. Like Pharaoh   here in Genesis 1 sounds less like a king and  more like the serpent from the garden targeting   God's people. He steps into the same pattern from  Genesis 4. Just like Cain allowed insecurity to  

turn into violence when his brother's blessing  felt like a threat. Like Pharaoh responds   to Israel's blessing and growth with fear. And  unchecked fear quickly becomes oppression. and the   blessing of others turns into personal insecurity.  It goes this way. So the Egyptians made the   Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal  slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them   down with crushing labor and worked the people  of Israel without mercy, forcing them to mix   mortar and make bricks and do all of the work in  the fields. They were ruthless in their demands.   We're keeping the Genesis themes going because if  some words sound familiar there, the only other   time that bricks and mortar have appeared in the  Bible up to this point was all the way back in   Genesis 11 with the building of Babylon in the  Tower of Babel. The picture of humanity building   a monument to their own power in defiance of  God. The picture that Exodus 1 is so clearly   demonstrating about Egypt is this, that with their  snake- like king of violence, they're operating   like another Babylon. Like this is arguably the  most bleak moment for God's people up to this   point in the story outside of Genesis 3 itself.  And and yet look at this one line that refuses   to let the darkness have the final word in this  moment. But the more the Egyptians oppressed them,   the more the Israelites multiplied and spread. The  more that Pharaoh builds oppression, God is behind   the scenes building his people and his unexpected  leader. You know, most of us don't feel like we're  

probably in the midst of like a dramatic story  of impact and differencem right now with God   preparing or positioning you and leadership and  influence. Like if we're being really honest, most   of us just feel like we're probably making bricks.  You show up to the job and it feels repetitive and   draining or or you come home and you're exhausted  and you wonder if anything that you do matters.   You you pray for your marriage but nothing seems  to shift. you you watch your child make choices   that you know will bring pain and all it seems  like you can do is pray. Listen, if you're being   really honest, maybe you've started to ask these  types of questions of God, where are you? I if   you're working, if you're really behind the scenes  and all this, like why? Why can't I see it? And my   prayer is this, that if you find yourself there,  listen, Exodus 1 tells you another story. Silence   does not mean God is absent. that what looks like  delay might actually be God moving and preparing   in ways that you can't yet see or wouldn't expect.  Like Israel looks hopeless in chapter 1. Pharaoh   seems to be winning. And yet it's clear that God  is orchestrating things behind the scenes, moving   his people towards something that they can't yet  envision or imagine. Like the the invitation to   prayer in this season isn't God show me the road  mapap give me all the answers but instead God give   me the power to just trust that you are working  even now even if I can't see it your life listen  

is always leading and pointing somewhere even when  you cannot yet see the direction because God moves   and is active even when we can't see it. Well,  Pharaoh realizes that crushing labor alone isn't   slowing the growth of the Israelites. And so, he  begins to escalate things even more. Then, Pharaoh   gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiffra  and Pua. Hey, when you help the Hebrew women as   they give birth, what I want you to do is watch  as they deliver. And if the baby is a boy, kill   them. And if it's a girl, let her live. You know,  Pharaoh's plan is this. Let's eliminate the next   generation of Israelite men before they can become  any kind of military threat. But ironically,   while Pharaoh's worried about the men, he should  have been paying closer attention to the ladies.   But because the midwives feared God, they refused  to obey the king's orders. They allowed the boys   to live. And so the king of Egypt called for the  midwives, "Hey, why have you done this? Why have   you allowed the boys to live? Hebrew women are  not like Egyptian women." The midwives replied,   "They're more vigorous and they have their babies  so quickly that we cannot get there in time." So   listen, God was good to the midwives and the  Israelites continued to multiply, growing more   and more powerful. There's a beautiful inversion  happening here that often we miss. You know,   back in Genesis 3, we're given the picture of a  woman who listens to the voice of the serpent and   turned away from God. it here. These two women  hear the voice of the serpent-like king and they  

refuse to listen. They stay faithful. They choose  to trust God over Pharaoh. And there's even this   detail that I don't want us to miss. Shiffra  and Pua, these two simple ordinary midwives,   they are named and remembered in scripture all  throughout history. But yet the most powerful king   in the world at the time like he goes unnamed  through this entire book like where the world   remembers and honors power and status like God  values and honors faithful obedience and God's   kingdom true leadership and lasting impact. It's  it's never ultimately about platform or position.   I it's about faithfulness in the ordinary moments.  It's trusting God even when no one important is   watching. Like God quietly moves through exactly  that kind of ordinary faithful obedience. Like   that's ultimately the upside down nature of  leadership in God's kingdom. Like it it doesn't   always look like the the visibility or or the  recognition. It's it's not even always knowing the   long-term impact that you're making. It's a simple  picture of always doing the next right thing of   what he asks. You know, to illustrate this, if you  were to take a moment and think about the people   who have most shaped or impacted your life, like  your mind probably doesn't go to the celebrity or   the Instagram influencer or the politician as the  leaders that you've looked to. Like, who comes to   mind, I'm I'm sure, is a parent or a teacher or  a coach or a grandparent or a friend. the person  

who like consistently showed up in the ordinary  moments, the person who believed in you, the the   person whose life was pointing somewhere worth  following. Like the most powerful leadership,   don't miss this, that you may do [clears throat]  may never happen on a stage full of applause or in   front of a camera with an ever growing Instagram  following, but instead it may happen in the moment   that you refuse to join the gossip at work, or  when you choose patience when you're exhausted,   or when you apologize when your pride just wanted  to justify, or when you let your kids watch you   choose forgiveness instead of bitterness. or or  maybe when you stay faithful, when compromise   feels so much easier. You might think, listen,  that no one notices those moments, but I promise   you the people closest to you do. And ultimately,  heaven does. Like your life is always leading and   pointing somewhere, especially in the ordinary  faithfulness because God moves by using ordinary   people to advance his purposes. As we continue  in the story, Pharaoh isn't dying. Midwives have   outmaneuvered him and so he once again escalates  things. This time to a horrifying degree. He   doesn't whisper an order to a couple women in a  back room. He goes public to all of Egypt. Hey,   every Israelite baby boy is to be thrown into  the Nile River, drowned. No exceptions. Like,   this is the darkest the story has gotten to  this point. God's people are enslaved. after  

their children are being killed. And yet, right  into the middle of the darkness, as God has been   moving and working through ordinary faithfulness  and obedience, a baby is born. About this time,   uh, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got  married. The woman became pregnant and gave   birth to a son. Notice how the text sets this up.  There's no fanfare. There's no announcement or or   baby shower full of gifts. just a baby boy born in  secret into the most dangerous moment imaginable   for any Israelite family. And yet, watch how the  text does introduce this baby. He was a a special   baby. Words that I'm sure you've heard from every  parent, but the Hebrew word there in particular   is the word tove. It's the word good. The same  word that God speaks over and over in Genesis 1   as he looks at creation. Don't miss this. Moses  is introduced as a continuation of God's good   unfolding story. Like Pharaoh may be trying all  his might to erase things, but God's story is   still being written. And so Moses's mom kept him  hidden for three months. And just for a minute,   even as God is working behind the scenes and  working through the faithful obedience of ordinary   people, I want you to think about the reality  of what those three months would have brought.   that every cry would have created a sense of  panic, that every knock at the door raised fear,   that every day carried real life or death risk.  And eventually, the baby that she's held and fed  

and prayed over and sung to in secret has grown  too big to hide any longer. And his mother is led   to a moment where faith means releasing what she  cannot control any longer into the hands of the   God that she trusts. And so she got a basket made  of papyrus reads and waterproofed it with tar and   pitch. And she put the baby in the basket and  laid it among the reeds along the bank of the   Nile River. There's a detail here worth pausing  on. [clears throat] The word used here for basket.   It's not the ordinary Hebrew word for basket.  It's only used twice really in all of scripture.   And so to nerd out with us, listen, the only other  time that this very word is used is the same word   to describe Noah's ark. Both are even waterproofed  the same way if you were to flip back to Genesis   6 with tar and pitch. God once preserved Noah  through the waters in an ark. And now he preserves   Moses through the waters that were supposed to be  his death, but he's preserving Moses now in his   own little ark. And God is carrying out another  story of deliverance in the midst of chaos. As we   read on, Moses is found in his basket by none  other than guess who? The daughter of Pharaoh   himself. The very man trying to kill him. And he's  taken in by her and raised right under Pharaoh's   nose in his own palace. You might wonder,  how did she pull that off? Well, in in fact,   the name that Pharaoh's daughter gives him, Moses,  could really be another act of God's deliverance  

in this moment. Like in Hebrew, that name means to  to draw out. A picture of her pulling him out of   the Nile River. And one day, if you think about it  so beautifully, like he would be a part of drawing   God's people out of Egypt. But in Egyptian,  Moses also had a meaning as a name. meant son   of with no father identified. It's almost as if  Moses's name allowed him to live in obscurity in   the palace like belonging to both worlds, learning  Egyptian language and customs and power structures   right under Pharaoh's nose that God would use  in ways that no one could have planned. Guys,   only God can work like this. like working behind  the scenes and through ordinary faithfulness while   also positioning us perfectly in places and  environments like a a basket in the river or   the palace of the enemy in environments that will  prepare us for a calling and an influence that he   has for us and our families or our schools or  our workplaces or or even our church. uh even   even taking destruction and pain in our lives  and somehow bringing out life from it. Many of us   maybe can recognize that pattern in our own lives.  Like it's the the job you thought that was just   a paycheck where actually you learned how to lead  and develop people or it's the disappointment that   you never asked for that taught you compassion.  Or it's the season that you begged God to remove  

that developed a strength and a dependency on him  that you didn't know you needed and allowed you   to share with others what he's given you. Guys,  God wastes nothing. He wastes neither pain nor   waiting nor disappointment. He often uses the very  thing that we understand the least in our lives to   prepare us for what he intends to do through us.  And before God does something through a leader,   he almost always positions them perfectly to  do something in that leader for their calling.   Like your life, Southeast is always leading  and pointing somewhere like especially in the   places that God currently has you planted because  God moves by positioning us perfectly before he   calls us. Katniss Everdine, Luke Skywalker, Froto  Baggins. Here's what's true about every single one   of those stories. The the leader never saw it  coming in terms of how their lives would play   out and ultimately the the leader that they would  become. That their stories, if you think about it,   they didn't begin with a dramatic announcement  or a commissioning ceremony. They began in an   ordinary place with ordinary lives and ordinary  problems with preparation they could not see.   And in the same way, Exodus 1 and two begin and  end rather quietly. Hey, there's no burning bush.   There's no plagues. There's no sea splitting  open yet. Just a baby in a basket floating in a   river and being brought into Pharaoh's palace. But  behind it all, God was working even when it didn't  

seem like it. and working through the courage of  two women most people would have never noticed.   And through a faithful mother along the banks  of the Nile and a household of the enemy king,   like quietly positioning his unexpected leader  for something no one could have scripted. And   honestly, like that's the story he may be  writing in your life right now. Like some   of us are waiting for the moment when everything  seems to finally make sense. like when our lives   finally feel like we've reached that place of  impactful mattering and influence and service for   the kingdom. Like, hey, once I get the promotion  or or once the kids are old enough and I have   more time or or once life settles down, like then  I'll really know what God has for me and be ready   to step out boldly. But guys, listen, God was  already active, already using ordinary people and   already positioning Moses long before Moses could  possibly have any idea. And God is active even   when you can't see it. And he uses those ordinary  people, people just like you, to lead and advance   his purposes through faithfulness. And he may  just be positioning you right now in this season,   in these circumstances for something only he can  see where you will influence and inspire and point   others around you in your spheres of life to Jesus  in ways that you don't realize even the impact of.   Listen, your life southeast is already leading and  pointing somewhere right now. Like in this season,   in this job, these family dynamics, this  neighborhood, this marriage, every choice,  

every conversation, every decision, everything  you intentionally and unintentionally modeled to   those around you. And in this season of waiting  or exhaustion or clinging to faithfulness, your   life is already leading and pointing somewhere.  And he may be using this very season to shape   the kind of influence that one day, uniquely  through you, points others towards Jesus in   some of the simplest yet powerful ways that you  can't begin to imagine. The question is never,   hey, am I a leader? The question is, what kind of  leader am I? Or rather, what kind of leader may   God be forming me more and more into? Let's  pray. God, we thank you. We thank you that   you are the ultimate leader who works behind the  scenes, who works through ordinary faithfulness,   who positions us in perfect [music] places to be  formed and shaped more and more into the leaders   that you have called us to be [music] and made  us to be. And so, Father, we thank you for the   words of of Exodus today, of [music] the story  of the Israelites in Egypt and Moses as a baby.   We pray that these would [music] be truths that  we cling to, that we hold on to and have eyes   open to the ways that you may be moving even when  [music] we can't see it, even when we least expect   it. Help us to have eyes to see the world around  [music] us. That we are all leaders and that we  

through the power [music] of your spirit have the  ability to step into places and spaces and make an   impact for the kingdom even now. Father, we love  you. It's in the name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. Well, church family, as we begin this series on  Moses, aren't you glad that we serve the greatest   leader of all, our [music] Lord himself. Jesus,  the good shepherd, came into this world and laid   down his life for his sheep. And he did this  because he loves us. Romans 5:8 reminds us that   God demonstrated his own love for us in this that  while we were still sinners, [music] Christ died   for us. So, as we enter into a time of communion  online together, I [music] want us to dwell on   that truth that God demonstrated his incredible  love by sending [music] his son. Jesus lived the   life that we could never live. He died the death  that we deserved and rose again on the third   day [music] so that everyone who trusts in him  might have eternal life. And why would the son of   God leave his throne, take on flesh, and [music]  willingly endure the cross? Well, as scripture   tells us, he did it because he loves us. So, as we  take the bread [music] and the cup together, let's   do so with gratitude, remembering that the cross  is the [music] clearest demonstration of God's  

love for us. And let's thank him for his body that  was broken, his blood that was poured out for us.   Let's thank [music] him because he is the good  shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. [music] Everything [music and singing] changed. It's  getting harder to recognize the person I [singing]  

was before [music] I encountered Christ. I don't  walk like I used to. I don't talk like I used   to. I've been washed [music] from the inside.  I've been washed from the inside. [singing] Hallelu. I know it [music] wise if I [singing] could  have only been the blind. [music] Hallelujah. Hallelu. [music] I know it [singing] wise  the blind could have [music] only been. Thank you for the blood. Oh [music] Jesus, [music] I cannot explain. Oh, but nothing's  more real than this. In the presence of God. Oh,   when my [music] heart experience with my shame  hit the wayside. When my sin at the most high,   I was [music] washed from the inside.  I was watching the other side. [music] I know it wasn't. [music] You could  have only [singing] been [music]

I know it [music] was Could have only [music] only [music] else can make us [music] feel nothing. Thank  you for your love. [music] It's never been about   performance, perfection [music] or striving  [singing] for acceptance. Let me tell you,   it's only [music] by the blood.  It's never been about deserving   or earning. It's a gift that's  freely gi. Let [music] me tell you,   it's only [singing] by the blood. [music] Does  anybody want to be holy and rightous? [music] Let me tell you it's only [music]  does anybody want to be waiting   for [music] justifying. Let  me [music] tell you it's Heat. Heat. [music]

[music] Hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah. [music] I can make [music] this clear.  I destroy Jesus. [music] [music] I want to be holy and  righteous [music] by you. [music] [music] Yeah. Heat.

[music] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Just let me tell you. [music] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I know it [music] was we see it only. [singing] Hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah. I know it [singing] was the blood. It  could have only been [music] the blood. Well, hey online family. We are so glad that  you uh had the chance to worship with us here   at Southeast. My name is Derek. This is Sarah.  Hey guys. Part of our online team. And Sarah,   it is popping in here today. It's a great at the  movies, Derek. It is a great at the movies joke,   is it not? [laughter] No, it's awesome. Yeah,  we have at the movies starting this week at all   of our in-person campuses. And so, if you have  the opportunity to go over the next few weeks,   if you've been watching with us for a long time  online and if you've always wanted to go in   person, great opportunity uh to come in person and  check out what it's all about. We would love to  

have you. Absolutely, y'all. And if this is your  first time with us, we would love to connect with   you this week. Maybe it's something that you just  heard in Bryson's lesson and his message today   that you would like to be able to talk about with  us. Maybe you want one of us on our team to pray   with you about something you have going on in your  life this week. Y'all, we would be honored to do   that. And so, all you have to do to get in touch  with us is text that word connect to 733733 Sarah   because when someone does that, you get a hold  of our online team and we're able to connect with   you. Yeah, absolutely. And one way that we would  love to connect with you in person is for online   homecoming coming up in October. This is a weekend  that we specifically set aside to just hang out   with you online family. And it's a way for you  to come in person to our Blanket Maker campus,   get to meet other online folks who just watch  online each and every week and a cool opportunity   for you to meet your group in person as well.  And so it's going to be a Friday, Saturday,   and Sunday, October 9th through the 11th.  And more details are coming soon about this,   but we want to make sure it's on your calendar  that you have time to make travel plans,   all of those things. And so if you text essie  online to 733733, the registration link is live,   so you can go ahead and sign up for it and join  us in October. It's really one of our favorite   weekends of the entire year. It is. We would  love to see you guys there. And while I know that   uh not being able to watch at the movies online,  it can be a little bit of a bummer. I'm so excited   that we got to hear from Bryson today. But we also  wanted to let you know for all of you parents out   there that are looking for ways to help disciple  your kids while you're at home. No matter where  

you're at, whether you're in person, you're  online, please text at home to 733733 because our   Southeast Kids team has put together an awesome  uh resource page for you during every single   sermon series every single week of the year,  but especially during At the Movies. And Sarah,   one of the cool things about At the Movies is  that they have chosen a specific movie, not really   related to the one that we see in the room here  at Southeast, but one that you can watch with your   kids. There's discussion questions that go with  it, some snack ideas, the scripture verse. Uh,   and I know for my wife and I, we're going to be  excited about walking through that this next week.   Yeah, I think it's really cool that we've created  just this opportunity for kids to learn what we're   learning, what I like to say in big church. So,  it's a really cool opportunity for you to just,   you know, continue to disciple your kids at home.  But online family, really important date for you   coming up. We've got fall groups launching in just  three short weeks. And so, groups are really what   we do online to create this community because we  say this all the time. It's not just a broadcast.   It really is a community of people that get  together each week through groups and support   one another and just encourage one another.  And so, if you're needing that in your life,   please join an online group. There's a lot of  different groups that meet throughout the week,   really almost every single day. And so Derek, if  you are out there and you need a group, please   text that word groups to 733733. There's men's  groups, women's groups, co-ed groups. If you can't   find a group for you, please reach out to us. We  would love to help you find that because it really   is what we do best around here is having people  support us and be together online. And it's such a  

cool opportunity for you to even just dive deeper  into what God wants to teach you. Absolutely. And   y'all, next week, make sure you come back uh cuz  we're going to continue our the unexpected leader   sermon series. We're going to have Lucas Dere, our  blanket Baker campus pastor, that'll be here with   us. Uh y'all, but today, thank you so much for  worshiping with us. It always means so much to us   knowing that you could have chosen to worship with  any church around the world today and you decided   to worship with us, y'all. We love you. We're  grateful for you. And we will see you next time.