The message opens with Moses’ encounter at the burning bush, where God calls him to lead Israel out of Egypt. The pastor identifies inadequacy—the feeling of not being enough—as a struggle common to all believers. Moses’ response to God’s call—his hesitation, excuses, and self-doubt—becomes the framework for understanding how God uses imperfect people for His perfect purposes.

1. The Setting: Moses’ Calling and His Excuses

In Exodus 3–4, God commands Moses to confront Pharaoh and deliver His people. Moses, now 80 years old and living in obscurity after forty years in Midian, resists this call. Once trained in Egypt’s royal courts, Moses’ confidence has faded during decades of tending sheep. When God calls, Moses responds with insecurity: “Who am I?” (Exodus 3:11).

This question reveals the heart of inadequacy—not knowing one’s identity in God.
The preacher explains that humanity is nothing but “dirt,” yet God gives that dirt purpose and value. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), but apart from God, “without me ye can do nothing.” Our worth and ability are rooted entirely in Him.

When we forget this truth, we become unstable—spiritual one moment, carnal the next—swayed by emotion, fatigue, and pride. Like Moses, we give God reasons why we can’t do what He asks because we are focused on who we are, not on who He is. God answers Moses’ “Who am I?” with His own declaration: “I AM THAT I AM.” The preacher emphasizes that the answer to our inadequacy is the sufficiency of God Himself.

2. Four Common Causes of Feeling Inadequate

a. Fear of Rejection (Exodus 4:1)

Moses’ first objection is: “They will not believe me.”
This fear of rejection is rooted in pride—worrying what others will think instead of trusting what God can do. Moses fears the people’s response more than he trusts God’s calling. The pastor notes the irony: “He rejected God because he was afraid people would reject him.”

Christians today often refuse to step out in service—witnessing, teaching, or leading—because they fear what others will think. Yet rejection of God’s message is not personal; it’s rejection of God Himself. Fear of people elevates our comfort above God’s mission.

b. Diminishing God’s Resources (Exodus 4:2)

When God asks, “What is in thy hand?” Moses answers flatly, “A rod.”
That shepherd’s staff seemed ordinary—just a stick—but God transforms it into a serpent and back again, demonstrating His power to use the common for divine purposes.

The pastor warns believers against despising what God has placed in their hands. Many dismiss their resources—time, talents, education, finances—as insignificant. Yet everything we have is God-given. The “rod” symbolizes the cross—ordinary wood that became the instrument of God’s greatest work. When placed in God’s hands, even small things carry supernatural power.

c. Distrusting Our Abilities (Exodus 4:10)

Moses protests, “I am not eloquent … I am slow of speech.”
After years of silence in the desert, Moses feels unqualified. Yet the same God who formed his mouth asks, “Who hath made man’s mouth?”

The preacher points out that Moses had been highly educated in Egypt; his abilities were God-given. Similarly, believers today often hide their gifts behind self-doubt. Some fear they’ll fail, others think their abilities are insufficient. But if God gave the gift, He intends it to be used for His glory.

Our weaknesses are not excuses; they are opportunities for God’s strength to shine (2 Corinthians 12:9).

d. Desiring God to Send Another (Exodus 4:13–14)

Finally, Moses pleads, “O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.”
In essence: “Lord, not me—send someone else.”

The preacher laments that many churches are filled with people saying exactly that—“I’m too busy, too tired, too unworthy, too inexperienced.” Yet what if there is no one else? God’s anger kindled against Moses because his excuses stemmed not from humility, but from stubborn refusal.

Christians today must stop passing responsibility to “someone else.” Every believer has a role in God’s plan. To refuse that calling is to miss the blessing that comes through obedience.

3. God’s Response to Inadequacy

a. God’s Presence (Exodus 4:12)

“Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth.”
The pastor emphasizes that obedience is always blessed because God’s presence guarantees success. Psalm 23 echoes this truth: “I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.”

God’s nearness changes everything. Like a child who feels safe simply because a parent sits beside them in the dark, the believer finds courage in knowing God is near. We may not know the outcome, but we can trust His presence through every uncertainty.

b. God’s Power (Exodus 4:2–4)

By turning the rod into a serpent, God demonstrates His control over nature and circumstance. The pastor explains that God uses these moments to show His power in what seems mundane.

He testifies personally: despite struggles with dyslexia, ADHD, and academic failure, God used his weaknesses to shape him into a preacher. When we obey, God displays His power through our limitations. We “taste and see that the Lord is good” only when we step out in faith.

c. God’s Providence (Exodus 4:14–16)

When Moses objects again, God provides Aaron as his spokesman. God’s provision was already on the way.
The preacher highlights that God often prepares the answer before we even finish our excuses. When we trust Him, He aligns support, resources, and people to fulfill His will.

He contrasts this with the false “prosperity gospel,” clarifying that God’s provision is not material luxury but divine sufficiency. True provision glorifies God, not man.

d. God’s Patience and Transformation (Exodus 4:20)

Moses finally obeys: “And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.”
Notice the transformation—the rod is no longer “a rod,” but “the rod of God.”
Once surrendered, the ordinary becomes sacred. Obedience turns simple tools into instruments of miracles.

The preacher challenges believers: faith without obedience is dead (James 2:17). Genuine faith acts. When we follow God despite fear, we experience His power, providence, and presence firsthand.

4. Application: Moving Beyond Inadequacy

The pastor closes with personal reflection. He recalls resisting God’s call to ministry as a teenager—unwilling to be poor, judged, or limited by “church life.” Yet in surrendering, he found greater joy, provision, and fulfillment than he ever imagined. God gave him opportunities, a loving family, and a church to serve—proof that obedience leads to blessing.

Every believer battles feelings of inadequacy—whether as parents, spouses, workers, or Christians. Yet those feelings are meant to drive us toward God, not away from Him. In Christ, our insufficiency meets His sufficiency.

When God calls, the right response is not “Who am I?” but “Here am I, Lord.”
Because when the inadequate obeys, the Almighty works.