Uniforms Matter; God Plays Favorites When It Comes To His Team

Exodus 9:1-4, Exodus 11:4-8 & Matthew 25:31-33

God differentiates between the people who serve Him and those who don't; make sure you're not on the wrong team

Soul Food

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”

– Exodus 9:1-4 (NIV)

“So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. 8 All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave.” Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.” 

– Exodus 11:4-8 (NIV)

 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” 

- Matthew 25:31-33 (NIV)

Soul Search

• Have you ever considered – with respect to your spiritual life – what uniform you’re wearing?
  If you had to answer the question right now, today, “Are you on God’s team?”, what would your answer be?

• If you answered that question with a “Yes,” why do you think you’re on God’s team?
  What makes you think so?

• If you answered that question with a “No,” why do you think you’re not on God’s team?
  Can you get really honest and specific with the reasons that you don’t think you’re playing on His team?

• Have you ever considered that if you’re not on God’s team, what team you’re on?
  Would you say it’s your own team?
  Would you say it’s your employer’s team?
  Would you say it’s a team whose name is whatever you spend most of your time and energy thinking about and investing in?
  Is it possible you might even say you’re on Satan’s team?
  Many people don’t believe there is a literal ‘Satan,’ but if you’re not on God’s team is it possible you’re serving on His opponent’s team without even really realizing it?

Soul Moves

• Consider that you’re wearing a uniform in the spiritual sense and maybe haven’t been aware of it or even thought about it in those terms.
  Start investing in the things that would identify you as wearing God’s uniform and serving on His team.

• Receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.
  Ask Him to come into your life.

• Become a person who prays; even if it’s 5 minutes per day.
  Read the Bible and try to do it daily; even if it’s 10 minutes.

• Begin making choices in life that are in line with what the Bible says.
  Start putting your own desires lower down on your priority list and begin moving other peoples’ names and desires up in priority above your own. 
  If you begin doing these things you’ll find you’re dressing yourself in God’s uniform one piece at a time.
  Before you know it you’ll be completely outfitted in God’s uniform and there will be no question in your mind or anyone else’s whose team you’re on.