Sermon 7-1-12 flip flops moses and the burning bush Ex 3:1-6
3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”And Moses said, “Here I am.” 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
New series from exodus – flip flops
The story of moses
Pharaoh wants the babies killed
Moses floats in a basket
Moses rescues a Hebrew slave
Kills the Egyptian
Runs away to midian
Marries daughter of midianite priest
Sees the burning bush
• Could he have walked right past?
• How far away was he when he saw it?
• Is it possible to miss the leading of God
• The voice doesn’t speak until he goes to investigate
Argues
Delivers the people from Egypt
What do we take away from this story?
1. He is the great mystery Ex 3
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’(AF) Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.[b] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM(AG) has sent me to you.’”
We love to label, tell, arrange, judge and gossip. We want it all under our control. Yet
god reveals himself as the great I AM unnameable and unseeable except in the flames of a burning bush -- a permanent Mystery. ...
1. He is beyond our human mind. I cant be named like other Gods – not Dagon or Baal or Zeus
2. the great gift of judeo – Christianity…. Mysterious yet close
2. What does your identity come from
I am blank years old.
o I am tall or short
o I am slim or not
o I am popular or not
o I am loved or not
o I work at such and such a place
What does your identity come from
God says “I AM WHO I AM” that you may say, By the grace of God I am what I am.
(I Corinthians 15:9-10)
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them —yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
3. Moses had a vision
After arguing with god, moses finally gets with the program. He becomes a called and determined leader. Some would tell you that he never reached the promised land.
That’s not true: He saw the promised land every day he visualized his vision.
Transition- well I kind of feel encouraged, but I kind of feel like I can never do anything like this….
4. I hear this so often….people who think they have goofed it up
moses is a murderer
runs away – fugitive from justice
marries a midianite woman
her father is a priest of midian
yet God still called moses
therefore, God can still use you
5. Burning Bush – represents gods presence in your life
5. Burning Bush – represents gods presence in your life
The possibility of an amazing spiritual exp in your life
Don’t discount it
How god leads you if you don’t have such moments
Examples
• Waves on the beach
• Night sky
• Sunrise/sunset
• You can find his peace
even when God speaks we struggle to listen
God’s “signs” invite a response…
Conclusion - So What?
Will we live n fear hiding from r past, hiding from God or will we live in faith
Will we walk past the leading of our Father or will we stop and investigate
will you continue to believe that you are too broken to be used by God, or will you finally receive his grace and get in the game?
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