Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Sam.
Good morning.
[00:01:00] Speaker B: How's everyone feeling this morning?
[00:01:02] Speaker A: Feeling pretty good.
[00:01:04] Speaker B: Have energy, ready to worship today.
All right, let's stand and let's worship the Lord Jesus. We're so thankful for this opportunity to come before you once again to join together as believers, to join together and praise our king and our Savior. Jesus, you are so good. And we just believe that you're gonna meet us here today. Would you have your way in our hearts and our minds? Would you change and transform us more into your likeness, Jesus.
God, would you just fill us with your spirit? We feel your presence in this place. Would we be aware that you are here right now, that you are here with us, that this is an opportunity to. To hear your voice and to grow and know more of who you are, your plan, your love for us. Jesus.
And so, God, would you just have your way and would you be glorified through our praise this morning? We give you our worship, our song. We lift it up to you, God, because you are worthy.
Amen.
All right. Let's praise the Lord.
[00:02:16] Speaker A: Put your hands together.
Are you sing. I praise in the valley I'll praise in the valley Praise on the mountain I'll praise when I'm sure Praise when I'm doubting Praise when I'm numbered Praise when surrounded Praise is the water my enemy's drowning as long as I'm breathing As long as I'm breathing I've got a reason to Praise the Lord oh my soul Praise the Lord oh my soul I'll praise when I feel it I'll praise when I feel it and I'll praise when I don't oh, I'll praise cause I know you're still in control My praise is a weapon My praise is a weapon it's more than a sound My praise is the shout that brings Jericho down It's long as I'm breathing As long as I'm breathing I've got a reason to Praise the Lord oh my we lift it up today Praise the Lord oh my soul I won't be quiet I won't be quiet My God is alive how could I keep it inside? I've got a Praise the Lord oh my soul we got a reason to praise this morning Our God is with us he's for us we sing I praise I praise cause you sovereign Praise cause you reign Praise cause you rose and defeated the grave I'll praise cause you're faithful Praise cause you're true Praise cause there's nobody greater than you I'll praise cause you sovereign Praise cause You reign Praise cause you rose defeated the grave I'll praise cause you're faithful Praise cause you're true Praise cause there's nobody I'm the praise Lord oh my soul we give you praise Praise the Lord oh my soul Praise the Lord oh my soul Praise the Lord oh my soul I won't be quiet My God is alive how can I keep it? I won't be quiet oh I won't be quiet My God is alive oh how could I keep it? I won't be quiet oh I won't be quiet My God is alive how could I keep it Inside I've got a pray Praise the Lord oh my soul.
Thank you, Jesus.
[00:06:25] Speaker C: Well, good morning.
Can you say praise the Lord? Praise the Lord. Yeah. We have a lot to be thankful for, don't we? Good morning. My name is Lori. I am recovery pastor here at Salem First Church of the Nazarene. And we are glad that you are joining us today. Whether you are here in person or if you are online, we welcome you.
We would like for you guys to connect with God, to know him deeply, to connect with each other so you can live in freedom and to connect with our world and make a difference. And how many of you are aware that our world needs a big difference to be made in it? Right? We live in a broken, fallen world.
So welcome. We're glad you're here.
If you are a guest or a new attender, we would like for you to text the words SFN new to 94,000 and we will send you a connection card link. Or you can take the card that is in the chair back in front of you and fill out the card that is there. If you fill out the card, you can place it in the basket in the foyer in the lobby. And there's a book called Unshakable. And you can take that book and go ahead and read it, and it'll help you gain understanding and learn how to live a life that is unshakable in this shattered world that we live in.
All right. Some ways that you can connect here at Salem first are plenty.
This past week, we had our district assembly, which is when all of the churches on the Oregon Pacific district gather together in one location. And they have seminars, they have people talking, talking about what's going on in our world, talking about what's going on in their church.
And just a time to grow to know each other, to get together and grow in God. And it's a great time. We had volunteers from all churches that were joining in and Helping. And I think some of the things that stood out to me were we had, I know there was an 80 year old woman that was here all day, all day Thursday and Friday, serving, standing, being a welcoming force as people came in for meals. It was amazing. And there was another gal, she was up in her 90s and she was here out greeting people and just seeing their spirits and their enthusiasm and their willingness to still be involved, to be engaged with this district assembly, with the community.
I also, for me, it was a reflective moment. A year ago, I was part of the ones being ordained and to be here and to be able be up here on the platform and be part of the ones praying over the new ordinance. It was a humbling experience, but it was also, it's a holy moment for them and it's a holy moment for anybody that is praying for those going into ministry. So next year we won't have it here. It'll be at another church. But we encourage you to join in that activity.
All right, we have baby bottles out in the lobby. How many of you saw baby bottles as you came in?
Yeah. All right. So we are doing the baby bottle drive for Hope Pregnancy Clinic. And Hope is a free patient clinic where they offer ultrasounds and resources to moms and dads with questions about keeping and raising their baby. So you can join in by filling that baby bottle. It started on Mother's Day and it'll conclude on Father's Day.
Two weeks from this Sunday, we'll have a fifth Sunday. We will all gather at 10:45 for one service and there will be a luncheon following.
Stay tuned. It sounds like it's going to be fun, so come join us for that. We thank you guys for being here. We thank you for your support and for giving to the church.
And just thank you for being here. If you want to give, you can give. There's boxes in the back or you can drop off money in the office and they will go to your offering. Thank you.
Oh, please stand and greet each other.
[00:12:03] Speaker B: All right, let's continue to worship.
[00:12:26] Speaker A: Blessed are those who run to him who place their hope and confidence in Jesus.
He won't forsake them, Master. Those who seek his face bend their knee and fix their gaze on Jesus they won't be shaken to come and praise the Lord with me Sing if you love his name Come on and lift your voice and lift your voice with me he's worthy of all our praise.
They'll see his glory.
Blessed are those who die to live Whose joy it is to Give it all for Jesus and for him only oh Jesus all for your glory for your presence.
Go and leave your voice with me he's worthy of all our praise.
Bless God in the sanctuary Bless God in the fields of plenty Bless God in the darkest valley Every chance I get I'll bless your name Bless God my hands are empty Bless God with the praise that cost me Bless God when nobody's watching Every chance I gave lift it up today Bless God who opens for me Bless God who wonderful me Bless God cause he goes before me Every chance I get I bless your name Bless God always God always always with me Bless God always always worthy Every chance I get I bless your name Every chance I get I bless your name Every chance.
Your offering See if you've known his grace oh come on and lift up your holy hand he's worthy of all our praise yes he's worthy, he's worthy Worthy of all our praise.
Worthy.
Creation Suddenly articulate with a thousand tongues Lift one cry Then from north to south and east to west we'd hear Christ be magnified.
Word of echoing his eminence his name but sea and sky from rivers to the mountain tops we hear Christ be magnified Are we lifted up oh Christ be magnified, be glorified oh Christ be magnified Let his praise arise Christ be magnified Magnified oh this is our prayer oh Christ be magnified on the altar of my life Christ be magnified in me.
In every creature finds its inmost melody Every human hearts made in cry well then in one voice in one in right should he praise we'll sing Christ be magnified oh we lift up our praise to you God oh Christ be magnified Let his praise arise Christ be magnified in me Christ be magnified the altar of my life Christ be magnified in me.
Glorified.
I won't doubt idols I'll stand strong and worship you and if it puts me in the fire I'll rejoice Cause you're there too I won't be formed by feelings I hold fast to what is true if the cross brings transformation nation and I'll be crucified with you this death is just adore but you resurrection life and if I join you in your suffering Then I'll join you when you rise and when you return in glory with all the angels and the same My heart will still be sing My song will be the same oh Christ be magnified Great his praise arise Christ be magnified in me oh Christ be magnified from the altar of my Life.
Christ, be magnified.
Always singing. Yea. Oh, Christ.
Oh, Christ, be magnified.
Is greater.
Christ, be magnified in me.
Christ, be magnified.
The altar of my life.
Christ, be magnified in me.
Put our hands together.
[00:21:43] Speaker B: Thank you, Jesus.
[00:22:09] Speaker A: Oh, your mercy never fails me.
All my days I've been held in your hand.
From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head.
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.
All my life you have been faithful.
All my life you have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able.
Oh, I will sing of the goodness presence of God.
I love your voice.
You have led me through the fire in darkest night.
You are close like no other.
I've known you as a father.
I've known you as a friend.
And I have live in the good.
Sing. All my life you've been faithful.
All my life you have been faithful.
You're so good.
All my life you have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able.
Oh, I will sing of the goodness.
[00:24:08] Speaker D: God,
[00:24:12] Speaker A: your goodness running after running after me.
Your goodness is running after running after me.
My life lay down. I surrender now. I give you everything.
Your goodness running after running.
Oh, my Lord.
Your goodness running out, running out to me. Oh, thank you, Lord. Your goodness running out, running out to me.
My life will lay down surrender now. I give you everything.
Your goodness running out, running out for me.
All my life you have been faithful.
All my life you have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able.
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.
Show my life you have been faithful.
You're my heart. You have been so, so good.
Every breath that I am able.
Oh, I'm gonna say of the goodness of God.
Oh, I'm gonna say the goodness of God.
Yes, I'm gonna see.
Of the goodness of God.
[00:26:44] Speaker B: He's been good. He's been faithful. Right, church,
[00:26:49] Speaker D: put your hands together.
God's faithfulness. Praise God. Thank you, God.
Thank you, God, for your faithfulness to us.
Even when we don't even recognize it. We're just. Just too busy going about our own business.
And we don't necessarily recognize your faithfulness, but you're always faithful to us.
The wonder is that we recognize it and we can.
We can share our gratitude,
[00:27:22] Speaker C: certainly with
[00:27:23] Speaker D: words and praise, but really with a deeper surrender.
And so we say we love you. We thank you, thank you for being faithful to us.
Thank you for being faithful to Moses and looking after him in his life. And I pray God we come away with the same encouragement of your will and work in our lives. This morning, in Jesus name, say with me. Amen. Amen. God bless you. You're going to have a spirit seat. Thank you for being here this morning. Hey.
This last week, as I was preparing for the message this morning we're looking at the book of Exodus, the life of Moses and the assignment. This week we're looking at the assignment God gave him. And so I asked our staff team this week, have you ever been given an assignment by your lead pastor that you didn't want to do?
Now I wasn't really talking about me and I was hoping they wouldn't say anything that I had asked them to do. But just in general, in your life and serving in the church, have you ever been asked and given an assignment to do that you didn't want to do?
Well, I got a couple responses, but there's one I want to share with you. I'm not going to mention that it was Jerry Morris because I don't want to embarrass him.
But Jerry wrote back, he said this. Maybe the worst thing I've ever been asked to do was when I was in my first church as a lead pastor, the district superintendent. Now in our denomination, every district, which is like for us, it's the state of Oregon, we have a district superintendent who's kind of the, he's the coach, he's the mentor, he's the help pulls all the pastors of the churches together. He's our resource in our state, the district superintendent. Then our denomination has six general superintendents who oversee all the churches around the world. Okay, so he's going to make reference to both these roles. So Jerry said the district superintendent was a close friend of my dad and he worked with him on many boards and committees.
He thought that's the district superintendent thought I was wired the same way as his dad.
So when the district lost their much loved treasurer, he asked me to take their place.
I took the job because I was afraid to tell him no and I didn't want to disappoint him.
I hated was an accountant type, bookkeeping without a computer of all things. Who ever heard of such a thing?
Every year during district assembly, which we just had, every year during district assembly, I had to give a report on the district finances and sound like I knew what I was talking about.
I lived in constant fear that someone would ask me a question I knew I couldn't answer and I knew the general superintendent was not going to bail me out.
Poor Jerry. He's glad those days are over.
Now I know, for me, about June, two years ago, I was invited to a coffee by our district superintendent. And, you know, I didn't know what he was going to talk about. Hey, you know, good job. How are things going at, you know, Salem First Whatever he's going to ask. I wasn't expecting him to ask me if our church would host the annual district assembly, which we have for the last two years. I wasn't expecting that. As a matter of fact, in my head, I was thinking, no, no, no, not this year. I'm not ready for it. I'm not sure our church is ready for it.
I mean, I agreed to it. Actually, I told him at the time. I said, I don't know, I better go back and talk to the board, make sure it's okay to do it, you know.
But eventually, our staff team and our board agreed that we would host a district assembly, which we did the last couple years.
But I confess, I didn't want to take that assignment on for two things. I didn't know that our church would be ready, and probably more than that, I didn't know if I was ready to lead our church to take that on.
But I can tell you this.
Our staff team and you as the church, our volunteers, have done such a great job.
You not only helped us fulfill that assignment, but I think we raised. Raised the bar. Is that the right way to say it?
We moved it up.
We raised the bar. Okay, then, you know, for the church that has to follow up next year, we set a pretty high standard. So I say all that to say thank you for doing what, initially, I wasn't sure we were ready to do, but I think we did an excellent job. So thank you for being a great church and really to our staff team who did such a great job in leading us, God is good, right? But sometimes when we get those assignments that we think maybe we're not ready for or they're too big for us, I think what we will discover today is maybe we ought to pause and instead of recoiling, maybe we should stop and lean into and maybe, out of curiosity, explore it a little further. But we'll get right into that. We are in the book of Exodus, looking at the life of Moses again, where the Israelites, historically they were, they escaped a brutal season of oppression. Now, they had been there a couple hundred years in living peaceably until a pharaoh came into power who was intimidated by the growth of the Hebrew people. And so he wanted to kill all babies in order to control population.
And then it's in that world that Moses was born, who ironically, by God's providence, would be raised by Pharaoh's daughter and raised up, who eventually Moses would be the deliverer of the people. We're going to look a little more today at the time when Moses actually received the assignment that God had for him. It was 40 years after he had fled Egypt that he finally received the assignment. At the end of chapter two, last week, we said, we learned that God declared, it's time to act. I've heard the cries of the people.
Now Moses is prepared to be the man he needs to be to be the deliverer.
And so we get to chapter three and let me pray and we'll get into God's word. Father God, we say thank you for the opportunity again to look to you and to your Word. I pray that your word would come alive.
That the testimony of Exodus, that Moses wrote about his own journey. I pray that his testimony is an encouragement to us where we can see ourselves sometimes, like looking in a mirror, but also learn about who you are, God, and learning to trust you with what you call us as your people to do individually and sometimes even as a group. I pray, God, that you would continue to speak to us this morning in Jesus name. Amen.
So we're going to pick up in Exodus the third chapter.
I begin by just saying, this is Moses just going about his own business, minding his own business. Verse 1 says this one day Moses was tending the flock of his father in law, Jethro, a priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God.
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush.
Moses stared in amazement.
Though the bush was not engulfed in flames, was engulfed in flames, it did not burn up. I can imagine Moses just standing there in amazement. I don't know if you've had those kind of experiences where you've seen something in nature.
Now, granted, my story is not about seeing a bush that looked like it was on fire but wasn't burning up. But I remember when I lived in Michigan, a couple occasions, two or three times, my wife and I, we went over to Niagara Falls. And for me, being there and standing at the edge, you know, watching it, just listening to the rumble, the roar of the water that was just cascading over the falls. And my friends, it never stops coming. And it's just a beautiful sight and a beautiful sound to see the wonder of that. Now, that's nothing compared to a burning bush.
But maybe We've all had those occasions where we stop and we see something so amazing that we can't just go on.
We have to stop and contemplate maybe life and the wonder and the beauty of what we're seeing.
Well, in this situation, Moses is now 40 years he's been living in obscurity as a shepherd, tending to the flocks of his father in law. And he was just out one day, minding his own business, herding the sheep.
He had a steady job, he had a beautiful wife, he had two sons.
By some estimation, some would say he was living a good life. He was content, he was happy.
But for Midian, for him, Midian, that place where he was, it was a safe haven from the running he was doing.
Running from Egypt, certainly, but maybe running from his past and not really thinking that he had much of a future.
But this chapter begins with the words, one day, one thing, something happened. One day, something changed. One day he had an encounter with God that would change the trajectory of his life. I don't know if you've had those one days.
I think all of us do, and I think we all can have, maybe even many of them as we will stop and pay attention in our journey with God. God will give us some of these days. For Moses, it was this trip to Mount Sinai, a trip that he likely had made hundreds of times, herding sheep.
But this day, he saw something and he heard something, something that he'd never observed before.
Verse 3, it says, Moses said to himself, this is amazing.
This is amazing.
I can't believe. I don't understand.
What am I seeing?
What's going on here? Why isn't that bush burning up?
I've never seen anything like that.
He says, I must go and see it again. I asked the question, have you ever had those occasions where something is happening in life and maybe it's something you saw with your eyes, maybe it's something you heard, a testimony, a story, something's going on in somebody's life. And it caused you just to wonder, what is that? That's amazing. And you wanted to know more. You couldn't just, oh, that's interesting, a bush is on fire and just kept going.
It caused you to pause to stop.
It piqued your curiosity and you had to go and investigate, look further into it.
I think as the Christ following people, I think we ought to be curious.
I think we ought to see these occasions that come up, that they might just not be just random things that are happening. Maybe they are, but maybe they're not. Maybe there's something in something that catches your attention. Hey, it might even catch your attention and knock my attention.
But maybe we ought to pause and to look at it because God might be wanting to speak to us. He might want to be able to share something about maybe who he is, maybe what he's up to, maybe what he wants to be up to in us.
God may want to use one of these occasions to get our attention. The burning bush that day got Moses Attention. Verse 4.
When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a close look. Because he says, I got to go see this thing. When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called out to him from the middle of the bush, Moses, Moses again. There's several different times in the Bible where God called out to somebody and used their name twice.
He did it with Peter, he did it with Samuel, he did it with Saul, who became Paul. There's something when God calls out twice, there was something going on. And again, that's a whole study in of itself. But when God heard or when Moses heard the voice speaking to him from the bush, Moses response was here I am.
That was the same response that Samuel gave when God called to Samuel. You see, God didn't speak to Moses. If you read the context here, God didn't speak to Moses until he got his attention.
The circumstance that God presented Moses took time to investigate. And then God spoke to him. As he came closer, God had something to say. Now maybe for you, you have felt maybe God isn't close. Maybe God's word isn't working like maybe you thought it would.
Well, James chapter four, verse eight says these words. It's not going to be on your screen, but listen to this.
Come close to God and God will come close to you.
Sometimes in life when something happens or circumstances happening, those are opportunities to maybe listen and to lean in and to turn to God.
Because when we do, then we might begin to hear God whispering or calling out to show us something.
Maybe we've had those seasons in life. Maybe you are in that. Maybe you know somebody who is at that place where they're feeling like God's word isn't really coming alive for them. It's not really working.
The spirit of God doesn't seem to be alive and touching them the way you think it should be.
Well, what's the problem?
Could it be that we, or maybe the person we know isn't giving God the attention?
Meaning they're not turning, they're not looking to God to give God their attention so that they can hear God fully and clearly. Maybe there's not really a longing to hear God speak through his word or through his spirit's whispers to the heart.
Maybe we find ourselves leaning back rather than leaning into God.
Maybe in those occasions we are the ones who are not drawing close.
Because God's word says if we come close to God, he'll come close to us.
And in those moments, he's able to speak. In verse five goes on and says again, Moses is warned, hey, hey.
Do not come any closer.
Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.
I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. Maybe something in Moses heart, maybe a little bit of shame.
He once tried to stand up for the Hebrew people, but he killed a man and ended up getting having to flee from Egypt. And he's been in this wilderness in Midian for 40 years. And yeah, he's kind of going through the motions. Maybe he shows up every once in a while to give God some attention.
But he's not living the life. And in this moment, it's a holy moment.
God could see as Moses was drawing near to this amazing burning bush, God noticed that Moses was leaning in. And he was.
He was mesmerized by this holy, wonderful moment, this encounter.
And he cautions Moses. Moses paused.
[00:43:59] Speaker A: Pause.
[00:43:59] Speaker D: Don't come any closer.
Recognize the sacredness, the holiness of this moment. You are standing, Moses, in the very presence of God.
I love this thought. I love the thought of taking my shoes off right now. As a matter of fact, I thought about it, you know, holy ground and standing before God.
Because really, maybe it's not exactly the same. I know it's not exactly the same.
But right now we are in a holy moment.
We are standing, I think, in the presence of God, because God is here. We are looking to His Word. I trust his word to speak to my life. To speak to your life, to guide us, to lead us.
This is a beautiful opportunity in this worship service. It's a beautiful opportunity when we gather in prayer, maybe it's a Saturday morning, or, or in groups with friends that you're with. Those holy moments where you are looking to God. It could be a group that you're participating in, you're tending.
I would even say maybe those times when we find ourselves volunteering to serve God's purposes, His kingdom, purposes, all of these can be moments, holy moments where we can meet and experience God.
It's not just the doing. You're not just doing church this morning.
You're not just serving at district assembly. There are opportunities not only to see God at work, but to express your love for God.
Thank you for being here this morning. It's another opportunity for you, I trust, maybe this morning to hear differently. Maybe hear something new. Maybe we're reminded of God's goodness and faithfulness to you. It's a holy moment. And when we draw close to God, not only will we sense that holy moment, we can sense that holy moment.
We can actually receive a word from God, which is what happens. As Moses drew near, he received his assignment. In verse seven, it says this. Then the Lord told him, I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt.
I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh task drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.
So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land.
I love in this verse the three things that we read that God said.
God affirms a few things. He says, I have seen.
He sees you, my friends.
He sees what's going on in your lives and around you.
God says that I heard their cries.
God hears you.
Sometimes it doesn't sound like he does. It doesn't feel like he does.
For Moses, it's been 80 years since he was born before he finally is at the place where God is giving him the assignment. But God is ready to answer the cries of the people.
See for me, I mentioned last week I could order something from Amazon and have it at my house by the time I get home from lunch.
And I want God to answer that way. Often he's my genie in a bottle, right?
But sometimes it takes God time to formulate the plan.
Maybe it takes time for our hearts to get right. For the Israelites not just to want the discomfort of slavery to be done. I hate being a slave to these guys.
Maybe their heart could be changed from. I don't only just want to be relieved of discomfort.
I want to see my God again.
I want to love God. I want to see his face in the wonder of his power and his presence in my life.
The hearts of the Israelites in Egypt had to shift. And yet God had to prepare for the deliverer to rescue you. Sometimes it takes time.
I love that he says, and I have come down.
It's time to act.
He goes on to say, it's a land flowing with milk and honey. The land where the Canaanites the Hittites, the Amorites, the mosquito bites and the Jebusites.
They all live there now.
Now remember, this isn't the first time that God is giving the Israelites the promise of the land. The promised land of Canaan. They were living there. But if you remember, the famine was coming. And then, you know, Joseph's brother sold them to that caravan heading to Egypt. And Joseph was in Egypt. He interpreted the dream for Pharaoh and then Pharaoh showed favor on him and invited Joseph to have his family, Jacob, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that Jacob's family to come and live in Egypt because of the harsh time that the known land at that time was going through, the famine.
But now the promise is that they're going to be able to go back to the land that God had promised to Abraham more than 400 years prior.
Verse 9 goes on to say, look, the cry of the people of Israel has reached me.
I'm telling you this, Moses.
I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abused them.
Verse 10, here's the assignment.
Now go.
I'm sending you Moses.
I'm sending you, Moses to Pharaoh.
You must lead my people, Israel, out of Egypt. I can only imagine this must have been an overwhelming thought because after all those years away from Egypt, kind of settling into Midian, the place where he was, he had no illusions of anything.
In so many ways, he was a broken man.
But it's clear God had heard the cries and now is the time to act.
I presume the hearts of the Israelites and their motives were ready to see the hand of their God. Oh, they still carried some of the influence of Egypt with them. And we're going to learn about that because after being in a land for so long in Egypt, they had to pick up some of the culture, you know, the many idols and the pantheon of false gods, little G that were prevalent in the culture.
It had eked into some of their practices, as we'll even learn when the Israelites are delivered. Remember when Moses then will go back up on this mountain, the same mountain, but down below, what did the people do?
They wanted Aaron to form a golden calf.
Why? That's the influence of their Egyptian years in captivity.
Influence of those religions and Moses. God, I'm calling you to lead the people out and to reestablish my kingdom.
It's funny things. As Moses, I love in this story because Moses is credited for writing the book of Exodus. At a later time, certainly.
But it's funny, I love the realism of Moses because he tells on himself.
He tells about his uncooperative unwilling heart in verse 11 is where it begins.
But Moses, he writes about himself, protested to God. That's going to be a recurring theme in this passage.
Moses protests to God. He says, who am I?
Who am I to appear before Moses?
I'm a nobody.
I'm not a prince. I'm not the upper class of Egypt anymore. I've been run out of town.
Who am I to lead the people of Israel? They hate me. They saw what I did and they didn't.
Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?
A problem is, and with us sometimes, is that Moses was focusing on himself.
He was focusing on his ability to do what God was asking him to do.
He thought he wasn't enough. He only had so much that he could bring to the table. And he was at a place in his life where he didn't think he had very much to bring to the table.
And I get it. It's only human. We're all like that.
Even sometimes as we see how God might want to call us to do something for his kingdom purposes. Maybe it's with the church, but maybe it's with our neighbor. Maybe it's with our co workers.
God is kind of speaking to us, but we're not sure we want to do it because we don't think we can.
We don't think we're up to the task.
See, 40 years before, Moses had a greater sense of who he was. That's why he acted like he did.
He thought he was somebody special. He was the darling of Egypt, and yet he was a Hebrew. He had this inkling that he was maybe the chosen instrument to be the deliverer. But he got ahead of God's plan.
And now, 40 years later, chasing sheep around in the desert, he didn't have the same self confidence that maybe he had 40 years ago, which is probably a good place to be.
God then said to him in verse 12, this is the good news.
God said, I will what?
Say that out loud. I will what?
I will be with you.
Period. Full stop.
That should be enough.
It should have been enough for Moses.
It should be enough for us.
I will be with you.
And the fact that I'm with you, this is your sign that I am the one who sent you.
So, Moses, you got to come to terms with that yourself.
I'm with you. And this is my sign. Look me square in the bush.
Look me square in the eye.
I'm with you.
And this sign is your sign that I am the one who sent you. So when you Moses, when you have brought the people out of Egypt, like you're going to do it, it's going to happen.
When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God. You will worship me at this very mountain.
Whether it's Moses, whether it's you.
When God promises he will be with you, he will be with you.
And when God promises he will be with you, then that should reshape how we see ourselves and the situation that we're in, or that he's calling us to. Amen.
I will never leave you or forsake you. Who said that?
Jesus said that. Right.
So whether it's you or Moses, when we hear those words, we should grab a hold of those words. Because not only did God say it to Moses, Jesus said it to his people.
It should shape how we see our world.
But verse 13, a little more reassurance for Moses.
Verse 13. But God protested again. I mean, Moses protested again.
Moses says, if I go. And that's a big if, God.
If I go to the people of Israel and tell them that the God of your ancestors has sent me to you, they're going to ask me, what's his name?
Then what should I tell them?
Understandably, Moses here, because of how he left Egypt, he's looking for a little credibility.
You're going to send me to do this? God, Really, I don't know.
I don't have any credibility.
They don't like me.
I'm a nobody now.
To have that sense of thinking I'm a nobody isn't to say that we're useless, that we're worthless.
But there is a humbling place.
I think that is a good place to start, is to say, okay, maybe as wonderful as I am, I'm not all that.
But with God, I am.
With God, I can do what he asked me to do by myself. I might fall down. I might blow it.
But with God, I can. Verse 14 goes on to say, so God replied to Moses.
Moses asked, what do I tell him your name is?
What do I say to him? God answered him and said, I am who I am.
Now, I'm not an English major.
My last name is English, but I'm not a major.
I don't even know if that's right, English.
I am who I am. I don't know if my teacher would mark me down for that. But what he's saying here, listen. Say to the people of Israel, I am has sent me to you.
I am who I am.
I am has sent me to you.
God also said to Moses Say to the people of Israel, Yahweh, the Lord of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
That God, his name is I am who I am.
He has sent me to you.
God says this is his eternal name.
He says it's my name to remember for all generations.
Now interesting in kind of reading and preparing for this morning, this one little few verses could be a full Sunday even not two Sundays. Explaining what I am, who I am, what God is saying and describing Himself.
It would take that much time for this morning. I simply want to say God's response in saying I am who I am is the closest thing to giving the personal name of God that is recorded in the Bible. But of God and what he uses of himself.
When God says I am who I am, he's claiming to be the self, self existent one.
Listen, there was never a time when God did not exist.
Think about that for just a moment.
Never a time that is before God.
Now there is a time before time, but there was never a time that God wasn't there.
Does that make sense? It's crazy to think about there will never be a time when God will cease to exist.
If all of this would burn up in this moment, God would still be there.
We might be gone, but God would still be there.
When God says I am who I am, it reveals simply yet profoundly that God has no equality equal.
There was no one equal for God but God. I mean, this is like a.
It's like a circular thing, right?
God is everything.
My friends, I say all that to confuse you, but really more than that to say that's really great news about who God is.
It was never a time when God was and he always is. And when God says to Moses and he says to us, I am with you and my name is. I am who I am, the self existent one. Whatever I ask you to do, you can do because I am with you.
All right? That's good news, right?
Well then God goes on to say to Moses and he's going to give him two steps to this plan of rescuing the Israelites. Verse 16. He goes on to say this after giving him his name. Verse 16 he says, Now, now that we've settled that, now that you have your credentials, now go and call together all the elders of Israel, the leaders of Israel. Tell them that Yahweh, the Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has appeared to me. Tell them that. Tell the leaders.
Tell them that he told me, I have been watching Closely. And I see how the Egyptians are treating you.
God sees.
And God promises to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt.
And God will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey. The land where all the Canaanites, Hittites and those other still live.
Friends, this is step one that God gives to Moses. Go to the leadership of Israel.
Go to them first.
It's beautiful. Because after 400 years of living in Egypt, away from their promised land, God gives Moses the assignment to announce to the Israelites, it's time to go home.
Time to go back home.
And he's the first to announce this, that the time has come.
Now, I get that he was a little frightened.
But when God tells Moses, go to the leadership, he then also tells them, they're going to understand you. They're going to accept you. Here's the, here's the step two, verse 18 goes on. The elders of Israel will accept your message. Great. Wait, he's promising them, hey, not only am I with you, not only are you going with my name, I am who I am.
But when you go, talk to the leadership first and explain that you've met with me and this is what my plan is, Moses, understand, they're going to believe you.
They're going to believe you.
Then it goes on to say, then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt, that's the Pharaoh, and tell him this.
The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us.
So please, Pharaoh, let us take a three day journey out into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.
Now, many of you are probably familiar with this story to some degree, right?
[01:04:09] Speaker A: Right.
[01:04:09] Speaker D: And some of us in reading that, how many of you have read that they went to Pharaoh to ask for a three day weekend break to go worship? Right.
Okay.
Most of the time we think, oh, they just went right into Pharaoh and said, hey, let my people go.
Well, that part's coming, right? But here, the instruction that God gives is go and ask Pharaoh for a three day leave.
Well, why?
Because God's ultimate plan is not to give them three days off.
God's ultimate plan is to free them from bondage, from Egypt, to go back to the promised land, Right? That's the plan.
But God instructs them to go to Pharaoh and ask for a three day journey into the wilderness to worship God. Well, why?
I think it's because this smaller request is really a test.
A test to determine what is the heart of Pharaoh, the stubbornness of Pharaoh's heart. Because this would be so much of an easier request to grant three days versus let my people go to that. He's going to say no, so give him a chance. Ask for three days.
God then tells Moses, hey, he's not going to let you go. He's not going to. He's not going to do that. Which is going to demonstrate how stubborn his heart is.
And he won't let you go unless a mighty hand forces him to go.
Because a person who lives by force only will surrender to force. And then God says, hey, I'll take care of it. That's verse 19. Not on your screen, but verse 19. God says, so I'll be that I'll oblige Pharaoh and I'll raise my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles among them.
Then they will let you go.
That's plan two. Go to Pharaoh, ask for three days off. He won't do it, and I'll have to strike him.
Then we turn to chapter four.
It seems Moses is still saying, yeah, but I don't think this is going to work. I don't think the people are going to even listen to me. I don't think they're going to follow me out of.
They're not going to follow me out of Egypt.
So God confirms one more time that he's sending him verse one of chapter four. Moses protested again.
What if they won't listen to me or listen to me? What if they say the Lord never appeared to you?
We think back to chapter three. Verse 11 was a logical question at the time, thinking that who am I? I'm nobody.
I can't appear before Pharaoh. He's not going to do anything with me. As a matter of fact, he's probably going to kill me.
It was a huge ask God was making of Moses.
But God gave Moses the certainty. He says, I will be with you.
Then we get to chapter four, verse one again. Moses protests again.
But I think now, as Moses protests, the questions seem to show more of his unbelief, his distrust, his not wanting to trust, than it really is his sincere seeking of confirmation. If you really want me to do this, you're going to really have to show me.
I want to do it, but I need to know you're really going to be there. I think what's happening now is Moses is saying, I really don't want to do it.
And I don't believe you. God, the task is too big.
Friends, sometimes I have had those moments. Maybe you have two in ministry or just in life where you needed God's reassurance And there's nothing wrong with asking God because. Because we're human and we can be fearful and afraid.
And God knows how you feel, and he'll meet you there.
But God won't be fooled. You can't lie to God and get away with it.
Look what happens. Verse 2.
Then the Lord asked Moses, hey, Moses, what's that in your hand?
A shepherd's staff, Moses replied, throw it on the ground.
The Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff and it turned into a snake. And Moses jumped back. Guys. You guys remember this, right? Right. So what does God do? God tells, hey, Moses, now I want you to reach out and pick the snake up by the tail.
Well, he picked it up and it turned back into a staff, right? Okay, miracle one and number one, I'm giving you the authority and the power.
This is what you're going to do to demonstrate as a calling card that I have sent you.
Now, he says, now, for example, Moses, I want you to take your hand and stick it inside your robe, okay? Moses is standing there. God says, now take it out. Takes it out. Now it's white, pure white, full of leprosy.
Then God tells moses, put it back in your robe. Now, take it out. Now it's perfectly healthy like the rest of his body.
And then God says to Moses, hey, if that first sign or that second sign doesn't convince them that you came for me, then I want you to take some plain water out of the Nile in a pitcher or whatever you have, and then I want you to pour it on the dry ground. And as you pour it, as it hits the ground, it will turn to blood.
God says with these three miracles, these three signs will confirm this three stage calling card. To help Moses understand he has the authority by God to do what he's being asked to do.
But, my friends, that is not enough for Moses.
Verse 10.
But Moses pleaded with the Lord, Lord, I'm not very good with words. I never have been.
I'm not good. Now even though you have spoken to me, I get tongue tied and my words get tangled.
After those three calling card miracle examples, Moses is still resistant to stepping out and taking hold of the assignment and going to fulfill it.
He says, I'm not very good with words. I never have been. Liar.
If we look to, as I mentioned before, To Acts chapter 7, there's a recount of this portion of history in there. And it says in there, it says this, Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians and he was powerful in speech and action.
It's not that Moses couldn't do it, couldn't speak, couldn't do this.
He didn't want to. He lost the confidence. Something is missing and he just didn't want to.
It may not have really been his words, but was very likely the lack of confidence. It was all gone. He was still up in his head thinking he had to do it.
He just didn't get it.
He didn't need his confidence.
You don't need your confidence. You need God's confidence.
That's what Moses, even though God tried to tell him, I'm with you, Moses. I am is sending you verse 11.
And I'm going to ask Megan and the team if you guys would come.
Then the Lord asked Moses, who makes a person's mouth, who decides whether people speak or don't speak, if they hear or don't hear, or if they see or don't see, Is it not I, the Lord?
Am I not the one who has all of this under control?
If I'm the one who has all this control? I say to you, Moses, now go. I will be with you as you speak and I will instruct you in what to say.
Again, God is wanting Moses to turn from looking inward what he could do, to looking outward and looking upward to trust what God can do through him.
Moses wasn't there yet.
Says in verse 13. So Moses again pleaded.
Really maybe the most honest plead he made is this. Lord, please send anyone else.
I don't want to do it.
There it is.
Moses finally comes clean with his wrestle.
He didn't want to do it. God, can you please send someone else?
If we read on a little further, God meets Moses, where Moses is at today. In the story, he calls Aaron to come alongside and to be his number two to do the speaking for Moses. But Moses, the assignment is you.
You're the one to deliver the people from Egypt. But God meets Moses where he's at and provides a helper to fulfill his mission.
That's good news, my friends, for you and I.
God will meet us where we're at, as he calls us to serve him and to serve his kingdom. I don't know what it is for you, but if you're like me, you've made excuses for your life. You made excuses for serving God. God.
But what excuses are you making that keep you from receiving the assignment from God that he wants to give you?
That keeps you from stepping out into the assignment that he has for you? Like he's not going to give you my assignment. He's going to Give you your assignment. He's not going to give you somebody else's assignment. He's going to give you your role in life, in your family, in your neighbors, in your work in the church.
And he's going to be with you to empower you to do what he asks you to do.
So what excuses are you making from trusting God's presence with you?
Stop making excuses.
God's going to meet you where you're at.
But you can you really just be work on surrendering more with me together? Can we work on that surrendering more? Let God work in us.
We're going to sing a song, believe for it.
It's believing what God can do.
But I would ask for us to continue to see our faith grow and to believe what God can do in
[01:14:51] Speaker A: us,
[01:14:54] Speaker D: to continue to change us.
Because sometimes we feel unworthy, because we feel we're not good enough.
But God continues to work in us so that he can work through us. Amen.
This is what he calls the people of God to do and to join them. I'm going to ask if Jennifer Star and Jason Guyer will join me down front. We'll be available to pray with you at anything that's on your heart mind. But I'm going to invite you to stand. Let's just close in this song of worship.
[01:15:38] Speaker A: They say this mountain can't be moved.
They say these chains will never break.
But they don't know you like we do.
There is power in your name.
We've heard that there is no way through.
We've heard the title never change.
They have seen what you can do.
There is power in your name. So much, so much power in your name.
Move the immovable, break the unbreakable.
God we believe.
God, we believe Forever from the impossible we'll see a miracle.
God, we believe.
Yeah. God, we believe forever.
We know that hope is never lost.
For there is still an empty grave.
God, we believe no matter what There is power in your name. Oh, there's so much power, power. So much power in your name.
God, we believe.
God, we believe Forever impossible we'll see a miracle.
God, we believe.
God, we believe Forever way.
You are the way.
You are the way. When there seems to be the way.
We trust in you God, you have the final say.
You are the way with there seems to be no way. So we trust. We trust in you God, you have the final say.
You are the way. When there seems to be no way.
We trust in you God, you have the final say.
To be the immovable, break the unbreakable God we believe God we believe for it from the impossible we'll see a miracle God we believe God we believe for it we'll be immovable Break the unbreakable God we believe oh we believe God we believe for it could be impossible let's see a miracle God we believe God we believe for it.
This we believe we believe God.
[01:19:53] Speaker B: Thank you Jesus that you are with us that you are for us that you have a plan that we can put have confidence in your power that you are the way you will make a way we can trust in you Jesus and so thank you for this time together to worship to praise to to learn and glean from your word would we leave this place changed and transformed more like you Jesus following after you trusting you more pray all this in Jesus name Amen thank you so much for being here today More than welcome to keep coming up for prayer if you need it we will see you next week.
[01:21:07] Speaker A: Ram.
Sam.
