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Introduction
Tonight and throughout the rest of December, I am going to bring a few thoughts from different Scripture passages.
There is no series.
Each message will be different message.
My reason is we are done with James.
We will also be going to a different Sunday evening format in January.
Therefore, I decided to just preach some different messages as we close out this year.
I want to direct your attention to the book of Exodus and to the life of Moses.
Over the past few weeks and in several of our studies (i.e, 1 Corinthians, James, as well as the Names of God), there has been a focus on our service to the Lord.
Even the message this morning focused on Mary and Joseph’s willingness to be useful instruments for God.
That focus continues this evening with this thought?
Outside of faith and obedience, what is needed when it comes to serving the LORD?
I hope to answer that question by taking a look a the moment God revealed Himself to Moses and enlisted Moses to serve Him.
Our text is Exodus 3:4-5
Most of us here tonight know that this the burning bush story.
Moses, whose name means “drawn out,” was drawn from his duties as shepherd when he saw a bush on fire but not being consumed by the fire.
The story of Moses’ life is well documented in Scripture.
Moses was born of Israelite parents in Egypt.
His father’s name was Amram according to Exodus 6:18
His mother name was Jochebed.
His family was a slave family as were all the Israeli families at the time of his birth.
Times were difficult and quite perilous for the Jews.
In fact, at the time of his birth, Pharoah issued a royal edict ordering the execution of Israeli males at birth.
As we know, when Moses was born, his mother took extreme measures to hide him.
Later when she could no longer keep him quiet, she made basket of reeds, placed him in it, and committed him to Jehovah as she placed in the Nile River.
Pharaoh’s daughter found him and took him in.
She also secured a Hebrew woman to nurse him.
Unknown to her, the Hebrew woman chosen was indeed Moses’ own mother.
Isn’t God great and gracious?
Moses spent the first forty years of his life in Pharaoh’s court.
When Moses became an adult, he began to reconnect with his people.
As he did, he saw the oppression they were suffering at the hands of the Egyptians.
He observed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew.
Moses, in anger, slew the Egyptian and tried to hide his crime.
Later, he came across two Hebrews arguing.
As he tried to intervene and make peace, one of them reminded him that he had killed the Egyptian.
The words of Numbers 32:23 “23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.” came true for Moses.
Knowing that his crime was not hidden and knowing that Pharaoh would seek justice, Moses ran and fled to Midian.
He then spent the next forty year in seclusion as a lowly shepherd.
While there, he found favor in the home of Jethro and he also found a wife of Jethro’s daughter, Zipporah.
All of which brings us to our text.
Moses is still shepherding.
He is with his sheep on the backside of the desert right near the foot of Mount Horeb.
It is then that he sees the burning bush and turns aside to admire its spectacle.
It in this miracle that we find three essential elements for serving the Lord.
Here is the first.
Revelation from God is NECESSARY for Serving Him!
Look at Exodus 3:2
Obivously this bush and the fire caught his attention.
Once it did, Moses stopped to observe it more closely.
He eagerly investigated it as he was quite curious to the reason it was not being consumed.
As he did, note several things God revealed about Himself to Moses from the burning bush.
God Revealed His Power
The fact that God used fire should not be lost on us.
God often used fire as symbol of His great power.
In fact, what power is demonstrated here.
Fire is destructive.
Anything touched by fire turns to ash.
Yet, here is the bush (no doubt a very dry bush being it was located in the desert) on fire, yet not destroyed.
From Moses’ vantage point, something more powerful than fire was happening here.
What could it be?
Well, as we know, it was God.
As I said before, this was not the only time God used fire to reveal Himself to men.
Later, as God leads Israel out of Egypt, what does He use?
Then, when all of Israel stood before Him at Mount Sinai we read the following.
Fast forward to King Solomon and we find this.
He did the same for Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1.
I will not read that account due to time.
However, we see God revealing Himself to Daniel utilizing fire as well.
In the New Testament, Hebrews 12:29 tells us...
You see one of the things we must never lose sight of is the awesome and mighty power of God.
There are so many examples from Scripture of God’s great power.
Yet, for some reason, we often think God can’t do this or do that.
Yet, we know that God can do anything.
We just need to be reminded.
Moses got a great glimpse of God’s power in that burning bush, but as he committed to serving the LORD Moses went on to see even mightier works.
From the plagues to the parting of the Red Sea and on to so many other great miracles, God demonstrated again and again just how powerful He is.
Folks, there is no reason we should be afraid to serve the Lord.
He is our God and He is a consuming fire.
If He be for us, who, may I ask, can be against us.
Here is the next thing God revealed to Moses.
God Revealed His Holiness
Look again at Exodus 3:5
What kind of ground was Moses standing on?
It was Holy Ground.
What was it holy ground?
It was the same ground God was standing on.
Let me pose this question to you to ponder for a moment.
Are we, as believers, not standing on holy ground each and every day of our lives?
The answer is yes.
We have God’s Spirit residing within us.
If that is case (and it is), then are we not standing in the presence of God each day and, thus, on holy ground?
I believe we are often too quick to forget that fact.
What was it that God instructed Moses to do as he stood on that holy ground?
He told him to remove his shoes.
That is interesting thing for God to tell Moses to do.
I mean when you consider that fact that shoe protect you from dirt and briers.
Yet, here God says remove your shoes.
The removal of shoes in the presence of another is an act of humility.
It is known historical fact that in ancient times and cultures, servant wore no shoes.
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