The Holy Call of the Holy God

Introduction

1. GOD IS WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES

You cannot “out-plan” God.

The timing of God’s plan is a part of His plan.

God’s plan is even in the desert.

2. GOD’S PLAN USES PEOPLE.

You don’t need to be perfect or powerful for God to use you.

God will prepare you for His work through you.

The preparation is not always pleasant.

The preparation may not seem practical.

The preparation may not look purposeful.

But the preparation is always planned.

3. GOD’S PLAN ALWAYS POINTS TO JESUS.

Exodus 3 (ESV)

1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Mount Horeb = Mount Sinai

Mountains are a significant part of Moses’ life:

Horeb - place of calling

Sinai - place of revelation (7x)

Pisgah - place of disappointment just shy of the Promised Land

2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

It has been forty years since Moses first entered Midian.

God Cares to Call You

God cares

The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage (Chapter 4. A Sneak Preview (3:11–7:7))

God bothered with Moses. That, in itself, is a marvellous truth, amply borne out as we look back from the vantage point of 3:1–2.

Remembering all that Moses tried to do on his own and failed, God still cared to call him.

You are called

Called to salvation

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

This will be a complete life change for Moses

When you respond to God’s calling, your life changes!

Called to holy life and kingdom mission

2 Timothy 1:8–9 (ESV)

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Called to eternal life

1 Peter 5:10 (ESV)

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

It is not as though some of us are called and some of us or not

Nor is it the case that God is hiding your calling

If you have yet to decide or understand what God’s calling is, it is not because he’s hiding from you. It is more likely that he is still preparing you — see the message on the previous chapter

So what do you do when waiting for God to show you your calling? Do it Moses did humbly wait.

for forty years he was a shepherd He assumed his calling would be linked with his abilities or status (as a prince) instead it was connected to his preparation. In the number one lesson that God wants to teach as he calls, someone is humility. Humility is the key to your calling. Feel free to tell God how much you know you could be used for him but in reality, he is looking for someone willing to be used by him

2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Angel of the Lord = theophany - God’s presence.

This is not simply a low-level angel - v4 shows it to be the Lord himself

The presence of God is holy

It is serious

fire - used in Bible to signify God’s presence

Gen 15 - With covenant with Abraham

Ex 19 - Sinai

1 ki 18 - Elijah and the prophets of Baal

Hebrews 12:29 (ESV)

29 for our God is a consuming fire

The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage (ii. The Imagery of Fire)

Holiness endangers the sinner because the holiness of the Lord is not a passive attribute but an active force, embracing all that conforms to it (Ps. 24:3–4) and destroying all that offends (1 Sam. 6:19–20).

Isaiah 6:3–5 (ESV)

3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

How many of us have experienced the holiness of God even close to this?

How would your life change if you were confronted with this level of God’s holiness?

God does not change. The holiness of God in Exodus is the holiness of God found in Granger.

We may misunderstand God’s holiness, but He is still holy.

We may forget about God’s holiness, but He is still holy.

We may neglect God’s holiness - living as though somehow God’s holiness is an OT concept or not real - but He is still holy.

Gods holiness

it is not as though God separated himself from us because of his holiness. No movement of separation was on our end.It is not as though God is a mean holy God, God’s holiness is an attribute of his goodness of his love of his perfection, attributes, we fall short of in our sin.Illustration: kind of like showing up to class in just your underwear, you are separate and different from everybody, and you may have fear, but is that because the other people are mean, some of you were like if you knew my middle school, the answer is yes! the separation the fear and the difference is because of you in your underwear and that those who are hole and fully clothed. Why is that the area y’all are taking notes on now? Why is that the piece you want to remember? :-)

The holiness of God is indeed, a fearful thing. But that only in relation to our sin. If, somehow, our sin could be dealt with, then we would find ourselves in the presence of the holy God of the universe in all of his beauty, his majesty, his love, and his goodness.

And so when we discuss the holiness of God, we must do so remembering that his holiness is not only serious it is also inviting

It is inviting

If God’s holiness was simply an attribute of God that causes him to burn with rage toward sinful people, He would have burned everything and everyone after Genesis 3

We must remember, it is our sin which excludes us from God and separates us from him- from his holiness.

But it is God’s holiness - his perfect love - that invites us in.

Despite the fact that God is holy and Moses (and we) are not, He still comes to Moses, calls Moses, and makes a way that Moses can be in his holy presence.

Remove sandals - why?

Did he step in something?

Did his sandals defile him? Certainly Moses did not only have a shoe problem.

The point is this — God makes a way (however incomplete in this case) for Moses to approach his holiness. And Moses was to respond to it.

Later, the priests will have another “incomplete” way to enter God’s holy presence - through the sacrifice of animals.

God is holy, and he is inviting you and I into the presence of his holiness, and he has made a way for us to do that — through Jesus

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Not only is God holy, but he is personal - He knew Moses’ father

7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

God comes to save!!

“I have come down to deliver them out of the had of the Egyptians and the rest is up to them.”

8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

God has come to save you from sin and TO SATISFACTION!

The gospel is not a get out of jail free card

ILLUST - you can stay home but you must . . . — only slightly better.

Matthew 13:44 (ESV)

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

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God sends people as he saves people

v8 - II have come down to deliver them

v10 - Come, I will send you

God’s plan uses people.

Could God have liberated the Israelites without Moses? YES - in fact, it may have been “easier” - if you can say that about the God who can do anything.

It is interesting that Jesus left the whole plan of God to a small group.

What if Moses refused? What if all the Israelites refused to be sent? God can still work, but his plan is through people.

God has called you to send you

“More than half (55%) of those who attend church at least once a month say they have not shared with someone how to become a Christian within the past 6 months.”

“More than a quarter (27%) rarely or never pray for an opportunity.

— LifeWay Research

So where has God called you? Well to begin start where you are where is God placed you

Secret place of humility. That’s a good place and see where he’s going.

God seeks to use humble men and women, we’re not interested and doing things their way, rather, they are interested, seeking God’s presence

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The

Transition to Communion:

There was another time when God came down to save his people.

Galatians 4:4 (ESV)

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

Philippians 2:5–11 (ESV)

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus does what no one else can.

Another significant mountain for Moses - one in the Promised Land.

Matthew 17:1–3 (ESV)

1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

After urging the Thessalonian believers to live holy lives and to call others to holiness, Paul reminds them:

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (ESV)

24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

You are called. You are sent