God's Call, Our Response

Prayer

Bigger & Bolder Versus Safety & Security

John and I were talking the other day about all the trails that they’ve built over at the Meeks Mountain Trails (they have over 30 miles of trails now, started in November 2018 - so, in four and a half years, 30 miles of trails). In September, in case you’re interested, they’re hosting a 100K trail run. You heard me right, 100 kilometers. 62 miles. You can split it three ways, but apparently some people - I have no idea who - run the whole thing themselves. It starts at 6:00 a.m. and they cut it off at midnight - apparently, 18 hours is plenty of time to run 62 miles.

That kind of event speaks to this strange, at times conflicting, desire we have as people. On the one hand, we have this desire for something bigger and better, adventure, thrill, risk - like running 62 miles up and down mountain trails…and on the other, we desire safety, security, comfort - no, thanks, I’ll watch.

It varies among us - some of us live for the extreme experiences, while others will avoid them at all costs, a little more risk averse. But I think all of us have both of these to some degree.

This push towards risk taking, more adventuresome comes out in many ways - it might be extreme sports: rock climbing (some go without belay), scuba diving (caves), starting a business, financial investments, relationally, some folks always up for something new - trying new foods, traveling to exotic places.

But then we have more of the safety side, side that prefers security, the familiar, the comfortable - hobbies and activities on the quieter side (walking, gardening), money - save slowly and surely, job that offers steady paycheck, security, relationally you tend to stick with the people you already know, stick with foods you know, travel to same places - or you just stay home.

This tension is at the heart of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, especially with the main characters, Frodo and Sam, two of the Hobbits. The Hobbits, apparently, prefer a quiet, comfortable life in the Shire - and then these two find themselves in this grand adventure - the kind they write stories about - of trying to destroy the ring of power. It takes them way out of their comfort zone - but they rise to the occasion (and just happen to save Middle Earth).

Here’s why I raise this - God is calling us into something bigger and better - into ministry, into his work, into sharing the love of Jesus Christ. And it’s one of those things that pushes us out of that safety and comfort into risky adventure.

Story of Moses is a perfect example of this. He’s being invited by God into something grand, it’s huge - problem is he’d settled into a nice, quiet life. When God comes to him, he’s afraid, hesitant.

We’re in the thick of our journey through the story of the Old Testament, and last week we started into the book of Exodus. We saw that the situation of Israelites had changed significantly from the end of Genesis, where Jacob’s family was experiencing the best of Egypt had to offer due to Joseph.

But as the decades and even centuries roll by, Jacobs family grows and grows. And the Egyptians fear the increasing number of Israelites, so they enslave them. But the numbers increase, so the Egyptians become even more oppressive, commanding the death of any boys born to the Hebrews.

We finished last week with Moses’ birth (middle of Exodus 2), which was possible because of risky and amazing work of the Hebrew midwives and Moses’ family to save him. Moses ends up being raised as Pharaoh’s daughter’s son. That’s where we’re going to pick up the story, though we going to jump ahead a bit and then come back and fill in those gaps as we go along. Our focus this is morning is on God’s call - and our response.

A Nice Quiet Life Disrupted

In Exodus 3, we find Moses as an older man, he’s 80 years old, he’s living a nice quiet life, as he has been for the last 40 years. He’s been in the land of Midian, working as a shepherd for his father-in-law. He’s married to a Midian woman, Zipporah, and together they have a son by the name of Gershom. About as safe and quiet and risk-free life as you might imagine…that changes drastically.

Moses is out tending his father-in-law’s flock, he’s taken the sheep to the far side of the wilderness, to Mount Horeb - where he comes across an incredibly strange sight - a bush, on fire, but it is not burning up. It just keeps burning and burning. And within those flames in that bush an angel of the Lord appears.

This he has to see - what’s going on here? And as he goes to investigate, God calls to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”. Moses’ responds, “Hineni!” Here I am. It’s this phrase that suggests a readiness to serve - here I am, what do you have for me?

In midst of this we get a profound sense of the holiness of what’s happening here. God warns him - do not come any closer. Take off your sandals. The place where you are standing is holy ground. This is clearly not just another day tending the flocks - God is preparing Moses, he wants him to feel the weight of this moment, what he’s about to say, because something big is about to happen. The effect works - as God declares himself, Moses is so overwhelmed - so filled with the fear of God, he hides his face.

Then God reveals why he has appeared to Moses in such a strange and holy manner, Exodus 3:7-10 - The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

So this is the big thing about to happen - and it’s amazing, huge. It’s been over 400 years, and God is finally stirred to action. He’s heard the cry of his people and he is going to act. He is going to rescue them from their enslavement.

Not just free them - he’s going to honor the promise he made so long ago to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. He’s going to lead them into the land he’d promised them. They have the numbers now, they’ve grown into a large people group, but no home. Now, into a good and spacious land, a bountiful land.

It’s finally happening. And not just that it’s happening - but, Moses, God says, I’m going to do it through you. You’re the one I’ve handpicked for the job - to go right up to Pharaoh and tell him that the Lord God is taking his people out of Egypt. This is God’s call.

And here’s Moses’ response…wait, what? There’s got to be a mistake. I am not the man for job. I’ve got this safe, quiet life - as amazing as that sounds, I don’t think this is going to work. Moses literally goes through a litany of excuses, some more legitimate than others.

His first is, who am I? I’m a nobody. A Hebrew who grew up in Pharaoh’s household, now living as a foreigner in Midian as a shepherd for the last forty years.

And then, even if I did go, what I am supposed to say when they ask me who you are? In other words, they’re going to be awfully suspicious if I just show up and say, God told me to do this. In fact, that’s his next objection - what if they don’t believe me or they just ignore me?

As God responds to all his objections, he starts reaching for excuses - Listen, God, I’m not very good at public speaking. Not very eloquent, slow of speech. At the very end, he just comes out and says what he’s really thinking…Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.

Moses, like all of us in one way or another, is scared. This is a huge task, filled with some serious risk. God is calling him to go up to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh, you know those thousands and thousands of slaves you’ve had for hundreds of years, that cheap labor that’s helped you with all these major construction projects - you need to let them go. It’s time for them to leave.” But that’s just the half of it - it’s not just to get the Israelites out of Egypt, but go into the land of the Canaanites - land none of them have ever seen and land that the Canaanites probably don’t want to give up.

It’s huge - but how incredible would this be! Freedom! No longer under the oppressive hand of the Egyptians. Their own land. Their own nation - and good land, plenty of room, fertile.

But Moses leans toward safety. Send someone else, not me. I’d rather stay here, my quiet, safe life, watching sheep is more my speed now. I’d rather not be a part of what you’re doing. He’s afraid.

But God is determined to do this - and he is the Lord God. And I want to spend some time on the bigger picture, what Moses isn’t seeing in this moment that’s keeping him from this grand adventure of joining in on God’s saving work

God has been preparing him for this his whole life, he is the man for this job. This is true for all of us - we’ve all been unique gifted to share in good works God has just for each of us: Ephesians 2:10, For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We see this in part of Moses’ story we skipped over, the last part of Exodus 2...Moses had an absolutely unique upbringing - a Hebrew who grew up in Pharaoh’s household. He was a man of two worlds. Although he didn’t feel like he belonged to either one of them, it actually prepared him to be the one person perfectly suited to lead this, a Hebrew familiar with all the ways of Pharaoh and the royal palace.

It wasn’t just his upbringing, we see Moses’ gifts - two in particular stick out. One, he had a strong sense of justice and two, in spite of his many years in quiet life, he’s actually a man of action, a man who will step up, a leader.

When Moses turns forty, he leaves the safety of the palace and starts wandering on the Hebrew side of town. He sees a Hebrew being beaten by an Egyptian - and he doesn’t just stand idly by, he intervenes, he steps in (which is a bold move). Sees injustice - even though he grew up with all the privileges of Pharaoh’s household, he knows this oppression is wrong. He has a heart for his people. You see his leadership here - he’s willing to do something about it.

Problem is, he goes too far. Way too far. He kills the Egyptian. He knows he’s gone too far, so he buries the body in the sand. Next day he sees two Hebrews fighting, one mistreating the other - again, this strong sense of justice and this willingness to take action, be a leader - so again he intervenes, confronting the man mistreating the other.

But it doesn’t go very well - they snub their nose at him - who the heck do you think you are? You going to kill us like you killed the Egyptian? Yikes - he thought he’d gotten away with his crime, but word has gotten out. His efforts to help his fellow Hebrews was an abysmal failure and now he’s wanted for murder. That’s when he flees to Midian.

But even there, we see these same two gifts enacted - he comes upon the daughters of a Midianite by the name of Reuel, who are trying to get water for their flocks, but some other shepherds drive them away - that is, until Moses intervenes, helping the women to get the needed water for their flock. There’s that justice, that willingness to act, right a wrong, lead.

That action ends up with an invitation to Reuel’s home and eventually the gift of Reuel’s daughter, Zipporah, as his wife, and his quiet life as a shepherd for the next forty years.

That is, until the fateful day when he encounters God at the burning bush and God calls him to action. To be a part of the justice, the saving work he is going to do for the Israelites, to lead them. To use his gifts and his unique life experience for the job God has just for him.

Not just that God has gifted Moses for this, called him to it, but ultimately it isn’t even about Moses and whether or not he can do this. God reminds him in no uncertain terms - this is my work - I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians. I have come to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land. I’m doing this. It’s happening. I don’t need you to make this happen, but I’m inviting you to partner with me, to play a role in my salvation work. We hear this over and over again as God responds to Moses’ repeated objections.

When Moses asks God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites?” God doesn’t try to convince him that he can do it, he says this instead, “I will be with you.” In other words, Moses, this isn’t about you, I’m making this happen. Trust me. Trust my presence, my power - don’t look to your lack of abilities, look to me, my power, my faithfulness, my working.

When Moses resists God by throwing out the possibility that the Israelites will ask about his name when he tells them that the God of their fathers has sent him, we read God’s response in Exodus 3:14, God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” I am who I am. God reveals himself in a new way, with a new name. Name suggests pure existence, pure being. He’s the eternal God, the one who has always existed and alway will. He is the source of everything. Everything is dependent upon him. If he wants to do this, he can and will do this. I AM. That’s his name and that’s who’s sending you.

And when Moses persists -what if they don’t believe me or listen to me?, God shares some of his divine power with him by giving him the power to do three signs - turn a staff into a snake (and back again), put his hand into his cloak, where it turns leprous - and put it in a second time and it’s completely healed, cleansed. And if those two aren’t enough, turn water into blood.

Then Moses starts making excuses, I’ve never been eloquent. I’m slow of speech. And God is like, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who gives the gift of speech (hint, it’s me!). Time after time, God is reminding Moses of who he is. His power, his strong arm. His promises. I am the Lord and I will do this. Quit focusing on yourself and trust me.

Moses’ final weak response…please, send someone else. God’s anger burns at him (quit making excuses!). But God doesn’t act out of his anger, he relents by promising to have Aaron, Moses’ brother, accompany him and be the spokesperson. But, you are going to do this. So, go!

We have this same tension! We, to varying degrees, like safety, security, comfort, the familiar. But there’s also part of us that knows we were called to be about something greater, something bigger, bolder - what will involves risks, this sense of adventure - leaning into our fears.

Because we are called to something far, far greater. God is inviting us to join him in his work, his salvation work - God wants to set his people free from bondage of sin, to rescue them from death, and bring them the into Promised Land, into life with him in the Kingdom of God.

This is in fact, the very purpose of church - to join with God in this great work, this is what we are called to - Matthew 28:18-20…Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Question is - how will we respond? With hesitation and fear - that’s our tendency (it certainly has been mine)? Like Moses, we resist, want to stick with the comfortable, the safe. After all, we may be rejected, we may look foolish, it may cause some awkwardness.

But how amazing is it that God is calling us - us - to be a part of this amazing work? This is bigger than what God was doing with Israelites through Moses - as big as that was! (hundreds of thousands of people being saved from slavery). But we’re being called to share in God’s work to help bring others from death into life. From woundedness into healing. From the self-slavery of sin into the freedom of life with Jesus. There is no greater rescue work than this, no greater calling.

Spiritual Disciplines - I want to offer you two ways to put this into practice, two spiritual disciplines

First is to make a prayer of self-offering a regular practice. When God first called Moses, he responded with “Hineni!”, here I am. It was a response of readiness, what do you want from me? (now, later, he said, pardon your servant, Lord, please send someone else - he wasn’t that ready). But the idea is to continually make ourselves ready and willing to serve God in whatever capacity he calls us, to live into the good works he hand-crafted us for, prepared in advance.

Living with Gospel intentionality - Living with trust that God is putting me in places where I can share good news of Jesus with others, wherever that may be. Wherever he already has me - in my neighborhood, within my family, at my workplace. Live with an openness to Holy Spirit to guide and lead. I’m praying for those people.

It means for us as a church to be intentional about being in this neighborhood (by the way, so pleased with how it went last time - keep it up).

It may mean a willingness to get involved with Capernaum, to become a helper or leader - because we’re changing lives (conversations with Judy, Chris Reger)

But it’s a recognition that, like Moses, God has called and commanded us to be a part of the rescue he has for this world - the gift of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ.

Is it scary…yes! Are we equipped? Yes, God has shaped you, given you particular gifts. Most importantly, is God with us? Yes - Matthew 28:20, And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

This is his great and grand work - we’re fortunate enough to be called to be a part of it.