Listening to Jesus (2)

The last week or so we have been talking about trying to listen to God’s voice. We’ve said that the best way to do so is by seeing what the Bible says, and in turn, we will learn to know God’s voice the more we read the bible. On Wednesdays this month we will take a look at where we can start reading in the Bible, and what are some ways we can read it on our own time to see what it says.

Today, I want us to see a story in the Bible of what it looks like to recognize God’s voice. We saw last week how Samuel heard God’s voice and he told God “here I am” but today we will learn 1 way to experience for ourselves, what God is asking us to do and how we can know him more.

Exodus 3:1–7 NIV

1 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 wilderness 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. 7 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.

Exodus 3:9–10 NIV

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.”

Exodus 4:18 NIV

18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.” Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”

In these verses we see that Moses sees a bush that was burning. And if something is on fire, what happens? It burns up and just disappears or burns until the fire goes out. But this fire didn’t go out. So this caught Moses’ attention and he went over to see what it was. This brings me to my first point:

1. God wants your attention.

I firmly believe God wants you to know who he is. And He will do anything to show you how much he loves you. He loves you so much he’d fight sin all on his own. He would lay down your life for you. See, God sought out Moses because He had something to say to him. God does the same thing to us, see God’s Word is a burning light that never goes out. Its so bright, God’s Word can brighten up your day, it can guide you in your darkest times, but the most beautiful thing about God’s Word is that its a light that never goes out. You and I have to go see what it has to say, just like Moses did.

Moses goes up to the burning bush and he hears God’s voice calling out to him,

Exodus 3:4–5 NIV

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.”

2. Be respectful to God’s Word.

God tells Moses, you are about to enter a holy place, so take off your shoes. In other words, when we approach God’s Word, whether its on your own, or at church with everyone together, or just in the cottage while your in pajamas, we must come to God’s Word respectfully. The creator of the universe is about to share the Bible with you, don’t you want to be respectful towards it?

In some cultures when you come into somebodies house, you take your shoes off, this is similar to that. Moses took off his shoes to show God respect. I want to ask you a question to think about, you don’t have to answer, but how do you show God respect when you’re at church, or when you’re about to pray, or when you’re about to read the Bible?

God talks to Moses and he says this:

Exodus 3:6–7 NIV

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. 7 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.

Exodus 4:18 NIV

18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.” Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”

God told Moses, my people are hurting, and I need you to go and set them free. Well, I didn’t include these verses, but Moses came up with all these excuses. He said: “God, if I go people won’t listen to me, i’m a nobody.” God said “I will be with you” Moses said, “These people will ask laugh at me” God said I will be with you

Moses said “what if they don’t believe me?”

God said “i will be with you”

Moses said “I can’t talk to people, I stutter a lot”

God said “I will be with you”

Friends, it does not matter what our situation in life is, if God asked you to do it, and you do it, He will be by your side. Even if it means other will laugh, bully or abandon you, God will no leave you if you are walking in obedience.

We can know about God when we read the Bible. We’ve been learning about we’ve learned that God created everything, We’ve learned in our Sunday school classes about Jesus being God. We’ve learned Jesus healed people, he walked on water, We can easily see all the things He’s done. And the more we read the Bible the more we can learn about God. But do you want to get to know God? do you want to really get to know who he is? Obey Him. Bible studies are a really great way to know who God is, but obedience is how you get to know Him personally.

John 14:15–21 NIV

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Moses followed God’s command and God set his people free from slavery. The cool thing is that God wants to set you free from slavery too. But I’m not in slavery? The Bible teaches us that if any of us sin, we are a slave to sin. God does not want you to be a slave to sin, do you want to be a slave to sin? do you want to be set free from sin?

Last week I asked you if God was calling you to be free from sin. Is God calling you this week?