Finding God

Series- Life Liberated

Text- Exodus 3:1-6, et al.

Sermon- Finding God

Introduction

Ice Cream Fellowship- August 28 after Family Meeting Baptism Sunday- 9/11 Read Exodus 3:1-6 Often times, people are looking for God.

You hear from folks, that they found God. But what you’ll see today is that when you fee like you’ve found God, in reality God was searching for you first. Last ask two questions today-

Where can God be found? How do you know if you’ve found him? Life Liberated- Where can he be found?

Exodus 3:1 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. Moses is on the west side of the wilderness.

Why: On the run. Didn’t intend to be there. It’s been 40 years there. Similarly, For us-

The wilderness is when life has taken a detour. Moses is somewhere he didn’t intend to be. Hes in the wilderness, but also He’s on the west side of the wilderness. It’s a detour within a detour. Trained in Pharoah’s court, now this? He’s at a dead end. At least, that’s what he thinks. The wilderness is a place where you just kinda wake up, go to work, go home, have a little fun, repeat day after day. Maybe you deal with the meaninglessness you get hooked on sports, sex, money, leisure, new cars, new clothes, new jobs, because you have to drown out the fact that your life is basically going no where. Every day, ever week, every year you do the same thing. It’s a rut. The only difference between a rut and a grace is that the rut has the ends kicked out. That’s the wilderness. Where am I? Where am I going? What am I doing? What’s the point? The wilderness is a place of emptiness. And friends, Emptiness is a shackle that holds you back. And this is a reality for both Christians and everyone else. Back in Genesis 1:2, that was the state of the earth- formless tohu and void bohu .

It was chaotic wasteland. Same word in Is 24:10- city of waste. When you feel like your life is empty and pointless- that’s the wilderness.

The bad news is you can die in the wilderness. The good news is, God is in the wilderness. In the Bible, God changes lives in the wilderness. In the wilderness, God got Moses’ attention.

He’s trying to get yours. 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.” God shows up in a way that Moses cannot explain.

He’s attracted to the fact that a common bramble bush is engulfed in flames, but it is not burning up. This sight doesn’t fit into his understanding of how the world works. Transition

Friends, listen- Dead ends, wildernesses, detours- all of these are opportune moments for you to find God. God is always seeking us out when the wrong thing is happening, when we are in the wrong job, when we have the wrong relationships, when we get the wrong diagnosis. To be liberated from the shackles of emptiness, you have to find God in the wilderness. But how do we find him, and how do we know what we’ve found is God? Life Liberated- You have to desire the only God who is.

First, to find God you have to turn aside.

V4- 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.” He turned aside. That’s what you have to do if you want to find God. That means he stopped the touting busy-ness of his life and looked and considered. But see, many are going to miss God because use simply aren’t willing to turn aside. It’s not that you’re a bad person, it’s that we won’t do the simplest thing- turn aside. Meaning look, think, reflect on burning bushes. A burning bush is test where you see something that doesn’t match up with our understanding of how the world works.

Couple of normal examples-

Your deep unhappiness is a burning bush.

See, we think we can just take a pill, get a little counseling, drink some, eat some, buy some new stuff, get a better car, better house, better spouse, but really it’s a burning bush. Here’s how I know- you’ll do all that stuff, and you’re stil deeply unhappy. But we have to have to have someone or something to blame. So we blame our job, our boss, our spouse, our kids. She’s too this, she’s too that, but really even if you change all that, there is still an emptiness at the bottom. You can get all the counseling, take all the meds, drink all the drinks, eat all the food, indulge in all the pleasure and it’ll never touch the spiritual emptiness that’s fueling your unsettledness. Failing Health is a burning bush.

Here’s what we think- If I was healthier, more fit, less sick, I’d be happier. And yet, i’ve walked with countless people through sickness, and even into death. I’ve seen tremendous joy in sick and dying people. My friend Neal Webb, before he died from ALS had gone from climbing mountains all over the world, to losing his mobility, and his voice in a matter of months. And yet he said, “I still have my joy.” A pastor friend of mine, Bill Wade, is currently dying from pancreatic cancer, supposedly a few months to live, yet he goes to do his pastoral work every day with great joy. And yet, at the very same time, I’ve seen some, very healthy, and very miserable. See none of this reality syncs up with what we think ought to be true. It’s a burning bush that is not being consumed. Friends, if you want a life liberated from emptiness, you HAVE to turn aside.

Each day of your life is a test. God is giving you the answers to the test every Sunday, and every time you crack open his word. The only way you’ll see God in the burning bushes in your life is if you have the answers to the test. You have to take the simple steps of just some basic diligence.

If you do, you’ll see God at work. Burning bushes will start to make sense. Second, because you’ll know what he’s like.

You can’t see God in the burning bush unless you know what he’s like.

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.” God is the fire in the bush.

Hebrews 12:29- Our God is a consuming fire. God as fire means- he’s a living, spiritual, personal being. Multi-dimensional. 81% of Americans believe in a god.

But for many, perhaps most, he’s not fire. He’s one dimensional, for example. Many religious people say- I believe in a God who condemns sinners, and punishes the wicked. Many seculars say- I believe in a God who doesn’t judge me or tell me what to do. I believe in a God who meets my needs. But God is fire- that means he’s alive, moving, working, warming, comforting, and yet also burning and consuming.

The only way to find God in the bush is to know he’s fire. Here’s why we don’t see him.

Exodus 3:14- I am who I am. He’s saying- I am who I am, I’m not the God you want me to be. I am not the God you are naturally looking for. The God who is- Will light up your life with meaning and purpose, and contradict you.

He’s going to come into your life, comfort you, but also change you. That’s what fire does. But how can we find him, and approach him without being consumed?

Look at Lev 10- Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ Nadab and Abihu found God. But it went badly. Moses in Exodus 3, approaches God, but he’s not burned up, why? Third, to find God, you have to go to him in the manner he’s prescribed- through a mediator.

In Ex 3, Moses isn’t killed, and the bush isn’t consumed, why? Several clues:

Look back at v2 for a clue. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. Look at verse 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. Holy Ground- Why? God’s presence makes it holy. Take off your shoes- that means worship me. Moses is scared that he might die. He hides his face. But God calls out to Moses and Moses answers. How can this be? Angel of the Lord The Angel of the Lord is the mediating presence in the bush.

But the Angel is not just any angel.

Two clues. First, you don’t worship Angels. Rev 22:9 An angel tells a man not to worship him, but this one is actually commanding worship. Second, the angel speaks down in verse 14. I am what I am. You’re asking, isn’t that God speaking? Why, yes it is. So then who is it?

Years later, religious leaders are arguing with a young teacher fresh on the scene. They say- Jn 8:53- Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be? The teacher responds- Jn 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. And there it is. Jesus is saying...

I am the God who is. I am not the God you want. I am the glory of God that comforts and consumes. I am the mediating presence for Moses. I am the God in the bush. 1 Tim 2:5- For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, And not only is Jesus the mediating presence for Moses, but Jesus is the mediating presence for you. If you want a life liberated, you have to know that the God who made you is fire, and you have to come to him through his mediator.

You have to see that the preincarnate son of God in the bush, is the incarnate son of God who hung on a cross for you. By faith in Jesus, you can be embraced by the God who is fire, and not consumed, because Jesus Christ went and died for your sins on the cross, and transfers you to, by faith, his righteousness, and the glory of God comes into your life and makes you clean and holy before him. The Preincarnate Son of God is the glory of God in the bush and he’s calling out to you. Will you turn aside? Will you see? Fourth, to find God you have to respond to his call.

God calls out to Moses, and Moses says, “Here I am.” You need to respond. First, you need to believe that Jesus Christ is your mediator.

You have to know you need one, and you have to know he’s it. He lived the life you should have lived, and died the death you should have died. God treats you as if you’ve done everything Jesus has done, and treats Jesus as if he’d done everything you’ve done. Jesus Christ endures the fire of God, so that if you trust him, you’ll never have to. You have to see him doing that for you. Second, if you can see that being done for you personally, you’ll become a burning bush.

There was absolutely nothing special about Moses. He wasn’t a particularly good guy. He wasn’t a good speaker. He was nothing more than a common field bush. But he became something unexplainable when God decided to call him over, and send him out. Friends, if you’ve been called to God, you’ve been sent into this world, to all the places where you live, work, learn, and play. The very same glory that was in the bush so that Moses could see it from across the valley is available to come into your life, and light up your life so that the whole world can come and see. If you see Jesus Christ mediating for you, you’ll become someone who is unexplainable.

Fears, but confidence. Worries, but hope. Courage, and humility. God is calling you... hOw do you respond? Band/Pray

Christians-

When you go to work tomorrow, are you a burning bush? Is there an uncommon light in you? Is the glory of God radiating in your life so that people see something in you that they can’t explain? If that’s not you... what can you do now? Turn aside. Come over. See God as fire. Take off your shoes. Worship him. Come and pray. God, make me burn with your glory so that many would turn aside and see. If you’ve been searching for meaning, and freedom let me ask you four questions. Just respond right there in your heart.

Do you now understand that God is fire?

He’s alive with power and beauty. Do you now understand that Jesus Christ is the mediating presence in the fire?

Through Jesus you can approach God and not be consumed. Do you want the glory of God to come into your life, and turn you into a burning bush? If you said yes, then it’s time to respond. Walk down these aisles, and come talk to me, and I’ll help you receive Christ.