Exodus 3:4-6

Big Idea: God takes the initiative — calling you by name, confronting you with His holiness, and claiming you for His covenant.

I. God Calls by Name (v. 4)

God saw Moses turn aside — He was already watching before He ever spoke

"Moses, Moses!" — God called him by name, twice, like a father calling a runaway home

"Here I am" — the only honest response when God speaks first

You didn't wander into God — He hunted you down and He knows your name

Bridge: The God who called a burned-out shepherd in the middle of nowhere is calling you right now — in your mess, at your job, in your living room.

II. God Commands Holy Ground (v. 5)

"Do not come closer" — God drew a line; our sin can't just stroll up to His holiness

"Remove your sandals" — surrender, humility, laying down your defenses

"Holy ground" — God's presence made ordinary dirt sacred

The bush was just a bush — it was God's presence that changed everything

Bridge: God doesn't demand you clean yourself up before He'll meet you — but when He meets you, He'll change how you walk through every ordinary day.

III. God Claims the Covenant (v. 6)

"I am the God of your father" — God started close to home, then went deeper

"The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" — He keeps promises across generations

Moses hid his face — awe and fear is the right response to a covenant-keeping God

This is no new relationship — God is picking up a promise made centuries earlier

Bridge: The holy God who told Moses "don't come closer" is the same God who, through Jesus Christ, tore the veil open so sinners like us could come running home.