Sermon Tone Analysis

! Close Encounters Of The God Kind

!

A Close Encounter Through A Miraculous Revelation

Exodus 3:1-14

 

 

A couple of weeks ago, I went with my daughter to see the new movie, “Lost In Space.”

Of course the movie is based upon the TV show, which aired back in 1965.

The setting of the TV show is in the future, 1997 to be exact, when the Robinson family takes off in the Jupiter 2, America’s first colonization mission to Alpha Centauri.

However, a spy for a foreign country, Dr. Zachary Smith, sneaks on board and sabotages the mission by reprogramming the ship’s robot to destroy the Jupiter 2 after launch.

But Smith becomes trapped on board, and the Robinsons save the ship, but *not* before its guidance system is damaged, and the Jupiter 2 becomes lost in space.

*Well, the whole world has become “Lost In Space.”*

The whole world seems to be mesmerized with space, flying saucers, and alien encounters.

In the immortal words of the Robot, “Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!”

There is a danger in this fascination.

The world is looking for someone other than God!

The real encounter that we need is *not* with extraterrestrials, but with Jesus Christ!

We are presently involved in a series of messages entitled:  “Close Encounters Of The God Kind.”

This title is take from one of the most spectacular UFO science fiction films of all times.

It was entitled:  “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

In this series, we are studying close encounters with God, by likening them to close encounters with UFO’s.

When a person has a close encounter with a UFO, it cannot be totally explained.

When a person truly encounters God, something happens that he~/she cannot totally explain or rationalize.

They cannot totally explain it, because it is miraculous, supernatural, or spiritual.

When a person has a close encounter with a UFO, it is an experience that changes that person’s life forever.

When a person has a close encounter with the Jehovah God, it is an experience that changes that person’s life forever.

In first three sermons in this series, we worked hard to develop a definition for a “Close Encounter Of The God Kind.”

That definition is

 

A “Close Encounter Of The God Kind” is a face-to-face meeting with God that cannot be totally explained, but which—when fully experienced—will bring about a response of genuine worship or celebration, which includes the remembrance of a redemptive past and~/or the conviction of a liberated future that changes people forever; causing them to move and grow by over-recording the intuitive tapes of their core belief.

\\ In the fourth message in this series, we explored one of the major barriers to experiencing a close encounter with God.

We called that barrier:  “The Brain Barrier.”

“The Brain Barrier” *is the American, Greek influenced tendency to separate and exalt the intellect above the emotions.

*Jack Deere, in his book “/Surprised By The Power Of The Holy Spirit/,” talks about the same thing!

We then began to explore twelve “Close Encounters Of The God Kind,” through the lens of our definition.

In the fifth message, we explored Abraham’s first encounter with God.

In the sixth message, we explored God’s encountering of Abraham through a test.

In the seventh message, we explored God’s encountering of Jacob through a dream.

In the last message, we struggled to begin to develop a theology of dreams.

/(That brings us to the ninth message in this series.)/

In this message, we are going to explore God’s encountering of Moses through a miraculous revelation in the wilderness.

Moses had attempted to be the “Deliverer of Israel” through his own power.

In so doing, he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew.

This became known, so Pharaoh sought to kill Moses.

Because of this, Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian.

While Moses was on the back side of the desert, in training to be the “Deliverer of Israel,” after many days, the king of Egypt died and there arose another Pharaoh that did not know Joseph.

He put the Israelites in bitter bondage, but the sons of Israel cried to God because of their bondage.

The Bible then records that God heard the groaning of the children of Israel, remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and took notice of the children of Israel.

God hears the cries of His Children.

Therefore, men ought always to pray and never give up!

This is where we pick up the story.

Notice with me please Exodus 3:1-14.

As Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.

If you want more information about this mountain, you can get my last Sunday evening’s Communion message, entitled:  “It’s time to move!”

At Mount Sinai, the “angel of the Lord” encountered Moses in a burning bush that was *not* consumed by the fire.

The terminology of the “angel of the Lord” is used for Jehovah God.

So, Jehovah God encountered Moses!!!  *God took an ordinary bush and transformed it into a flaming manifestation of Himself!*  Moses had “A Close Encounter Of The God Kind.”

This was an experience that could *not* be totally explained and that would change Moses forever!

 

\\ /(I changed the message since I gave Cheryl those notes, so they may not match exactly.

So, just take the notes that you want.)/

One of the points that we have been making through this series is that God does not just encounter people to encounter them.

God encounters people to give them a God-sized assignment.

God encountered Moses through the miraculous revelation of the burning bush, to give Him the God-sized assignment of leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt.

/(And what was Moses response to this “Close Encounter Of The God Kind”?)/

In these messages, I am trying to show you how people who were encountered by God did more than intellectually dissect the encounter.

They fully entered into and fully experienced the encounter.

Certainly Moses responds with some intellectual inquisitiveness, but he responds with so much more of himself than just his intellect.

The text says in

 

Exodus 3:3, “So Moses said, ‘I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.’”

 

*When he did turn aside to see this marvelous sight, his intellectual inquisitiveness brought him to the place of full encounter with God.*  God spoke to him out of the midst of that burning bush.

God tells Moses to take off his sandals, because the place that he was standing on was holy ground.

*Isn’t God saying, “This is not just an intellectual lesson Moses, but an encounter and an experience?

Put down your parchment and your quill and come closer!”*

Moses’ response to this encounter is a genuine response of worship, which in this case is a conviction of a liberated future.

Moses’ response is twofold.

First, we assume that Moses obeyed God and took his sandals off of his feet.

*Obedience is one of the first and greatest forms of worship.*

Secondly, the encounter has moved far beyond Moses’ intellect, because he is afraid to do the very thing he first wanted to do, i.e. look.

He is no longer objectively observing the bush, but covering his face and eyes in fear.

Don’t miss the worship here!

*Reverential fear and covering one’s face and eyes in the presence of the Holy God is a form of worship!*

        *Now God reveals His purpose to Moses.*

He was encountering Moses, because He was calling and commissioning him to be the worship leader of the Children of Israel.

Because of God’s covenant with the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because of the cry of the children of Israel, and because of the bondage of the Egyptians, God was sending Moses to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian and lead them to the mountain of God to worship Him and then on to the Promised Land!

But Moses lacked confidence in his abilities to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, so he asked God, “What if the children of Israel ask what your name is?”  Now God gives Moses and even greater revelation of Himself.

It says in

 

Exodus 3:14, “And God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “I am has sent me to you.”’”

Moses’ genuine response of worship, which in this case was the conviction of a liberated future, changed him forever and overwrote the intuitive tapes of his core beliefs.

Moses intuitive tapes are obvious.

They had to be playing something like, “You can’t do that?

You aren’t equipped to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?

You don’t speak good enough to accomplish that?

You aren’t big enough to tangle with Pharaoh?  Besides, you are wanted for murder!

How are you going to handle that?”

After a great deal more interaction with God, Moses’ intuitive tapes were over-recorded by God.

Moses developed a conviction of a liberated future for the Children of Israel and himself.

He finally accepted God’s calling and returned to Egypt, miraculously delivered the Children of Israel from Egypt—and the rest is history!

/(So, how do we apply the truth in this encounter to our lives?)/

Well, one of the questions that we must entertain is, “Does God still encounter people through miraculous revelations of Himself?”

The reason that we must entertain this question is that some people don’t believe that God still reveals Himself miraculously.

But before we discuss God miraculously revealing Himself, let’s discuss some other forms of divine revelation.

*The only way that Mankind can know God is if God chooses to reveal Himself to Mankind.*

One of those ways of revelation is general revelation.