A Call to Commitment

"A Call to Commitment"

TEXT: ;

Exodus 3:1–6 NLT

1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” 4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. 5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

Exodus 3:10–12 NLT

10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

2 Then the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.

3 So Moses thought: I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?

4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.

5 “Do not come closer,” He said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

6 Then He continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the LORD said, “I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings.

8 I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

9 The Israelites’ cry for help has come to Me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

10 Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses asked God, “WHO am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”

CIT: God called Moses to complete commitment

THESIS: God calls every believer to total commitment

M/O: Consecrative

S/O: Christians will surrender in total commitment to Christ

TITLE: "A Call to Commitment"

INTRODUCTION

A. Background

1-Moses presents one of the most persuasive lessons on commitment to God. God challenged him to a seemingly impossible commitment in his life.

on commitment to God. God challenged him to a

seemingly impossible commitment in his life.

a- God is not satisfied with "just" Saints. He wants us to live under the Lordship of Christ.

to live under the Lordship of Christ.

2- Moses’ life and call:

a- 40 years old when he saw a fellow Hebrew being mistreated by an Egyptian. Moses was not yet ready for God's call.

mistreated by an Egyptian. Moses was not yet ready for God's call.

b- He fled Egypt and tended sheep for 40 years on the back side of the Midian Desert.

back side of the Midian Desert.

c- When he was 80 years old, God called him from the mist of the burning bush.

mist of the burning bush.

1) Many times you and I fail to hear God because we're too busy doing "our own thing".

we're too busy doing "our own thing".

3- Moses Answers God's Call

a- It was a call to awesome responsibility:

1) To lead, be statesman, guide, counselor, and Judge of Israel.

Judge of Israel.

b- It was a call to return to Egypt and deliver God's people.

people.

B. Bewildered

1- We have been blessed with every physical and spiritual blessing, and yet are not making an impact on the lost world around us.

blessing, and yet are not making an impact on the lost

world around us.

a-The reason is: We lack the key-total commitment to Christ.

Christ.

2- Why are we not committed?

a-To answer that, we must handle four basic questions:

I. WHO IS GOD? (,).

13 Then Moses asked God, “IF I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I tell them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”

A. He is The God of the FOREFATHERS (, )

Exodus 3:6 NLT

6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

Exodus 3:13 NLT

13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

1. The God of the OLD TESTAMENT FOREFATHERS.

a. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

2. The God of the NEW TESTAMENT FOREFATHERS

a. Peter, John, James and Paul

B. He is THE GREAT "I AM"

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Exodus 3:14 NLT

14 God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.”

1. The ever living, ever present God

a. He ever lives to intercede for us

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save those who come to God through Him, since He always

Hebrews 7:25 NLT

25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

lives to intercede for them.”

b. He is ever present with us for comfort and strength

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fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your

Psalm 23:4 NLT

4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

staff—they comfort me.”

(,)

Hebrews 13:5 NLT

5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

8. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and

Hebrews 13:8 NLT

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

forever.”

C. HE IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY ()

Exodus 3:15 NLT

15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.

1. His name speaks of His power

a. "YHWH Elohim" = Lord, God of all POWER

2. His creation speaks of His power

a. He "created" - made what we see from nothing (man invents from what is, God creates from what is not)

from what is, God creates from what is not)

II. WHO AM I? ()

Exodus 3:12 NLT

12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

A. You are somebody

1. Because God created you

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Him not one thing was created that has been created.”

John 1:3 NLT

3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

a. illustration: Plaque "I am me and I am good because God don't make no junk!"

make no junk!"

b. When God finished creation--all was according to His plan—He announced it was "good"

He announced it was "good"

2. Because He accepted you in Jesus

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Ephesians 1:6 NLT

6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

favored us with in the Beloved.”

a. He sent His only begotten Son to die for you--You are somebody to God!

Somebody to God!

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us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The

1 John 3:1 NLT

1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him.”

3. Because He lives in You

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you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit

of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it

John 14:16–17 NLT

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him,

because He remains with you and will be in you.”

a. The Holy Spirit indwells and empowers your life.

III. TO WHOM DO I BELONG? ()

obey me but say, ‘THE LORD did not appear to you’?”

2 The LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he

replied.

3 Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the

ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from it,

4 but the LORD told him, “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the

tail.” So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a

staff in his hand.

5 “This will take place,” He continued, “so they will believe that

Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of

Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 In addition the LORD said to him, “Put your hand inside your

cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it

out, his hand was diseased, white as snow.

Exodus 4:1–12 NLT

1 But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” 2 Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. 3 “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. 4 Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand. 5 “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.” 6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out again, his hand was white as snow with a severe skin disease. 7 “Now put your hand back into your cloak,” the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back in, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body. 8 The Lord said to Moses, “If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign. 9 And if they don’t believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground.” 10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” 11 Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

7 Then He said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” He put his

hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it had again

become like the rest of his skin.

8 “If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence

of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign.

9 And if they don’t believe even these two signs or listen to what you

say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground.

The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the

ground.”

10 But Moses replied to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been

eloquent—either in the past or recently or since You have been

speaking to Your servant—because I am slow and hesitant in

speech.”

11 Yahweh said to him, “Who made the human mouth? Who makes

him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

12 Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.”

A. You belong to God

1. This was a lesson Moses had to learn the hard way.

a. God reminded Moses who had made him and to whom he belonged.

belonged.

2. You and I belong to God

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sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NLT

19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price.

Therefore glorify God in your body.”

a. By right of creation

b. By right of redemption

IV. WHY AM I HERE? ()

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My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses asked God, “WHO am I that I should go to Pharaoh

Exodus 3:10–12 NLT

10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the

sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out

of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”

A. God had Moses on earth for a purpose

1. He had a task for Moses to perform; that is why his life had been spared as an infant.

been spared as an infant

B. God has a purpose for you being alive

1. To Glorify God ()

1 Corinthians 6:20b NLT

20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

2. To Lead others to Glorify Him

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Ephesians 1:11–12 NLT

11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. 12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.

CONCLUSION:

Do you believe the Bible--God's Word? I believe you do ...We've looked at the four basic questions that have to do with your commitment to Christ... In light of the Scriptural Answers: what could possibly allow you to live your life as you please when that is totally foreign to the word of God?

Why not pray as songwriter Judson W. Van DeVenter

"All to Jesus I surrender, make me Savior, wholly thine;

Let me feel thy Holy Spirit, turly know that thou Art mine.

I Surrender All, I Surrender All;

All to thee, my blessed Savior, I Surrender All."

Or video of “I Surrender All”