Oh You Mean Me? Exodus 3:1-14

Introduction:

Good morning. I want to let everyone know that I have a program on my computer that I’ve gotten from Seminary. It tells me exactly how long my sermon SHOULD be. I don’t think it’s very accurate because when I’m with the youth on Wednesday, I tend to do about 10 minutes longer than what the program says. Unfortunately for you it says this message is about 45 minutes. I got everyone fooled with my first sermon by getting everyone out a few minutes early. Pastor Chuck told me to make my first sermon a little short, that way you would let me do it again. So I have a little time I can make up this time around.

If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, please turn to the Book of Exodus, Chapter 3. We’re going to be looking at verses 1-14 today. But before we begin, I have a question. What is your favorite excuse? Everyone has a favorite excuse as to why something did or didn’t happen. My kids used to be able to say, “My cat ate my homework.” Chances are they wouldn’t be lying. Our old cat Drew, he loved to chew up any piece of paper he could find. We have books with bite marks. We’ve sent in bills with bite marks. When it came to giving out birthday cards or some other kind of card, we joked that Drew was just signing his name every time we would find one that was bitten. So in my house, my cat ate my homework was a legitimate excuse.

So now I want to ask another question. What is your favorite excuse to not do something that God calls or wants you to do? Is it something like, surely you don’t want me to do that, you must have meant someone else. I don’t have time God. I don’t know how to do that. I would mess everything up if I did that. How about God I’m too old to do that, or God, I’m too young to do that, no one will take me serious.

I had tons of excuses when I realized God was calling me into ministry. Oh God, you don’t want me. I’m not a social person. I don’t like talking in front of people. I get really nervous. I’m not smart enough to teach others what You have to say. No one will listen to me anyway, so what’s the point.

Today we are going to take a look at God’s call to Moses and the excuses that he made. So please join me in reading God’s word, either in your Bible or here on the screen. says:

“fdkaf”

Let’s pray

My first point for today is:

GOD CALLS THOSE YOU LEAST EXPECT TO DO HIS WORK

Starting at verse 1, we get a glimpse of who Moses is before God called him.

Of course this isn’t the first glimpse of Moses. In chapter 2, we see how Moses got to where we are now. He was born in Egypt, raised by the Pharaoh’s daughter, and the Bible tells us how Moses tried to help the Israelites out by killing an Egyptian, but then was forced to flee in fear of his life.

Imagine having almost everything you need and then losing it all. I mean, I feel pretty confident that the Pharaoh’s daughter and those in good graces with the Pharaoh probably wasn’t in need of anything. And I also feel fairly confident saying that Moses probably got anything that he asked for from the Pharaoh because of the connection.

Moses goes from everything to nothing. He goes from all this great stuff the Pharaoh provided, to herding sheep.

Verse 1 says that Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.

Have you noticed how God loves to use shepherds?

Moses was a shepherd. King David was a shepherd. In we see an angel of the Lord appearing to a group of shepherds when the birth of the King of kings was announced. God loved to use shepherds, but why? What was so important about shepherds

In the time of Jesus and in the times of the Old Testament, being a shepherd was not the most desirable job that one could have or want. No one, especially the Egyptians, cared for a shepherd.

A shepherd was usually the youngest of the sons, would spend days on end watching and protecting a bunch of dumb sheep.

Shepherds where not very high on the social status. They were not making policies, running businesses, living it up in extraordinary homes, or anything like that. Instead they were out in the sun all day, chasing away predators and sleeping next to sheep or goats.

Shepherds where not very high on the social status. They were not making policies, running businesses, living it up in extraordinary homes, or anything like that. Instead they were out in the sun all day, chasing away predators and sleeping next to sheep or goats.

So why would God do anything with a shepherd? I’d say that this is one of the ways God shows how mighty and powerful He is. Using someone that no one thinks is worthy to accomplish something amazing.

Since God can use a shepherd, then why would we say or even think that He couldn’t use someone like us to do something great for His kingdom?

One of the excuses that we sometimes tend to make when God calls us to do something goes like:

God, I can’t do that because I’m just a teenager, I’m just a retiree, I’m just a student, I’m just a stay at home parent, or fill in the blank.

Why do we continue to make these excuses when we can clearly see what God can do.

If God can take someone like a shepherd, and move the entire Israelite nation, God can take each of you and do something that is just as amazing. Which brings me to my next point

WE KNOW GOD CALLS, SO ANSWER HIM

When God calls on us or anyone else in scripture, there is absolutely no doubt that He is the one that is calling us.

I think sometimes we make excuses about what God calls us to do, because we second guess ourselves.

God is this really you? Are you really speaking to me right now?

There are a few ways that we can make sure we’ve heard God right.

One pray on it.

You can never go wrong with praying about.

Ask for understanding, clarification, peace that comes with being in His will.

Compare what God’s calling you to do to scripture.

By that I mean is what you think God is calling you to something that lines up with scripture, or does it go against scripture?

I know God’s calling me to have that brand new 2020 Porsche 911. Doesn’t matter that I can’t afford it so I’m just going to take it off the lot.

Uh, no, that is obviously not from God for multiple reasons, but probably the most obvious, God would never tell you to steal.

But if you think God is calling you to something that’s going to further the kingdom, bring glory to Him, and lines up with Scripture, there is a really really good chance God’s telling you to go.

In Moses’ case, he had the clearest calling from God ever. A burning bush

Oh how many times have I prayed, please God, light this bush, that tree, this paper something on fire and talk directly to me.

I’m almost certain I’m not the only one that’s ever said that either.

I’m certain Moses knew there was something special about this burning bush too.

After all verse 2 said he saw the bush was on fire but not consumed.

To me that would say, hey there’s something special about this and just like Moses in verse three, I’d be curious enough to move a bit closer and check it out.

This goes along with what I talked about a few minutes ago. You think God’s calling you to something, investigate it by praying over it, move closer to it and to God.

Could you imagine if Moses had just walked away? What if he had said, Oh well it’s just a burning bush, that happens all the time. Nothing really special about it.

Verse four says “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.”

In this verse we see Moses answering a call from God.

There was no doubt in Moses’ mind that God was calling on him. How do we know this?

Again he was looking at a burning bush that wasn’t being consumed. That in itself is a miracle that only God can perform.

But I’d say one of the main reason He knew God was calling him was because God got really personal and called Moses by name

Now what would that look like today? God has yet to send me a burning bush, and if He’s sent you one, I’d love to hear your testimony. Although He can do that, most of the time He gets personal with us in other ways.

For me, He laid this huge burden on my heart for students. This burden was a personal one too.

At the time, I had Ana and Alex. Renee and I wanted them to have a place to grow up in the Lord. We wanted them to be able to see God’s greatness and the saving Grace that only comes from faith in Christ.

I know God was speaking to me when it came to me going into ministry because that same concern I had for my kids, started showing up for other people’s children.

God got personal with me and said Hey, I’ve got something for you to do

So when you realize that God’s getting personal with you, and it may not be the same way as mine, it could be in a variety of ways, you have to be like Moses and answer that call.

You have to say Here I am. You can’t run from it.

Imagine for a moment, what would things have looked like if Moses hadn’t said Here I am? What if he just walked the other way?

Now take what you just thought and replace it with yourself. What can happen if you know for a fact God’s calling you to something and you just walk away?

This brings me to my next point,

GOD HAS A PURPOSE WHEN HE CALLS

I use him all the time as an example of God’s sense of humor.

GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING