Bucknall Sunday am 1 June 2008.
Place: Bucknall AOG. Date: Sunday am 1st June 2008.
Text: Exodus 3. Theme: The making of a mighty man.
Introduction: Reading: Exodus 3.
What did God stir up in the life of Moses to make him the mighty man he became? And will this work in our lives as well? It has been said, “Let us men not just be men, but let us men be MEN OF GOD, and Let us not just be women, but WOMEN OF GOD.” Do you this morning want to be a mighty man or woman of God?
In Moses life, it started out as a very normal day. Like most of Moses days in his 40 years in the desert, it was likely to be a run of the mill day and with no real outlook of much happening. The sun rose, the sheep grazed. But this will be an extraordinary day, for in this barren landscape it turns about to become a divine location for a visitation of God.
Moses is about to have fellowship with God Almighty. Before this day is over God is going to reveal to Moses His plan and purpose for his life and it is a grand plan and has a great purpose.
1. Any ordinary day becomes an extra ordinary day, when God steps on the scene.
2. Any ordinary person can become an extraordinary person, when the Lord God is in their lives.
3. And any ordinary church can become extraordinary church, when God becomes its power!
1ST POINT: THE DIVINE APPONTMENT, VERSE 2.
“And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed” Exodus 3:2.
There was no real greatness in Moses. But when the common is touched by the Divine, then the common becomes uncommon. God is pleased to use average, ordinary people. You do not have to be the smartest or the most talented, those qualities often serve to avoid one from looking to God. God gets much more glory when an average believer allows Him to fill them and use them.
Now hear this: If you promise to live a dedicated Christian life, to be faithful, to become a disciple of Jesus, to read your Bible and pray and forsake sin, there will be a lot of ordinary days, but there will also be many times when the bush (your inner spirit) will burn with fire! And it is a great feeling.
In verse 4 Moses said, “Here am I.” He is not the only one who said that. Isaiah did too, but he said, “Here am I Lord, send me.” Moses said, ‘here am I, who, me?’ ‘Cannot you send someone else?’ The Bible says that where TWO or more are gathered together in His Name, He is there in the midst!
2ND POINT: THE DIVINE ANNONCEMENT, VERSE 6.
“Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God” Exodus 3:6.
Check out these verbs: I have seen, heard, known. “And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.” So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey” Exodus 3:7-8.
When I could not go to Him, He came to me! What a beautiful Old Testament picture of the gospel this is. Moses was glad to hear that God had not forgotten His people, and was coming down to deliver them.
But he was not as thrilled when he heard that God wanted to offer him the job of being the leader! And there is many like that in the church today, they are glad for all that God is doing in the church, as long as they do not have to do the work. Moses wanted the job done, but did not want to do the job.
3RD POINT: THE DIVINE ASSGNMENT.
The rest of chapters 3 and 4 are full of Moses excuses for why he is not the right man for the job.
1. I have no ability.
2. I have no message.
3. I have no authority.
4. I have no eloquence.
5. I have no inclination! I do not want to do this.
God answered every excuse. And there is also a New Testament answer to each.
1. “I have no ability” verse 11.
BUT! “I will be with you” verse 12. Maybe you are being called by God to do something big, and you are saying, “Who Am I to do such a thing?” God says, “I will be with you!” Where God guides, He provides; where He directs, He protects; where He sends, He extends!
2. “I have no message” verse 13.
BUT! “I AM is your message” verse 14. “I AM” is the most powerful name of God there is. The eternally existent one, past, present, and future. Jesus is the great I AM. He said, before Abraham was, I AM.
a. To those still in the dark Jesus says, I am the light.
b. To those still hungering for something they do not have Jesus says, I am the bread of life.
c. To those in need of guidance Jesus says I am the way.
3. “I have no authority” verse 1, chapter 4.
God is saying this to us today. God uses whatever is available. The best ability is availability!
A. One day a little boy had nothing but a little sling in his hand, but God used him to slay a giant!
B. Another little boy much later had just a lunch box, but God super sized it, for He specializes in multiplying what little we have for His honour and glory! Just put what little you have in your hand into God’s hands and watch what HE can do with it!
What is the NT answer to this ‘no authority’ excuse? “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:18-19.
4. “I have no eloquence” verse 10, chapter 4.
Did he stutter? Was he not a people person? I doubt it, because Acts 7 says he was mighty in word and deed. I think it was just an excuse. Verse 11 “I made your mouth and I can fill it when the time comes!” What he is really saying is, “Please, send someone else!”
“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” Philippians 2:13. This means that if you are willing to do what you are called to do, God will then put the desire in your heart to do it.
5. I have no inclination! I do not want to do this.
God answered every excuse in the life of Moses. And there is also a New Testament answer to you. I ask again the same question. Do you this morning want to be a mighty man or woman of God?
CONCLUSION:
Just lay what you have before God, no excuses, and you will see what God can do! “Let us men not just be men, but let us men be MEN OF GOD, and Let us not just be women, but WOMEN OF GOD.”