Any Ol' Bush Will Do

1.    (EXODUS 2) BACKGROUND…BEFORE THE BUSH

a.    Preserved from death, Moses was introduced by God's providence into Pharaoh's household, adopted by his daughter, and nourished as her own son. With all the privileges of royalty, he had received a magnificent education and had been trained as a soldier, statesman, and scholar ... In the words of Acts 7:20-22, “Moses was exceeding fair...was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.

b.    By the age of 40 he was a trained, educated, and polished man that could have taken his place in any society. It would seem he was on the threshold of a brilliant career. Moses’ life changed when he decided to do God’s work without God’s approval or blessing.

c.    (2:11) You can only imagine the natural impulse of a man moved with compassion for his own people.  The sight of one of his own defenseless people being mercilessly whipped was more than he was able to handle. There was nothing wrong with Moses trying to defend his brother. His motive was good but his method & timing were bad.

                                          i.    Moses had yet to learn to let God handle His affairs His own way. He decided not to consult God and handle it his own way

                                         ii.    (2:13-14) His effort was noble, but the result was that he could not even bury one Egyptian successfully. When you take on God’s tasks, but choose to do it your own way…it always ends in disaster.

2.    Narrative about Moses noticing the bush.

a.    40 years have passed and Moses has lived as a sheep herder for that entire time…a long ways from the palace and riches of the Pharaoh. Moses is now 80 years old. For 40 years he has felt the frustration of failure and the discouragement of defeat. But God was not finished with him.

b.    (Vs. 3:2-3) Moses saw something that immediately attracted his attention...The sight of a burning bush on a mountain in the desert would not get a lot of attention from Moses ...But a burning bush that wasn't burning up got his attention...It aroused in his heart a curiosity and he wanted to find out why it was not consumed.

c.    God used a “bush” to communicate to Moses. What are the “bushes” God is using to communicate to our city?

                                          i.    Your Sunday School class, Home Group, or LIFE class

                                         ii.    Choir and Praise Team

                                        iii.    Worship services

                                       iv.    Special events such as: VBS, Falls Creek camp, choir musicals, 40-Day Campaigns, revival campaigns, and many more.

d.    The bush was under God’s control. This was no ordinary fire ... this was God being revealed through the bush ... In Vs. 2, God appeared to Moses from out of the middle of the bush ... In Vs. 4, God spoke to him out of the middle of the bush.

e.    It wasn’t about the bush

                                          i.    It’s color, size, age, shape, pedigree

                                         ii.    Any ol’ bush would have been fine

f.     It also isn’t about us:

                                          i.    The time of the morning that you have to come to church

                                         ii.    Whether or not your Sunday School room is just the right temperature

                                        iii.    If we have Bible studies in homes or here on campus…or even if those Bible studies are live or on video

3.    SO, WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

a.    The bush caught the attention of Moses. He turned aside to see why it was not consumed. In doing so he made a marvelous discovery. God wanted to use him. If he had had a bad attitude about the fact that it was just an old desert/mountain scrub bush, what would have happened?

                                          i.    God would never have spoken to him

                                         ii.    He would not have been the liberator of the Jews in Egypt

                                        iii.    Thousands would have continued to suffer and die in slavery

b.    There were hundreds of bushes in the desert. Yes, there was only one that burned, but God could have used any ol’ bush to get Moses’ attention.

                                          i.    From our way of thinking, we would say that not just any old bush would do. No sir, God would only use a special species of bush, a unique brand of bush. All those old scruffy, scraggy desert bushes would never do.

                                         ii.    The truth is, that bush isn’t even around any longer. There are no “bush monuments.”

c.    But the truth is, it was not the bush that was special. It was God in the bush that made the difference. ANY OL’ BUSH WOULD HAVE DONE!

                                          i.    When we stop thinking of our own comfort and convenience, God will have the freedom to use a lot of bushes to get the attention of the lost in Artesia.

                                         ii.    How uncomfortable are you willing to be in order for God to reach the thousands of lost in Artesia and the surrounding area?

1.    Come to a worship service at a different time without complaining?

2.    Park in a different place so guests can have the best parking places?

3.    Help pick up men & women from FLETC so they can be a part of a church family while they’re away from theirs?

4.    Work in the nursery or in children’s church? Help our youth?

5.    Gladly participate in a 40 Day campaign, or a revival campaign, or a mission trip in order to hear God speak to you?

6.    Tithe?

d.    I AM SAYING, 'ANY OLD BUSH WILL DO!'