Exodus 3:11-4:13 Hesitation at the Threshold of Usefulness Questions that can impact one’s usefulness for God

Roller coaster. Click click click. Busch Gardens in Willamsburg. On the threshold of something exciting can be scary.

Ask all sorts of questions: Why was I so stupid? What am I doing here? Will I die? If only I could get off this ride.

Then you’re gone. What an amazing ride! Not so frightening. Let’s go again.

We can be like that in our Christian life. The Lord begins to speak. He is challenging us to actually live for Him.

And then the questions come. The scary nature of the journey presents itself. Why was I so stupid that I thought I could do this? What am I doing here? What if I fail? And in this case we have options. We can get off. We can sometimes cause the entire church to get off. But if we do we will miss an amazing ride! How exciting to impact our community for Christ.

And it was that way even for Moses. Last week we discovered how Moses encountered the Lord. The Lord revealed Himself and Moses responded. The Lord revealed His heart. And the Lord invited Moses to be used.

(NKJV) Exodus 3 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

And now the questions come.

At the threshold of usefulness Moses hesitates. And here he asks critical questions that will ultimate impact whether one can be useful to the Lord.

These same questions beckon us today. Let’s see examine both the questions and answers and decide to enjoy the amazing ride.

How will he respond?

In the midst of possibly being used by the Lord the first question that typically arises – Why me? Who am I?

I. The question of my identity

A. Concern: Who am I?

NKJV Exodus 3 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

1. Who am I that I should deliver anyone?

2. Review past –age/failure/delay – lots of reasons I can’t do this

3. The truth: Appropriate to recognize one’s own inadequacy – humility – not all that great

a. Moses meekest of all men – he knows his inadequacy first hand

b. Paul less than the least of the saints - Ephesians

B. Answer: It’s not about me

NKJV Exodus 3 12 So He said, “I will certainly be with you.

1. Problems if focus on self:

2. If God is alongside – it really is about Him not me

3. In partnership with Him I become someone totally different

4. It is about what we are in Him

So if it’s not about me but about Him, the next question must be “who are you?”

II. The question of God’s identity

A. Concern: Who is He?

NKJV Exodus 3 13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

1. Key issue - Just who are you? Can you accomplish what you are calling me to do?

2. Name reflects character / What type of person are you?

3. The truth: You can’t trust someone who you don’t really know. Must know Him well to trust Him – be convinced of His ability to act

B. Answer: He is the I AM

NKJV Exodus 3 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

1. The Yahweh God – He is (Jehovah / Yahweh)

2. Basic meaning / I am / To be / continuing, unfinished action: “I am being that I am being,”

a. ever existing - The true reality

b. The center and foundation of all else

c. All else comes and goes – He is the eternal one

3. Ever present

a. Always there - Even though He may seem absent – He is there

4. Ever active

a. This is the name which He desires all to remember Him by – He is – active and present yesterday / today / tomorrow

5. God of the covenant – the God who seeks us out to have a relationship

NKJV Exodus 3 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers,

a. Established a relationship / Gave promises

b. Previous promises Promises of land, blessing and seed

c. Current promises Protection in the midst of suffering

d. Future promises Ultimate victory and fulfilled promises

6. God of circumstances

(NKJV) Exodus 3 16 … “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt;

a. God of previous circumstances God in control in victory and defeat

b. God of current circumstances God in control in silent times

c. God of future circumstances God in control to enable the future

7. God of Power

(NKJV) Exodus 3 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt … to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

a. God of previous power Brought Abraham our of Ur

b. God still in power Still able to work

c. God who will be in power Will enable to do what needs done

You are God, but I am the guy doing the job – when people hear me, how will they not just be looking at a guy --- what authority do I have that they will respond to

III. The question of authority -

A. Concern: Where is my authority?

NKJV Exodus 4 4:1Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”

1. No one will pay attention to anything that I say – where is my authority

2. The truth: I could never convince of anyone of much of anything important

3. Hadn’t listened before

B. Answer: God provides the authority

Ex 4 2 So the Lord said to him, “ What is that in your hand? ”

He said, “ A rod. ”

3 And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), 5 “that they may believe that the bLord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Miracle of leprous hand / water to blood 8 “ Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign.

1. God offers a series of miracles to prove Moses' message

a. The rod - a symbol of Moses’ failure becomes the symbol of God’s authority – shepherd’s staff/rod -- external witness to His authority

2. Now God provides His power and authority by the Holy Spirit / Word of God in the gospel -- internal witness to His authority

(NKJV) Hebrews 4 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

(ESV) Romans 1 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

But at the end of the day, I just am not talented enough to pull this off – need mega-talent to do this – and I am seriously flawed

IV. The question of design

A. Concern: Am I talented enough?

4 10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

1. Handicap? / Trained in the best schools – but not enough – sees own inadequacies

2. The truth: I could never be talented enough on my own

B. Response: God has designed you as you are

4 11 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

1. You are sufficient because I designed you and I will be with you and use you the way I designed you

2. God will take you as designed and empower what He has already created

a. Personality / Natural abilities / Learned skills / Experiences

b. Ultimately He wants to be glorified not you

The biggest question remains. With all my questions answered by God, will I yield to Him. There will always be uncertainty. Will I act by faith – the only way to please Him is by faith.

V. Question of obedience

A. Concern: Will I yield?

4 13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.” NKJV

13 But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send someone else to do it.” (NIV)

1. Use anyone but me – I don’t want to

2. I don’t want to do it. I refuse.

3. No longer a need to answer his question. Moses refuses to yield. ---- A question of obedience.

B. Response: Your choice

But a response to disobey is not acceptable to God

4 14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses

1. Defiant refusal causes God to be angry

2. Patience with lack of understanding – not so when one willfully refuses

3. God will accommodates Moses - uses Aaron (source of much trouble)

4. Moses ultimately obeyed and is honored as one of the great men of the Bible ---- hope for us in our initial struggles ---- but note that Moses finally obeys

VI. Moving Beyond My Hesitations

A. Lesson for us:

1. Know who you are in Christ

2. Trust in the God who is active in your life and in world / The I AM

3. Use the authority of the gospel and Word of God as your guide/message

4. Know that God has sovereignly made you as you are and you are sufficient for the task as you trust in Him

5. Choose to follow / choose to obey