I AM
Advent, A Light in the Darkness • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsGod is the I AM, he is everything that we need and more.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
PRAY at the beginning!
Recap Series
Immanuel - God came and dwelled with his people
Wonderful Counselor - Looked at the man a Bethesda
Everlasting Father - Looked at the fatherly type love of Jesus
Today - I AM
1 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 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. I know about their sufferings, 8 and 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, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 So because 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 am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.” 13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors 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.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, 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 name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
Explain the passage…
Israel is in slavery
Moses is in hiding
God has a conversation with Moses about rescuing His people
in the process we see that God reveals his name
V 14, I AM WHO I AM… this is not his name.
Moses asked who shall I say sent me… he is looking for a name
God tells him, I am who I am
tell them that the one who is.... who is above all else, greater than anything, not created, contained or conquered
V15 God gives his name… yahweh in Hebrew, the Latin term, Jehovah meaning almighty
The Israelites were so afraid of speaking the name of God improperly they used the name Adoni which is translated as LORD, all caps in your bible
over 4500 times in the OT
This name reveals a truth about God that we will focus on today
this baby born in the manger, God with us, has no beginning and no end.
The God Who Was
The God Who Was
We rely on past experiences to guide us through today
if somebody has let you down in past events, it is hard to trust them in things happening today.
this is true of people, if they have let us down. It is true of institutions, if the church has let you down, you might be one that is not comfortable relying on the church for support, or help
this is true for those who feel like God has let them down in the past…
we feel like that when we do not understand God’s will
Moses has been in Midian for about 40 years…
after being in Egypt for 40 years.
can it seem like God has forgotten about him, his people who are in slavery
why would I want to listen to you on what you want to do now…
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. I know about their sufferings,
God reveals that he has seen, heard and knows the Israelites
meaning, though he may not have been seen by them, he was there the entire time
the fact that Moses was alive is proof that God had been with him… an Israelite that was supposed to be killed at his birth was raised as royalty
a bad situation, problems and pain that may exist in your life does not mean that God is not with you
walking with God has never meant that we are promised a life free of pain and suffering
we live in a sinful world
but though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me!
I cannot list things specifically that the Lord has seen each and everyone of you through but there are things that he has been with all of through
He was the creator of all things, John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
From the foundation of the world Eph 1
4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.
He came a dwelled with us John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Then at the perfect time, Christ died for you
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.
We serve the I AM… Yahweh, the one who was before there was anything else…
who in eternity past saw you, heard the cry of your heart, and knew exactly what you needed before you did.
but not only did he know, he was there for you, and provided a way by coming to the earth himself, to make a way for you
The God Who Is
The God Who Is
At the beginning of our series I spoke about how the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, can be so lonely for so many people.
especially this year, as we have different states in lockdown, as we have different family that won’t be able to travel because of Covid.
some that simply do not want to put family members at risk, others that they themselves do not feel comfortable
when we are lonely, we not only feel like people have forgotten about us, we feel as if God has as well
in fact you may here me talk about how from the beginning God was working things out for you salvation, but be thinking that is great, but where is he right now in the middle of this pandemic
I don’t see him, I don’t see him and I feel utterly alone in my misery
Who was sending Moses to free the people v8
8 and 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, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
I wonder how many times the Israelite heard the phrase, “The God of our father Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?” and wonder where this God went?
how long had they been there… long enough that the current Pharaoh, knew nothing of Joseph
we are talking about generations since the people of God had seen how he saved Israel and his offspring
the slaves could not see God, could not hear God speaking to Moses and did not know that God was active in their life… That God had a plan and was putting that plan into motion
God is active in your life right now… not only the God who was, He is the God who IS… right now!
Dwelling within the believer 1 Cor 3:16
16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
The Holy Spirit dwelling inside of each believer is there leading them to Jesus… to submit to him, to rest in him
leading us away from sin, and giving you the power to overcome it
Is Interceding on our behalf
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus enters the Holy of Holies as our high priest
explain a little… be brief!
He does not leave… He did not make a sacrifice and then say that you are on your own, he entered for us, and has remained forever
Who is preparing a place for us John 14:2
2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
He is preparing right now, you eternal home… that where he is, we may also be!
Jesus is preparing us, and our future home for a wedding feast that is to come
The God Who is to Come
The God Who is to Come
Will come to take us unto himself John 14:3
3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
He would be going with Moses v12
12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”
Moses asks a question that so many of us have asked…
Who am I that you would do this?
Is Moses being humble… maybe, maybe not
but how many of us, seeing the blessings that God has given, knowing that God is with them and understanding the promise that he will be with us have not asked the question, “Who am I, that God would save me, bless me, and save me?”
I believe that is the wrong question
Who is this God that is so loving he would save his people? That would come to this earth in a humble manger, as a sacrifice for those who turned their backs on him
If he did those things, is there any reason to doubt that he would never let us go in the future
In my reading plan, I am reading in the book of Revelation… We see that not only does he win, we end up with him as his people, and He will be our God
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
He will come soon
20 He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!