Sermon (13-Mar): The Always God: Always Speaking Part 2 Exodus 3:1-15

Scripture:

Exodus 3:1-10

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.

8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

Big Idea:

The objective of this message today is that God is still speaking to His people today. It might not be face to face, but it is certainly just as powerful.

Introduction:

- Last week, we started this series showing us different instances that God is always speaking

- That God does not need a Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media app to reach us

- He’s able and desiring to speak with each of us

- And though it may not be like He did with Moses

- It is no less diminished or to be questioned as unimportant

- For many of us, it may even seem far-fetched

- That an all-knowing, all-powerful God wants to speak with us

- Still, as time has passed, and Moses, David and other kings and prophets have too

- God is “still speaking”

- There are many that He still desires to reach

- Some may seem unreachable and though the goal may seem unattainable

- God uses people just like you and me to reach others with the Gospel

- We talked about how God speaks to everyone meaning general revelation—

- By using creation, conscience and circumstances

- His creation such as the stars and the moon that shine above our heads at night

- So many aspects of nature point out Someone greater exists

- Also, He can use our consciences—that internal warning system that can let us know right from wrong

- That thing on the inside that needs to be informed and tempered by the Holy Spirit

- That’s where I said that our conscience is not to be our guide—the Holy Spirit is to be our guide

- Then, God can speak to everyone through circumstances—our own and those of others

-Just like our conscience; discernment needs to go alongside circumstances

- Discernment is the ability to properly discriminate or make determinations; “to distinguish, to separate out by diligent search, to examine”

- Every circumstance isn’t God sent but that which God can use to speak to and reach us

- We need to keep in mind that God desires to speak to us all

- Still, God speaks to those who follow Him and desire to do so differently

- To those that follow Him, God speaks…

- But the difference is the relationship that we as believers have and it’s specific—through Christ,

- The canon of Scripture, the counsel of the Holy Spirit and the Church

- It’s obvious that God will speak through His Son Christ

- Hebrews 1:1-2 says,

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

- Beginning with the Gospels and Jesus bursting on the scene and John the Baptist points to Him

- Jesus has been speaking to believers originating with the disciples for thousands of years

- The disciples followed Him for three plus years and, arguably, hung on His every word

- The truth that He spoke and the authority with which He spoke…

- Impacted not only their lives, mindset and salvation

- He’ still doing the same thing today

- Any of us who believe recognize Who is our foundation

- The One Who we trust and believe

- The One Who when it is all said and done has purchased our redemption

- He uses the canon of Scripture, the counsel of the Holy Spirit and the church for us today

- God has spoken through each to change our lives and eternal destinies

- The canon of Scripture attests that God spoke to Moses, David, Isaiah, Daniel and the prophets of old

- And He still speaks to us

- Scripture and the whole of the Bible contains history but it is not a thing of the past

- If we attend to His Word, it can give us the wisdom, knowledge and understanding that each of us needs

- I’m reminded of Proverbs (2:6) which reads,

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

- His Word ultimately serves His purpose in our lives

- I mentioned last week that (Heb 4:12),

“…the word of God is living and active and [discerns] the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

- Such it is in our lives

- His Word works through our hearts and sifts our thoughts and intentions

- Whereas we can fool some of the people all of the time, we can never fool God any of the time

- Along with that, we know that God still speaks through the counsel of the Holy Spirit

- If Jesus deemed the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of Truth” and our Counselor and Comforter,

- We have to do our part to have an open ear and heart to hear Him

- He has been sanctioned by Jesus to (John 16:13,14),

“guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

- Notice what Scripture states…the Holy Spirit doesn’t go off on His own

- He is on one accord with Jesus and NEVER in contradiction

- As a believer, the Holy Spirit lives within us to assure us what we do doesn’t contradict what Jesus desires

- What we do and what we say; we are to allow the Holy Spirit to influence and guide us

- God also uses the church to speak to those who follow Him

Message:

f) Church:

Rom. 10:14-15, 17 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news…So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

- When we gather here—as chaplains and leaders—we are determined to use everything we study, know and hear…

- To present the gospel of Jesus Christ to the church

- Through the preaching of God’s Word with clarity and honesty,

- God is speaking

- The church is more than a building…

- It’s a gathering of the saints where we fellowship, speak God’s Word of encouragement from the pulpit to the pews

- Our gathering here each week puts us in the best position to hear God speak

- Together – IN the word of God – FILLED with the Spirit of God, we can discern rightly the voice of God.

- We can gather to hear God speak to us in areas like:

- Avoiding sexual immorality, living and giving generously, loving justice, God’s heart of grace and mercy

- And sharing the Gospel

- Now, God speaks directly and clearly to many things

- But, what about the areas that aren’t specifically addressed?

- Moving to a new location? Changing careers? Should I marry or not?

- God can and will use His Holy Spirit and His church to help clarify if/how he is speaking

- God loves to use His people and in the process will usually grant his peace as a decision is being made

- With Moses, as can be with us, it may require us to move in faith

- God still desires to speak to us

- And we can know what God is speaking,

- That it truly is God speaking and in this have a true, legitimate encounter with him

- We may not have the audible voice of God like Moses

- Yet, we have God speaking through Christ, canon of Scripture, the counsel of the Holy Spirit, and the church—the body of Christ

- I get it that there may be times that we would prefer an audible voice but these matter just as much

- But, why do we have an issue hearing God speak?

- It could be:

1) Sin:

1 Cor. 2:14 – “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

- It could be possible that although some are hearing my voice

- Due to the “natural-ness” as Adam’s descendants, others won’t hear

- If you have not trusted in Christ, then the Bible says that we have been “blinded”

- Whether it be our loved ones, neighbors or strangers, listen to what Scripture says,

2 Cor. 4:3-4 – “3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

- So, if we are believers, we continue to pray and exemplify Christ’s love through us to them

- We keep loving our neighbors as we love ourselves

- We keep sharing God’s love for them

- God can speak through us to reach them along with using creation, their conscience and circumstances

- Sin will keep us from hearing the voice of God every single time and Christian this is why we must keep short accounts with the Lord

- To keep short accounts means to live a life of repentance—an open line of communication of our sins and shortcomings with God

Transition: Another reason we don’t hear God speaking can be stubbornness

2) Stubbornness:

Heb. 3:7-8, 13 – “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness…But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

- When we continue to say no to God, our hearts become as calloused and hard as skin can become over time

- He may be trying to speak to and reach us but due to our failure to obey what He has written and spoken

- We can’t hear Him speak

- When we don’t freely surrender but choose stubbornness and pride,

- It clouds and clogs our hearing

- I imagine that either God was attempting to reach Moses earlier than the 40 years it took

- Or, it could be that Moses wasn’t prepared to hear Him

- Perhaps pride and stubbornness was in the way

- What could be in your way? What if we were to go back to when we last heard Him?

- Did we obey? Was it an issue of forgiveness? Sharing the gospel? Or, ministering to a person in need?

- God’s best advice to us is not to allow stubbornness or pride to get in the way of obeying Him

- Asking and allowing for our heart to be softened by God’s love for us and others sets the tone of God speaking

- He uses imperfect people, meaning us, to perfect other imperfect people

- Through a perfect message—the gospel of Jesus Christ

Transition: Next, it could be an issue of self

3) Self:

- I don’t know about you but there’s been some times where I have gotten in my own way

- We can get too busy listening to ourselves

- We can get too wrapped up in ourselves

- In the midst of all that…we don’t hear God speaking

- Imagine your wants, my wants, our wants drowning God’s voice out

- Once we place our faith in Christ and trust God working in our lives,

- It’s about His plans and not about ours

- If we allow our dreams to overshadow His dreams for us, we risk missing out on His purpose for us

- As God speaks, the intent is for “self” and things associated with it to get nailed to the cross

- God wants us out of our comfort zone and under His care

- Life is not a matter of us to live for and protect ourselves

- I believe that Moses came to realize this and I wonder if that was why it took 40 years

- 40 years to be isolated—to hear the voice of God

- It’s no doubt that if we continue to rely on ourselves and less on God…

- His voice becomes less obvious and our pride in ourselves grows

- Point blank…God’s desire is for us to decrease and Him to increase in our lives

Transition: Lastly, what about when God seems silent?

4) Silence:

- Maybe you’ve experienced this…living a life unto God and seeking Him the best way you know how

- Even further, you’re living life repentantly—keeping short accounts with God and others

- Yet, it seems like God is silent and perhaps shut you off

- It’s these times that touch us and can challenge us the most

- Been there and done that…and many of us have

- Despite us being prone to receiving things quickly and sometimes instantly,

- There is nothing wrong with waiting

- The prophet Isaiah once said (Isa 40:31),

“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

- See, when we are waiting on the Lord what we are doing is hoping in Him

- We are telling Him that in Him…all of our hopes, dreams, desires and everything rest on Him directing, guiding and speaking to us

- I get it…waiting can contradict everything natural in us

- We can speedily, conveniently get something thru Amazon Prime

- Download the latest song, run up the street and grab something off a fast-food menu

- But when we learn to wait to hear from Him

- That’s when He transforms us like nothing else or no one else ever could do

- The silence may be deafening and seem like forever but He will speak; trust that He will not leave you wanting

Closing:

- As I close, we can look back to the ways of how God speaks

- We can learn from Moses; it took one meeting with God and it forever changed His life

- He desires to speak to us today so continue to read His word,

- Hear His Word through His body the church, walk in truth and continue to surrender your will to Him

- God will come through…He will speak

- Let’s close out in prayer

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I ask you to forgive me for all of my sins known and unknown, I renounce them all. Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I receive you now as Lord and Savior of my life. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died for me and arose and sits at the right hand of God praying for me, interceding for me. Lord Jesus, I give you everything. I thank you for saving me, delivering me and setting me free, in Jesus’ name!