Moses in the Wilderness

Welcome/Prayer/ Introduction

Good Morning Church! How is everyone doing this morning? I am excited this morning to continue exploring our lenten series called in the wilderness. I hope by now you have had the chance to explore the pictures around the sanctuary and reflect on the pictures of wilderness that we have collected together.

Does anyone have any thoughts to share about their reactions to the pictures or the space?

I think one thing that I have reflected on is how much image really drives our sense of homeostasis. How we can be used to seeing things a certain way that things can appear one way on the outside, but be another way on the inside.

Prayer- Heavanly Father, We thank you for this time together this morning. We thank you that we can gather together as a church family and worship you. We thank you that you are present with us right now. You are the God who meets us where we are at. You listen to us. You work with us. You are the God who sends us with your power and your presence. Lord, as I share from your word this morning, may you fill me with your Spirit. May your words pierce and transform our hearts so we can be one in you! In Jesus name, Amen.

Wilderness- We will be continuing our series this morning with Moses in the wilderness. When we looked at Hagar’s story, we talked about how other people can force us into places of wilderness, but today I want to talk about inward sense of wilderness.

Me- Inward wilderness is something that I struggle with. What I mean by this phrase is a sense of lostness and wandering within ourselves.

This can look like several things. This range from a lack of self confidence- where I second guess myself or my decisions. To having a low self-esteem. and not thinking your worthy. Now, this isnt something I go through all the time, but there have been seasons of this throughout my life. Rooted in past struggles with Depression

You- Maybe you struggle with other parts of inner wilderness.

Questioning your abilities to preform.

Sense of self worth maybe your insecure

Questioning God’s call and presence in your life.

We- We as a church have struggled with this inner wilderness at times too

Over the years we have struggled with our self esteem as a small congregation

We have dealt with difficult losses and changes

We have wondered where God is calling us to next or what God is going to do with us.

Sometimes we have wondered if God is still listening

Transition: This morning we are going to look at the story of Moses who was in a outward and inward wildnerness, When God showed up in an unimaginable way and called Moses to an almost impossible task. Lets dive in!

Walking Through the Text: Moses in the Wilderness!

Story Background/ Context

Moses- Hebrew Grew up Egyptian, killed an Egyptian - forced to flee for his life after confronted. Ends up as a shepherd in the Dessert

The People of Israel- Systemically racism/ genocide, have lived as slaves for generations, being consistently mistreated as time progresses.

Encounter with the Burning Bush

Moses is in the desert on an ordinary work day. Going about his duties as a shepherd. Finds a burning bush.

God calls out to Moses and tells him to come near. Note: the incredible thing about God’s next command is that when God’s presence is in a space that place it becomes holy.

When we think of Holy, we often think of having to distance ourselves, but God invites him to come closer, to be bear foot on the same space where God’s spirit is.

Application: Any space where God is is “holy Ground” that means for us today, a space like a church isnt holy because its a church, but God’s presence is there. That means any place can be Holy Ground!

Yahweh announces himself as the God of his ancestors and at this we see some of Moses’ inner struggles come to light as He hides his face out of fear.

Now, Ill be honest i would be scared of a burning bush too, but Moses’ fear kept him from coming close to God, from fully exposing his face before a Holy God.

We can often feel like this. In our own inner struggles we can feel like we have to hide ourselves before God, Like Adam and Eve did in the Garden, but we can be fully present before God.

Moses’ conversation with God

Despite Moses fear God continues by announcing that He has seen the oppression of the Israelites, So He himself is coming down to rescue them and lead them to freedom

God says that He is going to send Moses to the King of Egypt to bring them out of Egypt.

Immediately all of Moses’ flags go up! Egypt- he just ran from there! The King: the person he is most scared of.

Moses’ Response is who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?

The thing about being stuck in a personal inner wilderness like Moses is, is its really difficult to not focus on yourself.

Moses is revealing with his sense of identity and self-esteem.

This isnt completely out of left field think about what God is asking Moses to do. Anyone would have this response, you want me to do what?

God’s response is “I will be with you”. God’s response is an assurance of his presence not Moses’ ability. God doesn’t give him a cliché pep talk but gives him a promise of presense.

Here God’s presence makes all the difference.

Moses asks, “Who should I say that you are?”

Moses doubts the people will believe him. (raised an Egyptian, Committed Murder, and is a Wanted Man)

God responds, I am the God of your ancestors.

Yahweh appeals to the past for a reassurance of not just the present but the future. He says I am the God of your fathers,

God then appeals to their situation by again saying, I have seen you and I will come to rescue you!

Then over the next several verses, God explains how things will go down

Moses asks, “What if they dont believe me”

I think what if can be one of the biggest stumbling Blocks to following God’s mission.

We are plauged by what if questions. What if we fail? What if it doesnt work? What if we arent good enough? What if the people dont respond?

I think our biggest weapon against the assault of “What if” is “What could God do”?

Still Moses does not seem convinced of God’s Mission for HIm.

God gives Moses Three signs

First sign is staff into a snake (God uses the ordinary to do the extrodinary)

If we read between the lines here we can see this is proof to Moses about what God can do, if God can make a stick into a snake what can he do with a man

Church, we need to hear this too! if God can do this with a stick, how much more can he do with us Amen? Amen!

The second sign is a skin disease that than God cures (God has authority over disease and sickness.)

We can also see this as a sign that God will protect his people through the plauges that are to come!

The third sign is water into blood, it is a sign that not only God has power over the elements but power over Egypts source of life the Nile.

Moses says, I am ineloquent- Doubts his ability.

God I can’t do this, I am not equipped or posess the right skills for the Job at hand.

Moses says who am I, but God asks,

Who gave humans their mouth?

Who makes humans deaf or mute

gives sight or blind

The answer is clearly God, God even says, is it not I?

God’s response to Who am I, is “who am I!” I love this, because it shows when we are in places of spiritual wilderness we can struggle with our fear, our self esteem, are ability or lack their of, but in the presence and power of God. That means as we go about our work this week we don’t have to rely on these things but God.

Moses, “Send someone Else God!”

At this point, God gets angry with Moses, it is the first time!

If I were God I wouldve gotten upset two excuses ago!

Even after this incredible divine encounter Moses says, send someone else Lord!

Even though God is mad at Moses, He levels with Him and does send Aaron to Go speak for Moses!

God even levels with Moses and again provides him with a way that He can do this task on Moses’ terms but Moses never Gets out of actually doing it.

Does anyone know who ends up actually talking to Pharaoh the most? Moses!

Moses the Man in the Wilderness, with many problems and excuses, becomes the spokesperson for God.

Moses becomes the man who leads them out of Egypt. Moses speaks with God face to face.

Moses becomes the greatest leader in the history of Israel all the way up to Jesus!

Application: What do we learn from Moses in the Wilderness? What does it change?

When we are in the Wilderness, Where is God?

He is in the ordinary and daily rythums of life (for Moses it was while tending his sheep)

He makes the ordinary Holy, the only difference is God’s presence!

We engage with the Holy Spaces when we see where God is present.

God changes fear into focus on His mission and freedom for others!

While Moses was afraid God was focused on using him to free others!

How has fear stopped God from using you/us?

When we are caught in the battle of “Who am I?”, We must remember who God is!

When we ask, “What if”, We should ask “What could God do” instead!

When we doubt our ability to do what God has called us to do, we must remember who made us in the first place!

Remember the signs

ordinary into extraordinary

Master of diseases

Source of All life

We must remember we are children of God and the spirit of God lives within us.

When we are tempted to respond to God’s call on our life with “send someone else”

God might not want to use anyone else, if God calls you HE WANTS YOU! AND IF HE CALLS YOU HE WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED!

IF YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM THIS STORY, KNOW THAT IN THE END, ITS NOT ABOUT US1

NOT OUR FEARS

OUR SELF-IMAGE

OUR INABILITY

OR WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE THE RIGHT ONE FOR THE JOB

IF GOD’S CALLING YOU, HE WILL GO WITH YOU!

Truth is we are vulnerable to our fears, to our insecurities, to our hesitations, to our what ifs, but we are just as vulnerable to God, faith, and the Power of Yahweh bursting rhrough us!

Where is God calling you today? Where is God calling us as a church family? Will we let anything stand in our way from sharing Jesus and Building the Kingdom?

Would you pray with me?