Did You Receive The Message? / The Burning Bush

For those not familiar with an Anglican Service; there a four Scripture readings prior to the Message. The assigned readings for this day are: Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 and Luke 13:1-9.

Did you receive the message?

Did you receive the message I left you on your answering machine?

Did you receive the message I left for you ... on your cell phone?

Did you receive my e-mail?

We live in an information age where messages are constantly being sent back and forth with great speed and in a variety of ways.

A missed message ... could mean ... a loss of business.

A missed message ... could result in confusion ... about where and when ... to meet.

A missed message ... could result ... in a loss of life.

But a missed message from God ... is the worst kind of message ... to miss.

For Beloved... A missed message God ... is a missed ... blessing.

I am convinced .... that God gives His people messages, ... and these "messages" are instructions ... revelations ... to equip us, .... to encourage us ... to do His will.... And to walk in His ways.

Our text today from Exodus ... is the story of Moses and the burning bush, ... it is a story about a message ... a message from God ... to Moses.

A message ... that, Moses ... dose not miss.

Imagine you are walking on a hillside on a hot summer afternoon... lost in your thoughts.

It is another scorching hot and humid day in Midian ... again watching over your father in law Jethro's ...flock of sheep.

Suddenly a bush ... on The barren landscape ... catches on fire.

You move a little closer in order to watch ... as the bush is consumed.

Have you ever been lost in your thoughts ... as you gazed ... into a fire?

But instead of burning up ... instead of being consumed ... the bush keeps on burning.

The fire in the bush ... is not consuming the bush!

Now That ...... would get your attention.

How can this be?

A fire that does not consume.

The Scriptures tell us that Moses moves in even closer.

And as he does .... He hears a voice that sounded as if it was coming from the bush ... Moses... Moses! (Exodus 3:4)

Can you imagine his thoughts ...... he is staring at the bush ... and hears his name ......He sees no one ... surely he turns in all directions ... looking ... for who called out ... his name?

Yet no one is there.

Am I imagining this... is it ... heat stroke?

Moses, ... not knowing where the voice came from simply replied ... "Here I am." (Exodus 3:4)

I wonder if Moses gave any thought ... to the consequences ... of him staying ... to check out that burning bush... and the voices ... he was hearing.

You know ... People of passion and faith ... rarely count the consequences.... They just move forward.

You see, ... if Moses had really thought about it, ... he probably would have put as much distance as possible ... between himself ... and that flaming bush

Although ... we all know ... or should know ... that ... "you can run ... but you can't hide" ... from God.

So put yourselves in Moses' place.

Have you ever heard a call from someone to go far beyond ...your usual pattern of life?

To move on from the ordinary.

A call ... an event ... an encounter ... that takes you out of ... your comfort zone.

What happened?

What were the consequences?

As Moses moved even closer ... the voice commands Moses to come no closer... to remove his sandals ... for the place you are standing ... is Holy Ground.

The voice from the bush ... went on:

BIBLE "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." END (Exodus 3:6)

Now beloved ... to hear the voice of God... to encounter his direct presence ... how would you react?

Moses stops and immediately hides his face ... for he was afraid to look at God... to be in his presence.

Unbeknownst to Moses at that time ... was that the burning bush ... was symbolic.

The bush represented Israel, .... the fire the persecution, ... the burning without consumption ... represented, ... that in spite the persecution of Israel ... they ... were not ... destroyed.

The message was ... regardless of what the nation of Israel had done ... God was ... and will be present ... in the midst ... of their affliction.

Beloved ... God Never left!

And he is with us today ... in the midst ... of our afflictions.