In our readings this afternoon we have a very strong and powerful message. We read about Moses, a man who was a reluctant leader of God’s people, a man who thought he was a bad speaker and a man who doubted himself to do the job that God wanted him to do.
Yet despite his own feelings about his abilities he listened to God, accepted the calling he had been given and stepped out in faith. Moses had many strengths and also weaknesses. But amongst all of his qualities he was a man of action. Where something needed righting Moses was there.
In his life he was at his best and his worst when he was reacting to situations. He was a man who would see something and go to investigate it. A perfect example was the burning bush. God had whetted his appetite with this miraculous burning bush and Moses just had to go over to have a look.
Today, in good Methodist tradition, I would like to spend a little time considering three things from this passage.
God shapes us
The powerful presence of God
Let God be seen through our good deeds
God shape us
We have heard that when God first called Moses to do his work, Moses had many feelings of hesitation and doubt concerning his ability. Here God was asking a man who had been a shepherd for 40 years to suddenly change occupations and go from being a shepherd looking after sheep to being a shepherd looking after people. He was quite used to rearing lambs, treating the sheep if they went lame or shearing them. But how was he to shape up when it came to shepherding people, when he had to deal with people’s differences and the various life crisis that they had? Well quite surprisingly he was rather good at it. If we look back to the time when he was a prince in Egypt he stepped in to break up a quarrel between one of his own people and an Egyptian guard. So strongly did he defend the Hebrew that he killed the guard and had to flee to escape with his life. He was indeed a man of action and he must also have been a man of great determination. Some may have looked at Moses and seen a man with many faults but God looked at Moses and saw the potential that he had. He always reacted and he never stopped reacting but what Moses did do was to learn how to react properly. In many ways Moses was a go between for God and his people.
In the shaping of Moses we also see how God gives to him powers to perform miraculous acts. In Moses we see an outstanding personality, which God has shaped. But we must be careful to understand what God did with and through Moses. He did not change who or what Moses was.
Instead he took Moses’ characteristics, moulded them until they were suited to his purpose and then used him to do his work.
Moses knew that alone and in his own ability there was no possibility of him leading any nation. He recognised that he needed God’s help. So he asked for it. He also asked to see God’s greatness in order to reassure himself and so he was allowed to see God passing by. Here we have one of the rare occasions where God is actually seen. As we speak about Moses I am reminded of a story:
George W. Bush, was in an airport departure lounge when he noticed a man in a long flowing white robe with a long white beard and white hair. The man had a staff in one hand and some stone tablets under the other arm. George approached the man and inquired, "Aren't you Moses?"
The man ignored George and stared at the ceiling. George positioned himself more directly in the man's view and asked again, "Aren't you Moses?" The man continued to look at the ceiling. George tugged at the man's sleeve and asked once again, "Aren't you Moses?"
The man finally responded in an irritated voice, "Yes I am." George asked him why he was so uppity and the man replied, “The last time I spoke to a Bush I had to spend forty years in the desert!"
Today we have Richard, Barry and Laura who are here to assess me. They are not assessing me as a Lay Preacher but they are assessing the potential that I have to become a presbyter. I received the call to the ministry just over a year ago and Rachael was the first person that I went to in order to discuss this calling. Like Moses I too had many feelings of apprehension, unworthiness and inability to do God’s work. But all along in the process of Candidating I heard the words “It is what God can see in you and the talents you have and how he can use you and mould you.” God uses many people to further his Kingdom, even me a simple son of a farmer. He may use us in preaching, others in playing the organ, others sing, others clean the chapel, others wash up and others sweep the steps and others may give pastoral care, and the list goes on. Whatever it is that you do I want you to believe and understand that God is moulding you in your own ministry and that he has called you to that particular ministry.
We tend to think of a minister as being at the peak of the pyramid in the life of the church or as an important person. But a minister is just another worker and servant of God, no more important than the one who sweeps the steps or washes up. In all of these jobs we all bring different gifts and graces. None are identical we are all different and we must all be our selves. I would like to ask you this question does knowing this make a difference in your life.
Is God trying to take what he created in you in the first place and use it for its intended purpose? When we pray we should be asking God “How should I use my own abilities and strengths to do your will.” For God first prepares us, then he uses us and do you know he does some of his greatest work through some of the frailest people. Is he shaping you this very moment for a specific purpose?
The powerful presence of God
In Exodus we see a reliance on God as Moses asks for God’s guidance in leading the chosen people. He didn’t know what to do, but he did know that he could rely on God and that God would help him and would show him what to do. Time and again we see God giving his help to Moses by showing the people signs and miracles that the people seemed to need. Here in Exodus we see the most powerful and awe-inspiring thing that is possible – God showing part of himself to the leader of his chosen people.
Today we live in a society that needs to have evidence, evidence of what we have done or achieved.
We need to have qualifications before we can carry out a specific role, evidence of our ability. In my work I constantly deal with evidence and assess if there is sufficient evidence to bring a prosecution. I have already mentioned that Richard, Barry and Laura are gathering evidence on how I lead this service.
People need that reassurance, that evidence, that confirmation before they accept and in some cases sadly before they believe. But if our faith is strong then we should be able to believe without seeing, follow without knowing the route and work for the Kingdom of God without knowing the results we may achieve.
Do you know the best news of all is that God doesn’t require that, he accepts us unconditionally if we would but repent and turn to him in faith. When God comes to you it is an experience that is very much individual, personal and is life changing. We are challenged and it is up to us to accept that challenge from God. When we are in the presence of God, like Moses was, we stand on Holy ground. We may not recognise that we are on Holy ground; we may not even recognise that we are in God’s powerful presence. So how do we know what God’s presence feels like
Many people tend to ignore or not recognise the presence of God in their daily lives because they just don’t realise that it is God who is speaking to them. They may have expected to hear him in a totally different way to how they are actually hearing him. But if we are only aware of his loving presence, we will appreciate even the simplest things which are happening in our daily lives. In the morning, after we wake up, some of us may be rushing to go to schools, offices and places of work. But we need to recognize what the warmth of the morning sun, touching our faces, actually is. This warmth of the sun signifies the warm touch of God who greets us as he says good morning to each one of us. The warmth of the sun proves that God is present but sadly, we are often in too much of a rush and we miss it.
In schools, offices and places of work God never gives up in telling us that He is present through the people whom we meet at those places. The simple greetings of our friends, work colleagues and co-workers in Christ remind us that God appreciates us but again sometimes we fail to recognise it.
Sometimes when we are troubled there are people who will comfort us and cheer us up and tell us that we can cope with our problems and difficulties. It reminds us that God’s powerful presence is present through those caring people. Through them God is telling us that He cares for us and He will always be there to comfort us and cheer us.
When we are happy there are people who will smile and laugh with us, a reminder that God is not only present in times of difficulties but also in times of joy. As well as the sun and the people we encounter everyday, nature also reminds us of the loving and powerful presence of God but again we can be too busy to notice it because we focus on the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.
What a pity it is that some miss seeing his creation especially as we have been able to notice all the beautiful colours in his creation as we have travelled to be here this afternoon.
Sometimes during our day when we are at school, in the office or place of work or when we are walking in the countryside, we might miss hearing the birds as they sing in the trees which can relax and sooth our tired minds and bodies. It’s another way in which God tells us that He is there in the singing of the birds as they help us to relax and sooth our tired minds and bodies. But again we take it for granted. Or after a long day at work, when we return to our home we never allow ourselves to feel the coolness of the afternoon breeze because we are hurrying to get home because we want to watch our favourite television show, play sport or attend to the needs of our families.
In Genesis 28:16 we read that Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it. God reveals Himself to those that seek Him earnestly.
Moses had the great privilege of being able to see God, but so awesome was God’s presence that he was not allowed to see his face and live. He was placed in a safe position, on a rock, whilst God passed by. In his presence we can either perish or flourish. In Psalm 66:3 it says “How awesome are your deeds? So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.”
I would like to ask if you have had a personal experience of the powerful presence of God? How did God’s presence feel to you? Did you recognise God when he came to you? Do you know what it is like when the Holy Spirit touches your innermost being?
We all have our own different and unique ways of experiencing God. I would like to share with you my own personal way in which I experience God. The best way that I can describe it is that inside at my very core I feel very, very, cold. I begin to shiver at the centre of my body. I am very warm to the touch but I go so very cold. I also feel a shaking inside of me. When this first happened to me I became anxious. That was until I recognised that it was God’s Holy Spirit. It was the glory of God; it was the powerful presence of God. But how can we experience the powerful presence of God? Well I would like to suggest just a few for us all to consider.
1. We need to plan to have a quiet time with the Lord on a daily basis. A time when we can
Pray meaningfully, to study and memorise the word of God diligently.
2. We must not be Christians who miss services. We must be consistent attendees
at God’s fellowship.
3. We must always hunger and thirst for God by living a clean and productive life and
always seeking the things of the Lord. We must remember that God is by our sides;
there is no distance between us and Him and He is always ready to listen to us and hear
our pleas. We must worship Him in spirit and in truth and go before Him the way He
wants us to.
4. We must follow a consistent programme of prayer.
5. We should learn to be intimate with the Holy Spirit. Treat Him as a Person reverently
and not as a thing. Learn to meet Him and commune with Him every day.
6. We need to pray that He will show us His way.
Let God be seen through our good deeds
I read, with a feeling of warmth, our superintendent minister’s letter in the Link magazine this quarter. David spoke of a lady, whose funeral he had conducted, who had been known for her ministry of tea and date slab. I am sure that you will remember reading it too.
Whenever she met a new person visiting the chapel she would invite them home for tea, she extended hospitality to people. I always remember with great fondness the way that David and Rachel did the same. It was a wonderful act of Christian fellowship.
This is a down to earth act of extending the hand of Christian friendship and fellowship to others, which has a vast impact on people and remains with them for the rest of their days. I also remember when I first came to this chapel when Roy and Mary Mosley lived in the bungalow opposite. They had never met me before, yet they invited me and my ex wife to tea. I was taken aback that this sort of hospitality should be extended to a stranger. It was a wonderful and pleasant experience and one that will remain fresh in my memory as though it was only yesterday. By doing this simple and meaningful act it shows what being a Christian is all about; good deeds, turning away from what is wrong, standing by Godly principles and being Christ like in all that we do and say. At the beginning of last month our superintendent preached here and an example that he used to show Christian values was when he was a lorry driver how other drivers used to ridicule him and pick on him because he would not steal from his load, or fiddle his time sheets.
As Christians we are expected to stand by what is right. But we have to go further than that. When someone is doing wrong we have to speak out and not remain silent. We have to challenge behaviour that is not acceptable. This can be hard when it comes to challenging someone’s behaviour, especially if that person is a prominent person within our church.
Moses spoke out when he went to Pharaoh and asked that he let God’s people go. He had to remain persistent and strong as he addressed this mighty ruler; he had to point out to Pharaoh how wrong he was to keep the Hebrews in captivity. When Moses had led God’s people into the wilderness and they began doing wrong and breaking God’s laws Moses was the man who had to stand up in front of them and say No, what you are doing is wrong. You are disappointing God by acting like this.
He was not popular for doing it and I dare say we may also not be popular when we challenge inappropriate behaviour, but it is necessary and must be done. Moses was a man or righteousness and a man of the law. He was the bringer of God’s law. He was letting people see that God was present through his deeds.
As God called to Moses to follow him, so Jesus called his disciples to follow him and in turn today Jesus calls out to you and to me to follow him also. He calls us to be his friend. Will you trust him and answer his call? Will you follow his directions in your own lives as Moses followed them? For God’s glory is revealed in his mercy, grace, compassion, faithfulness, forgiveness and justice. God’s love and mercy are truly wonderful gifts and we will benefit from them. Do you accept his gifts and grace into your life today and do you respond to him this very day and give him glory and praise?
In the last verse of Joseph Hart’s great hymn:
Tis Jesus the first and the last, whose spirit shall guide us safe home, we’ll praise him for all that is past and trust him for all that’s to come.
I would like to leave you with this final thought and that is the closer you are to the fire, the hotter you become; and the further away you move from the fire, the cooler you grow.
The closer you are to the Lord, the more of His presence you will experience; and the further you are away from Him, the closer you are to the devil. Amen.
