*WHEN GOD CALLED MOSES*
Call of Moses Series Exodus 3:1-12
Dorn Ridge September 16, 2012
(Apx. 25% of message from Preach for a year #2 by Roger Campbell)
INTRODUCTION
1.) The Setting of This Text.
A.) Moses is in Midian.
B.) Israel is in misery.
2.) God Calls Moses to Deliver His People.
A.) Moses is now eighty years old.
B.) He is tending sheep.
C.) He is startled by a bush ablaze
ca.) The bush is not consumed.
cb.) God speaks to Moses from the burning bush.
cc.) Why Moses May Have Questioned God's Call.
cca.) Moses had been willing earlier, but God couldn’t use him at that time. Now he is 80 years old. He feels he is getting too old, and to unqualified for what God wants him to do.
ccb.) I want us to see this morning in the call of God on Moses, how he can move and call any one of us for his service.
ccc.) But what I want us to also see, is that God’s call is only half of the equation. The other half is our willingness to surrender to His call and to His will.
I. GOD CALLED MOSES WHEN HIS SCHEDULE WAS BUSY (V. 1)
1. Moses was tending a great flock of sheep.
A.) He had grown up in the home of Pharaoh.
aa.) Certainly, where Moses was now was not where he had been meant to be.
aaa.) Moses had been trained in all the language, culture, and education of Egypt.
aab.) Moses had been trained and raised to be the next Pharaoh of Egypt.
aac.) But Moses had also been raised with the knowledge that he was an Israelite.
ab.) But Moses was now tending sheep instead of getting ready to be the leader of Egypt.
aba.) The turnabout came when Moses took a stand as an Israelite, and killed an Egyptian man.
B.) His early years had been times of ease.
ba.) But for the last 40 years he had been hiding in the desert as a shepherd.
C.) Now he is a working shepherd and God calls him.
2.) Does your schedule seem too full?
A.) We all have busy schedules, and lives.
B.) But sometimes the things that will fill our lives may be things that have taken too high of a priority in our lives.
C.) Sometimes, even the good things in our lives are so important, that God has trouble to have the place He desires in our lives.
ca.) Sometimes we need to do some emptying out of our lives to give God the room he requires.
cb.) There are times when we do not see our own needs, that God will work in our lives to help us empty some of those spaces out.
3.) You are the one God is calling to serve.
A.) It is quite possible that in this room there are those here today whom God has been speaking to trying to get your attention.
B.) If you have been hearing his voice, do not silence it.
4. God always calls when we are busy
A.) Elisha plowing
B.) Peter fishing
5. Satan calls when we are idle.
A.) When Satan called to King David and left him into sin with another man’s wife, it was at a time that David had idle time when Satan could get through to him.
B.) But when God calls us He often does so at a time we are busy.
II. GOD CALLED MOSES WHEN THE SITUATION WAS BLEAK (V. 7)
1. In Egypt, things were bad for Israel.
2. The cruel taskmasters; low morale.
3. Forty years earlier things were different.
A.) Moses then had political power.
B.) Now he is but a shepherd.
4. Moses thinks the obstacles are too great.
A.) 40 years earlier, Moses felt ready for the task of leading God’s people.
aa.) At that time he was very cocky and full of himself, and his own abilities.
B.) Though Moses felt he was then ready for the task before him, God knew he was not ready.
ba.) The reality with Moses, and often with each of us, is that God at times has to break us down, and defeat us, in order to build us up into who he wants us to be.
bb.) Certainly, when we come to the times in life when God has to discipline us, and to rebuild us for His glory, it is not a fun time, or a time that is particularly enjoyable.
bc.) In fact often those are the most painful and difficult times of our lives.
bca.) Those times are so difficult because often we are not wanting or desiring to follow on the path that God would lead us on.
bcb.) Sometimes God works hard on us to empty us of our idols, our dreams, plans, and ourselves that have taken the place and the pre- eminence of Almighty God.
bcc.) It is only when God has so emptied us of all that is hindering our relationship with God, that He can so fill us with himself as to be of value to the Kingdom of God.
bcc-1.) It took 40 years for God to empty Moses of his own self and pride and make this once arrogant man into a humble man of God that could successfully lead the people of God out of Egypt.
C.) Has God been working in your life to help empty you of that which may be interfering with your relationship with God.
D.) Do you now, or have you in the past felt the hand of God bearing down on you and your life to empty you of anything that has become greater in your life than the presence and Power of God?
da.) If God has been doing this in your life, or if at this moment you feel the hand of God on you, How long has it been since you have given God the spot in your heart and life that He desires and requires? db.) If you are a child of God, He will keep the pressure on you until you are willing to surrender to His will.
dba.) In fact we need to be more fearful if we do not at times feel the disciplining hand of God on us.
dba-1.) You see According to Scripture if God does not at times put his hand of discipline on you, then maybe you are not a true child of God.
dba-2.) Heb. 12:7-8
dbb.) As much as each of us hate to feel God’s hand of discipline on us, we can still rejoice when it happens, as it is an indication that God loves us, enough to correct us, and has not given up on us.
5. God delights to deliver in difficult times.
A.) Not always, but sometimes when we experience hardship, and trouble it is the hand of God disciplining us.
aa.) In those times if the hand of God is on us, the greatest thing that can happen is that we will be humble enough to bow before the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and recognize the hand of God upon us.
ab.) We need to be so open to the voice of God, even in His discipline that we will be open to what He is trying to tell us, whatever and how difficult that might be.
6. On the darkest day, God makes a way.
A.) There are times that if God had not allowed the pain and the darkness to enter into our lives, that we would not be willing to open our hearts and our ears to not only hear, but listen to and respond to His voice.
III. GOD CALLED MOSES WHEN HIS PREVIOUS EFFORTS HAD BEEN BARREN (V. 11)
1. "Who am I that I should go... ?"
A.) These words of Moses are some the of the most common words I have heard people express, when they are battling with the call of God for some aspect of surrender or service in their lives.
aa.) To be honest, there are times I have given these same words when God has been speaking to my heart.
ab.) You see, Moses is not the only one who has ever resisted the voice and call of God.
ac.) I know there have been times I have resisted God, and if you are honest, you can probably list times in your own life as well.
2. He tried before and failed (Acts 7:20-25)
A.) Again, this is an excuse I have heard individuals and churches make.
aa.) We tried that ten years ago.
3. He has no self-confidence left
A.) When God had finally allowed Moses the blessing of becoming so emptied of all of his strength and self-power Moses did not have the confidence to believe that he could accomplish the job which God had for him to do.
B.) As Christians, we may be the same way in our walk and mission for God.
C.) But the wonderful news is that is the point when we can be the most effective for the Kingdom of God.
ca.) Until we can come to that place that God has completely emptied us of our pride, pomp, and power, that He can have the room to work and carry out that which is far greater in our lives than what we could ever have had the ability on our own to do.
4. The difference: God's time and God's power.
A.) We need to recognize the difference between our timing and power, and God’s.
aa.) In our time and power, we can really make a mess of things.
ab.) But in God’s time, and power there is no limit to what He will be able to accomplish in our lives.
5.) He is God's man for the occasion.
A.) It took 40 years for Moses to be conditioned by God to do a great act of service for the kingdom of God.
B.) If God has been speaking to you in an area of your life or ministry, how long has been calling to and conditioning your life for His purpose?
C.) Has God brought you to a place of doing something for Him which you have thus far been unwilling to do?
ca.) I challenge you today that if God is calling you to an area of service, and has conditioned you for it, what is holding you back from accepting His call?
CONCLUSION
1.) God Calls Those Who Are Weak, those who have failed, those who are too old, or lacking in education, those who are not prominent, or powerful.
2.) He calls to those whom He can work with.
A.) These are not always the choices others would make, but individuals with hearts that are surrendered to God.
3.) Respond to His Call Today
