Moses: Encountering God Face-To-Face 8-6-06
Exodus 3:1-4:14
Video Clip – Close Encounters
Intro. In 1977 everybody was talking about “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind”. Spielberg’s movie was a run-a-way hit because it seemed to answer a question that we all ask sooner or later. The question is, “are we all alone here on planet earth or is there somebody up there?” Close Encounters speculated that the “somebody up there” was aliens, but according to Scripture that “somebody” is actually God. And the good news is, “He wants to have a close encounter with you.” Now let’s just suppose that God really is serious about this close encounter with you and me…what would it look like? How would we know if it’s really God? What should we do if we come face-to-face with God? I think the only way we can adequately answer these questions is by looking at a biblical example of a close encounter with God and then drawing some practical applications for our lives today. The example we’re going to look at this morning is when Moses came face-to-face with God’s presence in the burning bush.
Read Ex. 3:1-5
In chapters 3 and 4 Moses has a close encounter with God and this encounter not only changes Moses, but it changes history. Now before we look at this close encounter I want you to write this statement down. My personal encounter with God has the potential to not only change me but also change the eternal destinies of those around me.
I. God initiates the encounter.
I think one of the most exciting truths in all of Scripture is the fact that God is the primary mover behind every relationship He has with mankind. Now it’s true that we sometimes describe our friends who might be far from God as “seekers”. We watch them as they look for satisfaction in all kinds of things and we intuitively know that what they are looking for is a relationship with God. But what we often forget is the fact that they really aren’t the seekers in this eternal drama…God is! His love for people like you and me and for those who might be far from God is so powerful that He’s willing to take the first step. Jesus said it this way in John 15 – “You didn’t choose me, but I chose you”.
In Ex.3 Moses was doing the same thing he had done for 40 yrs. He was a shepherd and this day was like every other day in his ho-hum existence. It was business as usual, that is until God made His presence known. I think it’s important for us to notice how God chose to reveal Himself. The bible says that Moses noticed a bush that was burning, but it wasn’t consumed. There was probably nothing new about seeing a scrub bush burning in the desert. The unusual thing, the supernatural thing about this bush was the fact that it burned w/o burning up. Do you see what God did? He took an ordinary bush and then by adding his presence to it, he got Moses’ attention. There was nothing spectacular about this bush. The fact that it burned w/o being consumed was because God chose to use it for his own purposes. In the same way, God often uses our most ordinary circumstances to reveal some of his most extra-ordinary truths. A close encounter with God may come through the loss of a job or an illness. God may speak to you through a new friendship or maybe even something we would call a “coincidence.” What we need to remember is that God wants us to be attentive to “burning bushes” in our lives. Don’t get so caught up in your “business as usual” lifestyle that you miss hearing the voice of God.
Look at v.4 and notice the personal nature of this call. God knew Moses’ name. He didn’t say, “Hey buddy, the guy with all the sheep, come over here.” NO. God knew Moses personally. He knew who he was, what he did for a living, what he had done in the past and what he was going to do in the future. God is omniscient – he knows everything about everything. Think about that for a moment. If God knew about Moses’ past then he knew that Moses was a murderer. So why didn’t God call him like this? Hey murderer, loser, failure! Do you know why God didn’t use those names? Because God specializes in restructuring, reconditioning and restoring broken lives. It amazes me how often we believe the lie that God only uses those people who have their lives squared away. Imagine how boring the bible would be if God only worked through successful and godly people? We wouldn’t have any stories about Abraham since he was a pagan and a pretty good liar. Your kids would have never heard about the man who survived in the belly of a whale since Jonah was a coward and a bigot. If God only used the good and the successful, then we’d have to tear out of our bibles the stories about Samson, David, Solomon and Rahab since every one of them had a moral failure. This encounter with Moses teaches us one of the most important lessons of our faith. We serve a God who forgives and forgets our past in order to do extraordinary things in our future.
Now there’s one other thing I want you to see about this encounter. Look all the way down to v.10 – God says “I sending you to Pharaoh for you will lead my people out of Egypt”. When God breaks into your life, He does so for a very specific reason. Not only does God want a relationship with you, but He wants this relationship to fulfill a specific purpose in eternity. God’s purpose for Moses was to deliver the Jews out of bondage. This purpose had eternal significance. And I am convinced that the same thing can be said of single person that has an encounter with God. God chose you with a purpose in mind. Now you may not be the deliverer of an entire nation but you might be the vessel God uses to deliver one single person out of death and into eternal life. If you are a believer, then YOU’VE got a purpose to fulfill. Here’s the big question - Do you know what that purpose is? If not, then you need to figure that one out soon.
Moses’ purpose was to become the deliverer of God’s people. Now here’s the strange thing – 40 years earlier Moses had tried to become the deliverer all on his own…and he failed miserably. Now God was asking him to go back and try it again. What do you think Moses needed most at this moment of his life? He needed some encouragement. Can I tell you, when you figure out God’s purpose for your life, it’s going to be so big and so scary that you’re going to need to remember exactly what God told Moses.
II. God reassures the one He calls.
Now let’s set the scene. Moses was standing in the middle of the desert looking at a burning bush that wasn’t burning up. He had just heard the voice of God call him by name. And now he was instructed to take off his scandals because he was standing on holy ground. How would you feel about this time? I’d probably be throwing up because I was so nervous. Moses needed some reassuring, so God tells him 3 things. First – I am the God of your ancestors. That means I’m the God of your past. Its another way of saying I was here long before you were and I’ll be here long after you’re gone. God wants us to know that nothing that has happened in our past will surprise Him or shake His confidence in us. Nothing we’ve done, left undone or even thought about doing will make Him love us any less. The fact that He is the God of our past means he was in control of everything that happened back then – no matter how bad or ugly we might have described that event. Another thing about being the God of our past is the fact that God has used all the events of our life to get us ready for our future assignment. So instead of looking at your past as a total failure, why don’t you look at it as preparation for your future?
The second thing God tells Moses is found in vs.7-9. “I have seen the misery of my people, I have heard their cries, I am aware of their suffering.” In other words, I am the God of your present. There’s nothing that’s taking place in your life right now that God is unaware of. He knows your victories and defeats, he knows your joys and your sorrows, God knows what you do when you’re awake and what you dream about when you are asleep. There is nothing in the present tense that catches God off guard. Here’s what that means – you can go to God with any kind of need at any time in your life and know that He is able to meet that need. What a comfort to know that you don’t have to wait until all hell blows over before you can get God’s attention. NO – He’s here right now and he’s ready to answer your prayers.
The final thing God uses to encourage Moses is the fact that He is the God of the future. V. 10 says “You will lead my people out of Egypt.” God doesn’t say, “I want you to, I hope you can or I bet you’re able to lead my people out.” NO! In God’s eyes this is a DONE DEAL! Now Moses is still trembling in his boots, wondering what all this means. But because God is in charge of the future, there’s no doubt in this statement, God knows what WILL occur before it actually does. Imagine having that kind of reassurance when you get your life assignment. Well, what God says to Moses, he says to you and me today. I am the God of your past, present and future. There’s no assignment too big for a God like me and a follower like you, so let’s get going.
Now here’s the rub – you would think that Moses when he heard these words that he would be ready to jump on a camel and gallop straight down to Egypt. But instead of rolling up his sleeves and confronting Pharaoh, Moses did exactly what most of us do…he offered God a list of excuses.
III. God answers our excuses.
One of the things that encourages me about my walk with God is the fact that even the great spiritual leaders we read about did exactly what I feel like doing every day...they offered excuses. Moses came up with 5 quickies, but I want you to notice that for every excuse he offered, God had a ready answer.
1). V.11 - Who am I? In other words, I don’t have what it takes to do the job. It was as if Moses was saying, “Hey God, don’t you remember what a miserable failure I was at that delivering gig I tried 40 years ago? I blew it, I messed up, I ruined the rest of my life.” Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever tried something and failed so miserably that you never wanted to think about that thing again? Maybe you tried teaching a bible class or leading a Life Group or helping with some other ministry, but in your eyes you blew it! And so now you have a ready excuse when God calls – You say, God, who am I to do such things?
Well, God answers your excuse with the same answer he gave Moses. Look at v. 12 – “I will be with you.” Do you hear what God is saying? Whatever purpose he calls you to accomplish it’s not going to be done because of YOU. It’s not your strength, abilities, smarts or looks that gets things done…its God working in and through you. This first excuse focuses on our personal weakness, but it neglects God’s strength.
2). V.13-14 - Who are you? This is one of those “What if” scenarios. Moses is doing exactly what most of us do when it comes to evangelism. How many times have you sensed God telling you to share your faith with a neighbor or a family member or a business associate and your ready made excuse is, “What if they ask me a question that I can’t answer?” Moses says what if they ask me, which God sent me? Now listen, Moses knew God. He was raised in Pharaoh’s home, but he was raised by his own birth mother and he knew the God of the Israelites. This was just another flimsy excuse to not go back to Egypt. Let me tell you something, when it comes to sharing your faith there will always be questions that you can’t answer. So get used it, be honest and tell them you don’t have a clue, but you’ll everything you can to find the answer for them.
The basic excuse Moses offered here was I don’t know enough stuff to be obedient. Have you ever used that one? Oh God I’d go and share my faith if I only knew a few more things. What’s God’s answer for this excuse? Just share what you already know. God told Moses to tell his detractors that the great “I Am” has sent me. Without getting into all the specifics this name is a way of saying that our God is bigger, better, smarter and more powerful than any God you’ve ever known. If you know that God has forgiven you of your sins and he’s able to forgive others for their sins, then you know enough to share your faith.
3). 4:1 – What if they don’t believe me? Do you know what this is? It’s the fear of being mocked or ridiculed. It’s the excuse of a spiritual wienie. And I must confess…I’ve used it many times!
So what’s the answer? God shows Moses a series of miracles – his staff turning into a snake, his hand getting leprosy and then the River Nile turning into blood. What was the importance of these miracles? It was to remind Moses where his power would come from to fulfill his task. When you hear God speak and you offer this excuse, “They won’t believe me” then remember this simple truth. The greatest miracle you have to show the world is YOUR changed life.
4). 4:10 – I don’t have the necessary gifts for this job. Moses said I’m not a good speaker; I’m clumsy with my words. Maybe you’ve said, “I’m not good with kids, I can’t change a diaper, I freeze up with teenagers, I wouldn’t know what to say.” Look at the Lord’s simple answer in v.11 - “who make mouths?” In other words, God is never going to give you an assignment that you were not suited to do. He has created you and crafted you for a specific purpose in this life…he’ll not call you to failure, but to victory.
5. 4:13 – Lord send somebody else. This is when you finally run out of excuses. You’ve tried everything and God always has an answer and so you finally get down to the basic problem. It’s a problem of “want to”. When it’s all said and done, you just don’t want to do what God calls you to do. So your answer is simple – send somebody else! I see it all the time in the church. Every ministry we have has needs. We need people to step up and help out. But instead they simply say – let somebody else do it or Lord, send somebody else.
Now look at God’s final answer in v.14 – God gets angry with Moses. I can tell you one thing – you don’t want to push God this far. He is a patient God, but his patience will ultimately wear out with those whom He has called into his family. I suppose Moses could have continued to refuse God’s call on his life, but if he did, he would have missed the very reason for his existence.
If you continue to offer excuse after excuse when God calls you, then you may end up, withered, dried up and useless for the rest of your life. God wants a close encounter with YOU. He wants to forgive you of your sins and then He wants to use you to make an impact on eternity. And it can all begin today, with a simple prayer of faith.
