Rejecting Reluctance Series

REJECTING RELUCTANCE 

Exodus 3:1-15; 4:10-17

Introduction

This is How We Overcome - stories from the Old Testament that demonstrate how people of faith overcame the barriers in their lives and gained victory through faith!

1 John 5:4 “...For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

What a great truth that is, but it is countered with another truth: Many people are reluctant to give their life to Christ.  Our text today tells us about the reluctance of Moses - a great leader who had to overcome some struggles to answer the call of God!

Exodus 3:1 "Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God."

What do you think of when you think about Moses? Growing up in Pharoah’s household? Parting the Red Sea? The Ten Commands? Not many of us think of him as the shepherd tending the flocks of the priest of Midian. Friend Lauretta Lundquist points out that Jethro is a Midianite. Midian was one of Abraham's sons by Katura. Moses found a home and refuge through a son of Abraham. Tending his flock he comes to Horeb, the mountain of God. 

Exodus 3:2-4 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

God tells Moses to take his shoes off because this was holy ground.

Exodus 3:7-14 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”... But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

In this moment Moses is challenged to make a major change in his life … it will be uncomfortable, challenging, and even dangerous. But he is reluctant to do so. What is the pathway to overcoming these challenges for Moses? How can it enlighten us and help us to become overcomers?

1. Reluctant

Commentator J. A. Motyer pointed out that the conversation went like this:

-Who am I? (3:11)

-What shall I tell them (3:13)

-What if they do not believe me (4:1)

-I have never been eloquent (4:10)

-Please send someone else (4:13)

Motyer sees four areas of struggle for Moses in this moment: His sense of personal inadequacy (3:11); His desperate attempt to plead ignorance /incompetence ?(3:13); Lack of personal stature and authority  that would command attention and commend the message (4:1) and of any natural abilities that would suit him to the task (4:10) . Finally, he came to that place where we too so often find ourselves and said, “Here am I, send someone else’ (4:13).

How many of us have found ourselves using these same kinds of arguments with God? I probably need to ask, who hasn’t! Reluctance to follow God brings about difficulties, struggle, and defeat. But that is not the end of Moses’ story and it doesn’t have to be the end of ours! God knows us better than we know ourselves. Moses wasn't making idle excuses, but what he believed about himself. How many of us would love to do great things for God but we are weighed down by two powerful words: “I Can’t” (shame, guilt, weakness, doubt, struggles, pain) Our past, the condition of this world, the work of the enemy …  all of it beats us up and makes us think that God couldn’t use us to do anything vital or meaningful. Don’t forget the burning bush! To overcome we have to refocus on God’s presence and power!