The Lord Is Our Great "i Am"

THE LORD IS OUR GREAT “I AM” (Outline)

August 7, 2022 – Pentecost 9 – EXODUS 3:7-14

INTRO: The LORD is serious about his name. The LORD wants his people, actually also all people, to respect his name. "I am the LORD; that is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to idols" (ISAIAH 42:8). The name of the LORD is not meant to be misused. All honor and glory belong to the LORD. The strength of his name is our comfort and joy. THE LORD IS OUR GREAT “I AM”.

I. The LORD sees our oppression, hears our cries. II. The LORD delivers the sinners, his children.

I. THE LORD SEES OUR OPPRESSION, HEARS OUR CRIES

A. Our verses today follow the account of Moses and the burning bush.

1. Moses was a shepherd in Midian. He sees a bush on fire but not being consumed.

2. Moses approaches. God tells him he is on holy ground. Remove your sandals.

B. Verse 7. God lets Moses know he is fully aware of the suffering of his people in Egypt.

1. Verse 9. The cries of the Israelites have reached God’s ears. God has seen their oppression.

2. God repeats what he said in verse 7. God is serious about seeing, hearing, and delivering.

C. Verse 10. God calls Moses, the shepherd to go and stand before Pharaoh. To deliver his people.

1. “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I…?’” Moses did not seek this call. The call came to him.

2. Moses feels unworthy. Humbled. “Who am I…?” (More on this later.)

D. In a world that does not seem to listen our Lord always listens. Our loving, heavenly Father is always waiting to hear the cries of his children. Our great comfort. Joy. Strength. The Lord God of Armies sees our oppression by an unbelieving world. Good is called evil. Evil is called good. Sweet is exchanged for bitter. Bitter for sweet. We cry out about these injustices in our daily lives. The Lord is not indifferent concerning the wickedness all around us. "In my distress I called to the LORD. To my God I cried out. He heard my voice from his temple. My cry for help reached his ears” (2 SAMUEL 22:7). God hears.

E. As God’s children we know that our perfect, loving heavenly Father invites us to come to him. Any time. All the time. Any place. In every place. The Lord encourages us to pray, pray, and pray some more. “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened for you” (MATTHEW 7:7). The verb tense in Greek is an imperative. This means the action of the verb is to continue. Keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. When visiting someone we will usually knock more than once before that person answers. Our heavenly Father invites his children to keep on coming to his throne of grace. God’s ears are open to hear. He sees our oppression.

F. Job faced great losses. Raiding parties stole his herds (cattle, donkeys) and flocks (sheep, goats). Personal property was lost. All his sons and daughters died in a storm. As did their spouses. But Job did not curse God. Job blessed the name of the Lord. He knew it was the Lord who gives. It was the Lord who takes away. "God delivers the afflicted by means of their affliction, and he gets their attention through their suffering" (JOB 36:15). Job’s afflictions focused his attention on the Lord. The Apostle Paul also knew that in his weakness he was strong in the Lord. It is exactly the same in our lives. We are weakened by sickness. Accidents. Our bodies endure physical hardships. It is during those weak times that we come to know better and place our complete trust in God. The Lord is always aware of all of our sufferings.

THE LORD IS OUR GREAT “I AM”. The LORD sees our oppression, hears our cries.

II. THE LORD DELIVERS THE SINNERS, HIS CHILDREN

A. God declared: “Yes, I am aware of their suffering.” God’s time had come to deliver his people.

1. Verse 8. God would deliver them into the Promised Land: “flowing with milk and honey…”

2. The list of people living there were enemies of God. Enemies of Israel. Challenging.

B. Verse 11. God called Moses to deliver his people. “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh…?”

1. Who really was Moses? First 40 years lived in Pharaoh’s palace. Adopted as grandson.

2. Visited fellow Israelites. Killed a slave driver. Fled Egypt as a murderer. Fugitive.

3. Now spending 40 years as a shepherd. “Who am I…?” Pharaoh would demand his life.