God's Presence is Enough

Jason M. Dickinson

Exodus: The Presence of the Savior • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Exodus 3:10–15

Presence of God

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Exodus 3:10–15 (ESV)

10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” 13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Who am I?

Have you ever asked that question?

When do we ask ask that question?

We typically ask this question when we:

Fail

Have you ever been to a place where you thought your skillset was enough to give you the good life?

Then something happens that was either out of your control (cancer, job loss, etc) or perfectly within your control and you failed (sinned, etc).

You didn’t live up to your label:

I thought I was a good husband, but our marriage is failing - who am I?

I thought I was a good mom, but my kids so messed up - Who am I?

I thought I was strong, but I can’t stop the cancer, I can’t fight the depression, etc. - Who am I?

Feel forsaken

When we have identified ourselves for so long by the relationships around us, and suddenly we find ourselves alone, we ask, “Who am I?”

“What’s wrong with me?”

Fear the future

Maybe because of our past failures or because we feel alone we may find ourselves faced with an uncertain future.

Facing things we need to take on, but we now feel totally inadequate for such a task.

Who am I?

For Moses, this question was not really a question of identity but a question of adequacy.

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

I don’t believe Moses’ question was feigning pride.

By asking ‘Who am I?’, Moses is really asking, ‘Am I enough?’, Do I have what it takes?, Do you think I can accomplish it?

What is God’s response?

Moses, you’re awesome. I mean, look at you! The sheep really follow you!

He doesn’t even point to Moses’ education in Egypt, his connections to the royal family, etc.

12 He said, “But I will be with you,

God doesn’t point to skills and talents that Moses has or doesn’t have, instead God points to the presence Moses can expect.

God’s presence is the answer to your inadequacies.

“but” here = ki - different that the ‘but’ a few verses previous - not necessarily a contrast - more stating that EVEN - I guarantee I will be with you

And that changes everything.

ILLUST - What is this? (duct tape) FALSE - it is literally the tool for everything.

I’m convinced, if you have a roll of duct tape, a Swiss Army knife and a Bear Grylls manual and what you can and cannot eat, you could survive anywhere for any length of time.

The issues leading to the question may be very different, and that’s what is so incredible here. It’s not the issues that matter, it’s God.

God’s answer here is like theological duct tape.

God’s presence grounds your identity and gives you His ability.

Vector = Direction and magnitude, oh yeah!

Grounds your identity

Who I am apart from God:

Dead in sin. How many things can a dead person accomplish?

Dead in sin = possibly able to do something but with no spiritual value.

Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Gives you His ability

What God can do is directly linked to who He is.

ILLUST - my kids wanting my presence as we walk through the dark church

They somehow believe my presence will their ability to ward off any bogeymen or church goblins.

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: with Werkgroep Informatica, Vrije Universiteit Morphology Chapter 3

אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה

I AM WHO I AM

So much in this name

Causality - I will cause to be what I will cause to be

All things are because God is.

This is the holy God!

God IS ever-present, ever-active, ever-good.

Every circumstance, every need, every place, every point in time.

This is what makes God’s answer to Moses so great. It is not a “I can do for you in this situation” but an I AM and will always be able to.

There is no end to God - He is inexhaustible.

“I AM” means He always

He cares

Exodus 3:16 ESV

16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt,

He keeps his promises

Exodus 3:17 ESV

17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

He knows the future

Exodus 3:18–19 ESV

18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.

He is all-powerful

Exodus 3:20 ESV

20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.

God’s presence is real even if it is not accompanied by a ‘feel.’

Were all human beings suddenly to become blind, still the sun would shine by day and the stars by night, for these owe nothing to the millions who benefit from their light. So, were every man on earth to become atheist, it could not affect God in any way. He is what He is in Himself without regard to any other. To believe in Him adds nothing to His perfections; to doubt Him takes nothing away.

- A W Tozer

God’s presence is enough.

What’s the sign that God will be with Moses and accomplish this seemingly impossible task?

The sign to prove that it will happen will happen, after it happens.

Fulfillment sign

Requires faith.

Not blind faith.

Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians that as a way to curb Paul’s potential pride, God has allowed an amount of suffering in Paul’s life.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Exodus 33:12–16 (ESV)

12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Seek the presence of God more than stuff from God.

I want the presence of God Himself, or I don’t want anything at all to do with religion.

– AW Tozer –

Where do you feel inadequate?

Feel like a failure?

Feel forsaken?

Fearing the future?

Seek the presence of God through faith

Find who you are IN CHRIST.

Stop asking God to fix the things in your life. Start asking Him to BE in your life.

Let Him lead

Where is God in your life?

ILLUST - Who’s the coach?

Some people live their lives as the coach of their own lives and have God on the bench to throw out some crucial plays here and their, but in the end their drawing up the plays they expect God to run.

For God’s presence to make a difference in your life HE needs to be the one directing the plays and calling who or what in your life needs to be benched.

Trust the presence of God as the power of God.

As you seek God’s presence, you will have his power. He never stands powerless.

The more you understand who He is, the less you will ask, “Who am I?” and you will realize that His presence is sufficient.