Here I Am
Notes
Transcript
ME:
Pledge
Passage: Exodus 3:1-10
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”
4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,
8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
Pledge:
Remember back 4 Generations (Papa Ott and His Mother)
Great Grandmother praying (Papa Kincaid’s mother)
All of her kids
Praying for her grandkids / Great Grand Kids
Crying out to God (prayer warrior)
Transition Statement: How many of you know of or remember z grandparent or great grandparent praying for you or your family?
WE:
You walked by their room at night and they were praying for you?
Woken up in the early morning by the sound of them praying for you and the rest of the family?
Crying out to God on your behalf!
Transition Statement: There are plenty of stories in the bible of God’s people crying out to Him in prayer!
God:
We are in our second week of the series “Breaking the Law”
Theophany moments (Def.)
Last week we looked out “Jesus walking on water.”
This week we are looking at Moses and the burning bush!
In this story we read that God said he heard His people’s Cries! (Vs 7)
Expound on this passage:
Bring them up to date concerning this passage of scripture:
Israelites slaves for over 400 years (10 Generations)
Moses has to flee Egypt at the age of 40
Goes from a Prince to a shepherd
Spends the next 40 years as a Shepherd for his Father-in-law
Exodus 3 Picks up with Moses watching over the Flock late one night.
He is the closes he has been in 40 years to Egypt
The only light he has is the moon and the stars
Cant have a camp fire (Explain why)
Scripture tells us in (Vs 2) “The Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.”
Moses sees that this bush is not being “Consumed”
Hebrew word means “being destroyed”
It was not being destroyed by the fire!
This was not consistent with the law of Nature.
The bush should have been consumed (destroyed) by the fire (Turned to ash!)
This gets moses’ attention. (Vs 3) states, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”
The NIV states it like this, “I will go over and see this strange sight.”
(Vs 4) Tells us once the Lord sees that this gets the attention of Moses God calls out to him, “Moses, Moses!”
The double name .... suggest the sense of URGENCY!
Moses reply’s “Here I am!”
This indicates “readiness to serve the one who calls.”
We see this throughout scripture with ....
Abraham … Gen. 22:1 & 11
Jacob … Gen. 31:11 & 46:2
I Samuel … 3:4
Most recognized in scripture is found in Isaiah 6:8 when Isaiah responds to God “Here I am, Send me!”
Moses responds just like the others with this sense of “READINESS”
In verses 5-6 God tells Moses not to come any closer. He is standing on Holy Ground
Basically, if you see God you will die.
We know Moses understood this by the fact that in Vs 6 it reads, And moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
God identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Vs 7 & 8 gives us the reason for this Theophany Moment.
Definition of “reason” - a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event.
The reason God broke the Law of Nature is because he heard the cries (CRY of DISTRESS; WAILING) and comes to give them salvation through Moses
Freedom from Slavery (God heard their cries)
(Vs 8) states, “I have come down”
Referring to the manifested presence of God and His sovereign involvement in Human History!
Does this sound familiar?
Christ (John 1:9-10) 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2-47 but read Acts 1:5-8 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(Vs 10) gives us the Purpose
Purpose is defined as - the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.
Why did God Break the Law of Nature ..... God has come to rescue His people!
Transition Statement: Do you realize that God loves us so much / He hears our cries & is willing to break the law of Nature to reveal Himself to us? He wants to rescue us today! He has rescued us through JESUS CHRIST!
YOU:
Why has God broken the Law of nature?
Salvation for you and me!
If you don’t know Jesus .... You are going to spend eternity in HELL.
But I have some good news this morning ......
He hears our cries!
When’s the last time you have cried out to God!
(Not whined but cried out) (CRY of DISTRESS; WAILING)
This is what we come to do every Sunday night at 5:30 here at the church!
Do you realize that by crying out to God on behalf of your family/ you effect future generations within your family?
Your kids / grandkids / great grandkids / great, great grandkids
ME:
Lets us leave with this in mind today .....
God loves you so much that he is willing to Break the Law of Nature
He has already done this: With Moses, with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit!
WHY? So that we have an opportunity to be with Him for eternity.
God’s people were crying out to him for years ......
God heard their cry’s
When is the last time you really cried out to God. (CRY of DISTRESS; WAILING)
Tell the story of me crying out to a God who I was just starting to hear about!
End with an altar call!