Come now ... I will send you

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2020 am

EXODUS 3 VERSES 1 - 10

We are turning again to the book of Exodus and looking into the life of this man Moses.  We followed the announcement of his birth when Moses was born into a Jewish family.  The joy of his birth.  A mother and father so proud.  The family were going through very difficult times.  Persecution.  The king of Egypt declared that every male child should be taken down to the river and killed.  It must have been hard to keep the knowledge of his birth secret from the soldiers patrolling the streets.  When he could no longer be hid he was taken and put in an ark of bulrushes and placed in the Nile.  Pharaoh's daughter came down, saw him and took him home with her to the palace.  He became the son of Pharaoh's daughter, the second chariot behind Pharaoh.  One day he turned his back on it all to throw in his lot with the Children of Israel and follow his God.  He killed an Egyptian and buried him in the sand.  When Pharaoh heard of the murder he declared Moses should be killed so Moses fled from Egypt to the wilderness.

In the times we are living in there is great confusion but there is one lesson from Moses' life we should learn - God is still in control.  He knows all about the situation we find ourselves in.  He knows what we are going through today.  He knows the times when we have fallen and faltered.  He does not hold that against us.  Another lesson to learn is this - he is the God of the second chance.  In fact he gives us multiple chances in life.  Moses was 40 years in Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness.  God came to Moses once again.  God has a plan for his life.  What a tremendous challenge for us today - to know that God doesn't choose us by our age nor by our ability or intellect but by our obedience to his word.

An appointment that God makes.  This was not a chance meeting.  This meeting was scheduled in God's timetable that he would meet with his servant Moses.  Moses tried to do the task in his timetable.  He tried to do it with the wisdom of Egypt, in his own physical strength, full of his own intellect.  He thought the people of Israel would understand, that he was the one to take them out of Egypt.  God does not work by our timetables.  Perhaps we have been praying for a loved one in our families and we feel God is not answering or is not hearing our prayers.  God has his own timetable and we need to be careful to work to it and not our own.  Exodus 2 verses 22 - 25.  God heard the sighing of the people.  He was going to deliver this people.  God had made a covenant with Abraham - Genesis 15 verses 3 - 6.  Paul in Romans 4 verse 20 said "he staggered not  at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God."  Maybe you have staggered at the promise of God today.  Verses 13 - 14 God was preparing a people to come out of Egypt and a man too was being prepared to lead them.  Moses was being called to go back down to Egypt and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.  In Acts 8 the eunuch from Ethiopia was hungry for the word of God.  The Holy Spirit was speaking to him.  Philip was preaching the word of God in Samaria, seeing souls saved and a great joy came to that city.  God told Philip to go out into the desert to the eunuch and show him how to find God for himself  There is an appointment that is made today.  Is there someone hungry, seeking after God today?  Or is there someone seeking to serve God and an appointment is being made?  Acts 16 In Philippi Paul was sitting waiting for God to allow him to go into Asia when all of a sudden the vision came to him in the night of a man asking for help in Macedonia  Paul walks around the city of Philippi on the Sabbath day.  He made his way to the river side, sees the group of women folk gathered together to pray.  There was one woman from that group and it was her appointment to meet with God that day.  She was religious but not saved.  She didn't know the Lord as Saviour.  The word of God Paul opened that day helped her to receive Christ.  Nothing happens by chance but by God's divine appointment.  For 40 years Moses did the same job - watching the flock of sheep in the wilderness.  One day however God spoke directly to him.  Maybe you are in the wilderness today with all your fear and doubt - God wants to meet with you.

The action God takes.  As Moses comes to the bush it is on fire but not burning away.  Moses is looking into this bush and God speaks to him.  Has God been speaking to you through recent events?  Verse 4.  Maybe you are more curious than you are willing to admit today?  Is God speaking directly to you?  God took the first step.  He knew exactly where Moses was at that moment in time.  God made that bush come alive.  He didn't need any introductions.  He knew all about Moses.  God knows your name and my name today.  He has said that not even one sparrow will fall from the sky but he knows about it.  You are precious to God today.  Moses may have been forgotten about by the people of Israel but God had not forgotten him.  You are important to God today.  So important that he sent his son to die on the crosss of Calvary, to save you.  You are the only one God can use in your situation right now in these days.  Remember Samuel, doing a menial task in the temple but God has a great plan for him.  He called to Samuel one night when he lay down to sleep.  He would one day grow up to be a mighty prophet in Israel.  Jeremiah was just a young boy but was so important in God's plan  God had a future for this young men.  He told him in chapter 1 verses 5 "before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."  Jesus came to the exact tree that Zacchaeus was in and said "Zacchaeus I must come to your house today."  What did Zacchaeus do?  He came down immediately.

The approach that Moses made.  As Moses looked into the bush, listened to the voice of God, he is reminded of the gap between God and man.  Verse 5 - the ground he stood on was sanctified.  God can speak even in the open air.  God tells Moses to take off his shoes.  Shoes were a term of respect but in this situation they needed to be removed because he was in the presence of God.  Reminds me of the story of the prodigal son when he came back to the father.  The father didn't rush him right back into the home but brought the robe, the ring and shoes out to where he was.  Today we are told to come boldly to the throne of grace.  The veil of the temple was torn when Jesus died on Calvary, signifying we can enter into the holy of holies, we now have access to the presence of God.  Access is open to us to enjoy fellowship with God.  We are to come "boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4 verse 16)  "But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11 verse 6)  We now have access to God at any time, night or day.  As we draw near to God he will draw near to us.  He didn't draw near to Moses but rather stopped him in his tracks.  God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek for him.

The announcement God makes.  God has his servant Moses in the position that he has not been in for a long time.  He tells Moses "I have surely seen the affliction of my people ... and have heard their cry ... for I know their sorrows."  God tells Moses his plans for this his own people.  I am sure Moses wondered what was coming next.  God says "come now ... I will send you ... to bring my people out of Egypt."  It is easy to pray about a situation but God is maybe asking instead for someone to help out and be part of the answer to the problem.  As we apply this message to our lives today - 40 years had passed for Moses.  The edges have been knocked off his life.  Age doesn't matter, God wants us to do it for him.  As God speaks to Moses he tells him that he has heard the people crying out for help.  God says to Moses "I am going to send you down to assist them."  Can God say the same of us?  Will we do something about the situation around us today?