Has God your undivided attention?

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2020 am

EXODUS 3 VERSES 1 – 5

 

Let us turn back to the life of Moses.  The man Moses was 40 years of age when he left Egypt.  He was highly educated and a strong man.  He went into the wilderness and minded sheep for 40 years.  He was guarding and caring and looking after the sheep.  It was good preparation for him.  40 years onwards he would take the Children of Israel out of Egypt and lead them through the wilderness.  God is coming again to him after 80 years.  He had been 40 years in Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness.  Chapter 3 verse 1 – an ordinary day in Moses’ life.  He was leading the sheep through the wilderness.  He was trying to find pasture for them as well as water.  An ordinary day in his life.  This was the day he met afresh with God.  We do not know what a day may bring forth.  Maybe today will be different for you.  Maybe you will meet afresh with God.  You have come today and maybe God will speak directly to you.  Saul of Tarsus arrested and imprisoned many for their faith.  He drove the Christians out of Jerusalem.  He persecuted many.  He went and asked the high priests for permission to go to Damascus to find and take people into prison, to persecute those who believed on the Lord Jesus, just because they trusted in the Lord.  That young man set off on that particular occasion with hatred and a burning in his heart.  All he was thinking of was who he might find.  On the road to Damascus at midday he was brought to his knees.  His day finished with a transformation, saved by the grace of God.  Is it possible that you are here today, never been saved by the grace of God, never come to the cross, never gave him your life?  Is it possible that you are here in that condition?  Maybe listening to the voice of God because this could be the day when you will be changed.  Maybe the Lord wants to speak to you through the burning bush?

The contentment that Moses had.  He led the flock.  He was still content to lead the flock – chapter 2 verse 21.  When Moses first came to Midian he had fended off the shepherds and made sure the 7 daughters flocks were watered.  They took him back to their father.  Moses was content to dwell with this man.  Exodus 2 verse 21 Moses marries Zipporah Jethro’s daughter.  He is settled down now.  Exodus 3 verse 22 he had 2 sons.  He is still content to live there.  Are you content?  Have you settled into a lovely comfortable Christian life?  Nothing bothers you.  Moses was content. Perhaps for years you have been content living in the wilderness.  There was a time when you loved the Lord, were bright in your testimony and witness for the Lord.  I wonder for Moses during that time in the wilderness did he ever think of his past life?. Of the days he spent in the palace as the adopted son of Pharoah’s daughter?  Of the day when he forsook that title?  Did he consider the call of God placed on his life?  God had a purpose for his life in Egypt – to take the children of Israel out of Egypt into the land of blessing.  He turned his back on that call.  Now he has grown content.  He has no communion with God.  During those 40 years, 40 years of silence there were no altars raised to God of heaven by Moses.  There were no sacrifices.  A period of contentment away from the Children of Israel in the land of Egypt, away from God.  Think of Lot in Sodom, a very wicked place.  Peter says of Lot that he was a just man, his soul was vexed day after day yet content to live there not to do anything about it (2 Peter 2 verses 7 and 8).  Are you content today?  Was there a day when God placed something in your heart and you didn’t go through with it?  Content where you are.

The challenge that Moses faced.  A contentment in his heart but the challenge he now faced.  Very little is said of those 40 years in the wilderness.  Very little is said of John the Baptist before he began preaching and baptising.  Paul was 3 years in the Arabian wilderness and we read nothing about that period of time.  The secret place.  “Those that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”(Psalm 91 verse 1)  No-one sees and knows what God does with someone who meets in the secret place with him.  As Moses led the flock on this particular day something different was about to happen.  He saw a bush that did not burn away.  As he drew near to the bush God spoke to him.  Are there things happening in your life at this moment in time that are strange?  God would use this opportunity to speak to Moses.  God wants our undivided attention just as he had Moses.  God is using someone or something or some place to get our undivided attention.  He wants to transform your life.  In Acts 10 Peter went up to the roof top to pray when God got his attention.  He had a vision of a sheet from heaven with all manner of animals on it.  He had his undivided attention.  He asked what it meant.  Paul was planning his next trip but every door closed in his face.  In the night he had a vision of a man from Macedonia asking for him to come over and help them.  Is God challenging us in these days?

The consideration that Moses gave.  Moses began to consider all this.  “I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burned.”  He turns aside to get a closer look.  Maybe God is trying to get your undivided attention today.  God is getting Moses to stop and consider the situation around him.  Ezekiel in chapter 37 was in the land of Babylon, one of the captives, for 70 years they were in captivity because of their disobedience.  Ezekiel one day was lifted and carried, set down in a valley of dry bones.  There was no sign of life in any of the bones.  The challenge came to Ezekiel “can these bones live?”  Ezekiel replied “Lord thou knowest.”  In Acts 10 when Peter was on that rooftop and seen the vision of the sheet, a message came from heaven “kill and eat”.  Peter replied “not so Lord, I have never touched any unclean thing.”  He was going back to the Old Testament scriptures in Leviticus where it says that a Jewish man is not allowed to touch that which was unclean.  God was revealing to him what he should do.  God would use Peter to take the message to the Roman Centurion Cornelius.  God would open up a door of the gospel to him.  Maybe that is all God is asking of us today.  Just to consider the situation around us.  God would open the door to every other race – Acts 10 verse 13.  While he thought on these things a knock came to the door.  Those from Cornelius’ house had come to take him to Cornelius.  Peter realised the reason for his vision.

The conversation Moses had.  As Moses draws near and looks on that bush he began to consider God speaking to him.  There is nothing now between him and God.  God made the first move.  Is God speaking to you today?  Is there a challenge coming to your life?  A consideration that has to be made.  God has your undivided attention today.  Maybe your circumstances are so bad that God wants you to come to him and he will resolve that situation for you.  In Isaiah 6 Isaiah was in the temple and could see the Lord “high and lifted up” in the year that King Uzziah died.  Maybe his eyes were not on the Lord but on the king.  His eyes were not focused on God himself.  Maybe there is some relationship that is keeping you from seeing God for himself.  In that day Isaiah responded to God “here am I Lord.”  Sometimes there are people and situations holding us back.  We are to offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice holy acceptable to God“ (Romans 12 verse 1).  The call of God to Abraham – it was not until his father died that he left his family and country to go to the land God would show him.  Has God your undivided attention today?

The conflict that began.