Unfortunately there is no audio from Sunday 5th July as the equipment recorded silence.
For those who are interested, the manuscript is here
Exodus 3:1-4:11
God calls Moses
Introduction
1. Divides:
a. 3:1-11 Appointment with the Almighty
b. 3:12-4:17 A doubtful deliverer
2. Calls
a. To know him and to serve him. Which is this? Before Moses can serve him – he must know him.
i. Revelation of God’s person à Revelation of God’s plan à Revelation of God’s power.
3. The story so far…
a. Raised… Killed… (40 Acts 7:23) Flees… 40 years (Acts 7:30) Scene Horeb /Sinai
b. Angel / Messenger of the Lord appears
c. So.. Reflect on the God revealed
An Audience with the Almighty
1. God over all creation vs 1-3
a. “The fact that the bush is not consumed demonstrates that the fire’s natural property is temporarily suspended” E97 – an upheaval in natural phenomina is coming. Rivers do not turn to blood, Gnats are not formed from dust, Hail and darkness do not fall on demand, Seas do not form walls of water. The God who created not only the cosmos, but the natural laws that govern the cosmos, can if he so wishes suspend those laws. The God who is calling Moses is the God over creation. (E97)
2. God who calls v4
a. No hint that Moses was looking for God
b. The Bible consistently presents God as taking the initiative in salvation. (Just because Christians have argues about what that looks like in practice – should make us avoid the point)
c. God sovereign… Or are humans responsible.
d. “Charles Simeon seems to hit the nail on the head in a most practical way for the Bible teacher, in saying that we should not strive to see the ‘real’ truth as being found in one extreme, or in the other extreme, or in a balance midway between; we should recognise the biblical reality that the truth is in fact to be found fully in both extremes!”[1]
e. God’s plan to send Christ, Called the disciples to be with him, before he ever sent them/ God arrests Paul on the road to Damascus, / God calls Moses. We don’t find our way to God – we are found by God
f. God speaks Moses name – before Moses knows God’s name.
g. Moses would know God as the God who had called him.
h. Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
i. Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
j. “I am saved” “Salvation is of the Lord”
3. God is Holy v5
a. What would it be like to meet God?
b. The tendency to domesticate God.
c. “Do not come near here”
d. Because God is Holy.
i. “God’s holiness means that he is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honour.”[2]
ii. Bible – God is described as Holy more than anything else – it is his principle Character trait.
iii. All that God is he is all the time – Loving and Holy. Loving one day and Holy another. – He is loving and holy all the time – and they are not in conflict at all.
4. The God of his people. V6
a. The God of History? / The God of Covenant?
b. The God who chooses to be associated with a people. – Moses belongs to the covenant people of God.
c. Adam and Eve à Abraham à Israel à Calling people to be his people through the church.
5. The God who is to be feared v 6b
a. The journey of Moses.
i. Curiosity v3 à reverent fear v6b before the living God is one we all need to follow
6. The God of now v7
a. Seen, heard, know (I care) – He acts “So I have come down”
b. God is the God of now. ** really naughty à “This is real” This is not a game. God sees, hears, cares and he acts.
7. The God of the future v8
a. God has a plan. He had one then – it was bigger even than what he told Moses (Lord Jesus)
b. Titus 2:13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
8. The God who hears prayer v9
a. Why tell us again? Why tell Moses that he has heard – he has already said he hears, he sees and he cares.
b. Moses. You need to understand that I am answering prayer.
c. **Activists! (Not a complaint – but an observation – 6 planning meetings and one prayer meeting)
d. Activists who don’t pray.
e. You want to understand me – I work – I act in answer to prayer.
f. ** George Muller – Orphanages – majority of Christians didn’t really think God answered prayer. – If we really thought God answered prayer – how would we behave differently.
g. What we do without prayer is not glorifying to God.
9. The God who commissions v10
10. 7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10
11. “So what will you do said Moses”
12. God said “now go. I am sending you…”
13. We expect God to act – and he does – through Moses
14. God uses means – he uses people to achieve his purposes – he sends us- with his message.
And like Moses we might have all sorts of reasons why we oght not to God – next week.
Suffice to say that all of the reasons why Moses thinks that going is not such a good idea after all find their answer in the character of God. Which is why its so important that we continue to grow in our grasp of who he is.
[1] Lucas and Philip, “Teaching John” Christian Focus p 56. Simeon is referred to in terms of his position on the sovereign grace of God and human responsibility to respond to the gospel summons.
[2] Grudem p 201
