This is an exposition of Exodus 3:10-22. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 29, 2018.
Intro:
Dazed, bewildered and barefoot, Moses on the backside of the desert stood before a bush that burned but was not burnt.
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He was in the region of Horeb tending the flock of his father-in-law when the strange sight caught his eye. He approached the bush and a voice spoke to him out of the midst of the bush, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” That’ll wake you up! The voice continued assuring Moses that He had seen the affliction of His people in Egypt, He knew of their sufferings, and that He had come down to deliver them out of Egypt and to take them to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Moses had to be wondering, “Well, that’s great but what does that have to do with me?” He was about to find out. As if this experience was not life-jolting enough, God then said, “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” Though it’s not in the text, I’m pretty sure that’s when Moses sat down. Our God seems to have a knack for demanding the impossible. You want to be my disciple? Take up your cross daily, and follow me. Someone comes up and slaps you on the cheek? Turn the other cheek. Love your enemy. Pray for those who despitefully use you. Go into all the world and make disciples. Somewhere along the line we got the foolish notion that God will not give us more than we can handle. Everything He demands of us is more than we can handle. What do you do when God calls upon you to do the impossible? Our text this morning is found in the 3rd chapter of Exodus.
Text: Exodus 3:10-22
The children of Israel have been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years.
Remember they voluntarily went down to Egypt to escape a famine.
There they enjoyed the good life as a favored people.
They grew from a family of 70 to a great people who filled the land.
Then there arose a king in Egypt who refused to recognize Joseph and his contributions to Egyptian life and culture. He viewed the Hebrew people as suspect. Suspicion grew into fear, fear gave birth to hostility and hostility erupted in hatred. They were afflicted, enslaved and then made the object of genocide. As the Hebrew people cried out to God, groaning under the weight of injustice they were convinced that God was indifferent. They assumed their prayers went unheard. Why did God respond? Why wont He do something?
All-the-while God was doing something. For He is always working. Our God is not indifferent or uncaring. He is not the watchmaker God who creates and then steps back to see how it all plays out. God was sovereignly at work. God was sovereignly at working saving a special people. God was sovereignly at work saving a special people for His own glory.
Moses assumed he was put into a position of power for the sake of his people but when he acted on their behalf and killed the Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, the people did not rally around him. In fact they responded by saying, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?” He fled from Egypt and has spent the last 40 years in exile, tending someone else’s sheep. He is content with the nomadic lifestyle of his in-laws. Content to live out his days in the wilderness. That’s about to change.
Thesis: When faced with an overwhelming task you must trust in the sufficiency of God alone.
There are three things I want you to learn from this text. Three things that will comfort and encourage you as you are faced with impossible odds.
- God knows that you are inadequate for the task assigned. (3:11-12)
- God graciously promises His abiding presence. (3:12)
- God lovingly calls you to look beyond your obvious weakness and failings to gaze upon his glorious sufficiency. (3:13-22)
Conclusion:
Let’s just make one application.
Your greatest need is salvation - how is it you, a sinner, can be made right with a holy God?
The answer is by faith in the person of the Lord Jesus.
The great “I AM” - Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am (John 8:58). Back in verse 24 of the same chapter Jesus said, I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins. In Revelation 1:8 - I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Thus Jesus was able to say, If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father because I and the Father are one.
You cannot save yourself, you are inadequate but He is sufficient to save you.
You cannot live the Christian life, you are inadequate but He is able to live it through you.
You cannot teach that Sunday School class, you are inadequate, but He is able.
You get the idea, stop looking to yourself and start looking to Him.
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