2020/A Burning Bush, a Concerned God, and a Hesitant Response (Sermon)_transcript.txt

[0.00 --> 6.60]  So today, I don't get to preach every week, of course.
[6.70 --> 8.14]  I kind of come and go a little bit.
[8.20 --> 11.24]  Every few weeks I pop up here, and so it's hard to maybe get some rhythm in,
[11.28 --> 13.86]  so I have to think of what I'm going to preach on kind of sporadically.
[14.00 --> 16.60]  And today I knew that the kids were going to be doing Moses in the Burning Bush,
[16.66 --> 18.98]  so I thought, hey, why not just do the same thing?
[19.22 --> 21.28]  Why try to think too creatively about it?
[21.28 --> 23.12]  It's a really, really big story.
[23.12 --> 26.20]  It's one that we've all heard before because we just did it a second ago,
[26.20 --> 29.82]  and I thought, you know what, let's dig into it a little bit further.
[30.26 --> 33.94]  So we're going to do this without the help of a wrinkly blue old dog at the end of my arm,
[34.36 --> 36.68]  and we're going to look at this passage right now.
[37.26 --> 41.82]  It is a bit of a fascinating story, and it's a bit of a big story as well.
[42.74 --> 47.30]  But even though it is a popular story and a big story, there is a ton to unpack in it,
[47.84 --> 50.66]  and so I thought that we could spend some time looking at that today.
[50.66 --> 57.34]  There's enough in this passage, actually, that you could spend weeks and weeks and weeks on it,
[58.34 --> 61.28]  but we don't have weeks and weeks and weeks, so we're just going to really dig in for,
[61.48 --> 64.78]  we're going to spend the next few hours just, you know, tackling Moses here.
[64.98 --> 67.48]  So, just kidding, it's like barely over an hour.
[68.78 --> 73.14]  My hope is that you can find in this familiar story something new and something creative.
[73.32 --> 75.52]  I'm hearing a real high. Is that my mic?
[76.30 --> 79.02]  It's my voice? Okay, Eric's just shaking his head.
[79.02 --> 82.16]  We might just have to deal with a little bit of technical difficulty. Sorry about that.
[83.46 --> 86.74]  So, on the screen behind me, if you've got your Bibles in front of you, open up.
[86.76 --> 91.06]  We're going to look at Exodus 3, the first 12 verses of Exodus 3 today.
[91.78 --> 94.70]  You'll notice if you do open your Bibles, the story's much longer than that,
[94.78 --> 97.24]  but like I said, we're just going to hone in on sort of these first 12 verses,
[97.36 --> 99.04]  because there's enough there for us to look at.
[99.86 --> 102.44]  So, Exodus 3, the first 12 verses, it says this.
[103.44 --> 108.86]  Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian.
[109.02 --> 114.90]  And he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
[115.80 --> 120.12]  There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush.
[121.12 --> 125.06]  Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up.
[125.88 --> 129.04]  So Moses thought, I will go over and see this strange sight.
[129.12 --> 130.34]  Why the bush does not burn up?
[130.34 --> 135.16]  When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush,
[135.68 --> 137.60]  Moses, Moses.
[138.80 --> 141.50]  And Moses said, here I am.
[142.64 --> 144.80]  Do not come any closer, God said.
[144.90 --> 148.66]  Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
[149.92 --> 152.02]  Then he said, I am the God of your father,
[152.48 --> 155.46]  the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
[155.46 --> 161.88]  At this, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
[163.08 --> 166.52]  The Lord said, I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.
[166.64 --> 169.00]  I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers,
[169.20 --> 170.90]  and I am concerned about their suffering.
[171.02 --> 174.22]  So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians
[174.22 --> 178.98]  and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
[179.30 --> 181.78]  a land flowing with milk and honey,
[182.68 --> 187.44]  the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
[189.08 --> 191.32]  And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me,
[191.36 --> 193.74]  and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.
[194.40 --> 199.60]  So now go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.
[199.60 --> 205.32]  But Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?
[206.28 --> 208.36]  And God said, I will be with you,
[208.80 --> 212.32]  and this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you.
[212.90 --> 214.74]  When you have brought the people out of Egypt,
[215.14 --> 218.38]  you will worship God on this mountain.
[219.08 --> 220.14]  The word of the Lord.
[222.48 --> 224.46]  Now, as with everything in the Bible,
[224.80 --> 228.18]  this is a little story in the midst of a giant story.
[228.18 --> 232.62]  And while the burning bush story sort of stands on its own in terms of intrigue
[232.62 --> 234.04]  and in terms of magnitude,
[234.04 --> 237.80]  it's placed in this grand narrative of Scripture.
[238.20 --> 241.80]  And it's important to be reminded, or perhaps even hear for the first time,
[242.22 --> 246.62]  how this event fits into this big story of Scripture.
[247.26 --> 248.40]  And so, strap yourselves in.
[248.62 --> 251.70]  I'm going to get us there in about 400 words or less,
[251.88 --> 253.02]  how the Bible gets us here.
[253.10 --> 256.80]  So, as you've been hearing with Pastor Burt over the past few weeks,
[256.80 --> 258.50]  we've been talking about this man, Joseph.
[258.90 --> 263.26]  Well, this story takes place right after the story of Joseph in the Bible.
[263.64 --> 266.52]  And without purposefully ruining the end of Pastor Burt's sermon series,
[267.02 --> 269.98]  Joseph, who is the son of Jacob, who is the son of Isaac,
[270.10 --> 272.78]  who is the son of Abraham, gets sold into slavery
[272.78 --> 276.00]  and eventually becomes this high-ranking official in Egypt.
[277.10 --> 279.82]  After he interprets this dream of Pharaoh teaching,
[279.96 --> 282.84]  or prophesying, sorry, about this famine that's going to be hitting Egypt,
[282.84 --> 286.60]  he gets put in charge of all of the harvest
[286.60 --> 288.60]  and of all of the food within Egypt,
[288.72 --> 291.56]  making sure that Egypt will be in a good place when this famine hits.
[292.02 --> 294.56]  Now, because of this famine, Joseph's extended family,
[294.72 --> 296.20]  which was about 70 people,
[296.64 --> 300.08]  actually moves to Egypt for all the food that is there.
[300.24 --> 301.92]  And they end up reuniting with Joseph
[301.92 --> 304.78]  and living there for a very long time.
[305.54 --> 307.34]  Now, while in the Bible the story of Moses
[307.34 --> 309.14]  immediately follows the story of Joseph,
[309.14 --> 312.20]  in fact, about 400 years go by.
[312.72 --> 315.46]  And in that time, numerous generations, of course, pass.
[315.54 --> 317.60]  And over the course of those 400 years,
[318.04 --> 322.34]  Joseph's family of 70 grows massively.
[322.88 --> 324.96]  In 400 years, that family of 70
[324.96 --> 329.96]  grows to a family of 600,000 soldier-aged men,
[330.60 --> 333.76]  which we read about in Exodus 12, verse 37.
[334.50 --> 337.96]  So that's 600,000 soldier-aged men.
[337.96 --> 340.50]  And if you included the women and the children
[340.50 --> 342.28]  and the non-soldier-aged men,
[342.46 --> 344.00]  we're talking about a group of people
[344.00 --> 346.18]  that's probably well over 2 million.
[346.50 --> 349.02]  That's a lot, and that is a very fertile family.
[349.94 --> 351.28]  Now, over that time,
[351.46 --> 353.50]  pharaohs have also come and gone, of course.
[353.84 --> 356.62]  And eventually, they kind of forget about Joseph
[356.62 --> 357.70]  and all he did for them.
[357.74 --> 359.06]  And they forget about this family
[359.06 --> 362.06]  that's now grown into this giant number of people.
[362.36 --> 363.94]  They grow increasingly worried
[363.94 --> 365.50]  and end up enslaving them
[365.50 --> 368.06]  and eventually command that all Hebrew boys
[368.06 --> 370.60]  that are born be cast into the Nile River and killed.
[371.26 --> 373.44]  Well, Moses is born in that time.
[373.94 --> 375.28]  And Moses' mother saves him
[375.28 --> 376.28]  by putting him in a basket,
[376.42 --> 377.40]  floating him down the river.
[377.50 --> 379.62]  He eventually gets adopted by pharaoh's daughter,
[379.96 --> 381.14]  gets to live in the palace,
[381.54 --> 382.26]  learn their customs.
[382.34 --> 384.48]  But one day, he sees a Hebrew man
[384.48 --> 386.44]  being treated poorly by an Egyptian soldier.
[386.44 --> 388.36]  So he kills the Egyptian soldier,
[388.84 --> 390.42]  gets called out for it, and flees.
[391.10 --> 392.10]  And now he's on the run.
[392.52 --> 394.86]  He's a shepherd for his father-in-law,
[395.04 --> 397.24]  and he's been in the wilderness for a long time.
[397.44 --> 400.08]  And then he sees a burning bush.
[400.56 --> 403.28]  And that is the text that we are in today.
[404.50 --> 407.08]  So interestingly, the years of Moses' life,
[407.18 --> 409.58]  they're divided into three 40-year chunks.
[409.70 --> 411.62]  It worked out quite perfectly for him, actually.
[411.62 --> 413.20]  So the first 40 years,
[413.30 --> 415.26]  he spends in the palace in Egypt.
[415.52 --> 417.34]  Then he kills that man, and he flees.
[417.40 --> 418.42]  In the next 40 years,
[418.42 --> 421.54]  he is a shepherd in the wilderness in Midian.
[421.84 --> 423.58]  And the third starts with this passage.
[423.68 --> 424.60]  He sees this bush,
[424.84 --> 425.84]  and he eventually goes
[425.84 --> 428.76]  and helps lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
[429.18 --> 430.22]  That's how it's broken down.
[430.30 --> 431.72]  Now, it's interesting, though,
[431.76 --> 437.46]  because Moses was born to be Israel's deliverer.
[437.80 --> 440.18]  He was born to help lead them out of the Promised Land.
[440.18 --> 444.12]  And yet, not a word of that is mentioned to him
[444.12 --> 446.50]  until he's 80 years old.
[446.50 --> 448.92]  As we continue through this story,
[449.00 --> 449.78]  remember that nugget,
[449.86 --> 450.86]  because that's very important.
[451.90 --> 453.22]  The other interesting note
[453.22 --> 454.84]  before we really dig into this text
[454.84 --> 458.38]  is the location that this story takes place.
[459.26 --> 460.88]  Verse 12 of our text tells us this.
[461.54 --> 463.66]  But the mountain where Moses was,
[463.74 --> 465.32]  where this burning bush story takes place,
[465.38 --> 466.24]  is the same mountain
[466.24 --> 467.92]  that Moses will later receive
[467.92 --> 470.00]  the Ten Commandments from God,
[470.18 --> 471.08]  and the same mountain
[471.08 --> 472.74]  that the Israelites will worship God.
[473.56 --> 475.38]  Some details like that slip through sometimes
[475.38 --> 476.14]  when we hear these stories,
[476.20 --> 477.04]  but I found that fascinating
[477.04 --> 478.50]  that God uses this place
[478.50 --> 480.44]  as sort of a central hub
[480.44 --> 482.06]  for a lot of the different things that he does.
[483.08 --> 484.26]  Now to the text at hand.
[484.32 --> 486.56]  There's two characteristics of God
[486.56 --> 488.50]  that come out of this encounter
[488.50 --> 491.66]  that deserve our attention today.
[492.42 --> 493.12]  And so we're going to look
[493.12 --> 494.68]  at these two characteristics now.
[495.12 --> 499.30]  The first characteristic of God
[499.30 --> 500.66]  that comes from this passage
[500.66 --> 503.36]  is the power of God.
[504.68 --> 506.12]  It's God's power.
[507.08 --> 508.18]  God appears to Moses
[508.18 --> 509.50]  in the form of a burning bush.
[509.86 --> 510.70]  Now throughout the Bible,
[511.10 --> 512.38]  God uses fire and smoke
[512.38 --> 513.90]  to symbolize his presence.
[514.36 --> 515.48]  Even nowadays, of course,
[515.58 --> 517.08]  we will light candles
[517.08 --> 518.70]  to symbolize Christ's presence
[518.70 --> 520.16]  or the Holy Spirit's presence
[520.16 --> 520.86]  in our service.
[521.46 --> 522.70]  But here in this story,
[522.78 --> 524.88]  this is much, much more
[524.88 --> 526.12]  than a symbol.
[526.12 --> 529.80]  This was God present
[529.80 --> 531.54]  in the burning bush.
[532.70 --> 533.86]  Now if you read your text,
[533.94 --> 535.48]  it might seem a bit confusing at first
[535.48 --> 536.58]  because verse 2 says
[536.58 --> 537.62]  that an angel of the Lord
[537.62 --> 538.84]  appeared to Moses in the bush.
[539.10 --> 540.20]  But then right after that,
[540.28 --> 540.80]  in verse 4,
[540.86 --> 542.32]  it says that God called out
[542.32 --> 543.14]  from the bush.
[543.88 --> 545.42]  Now it's important to note this too,
[545.50 --> 546.96]  just to clarify that a little bit.
[547.18 --> 548.46]  In the early Old Testament,
[548.86 --> 549.52]  in the early,
[549.62 --> 550.54]  the Pentateuch especially,
[550.98 --> 552.52]  angels were not simply
[552.52 --> 554.14]  just messengers.
[554.14 --> 556.38]  They weren't just messengers
[556.38 --> 558.06]  delivering a message from God.
[558.52 --> 559.28]  But in fact,
[559.36 --> 560.16]  they were entities
[560.16 --> 562.00]  that embodied the living God.
[562.86 --> 565.06]  God came down to his people
[565.06 --> 567.02]  in the presence of an angel
[567.02 --> 568.30]  elsewhere in the Old Testament too,
[568.34 --> 569.22]  like when God called down
[569.22 --> 570.74]  to Hagar in Genesis 21,
[570.96 --> 572.34]  or when God wrestled Jacob
[572.34 --> 573.40]  in Genesis 32,
[573.70 --> 575.32]  or when God spoke to Gideon
[575.32 --> 576.50]  in Judges 6.
[576.64 --> 578.08]  So this is the same thing here.
[578.28 --> 580.80]  This is God present in the bush.
[581.06 --> 581.74]  Nothing else.
[582.02 --> 583.10]  Nothing less than that.
[585.14 --> 586.50]  So we've got God in the bush.
[586.58 --> 587.56]  He calls Moses over,
[587.64 --> 588.64]  and then they've got this dialogue.
[588.82 --> 589.98]  And read this with me right now.
[590.26 --> 591.56]  Look at verses 4 to 6.
[591.98 --> 592.58]  God calls out.
[592.62 --> 592.82]  He says,
[592.92 --> 593.90]  Moses, Moses.
[594.40 --> 595.34]  Then Moses replies,
[595.42 --> 595.94]  Here I am.
[596.82 --> 597.34]  And God says,
[597.40 --> 598.24]  Don't come any closer.
[600.08 --> 601.30]  Take off your sandals,
[601.52 --> 602.86]  for the place where you're standing
[602.86 --> 603.84]  is holy ground.
[605.22 --> 605.94]  That's interesting.
[606.72 --> 607.60]  God then goes on,
[607.64 --> 608.00]  and he says,
[608.08 --> 609.48]  I am the God of your father,
[609.48 --> 610.78]  the God of Abraham,
[611.02 --> 611.70]  the God of Isaac,
[611.80 --> 612.50]  the God of Jacob.
[612.50 --> 614.82]  And after God says this to Moses,
[615.88 --> 618.62]  Moses hides his face from him.
[619.96 --> 620.48]  Why?
[622.52 --> 623.60]  The text tells us
[623.60 --> 624.94]  it's not in reverence to God.
[625.54 --> 627.46]  It's not because of shame.
[627.60 --> 629.74]  It's not because of guilt of past sins
[629.74 --> 631.04]  that he's committed.
[632.04 --> 634.40]  It's because he feared God.
[634.48 --> 636.84]  He feared to look at God.
[637.74 --> 638.54]  This was not guilt.
[638.68 --> 639.60]  This was not shame.
[640.24 --> 641.28]  This was fear
[641.28 --> 643.70]  that caused Moses to hide his face.
[644.48 --> 645.32]  This is huge.
[645.40 --> 646.40]  This is a big detail.
[646.80 --> 648.18]  There's a parallel story in the Bible,
[648.32 --> 649.26]  Isaiah chapter 6,
[649.42 --> 651.74]  where God calls out to Isaiah in a vision.
[652.02 --> 653.50]  And it's a very similar situation,
[653.60 --> 654.36]  just like this story.
[654.70 --> 656.06]  Isaiah turns his face
[656.06 --> 657.74]  from God in that story.
[658.44 --> 659.52]  But in Isaiah's case,
[659.66 --> 661.26]  it's because he feels unworthy.
[661.88 --> 662.92]  It's because he feels
[662.92 --> 664.30]  that he is too sinful.
[664.30 --> 666.26]  He is unable to look at God
[666.26 --> 667.36]  because of the sins
[667.36 --> 668.16]  that he has committed.
[668.78 --> 670.92]  And then God touches Isaiah's lips
[670.92 --> 671.54]  and says,
[671.98 --> 673.28]  your guilt is taken away.
[673.68 --> 675.76]  Your sin is atoned for.
[677.52 --> 678.86]  In fact, sin and guilt
[678.86 --> 680.98]  are often the first thing acknowledged
[680.98 --> 682.80]  when the living God
[682.80 --> 684.12]  interacts with his people.
[684.80 --> 685.62]  If you think about Jesus
[685.62 --> 686.54]  when he walked this earth,
[686.82 --> 689.18]  how often before he heals someone
[689.18 --> 690.62]  or while he's healing someone,
[690.76 --> 693.08]  is he also forgiving their sins?
[694.30 --> 695.06]  Constantly.
[697.52 --> 699.20]  But that's not here in this story.
[700.38 --> 701.04]  Notice that?
[701.88 --> 702.24]  Now remember,
[702.34 --> 703.60]  Moses is very guilty of sin,
[703.76 --> 705.04]  the least of which is murder.
[706.10 --> 707.38]  And that's why he finds himself
[707.38 --> 708.44]  in this neck of the woods anyways.
[708.58 --> 709.74]  But this is not guilt or shame
[709.74 --> 710.60]  that he's hiding its face.
[710.66 --> 714.20]  It's because he is afraid of God.
[715.14 --> 716.68]  Moral demand and forgiveness
[716.68 --> 719.02]  play little to no role
[719.02 --> 721.80]  in this encounter with God.
[722.94 --> 723.78]  So here,
[724.48 --> 728.44]  God's not portrayed as love or justice,
[729.36 --> 731.40]  but he's portrayed as power.
[732.76 --> 733.90]  Now of course God is love
[733.90 --> 735.14]  and of course God is just.
[735.24 --> 736.24]  That's not to minimize that.
[736.24 --> 737.10]  But right here,
[737.18 --> 738.82]  those characteristics aren't spoken of,
[739.14 --> 741.12]  but his power is.
[743.10 --> 743.54]  Moses,
[744.00 --> 746.76]  standing in the powerful presence of God,
[746.76 --> 748.14]  has to take his sandals off
[748.14 --> 749.64]  and hide his face.
[751.84 --> 753.18]  Now the power of God
[753.18 --> 754.72]  is definitely a constant theme
[754.72 --> 755.20]  in the Bible,
[755.20 --> 756.38]  but I think it's actually one
[756.38 --> 758.34]  that we often brush aside.
[759.96 --> 761.98]  Perhaps it's because it's
[761.98 --> 762.90]  incomprehensible.
[763.56 --> 764.46]  Perhaps because
[764.46 --> 766.70]  it's less attractive to us
[766.70 --> 767.54]  than love
[767.54 --> 767.94]  or
[767.94 --> 769.52]  or his mercy.
[769.92 --> 770.94]  Those ones we like,
[771.10 --> 771.84]  they're attractive.
[771.98 --> 773.06]  We can relate to those.
[773.06 --> 773.82]  But his power?
[774.90 --> 775.84]  Not so much.
[777.96 --> 779.34]  We can't truly grasp
[779.34 --> 779.88]  the magnitude
[779.88 --> 781.48]  of any of God's characteristics,
[781.74 --> 781.84]  though,
[781.88 --> 782.96]  unless we understand
[782.96 --> 783.68]  God's power.
[784.74 --> 785.42]  God's grace,
[785.54 --> 786.04]  God's mercy,
[786.14 --> 786.80]  God's justice,
[786.96 --> 788.40]  they are all predicated
[788.40 --> 789.76]  on this very power
[789.76 --> 790.92]  that God possesses.
[791.82 --> 792.62]  His grace,
[792.76 --> 793.24]  his mercy,
[793.32 --> 793.88]  his justice,
[794.18 --> 794.88]  none of them
[794.88 --> 796.22]  hold up to anything
[796.22 --> 797.56]  if it weren't
[797.56 --> 799.18]  for God's power.
[800.32 --> 801.80]  And Moses got that.
[803.06 --> 803.94]  So he was afraid.
[805.96 --> 807.12]  The distance between
[807.12 --> 808.12]  God and man here
[808.12 --> 808.78]  is highlighted
[808.78 --> 809.52]  in this encounter
[809.52 --> 810.26]  and that distance
[810.26 --> 811.36]  is measured
[811.36 --> 812.34]  by power.
[812.66 --> 813.74]  Now all of us today,
[814.82 --> 816.20]  this is applicable to us
[816.20 --> 817.20]  because in our approaches
[817.20 --> 817.66]  to God,
[817.76 --> 818.40]  in our approaches
[818.40 --> 819.30]  to other man,
[819.82 --> 821.00]  it's going to behoove us
[821.00 --> 821.66]  all to remember
[821.66 --> 823.26]  that infinite distance
[823.26 --> 824.48]  that exists
[824.48 --> 825.84]  in the power
[825.84 --> 827.78]  between us and God.
[829.12 --> 830.08]  I think we can so easily
[830.08 --> 830.90]  call God friend,
[831.02 --> 831.72]  we can so easily
[831.72 --> 832.72]  call God our father,
[832.72 --> 833.38]  our savior,
[833.76 --> 835.12]  we so easily blame him
[835.12 --> 836.30]  when things are going wrong,
[836.44 --> 837.40]  we get mad at him
[837.40 --> 838.54]  when we don't get our way,
[838.72 --> 839.54]  we get frustrated
[839.54 --> 840.22]  when we don't understand
[840.22 --> 840.82]  what's happening,
[841.00 --> 842.10]  but how often
[842.10 --> 843.20]  do we sit
[843.20 --> 844.50]  and tremble
[844.50 --> 846.46]  at the reality
[846.46 --> 847.36]  that God
[847.36 --> 850.10]  is so much
[850.10 --> 852.28]  more infinitely powerful
[852.28 --> 854.06]  than any of us?
[854.06 --> 856.92]  and in a culture
[856.92 --> 858.44]  that teaches us
[858.44 --> 859.14]  that we are
[859.14 --> 860.38]  our own gods,
[861.06 --> 863.42]  this is incredibly important
[863.42 --> 864.34]  for us to remember.
[866.38 --> 867.82]  So that's the first characteristic.
[868.00 --> 868.74]  God is powerful.
[869.22 --> 869.94]  What's beautiful
[869.94 --> 870.96]  in this passage though
[870.96 --> 872.28]  is that in
[872.28 --> 873.52]  his infinite
[873.52 --> 874.68]  and ultimate power,
[874.94 --> 876.62]  we see a second characteristic
[876.62 --> 878.20]  come to the top
[878.20 --> 879.32]  and shine through.
[879.32 --> 881.52]  And this is a characteristic
[881.52 --> 882.74]  that often doesn't
[882.74 --> 884.18]  accompany power.
[885.78 --> 886.68]  And that is that
[886.68 --> 887.84]  God is concerned
[887.84 --> 889.76]  for his people.
[891.42 --> 892.90]  That's the sole reason
[892.90 --> 893.66]  for this encounter
[893.66 --> 894.38]  in the first place.
[894.84 --> 896.46]  God was concerned
[896.46 --> 897.78]  for his people.
[899.30 --> 900.86]  Just before this passage,
[901.06 --> 902.18]  the last three verses
[902.18 --> 903.20]  in Exodus 2,
[903.40 --> 904.76]  there's four terms used
[904.76 --> 908.26]  to describe God's response
[908.26 --> 909.16]  to his people's suffering.
[909.68 --> 910.44]  So if you've got your Bibles,
[910.54 --> 911.16]  you can look at that too.
[911.22 --> 912.58]  Exodus 2, 23 to 25.
[912.90 --> 913.52]  God heard
[913.52 --> 914.94]  his people's groaning.
[915.34 --> 916.18]  He remembered
[916.18 --> 917.62]  his promises to them.
[917.70 --> 918.34]  He saw
[918.34 --> 919.34]  their suffering
[919.34 --> 920.46]  and he knew
[920.46 --> 921.46]  they needed saving.
[922.46 --> 923.16]  God heard,
[923.38 --> 923.86]  remembered,
[924.24 --> 924.52]  saw,
[924.68 --> 925.14]  and knew.
[925.70 --> 926.62]  And then in this text
[926.62 --> 927.56]  that we read to today,
[928.08 --> 928.60]  God
[928.60 --> 931.66]  uses the same language.
[932.82 --> 933.38]  You can read that
[933.38 --> 934.36]  in verse 7
[934.36 --> 935.24]  through 10.
[935.34 --> 936.22]  God saw the misery
[936.22 --> 936.76]  of his people.
[936.98 --> 938.24]  He heard them crying out.
[939.12 --> 940.20]  The people's cries
[940.20 --> 940.74]  reached him
[940.74 --> 941.28]  and he saw
[941.28 --> 942.18]  how they were being oppressed.
[942.52 --> 943.86]  So because God saw this,
[944.06 --> 945.26]  he remembered his people
[945.26 --> 946.52]  and he tells Moses
[946.52 --> 947.32]  that he has come down
[947.32 --> 948.00]  to save him.
[949.48 --> 950.16]  All of this
[950.16 --> 951.00]  because he is concerned
[951.00 --> 951.64]  for his people.
[953.48 --> 954.46]  And the result
[954.46 --> 955.40]  of his concern
[955.40 --> 956.66]  are the words
[956.66 --> 957.80]  of Exodus 3,
[957.98 --> 959.20]  verse 8
[959.20 --> 960.58]  in our text today.
[961.18 --> 964.08]  I have come down.
[965.36 --> 966.36]  God had come down
[966.36 --> 966.96]  to his people
[966.96 --> 968.10]  and he was about
[968.10 --> 969.84]  to divinely intervene
[969.84 --> 971.64]  to get them out of Egypt
[971.64 --> 972.80]  and into the promised land.
[974.08 --> 974.86]  And then do you know
[974.86 --> 975.84]  how the story goes from there?
[976.64 --> 977.84]  God does come down.
[978.52 --> 979.42]  He saves his people
[979.42 --> 979.88]  from Egypt.
[980.00 --> 980.74]  He leads them
[980.74 --> 981.94]  to the promised land
[981.94 --> 983.16]  and establishes them there.
[983.92 --> 984.92]  And then generations
[984.92 --> 985.74]  go by
[985.74 --> 987.34]  and the generations
[987.34 --> 988.46]  come and they go
[988.46 --> 989.30]  and God's people,
[989.50 --> 990.56]  while they're stubborn,
[990.56 --> 992.46]  they would disobey God
[992.46 --> 993.66]  and God's calling
[993.66 --> 994.42]  on their lives.
[994.50 --> 995.12]  They would sin
[995.12 --> 996.22]  and they would worship idols
[996.22 --> 997.04]  and they would bow down
[997.04 --> 997.74]  to false gods
[997.74 --> 999.04]  and they would take over
[999.04 --> 999.56]  the customs
[999.56 --> 1000.84]  of the people around them.
[1000.96 --> 1001.84]  So much so that
[1001.84 --> 1002.66]  it gets really bad.
[1002.72 --> 1003.62]  They start sacrificing
[1003.62 --> 1004.46]  their own children
[1004.46 --> 1006.00]  to these false gods.
[1006.20 --> 1007.46]  And it gets really,
[1007.66 --> 1008.94]  really bad.
[1010.68 --> 1011.84]  And God's watching
[1011.84 --> 1012.94]  the whole time.
[1013.94 --> 1014.70]  And he would always
[1014.70 --> 1015.28]  be listening.
[1016.34 --> 1017.56]  He'd always be speaking
[1017.56 --> 1018.10]  to them,
[1018.52 --> 1019.68]  telling them to turn to him.
[1021.24 --> 1022.08]  But they don't.
[1023.68 --> 1024.50]  And they suffer
[1024.50 --> 1026.48]  again and again.
[1026.84 --> 1027.76]  They become captives.
[1027.98 --> 1028.80]  They become captives
[1028.80 --> 1029.42]  to Assyria.
[1029.50 --> 1030.30]  They become captives
[1030.30 --> 1030.84]  to Babylon.
[1031.10 --> 1031.82]  They become captives
[1031.82 --> 1032.44]  to Persia.
[1034.06 --> 1034.98]  Until one day,
[1036.84 --> 1037.80]  God's concern
[1037.80 --> 1039.94]  culminates
[1039.94 --> 1041.94]  in Bethlehem
[1041.94 --> 1043.44]  where once again
[1043.44 --> 1044.28]  he comes down
[1044.28 --> 1045.98]  as a baby this time,
[1046.06 --> 1046.94]  not in a burning bush,
[1046.94 --> 1048.48]  but with the same intentions,
[1048.60 --> 1050.36]  to save his people.
[1052.72 --> 1054.62]  This baby is born,
[1054.70 --> 1055.42]  the Son of God,
[1055.46 --> 1056.48]  who grows into this man,
[1056.54 --> 1057.44]  who dies on a cross
[1057.44 --> 1058.64]  and is risen from the dead
[1058.64 --> 1059.88]  and he ultimately
[1059.88 --> 1061.22]  defeats sin and death
[1061.22 --> 1062.36]  for good.
[1064.66 --> 1066.16]  See, God's concern
[1066.16 --> 1066.92]  for his people
[1066.92 --> 1068.20]  has been a permanent fixture.
[1070.70 --> 1071.96]  He was concerned for them
[1071.96 --> 1072.86]  when they were captives
[1072.86 --> 1073.42]  in Egypt.
[1073.58 --> 1074.52]  He was concerned for them
[1074.52 --> 1075.32]  when they were captives
[1075.32 --> 1076.24]  to their own sin
[1076.24 --> 1077.06]  in the promised land.
[1077.06 --> 1078.40]  He was concerned for them
[1078.40 --> 1081.76]  when they were in captivity
[1081.76 --> 1082.56]  in their own sins,
[1082.60 --> 1083.12]  like I said.
[1083.40 --> 1085.24]  He was concerned for them
[1085.24 --> 1086.04]  when they were awaiting
[1086.04 --> 1086.66]  this Messiah.
[1086.76 --> 1087.68]  He was concerned for them
[1087.68 --> 1088.52]  when the Messiah came
[1088.52 --> 1089.86]  and they did not recognize him.
[1090.54 --> 1091.30]  And brothers and sisters,
[1091.42 --> 1093.26]  his concern for his people
[1093.26 --> 1094.72]  continues today.
[1094.72 --> 1098.60]  So whether you are here
[1098.60 --> 1099.16]  this morning,
[1099.30 --> 1100.08]  here in the sanctuary,
[1100.30 --> 1101.06]  there in the foyer,
[1101.26 --> 1102.24]  at home as well,
[1103.24 --> 1104.92]  and you are being held captive
[1104.92 --> 1105.62]  by depression
[1105.62 --> 1107.94]  or you're being held captive
[1107.94 --> 1108.62]  by grief
[1108.62 --> 1110.28]  or by worry
[1110.28 --> 1112.28]  or by fear
[1112.28 --> 1113.48]  or by confusion
[1113.48 --> 1115.22]  or by anxiety
[1115.22 --> 1116.12]  or by frustration
[1116.12 --> 1116.94]  or by pain
[1116.94 --> 1118.54]  or by whatever affliction
[1118.54 --> 1119.40]  you find yourself
[1119.40 --> 1120.30]  going through today,
[1120.30 --> 1123.78]  God is concerned
[1123.78 --> 1124.58]  for his people.
[1128.32 --> 1129.48]  So much so
[1129.48 --> 1130.64]  that he came down
[1130.64 --> 1131.34]  a third time
[1131.34 --> 1132.40]  permanently
[1132.40 --> 1133.34]  with his Holy Spirit
[1133.34 --> 1134.04]  to be with
[1134.04 --> 1135.10]  and to walk with
[1135.10 --> 1135.96]  his people.
[1137.52 --> 1138.96]  The Father came down
[1138.96 --> 1139.86]  in a burning bush
[1139.86 --> 1140.60]  to save his people
[1140.60 --> 1141.58]  from slavery in Egypt.
[1141.76 --> 1142.96]  The Son came down
[1142.96 --> 1143.78]  in Bethlehem
[1143.78 --> 1144.52]  to save his people
[1144.52 --> 1145.04]  from death.
[1145.36 --> 1146.14]  And the Holy Spirit
[1146.14 --> 1146.72]  came down
[1146.72 --> 1148.14]  to save his people
[1148.14 --> 1150.04]  from whatever captivity
[1150.04 --> 1151.28]  that life's trials
[1151.28 --> 1152.04]  and temptations
[1152.04 --> 1152.70]  bring on you.
[1152.98 --> 1153.80]  God is here
[1153.80 --> 1154.72]  not to remove
[1154.72 --> 1155.30]  those trials
[1155.30 --> 1155.98]  and temptations
[1155.98 --> 1157.42]  but to bear it with us,
[1157.50 --> 1158.62]  to walk with us,
[1158.72 --> 1159.90]  to help us through it,
[1160.04 --> 1161.98]  and to be with us
[1161.98 --> 1163.44]  in whatever captivity
[1163.44 --> 1164.50]  we find ourselves.
[1164.82 --> 1165.48]  And even though
[1165.48 --> 1166.52]  it may not seem like that
[1166.52 --> 1167.18]  all the time,
[1167.36 --> 1168.88]  he is holding us all
[1168.88 --> 1169.84]  in hands
[1169.84 --> 1170.86]  more powerful
[1170.86 --> 1171.88]  than we ever care
[1171.88 --> 1172.50]  to admit
[1172.50 --> 1173.86]  or ever
[1173.86 --> 1176.14]  can comprehend.
[1178.14 --> 1178.78]  And those two
[1178.78 --> 1179.84]  characteristics of God,
[1179.90 --> 1180.48]  his power
[1180.48 --> 1181.84]  and his concern,
[1182.84 --> 1183.46]  they go together
[1183.46 --> 1184.22]  so beautifully
[1184.22 --> 1187.14]  that my prayer
[1187.14 --> 1187.74]  for us today
[1187.74 --> 1188.24]  is that we can
[1188.24 --> 1189.24]  just simply begin
[1189.24 --> 1190.66]  to wrap our heads
[1190.66 --> 1192.42]  around the beautiful
[1192.42 --> 1193.42]  truth that is
[1193.42 --> 1194.32]  both of those things.
[1197.30 --> 1198.06]  The last thing
[1198.06 --> 1198.66]  I'd like to look at
[1198.66 --> 1199.50]  today from this passage
[1199.50 --> 1199.86]  is this.
[1199.92 --> 1201.42]  It's Moses' response.
[1201.84 --> 1202.68]  Now in order to do that
[1202.68 --> 1203.34]  though, we have to remember
[1203.34 --> 1204.06]  his context
[1204.06 --> 1205.06]  just a little bit.
[1205.94 --> 1206.32]  Now remember,
[1206.44 --> 1207.20]  Moses was working
[1207.20 --> 1208.04]  as a shepherd
[1208.04 --> 1209.96]  for about 40 years
[1209.96 --> 1211.50]  before this time happened.
[1211.98 --> 1212.56]  Now for someone
[1212.56 --> 1213.48]  of his knowledge,
[1213.84 --> 1215.08]  for someone of his education
[1215.08 --> 1215.64]  in past,
[1215.92 --> 1216.50]  this would have been
[1216.50 --> 1217.02]  considered
[1217.02 --> 1218.58]  very poor employment
[1218.58 --> 1219.20]  actually.
[1220.16 --> 1221.42]  Very poor employment.
[1221.90 --> 1222.32]  And yet,
[1223.00 --> 1223.26]  Moses
[1223.26 --> 1224.78]  was very content
[1224.78 --> 1225.72]  doing this.
[1226.66 --> 1227.30]  He was happy
[1227.30 --> 1227.92]  to be a shepherd
[1227.92 --> 1228.40]  in Midian.
[1228.74 --> 1229.52]  He was satisfied.
[1229.70 --> 1230.20]  He was meek
[1230.20 --> 1230.72]  and content
[1230.72 --> 1231.70]  and he was humble
[1231.70 --> 1232.46]  as he worked
[1232.46 --> 1232.94]  as a shepherd.
[1233.14 --> 1233.98]  And these are all things
[1233.98 --> 1235.10]  that he is quite celebrated
[1235.10 --> 1236.38]  for in the Bible.
[1237.28 --> 1237.88]  Numbers 12,
[1237.94 --> 1238.38]  verse 3
[1238.38 --> 1239.14]  says this.
[1239.34 --> 1239.52]  It says,
[1239.72 --> 1241.72]  Moses was a very humble man,
[1241.86 --> 1242.82]  more humble
[1242.82 --> 1244.02]  than anyone
[1244.02 --> 1245.28]  else
[1245.28 --> 1246.16]  on the face
[1246.16 --> 1247.20]  of the earth.
[1248.12 --> 1248.80]  Isn't that something?
[1248.86 --> 1249.50]  That's quite a thing
[1249.50 --> 1250.68]  to be remembered for.
[1252.00 --> 1252.54]  Now keep in mind,
[1252.60 --> 1253.58]  Moses wrote numbers,
[1253.72 --> 1254.18]  so like,
[1254.24 --> 1255.36]  it's a little bit awkward
[1255.36 --> 1256.36]  to write that about yourself,
[1256.52 --> 1257.74]  but it's a little grain of salt.
[1257.82 --> 1258.52]  No, I'm kidding, of course.
[1258.74 --> 1259.96]  We can take that as truth,
[1260.04 --> 1261.28]  that Moses was
[1261.28 --> 1262.02]  humble.
[1262.54 --> 1263.36]  He was content,
[1263.36 --> 1264.50]  he was meek,
[1265.30 --> 1266.54]  and he was far from the man
[1266.54 --> 1267.88]  he was earlier in his life,
[1268.78 --> 1269.54]  when he was powerful
[1269.54 --> 1270.38]  and educated
[1270.38 --> 1271.58]  and he had means
[1271.58 --> 1272.74]  and a position of authority
[1272.74 --> 1274.02]  and had ultimate access
[1274.02 --> 1274.56]  to Pharaoh.
[1276.00 --> 1276.76]  In fact,
[1277.06 --> 1279.04]  if this were anybody else's plan
[1279.04 --> 1279.72]  other than God's,
[1279.72 --> 1280.44]  you would have thought
[1280.44 --> 1282.02]  that Moses would have been
[1282.02 --> 1282.80]  approached earlier
[1282.80 --> 1284.36]  when he had access to Pharaoh,
[1284.42 --> 1285.18]  when he had means
[1285.18 --> 1286.08]  and he had authority
[1286.08 --> 1287.28]  and he had all this power.
[1288.32 --> 1289.48]  To the human mind,
[1289.54 --> 1290.86]  that makes the most sense.
[1291.86 --> 1293.04]  That's how we function.
[1294.24 --> 1295.18]  But this wasn't
[1295.18 --> 1296.18]  someone else's plan,
[1296.24 --> 1297.08]  this was God's plan.
[1297.20 --> 1297.86]  God was patient.
[1298.38 --> 1298.84]  He waited.
[1299.92 --> 1301.62]  God waited until Moses had fled
[1301.62 --> 1303.00]  and he was a fugitive
[1303.00 --> 1304.50]  and he tended sheep
[1304.50 --> 1305.86]  for 40 years in Midian
[1305.86 --> 1306.94]  in the middle of nowhere
[1306.94 --> 1308.24]  because God needed Moses
[1308.24 --> 1309.68]  to stop being the brash,
[1310.24 --> 1310.88]  know-it-all,
[1311.34 --> 1312.98]  fix things on his own man
[1312.98 --> 1313.72]  he once was
[1313.72 --> 1314.94]  because apparently
[1314.94 --> 1315.78]  all that ever led Moses
[1315.78 --> 1316.98]  to do was murder someone.
[1318.74 --> 1319.92]  No, God needed to be patient
[1319.92 --> 1320.78]  and he needed to wait
[1320.78 --> 1321.58]  for Moses to become
[1321.58 --> 1322.16]  meek and humble
[1322.16 --> 1323.00]  because then
[1323.00 --> 1324.70]  it was God's power
[1324.70 --> 1326.02]  that saved his people.
[1327.02 --> 1328.32]  It wasn't Moses' position,
[1328.56 --> 1329.90]  it wasn't Moses' education,
[1330.36 --> 1331.76]  it wasn't Moses' means.
[1334.02 --> 1334.88]  It's interesting though,
[1334.92 --> 1336.44]  Moses almost became too meek,
[1336.58 --> 1337.50]  he almost became too humble
[1337.50 --> 1339.16]  because when God asks Moses
[1339.16 --> 1339.80]  at the burning bush
[1339.80 --> 1340.62]  to go bring his people
[1340.62 --> 1341.20]  out of Egypt,
[1341.60 --> 1343.00]  Moses replies in verse 11
[1343.00 --> 1344.66]  with who am I?
[1344.74 --> 1345.76]  Who am I to do this?
[1345.76 --> 1348.62]  In fact,
[1348.70 --> 1349.40]  later in this chapter
[1349.40 --> 1350.16]  we didn't get to that,
[1350.24 --> 1351.16]  Moses thinks of a whole bunch
[1351.16 --> 1352.00]  of reasons why he should
[1352.00 --> 1352.68]  not be doing this.
[1352.88 --> 1353.40]  What if the people
[1353.40 --> 1354.06]  don't believe me,
[1354.10 --> 1354.36]  he says.
[1354.40 --> 1355.34]  I'm not really eloquent,
[1355.46 --> 1356.58]  I can't speak in front of people,
[1356.62 --> 1357.54]  this isn't a job for me
[1357.54 --> 1358.90]  and after all his excuses,
[1359.44 --> 1360.38]  he simply looks at God
[1360.38 --> 1360.64]  and he says,
[1360.74 --> 1360.98]  God,
[1361.22 --> 1364.08]  please just send someone else.
[1368.52 --> 1369.42]  His response maybe
[1369.42 --> 1370.48]  shouldn't be that surprising
[1370.48 --> 1371.32]  to us though, right?
[1373.60 --> 1374.82]  We ask the same questions,
[1374.90 --> 1375.20]  don't we?
[1376.76 --> 1377.20]  God,
[1377.24 --> 1378.34]  I can't pray for that person,
[1378.42 --> 1379.04]  not here,
[1379.16 --> 1379.62]  not now,
[1379.70 --> 1380.38]  not publicly.
[1381.76 --> 1382.20]  God,
[1382.24 --> 1384.14]  I'm not spiritually mature enough
[1384.14 --> 1385.12]  to lead that ministry.
[1387.32 --> 1387.76]  God,
[1387.80 --> 1388.40]  I'm not eloquent.
[1388.62 --> 1390.56]  I can't speak your gospel
[1390.56 --> 1391.70]  to people I don't know.
[1393.26 --> 1393.70]  God,
[1393.74 --> 1395.12]  I don't want to be an elder,
[1395.34 --> 1395.96]  just God,
[1396.34 --> 1398.40]  please send someone else.
[1401.74 --> 1403.30]  The ironic problem is
[1403.30 --> 1405.42]  when we feel this way,
[1405.76 --> 1408.22]  it is exactly the kind of person
[1408.22 --> 1409.58]  that God wants to use
[1409.58 --> 1411.20]  to fulfill his kingdom purposes.
[1413.38 --> 1414.68]  When we accept the fact
[1414.68 --> 1415.98]  that maybe we don't have
[1415.98 --> 1416.62]  what it takes
[1416.62 --> 1418.10]  to do all of the things
[1418.10 --> 1419.48]  God be me calling us to do,
[1420.28 --> 1421.34]  then it's God
[1421.34 --> 1422.62]  who gets the glory
[1422.62 --> 1424.62]  for accomplishing his purposes
[1424.62 --> 1425.44]  through us.
[1425.44 --> 1426.44]  God's sake.
[1426.44 --> 1428.18]  So even though Moses
[1428.18 --> 1429.42]  responded with excuses
[1429.42 --> 1430.38]  and fear
[1430.38 --> 1431.68]  and a whole lot of hesitation,
[1432.42 --> 1433.26]  God picked him up,
[1433.96 --> 1434.98]  he sent him out,
[1435.24 --> 1436.52]  and he used him
[1436.52 --> 1437.66]  in all his limitations,
[1437.66 --> 1438.62]  and Moses became
[1438.62 --> 1441.16]  one of the greatest fathers
[1441.16 --> 1441.94]  of our faith
[1441.94 --> 1443.22]  the world has ever known.
[1443.22 --> 1447.50]  Now the internet,
[1448.18 --> 1449.66]  it's a very interesting place.
[1451.20 --> 1452.42]  It's got tons of stuff,
[1452.54 --> 1453.34]  wormholes that you can
[1453.34 --> 1454.00]  get sucked into,
[1454.18 --> 1455.14]  videos that are completely
[1455.14 --> 1456.72]  used to watch,
[1457.06 --> 1457.78]  just a big waste
[1457.78 --> 1458.40]  of time generally,
[1458.48 --> 1459.90]  but every once in a while
[1459.90 --> 1461.08]  it gives you this
[1461.08 --> 1462.42]  beautiful gem
[1462.42 --> 1463.58]  that you can use
[1463.58 --> 1464.58]  in a certain situation.
[1465.72 --> 1466.32]  And as I was
[1466.32 --> 1467.86]  writing this message,
[1468.08 --> 1469.42]  I saw this meme,
[1469.54 --> 1470.02]  this picture,
[1470.02 --> 1471.12]  and it sums up
[1471.12 --> 1472.14]  this point so beautifully.
[1472.96 --> 1473.68]  See, Moses thought
[1473.68 --> 1474.54]  he wasn't qualified
[1474.54 --> 1475.72]  to be able to fulfill
[1475.72 --> 1477.50]  God's calling for him,
[1477.70 --> 1478.94]  but the truth is
[1478.94 --> 1481.36]  God doesn't call
[1481.36 --> 1482.04]  the qualified.
[1482.88 --> 1484.62]  God qualifies the called.
[1486.32 --> 1487.40]  God doesn't call
[1487.40 --> 1488.26]  the qualified.
[1488.90 --> 1490.24]  He qualifies the called.
[1490.30 --> 1491.04]  Who saw that meme?
[1491.10 --> 1492.16]  Anybody see a meme like that?
[1492.92 --> 1493.84]  I could have possibly
[1493.84 --> 1494.74]  taken credit for this.
[1494.78 --> 1495.34]  That's too bad.
[1496.00 --> 1496.60]  This is why you shouldn't
[1496.60 --> 1497.64]  preface things like this.
[1497.90 --> 1498.72]  That would have been brilliant,
[1498.86 --> 1498.96]  hey?
[1500.02 --> 1501.10]  God doesn't call
[1501.10 --> 1501.80]  the qualified.
[1502.10 --> 1503.68]  He qualifies the called.
[1503.94 --> 1504.86]  See, we're all called.
[1505.70 --> 1506.30]  All of us.
[1506.34 --> 1506.90]  We're all called.
[1506.98 --> 1507.74]  We're called to love.
[1508.02 --> 1508.90]  We're called to serve.
[1509.14 --> 1509.94]  We're called to forgive.
[1510.16 --> 1511.00]  We're called to submit
[1511.00 --> 1512.04]  to God.
[1513.58 --> 1514.38]  Perhaps you don't always
[1514.38 --> 1515.68]  feel qualified to lead
[1515.68 --> 1517.04]  or to pray in front of people
[1517.04 --> 1518.34]  or to love people
[1518.34 --> 1519.46]  who are difficult to love
[1519.46 --> 1520.18]  or to serve
[1520.18 --> 1521.36]  in different capacities,
[1521.72 --> 1522.66]  but in some way
[1522.66 --> 1523.46]  or another, church,
[1524.54 --> 1525.46]  you're the body of Christ.
[1525.54 --> 1526.48]  We're all the body of Christ.
[1526.58 --> 1527.24]  We are all called
[1527.24 --> 1527.96]  to these things.
[1527.96 --> 1530.42]  Take our church's
[1530.42 --> 1531.02]  mission statement,
[1531.12 --> 1531.52]  for example.
[1531.62 --> 1532.66]  Perhaps gathering
[1532.66 --> 1533.42]  or growing
[1533.42 --> 1534.74]  or going right now
[1534.74 --> 1535.92]  just seems difficult.
[1536.14 --> 1537.32]  It seems too hard for us.
[1537.38 --> 1538.78]  It seems that we're not
[1538.78 --> 1539.76]  qualified to do that.
[1540.68 --> 1541.58]  It's too difficult
[1541.58 --> 1542.46]  for us to accomplish.
[1544.42 --> 1546.18]  But God doesn't call us
[1546.18 --> 1546.66]  to these things
[1546.66 --> 1547.54]  because we're qualified.
[1549.24 --> 1550.26]  It's quite the opposite,
[1550.42 --> 1550.58]  actually.
[1550.64 --> 1551.56]  God calls us
[1551.56 --> 1552.38]  to do these things
[1552.38 --> 1553.72]  in spite of our qualifications.
[1553.72 --> 1553.96]  Christians.
[1556.02 --> 1556.72]  It's only then
[1556.72 --> 1557.54]  that God gets to be
[1557.54 --> 1558.62]  ultimately glorified.
[1561.02 --> 1561.86]  The Apostle Paul
[1561.86 --> 1563.06]  says this so beautifully
[1563.06 --> 1563.70]  in one of his letters
[1563.70 --> 1565.48]  to the church in Corinth.
[1565.64 --> 1566.44]  He says this thousands
[1566.44 --> 1567.44]  and thousands of years later.
[1567.54 --> 1568.02]  He says this.
[1568.06 --> 1568.28]  He says,
[1568.36 --> 1569.08]  Brothers and sisters,
[1569.88 --> 1571.04]  this is not actually very kind,
[1571.10 --> 1571.92]  but it's a really good point.
[1572.00 --> 1572.12]  He's like,
[1572.18 --> 1572.78]  Brothers and sisters,
[1572.96 --> 1573.98]  not many of you
[1573.98 --> 1574.78]  were wise
[1574.78 --> 1576.02]  by human standards.
[1577.10 --> 1578.48]  Not many were influential.
[1579.68 --> 1581.34]  Not many are of noble birth.
[1581.34 --> 1584.30]  But God chose
[1584.30 --> 1585.76]  the foolish things
[1585.76 --> 1586.72]  of this world
[1586.72 --> 1588.68]  to shame the wise.
[1589.74 --> 1591.20]  God chose the weak things
[1591.20 --> 1591.86]  of the world
[1591.86 --> 1594.04]  to shame the strong
[1594.04 --> 1596.10]  so that no one
[1596.10 --> 1597.66]  may boast before him.
[1598.14 --> 1599.20]  It is because of him
[1599.20 --> 1601.18]  that you are in Christ Jesus.
[1602.36 --> 1603.48]  Therefore, as it is written,
[1604.38 --> 1605.64]  let the one who boasts
[1605.64 --> 1607.60]  boast in the Lord.
[1607.60 --> 1612.10]  God doesn't call the qualified.
[1612.54 --> 1614.04]  He qualifies the called.
[1615.90 --> 1616.92]  So brothers and sisters
[1616.92 --> 1618.02]  of Emanuel CRC
[1618.02 --> 1618.68]  and anybody else
[1618.68 --> 1619.78]  watching online right now,
[1620.46 --> 1621.36]  please remember this,
[1621.42 --> 1623.74]  that God is more powerful
[1623.74 --> 1625.88]  than we can ever comprehend.
[1627.36 --> 1628.58]  And may we be deeply,
[1628.82 --> 1629.80]  deeply affected
[1629.80 --> 1631.84]  by the infinite distance
[1631.84 --> 1632.48]  there is
[1632.48 --> 1634.14]  between God's power
[1634.14 --> 1635.42]  and our own.
[1635.42 --> 1637.26]  Second,
[1637.40 --> 1638.46]  God is deeply
[1638.46 --> 1639.56]  concerned
[1639.56 --> 1640.86]  for you.
[1642.18 --> 1643.00]  No matter what
[1643.00 --> 1643.88]  you are going through,
[1644.80 --> 1645.66]  God is listening,
[1645.86 --> 1646.60]  God is watching,
[1646.76 --> 1647.36]  He is hearing,
[1647.48 --> 1648.22]  and He is remembering
[1648.22 --> 1649.44]  His promises to you.
[1650.70 --> 1651.74]  He is with you always
[1651.74 --> 1653.08]  to the very end
[1653.08 --> 1653.82]  of the age.
[1655.26 --> 1656.02]  And finally,
[1656.10 --> 1656.56]  God is not
[1656.56 --> 1657.72]  calling you
[1657.72 --> 1658.66]  because you are qualified.
[1660.38 --> 1661.86]  He qualifies you
[1661.86 --> 1663.22]  to fulfill
[1663.22 --> 1664.46]  His calling.
[1665.42 --> 1666.58]  Don't mix those up.
[1667.96 --> 1668.40]  Amen?
[1669.96 --> 1670.98]  Let me pray with you.
[1671.24 --> 1671.68]  Father God,
[1671.96 --> 1673.32]  we thank You
[1673.32 --> 1673.92]  for this story.
[1674.02 --> 1674.38]  We thank You
[1674.38 --> 1674.94]  for Moses
[1674.94 --> 1676.02]  and the burning bush.
[1676.24 --> 1676.74]  We thank You
[1676.74 --> 1677.84]  for the power
[1677.84 --> 1679.64]  that comes
[1679.64 --> 1680.42]  through this story.
[1681.12 --> 1681.70]  We thank You
[1681.70 --> 1682.46]  for Your concern
[1682.46 --> 1683.18]  for Your people,
[1683.46 --> 1684.38]  why You came down
[1684.38 --> 1685.14]  in Egypt,
[1685.34 --> 1686.12]  why You came down
[1686.12 --> 1686.76]  in Bethlehem,
[1686.88 --> 1687.62]  why You came down
[1687.62 --> 1688.32]  at Pentecost.
[1690.08 --> 1690.64]  And God,
[1690.68 --> 1691.14]  we thank You
[1691.14 --> 1692.56]  that You are with us.
[1692.56 --> 1694.20]  You are powerfully,
[1694.78 --> 1696.50]  concerningly with us.
[1698.24 --> 1698.68]  And so God,
[1698.74 --> 1700.26]  may we respond accordingly.
[1700.38 --> 1701.02]  May we know
[1701.02 --> 1702.60]  that You are in charge
[1702.60 --> 1703.34]  of all things,
[1704.48 --> 1705.92]  that You are thinking of us,
[1705.98 --> 1707.34]  have us in Your heart,
[1707.70 --> 1708.72]  and that You call us
[1708.72 --> 1709.62]  to live lives
[1709.62 --> 1710.96]  of love and service
[1710.96 --> 1711.68]  and gratitude
[1711.68 --> 1712.60]  in this world.
[1713.12 --> 1714.48]  So may we boldly
[1714.48 --> 1715.52]  step forward
[1715.52 --> 1716.70]  in that knowledge.
[1717.48 --> 1718.32]  May we go forward
[1718.32 --> 1719.54]  knowing that You are with us
[1719.54 --> 1721.50]  and that You qualify us
[1721.50 --> 1722.52]  to live out this calling.
[1723.26 --> 1724.32]  But let us make excuses.
[1727.28 --> 1727.94]  Let us live
[1727.94 --> 1728.72]  as You call us to live.
[1728.76 --> 1729.18]  We pray this
[1729.18 --> 1730.28]  in Your Son's precious name.
[1730.56 --> 1730.78]  Amen.