Journey to Promise: The Call (Exodus 3:1-14)

 Sermon for MIlledgeville and Centenary UMC...

[Title Slide] Journey to Promise: The Call (Exodus 3:1-14)

 

Today we begin a journey through the wilderness with Moses and the children of Abraham. Moses was born in Egypt, the son of Hebrew slaves. The Pharaoh feared that the numerous Hebrew immigrants to his land would one day pose a threat to national security, so he enslaved them and he ordered all male babies to be thrown into the Nile. Moses’ mother hid her son in a basket and set him adrift, hoping to save him. The baby was discovered by Pharaoh’s own daughter who took him as her own. Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s palace.

 

When Moses was 40 years old, he killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was brutally beating a Hebrew slave. He fled Egypt in fear for his life. He met a kindly priest in Midian who sheltered him, gave him work, and eventually one of his daughters for a wife.  

 

[Slides] Read Exodus 3:1-14

 

Here are a few comical memes inspired by Moses’ story.

 

[Slide] Who would Win: The ruler of a great and powerful kingdom with incalculable wealth and high praise OR a guy with a stick who listened to a brush fire?

 

[Slide] Technically, Moses was the first person with a tablet to download data from the cloud

 

[Slide] How does Moses make his coffee? Hebrews it.

 

[Slide] By the age of 80, Moses is living the life of a shepherd in southwestern Arabia with a clan of Midianites, descendants of Abraham, very distant cousins to Moses. He’s got two sons with his wife Zipporah. He’s out in the wilderness grazing his father-in-law’s flocks, near Mount Horeb, which the Midianites knew as the mountain of God.

Moses sees a bush that appears to be on fire, but the wood and leaves are not burning. How can that be? He goes in for a closer look. Moses hears the bush call his name. He discovers that he is standing before the God of his Hebrew ancestors. Being raised in the royal family of Egypt, Moses would have been familiar with Egypt’s many gods. But Moses doesn’t seem to know the God of the Hebrew slaves.

 

Moses learned that God was sending him back to Egypt.

 

[Slide] “…the cry of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them. So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” (Ex 3:9-10)

 

Moses has some reservations, and I don’t mean the kind you make for seating at a restaurant. Moses was reluctant to go back to Egypt.

 

He stalled, asking God a series of questions, all of which reveal his insecurities. [Slide] Moses asked,

 

Who am I?

Who are you?

What if they don’t listen?

I can’t speak good!

Send somebody else!

 

But God provided an answer to each of Moses’ attempts at getting out of this mission.

 

“Who am I that you send me?” Moses asked.  [Slide] God said, “I will be with you.” Who are you, Moses? You are the one I am sending to Pharaoh to say, “Let my people go.” You are the one I will be with on this mission. I will bring you and all the Hebrews back to this mountain. You will see!

Moses asked “what is your name?” which is a way of asking, “Who are you?” God responds, “I am that I am. Tell them I am has sent you.” I am simply means I exist. I am the Existing One. “I am” is similar to “the one who is, who was and who is to come!” (Rev 1:8)

 

Moses continues stalling. “Well, what if they don’t believe me?” God promised to perform signs through Moses. God instructed Moses to throw down the staff in his hand and it turned into a serpent. Moses grabbed the serpent by its tail, and it turned back into his shepherd’s staff. God had Moses stick his hand in his cloak and pull it out again. When he did, his skin was white with leprosy. Moses put his hand back in his cloak and his skin was restored. Such signs would convince the Hebrews that Moses was legit, a true prophet of God.

 

But Moses still isn’t convinced. He complains, Lord, I am not an eloquent man. I’m slow of speech.” God reasons, “Who gave you a mouth? Is it not I? I will teach you what to say!”

 

Finally, Moses blurts out, “O Lord, please send somebody else!” At this point God is tired of Moses’ stalling. And yet, even in God’s frustration, God provides. “Your brother, Aaron will help you. He will speak on your behalf. Look, he’s already on his way to meet you.”

 

Moses obeyed the Lord, took leave of his shepherding duties in Midian, and headed for Egypt.

 

[Slide] We learn from this holy encounter that our God is a God who sees, hears, knows, and acts to rescue, remembering His covenant promises to the children of Abraham. And so in faithfulness and compassion, God sends Moses to free the Hebrews.

 

Imagine yourself in Moses’ place. How would you respond? Would you drag your feet and make excuses? Would you beg God to send somebody else?

 

Here was Moses’ problem. He was looking only at his insecurities and feelings of unworthiness. After all, he murdered a person! He’s a runaway fugitive hiding out in Arabia with a bunch of smelly sheep!

 

But look what God said. He didn’t say, “Moses, I’m so impressed with you, you are just perfect for this mission.” No!

 

[Slide] God said, “I have seen the affliction of my people”

“I have heard their cry”

“I know their sorrows” (Exodus 3:7)

 

What would your response be to God’s call if you saw how hard people around you have it? Would you be more inclined to go where God sends you if you hear the cries of your neighbors? Would you be impassioned with the fire of justice if you knew the oppression some of your neighbors suffer? The burning bush suggests to me the fire in the belly God gives when we see, hear and know the painful cries of God’s suffering people.

 

Don’t look at what you think you can’t do. Don’t stall by thinking you’re ill-equipped. God doesn’t call the equipped. God equips the called! Instead of looking at your insecurities and inadequacies, look at the needs of those around you who cry out to God for help. Look to the God who cares and sends you to help, the followers of Jesus Christ.

 

Not everyone gets a burning bush, but we are all called to do good works as we follow Jesus into ministry. Not all of us are preachers or teachers, but all of us are gifted in some way by the Spirit of God to build others up.

 

I was on staff at Zionsville UMC leading a membership class. We discovered our spiritual gifts, talents and passions. One member discovered she had compassion for people in need, and especially children in need. She had a gift for organization and leadership. She pared her gifts with her passion and developed a children’s clothing closet ministry. She recruited volunteers and got clothing donations from parents who brought their children to the church every day of the week for preschool and after school care. Parents happily donated clothing that filled the closet. Soon the church expanded to an adult clothing closet. One time they took a single mom shopping to buy a prom dress for her daughter. She wept tears of joy. God smiled. Many lives in Boone County have been blessed because this one disciple for Jesus said yes to God’s call on her heart.

 

What might God do through you? If God took a runaway fugitive of justice, a smelly shepherd, and made him one of the greatest prophets ever known, what might God be able to do through your life, when you go where God sends you.

 

God sees. God hears. God knows. God sends us to rescue and redeem.

 

I had a conversation with both Sheriff Tony Harris, and with Melissa Wilkinson of Love INC, and I asked them what are the chief social issues facing Boone County. [Slide] Both of them mentioned Homelessness as a significant issue, especially in the winter months when people are endangered by the cold. Some families are living in their cars. They can’t afford to pay outrageous rent prices. They can’t afford $350,000 homes. There needs to be affordable housing options.

 

Second to homelessness, and related to it, is food insecurity. The rising costs of groceries and housing has made it hard on people. Some can’t afford groceries to feed their families. Love INC helps connect struggling families and individuals to resources in the county like food pantries. Boone County has a lot of caring people. There are several food pantries available, but those food pantries need funding support and food donations to keep the shelves full.

 

 

 

I learned of an opportunity to do something about food insecurity in Boone County. [Slide] Love INC is organizing a fundraising walk called The Coldest Night of the Year. They have a goal of raising $20,000 to fund 6 different food pantries here in Boone County. If you scan the QR code on the screen with your smartphone camera, you should get a link to the website where you can learn how you can either join as a walker, recruit sponsors, or simply make a direct donation. The link is also posted on the Centenary UMC Facebook page.

 

Michele and I are planning to walk on February 28^th for our neighbors struggling to pay for groceries. Search your hearts. God is looking for someone to champion this event and put a team of walkers together from Centenary UMC. There’s a 2k and a 5k route. Join the walk, get your friends, family and neighbors to sponsor you financially, or you can make a donation yourself or sponsor a walker.

 

[Slides] God sees. Do you see that over 7% of Boone county can’t afford groceries. God hears their cries. Do you hear? Do you share God’s compassion for them? God knows their suffering. And now, so do you.

 

God is calling. Who will go?