[0:00] Welcome to our service this morning as we come before God in worship we pray his blessing on his word to us.
[0:11] We can begin by singing to God's praise from Psalm 42. Psalm 42 and from the beginning of the psalm.
[0:22] Psalm 42 and from the beginning of the psalm.
[0:52] Psalm 42 and from the beginning of the psalm.
[1:22] For I shall praise him yet his countenance is mine aid. And so on we can sing these verses 1 to 5.
[1:34] Psalm 42. Like as the heart for water brooks in thirst of pant and pray.
[2:10] My soul for God the living God.
[2:28] The first when shall I hear. Until my countenance approach and in God's sight appear.
[2:53] My tears shall come to me. Why love to me continually.
[3:09] Why love to me continually.
[3:21] Where is thy promise to me. My soul is full.
[3:36] For a doubt in me. When this I think upon.
[3:48] Because not with the multitude. I hear.
[4:00] I hear. I hear. To go. That John. God. God. God. God.
[4:15] I went with voice of joy and praise.
[4:26] Yea, with the mountains purest I kept the solemn holy days.
[4:44] O why our blood has dulled my soul, why every soul is made.
[5:02] Trust God, for I shall praise Him yet.
[5:13] His countenance is my aid. Let us join together in prayer.
[5:25] Let us pray. O Lord our God, as we come before you this morning hour, we give thanks for the words that we have been singing.
[5:40] That testify to the longings of soul of a child of God. Longings that we cannot create within ourselves.
[5:56] Longings that we cannot in any way manufacture or cause to appear within our heart.
[6:10] Because they are that which is created in us by the God who is most high.
[6:22] They are the longings of a soul for the God who created that soul. The God who is spirit. Who made his people spirit.
[6:36] Who gave to them a spirit within them. Not only are they created in your image. The way in the ways in which your word allows us to believe in the manifestations of it in the lives of those who are in the world.
[7:02] The image consists of knowledge. Consists of righteousness.
[7:17] Consists of a relationship to the world in which we have been placed. Consists of a relationship to the world. And that in its enjoyment by our first parents.
[7:30] Who were able to suppress the world in which they lived.
[7:41] To live in conquest over it. And to know that they had dominion. As God had entrusted them to exercise.
[7:54] Knowing that as they did so. They did so in a sinless way. They did so in a way where the glory of God was before their eyes.
[8:09] And they were able to execute that divine imperative. That is not the way it is now. Man has not only departed from God.
[8:26] The only living and true God. But has also usurped the authority of that God over our lives. And we acknowledge that. And we see it.
[8:39] In the way in which that life is lived out in this world. Not only in our own personal experience. But as we witness. Those who are fellow sojourners with ourselves.
[8:52] And how we have abused the privilege that you have given to us. Even in executing that over lordship of creation.
[9:05] So much so that we readily and repeatedly hear. Of the way this world is suffering.
[9:17] Because of the abuses carried out by man. Over its environment. We acknowledge that.
[9:27] And we believe it to be part of our fallenness. And part of our suffering. At the hand of the God who is.
[9:40] Because you brought judgment to bear. Not only on man. But upon the world in which we live. And we see that. In the struggles that are daily.
[9:53] A hours within that environment. And we acknowledge that there is only one remedy for it. And that is the provision. Made for us in the person of Jesus Christ.
[10:06] That promises not only the restoration. Of a relationship. Between man and God. But between man and the environment.
[10:18] Because you have promised restitution. You have promised to restore all things. That you will create a new heaven. And a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.
[10:31] And when we contemplate these truths. We are amazed. By what it will possibly bring into fruition.
[10:41] Our imagination. Our imagination. Is insufficient to contemplate. The glories of our restored relationship with God.
[10:52] Let alone our restored creation. Help us then to bow the knee. Before the wisdom of the God who is almighty. Even in worship today.
[11:05] As we approach. As we approach. A throne. Upon which the almighty sits. Enable us to give thanks. That you are. A God of mercy.
[11:16] And a God of grace. Who encourages us to come in and through. The passion of your son Jesus Christ. We bless you. And thank you. That it is a throne of grace.
[11:27] And that it prepares us for the day. When we must bow the knee in your presence. At a throne of judgment. Bless us together this day.
[11:38] As we gather in your name. On a day that bears your name. Enable us to recognize. That we are collectively in your presence.
[11:49] Individually in your presence. That we have to do with God. In our own soul. Enable us to focus upon this God.
[12:00] And to know that you are speaking to us. The truth. As it applies to our lives. We pray for your blessing. Upon the preached world today.
[12:12] Not only in this place. But in every location. Where men and women. Young and old gather in your name. We give thanks for the twos and threes. We give thanks for the tens and hundreds.
[12:24] We give thanks for the thousands. That gather in large places. That are designed for the worship of God. We cannot but contemplate what that means.
[12:37] But the day will come. When your word tells us. That we will be as one. In the presence of God. And that there will be a myriad.
[12:49] A gathering of the many. Who know the Lord. And who love the Lord. And who are saved by the Lord. Redeemed. At the expense of a lamb that was slain.
[13:03] Worthy is the lamb will be their son. And we give thanks for all who can anticipate. This to be their son. In the day that will have no night there.
[13:15] We bless you and thank you. That you are our God indeed. So we pray your blessing upon our homes. Upon our families. Those near and dear to us.
[13:25] Those who are our friends and neighbours. Those who are part of this community. That we interact with daily. We pray your blessing. As the blessing of the most high God.
[13:38] That they may know you as their portion. We ask Lord that you would bless. All in need amongst us. Those who are unwell. Those who are suffering.
[13:49] Because of the frailties of the flesh. We commit and commend them to you. We are thankful that you are the physician. Who is a great physician. Not only able to heal the hurts of the body.
[14:01] But the mind also. And particularly the soul. May you bind our wounds. May you heal our hurts. May you pour out the balm of your love.
[14:12] Upon us. Remember those who are grieving. Those who are sorrowful. Those whose hearts are heavy as deep. More than us of loved ones.
[14:23] We ask Lord that you would speak into this grief. And remind them of the one. Who is aware of these griefs. And who was a man of sorrows.
[14:35] Acquainted with such grief. And who he himself. As he gazed upon the sorrows. And the hurt of those who mourned. The loss of loved ones.
[14:46] Wept with them. We pray that you would encourage us. To believe the truth concerning him today. That he sits at your right hand. As the great intercessor of his people.
[14:58] Pour out your spirit upon us in his name. He has promised it. He has bequeathed it. He is one who has ascended to the right hand of the majesty on high.
[15:09] But did so. Knowing that his own name would be heralded among the world. Those who are part of it. Amongst those who live here today.
[15:21] And whatever occasion they will dwell in the world. That his name would be above every name. Lord hear our prayers.
[15:32] Remember those who live in your care today. Who are unable to care for themselves. Those who are hospitalized. Those who are bound up in their own homes. Depending on loved ones to care for them.
[15:44] Remember those in the hospice. Or the care homes of our community. Visit them in mercy. Through your word. Whatever means you have ordained.
[15:54] By which it is communicated to them. Even in private. Reading. We pray that that world. Would be a living world to them. It is that.
[16:05] But may it be. Enlivened by your spirit. In their interaction with it. So that it may speak. Into their. Peculiar. Particular. Personal. Private situations.
[16:17] Hear our prayers Lord. May your truth. Go out to the ends of the earth. We give thanks for the fact that. That is paramount.
[16:27] That is the thing that. Is most important. In our thinking. That God's name. Would be. Preached. And proclaimed. We see a world in turmoil.
[16:38] We see a world that is. So fragmented. Because of the ills. That are. In. Incredible. Manifestations of it.
[16:51] We see our own parliament. Confused. And. Perplexed. And incapable. Of coming to. A resolution. To. To attend. To the needs of the day.
[17:03] We are concerned. For that. But we pray. That we might have the wisdom. To understand. That even this. Is under your hand. You are the God. Who is a God of wisdom.
[17:15] A God who is in never. In a. No. Nothing. Who is in no way. The author of confusion. You are the one. Who is. Wise. Beyond words.
[17:26] And we pray. That even into such. The. Such distractions. That you would. Speak. Lovingly. And tenderly. And bring us to yourself.
[17:38] As a mother. Calls her child. To her knee. May we hear your voice. And may we. Heed what you are saying to us. That we may receive Christ.
[17:48] And trust in him. To the saving of our souls. As a nation. As a people. Remember the word on. Afflicted parts of the world. Where there is.
[17:59] Continuous. Destruction. And we see. So much grief. And sorrow. Perpetrated. By wicked men. Lord. Overcome. These. These.
[18:10] Foes. Of thy name. Because you will ultimately. Bring them. To your own judgment. Hear our petitions. And. Guide us. In the way that we.
[18:22] Handle your word. Pardon every sin. In Jesus name. We ask it. With forgiveness of sin in him. Amen. Amen. We're going to sing now.
[18:33] To God's praise. From Psalm 63. Psalm 63. And we're singing. From verse 1. Down to verse 8.
[18:43] Lord thee my God. Lord thee my God. I'll early seek. My soul doth thirst for thee. My flesh longs in a dry parts land. Wherein no waters be.
[18:54] But I thy power may behold. And brightness of thy face. As I have seen thee heretofore. Within thy holy place. We'll sing to verse 8.
[19:05] Lord thee my God. I'll early seek. Lord thee my God. I'll early seek.
[19:18] My soul doth thirst for thee. My flesh longs in thou thy parts land.
[19:33] Wherein no waters be. That I thy power may hold.
[19:49] And brightness of thy face. As I have seen thee.
[20:02] Here to know. Within thy holy place.
[20:13] Since that adish. Thy love land life. My lips thee pray shall give.
[20:30] I in thy name will lift my heart. And bless thee while I live.
[20:46] In us with my heart. O hand with my heart. My soul shall there be.
[21:02] Then shall my mouth. With my heart. With my heart. With my heart. With my heart. With my heart.
[21:13] With my heart. With my heart. With my heart. When I do thee. Upon my bed.
[21:27] Remember with delight. And when on thee.
[21:39] I meditate. In watches of the night.
[21:51] In shadow of thy wings. In style joy. For thou.
[22:02] For thou. Thy help. Has been. My soul. Behold. Oh.
[22:13] Pardon me. Thy right hand. And thou. And thou. Thou. Thou. Thou.
[22:24] Thou. I'm going to read now from the Old Testament Scriptures. The book of Exodus. And reading chapter 3. The Old Testament Scriptures.
[22:36] The book of Exodus. And chapter 3. Now Moses. Now Moses. Kept the flock of Jethro. His father-in-law.
[22:47] The priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the backside of the desert. And came to the mountain of God. Even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him.
[22:59] In a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. And he looked. And behold the bush burned with fire. And the bush was not consumed. And Moses said.
[23:11] I will now turn aside. And see this great sight. Why the bush is not burned. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see. God called unto him out of the midst of the bush.
[23:24] And said. Moses. Moses. And he said. Here am I. And he said. Draw not nigh hither. Put off thy shoes from off thy feet.
[23:36] For the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said. I am the God of thy father. The God of Abraham. The God of Isaac. And the God of Jacob.
[23:48] And Moses hid his face. For he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said. I have surely seen. The affliction of my people.
[23:59] Which are in Egypt. And have heard their cry. By reason of their taskmasters. For I know their sorrows. And they have come down. To deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
[24:11] And to bring them. Up out of that land. And to a good land. And a large. To a land flowing with milk and honey. And to the place of the Canaanites.
[24:22] And the Hittites. And the Amorites. And the Perizzites. And the Hivites. And the Jebusites. Now therefore behold. The cry of the children of Israel. Is come unto me.
[24:34] And I have also seen the oppression. Wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore. And I will send thee unto Pharaoh. That thou mayest bring forth my people.
[24:47] The children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God. Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh. And that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt.
[24:59] And he said certainly. I will be with thee. And this shall be a token unto thee. That I have sent thee. When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt.
[25:10] Ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God. Behold. When I come unto the children of Israel. And shall say unto them. The God of your fathers.
[25:21] Have sent me unto you. And they shall say unto me. What is his name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses. I am that I am.
[25:33] And he said. Thus shall thou say unto the children of Israel. I am hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses. Thus shall thou say unto the children of Israel.
[25:46] The Lord God of your fathers. The God of Abraham. The God of Isaac. And the God of Jacob. Hath sent me unto you. This is my name forever.
[25:57] And this is my memorial unto all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together. And say unto them. The Lord God of your fathers.
[26:08] The God of Abraham. Of Isaac. And of Jacob. Appeared unto me. Saying. I have surely visited you. And seen that which is done to you in Egypt.
[26:20] And I have said. I will bring you up. Out of the affliction of Egypt. And to the land of the Canaanites. And the Hittites. And the Amorites. And the Perizzites. And the Hivites.
[26:31] And the Jebusites. And to a land flowing with milk and honey. And they. Shall hearken to my voice. To thy voice. And thou shalt come.
[26:43] Thou and the elders of Israel. And to the king of Egypt. And you shall say unto him. The Lord God of the Hebrews. Hath met with us. And now let us go. We beseech thee.
[26:54] Three days journey into the wilderness. That we may sacrifice. To the Lord our God. And I am sure. That the king of Egypt. Will not let you go.
[27:05] No. Not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand. And smite Egypt. With all my wonders. Which I will do in the midst thereof.
[27:16] And after that. He will let you go. And I will give this people. Favor. In the sight of the Egyptians. And it shall come to pass. That when ye go.
[27:27] Ye shall not go empty. But every woman. Shall borrow of her neighbour. And of her that sojourneth in her house. Jewels of silver. And jewels of gold.
[27:38] And raiment. And ye shall put them upon your sons. And upon your daughters. And ye shall spoil the Egyptians. So undone me the Lord.
[27:52] God. And his blessing. To this reading of his word. And to his name. Be the praise. We shall sing now. Psalm 16. Psalm 16.
[28:05] From verse 6. Through to the end of the psalm. Psalm 16. Psalm 17. And unto me happily. The lines in pleasant places fell.
[28:17] Yea the inheritance I got. In beauty doth excel. I bless the Lord. Because he doth. By counselling me conduct.
[28:28] And in the seasons of the night my reigns to me instruct. instruct. Before me still the Lord I said, since it is so that he doth ever stand at my right hand, I shall not move it be, and so on.
[28:43] Verses 6 to 11 of Psalm 16. And do me happily, the lines in pleasant places fell. And do me happily the lines in pleasant places fell.
[29:10] Yet the inheritance I got in beauty doth excel.
[29:27] I bless the Lord because he doth by counsel me conduct.
[29:45] And in the seasons of the night my reign to me instruct.
[29:59] Before me still the Lord I said, I said, said, said, said, said, said, said, said, it is so that he I shall not do this be Because of this my heart is glad And joy shall be expressed Even by my glory and my flesh
[31:05] In confidence shall rest Because my soul in grief to dwell Shall not be left by me Nor wilt thou give thine holy one Corruption to see Thou wilt me show the path of life Of joy said is full store
[32:08] Before thy face and thy right hand Our pleasure shall be Lord I'd like us to turn to Exodus chapter 3 You can read again at verse 10 Exodus chapter 3 at verse 10 Come now therefore That thou mayest bring forth my people The children of Israel out of Egypt Come now therefore
[33:13] Most of our Bibles Or many of our Bibles That we use at a personal level As I've pointed out often Will have within them Not just the ordinary chapter divisions But you may have subdivisions That have been supplied by the editor Of whatever the Bible version is And the chapter divisions And the chapter divisions Will perhaps have a heading And you might have a subdivision Describing whatever it is That is going on within that chapter And most or many of the Bibles Will have within them This description Of the main event
[34:14] That is found within chapter 3 And as you can imagine It points to the burning bush And you can It probably is If I asked you From your knowledge of the Bible And the book of Exodus Many of you would think of chapter 3 Having this event In it The occasion Or the miracle Of the burning bush And it is inevitable Because it is A significant Miraculous occurrence A divine manifestation A theophany Many say God revealing himself In a physical way The God who is invisible Revealing himself Through a physical event However While it is
[35:15] Important And the truth is important It is not the most important Part Of The context In which it is found I believe that What is most important Is the fact that At this point God God Is Preparing The people of God For A divine intervention And not only Is he preparing His people For that intervention He is raising up Someone By whom He will Function In the midst Of that people And by that I mean The The person Of Moses It is Possibly The most Significant Event Apart from The gospel Event Where Christ Himself Is presented
[36:16] To us Because While we may Think of many Individuals Of great Significance Within The Old Testament And the New Testament And we may Favor one Over Against Another It is Undoubtedly The person Of Moses That stands To the fore Now that is Something you can Debate Or Dispute But certainly The person Of Moses Is of Great Significance And at This point In chapter Three We Read Of the Call Of God Coming To Moses And When God Calls An individual To do Something Like no Other In the Experience Of any
[37:16] Person It is The most High God The Almighty Speaking Directly To that Individual In the Scripture We often Come across God Calling And That call Can sometimes Be The one That we are Most familiar With The God Of heaven Calling To us In the Gospel And that Is the Most important Call That is the One that we As individuals Must respond To Because our Soul salvation Depends upon Our response To that Call But Alongside That We sometimes Experience The God Of the Call of God To us To repent To turn From our Sins God is Calling to us Where we Are
[38:16] To bring To bring To bring To where We should Be And very Often The Dolmest Well we Have to Acknowledge That not One person Is where He should Be with Regard to God It is It is not Without reason That the Doctrine Of repentance Is so Fundamentally Important In the Context of Preaching the Gospel But God Calls Men and Women To himself Out of A path That they Have Followed As a Departure From God But then We have This call Here Which is Important In its Own right And that Is the Call of God To a Passion Into the Path Of Duty The path
[39:17] That God Has ordained By which A passion Will Serve him Not just As his Follower A believer But as A servant Appointed To a Particular Role Within The Salvation Of Sinners Now I Think that Is what Is highlighted Here God's Call To Moses God's Call To an Individual To take Up a Role That he Used to Follow Most Diligently Now if You When I Was Thinking of This I was Thinking Well The first Experience We have Of God's Call Comes in The book Of Genesis And it Comes Almost Immediately After the Fall of Man You'll go to It Instinctly You'll Remember It When God
[40:18] Came To Adam And Eve And he Spoke to Them You'll Remember How he Came To where They Were And God Spoke To them They heard The voice Of the Lord God Walking In the Garden In the Cool of The Day And Adam And his Wife Hooked Themselves From the Presence Of the Lord God Among The Trees Of the Garden And the Lord God Called Unto Adam And said Unto Him Where Art Thou Now I was Thinking of That When God Calls It can Be A call That is Audible You know We hear The voice Of God And we May not In our Current Situation Be conscious Of God Speaking to Us From on High And hearing An audible Voice Although
[41:18] Some People We have To Acknowledge That there Are some People Today Who would Say That they Heard God Speaking to Them Audibly That is They heard A voice The same Voice The kind Of voice That you And I Use to Communicate One with The other They're quite Convinced That when God spoke To them That they Heard That voice Now I'm Not saying Whether that Is right Or wrong Whether it Is true Or not Because God doesn't Dismiss That Experience He doesn't Say it Doesn't Happen Any Longer There are Occations In the Old Testament And in the New When the Voice of God Is recognised As an Audible Voice For example Again If you go To the Book of Samuel When Samuel Was in The temple He was Serving Eli God Came To Samuel In the
[42:18] Night And he Called Samuel And Samuel Thought it Was Eli He was Speaking to And Eli Had to To convince Him That it Wasn't him That he was Hearing But God So I Think that Gives you Another Sense In which God's Voice Can be Heard But not Immediately Recognised As the Voice of God And I think That is Something That we Have to Admit To But when God Calls We don't Necessarily Recognise His Voice As the Voice Of God We could Go on And we Could explore That theme Further But Looking at This passage And looking at The call of God coming To Moses I think There are two Things we can Say before We look at
[43:18] Look at it From the Perspective We wish to Consider it Is that When God Calls to Us in the Gospel For example We may Recognise That voice To be the Voice of God Or we May choose To doubt That his Voice is a Voice That we Recognise That's Something That I'm Not very Sure of Maybe you'll Answer this For yourself When God Is speaking To us When God Is speaking To you Is there A moment Of doubt In your Mind Concerning The voice Of God Do you Always Do you Always know To be Speaking To you Or do
[44:18] You At that Moment Argue Yourself Out of Believing That it Is God's Voice To you There's A Version In the Book of Revelation Which is Descriptive Of the Gospel Call The Spirit And the Bride Say Come Let him That Heareth Say Come Let him That is Searched Come And Whosoever Will Let him Take the Water Of life Freely That is A gospel Invitation Do we Recognise It as Such Or do We say That invitation Is to Someone Else And not To me How can We say That When the Voice And the Invitation Is clearly To all Why would We say It's not To me When it Is to
[45:18] Everyone Why would We say That the Gospel Is to Others And not To myself Well I Want us To think Of this Passion Receiving A call From God And recognising That it is A specific Call To Moses To the Path of Duty But I Want us To Recognise That the Responses That Moses Gives To this Call From God Are typical Of the Kind of Response That we Might give To God And to The Gospel The Are the Kind of Responses That we Might Outter Even when We know That God Is speaking To us So the Very first Thing that I Want to do Given that I've
[46:19] Already spoken For five Minutes and I Always get A row for Extended Introductions But this I want to Say at This point Before we Look at The responses Of Moses Is this That we Need to Identify The fact That it Is God That is Called And that When God Calls We must Respond Because it Is God We can't Dispute it And say That it Is not Relevant To myself Or to Others Because God makes It abundantly Plain that He is Speaking to Us Through his Word You cannot As is Pointed out So often You cannot Say No To the Lord If he Is your Lord And he Expects The answer To be
[47:19] Yes Because You can't Have it Both ways If he Is lord Then he Is to Be obeyed He is to Be responded To He is to Be followed Whichever Way he Leads If he Is God And he Is If he Commands Then the Response Expected Is obedience And that Is the Mystery of The gospel That God In his Wisdom Presents To us The path Of life Through Christ Jesus And he Says to us Follow this Path And we Say No We even Go further Than that We say No Lord I Recognize The gospel To be The gospel Of free Grace I Recognize To be The gospel To be The gospel Of Jesus Christ I Recognize The gospel
[48:20] To be The only Way Of salvation But I Say no And how Can you Logically Say such A thing I've often Disclosed The fact That I'm Interested In sport And I've Spoken Using Illustrations From the Sporting Field And I Don't make An apology For that This week Those of you Interested In football Will know That An event Occurred Manchester United Were playing A team I can't Remember Just now Who they Were playing But it Doesn't Matter One Of their Players As well Renowned Called Ronaldo Was On the Substitute Bench He's an Amazing Player Highly Skilled And has Won more Awards Than I Care to Mention
[49:20] But he Was on The Substitute Bench And he Didn't Want that And at The end Of the Game With two Or three Minutes To go The manager Said to him Go on To the Field And Not only Did he Refuse To go He Walked Off The park Went back To the Dressing Room Now the Interesting Thing for Me was The discussion That took Place Afterwards What did This mean To the Manager What did This mean To the Players This Was a Disregard Of the Team This was A Disregard Of the Manager's Authority He Refused To comply He was Part of The team And his Role as Part of The team Was to Be part Of the Team Whatever he Was asked To do By the Manager That he Should do And there Was a Great deal Of discussion And consternation
[50:21] About it And You would Think Well something Amazing Had happened And yet Not a Football Manager Not The Leader Of any Team A parliamentary Party Whatever it Is you're Interested In There are People who Defy Instructions There are People who Refuse to Comply To To a Role that Is offered To them Because They consider It to be Demeaning But not One of These People Whoever They are Are Worthy Of the Obedience That God Commands Not One And yet It is Not the Subject Of discussion
[51:22] In the Tarot It is Not Something That Concerned Anyone To sit Around the Table And say God Has Commanded Obedience And I Refused To Obey What Does It Mean Well I Tell you What it Means It Means That if You Persist As Someone Who Refuses God Who Denies God His Right Then What you Will lose Is not Your name Your Integrity Your place In the Team You will Lose Your soul That's The bottom Line You will Lose Your soul And God Means You to Know that Means You to Understand That That it Is not In any Way True Now Coming Back to Moses
[52:22] God Gives Moses A Command It is A Command He says In our Version Come Now Therefore In other Words Moses Was given A role By God And that Role was Plain To him He understood Perfectly What God Expected Him to Do And his Response Was Was what I Find The Response In Verse 11 He Says Who Am I That I Should Go To Pharaoh Who Am I To That That Response You Can You Can Identify With Can't You But You Have To Realize
[53:22] That When God Is Speaking To You And Your First Instinct Is To Look At Yourself There's Something Far Wrong If God Is Speaking To You And You Start Looking At Yourself You Have Lost The Place Even When We Converse With People Face To Face And That Conversation Is Going On And In Process Of Conversion The Person You're Speaking To Takes Their Eyes Off You And Begins To Study Their Fingernails Or Begins To Look Out The Window Or Begins To Do Something Else You Lose The Benefit Of Eye Contact At The Very Least Perhaps
[54:23] You've Lost Their Interest You Can't Afford To Do That When God Is Speaking You Can't Afford To Do That Who Am I Now You Could Say Well Moses I Appreciate What You're Saying Because God Is Asking You To Do Something God Is Telling You To Do Something And All You're Doing Is Saying I'm Not Worthy I'm Not Worthy Well It's Never A Question Of Your Worthiness When God Tells You To Do Something It May Well Be A Statement Of Fact But It Is Not A Fact That Should Hinder Your Response To God Because Your Worthiness Is Not An Issue Your Worthiness Is A
[55:24] Fact Of Life You Are Unworthy I Am Unworthy God Did Not Come To Present The Gospel To The Worthy God Did Not Come To Present Opportunities To Serve To Those That He Felt Were Worthy Of Availing Themselves Of That Opportunity He Comes To Those Who Are Unworthy People Who Are Not Able To Fulfill The Slightest Bit Of Engagement With What God Wants Them To Do What The Bible Wants You To Understand Even Before You Respond To God's Command To You To Respond Is That The Gospel Tells You Something About Who God Is Just As Much If Not More Than It Tells You About Who You Are It Tells You That God Is The God Of All Grace It Tells You That
[56:24] Salvation Is All Of Grace It Tells You That Those Who Have Lost Are Lost In Eternity Because They Fail To Understand That Very Fact I Throwing I In I Suspect That There Are Many People In Eternity Tonight Or Today Who Believe Themselves To Be On A Mission To Prepare Themselves For Being Worthy To Be God's People to prepare themselves to be more acceptable to God to be more ready and how strange is that logic when what the gospel says to us that it is an act of God's grace that his salvation of sinners is an act of his mercy and his mercy is totally undeserved and if it is not undeserved it is not mercy and yet like Moses your answer is who am I well I'll tell you who you are
[57:47] I'll tell you who I am we are sinners, hell deserving sinners who would be lost for all eternity were it not for God's grace were it not for the mercy of God in Christ Jesus there would be no salvation to a sinner and if you believe yourself to be on the path where you're going to prepare yourself to be better so that God can make better use of you you're deluding yourself you do well to say who am I but understand that when you're saying it you recognize who God is the second problem perhaps seems peculiar or unique to the situation that Moses is in Moses is in in verse 13 he says behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say to them the God of your father has sent me unto you they shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them what shall I say you are sending me and yet I don't have anything to say according to John L. Mackay the whole of this section of of Moses' response is really saying one thing that Moses is just making an excuse he does not want to do what God wants him to do doesn't want to do it and I think that there are a lot of people who come to church and who remain unconverted that they would be so annoyed if you actually accuse them of not wanting to be Christians not wanting to do what God wants them to do well the gospel makes it plain that the invitation is there the command to come is there then if you are not coming then who are you to blame for that look at the conversation that we sometimes have with ourselves you know unlike the voice of God coming audibly to Moses perhaps when you sit under the gospel you are having this conversation privately or maybe when you are at home and you are reflecting and I hope you all reflect on the gospel you all reflect on what you hear from the pulpit at least I hope it comes to your mind and you are thinking to yourself what does this ask of me what are the consequences of me coming what are the consequences of me not believing surely you actually spend time thinking about it when you are standing at the sink washing the dishes when you are driving your car to Stornowin these thoughts flash into your minds and your heart begins to reflect on what it actually means to be a believer what it actually means to continue an unbeliever what it actually means to come to the end of your life having not believed in Jesus Christ but maybe your conversation is much more simple than that you say to yourself what can I say to those people who are my friends what can I say to those people
[61:48] who are where I am what can I say to them about this change of direction what can I say to them when I change my lifestyle as I must perhaps I have to change the people I am with what I do where I go who I go there with have you ever imagined that conversation I have heard Christians tell about this conversation you know it is a conversation of the heart and when God began to deal with them you know they thought about their friends what will they say what will I say to them and you know I have heard although it has to be said that there are some of these friends who turned their back upon them when they turned to Christ
[62:57] I remember I remember being told by more than one person of these friends who having been told of this this pressing need to hear God and to respond in obedience to God's command in the gospel to come to Christ to embrace Christ to believe Christ and to depart from the life that they led having done that they told their friends they had to tell their friends much as it filled their heart with with trepidation that they told their friends that they were going another way that they were going to follow another path what they heard almost filled them with more amazement than the gospel itself some of them put out their hand and shook their hand and they had tears in their eyes
[63:57] I wish I was going with you heaven earnestly they were saying it I wish I had your faith I wish I had your experience obviously you've experienced something of God's grace in your life and they said I wish I was going with you you know these conversations that we have with ourselves they fill us full of fears that are probably never to be realized but Moses his great fear according to himself was well you're wanting me to go but what can I say to them if God wants a person to go does he leave him without anything to say perhaps you know I know that there were Christians men especially who had a great fear of making a profession of faith because they knew that one thing that they might have to do when they made a profession was that they might have to pray publicly and they were afraid of that they were afraid of it they just didn't think
[65:14] I don't have words I don't know what to say and these fears are real and these fears are genuine but what makes them so so much fears that are that are not to be listened to is the fact that when you pray you're praying to God and when you pray to God whether you're praying for two minutes or twenty as long as your prayer is to God and as long as it's earnest and honest and from the heart that's all that matters you're not praying to men you're not praying to women you're not praying to a congregation that prayer is to God but it's hard to deal with the fear maybe even I have no testimony
[66:15] I've heard Christian testimony I've listened to Christian testimony I've heard people and they've been hauled over hell backwards I don't have that experience I've never felt such terror as these people spoke of and yet where did it take them if not to Christ and as long as the path that you run takes you to Christ it doesn't matter how you go there it doesn't matter what road takes you there that's your story that's my story and that's the one that is the one that's worth repeating Moses says they will not believe me they will not believe me well I can hardly believe it myself so why should others why should it be important to you what people think of what your story is how long does a person take before they become a
[67:28] Christian well there's no length of time you can become a Christian instantly God can work in your life for a long time or he can work in your life in a twinkling of an eye maybe you came into this church today and you were dead in trespasses and sins you were without God and without hope in the world you were destined to be headlong into a lost eternity and God in his measure spoke to you and that moment means that you're no longer what you once were you are now something else that is something God can do God has done God will do but you try and tell your experience to somebody who was once where you were who had the same lack of belief of faith that you had
[68:41] God do you think your experience will benefit them will change them will in some way make them think differently not at all that's God's doing that's God's work when when I was converted I thought by telling people my story I could open their eyes when I couldn't open my own and when God speaks that is the voice we need to hear when I was preparing this I was reading some of the commentators on James Murphy he said something very interesting that when Jacob was leaving to go to Egypt that was the last time at which God spoke openly that God gave a manifestation openly until 120 years later when he spoke openly to
[69:51] Moses is that not amazing 200 over 200 years and God did not speak openly by way of miracle but did that mean that God wasn't speaking no he was speaking in other ways he was speaking to individuals he was speaking to their hearts and if you are waiting for the time that God will once again speak by way of miracle you might be waiting a long time Moses had to go and obey what God said his final excuse was in verse 10 of chapter 4 he says there oh my lord I am not eloquent neither here to for nor since there was last spoken to
[70:54] I am slow speech and slow tongue it's not I was looking at this and I was thinking when was Moses converted do you know when he was converted when did he come to faith I don't think the bible tells us when he came to faith if you read in the beginning of chapter 2 when he was born we are told there that he was he was somebody that his parents obviously favoured he was a goodly child he was a goodly child we are told when you go to Hebrews 11 and talks about the faith of his parents first but then it speaks about the faith of Moses and the faith of Moses is not mentioned until the point at which he is standing out as somebody who knew the
[72:02] Lord by faith Moses when he was born was hid three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child they were not afraid of the king's commandment speaks of their faith but then when it comes to speaking of Moses faith it is not until long afterwards but he has come to faith he has allied himself with the people of God he has been numbered amongst them and yet when God comes to him and gives him a role within his cause within his church he is yet again making excuses I don't have anything to say but the important thing I think for that answer is this is the answer that
[73:03] God gives to him did you notice that now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say this is the God who says who has made man's mouth who makes the dumb or deaf for the seeing or the blind have not I God in other words we make excuses but God has answer for every one of them we may feel ourselves inadequate but God provides a remedy for our inadequacies we may think ourselves incapable of continuing in pursuit of God in response to the gospel but God's grace ensures that that is what will happen
[74:04] I'm going to finish with these words words that came from somebody who was once a slave traitor who was once somebody who was self by his own reckoning somebody desperately wicked that's John Newton you're familiar with the words that he expressed I am not what I might be I am not what I ought to be I am not what I wish to be I am not what I hope to be but I thank God I am not what I once was and I can say with the great apostle by the grace of God I am what I am any Christian in here today can echo these words they can echo these words perhaps they began the
[75:11] Christian life thinking that it wouldn't be long until they would be up with the saints they saw themselves in the first teen they saw themselves the equal of all the prophets all the apostles but it didn't take them long to discover that if they were to persevere in the life of faith it is by God's grace nothing less and if your fear today is your excuse to God is I cannot I cannot speak I cannot go I cannot do this it's what God does it's what God continues to do it's what God has promised to do that makes all the difference to all his people whoever they are whether they're young or old that's the gospel believe to the saving of your soul that is
[76:20] God's doing and he will present you spotless in the presence of his son let us pray Lord help us to believe that you do command us you do require of his obedience you do insist that we hear to the saving of our soul help us so to do grant to us grace to follow after you trembling and fearful as we may be thankful that you are of God pardon us every sin Jesus Amen concluding psalm psalm 124 we sing the first version of the psalm psalm 124 had not the Lord been on our side may Israel now say had not the Lord been on our side when men rose us to slay they had us swallowed quick when as the wrath against us did flame water shut covered as our soul had sunk beneath the stream the last verse our sure and all sufficient help is in
[77:30] Jehovah's name whose name who did the heaven create and who the earth did frame the whole psalm to God's praise had not the Lord been on our side had not the Lord been on our side may Israel now save had not the Lord been on our side when men rose us to slay they had us swallowed quick when us their rocket slay and slay and slay waters that covered us our soul had sunk beneath the stream then had the water swelling high hold our soul made away bless be the
[79:00] Lord true to their teeth us cannot fall away our souls be saved as a part out of the father's mare that has stayed as under broken his hand we escape it out our for sure and all salvation have listened to Jehovah's name his name who did die and create unto the earth they name now may place mercy and peace from
[80:19] God the father the son and the holy spirit rest and abide with you all now and always amen