The Burning Thornbush

[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Rev. Dr. David A. We know you will be blessed as you seek and serve God. We believe that this message will stir up a desire for more of God even as you listen. Be blessed.

[0:16] A thorn bush. Exodus chapter 3, verse number 2. Verse 2. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him.

[0:29] Thorns and thistles. Alright, has everyone seen it? Alright, shall we all read it all together? Exodus chapter what? Exodus chapter 3, verse 2. Okay, let's go.

[0:41] And the angel of the Lord appeared to him. Anytime you read an Old Testament and you come across the phrase, the angel of the Lord, most of the time it means God.

[0:55] Alright. So when you read it, you realize that he said, I, I, the Lord, I'm sending you. So the angel of the Lord was speaking, but it's different from an angel from God.

[1:06] An angel from God is different from the angel of the Lord. So the angel of the Lord appeared to Abraham just before he wanted to kill, sacrifice. And he said, no, don't do it, don't do it.

[1:18] Now I know you fear me. Who is talking? Is it the angel of God? Now I know you fear me. In blessing I will bless you. And even this, when you read the text down, once you realize that when he said the angel of the Lord, it's actually the Lord.

[1:29] What does verse 7 say? And the Lord said, I. So it's the Lord. But it's in the Old Testament, most of the time, there are times you hear the phrase, there is not an angel from God who please.

[1:44] The angel of the Lord. Okay. The angel of the Lord. So it's kind of a supernatural, sorry, a human or natural appearance of God. Manifest, a natural manifestation of God.

[1:57] Usually the angel of the Lord. Now, let's all read together. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Wow.

[2:15] Now, the angel of the Lord appeared to him where? So there's a bush.

[2:26] And the angel of God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in the bush. But what was very interesting is the bush was burning.

[2:38] The fire was burning in the bush, but the bush was not being consumed. What is this? No one can do this. What is this?

[2:49] Interesting. What does the next verse say? Then Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight. Why the bush does not burn? So when the Lord saw that, he turned aside to look.

[3:01] You see that? You see that? When the Lord saw. All right. Go ahead. God called to him from the midst of the bush and said. So, so, so, so you see. Where was God? You see that? You see that? The angel of the Lord.

[3:13] God was in the midst of the bush. Inside there. Inside there. But how was he in the midst of the bush? It's a flame of fire. So it's God's fire. Do you remember a flame of fire? Did we speak about a flame of fire?

[3:23] Yes. God is a true flame. A flame of fire. A flame of fire. So God was in the bush. Now, remember. Who has a different translation that uses a different word from bush?

[3:35] Other translations use the word thorn bush. The Hebrew word translated is S-E-N-E-H. It's like sene. Sene. Sene.

[3:46] It's actually, it's not just bush. It means thorn bush. Oh. What bush? Thorn bush. Ah. What do you remember about thorns?

[3:58] Oh. It's fire. And what does thorns represent? Ah. Falling humanity. So that bush with the fire signified falling humanity with God.

[4:14] It's. Wow. Oh. Oh. I don't know. We are getting somewhere. You will get it. Wow. So. So. Deuteronomy chapter 33 verse 16.

[4:27] He says that God bless you from. Yeah. With the good will of him that dwells in the bush.

[4:38] The good will of the one who. Deuteronomy 33 verse 16. The good will of the one that dwells. And we know that who is the one who dwells in the bush.

[4:49] God. So. The Lord was dwelling on earth. He didn't have a permanent place to dwell. He was dwelling in the thorn bush. Now I'm going. As I told you. The word the thorn bush represents.

[5:00] But. Do you know. In Numbers chapter 9 verse 15. Numbers 9 verse 15. We'll come back to Exodus chapter 3. I want you to see something. Numbers chapter 9 verse 15. Now. On the day that the tabernacle was raised up.

[5:13] The cloud covered the tabernacle. The tent of the testimony. From evening until morning. It was above the tabernacle. Like the appearance of fire. When they finally built.

[5:26] A structure for God. To live in amongst them. Alright. God brought them out of Egypt. And he told them that. I'm taking you to the promised land.

[5:37] And when they were in the wilderness. He said to Moses. Tell my people. Collect offerings. And let them build me. A tabernacle. That I may dwell.

[5:48] Exodus chapter 25 verse 8. That I may dwell. Amongst them. So. On the day. The tabernacle was built. And was dedicated. Bible says that.

[6:00] The cloud that was following them. Which signified the prayer of God. Now came. And settled on top of the tabernacle. As fire. And the look was like. Fire.

[6:11] Fire. On the thorn bush. Has come. Has become the fire. On the tabernacle. So the fire. The presence. Was looking for somewhere to dwell.

[6:22] God does not like to dwell. Anywhere. Apart from. Among his people. Wow. That tells you about the thorn bush. God didn't like. He. On earth. He doesn't have.

[6:33] A dwelling place. But. Amongst. A people. Who he calls. They are his own. So Bible talks about. We are the house of God. I'll get to that. Let's go back to the thorn bush. Exodus chapter.

[6:44] Sorry. Wait. Exodus chapter 3 verse 2. And the angel of the Lord. Appeared to him. In a flame of fire. From the midst. Of the. Of a bush. So he looked. And behold.

[6:54] The bush was burning with fire. But the bush was not. Isn't it interesting? What of the interesting. Phenomenon. About this whole thing. You can see. Intense fire. Burning on.

[7:06] You know bush. If it's metal is different. Push. And the bush was still intact. It looks. But what would you expect. If naturally. What were you expecting.

[7:18] To happen to the bush. Why? Why? But why would it burn. Because of the fire. Huh?

[7:30] Wood is burnt. Wood is burnt by fire. Or fire. How about the other one? Other way around. Fire burns wood. What do you say?

[7:43] It fuels the fire. That's why it burns it. Once the wood finishes. Do you know the fire will also finish? So. It burns.

[7:55] Actually for fire to continue to burn. It needs something. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So. This. The strange phenomenon. From when I was a child. Since. When I was a child.

[8:05] I knew this story. What has always come to our mind is. The phenomenon about the bush not consuming. But if the bush is not burning. Then the fire should run out. But the fire.

[8:16] So the strange thing. I want to draw your attention is. Fire burning without any fuel. That's the mystery. It's not the fuel. The fire said. I don't need anyone to burn for me.

[8:27] I can handle my own. Some of you are not getting what I'm talking about. It is not you who can do God's work. You cannot do God's work.

[8:42] God does his own work. Through you. It's not your abilities. I will show you a few scriptures. Like in Romans chapter 12.

[8:53] Verse 11. Romans chapter 12. Verse 11. Not lagging in diligence. Fervent in spirit. It is your spiritual fervency.

[9:03] That matters in your work with God. Not your academic intelligence. Academic acumen. Not your social access. Social access. Your beauty. Your status. Status doesn't.

[9:14] It's rubbish before God. If you are in a plane. When a plane crashes. People. Both the pilots. The flight attendants. Those in first class. Those in premium economy.

[9:27] Those in economy. And those in under economy. Near the toilet. They all perish. So. You realize that. Human beings. It doesn't matter how intelligent you are.

[9:39] It doesn't matter your status. You still have to eat. And you need. You can build the nicest. Most expensive house. You can build a golden house. You still need a toilet.

[9:52] Oh. How can such a beautiful person. Use the toilet. That's humanity for you. So. When it comes to human beings. Status class. And all those things. It's just.

[10:03] Material. Demarcations. But when it comes to. Reality. The essence of life. We are all the same. And so. When it comes to what God will do. It's not so much based on your physical abilities.

[10:17] It's not based on. That's why Bible says. Not many noble. God doesn't choose and use people because. They are so. Can you imagine. He would have been using professors more. He would have been using.

[10:28] PhD holders more. He would have been using. Queen Elizabeth more. He would have been using celebrities more. He would have been using. To be a football star. You must be good at it. You must have the physical skills.

[10:40] But to be someone God uses. It's not based on physical. Still a natural thing. It's based on how much of he. Is in you. Because. He's the only one who can fuel himself. Yes.

[10:51] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Mahbashaya kadeshagalala. So he says that fervent in the spirit.

[11:03] Not lagging in diligence. Second Timothy chapter 1 verse 7. For God has not given us a spirit of fear. But of power. And of love. And of a sound.

[11:13] So there is a spirit that he gives us. That is what determines the fervence of the flame. Let's just pray. He is the only one who can feel what he's doing in your life.

[11:26] All he requires from you is availability and grant him access. Philippians 4.13 says, I can do all things by myself. No way. I can do all things through Christ.

[11:41] So if Christ is not strengthening you, forget it. You can't do it. There's nothing you can do for God. You, excuse me, you, what can you do for God?

[11:51] Nothing. You can behave well, but that doesn't mean it's for God. It's for yourself, for your own ego. You see, I'm very humble. I'm very humble. Give me a break. It's just, it's an ego.

[12:02] You can't do anything for God outside of his spirit from your spirit. So Ephesians talks about that God will strengthen you by his spirit into your inner man.

[12:13] It takes place in your spirit. So say my spirit. My spirit. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power. Oh, let me show you this scripture.

[12:26] I like this text. In Colossians chapter 1 verse 29. Colossians chapter 1 verse 29. Colossians chapter 1 verse 29. Verse 29. Let's all read it out.

[12:37] Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

[12:47] Did you see, did you see the strength of his striving? Where his striving is coming? Where is he coming from? According to what? His work, that works in me mightily.

[13:00] That's, so my striving is based, the platform of my striving is the work of him that according to his work, which worketh in me mightily. Mightily.

[13:11] God is working in me. God is working in me. God is working in me. God is working in me. That's what I'm also doing. The fire fuels itself. It doesn't need the bush to fuel it.

[13:21] It fuels itself. All he needs is a bush to just dwell in. The fire of God.

[13:32] God does not depend on men to determine what he will do. He has his own plan and he looks for an available vessel. The thorn bush is, it represents man, fallen man, and the fire represents the fire or the holiness of God's glory.

[13:55] That is why he doesn't want anyone to come. That's why when he put it, you can't come around it. So if Moses attempted, he said, don't come here. It's, it's refrigerant, the holiness of God's fire.

[14:06] No one can look at it. You can't just see God. You can't come too close to God because of the fallen nature. And so, but you look at God, his people, why, that's why he was calling Moses.

[14:17] He's trying to tell him that I'm going to put my, my holiness, my, myself on humanity, amongst humanity. So when he was calling Moses, that was a science giving him. Now, watch this.

[14:28] He also did that to show Moses that Moses, I'm not going to depend on your strength. Because 40 years ago, before then, in Exodus chapter 2, verse 11 and 12.

[14:41] Pastor Josh. Now it came to pass in those days when Moses was grown, when he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

[14:54] So he looked this way and that way. And when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hit him in the sand. Can you imagine? He killed the Egyptian and hit him.

[15:05] Yeah, go ahead. And 12. And when he had, and when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting. And he said to the one who did the wrong, why are you striking him?

[15:17] So when he grew up, he started killing Egyptians for the sake of the Israelites. He taught you, in fact, in Acts chapter 7, I think 34 or so.

[15:28] Acts 7. I have 24. Just read it for me. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed. Yes. And struck down the Egyptians.

[15:39] For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand. Do you know why he struck the Egyptians? Because he thought God was going to use his position in the palace.

[15:53] He was a prince. And he was a Jew and a prince. And he saw the Jews being afflicted by Egyptians. So he started killing them. Supposing that God was going to use him to deliver the people from the Egyptians.

[16:10] That's why he killed him. He thought God needed his help. That guy was good. Look at verse 13. And when 40 years had passed.

[16:21] After 40 years. When he thought God would use him. God has time. Sometimes the time you think God is going to give you a wife.

[16:34] It's not the time he will. Because he wants to wait until you know how to treat a woman. Sometimes the time you think God will give you a husband. May not be the time that God has in mind.

[16:44] Maybe he's waiting for the next eight years. Don't worry. You'll be fine. Eight years you'll still be there. Lord you don't know how old I will be. He doesn't have a problem.

[16:57] He can't use anyone. Moses 40 years before then went and was going to use his natural position, natural strength, natural ability to deliver them.

[17:10] And God said boy you got it wrong. Moses thought God would use him to deliver the people of Israel. After 40 years had passed.

[17:24] And when 40 years had passed. An angel of the Lord appeared to him. You remember that. In a flame of fire in a bush. Yes. In the wilderness of Mount Sinai. So God appeared to him after 40 years. When he thought he would. Now let's go back quickly.

[17:35] Let's go to 3 verse 11. But Moses said to God. Hey. Now this is when God appeared to Moses. Come I'm going to send you. See his response. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?

[17:47] Today you're asking God who are you? But you were the very person who was going to act for him. Now he said now I'm ready to use you. He said ah. Who am I to do this job?

[18:00] That's why the fire was burning on the bush. And it wasn't being consumed. Because it's not your physical strength I'm going to depend on. I'm not going to depend on humanity to do my thing.

[18:11] In that sense. The human ability. That's why he waited for Abraham to be light. To be. His body to be dead. He said now. Now that you don't have semen. I'm going to use you to give birth to an Isaac.

[18:24] So. Now listen to what. Moses was asking God. Who am I? To go before Pharaoh. But you grew up with Pharaoh. You were there. After 40 years.

[18:37] He has lost his bearing. He has lost his bearing. Let's look at Acts chapter 7. Verse 22. Acts 7.22. Acts 7.22. God takes delight in using people who are humbly available.

[18:54] Acts 7.22. And Moses was learned. No, no. Let's all read it out loud. Is everybody there? Let's read it. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. All the wisdom for the nation.

[19:06] It was powerful. It was powerful. Okay, really. You can't imagine. He was well educated. So trained. Egypt was more powerful than America.

[19:20] Powerful. And way up to now, Egyptian inventions, thousands of years ago, are still, no one has been able to build a pyramid like that.

[19:32] How they built it, the technology with which they built it, modern day doesn't have that technology. Yes. And Moses was trained in all the wisdom, every kind of wisdom in Egypt.

[19:45] Everything needed. He was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, of Egypt. And he was mighty what? In speech. When he came to speaking, he was far above Tony Blair.

[20:00] Or those of you who are not too old, David Cameron. As for Therese, I mean, she's very gentle, so she just doesn't speak too much. But David Cameron and Tony Blair are very good.

[20:13] They know how to speak. Or Nigel Farage. All right. So, so, so, so, God is, Moses was so good in speech.

[20:31] So, obviously, he had all these things going for him. He was in the palace. He was very intelligent, very strong, very mighty. That's why he could kill an Egyptian bodyguard who was like Tasman.

[20:45] And just kill him and put him off. The guy was well trained every, every way. And he knew how to speak and he had understanding. So, who can't he speak to? Now, God said, after 40 years old.

[20:57] God said, Moses, come and let me send you. Read chapter 4, verse 10. Then Moses said to the Lord, Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since you have spoken to your servant.

[21:12] But I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. What is that? Lord, I don't know how to talk with God. By the time God was ready to use him, he didn't have any fuel to give to God's fire.

[21:31] The burning thorn bush that was not consumed because the fire didn't need it. The fire didn't need it.

[21:41] That's why I tell people, God has never been in need of people's finances to run his work. Fire didn't need it. Fire didn't need it. Because it says that all we can do is based, I can do all things through Christ who is actually inside me, strengthening me, strengthening me.

[21:58] So, those days, ship, ships, the ones that use the, or even the locomotive train. You know, those, they call, they have to keep putting coal.

[22:10] So, you see ship on high, and it has energy going. Why is the energy coming? No, they are putting coal inside. In the engine. So, they put the slaves there, and their job is to keep fueling it.

[22:21] So, the coal in the engine room is what makes the ship keep going. You can see a big train. No, come on. It's kind of energy.

[22:33] It's not getting electricity from anywhere. No. It has its inside. We, to our own, is the Holy Ghost. You see someone, you preaching to somebody on the street, praying for somebody.

[22:45] It's not you. It's the, it's the spirit that's working effectually, effectual. It's working, effectual working within me makes me. Then you think that, oh, this pastor is, oh, you can preach, or you can remember scripture.

[22:58] No, no, no. It's something that's working effectually in me. The very day, I think that me, natural. So, that's why you think you're a very good mathematical student, but you can't remember quotations. Hey.

[23:10] It's really good. You can't remember. Because you are going to preach someone, one quotation you couldn't remember. Why? Because you, you think that your mathematical acumen is what the Holy Ghost would depend on to use you.

[23:24] Drop it. He wants someone who can say, God, but me, I can't speak. The fire of God's glory came upon thorn bushes.

[23:34] It's always like to come upon humanity. A thorn bush is a sign of falling humanity. The redeemed ones. Second Corinthians chapter four, verse seven.

[23:48] Are you ready to read it all? We all got to read it together, man. Man. We got to. Y'all have to read it with me.

[24:02] Hallelujah. All right. Let's go. We have this treasure in earthen, physical, natural, earthen, earthen vessel.

[24:26] Yes. Your vessel, jars of clay. Jar of clay. You don't even put a treasure in just a jar of clay. So you look at the thing, it looks, years ago I heard the story about some, I think, either Taiwanese, Taiwanese monastery or Indian monastery.

[24:49] You want me to tell you the story? I show you the story. Yes. So there was, it's like enemies came and attacked the nation and destroyed everything.

[24:59] And they had this big gold, golden Buddha statue. But when they realized that the battle was getting tough and they knew that the monastery was likely to be run over, they wanted to protect that statue before the enemies take it out because it's golden.

[25:17] So they made something like cement, clay cement, those things. And they put it all around the statue.

[25:28] So they turned the statue into like a clay statue. So when the enemies came and attacked and everything, they killed everybody. So years later, years later, when people started growing up to rebuild the place, they saw this Buddha clay.

[25:46] They wanted to get rid of it so they can. What they didn't know was, see, that was treasure in earthen, excellent. Oh, yeah.

[25:56] You have to be careful the way you treat some other, some Christian brothers and sisters. Treasure in vessel. You are looking at the way they eat. You are looking at the way sometimes they owe you money.

[26:07] They are not paying. You are very upset with them. You are looking at the way sometimes they, you are looking at the way their humanity. But God looks at them and God is also looking at his treasure inside them.

[26:18] That's why he says, touch not my anointed. My anointed makes, it's my investment. God sees the treasure in them. So I think later on, the people left it.

[26:29] So years they were trying to build and then they were trying to chip it away. And then they realized that inside the thing is gold. So they broke part of the covering.

[26:42] They broke more. Hey, gold. They broke and removed the whole thing. It was pure gold. Millions. That's how you are in the spirit. This holiness of God.

[26:57] The fire of God. The spirit. So, you know, God wants to come upon us as fire. The holy fire. Say holy fire. Holy fire.

[27:08] That's why we're singing the song, Consuming Fire. Holy fire. Let your holy fire come upon me. Jesus, you know what Jesus said? Let me give you last two. That was supposed to be one, but let me. Two. Only two. Yeah, okay.

[27:20] Last two, last two, last two. Do you know what Jesus said? Jesus said in Luke chapter 12 verse 49. I think you should see yourself. I won't even tell you what he said. Luke 12 verse 49.

[27:31] You'll be sure what Jesus said. John the Baptist said that there's one coming after me. Who, whose shoes, the largest of his shoes I'm not worthy to untie. He said he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and food.

[27:44] Human beings with fire. God's fire inside us. Remember the thorn bush. God's plan has always been to put himself in us as his holy fire.

[27:57] So Jesus said, what do they say? Read it. Luke chapter 12 verse 49. I came to send fire on the earth. And what did he say? And how I wish it were already kindled.

[28:08] I can't wait for the thing to start. He said, what? Yeah. They thought. On the earth, amongst the human beings, thorn bush, fallen humanity. He said, I came to set fire inside.

[28:21] So on the day of Genesis, Acts chapter 2. Verse 2 and verse 3. I was said, suddenly. they gave him a mighty a sound from heaven. Read it.

[28:39] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a Russian mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire. Did you see that?

[28:52] Fire. And did what? And sat. And did what? And did what? And one sat upon each of them. Every one of them had fire. Every one of them had fire. Every one of them. Every one of them had fire.

[29:13] Every one of them had and it wasn't ordinary people who had their fire. It was the redeemed of the Lord. It was the redeemed of the Lord but they were human beings but redeemed of the Lord. Sanctified of God and the fire of God came upon every one of them. I'm talking about the burning thorn bush.

[29:42] Fire. Settle upon on the day of Pentacles. But their hair was not burning. On the day of Pentacles the Holy Spirit fire. Jesus said I've come to set fire.

[29:54] The Holy Spirit fire settled on each of them. So you see human beings like all of us here. Holy Ghost has filled and then something like fire burning on all of us but it's not hurting us.

[30:07] Doesn't it remind you of the thorn bush? It's not hurting us. It's not burning anything but it's fire on us. The sign of God's glory manifested physically. And you know what God where God loves?

[30:19] He loves to manifest himself and put himself upon humanity. That's why Jesus Christ had to come and die. When he died on the cross he broke he killed the sin he killed the sin venom the venom of Satan inside you so that you can have access to the tree of life.

[30:40] That you have the tree of life. You have the life of God. You have the life of God. All of us corporately have the life of God so the life of God is in us which is called the house of God. Then we become the house of God.

[30:52] The house of God is growing and then one day when it comes we'll be in a certain perfect state. It grows to become the city of the the city the holy city and the holy city there's no darkness.

[31:06] There's doesn't need a temple because God is amongst them. It's the tabernacle of God. God and man is mixed together. We thank God for using the servant Reverend Dr. David Entry to share this awesome word.

[31:20] If this message has blessed you in any way please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at caris.org Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Caris Ministries.

[31:37] Stay blessed.