LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON NOTES
Read Peter's preaching notes....
“I Am Sending You”
Exodus 3:1-12
5/9/21
Ever get that phone call/email/text, don’t want to answer or look at
know who it’s from, or what it’s about, and don’t want to deal w/ it
maybe headache at work, or turmoil in family wish would go away
or from “that person:” no conversation ever ends well
bore to death w/ minute trivia of life, or perpetual grievances to air
maybe that call/email/text is day of reckoning for you
made huge blunder, knew only matter of time before would catch up to you
would rather just avoid altogether, or wish were already on other side of
Sometimes God calls us, and we don’t want to answer
logically, hard to understand would respond this way, given what we know about God
what do we know about God? […] loves us, wants best for us, good plans, etc
don’t want to answer because know there’s something he wants us to do
and we don’t want to do it! three reasons:
1. We overemphasize our inadequacies
1st Ghana trip: discovered could do more: speak to students for hour, no time to prep
2. We overemphasize the challenges
99% of worrying is unnecessary (90% don’t happen, of those that do, 90% work out)
3. We underestimate God’s power
makes no sense, considering how time and again he has come through for us
is it because we can’t see him? takes work to recognize? but he’s still there!
need to be “practical” overrides us
maybe other reasons of your own, but don’t want to respond when God calls
In other words, we’re often like Moses, when encountered God through burning bush
1. Had reason to think he wasn’t up to the job
murderer on the run: had tried before to help suffering and it blew up in his face
Moses fled as far away, and into as remote a territory, as possible
not just wilderness: “far side of the wilderness”
as he argues w/ God (never a good idea! he’ll always win), poor speaker
he gave up on self, but God refused to
2. Easy to understand why thought job was too big
for centuries Hebrews had been enslaved by Egyptians: greatest empire of world
semi-genocide: killing babies to keep population in check
only reason didn’t wipe out was to be able to keep working them
3. Didn’t recognize extent of God’s power
at this point, easy for Moses to overlook God’s presence at all
yes, he had personally been miraculously delivered from slaughter of babies
but could easily attribute to coincidence
God’s acts of mercy & guidance are long in the past
easy for us to overlook or explain away God’s power in our lives
Notice tension/apparent contradiction of v 8 and v 10
“I have come down to rescue them…” and “So now, go. I am sending you…”
didn’t ask or invite
God will rescue, but by equipping, guiding, and accompanying Moses
reignited his passion, redirected it for positive work: deliverance instead of murder
NT reading: Paul’s “reluctance” to answer God’s call more severe
actually did the oppressing and persecuting!
perhaps an inner turmoil: fighting externally what was in conflict internally
God said exact same thing to Paul that he said to Moses: “I am sending you”
like Moses, no choice to respond when God called him
Says same thing to us: “I am sending you:” may be reluctant, like Moses & Paul
we each have a role to play in what God is doing in the world
everyone, in some way, needs to be rescued from oppression: all sorts & shapes
no one else can do it the way that you can, as well as you can
may be big, spectacular call like Moses’ at burning bush: more likely, quiet urging along
it may change thousands of lives, like Moses’ & Paul’s
or just a handful of lives of the people who surround you
Why should you answer the call? benefits you, God, and others
You: you will never know real satisfaction and purpose until you do
you may be like Moses, lost in a far country herding sheep
nothing against herding sheep! but he had “checked out”
you may try to fill the void with all sorts of other things:
things that should be enjoyable, and are: but not things to build life around
it’s only when you are living your calling that you come to life
no wonder Rick Warren made a name for himself w/ Purpose Driven Life
life is, well, lifeless, until we respond to God’s call for us
God: he’s got a plan for this creation of his
for every single one of the precious people he has created in his image
he has known since before world began
he held in love as went to cross
he has prepared a place in his eternal home
of course, he is God: can do whatever he wants, doesn’t need our help
but needing and wanting are two different things
desire for us not passive recipients of love, but active participants in what he’s doing
can’t do that unless we answer the call
Others: take Moses as an example
while he was arguing with a tree out on a mountainside in the wilderness,
people were suffering & dying under the whip of the Egyptians
until Moses got on board, they would continue to suffer
in the same way, there are people suffering now, even if not in bondage as slaves
suffering nonetheless: physically, spiritually, relationally, socially, mentally…
will continue to suffer until we take part in the work: ready to answer call?
Exodus 3:1-12
5/9/21
Ever get that phone call/email/text, don’t want to answer or look at
know who it’s from, or what it’s about, and don’t want to deal w/ it
maybe headache at work, or turmoil in family wish would go away
or from “that person:” no conversation ever ends well
bore to death w/ minute trivia of life, or perpetual grievances to air
maybe that call/email/text is day of reckoning for you
made huge blunder, knew only matter of time before would catch up to you
would rather just avoid altogether, or wish were already on other side of
Sometimes God calls us, and we don’t want to answer
logically, hard to understand would respond this way, given what we know about God
what do we know about God? […] loves us, wants best for us, good plans, etc
don’t want to answer because know there’s something he wants us to do
and we don’t want to do it! three reasons:
1. We overemphasize our inadequacies
1st Ghana trip: discovered could do more: speak to students for hour, no time to prep
2. We overemphasize the challenges
99% of worrying is unnecessary (90% don’t happen, of those that do, 90% work out)
3. We underestimate God’s power
makes no sense, considering how time and again he has come through for us
is it because we can’t see him? takes work to recognize? but he’s still there!
need to be “practical” overrides us
maybe other reasons of your own, but don’t want to respond when God calls
In other words, we’re often like Moses, when encountered God through burning bush
1. Had reason to think he wasn’t up to the job
murderer on the run: had tried before to help suffering and it blew up in his face
Moses fled as far away, and into as remote a territory, as possible
not just wilderness: “far side of the wilderness”
as he argues w/ God (never a good idea! he’ll always win), poor speaker
he gave up on self, but God refused to
2. Easy to understand why thought job was too big
for centuries Hebrews had been enslaved by Egyptians: greatest empire of world
semi-genocide: killing babies to keep population in check
only reason didn’t wipe out was to be able to keep working them
3. Didn’t recognize extent of God’s power
at this point, easy for Moses to overlook God’s presence at all
yes, he had personally been miraculously delivered from slaughter of babies
but could easily attribute to coincidence
God’s acts of mercy & guidance are long in the past
easy for us to overlook or explain away God’s power in our lives
Notice tension/apparent contradiction of v 8 and v 10
“I have come down to rescue them…” and “So now, go. I am sending you…”
didn’t ask or invite
God will rescue, but by equipping, guiding, and accompanying Moses
reignited his passion, redirected it for positive work: deliverance instead of murder
NT reading: Paul’s “reluctance” to answer God’s call more severe
actually did the oppressing and persecuting!
perhaps an inner turmoil: fighting externally what was in conflict internally
God said exact same thing to Paul that he said to Moses: “I am sending you”
like Moses, no choice to respond when God called him
Says same thing to us: “I am sending you:” may be reluctant, like Moses & Paul
we each have a role to play in what God is doing in the world
everyone, in some way, needs to be rescued from oppression: all sorts & shapes
no one else can do it the way that you can, as well as you can
may be big, spectacular call like Moses’ at burning bush: more likely, quiet urging along
it may change thousands of lives, like Moses’ & Paul’s
or just a handful of lives of the people who surround you
Why should you answer the call? benefits you, God, and others
You: you will never know real satisfaction and purpose until you do
you may be like Moses, lost in a far country herding sheep
nothing against herding sheep! but he had “checked out”
you may try to fill the void with all sorts of other things:
things that should be enjoyable, and are: but not things to build life around
it’s only when you are living your calling that you come to life
no wonder Rick Warren made a name for himself w/ Purpose Driven Life
life is, well, lifeless, until we respond to God’s call for us
God: he’s got a plan for this creation of his
for every single one of the precious people he has created in his image
he has known since before world began
he held in love as went to cross
he has prepared a place in his eternal home
of course, he is God: can do whatever he wants, doesn’t need our help
but needing and wanting are two different things
desire for us not passive recipients of love, but active participants in what he’s doing
can’t do that unless we answer the call
Others: take Moses as an example
while he was arguing with a tree out on a mountainside in the wilderness,
people were suffering & dying under the whip of the Egyptians
until Moses got on board, they would continue to suffer
in the same way, there are people suffering now, even if not in bondage as slaves
suffering nonetheless: physically, spiritually, relationally, socially, mentally…
will continue to suffer until we take part in the work: ready to answer call?
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com