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1 | Page SERMON “The Shepherd Moses” Exodus 3:1-10 Sunday SERMON “The Shepherd Moses” Exodus 3:1-10 Sunday, November 30, 2014 Of all people, I Moses should have known what could happen when one lifts up their eyes. Ever since I had killed the Egyptian, I had been on the run. Like many of you, I chose to run from my problems instead of facing them head on. So here I am: a former prince of Egypt reduced to being (pardon the pun) a shepherd on the lam. It was as if I had entered the FBI’s Protection Witness program with a whole new location, a whole new job, and practically a whole new identity working for my new father-in-law Jethro the priest of Midian. I was convinced I was in a safe place…the remote region of Mount Sinai…here no would ever discover who I truly was. My safety net however came crashing down all around me on that fateful day when I happened to look up upon the mountain and saw a rather peculiar sight: a bush being consumed by fire yet not burning. Out of curiosity I left my sheep behind and went to investigate. And that’s when I heard my name being called from within the bush: “Moses! Moses!” the voice said. I had been found out! “Take the sandals from your feet, for the ground on which you stand is holy.” said the voice. I wanted to run…but something kept drawing me closer to the bush. “Moses! Moses!” the voice said again. I had no choice but to succumb to the voice. I kicked off my sandals as the voice had instructed and fell to the ground. I know now that this was my advent. The God of Abraham… the God of my ancestors had come to me with a message…to face my fears and go back to that which I was hiding from… a message to stop running and return to Egypt. But he wasn’t sending me to stand trial for my errors...He was sending me to lead His people out of captivity. God had heard the cries of my people and was concerned with their suffering and he was sending me…a shepherd to lead his people out. Of course I protested. Hiding was my preference. Running from was my go-to position. “But who am I,” I pleaded, “to go to Pharaoh and lead your people out of Egypt?” “I will be with you,” said the voice from within the burning bush. “But what will be the sign that you are with me?” I countered back, “How will they know that I am your man?” “They will know,” said the voice from within the bush, “when you worship me on this mountain after you have led my people out of Egypt.” “But what should I say if they ask me your name?” I asked. “I am the Eternal God. I am the Lord. Tell them that ‘I AM’ has sent you.” God replied. This was certainly the God I came to know as I returned to my people. The God ‘I Am’ not only had calmed my fears He had emboldened to face pharaoh head on. As rivers were turned to blood, as staffs were transformed into serpents, as plagues rained down on the land of Egypt, as the mighty waters of the Red Sea were parted, as pharaoh’s armies were drowned in the sea and as Hebrew slaves became God’s chosen people I Moses a shepherd came to know God as Deliverer. This Advent season as you once more welcome the Christ Child into your hearts I just want to give you these words of encouragement: 1) The God, whose mighty hand and outstretched arm rolled back the Red Sea for his chosen people...is the same God who has rolled out the red carpet to welcome you into His midst as a beloved child. 2) The God whose constant presence led the Hebrew people through the desert and into the Promised Land is the same God who will lead you through the wildernesses of your own lives. 1 | P a g e 3) The God whose never-ending concern opened for the Hebrews a land flowing with milk and honey is the same God who will open your hearts for living a transformed life. Knowing that life did not have to be lived in hiding, nor in slavery, nor by constantly running away from was a gift that at first was hard for me to believe. But make no mistake; despite his size and apparent vulnerability, the infant you are preparing to greet this Christmas is the Savior who will lead you to the Promised Kingdom. He is your Deliverer! I had my first Advent when I encountered God in the burning bush. God’s call upon my life was not an easy call to follow. Not only did I have to confront Pharaohbut once God’s people were free of the bondage and journeying through the wilderness they wanted nothing more but to return to that life in bondage. They wanted life the way it used to bewhen they could make sense of it… fighting Pharaoh was child’s play in comparison. God doesn’t want you living in bondage to your past, nor to the way things used to be. God does not desire you bowing down to slavery and to sin. The only thing God truly desires for you is a life transformed by the Deliverer himself: Jesus Christ! If that means wandering for a little while in the uncharted wilderness of your lives than so be it! I, Moses who used to live life on the run from life itself was once a shepherd who came across the most amazing sight while shepherding sheep: a bush consumed by fire. I left that mountainside transformed by the Deliverer Himself. 2 | P a g e .
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