Dustin Blumer Sermon 430 - Exodus 4:1-12 Something Just Like This I remember when I was training to become a pastor, my vicar year we call it, down in the truth South of Charleston, South Carolina being given one specific assignment by my bishop. They were opening a school, and it was my job to create a vinyl sign that read Trinity Classical Academy. People were to be able to see it from the road as they drove by, and hopefully be drawn to. Now I had never created a sign, and there wasn’t enough time or money to pull this off. But armed with my can-do attitude I went for it. First step Home Depot to figure out how to put poles in the ground for the sign to go on. Second step, printer. Who also reminded me I don’t have enough time or money, but with a wink and a smile and bit of begging was willing to produce it in time and on budget. I put the poles in proud working with cement and steel, proud of my construction. I pick up the sign, and place it with the bungee cords. I look straight on what I did, pat myself on the back, job well done. Can’t wait for what my bishop will report about my signage skills. But then…I step back. I look at the cars driving by, and notice a problem. I have the sign facing the road with in 5 feet of cars flying by at 45 mph. And though while me standing in front of it still can see it well. If you are in a car the only possible way of seeing the sign I produced is if you do this while driving. And there it is. I didn’t know I needed to put the sign sideways, and have it double sided. And now I hoping my bishop doesn’t write anything at all about my signage abilities, ‘cause I had royally messed that up. And I’m wondering do you have any similar moments in your story? Times when you royally messed things up? Some of you can think back to school and in your mind is the test that you bombed, or the project that you got an F on. Some of you go to work and you hear back from the client and their scathing negative review, or you go to the board and they dig in about your performance. Some of us feel that way with people, walking around thinking why did I say that, what was I thinking. Why did I do that. Oh man. Royally messing things up is a part of life. And as we consider this not so heart warming moments, we then turn our attention to today’s song. Something Just Like This by Coldplay. And the lyrics say, “I've been reading books of old. The legends and the myths. Achilles and his gold. Hercules and his gifts. Spiderman’s control. And Batman with his fists. And clearly I don't see myself upon that list.” See there are Superheros and modern day men and women who look Super. People who seem immune to the common foibles and blunders of the rest of us. And then it’s easy for us to feel like what we did. To feel like mess ups, because we’ve messed up. And the question I pose is this, Can God use those who have messed up or are mess ups to do great things? And if you ever wrestled with your abilities, wrestled with your purpose this is the sermon for that I pray brings hope and life to what God might do through you. So getting past Coldplay and on to the greatest artist our God. We have his words to consider from Exodus. Words written by Moses about Moses. About God deciding to use him. Let’s read. And there it is. God choosing to use Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. God also chooses us if we’re willing. Turn to your neighbor and say, “No more excuses.” I was reading an article in the Chicago Magazine about the former governor Rod Blagojevich, and his time in jail. Some of you may remember the former Governor, convicted as he tried to sell a Senate seat to the highest bidder. He recounts his time in a Colorado jail, saying it really is jail. It’s not so nice. Stuck in a 6x12 cubicle with another guy. His first summer there it was 100 degrees in Colorado with no a/c. He used to fill up a bag of ice and hug it in order to stay cool, even then it was hard to sleep. And it’s interesting how his life has changed. Inmates say that he is always working out. And spiritually speaking he has renewed his faith. In fact he interviewer of Blagojevich reported this statement, “The lessons from the Bible and scripture have been very helpful to me. Among the lessons is, you’ve gotta put faith over fear, you gotta be willing to go through fire when you believe in something. I’ve come to see the object of life is to do God’s will.” And it was pretty astounding to read. But I guess the question I would pose is this, can God really use Rod Blagojevich to do his will? But then I look at our man Moses. And he isn’t convicted felon in prison, rather he is a runaway murderer who fled his country after his crime was known. Someone saw him kill an Egyptian, and before he could go on trial he ran away. He is now camping out in Midian. And to this runaway murderer in Midian, God appears in the form of a burning bush and says, “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (3:10). And we are like really Lord you chose him? Surely there had to be someone more qualified, someone who was a little less of a mess up. Someone more like Batman, Spiderman, and Hercules, and less like Rod Blagojevich. But no this is the man God chooses. This man who is more mess up than superstar. But then I consider the history of people God has used. Just look at this list Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer (or accomplice to murder), Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was moody. We could go on an on and on. And you could then go and list all the ways God used them. Jacob bore the promise of the Savior. Peter led the early Christian Church, David was known as a man after God’s heart and the greatest king of Israel, Jonah was used to bring a whole nation to the Lord, Paul evangelized more than anyone, Gideon took 300 vs 185,000 and won protecting God’s people. And Moses the murderer was used by God to write the first 5 books of the Bible, led his people into the promised land, and fulfill many signs and wonders. And it just reminds me of the way God works. And this community we realize that we have messed up at one time or another. We admit to one another and to God we have imperfections, lovelessness, and sin. And while we might imagine this disqualifies us for use in service to a holy God, here is our first takeaway. We are never too messed up to be called up God. If you think something in your past limits you from being used, if you think he could never accomplish purpose through you - it ain’t true. And it’s what Scripture even reminds us. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1:26-27) Yes, an Christian worth his weight of the name recognizes that the truly good thing about them, is Christ in me. I’ve said before an mean to say again, “The good in me is the God in me.” And it’s his light that shines through when you see something brilliant. As was His light shining through all those people who came before us. But I think there is something even more remarkable yet. And it reminds me of the story of Zaccheus. Does anyone know this one? He was a short little man, a Jewish man that everyone avoided because he was a tax collector. Which means he was a known thief stealing from his people, and on behalf and with the the authority of Rome. And one day there was a parade for Jesus, everyone was lining the road to see him. And Zaccheus wanted to see to. No one would make way for him so he climbs a tree. And what does Jesus do to the person everyone else avoided, the person known as a mess up, the person to awful, ugly, and hideous for the rest. He comes close and he says to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately.