FIVE OBJECTIONSTO OBEYING GOD’S CALL

Exodus 3:7-12; 4:1-2

Exodus 3:7-12 And the LORD said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

Exodus 3:7-12 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:7-12 12 So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

An Overview

THEME:

KEY VERSE:Exodus 15:13 You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.

Redemption

An Overview

OUTLINE:Cc 1-6 NEED for RedemptionCc 7-11 MIGHT of the RedeemerCc 12-18 CHARACTER of the RedemptionCc 19-24 DUTY of the RedeemedCc 25-40 PROVISION for the Redeemed

MOSES

Charlton Heston as Moses in “The Ten Commandments” by Cecil B. DeMille

MOSES OCCUPATION(3:1-12)

Gen. 46:34 “Every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians”

A shepherd

WHAT IS YOUR OCCUPATION?I Corinthians 1:26-29 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

MOSES OBSERVATION(3:2,3)

“bush burning yet not consumed” (preservation through judgment)

WHAT DO YOU SEE?John 4:35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

Exodus 3:4-5 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

God Called Moses

Has God Called You?Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, say-ing, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

3:11-12 I am nothing!

PROBLEM: “Who am I?”

Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

SELF-OCCUPATION

“I’m not qualified!”

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

3:11-12 I am nothing! I will be with you!

Exodus 3:12 So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

“ God does not call the qualifiedHe qualifies the called!”

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

 3:13-

22 I know nothing!

PROBLEM: “What shall I say unto them?”

Exodus 3:13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

FEAR OF PEOPLE

“People expect more than I can give!”

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

 3:13-22

 I know nothing! You know Me:“I am that I am!”

Exodus 3:14-15 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

 3:13-22

 I know nothing! You know Me:“I am that I am!”

It’s not what you know butWho you know!

Do you know God?

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

4:1-9 I can do nothing!

Exodus 4:1 Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”

PROBLEM: “They will not believe me”

UNBELIEF

“ I lack credentials!”

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

4:1-9 

I can do nothing! What is in your hand?

Exodus 4:2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

4:1-9 

I can do nothing! What is in your hand?

Exodus 4:6 Furthermore the LORD said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow.”

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

4:1-9 

I can do nothing! What is in your hand?

Exodus 4:9 And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water fromthe river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.”

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

4:10-12 I have nothing!

Exodus 4:10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

PROBLEM: “I am not eloquent”

LACK ABILITY

“My Weaknesses & Impediments Disqualify me!”

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

4:10-12 I have nothing! I made you!

Exodus 4:11 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

4:13-17 I don’t want to...

Exodus 4:13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

PROBLEM: “O my Lord, send . . . him whom Thou wilt send”

STUBBORNNESS

“Anyone But Me!”

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

 4:13-17

 I don’t want to…  I will give you Aaron.

Exodus 4:14–16 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. 16 So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.

TEXT MOSES’OBJECTION

GOD’SRESPONSE

3:11-12 I am nothing! I will be with you!

3:13-22 I know nothing! You know Me:“I am that I am!”

4:1-9 I can do nothing!  What is in your hand?

4:10-12 I have nothing! I made you!

4:13-17  I don’t want to…  I will give you Aaron.

What’s Your Excuse?