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Speaker: Rev. Shine Thomas
Posted on: 2009-11-07
Series: Exodus

Series: Exodus
Scripture: Exodus 3:1-10

Introduction: How many of you feel you are an average/ordinary person in life? Maybe you have a good job, good family, but you would rate yourself as an average person. There are still unfulfilled promises in your life. Maybe you are a failure and good for nothing kind of person. Well, I have good news for you. God never fails to fulfill his promises and God always uses his people to accomplish his purposes.

This morning we are going to see how God prepares a person for His glory. We are going to see how God fulfils all our desires and uses ordinary people like you and me to accomplish extraordinary tasks.

Moses was an extraordinary person

• Moses was brought up in King Pharaoh’s Palace as a prince.
• He felt he was an extraordinary person.
• Handsome, knowledge, Position, Money, God’s deliverer.

God used this extraordinary Moses to deliver the people out of Egypt.

• He being an Israelite stepped out on his own to become the deliverer of Israel.
• Moses acted in haste and killed an Egyptian.
• Moses had to run away from Egypt.

Moses became an ordinary person

• Moses is in Midian now leading an ordinary life.
• Moses is an ordinary person now.
• Moses is married with children, taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep in Midian.
• Moses is going through the wilderness experience.
• 40 years have passed by; still there is no sign of hope.

God used this ordinary Moses to deliver the people out of Egypt.

Now we come to Exodus 3:1a(KJV) 1Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian.

Remember Moses was an Egyptian price of Hebrew descent. Egyptians hated the job of a shepherd. Genesis 46:31-34 31Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' 33When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?' 34you should answer, 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians." In Egypt Moses would not take a shepherd’s job because it is a detestable job. Now, the same Moses is taking the job of a shepherd. He hates his job of being a shepherd but there is no other way Moses for Moses. Now, Moses does not like his job. Likewise, there are many of you here who are unhappy with your present job but you are stuck because there is no other way. It is your survival but you are not satisfied, not happy. That is an indication that God is calling you for a higher ministry, but hold on until God gives you the green signal. Moses was never happy with his job but he waited 40 long years before he could change his profession.

Exodus 3:1b (KJV) …and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
Initially, Moses started leading the flock in and around Midian (Western Iran). Soon Moses realized that his present job is going to be his job lifelong. He feels he is just a simple, useless shepherd. It took 40 years for Moses to realize he had no more chance to go back to Egypt. Now, he concentrated on his sheep business and led the flock to the back side of the desert to Mount Horeb (central Saudi Arabia). He went from Iran to central Saudi Arabia. In olden days shepherds used to go long trips with the sheep looking for green pastures. For months they would be outside the house and then later come back with the entire flock. It was the same with Joseph’s brothers. Joseph went to find out the wellbeing of his brothers away from home leading the flock.

Now Moses is:

• Away from his house.
• Explored every part of the desert.
• Presently on the backside of the desert.
• No people around, just sheep and desert.
• Away from the thoughts of failure and loss back in Egypt.
• Caught up with daily regular activities of life.

God’s voice is usually heard when we feel we are useless. God’s voice is heard in the back side of the desert. It is an experience where you are fed up with the way things are going, an experience where there is no hope out of the situation. There is no short cut for God’s call. You have to reach the other side of your wilderness experience. Yes, it is a long time, 40 years in the case of Moses.

All through these years God was making Moses the man God wanted him to be. Now Moses is in his regular routine, feeding sheep. See what happens...

Exodus 3:2-3 2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."
Moses saw a desert fire. Desert fires are common and Moses just happened to look at the fire. Something was strange with this bush that was on fire. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it not burn up. Something caught his attention. The Bible says firstly Moses saw, then Moses thought. It was God trying to get Moses’ attention and Moses sensed it. Many times we come across unusual circumstances in our lives and we fail to pay attention to it. It is God trying to talk to you. Maybe it is at your work, family, through your problems, circumstances. Be sensitive to the visitations of God in your life. This leads to my first point.

1. God communicates to us through unexpected means.
Moses never expected God to be in the fire but he was sensitive to what was happening around him. God never forces himself on us. He wants us to be sensitive to his calling. See God visiting Abraham. Genesis 18:1-2 1The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. Abraham was sensitive to God’s call and his visit.

Now read Exodus 3:4 4When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." God responded only when Moses went over to look. Read v4 once again. Many times God has come to us in our busy schedule but we fail to sense it and God is quiet about it. If you feel you are an extraordinary, ordinary, or an useless person God is trying to get your attention through the circumstances in your life.

2. God speaks when we are engaged in our ordinary activities.
What happened to Moses? It was just an ordinary day of the 40 years he spent in the desert. Moses settled down very well with this life and the thing of leading God’s people out of Egypt would never have been in his mind. He never thought anything is going to change. Suddenly, God spoke to him through his ordinary activity, feeding sheep.

God speaks to us through the common everyday activities of our life and sometimes God does something extraordinary like the burning bush experience. Our burning bush could be in the form of some disruption of our routine day-to-day life. It can be in the form or illness, accident, a change in circumstances, problems, etc. God will try to get our attention by causing some change in our day to day lives. We may call it fate or coincidence but it is not fate, it is God’s ways of tapping your shoulder so that you may take notice of what he has to say. Our burning bush experience can also be when we are worshipping, reading the Bible, or listening to a message. But the key is God is interested in talking to you. Things do not happen by coincidence, they are God arranged plans for your life. Understand God is trying to talk to you through your ordinary daily activities.

By now Moses is feeling useless, good for nothing. He lost all his vision about Egypt and the deliverance of the Israelites.

See what happens at the encounter:
Read Exodus 3:5-10 5"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 7The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

3. God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary tasks.
See what God says:

• I have indeed seen.
• I have heard them cry.
• I am concerned about the suffering.
• I have come down to rescue.

God is watching every situation in your life. He is aware of what is happening.
God sees, God cares, God is aware, and the best of all God is at work.

Now Moses would have heard this and said good Lord please carry on your good work of delivering the Israelites, but I am just settled in my business, my job. It is growing you know. But your plan is good.

Now Moses thought God is going to do something about the condition in Egypt but the following words of God stunned Moses. Genesis 3:10 10So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was shocked. Lord, Me! I was a great person back in Egypt. I had power. I had money. I was young. But now I am an ordinary man, a useless man. I am smelling cattle, I am getting old. I cannot do this extraordinary task. God said I want you Moses.

Do you feel you are ordinary in the sight of other people? Do you feel useless today? God wants to use you.

God said to Moses, “You have prayed for it, you have acted for deliverance. So now you go.” Be careful what you pray for. You pray to God, God use me, use me one day God will come to you with great plans and unsettle you and use you. He answers your prayers. Yes God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary tasks.

In the next message I would like to look in detail Moses’ response to God call but I would like to conclude now.

Conclusion: God knows your condition very well and he is indeed talking to you today. Do you feel extraordinary, God has a place for you in the ministry? Do you feel like an ordinary person or a useless person without any good in you? God wants to use you too. The key is to be sensitive to his words. Many times we are so busy we miss out when God talks to us. Understand, God is talking and relating to you right in your circumstances, be sensitive. Also understand God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary tasks.