Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our next subject is what we need to know when God tells us to go. I believe God has more for us to do and God has things that He continues if we stay close to God. He continues to ask us to take steps of faith.

He said it is impossible to please Him without faith. And so as we begin this series we're going to lay a little bit of groundwork today and I'm excited about this. I'm going to balance with you. I'm just going to tell you I always learn.

That's why I study. That's why I prepare things as I learn to try to share with you. But God has really worked in my heart on this.

I believe right now that I need this series and I'm convinced right now that Kerwin Baptist Church needs this series. This is going to be a little bit different. And when I say different, I mean there's a lot that I want to share just from my heart over these next few weeks.

I believe God, and I've said this before, has us at a very important time in this church's history. And we are going to go one way or the other. And I want to go the right way. And I want to go the way that honors God.

And it's not necessarily the easy way, the popular way. And sometimes to say, God I believe I know what you want us to do, but Lord we don't have the money. We don't have the means.

I don't even know that we have all the people that are needed and all those things. But there are some things when God has asked you to go. There are some things you need to know. And there are some things that we need to remember. And I want you to look at Exodus chapter 3 if you would this morning. Just a couple verses as we begin our first, I guess you would call it installment of this series today is this subject. Speaking from a shrub. Speaking from a shrub. This was a life changing encounter that Moses had with God. And you're familiar with it. We're going to talk next Sunday more about the immediate specific subject of the burning bush.

But we have some things that I want you to think about this morning. Look at verse 1. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the backside of the desert and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb, Mount Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. And he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God, notice this, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses.

And he said, here am I. Let's pray. Lord, I love you. I know you've laid this on my heart months ago.

And I believe that your timing is perfect. And, Lord, we do not ever want to be guilty to have you asking us to go, but us not listening. So, Lord, as every individual, every Christian here in this room, Lord, I pray that each of us would open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to you today. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. Matthew Henry, obviously a commentator of God's word, had this to say about the life of Moses, and I thought this was interesting. I've heard it from a different angle, which I'll give you. But Matthew Henry said this, the first 40 years of Moses' life, he spent as a prince in Pharaoh's court. The second 40 years of Moses' life, he was a shepherd in Midian. The last 40 years of Moses' life, he was a king in Jeshurun. And so changes the life of men, especially the life of good men who hear the Lord. Moses lived to be 120 years of age, and I've always heard it this way, that his life was separated into kind of three separate areas.

My dad said this for years and years and years. And this is one way we can put it simplistically, I guess. The first 40 years, Moses thought he was a somebody. He murdered, he was a prince, he was in Egypt, he was still obviously used of God, but there was just some rough edges that God had to slowly chisel away. So the first 40 years he thought he was a somebody, the second 40 years he found out he was a nobody. And then the last 40 years he found out that God could use anybody.

That's usually the path you and I take. We think we're something. Then God has to tear us down and we have to realize we're nothing. And then we just feel privileged that God would use us to do anything.

It's amazing. Now let me explain this. Moses here in verse one had just finished his second 40 year division. Moses was 80 years old here in chapter three. And he was out tending sheep, sheep that were owned by his father-in-law. Now sometimes, may I say that it can be a long time before God calls his servant out to do the work that God has designed them for.

Sometimes there's just a waiting period. Now I do know this, that if you have to think about this process that Moses was born, listen to me, Moses was born to be Israel's deliverer. Moses was born to be the leader that would lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses was born to be that person and yet not a word of that was ever told Moses until he was 80 years old. You see the most important thing in Moses' life he hadn't even heard of at the age of 80.

Something to think about. Moses begins life obviously living in Pharaoh's house. Moses grows up being a prince there in Egypt and having the comfortable life, the privileged life, a life of position.

Now at 80 years old he is out in the desert tending sheep. Interesting to think of the process that Moses had gone through. Now when God speaks to you and if God is going to speak to you there are some things that have to happen.

Isn't it interesting that 80 years old now God decides to speak and call Moses to do what God has always had designed for him to do. May I say this that if you're like me I want to hear what God wants me to do. I want God to speak to me.

I want God to let me know. And please don't be confused you say well you ought to you're a pastor and you know what that's your life and that's what you do for. Listen to me dear friend it doesn't matter if you're a pastor or a plumber if you're a carpenter or an electrician. It doesn't matter if you work at Walmart.

It doesn't matter what you're doing in your life. You and I all of us ought to desire and want and plead for God to speak to us. We all ought to want to know what he's calling. May I say as we're given some insight here into the life of Moses there's a lot of change. Moses had done a lot of changing from where he started to where he is now. Just a humble sheep herder. I want you to notice number one this morning that God speaks to you first.

Number one when you are working. Look at verse one. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law and he led the flock to the backside of the desert and came to the mountain of God. Here's Moses 80 years old who had known a life of privilege that was now just doing a menial task of watching sheep. He was working.

He was busy. He might not have had the high position that he had in Egypt but he had chosen to follow God. And as he had chosen to follow God and leave Egypt as we will talk about in just a few minutes he ends up being humbled as just a simple shepherd. It's amazing that God always shows up and speaks to you when you're working. I do not find where God really speaks and calls somebody to do great things when they're being lazy. You can't find anywhere in the Bible that that happens. But the men that God has called to do great things they were always busy working. I think of Elijah with a plow.

They're always busy working when God calls. Notice Moses had grown up in Pharaoh's house. Now he's tending sheep.

Listen to me. He had already learned to be a sovereign. Now he was learning to be a shepherd. He had known what it was to be in charge. But now he was learning what it was to guide people. He had known comfort now he was learning to work in the cold. He had known privilege now he was learning patience. He had learned honor now and had enjoyed the honor of being the prince but now he was learning humility. He had been in the center of attention now he would learn the center of God's will.

And they're not always the same. But now he would learn to desire God's presence. He had learned ruling but now he had to learn to rest. Little did Moses know that God was training him to shepherd his people. Little did he know that what God was teaching Moses was not just to be a shepherd but to learn to submit to the great shepherd. Moses would eventually by the way spend a lot more time in the desert. Isn't it amazing as he leads these sheep the Bible says into the desert. That God would lead him and use him for all those years leading God's people through the desert.

The wilderness. I notice here that the Bible says that Moses came to the mountain of God. Do you know that Moses later on would spend history changing time on a mountain with God. When he would come down with what we call the Ten Commandments.

Isn't it amazing how life makes it circles. Here he is in a desert where he had no idea he would spend the next 40 years of his life. Here he is approaching a mountain where he had no idea that God would give his precious law to Moses on a mountain.

He had no idea any of this was coming. He's at a time in his life where most people would retire. Let alone take a stressful job like shepherding people.

Isn't it interesting if you want to hear from God. Start serving him. Start working. Quit wanting to be the prince and start learning to be a humble shepherd. And God might just start speaking to you.

May I say this that Moses was an individual that had time for God and Moses was always busy. Do you know Satan loves to find us idle. Satan loves to find us in a church where we're not serving and we're not active anymore. Because we've been hurt by people and somebody said such and such and somebody did such and such.

So we're just going to settle in, not do a lot, not do much. And dear friends, Satan loves it when we reach that point. It would have been very easy for Moses to think of all the reasons and he did by the way. Why he wasn't the right person to do what God had called him to do.

But think what he would have missed out on. Satan loves it when we're lazy. Moses experienced, listen to this, I want you to get this statement.

Moses experienced God more in an obscure desert with sheep than he had ever experienced God in the decorated halls of Pharaoh's palace. God speaks to you, number one, when you're working. Are you working?

Are you busy? You say well God really hasn't spoken to me in a while, maybe we've just not been working. It's amazing that the busiest people in the church always seem to be the people that volunteer to do more. Because God always speaks to people that are working. Notice second, God always speaks to you when you are waiting.

When you are waiting. We find here that Moses comes to the backside of the desert and approaches the mount of Horeb. And here's Moses that had been so busy in life and had so much responsibility and so much success and had been or could have been one of the wealthiest men in history. Now he finds himself watching sheep and waiting on God.

Something interesting here. Here in the desert watching sheep things were quiet. There was no more hustle and bustle of Pharaoh's business and busyness going on.

There were no more of the distractions of the chaos of Egypt and Moses life. Now he was waiting. This is a frustrating time for believers by the way. When you don't feel like God is doing anything, you're busy working. But it doesn't seem like anything's really happening. And you're just waiting. Anybody ever been there? I feel like Dr. David Gibbs. Raise your hand if you've ever been there.

Turn to your neighbor. I have no doubt he's not watching our online program so I can say that. May I say it's important to be working but it's important not to be worrying. You and I have to learn to patiently wait on the Lord. Because those that wait on him are the ones he speaks to. In fact God says they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.

They shall eventually mount up with wings as eagles. May I say it is good to stay busy with work but it is not good to be too busy to worship. Moses had been so busy with work but now God had put him in a desert with a bunch of smelly sheep. And now he had time to listen. Sometimes God has to get us into the place where we are waiting.

So that he can speak. May I say this this morning we get so impatient. If God doesn't do things on our timetable and if God doesn't do them when we want.

And we want the opportunities and we want this and we feel like we have to create it. And may I say dear friend you and I need to learn to just sit in the desert and wait if that's what God has called us to do. It doesn't mean we sit and do nothing and we're just lazy. It means we're busy tending sheep but it means we wait on God's timing. Moses was 80 years old and it almost seemed that he had digressed in position. I mean here he was prince and in charge of everything. And now if he looks at it through human eyes I'm just in charge of a few sheep.

Seems like things have gone a little downhill according to our culture. But little did he know that's exactly where God wanted him. God knows if we won't wait then we probably won't listen either. Did everybody get that before I go to the next point?

Let me say that again. God knows if we won't wait then we probably won't listen either. Number three, God speaks to us when we're working. God speaks to us when we're waiting.

And number three, God speaks to us when we're willing. Now I want to show you a passage of scripture and you all are familiar with this but I want you to look at it through these eyes because you've got to remember the age in the time bracket here. Hebrews chapter 11, these verses will be on the screen here. If you want to turn to them that's great but these verses are on.

I want you to see this and you know this but look at this if you will. The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11, By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he had respect under the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Now let's look at this while these verses are up and let's think about this. Remember God speaks to us when we're working. He speaks to us when we're waiting but he speaks to us when he knows we're willing. Why would God waste his time speaking to us if he knows we're not going to be willing to do it anyway?

God always speaks to willing people. So notice what Moses was willing to do in these passages. Just in verse 24, Moses was willing to leave the palace. Moses was willing to leave position and Moses was willing to leave privilege. Notice in verse 25, Moses was willing to suffer and Moses was willing to keep himself pure.

That's not an easy thing to do. Especially when you're in charge in the kingdom you could have anything or anybody you wanted but he forsook it he went away from it and he said I don't want to enjoy the pleasures of sin just for a season. Notice what else he was willing. In verse 26, Moses was willing to be ridiculed and criticized. Look at verse 26, esteeming the reproach of Christ.

That's criticism of people. Moses found that to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Moses was willing to be ridiculed and criticized.

Moses was willing to do without. He was willing to go from a prince to a shepherd. When you're willing to do that, God speaks. We've got a lot of people that want to be prince. We've got a lot of people that want to be king. God wants some shepherds. God wants some people behind the scenes maybe out in the desert for a while that will just go and do what needs to be done.

And it's amazing while everybody else is in their prominence while you're out there on that desert that's where God shows up to speak to you. Can I ask you a question? Are you ready for a burning bush experience in your life? Are you working? Are you waiting?

Are you willing? Look at verse 2 as we kind of draw to a close this morning. And the angel of the Lord peered unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. And he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burnt. Let me give you just some quick principles as I let you go this morning as I want you to lay some groundwork with this passage as we're getting ready to go to what God has called Moses to do next week. I want us to look really in depth at this burning bush. But I want you to see number 1 according to verse 2 God must get our attention for us to hear his call.

The Bible says in verse 2 the angel of the Lord appeared unto him. You see often times God has to get our attention for us to hear what he has to say. Now I have three boys and if I don't get them stopped and get their eyes looking at me and get the phone off they might not hear what I'm saying.

It might be going in here but it's going to go right out here. Like sometimes when I finally get home and my wife tells me things and I'm kind of sitting in the recliner like a zombie and then the next day you don't show up for something and you missed a doctor's appointment. My wife said, I told you last night. I'm like, no you didn't. She's like, yes I did.

Well she might have spoken it but I didn't hear it. God has to get our attention. Notice the angel of the Lord appeared. May I say this morning God wants your attention. God deserves our attention. What God has to say is important. We need to hear it. It is an amazing thing when you think about it that the creator of the universe has something to say to us.

Isn't that amazing? Can you imagine why would he even want to waste his time on just a little thing like us? But the creator of the universe has something he wants to say.

That ought to amaze us. Our top priority in life should be giving our attention to him. He gave everything to us. Can I say this morning that's why church is so important.

Now everybody can come up with their own opinions of what they think church is. But can I tell you something? You ought to be in God's house and you're here this morning so I can say it without offending any of you. Because you're here.

But you know why God's house should be top priority in your life? Because you should be saying, God I want to give you my attention. I'm going to give you my attention, not the boat, not the golf course, not the football game. I'm going to give you my attention. I'm right about that, isn't I?

Hey, I'm the first to understand the struggles of life. But I'm here to tell you that, you know what, if God wants to speak to us, how could we make anything more important than that? How could we just walk by and not pay one attention, one bit of attention to what God has to say?

I want to be in God's house so I can hear if he wants to tell me something so he has my attention. Number two, I want you to see this in verse two that God brings unexpected things to get our attention. Moses walks by, if you'll notice this in verse two, look at this little phrase. And the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush and he looked. God got his attention. And I want to tell you this morning that God knows how to get our attention. And if you will not give it, God will get it.

Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. You could be here this morning and to be honest, it doesn't matter if you've been in church years or if this is the first time you've ever been in church. If you feel something inside there that God's speaking to you and God's telling you something, maybe you don't know Christ as your savior. I'm here to tell you, you better give him your attention. You better be so thankful as a sinner. We're on our way to hell that a holy loving God would care enough about us to give us his attention. He gave us his son, he gave us his only son, he's given us everything else and he's still giving us attention.

He's extending his call. You ought to be so grateful that the holy God is even speaking to you. And if you don't know Christ, you ought to give your heart to Christ today. The day might come where the creator of the universe might not be calling. God knows how to get our attention. Can I ask you something this morning? What would it take to get you to look to God today?

What would it take to make you stop and take a look? God had to create a bush to all of a sudden to be on fire, but it wasn't being burned. Now there's a lot of wonderful meaning in that we're going to talk about next week, but Moses is the busy of the sheep. And by the way, tending sheep was good.

He was busy working. But God knows how to get our attention. In the middle of all that, Moses walks by and here's a bush on fire and it's not getting burnt. And so the Bible says, and he looked. All God wants is to get our attention. Now may I say this, that it's a lot easier to just say, God, you have it.

It's a lot easier to give it than for God to have to get it. God can do a lot of things to get your attention. I wonder sometimes with, you know, if my life can get so cold, man, I can just sit in church service at church service at church service. And I mean, you hear the truth of God's word and it just doesn't move you. What is it going to take for you to stop and pay attention? What might God have to do to get your attention? May I say what would it take for you to stop and take notice of what God has to say today? God brings unexpected things.

Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. I couldn't tell you how many times I've been around people in tragedy and you rush to the hospital and you rush to things. Man, they're just weeping and they, first thing, you know, and I guess because I'm a pastor, you don't ask, you don't come in there for those reasons. There's not one judgmental bone in my body, by the way. And, you know, if you just want to be in heaven, it's like, preacher, I just, I've been out of church.

I just have it and I know it's wrong and, man, I feel, I haven't said anything to them. But it's amazing how God can get our attention. Notice number three, God reminded Moses that he could do the supernatural.

And we're going to talk about it next week, but the Bible says, if you'll look at this verse, that the bush was not consumed. And notice what Moses said here at the end of, here, he says, I want to see this great sight. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kerwinbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.