Camp Highland Monday
Here is talk two from my camp meeting week. Feel free to listen to the teaching at the bottom of the post or download on iTunes.
So it turns out Moses was always safe in the arms of God. That even though it didn’t seem like it Moses was always being taken care of by the God who created him.
This being safe brought Moses face to face with a burning bush.
Moses is just out there minding his own business and doing his job, taking care of sheep, when all of a sudden he finds himself face to face with a burning bush. A Bush that is on fire but it isn’t being burned up.
I don’t know about you but my first instinct is not to go up to it. My first thought would be to run away as fast as possible.
But Moses walks up to this bush that is on fire but isn’t being burned up…and then the bush starts talking.
A TALKING BUSH THAT IS ON FIRE!!
Really? Who does that….Who thinks this is a good idea?
This bush tells Moses to take off his sandals….AND MOSES DOES IT!!
At this point I seriously question the amount of common sense that Moses has.
The bush then says that it is the God of his father (who isn’t mentioned as ever being a part of Moses’ life), Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. All people Moses has never met.
It isn’t until this point that Moses gets scared. If it were me I would have wet my pants a long time ago.
As Moses and this burning bush that claims to be God continue to talk we find out that God wants Moses to do something huge!
God wants Moses to set free the Israelites who have been slaves for generations.
God wants Moses to walk up to the Pharaoh and say “Let my people go.”
How is this Safe in the Arms??
Moses says, how will I know I am safe in the arms, because walking up to the most powerful man in the world and demanding his entire labor force be let go you need to be safe in the arms of someone. Right?
God responds and says, you will be safe in the arms because my name is “I am the I am.” or more literally “I am the one who causes things to exist”
Really? a name, all we get to be safe is a name?
Moses apparently didn’t think that was enough and he starts complaining that he isn’t good enough.
Ever felt that way? Ever felt called to do something huge and yet felt totally inadequate by it? So did Moses.
So Moses asks God for more.
And God gives him more.
God gives him the ability to do some crazy miracles. He turns a stick into a snake, turns water into blood, brings in frogs, locusts and all sorts of diseases.
And it eventually works the people are on their way to freedom.
But that is usually how it works, when you ask God for more ability you usually get it.
Since the time of Moses those who are safe in the arms of God get more ability to do what God needs them to do.
God has always qualified the called not called the qualified.
Have you ever felt totally unqualified for the job you deeply knew you were supposed to do?
If you are safe in his arms then you will be qualified to do what you are called.
Which brings the question, how do I know if I am safe in the arms of God?
the answer to that is found a little bit later than Moses, but still a part of the story of Moses. A man named Jesus. Jesus is the God who was in the burning bush.
Jesus is the God who saw the pain and hurting of the people in Israelite slaves, single parents, and you. He saw this pain and hurt and misery and decided he could not take the pain anymore and stepped out of heaven.
Born through a single, unwed, teenager he came down and walked with his people, felt what they felt, and never messed up like we do every day.
Jesus made the government and church officials nervous so they had him killed. He never did anything wrong, never cursed, got drunk, or broke curfew and they still decided he was evil so they had him killed.
But the grave couldn’t keep him. Normally we think death is the end and for most people it is the end. but after 3 days Jesus comes back to life and walks around. One time he shows up to a woman who thinks he is a gardener, another he makes a breakfast of fish and another time he walks through a door and shows up to disciples.
And if you tell people about this and you believe it in your heart then according to Romans 10:9 you are safe in the arms of God.
If that is you then we know you are safe in the arms of God because in John 10:28 Jesus says that those who have eternal life are safe and will never be snatched out of his hands….EVER!!
If this is what you want, if safety in the arms of God is something you want then it isn’t about a special prayer or a ritual or anything like that it is about confessing with your mouth that Jesus is God and believing that God raised him from the dead. Which means that you know in your deepest parts that Jesus is with you. That Jesus lives within you and has qualified you for all sorts of things and it means you tell others about the transformation that has taken place within you.
Sermon Audio
Tags: moses, Sermon, Youth Ministry
