Do What?!

August 28, 2011 Kingdomtide 11

Exodus 3: 1-15; Psalm 24;

Since school started this week, a lot of us have been busy getting clothes together, school supplies together, practicing getting up earlier, and a host of other things. Lots of my Facebook friends have posted pictures of their little one's on their 1st day of school. I've enjoyed seeing those.

The 1st day of school is both exciting and sometimes overwhelming. I'm not certain if this happens to you young folks, but when you begin college on the 1st day of class, a student gets a syllabus. The syllabus lists everything that you must do for the course during the semester. In many classes over the years, as I picked up syllabus after syllabus, I would become completely overwhelmed by the amount of work facing me. Maybe some of you are feeling that way now.

What I've come to learn is that everything doesn't have to be done at once. Work in a course or school year is spaced out so that we are able to take it piece by piece. I know you've heard the question: How do you eat an elephant? And the answer is: One bite at a time. It's a good thing to remember that when we are faced with a seemingly overwhelming thing to do over time, it is always done bit by bit.

The Scripture story for today is once again from the Old Testament book of Exodus. It is a story about Moses and his calling from God. Last week we left off at the point in Moses life when he was rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, when she pulled him from the Nile River and took him into her household to raise as her own. These verses we read this morning, find Moses at 80 years old. A lot of time has passed since he was rescued.

Moses was indeed raised in the house of Pharaoh. When he grew up he wanted to know more about the people he came from, so he went out to investigate where they lived and the conditions they lived in. There he witnessed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. It angered Moses to see this happening and he struck the Egyptian and killed him, and then he hid his body in the sand.

Of course a murder cannot be hidden for very long. The next day Moses learned the Hebrews knew he what he had done. Soon the Pharaoh would find him. So Moses fled from Egypt to a place called Midian which was to the east in the Sinai wilderness.

In Midian Moses met a priest named Jethro (Ruiel), married his daughter Zipporah, and had a son whom he named Gershom. Moses was 40 years old when he came to Midian. So Moses settled there, raised his family, and made a quiet life for himself.

One day Moses took his father-in-law's flock to the high country to graze. By this time Moses had been away from Egypt for some 40 years. He probably never expected to return there. As the flocks grazed, Moses noticed something very unusual off in the distance. It was a bush burning. It was unusual to see such a sight; occasionally lightening struck the trees or vegetation and set them afire. But to see a bust that was not consumed was very unusual. Moses became curious and went over to investigate this strange phenomenon. He was in for the surprise of his life.

As Moses stood there gaping at the flames, and trying to figure out what was happening, God began to call to him from the bush. "Moses, Moses!" Moses began to approach the bush; God warned him to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground (near the place of God, which was Holy). I'm paraphrasing here, "Moses, I have heard the cry of my people. I have seen how they are suffering, and I have remembered my promise to their father Abraham. Now I'm going to rescue them and bring them out of slavery into the promise land. So, Moses, I'm sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people out of their bondage in Egypt."

Remember last week when we talked about our own created uniqueness, and about how God has a purpose and plan for each of us? Remember how we saw God rescue Moses from sure and certain drowning in the Nile? Remember how we said that Moses was unique, and had a thing to do? Well, there on the mountain of God, God was revealing to Moses the thing he was to do. And it was big.

I want us to keep in mind a couple of things. First of all, Moses was about 80 years old at this point in time. He probably didn't have plans to start a new career as the leader of a nation. Secondly, Moses had been gone from Egypt so long that he had basically forgotten the language. I'm sure that he was completely astounded by what God was asking him to do.

Just for a moment I want to highlight a few things that happened to Moses and also happens to us when we received a divine call from God.

· Something astounding happens, unusual, offbeat, tragic, or Earth shattering

Moses encountered the burning bush. We will also have burning bush experiences, things that happen to us that makes us sit up and take notice that God may be speaking to us. God does this in so many different ways.

· Voice of God, through others, encountered in the word, even audible

Moses audibly heard God calling his name. Some people do here God audibly, but more often than not God speaks to us through the still small voice that enters into our being and into our hearts and brings us that knowledge… That we know that we know. We can also here God speaking to us from God's word, the voices of others, preachers teachers parents, friends and mentors.

· Fear, anxiety, doubt, confusion

Of course Moses feared returning to Egypt, because he had taken a man's life. He questions God: who am I that I should get back to Egypt and lead the people? So very often when God calls us to do something our immediate reaction is anxiety, doubt and fear, even confusion. We just don't see how it can possibly be done.

· Something to do for others, not for ourselves

When you received a divine calling on your life, just as Moses did, it's not something that you do for yourself. It is something God calls you to do for someone else. Moses was called by God to give up his comfortable life in Midian, and to go into a dangerous place, and to rescue a multitude of people who were suffering in slavery. God does not call us to do easy things. Gods does not call us to benefit ourselves but to benefit others.

· Rejection, you want me to do what?!

When God called Moses, he tried to get out of it. He thought of a lot of excuses: Lord, I forgot the language, I can't even speak the same language as these people! Who will I say has sent me...they won't listen to me...they won't believe me! When God call us, we try to reject the calling. We say: You want me to do what?! You want me to go where?! You want me to talk to who?!

· Help from the Lord...Help from Others

When we read on in the Scriptures (chp. 4), we find out that God had an answer for all of Moses' questions, a response to all of his confusion and fear: I will be with you! God said. And, I will give you help, signs, wonders, powers, and helpers! When God calls us to do anything, God does not call us to do it, and then abandon us.

A couple of weeks ago, the church Council met to look over and discuss the 5 – 10 year vision and plan that was presented by the visioning and planning group. It was an awesome time for us as we discovered what we believe God's vision is for us over the next 5 to 10 years. There was a lot of discussion, a lot of questions, some doubts and some confusion over the vision and plan. The Council took over two hours to come to consensus about what God has shown us. And though God has not asked us to lead a nation out of slavery, God has given us some BIG things to do. Through that, God has asked us for the same kind of faith that God was asking of Moses.

The Council adopted the 5 – 10 year vision and plan as a starting point towards our future. As we go forward we will begin studying the feasibility of the various parts of the plan, and how we might implement it. Some of the plan will likely go forward as detailed, some of the plan may be changed, and some parts of the plan may be tossed out or replaced. But thanks be to God, God has given us direction about how to go forward. I am so very thankful for Pisgah UMC leadership and the willingness of this church to follow God into uncharted territory.

Over the next couple of weeks I will be posting the plan to our website, and also have print copies available. Please take a look at it. I ask you to be in prayer, in conversation, and earnestly begin to ask God where God wants you to take part in Pisgah's future. Believe me, there is plenty of work to be done. Let's begin together remembering what God said to Moses: I am Yahweh, and I will be with you.

Back in 1930's, just when the country was in deep economic depression, God called upon another group of people to do something big...God called them to build a new church. I have heard stories about how some people were for building, and some were against it.

But with their faith solely on God...cause they certainly didn't have any money, they decided to trust God for what God had called them to do. Just like when you eat an elephant...one bit at a time, the church at Pisgah build this beautiful church, bigger, greater and more audacious than anyone could have imagined. And they build it one rock at a time, a bit here, a bit there. They were determined to follow God and to trust God for the out come.

I will be the first to say that the vision and plan that God has revealed to us...is audacious. We may feel like Moses when he began to ask questions of God..."you want us to Do What?!" So, I'm here to encourage us all to:

· When we get nervous, get in a conversation with God

· When we are confused, let's talk together, work it out, figure out how to go forward

· When we wonder if we've really heard the voice of God, let's pray more and make sure we have

· When we are astounded by the magnitude of our calling, let's rejoice that God considers us worthy of such a calling...just as our foremothers and forefathers were before us.

Over the next 5 to 10 years, God hopes to use us just as God used Moses. God hopes that we will rise to the challenge of our calling, and that we will go out from this place into the world… That might seem like Egypt to us… And continue to bring folks together in this place, and Connect People to Christ! To God be the Glory, Amen.