Playmaker

Knowing and Going

Exodus 3

LAUNCH What’s the best way to get a hold of you? / How do you handle notifications? (are you a texter, emailer, facetimer, letter writer, open http://immediately...etc.) Does being so connected to the world help you care more about everything or overwhelm you? Why? THE WORD Exodus 3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, 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 bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” … 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. Exodus 4:13 “But Moses said, ‘Oh my Lord, please send someone else.’” EXPLORE What do you know about the book of ‘Exodus’? What is happening to God’s people in Egypt? According to verses 7-9, how have God’s people been trying to ‘get ahold of God’? Has God been answering? In verses 2-4, how did God ‘get a hold of Moses’? What is the content of this “news flash” from God? Why is this such a big deal? Before verse 10 what is Moses’ response? Why might he be fearful? Why might he be grateful? What changes in verse 10? And how does Moses respond in verse 11? What is his concern? What is Moses’ concern in verse 13? How is this the same and/or different from his concern in verse 11? In Exodus 4:13, after God has patiently addressed Moses’ inadequacies and fears, Moses cuts to the chase. What is he saying is the real problem? Verses 14-15 are some of the most important verses in the whole Bible. In verse 13, Moses asks God what he should say if the people ask about God’s name. What do you think God responding with “I AM” means? What is God’s remedy for Moses’ concerns? APPLY What would you say is God’s mission in the world? To go on this mission is going to cost Moses in all kinds of ways. His life isn’t glamorous, but at least it’s comfortable and secure. What holds you back from living out God’s mission? Which one of Moses' excuses do you identify with (personal inadequacy, public perception or apathy)? God’s remedy for Moses’ objections to the mission is Himself. Look up Matthew 28:18-20. What promise does Jesus make there? How does it compare with what God says to Moses here? How do God’s promises motivate you to live on his mission? What specific steps might God be calling you to take to go on mission with him? MEMORIZE Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’