Close Encounters. Mountain Life Church Life Pack Man in the Gap September 25, 2011

Transcription

1 Close Encounters Mountain Life Church Life Pack Man in the Gap September 25, 2011

2 Close Encounters Sermon Notes September 25, 2011 Exodus 3-4 I. Introduction: A. 40 years of rehearsing failures B. 40 years of obscurity 1. Moses has stopped believing in himself 2. Moses has probably stopped believing in relationship with God Write any notes from the week here II. God shows up! A. God has heard B. Moses is His tool of choice C. Moses objects 1. Why me? 2. They won t believe me! 3. They ll ask which god. What is your name? III.Introducing: I AM A. The beauty of God s name B. The supremacy of God s name C. I AM = Yahweh, or Jehovah In the New Testament (John s Gospel), Jesus uses I AM for Himself D. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob IV.God s Graciousness A. God gives Moses a road map telling him what will happen B. Moses objects again C. God gives Moses three miracles to show that He is with him. The Rod The Leprosy The Nile 2 19

3 Table Talk Teens Meal One: As a family read Exodus 3-4, then ask these questions: In verse 3:7-8, the words come down speak of God s gracious intervention on the earth. Not only was God intimately aware of the troubles of His people, but now he would act on their behalf. Do you believe that God is intimately aware of all of your thoughts, troubles and life situations? Describe how you feel knowing that the God of the Universe knows every detail of your life. V.God s Authority A. The Rod 1. The Old Testament picture of The Name of Jesus 2. All authority for the believer is in The Name of Jesus B. Aaron will go with Moses as his spokesman Meal Two: In chapter 3-4, describe the three excuses Moses uses to argue with God. Meal Three: In verse 3:12, God promised to be with Moses. Not only had God come down to deliver, but now He promised to be present. Describe how Jesus delivered us? What did He deliver us from? Describe how He is with us presently. 18 3

4 Life Group Questions for September 25, 2011 The Man in the Gap Series Message = Close Encounters Ice Breaker: Tell about a brush with fame you ve had in the past. (e.g. - Have you seen someone famous, or a celebrity?) Read Exodus 3 1. What do you observe about this passage? 2. This is the first example of someone having to take off their shoes while in God s presence. Why do you think God commanded Moses to do this? (Leaders, Here s a hint: there is something important in eastern cultures: wearing shoes in a clean place is forbidden, as it defiles a clean place for people to live, and taking off the shoes shows respect for your host. It also implies closeness to an unapproachable God). 3. Have you ever had a burning bush experience? This is where God shows Himself to you very clearly and plainly. Elementary Exodus 3-4 Table Talk Day 1 - Read Exodus 3 (Moses and the Burning Bush). Ask: Have you ever been afraid to do something? Have you ever been afraid to ask someone something for fear that you might be laughed at? (Suggestion...do this by candlelight at night to accentuate the story about the burning bush). Day 2 - Read Exodus 4 Why did Moses need a signs from God? What were those signs? Day 3 - Do you ever feel like God is asking you to do something BIG? Even bigger than what you think you can do with your abilities? Pray that God would equip you and even that He would give you a sign to show you that He wants to use you to do something for His Kingdom. 4. Look at verse 14. What do you think about the name I AM? Can you think of any time in the Gospels where Jesus called Himself, I AM? 5. God shows Moses that He always keeps His word. He never deceives or lies. How has God shown you that He can be trusted? Pray for each other 4 17

5 Table Talk Preschool & Nursery: Read to your child the story of the burning bush from Exodus 3 or tell your child the story in your own words. Some questions to ask or discuss: Who was in the story? Moses, God What did Moses find on the mountain? A burning bush Who was talking through the bush? God What did God want Moses to do? Save His people from Egypt Do you think that he will follow God? Yes, he will Bible Verse: Moses saw that the bush was on fire. But it didn t burn up. Exodus 3:2 Prayer: God, just as You called Moses so long ago, so You call each one of us to speak and act on Your behalf in our world today Activity: With your child, do the following hand motions along with repeating the words afterwards, to help them learn the Bible verse: Moses saw: circle fingers around eyes (as though using binoculars) that the bush: squat down and grow like a bush was on fire: wiggle fingers as though they were fire But it didn t burn up: shake head no Exodus 3: hold 3 fingers up 2: hold 2 fingers up Personal Devotion Pages The following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom. LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God. BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol: INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol: ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him. These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming. Enjoy! 16 5

6 Day One 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Read Exodus 3 today and ask God to show Himself to you in a clear way as He did to Moses. 3. This week, we will focus on this part of the Lord s prayer: Give us this day our daily bread. What needs do you have that only God can meet? Write them down in this space. Ask God to meet those needs. Take 5 minutes and pray for your family for whatever comes to your mind. Memorize Psalm 23: 1-3 Take 10 minutes to pray for your family, and 10 minutes to pray for people in your life who need the Lord. Memorize Psalm 23: 1-4 Take 10 minutes to pray for your family, and 10 minutes to pray for people in your life who need the Lord. Take whatever time you have left to pray for your church leadership. Memorize Psalm 23 Day Five The LORD said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A staff. Then He said, Throw it on the ground. So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. But the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail --so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand-- ~Exodus 4:2-4, NAS95. It s always fun to look through the Old Testament and find the pictures of Jesus throughout its pages. God loves His Son, and hangs pictures of Him all throughout nature, history, and the Scriptures. Moses rod is the scepter of authority by which he will perform all his miracles. It is the Old Testament equivalent of The Name of Jesus. In the New Testament, Jesus followers used His awesome name to cast out demons, heal diseases, and to bring salvation. As Moses prepared to go back to Egypt, God reminded him, And be sure to take your shepherd s staff along so you can perform the miraculous signs I have shown you. (Exodus 4:17, NLT.) Moses couldn t go without Jesus in his hand. The name of Jesus is the authority by which we function in the supernatural realm. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it! ~John 14:13, 14, NLT. 6 15

7 14 Day Five 1. Take some time to praise the Lord from your heart. Enjoy Him thoroughly before moving into a time of thanks. Thank God for all the good things He s done for you lately. 2. Take time to pray for your own needs again today. Think about how He has met your needs and thank Him for those specifically. 3. Ask God to teach you about submission today. Is there an authority (boss, teacher, parent, etc.) in your life who is difficult to respect? Tell God that you will choose to respect that person, even though they are not very respectable in your eyes. Write their names here. 4. Finish your Bible memorization today. Day One The first few chapters of Exodus move quickly through time. The narrative sweeps through decades in just a few verses. In Exodus 3, we find Moses some forty years after we last saw him. He s been waxing away shepherding his father-in-law s herds and raising a family. My guess is this: After Moses murdered that Egyptian back in chapter 2, he has mulled over many should have s, and could have s. He s probably laid in bed many a night and beat himself up emotionally for what he did. The Accuser has come to visit regularly. He speaks to Moses mind in the first person. He s good at it too. Moses believes the Accuser s words are his own thoughts. They continually remind Moses that he is a failure and a fool. He has no business ever showing his face again in Egypt. His dreams, visions, and destiny are all flushed down the toilet of failure and sin. The enemy is so effective that Moses thinks it s even spiritual and wise to put himself down. When God comes and chooses him for the honor of leading God s people out of slavery, Moses replies with a holy sounding, I m not worthy. The enemy has come to accuse us day and night for our failures, sins, and foolishness. For many of us, this keeps us from ever having a healthy relationship with a gracious and loving God. He welcomes us to come before Him with confidence, but we shrink back from Him and His voice because we believe the Accuser over Him. God says my sins are removed, covered, and even wiped out. My past is gone, my future is blessed. Yet I cannot stop meditating on lies. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. ~Hebrews 4:16, NLT. 7

8 Day Two 1. Take some time to quiet yourself before God and thank Him for all He s done in your life lately. Then praise Him for who He is. 2. Read Exodus 4 slowly. Why do you think Moses was so hesitant to do what God wanted him to do? Are you ever hesitant to obey God? Why do you struggle to obey? 3. Take time to pray for the needs of your family today. What specific needs does each person have? Pray for God to meet those needs. 4. Take time to pray for friends, loved- ones, and co- workers who don t know the Lord. Ask Him to bring people to them who will boldly live and speak the grace and truth of God into their lives. Ask God if you are one of those people who should be investing into their lives. 5. Continue memorizing and meditating on the scriptures for this week. Day Four Moses has wandered far from God. The many years of obscurity have not helped him know God in a deeper way. In Exodus 3-4, he walks into an intimate conversation with the God of the Universe, and argues with Him! Moses reminds me of many people today. The long years in the desert have eroded any faith that was there before. God has become a cultural icon, but not an intimate friend who guides and directs a person each day. We find out in chapter 4 that Moses did not even circumcise his own son, revealing that he does not even believe enough to teach his sons in the ways of God. His arguments are relevant to today s believers too. He cannot believe God loves him enough to use him for great purposes. He is overly concerned that no one will believe him when he tells the Hebrews that he has seen God. God graciously gives him concrete miraculous signs to prove that he has been with, and sent by, the living God. For you and I, nothing matches the power of a life transformed. If God has become my ALL IN ALL, I can t help but talk about Him. I m not worried about whether people will receive what I say, or if I ll embarrass myself. Moses eventually got to a place where God continually spoke to him face to face. That s God s plan for us too. Push into Him. Knock, and keep knocking until He meets you face to face. 8 13

9 Day Four 1. Take time to praise God for who He is and then thank Him with a grateful heart for all He has done for you lately. 2. Meditate on Exodus 4 again today. Day Two When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses attention, God called to him from the bush, Moses! Moses! Here I am! Moses replied. Do not come any closer, God told him. Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. ~Exodus 3:4, 5, NLT. Forty years of wandering from his home and Moses has forgotten God. No, let s say he believes God forgot him. 3. Take time to pray for your boss and other employees today. If you are a student, pray for other students and your teachers. Ask God to show you what they have need of, and then ask Him to meet those needs. Instilled with a deep sense of destiny as a young person, Moses once believed he was the hope of Israel: God s tool of vengeance on Egypt, and the man chosen to deliver his people from slavery. Then in a moment of fury, he murdered an Egyptian. Young men often believe they know what is best and wisest, only to find that they were the fool of fools. The sense of destiny is now forty years eroded into memories of a once foolish and idealistic young man. The older Moses knows he is good for nothing but herding sheep. Then that fateful day changes everything. Moses, calls God. What? He still knows my name? I thought He forgot who I was! 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. In a few short sentences, God confirms that He loves Moses, knows him intimately, and still wants him for His First Team Offense. God let s him know that he is PLAN A. It only takes a short conversation with the King of the Universe to realize that I am deeply treasured by Him, and that He longs to use me for greater purposes than I could ever imagine! 12 9

10 Day Three 1. Take time to praise God for who He is and then thank Him with a grateful heart for all He has done for you lately. Day Three For the first time in Biblical history, a mere human gets to hear God s name. Moses is the blessed man to hear it. First, God ties Himself to Moses ancestors. He let s him know that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But Moses wants to know more. God replied, I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, I AM has sent me to you. Exodus 3:14, NLT. 2. Sit quietly before the Lord for a few moments and slowly let Him speak to you. Give Him permission to say whatever he wants to say. 3. Take time to pray for God to meet the needs of your enemies today. Who are the people you struggle with on a weekly or daily basis? Pray for God to meet their needs. 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. What a marvelous name. God is, I AM. In that single, short name, He tells the world that He is the only true God. All other gods are false fairy tales; but He is I AM. Sometime when you have the time and energy, go through the Gospel of John and find out how many times Jesus described Himself using, I AM. Be prepared with a big piece of paper, because Jesus says it often. A few examples of Jesus I AM 9statements are: I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the True Vine, I AM the Resurrection and the Life, I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life, I AM the Good Shepherd, Before Abraham was, I AM. The list goes on and on. If anyone ever says Jesus didn t declare Himself to be God, they didn t read the book. I AM sums it all up. I have no need of any other thing than I AM. He is my all in all, my joy, my comfort, and my everything. For all my troubles today, Father - You are I AM. For all my worries, You are I AM. For all my sin, You are I AM. For all my failures, You are not I was, but I AM....that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; ~Acts 17:26, 27, NAS