So turn with me in your Bibles to Exodus
chapter 3. Uh this semester we're going
to be picking our selections for chapel
out of the penetuk first five books of
the Bible. uh they're going to be
organized around the theme of equipping
God's people from our purpose statement.
And uh I h I have to say that that's the
most terrifying part of our purpose
statement, right? I mean, our purpose
statement is pretty fun, exciting, uh
the blessing of walking in God's grace.
Um who who doesn't want to receive and
walk in God's grace and and then uh to
be trained to minister God's word.
That's exciting. That's part of the why
you're here at Covenant Seminary. Uh but
then to equip God's people that that
that invites scrutiny,
right? Because our effectiveness in that
task is not merely the measure of our
work, but their work,
right? We're to equip God's people.
They're the ones doing the work, which
invites reflection on our efforts. And
if you haven't figured it out yet,
ministry is a cooperative endeavor.
Right? There's something paradoxical
about the task of ministry. It's God's
saving grace, right? It's all of Jesus.
But but he involves us.
Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 2
that our work is born of his work,
right? Our operation is
well it grows out of what he has already
done and given us in Jesus Christ. And
though it's paradoxical, God wants to
use you, a sinful human being. He he
uses sinful human beings to be about the
revelation of the story of his grace. He
he he's
called us servants,
right? That's the beginning of our
purpose statement. servants of the
triune God.
We glorify him and we walk in God's
grace and we minister God's word and we
equip
God's people. We we've been sent as we
say to serve.
Each one of us have been sent to serve.
Now, anyone who's wrestled with this any
length of time knows it's easier to say
that than do it.
And that brings us to Exodus chapter 3.
Because here we have the story, right,
of Moses commission
to go out and do this monumental task of
leading the people of Israel out of
Egypt, out of the land of slavery. How's
that for a task?
Moses was sent to serve,
but he was not excited about it.
And maybe that's where you are this
morning. You've been called and you are
sent and yet you are also scared. You're
in good company. So let's begin reading.
We're going to pick up the the story in
verse 10. I'm going to skip around all
the way to chapter 4:E1 17. So hang with
me. I'll give you the clues of when I'm
switching uh verses. But beginning in
verse 10, "Come, I will send you to
Pharaoh that you may bring my people,
the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I
should go to Pharaoh and bring the
children of Israel out of Egypt?" He
said, "But I will be with you, and this
shall be the sign for you that I've sent
you. When you have brought the people
out of Egypt, you shall serve God on
this mountain." 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 asked me,
'What is his name? What shall I say to
them? 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. God
also said to Moses, "Say this to the
people of Israel. The Lord, the God of
your fathers, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent
me to you. This is my name forever, and
thus I am to be remembered throughout
all generations."
And then let's move to verse 19. But I
know that the king of Egypt will not let
you go unless compelled by a mighty
hand. 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. And I will give this people
favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And
when you go, you shall not go out empty.
But each woman shall ask of her
neighbor. And any woman who lives in her
house for silver and gold jewelry, and
for clothing, you shall put them on your
sons and on your daughters. You shall
plunder the Egyptians.
And then in verse 10 of chapter 4, but
Moses said to the Lord, "Oh my Lord, I'm
not eloquent either in the past or since
you have spoken to your servant, but I
am slow of speech and tongue." Then the
Lord said to him, "Who has made man's
mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf or see
or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now
therefore, go and I will be with your
mouth and teach you what you shall
speak." But he said, "Oh my Lord, please
send someone else."
The anger of the Lord was kindled
against Moses. And he said, "Is there
not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I
know that he can speak well. Behold, he
is coming out to meet you. And when he
sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
You shall speak to him
and put the words in his mouth. And I
will be with your mouth and with his
mouth, and will teach you both what to
do. He shall speak for you to the people
and he shall be your mouth and you shall
be as God to him and take in your hand
the staff which with which you shall do
the signs. This is the word of the Lord.
Let's let's give thanks. Heavenly
Father, we thank you for your word. We
thank you for how clearly we see
ourselves and its pages.
But may we more than
Lord see ourselves. Might we see Jesus.
May we see you. might we see your grace
but more richly
and experience the power of your spirit
now we pray in your name. Amen. Phil
Reichen, my my friend and the president
of Wheaten College, he put it well. He
said that the commissioning of the
prophet of Moses is a reminder that
every believer has a job to do.
Every believer has a job to do. When
we're saved by grace,
we're not just saved. We're sent.
were sent to serve, right? This is true
for all believers, not just pastors.
It's for all of you. I I know most of
you going out to serve as pastors,
um, or ministry leaders, counselors,
Bible teachers, whatever it is. But
maybe some of you might have those plans
interrupted. You might end up as an
engineer teacher, a city planner, or
something else. It doesn't really matter
because as a saved person, we're also a
scent person. We're going forth to serve
in the field of ministry. This is
Ephesians 4. Of course, we've all been
equipped by God's grace for the work of
ministry. In fact, as ministry leaders,
right, we have a special task in that
work. And it's the equipping task
which carries with it a certain amount
of authority, a certain amount of
leadership capital. As those who've been
trained, we now equip the workers.
That can be certain kind of temptation
to that, a certain kind of allure to
that ministry leadership. Luther said
that min ministry leadership was
appealing the honor and glory that
attaches to it. But we don't feel that
temptation until later. At first
in our younger years, he he says that
young men feel the allure of sexual
desire. In their 30s, they're tempted by
wealth, but later on they're tempted by
honor and glory. And maybe some of you
are tempted
by the allure of ministry leadership,
right? Influence, maybe status.
And there's yet some who get wealthy in
ministry. Maybe you're thinking maybe
this is your path. And my guess is
though most of you are not thinking that
way about ministry leadership.
Maybe earlier generations did but your
generation are thinking different things
about ministry leadership. It's not the
allure, the temptation, the siren call,
but it's the responsibility.
There's a certain fear that accompanies
the task that you have entertained,
right? That ministry service would
require you to lead sacrificially and
courageously. And you say, "Who am I to
lead?
Why would I go do that? I'm not
qualified. I'm not gifted enough. I'm
not
the man or the woman. I'm not that
person.
I I can't go out and do that." And if
that that's you, you are in good company
because that's the story of Moses.
I mean, it's really a beautiful story.
But Moses is like he meets the Lord at
the burning bush, right? That's just
before this.
Moses does what you or I might do at the
burning bush if God were to appear to
us. Here am I.
I'm at your disposal.
Right? Isn't that what we want to say to
God? I am ready, God. What do you got
for me? And then it's not long before in
verse 11 that Moses is saying, who am I?
What? What are you talking about? You've
seen the plight of your people, Israel,
in Egypt, in slavery, and you want me to
be involved in what?
Who am I?
Why would I go forth to do that? Who who
am I that I should go to Pharaoh and
bring the Israelites out of Egypt?
This whole passage really is about God
answering that question for Moses.
But also by extension, we find ourselves
in these same pages, don't we? Because
God is sending you.
He's sending me.
And what Moses learns, we must learn,
and that is that his sovereign grace
does not put us on the sidelines of his
redemptive activity, but rather it
summons us to service.
God's sovereign grace does not put us on
the sideline, but rather it summons us
to his grace that we might go out and be
his servants who equip the church. He's
sending you.
He's calling you.
But but it doesn't mean that we're
eager.
That there's five objections in fact
that Moses raises to the Lord in this
passage. They can kind of organize at my
sermon. They really coales into three
different objections
that are three core concerns of Moses of
well about not knowing, not feeling like
he's powerful or authoritative enough
and not gifted enough. Sound familiar?
You don't know enough. You don't have
enough. up.
You're not gifted enough. Who am I?
How does God speak to Moses? How does he
overcome those objections? How does he
overcome our objections and send us out
to to serve? Well, we've already begun.
Verse 11, who am I? That this is not so
much an existential question. Moses
knows who he is. It's a pragmatic one,
right? The problem is that Moses knows
who he is.
He knows exactly who he is.
Maybe a dynamic equivalent of what Moses
is saying to the Lord is, uh, I'm a
nobody,
right?
How in the world are are you calling me?
Are you out of your mind?
But Moses wasn't being modest either,
right? He he had a story. He had been in
Egypt. He he had been in the court of
the Pharaoh and of course you know the
story. He he he murdered an Egyptian in
the hopes of helping his people and then
his people reject him. And so Moses
says, "See you. I'm out of here." He
runs to Midian. He's there for 40 years.
God shows up.
I want you to go lead.
Oh, are you out of your mind?
He hasn't been to the top flight schools
of ministry leadership at this point.
And yet God is calling him uh to serve.
Maybe that's where you who am I? What
does God say to him? But but I will be
with you. Look in verse 12. But I will
be with you. Despite Moses
insufficiency, God promises that his
presence will be with him as he sends
him out to serve. And yet Moses begins
to well do the math. And he profers
another associated
concern.
Hey, if I'm going to go do this for you,
who are you? Who am I? Who are you,
Lord? 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?
But Moses isn't just worried about
inadequate self-nowledge. He's having a
crisis of theology.
Who who are you, Lord?
It's almost as if he've already he's
already anticipated Calvin's
two momentous
uh questions that true and sound wisdom.
It consists of two parts, it right?
Knowledge of ourselves, knowledge of
God. Here we go. Who am I? Who are you?
Let's go.
But help me out, Lord. Help me out. Help
me understand who who you are. And of
course, scholars wrestle w with what
Moses is really asking about. Is he does
he really think that the Israelites are
going to give him a theology exam?
Does he not know the name of the Lord?
It's possible that he doesn't, but the
Israelites certainly did from this point
in the story of Israel. Perhaps it's
best for us to see that Moses is asking
for God's name
because he wants to understand who God
is at his essence, at his being.
Even as we long to know the person that
we're friends with, who are you? Help me
understand this. How are you going to
show up?
Maybe we could think about it this way.
If I'm a nobody, I need to know that
you're a somebody if I'm going to be
sent out to do that task.
I need to know who you are
because this is a big job that you have
sent me to to to do. And God shows up
right in verse 14, he reveals himself.
He he gives him a divine disclosure and
then he reveals his divine name. the two
ways in which God answers Moses question
about which he's agnostic. Who are you?
And God says, I am who I am.
Not helping.
I am who I am. He answers it with the
verbal uh Hebrew uh to be.
And I got to be honest, I'm not the
scholar. I'm not the I'm not the right
person for us to unpack fully the deep
significance of this these words.
But what we have here is really a
mysterious divine disclosure of God well
showing us who he is in his very
essence, his being, and how he's going
to show up. He's mysterious and
unchangeable and inscrable and
inexhaustibly self-sufficient.
He he is the sovereign subject right of
all things predicate from whom to whom
and for whom are all things
all creation all persons all attributes
and ideas
are sovereignly held in his sway that
this is the God who summoned Moses that
there is no power in Egypt over which
his God is not in control.
Who are you?
I am the one in control.
I I am the one over all things. I I am
the destiny of all things. He He says to
Moses,
and then he says, "This is my name,
the Lord,
the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob, has sent me to
you." And this, and you already know
this from your Hebrew classes, is a
shortened form of the Hebrew uh verb to
be.
Our English translations don't get it
exactly right, but we know it because
it's all caps, Lord. It's title, right,
in our English translations. But that's
partly because the vocalization of this
word has been lost to us in antiquity.
You know the whole story about how these
this word was pronounced Jehovah because
we had this confusion about the pointing
of that Hebrew words
that the best guess we have is that it's
Yahweh
but right but we don't know what one
thing we do know is that Moses knew it.
Moses was given the name of the Lord
and he was assured of the one who had
called.
He knew the Lord.
And it was that knowledge that that was
to arm him in the task to which he had
been summoned. That reminds us that
though we never have sufficient
knowledge of ourselves and of God by
ourselves,
when that knowledge is handed to us, we
are ready to serve.
We are ready to go. We are ready to be
sent through. That's what God is saying
to Moses. Of course, you don't know, but
I know you
and you know me.
and you're ready to go
from not knowing enough to not having
enough power
or authority
in chapter 4 verse 1. We didn't read
these verses. But behold, they will not
believe me or listen to my voice, for
they will say, "The Lord did not appear
to you."
Okay. So, Moses, you're coming. You're
going to lead us out. You're you're
going to take us out of slavery, out of
the land of Egypt.
Now, what
why would we believe you?
Why would we listen to your story?
And it's almost as if God is going to
add insult to injury. He's gonna he's
going to tell Moses, you know what, and
Pharaoh won't listen to you either.
Don't Don't worry, Moses. He won't
listen. Look in verse 19 that God says
to Moses, "The king of Egypt will not
let you go unless compelled by a mighty
hand."
But Moses again doing the math, "I lack
the power. I lack the authority to do
this thing that you've called me to do.
The the Pharaoh won't believe it. The
people of Israel won't believe it. And
yet, you still have to go do it." That
is not a fun proposition,
but that's where you're headed.
Like, it's great to get good feedback,
right, on your papers and your professor
like, you're awesome. That's awesome.
It's not like that out there. And they
don't give you a grade.
They just stop showing up.
and you find out six months later like
your sermon's stake.
That's how it is. Or that yeah, it's
like a thousand versions of that.
Like I just don't think you really can
do it.
I don't think you're up for the task.
I don't think you have enough authority,
enough power, enough wisdom.
H how can you convince me?
And and you know what? If you're honest,
if you're sitting there,
you're thinking, "You know what? That's
not wrong. That's fair. That checks out.
Why would anybody listen to me? Why
would anybody listen to you as you're
being sent out to to the Lord?" And
Moses is like thinking about that. And
what does God say to Moses? Oh, but I'm
going to give you signs and wonders.
That's awesome.
You're going to overwhelm them with the
signs and wonders that I provide for
you. Chapter 3:es 19- 22. Again, in
chapter 4:es 2-9, God's going to provide
for Moses in security through the prov
provision of powerful signs and wonders
to confirm Moses authority to
authenticate
the authority that God is giving to
Moses in the tasks to which he's been
sent.
God's going to provide. Makes me think
of that that section in the Fellowship
of the Ring book two,
right? Galadriel and the Elven Wood. She
she gives to Frodo the crystal vial, the
file of Galadriel, right? The water from
the fountain. She reminds that Froto,
this file will be a light when all
others go out. When all other lights
have been extinguished, this light will
be there for you. It will be that sign
that carries you through in your darkest
moments. And of course, as you know the
story, it does exactly that. And and in
one sense, what God is saying to to to
Moses is, I'm going to give you signs
that will not extinguish the power of
Pharaoh.
That your signs will extinguish that
might and you will go forth
authenticated in your mission.
That's what he's doing.
And you're saying, I could use a few
signs
like where are my signs?
Anybody want some like some staffs and
some you know things
like wow that would be and you know what
Jesus has that same conversation. Jesus
is a sign worker. He's a miracle worker
and he gets so tired of their desire for
signs. He says I'm not going to give you
any more signs.
And then he says something amazing
at Matthew 12:39. This is just one
place. He says, "I'm not going to give
you any sign except one."
Right? The sign of Jonah.
Okay, I got to go back to Jonah. Um, the
sign of Jonah. Three days
right in the belly of the beast
and he comes forth.
The sign of signs, the wonder of
wonders. It's not the staff of Moses.
It's the savior of Moses. It's the king
and shepherd. It's the great I am who is
the Lord Jesus Christ who went into the
tomb, submitted himself to death and
atoned for our sin and then rose
victorious over death and over sin and
over every dark power. He made a
spectacle of those dark powers that he
might set us free. And friends, this is
your authenticating sign.
You don't need other sides
because we have the sign of sides that
the wonder of wonders that authenticates
our mission. It's not our power that we
go forth in. It's not our authority.
It's his power and might that
authenticates our mission.
We have our sides
that authenticate in our mission.
This is our calling. This is our
authenticating and powerful sign at not
knowing, not powerful enough, not
gifted.
Moses is not giving up.
I'm not eloquent, he says. But verse 10
of chapter 4,
either in the past or since you've
spoken like I haven't been. And now that
you're talking to me, come to think of
it, I'm still not good at this.
I I'm not ready for this. I'm slow of
speech and slow of tongue.
And God's like, uh, I made your mouth.
I I I I make the deaf. I make the mute.
I make the blind. I make the seeing. I'm
in charge of this, Moses. Remember, I
know what I'm doing.
And Moses is like not convinced.
He's like, "Just send somebody else,
please. Please." Right. Send someone
else.
Please send someone else.
You know, there's a time when God should
get angry in the Bible. This he's he's
angered.
He's like exasperated with Moses,
but he still accommodates to him. It's
it's amazing.
What does he do? He gifts Moses with
Aaron,
right? He he brings this gift alongside
of Moses, reminding Moses in such a way
that he he knows he can't refuse it
because Aaron is a good speaker. He he
knows that he can speak well. And so God
meets the final objection with the
gifting of Aaron. And friends, even the
most dim-witted should know by now what
the message is.
It's not about what you lack.
It's about the God who meets your lack
and the mission he sent you.
He's meeting your needs. In fact, he's
gloriously working in the midst of all
of that weakness as he supplies you with
his knowledge, his power, his spirit
anointed gifts.
The only thing for us to do is go.
And that's what Moses eventually is
going to go do. He's going to go to
Egypt and do this work
armed with the might that the Lord has
given him
with the Lord's gifts, the Lord's power,
and the Lord's knowledge,
which brings us all the way back to the
burning bush,
right? But but Moses was here am I?
Who are you?
And that's all we need. Who are you?
As he sends us out to serve.
I I had four significant callings,
vocational callings in ministry in my
life. I will tell you all of them began
in the same way. Scared.
Scared.
Who am I?
When I was a youth intern heading off to
work in Birmingham, Alabama at 23 years
old, I was scared. Small church, like
six kids in the youth group.
They were scary.
And then coming out of Covenant Seminary
to launch RUF at Baylor University,
scared.
And then going to start Redeemer
Presbyterian Church in San Antonio,
Texas. Scared.
I told Tara like 5050 chance, hun.
5050 chance. I think those are pretty
good odds.
And I came here
scared.
Are you ready for this? No.
Not enough knowledge, not enough
authority,
not enough gifts.
Never had any of those things.
Neither do you.
Though we don't have to have those
things.
We have to know the one who has those
things.
But to be known by that one,
who supplies our lack, who knows us and
has made himself known to us, who's
authenticated his calling with the very
presence of his son, his power and
authority,
and has given you gifts. Not all the
gifts,
but the ones you need, so you may go out
and do that work and equip his people in
the service of his church and the coming
of his kingdom. May the Lord bless you.
Let's pray together. Heavenly Father,
we're so grateful that you would be with
us now and speak to us your word. Would
you bless us this semester as we
consider what it means to be those who
equip the church for the work of the
ministry that your people might be built
up unto maturity that we might sing the
glorious praises of our savior and make
our savior known to the darkest corners
of this earth. We pray in your name.
Amen.