? (Theme Song) ? ? Jesus is worthy ? 00:00:01.10\00:00:12.03 ? oh yes, he's worthy ? ? worthy of all... ? 00:00:12.03\00:00:18.50 ? all the praise ? 00:00:18.50\00:00:20.96 He saw a bush which seemed to be on fire 00:00:23.03\00:00:26.96 but it was not burned up. 00:00:26.96\00:00:28.36 Now remember, as a shepherd Moses was familiar with seeing 00:00:28.36\00:00:34.46 bushes burn under the hot sun. 00:00:34.46\00:00:38.23 To cook and keep warm at night Moses would have been familiar 00:00:38.23\00:00:43.23 with sources of fuel for a fire. 00:00:43.23\00:00:45.70 Burning bushes were common sights in the wilderness and 00:00:45.70\00:00:48.66 Moses must have seen hundreds of them before. 00:00:48.66\00:00:51.73 But something was different this time. 00:00:51.73\00:00:55.06 A flash of fire catches his attention and so he decides 00:00:55.06\00:00:58.73 to watch for a little bit, because there was something 00:00:58.73\00:01:02.00 different about this burning bush. 00:01:02.00\00:01:04.93 Though the fire raged, it didn't consume the bush. 00:01:04.93\00:01:11.06 Let that be a lesson to you and to me, that the bush 00:01:11.06\00:01:13.90 burned but it did not burn away. 00:01:13.90\00:01:17.86 Symbolic of God's church. 00:01:17.86\00:01:21.33 Satan will try to kill the church any way he can. 00:01:21.33\00:01:25.53 The church will be persecuted, the church will be mocked, 00:01:25.53\00:01:30.20 the church will be ridiculed. 00:01:30.20\00:01:31.00 The day is going to come when the church will have 00:01:31.00\00:01:32.90 to go in hiding. 00:01:32.90\00:01:34.16 But the church in every age, under the most severe 00:01:34.16\00:01:38.53 persecution will be kept by the presence of God 00:01:38.53\00:01:42.26 from being destroyed. 00:01:42.26\00:01:43.36 Hallelujah, somebody. 00:01:43.36\00:01:45.46 Now, the Bible does not give the bush a name, does 00:01:45.46\00:01:51.23 not give it a name. 00:01:51.23\00:01:52.43 Zion bush, holy bush, redeeming bush, Julius bush. 00:01:52.43\00:01:59.66 We don't even hear of popular places, persons or things 00:01:59.66\00:02:03.83 named for the burning bush today. 00:02:03.83\00:02:08.03 You don't hear of a burning bush SDA church. 00:02:08.03\00:02:10.83 You don't hear of a burning bush university. 00:02:10.83\00:02:17.73 Burning bush community center. 00:02:17.73\00:02:19.50 Burning bush worship center. 00:02:19.50\00:02:21.20 It's just a bush on fire. 00:02:21.20\00:02:24.90 But that's just like God. 00:02:24.90\00:02:26.36 God often manifests himself in fire. 00:02:26.36\00:02:30.03 In Genesis 15 he was represented by a pot of fire. 00:02:30.03\00:02:33.33 In Exodus 13 he was a pillar of cloud by day 00:02:33.33\00:02:36.86 and a pillar of fire by night. 00:02:36.86\00:02:38.60 In Exodus 19 he descends on Mount Sinai with fire. 00:02:38.60\00:02:41.26 In Deuteronomy 4 Moses says that God is a consuming fire. 00:02:41.26\00:02:44.66 In 1 Kings 18, God sets Elijah's 00:02:44.66\00:02:47.76 altar on fire. 00:02:47.76\00:02:49.13 Jeremiah said God's word was like fire shut up 00:02:49.13\00:02:53.50 in his bones. 00:02:53.50\00:02:54.83 In Act 2 on the day of Pentecost, 00:02:54.83\00:02:58.26 when the Holy Ghost came, it was described 00:02:58.26\00:03:00.53 as tongues of fire. 00:03:00.53\00:03:01.50 In Revelation 1:14, Jesus is said to have eyes of fire. 00:03:01.50\00:03:05.66 And in Revelations 20 it says that the wicked will be 00:03:05.66\00:03:10.46 cast in the lake of fire. 00:03:10.46\00:03:13.46 The Bible says that no man can see God's face and live, so 00:03:13.46\00:03:18.63 God appears in Exodus 3 in a way that conceals his 00:03:18.63\00:03:21.40 totality, but also makes himself known. 00:03:21.40\00:03:25.30 For Moses this was an ordinary day. 00:03:25.30\00:03:29.20 But on this day the ordinary becomes extraordinary, 00:03:29.20\00:03:33.53 the usual becomes unusual. 00:03:33.53\00:03:35.30 A burning bush, a burning bush that is not consumed? 00:03:35.30\00:03:43.13 And so, in verse 3 Moses says, I will turn aside to see this 00:03:43.13\00:03:47.73 great sight, why the bush is not burned. 00:03:47.73\00:03:52.40 The New Living translation says that Moses said 00:03:52.40\00:03:55.43 to himself, amazing, I must go over to see this. 00:03:55.43\00:03:58.60 The lesson here is that when we turn to see God, 00:03:58.60\00:04:01.10 God will surely speak to us. 00:04:01.10\00:04:03.53 But all of a sudden, verse 4, the bush begins to talk. 00:04:03.53\00:04:07.80 Moses, Moses, that's just like God. 00:04:07.80\00:04:14.40 God can speak to anything or anyone. 00:04:14.40\00:04:16.83 If God can speak through a donkey, if God can speak 00:04:16.83\00:04:21.83 through a bush, then surely God can speak to you 00:04:21.83\00:04:25.33 and to me. 00:04:25.33\00:04:26.83 For the first time in the book of Exodus God speaks. 00:04:26.83\00:04:30.26 God calls Moses from a burning bush. 00:04:30.26\00:04:34.50 God calls his people in different ways. 00:04:34.50\00:04:38.30 Samuel heard God call him by name as a child in the temple. 00:04:38.30\00:04:41.83 Jacob wrestled with the Lord all night long. 00:04:41.83\00:04:45.23 Joseph dreamed about God's will. 00:04:45.23\00:04:47.90 Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John away 00:04:47.90\00:04:51.66 from their fishing nets. 00:04:51.66\00:04:53.00 Matthew left his tax collector position behind. 00:04:53.00\00:04:55.96 Zachias was called from a sycamore tree. 00:04:55.96\00:04:59.33 Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room. 00:04:59.33\00:05:02.53 Paul met the Lord on the road to Damascus. 00:05:02.53\00:05:05.33 How has Jesus called you? 00:05:05.33\00:05:09.83 Where were you when Jesus called? 00:05:09.83\00:05:14.03 God calls Moses from a burning bush. 00:05:14.03\00:05:17.66 God calls Moses from fire. 00:05:17.66\00:05:20.86 Why does God call from fire? 00:05:20.86\00:05:26.36 Number one, fire consumes. 00:05:26.36\00:05:27.46 Fire what, everybody? 00:05:27.46\00:05:28.46 Deuteronomy 4, we said it earlier. 00:05:28.46\00:05:31.16 Moses says that God is a consuming fire, which means 00:05:31.16\00:05:33.70 that everything God touches, everything God has ownership 00:05:33.70\00:05:36.43 over he wants to consume. 00:05:36.43\00:05:38.23 Listen to me carefully, challenge your mind. 00:05:38.23\00:05:41.46 God doesn't destroy. 00:05:41.46\00:05:45.00 God consumes. 00:05:45.00\00:05:46.66 That's why when Moses looked at the bush 00:05:46.66\00:05:51.40 it was consumed by fire, but it was not destroyed. 00:05:51.40\00:05:57.30 That's the same thing God wants to do with us. 00:05:57.30\00:06:01.40 He doesn't want to destroy us, he wants to consume us. 00:06:01.40\00:06:06.93 This bush should have been destroyed in less than 10 00:06:06.93\00:06:10.83 minutes, but the miracle here is not the bush but the fire. 00:06:10.83\00:06:13.96 The fire of God kept burning and burning and burning. 00:06:13.96\00:06:19.96 This blazing fire, my friends, that sets the bush on fire and 00:06:19.96\00:06:24.16 kept burning and consumed it, but it didn't destroy it and 00:06:24.16\00:06:26.90 then it shone through it, is a sign and symbol for what God 00:06:26.90\00:06:30.33 wants to do to his church. 00:06:30.33\00:06:32.06 God wants to set the church on fire. 00:06:32.06\00:06:35.73 God wants his spirit to blaze in every area of our life. 00:06:35.73\00:06:40.40 God wants us to burn with a passion for Jesus Christ. 00:06:40.40\00:06:44.16 God wants to consume us with his fiery presence so we shine 00:06:44.16\00:06:47.83 with his glory, so that the world might know that there is 00:06:47.83\00:06:51.60 God and there is none other. 00:06:51.60\00:06:54.13 But secondly, fire purifies. 00:06:54.13\00:06:59.33 Now, there are only two ways, primary ways, 00:06:59.33\00:07:02.96 you can clean something. 00:07:02.96\00:07:04.06 Either you wash it or you burn it. 00:07:04.06\00:07:08.30 That's why the Lord showed Noah the rainbow sign. 00:07:08.30\00:07:12.30 He said it won't be water, but fire next time. 00:07:12.30\00:07:18.66 He purified the earth once by water at the flood and at the 00:07:18.66\00:07:23.16 end of the millennium he will purify the earth by fire. 00:07:23.16\00:07:28.06 Now, when you burn a metal, you heat it as hot as you can 00:07:28.06\00:07:32.76 so the impurities will come to the surface 00:07:32.76\00:07:34.96 and you wipe it off. 00:07:34.96\00:07:35.86 In biblical times that's what a refiner did. 00:07:35.86\00:07:38.23 They would put metal in a furnace over and over again 00:07:38.23\00:07:42.30 until they knew the metal was clean and the metal was pure. 00:07:42.30\00:07:44.86 And the way the refiner would know the metal was pure was 00:07:44.86\00:07:48.13 once he looked at it, he'd see the reflection of his face 00:07:48.13\00:07:55.30 in the metal. 00:07:55.30\00:07:56.43 You all don't hear what I'm saying. 00:07:56.43\00:07:58.53 That's what God wants to do in our lives. 00:07:58.53\00:08:00.83 He won't leave us the same way we are. 00:08:00.83\00:08:03.60 He'll chase after us until we change. 00:08:03.60\00:08:06.46 He wants our sins, he wants our weaknesses, he wants our 00:08:06.46\00:08:10.20 bad ways, he wants our bad attitude, anything that's 00:08:10.20\00:08:13.73 holding us back, he wants it all to go through the furnace 00:08:13.73\00:08:17.26 of his presence so that all the impurities of our hearts 00:08:17.26\00:08:22.03 will come to the surface so that the reflection of Jesus 00:08:22.03\00:08:25.30 will be seen in everything we say and do. 00:08:25.30\00:08:28.36 Number three, fire brings life. 00:08:28.36\00:08:33.83 Remember, God led Israel, a pillar of cloud by day 00:08:33.83\00:08:37.96 and a pillar of fire by night. 00:08:37.96\00:08:42.10 Everything outside of the camp was covered in darkness 00:08:42.10\00:08:47.26 but when others looked at where the children of Israel were 00:08:47.26\00:08:50.76 all they saw was fire deflected by light. 00:08:50.76\00:08:55.66 When God's church is on fire, we can be the light that 00:08:55.66\00:09:01.30 shines in the darkness of the world. 00:09:01.30\00:09:03.73 Darkness is defined as the absence of light, but darkness 00:09:03.73\00:09:08.06 alone cannot dispel light because the smallest glimmer 00:09:08.06\00:09:12.63 of light can dispel the greatest darkness. 00:09:12.63\00:09:16.03 Which means, I don't care how dark this world might be, just 00:09:16.03\00:09:19.53 a glimpse of light can change this world and turn 00:09:19.53\00:09:24.06 it upside down. 00:09:24.06\00:09:25.03 We need God's fire. 00:09:25.03\00:09:27.23 We need God's light. 00:09:27.23\00:09:29.36 Light doesn't originate with you, light doesn't 00:09:29.36\00:09:32.60 start with me. 00:09:32.60\00:09:33.86 You' just light leading to the light. 00:09:33.86\00:09:36.03 Ellen White said, I'm the lesser light leading 00:09:36.03\00:09:39.20 to the greater light. 00:09:39.20\00:09:40.36 The problem with many of us is we're too busy trying to get 00:09:40.36\00:09:43.40 close to folks thinking they're going 00:09:43.40\00:09:47.33 to give us light. 00:09:47.33\00:09:48.66 But they're not THE light. 00:09:48.66\00:09:49.96 I don't care how deep they are, how many scriptures they 00:09:49.96\00:09:53.63 can quote, how many songs they can sing, 00:09:53.63\00:09:58.40 they're not THE light. 00:09:58.40\00:09:59.66 Jesus is the light that shineth in me. 00:09:59.66\00:10:04.16 When the fire comes, your light shines. 00:10:04.16\00:10:06.93 When the fire comes, people will be drawn to the light. 00:10:06.93\00:10:09.73 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your 00:10:09.73\00:10:12.83 good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 00:10:12.83\00:10:17.83 Go be a light. 00:10:17.83\00:10:21.30 Verse 4, notice that when Moses, look at your Bible 00:10:21.30\00:10:29.76 carefully, when Moses refers to God as the Lord, the Bible 00:10:29.76\00:10:34.60 prints Lord, L-O-R-D, if you notice, in small caps. 00:10:34.60\00:10:37.00 Now you look at verse 4, notice he doesn't say capital 00:10:37.00\00:10:41.03 L, lower case o-r-d. 00:10:41.03\00:10:42.26 Capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. 00:10:42.26\00:10:47.23 Lord is in small caps. 00:10:47.23\00:10:49.00 Why? 00:10:49.00\00:10:50.93 What's the significance and meaning of this? 00:10:50.93\00:10:53.36 It is translating the Hebrew name Yahweh. 00:10:53.36\00:10:57.36 Yahweh is the personal name of the one true God, the 00:10:57.36\00:11:01.56 creator of heaven and earth. 00:11:01.56\00:11:03.90 Yahweh is the name which reveals his people 00:11:03.90\00:11:08.83 and his covenant. 00:11:08.83\00:11:09.33 Yahweh reminds us, friends, that we are not dealing with 00:11:09.33\00:11:11.43 a generic god, but we're dealing 00:11:11.43\00:11:16.16 with a specific God, the God who makes himself known. 00:11:16.16\00:11:20.16 The God who sent a plague of lice, frogs and blood to let 00:11:20.16\00:11:24.86 Pharaoh know who he was. 00:11:24.86\00:11:27.50 The God who parted the Red Sea. 00:11:27.50\00:11:30.30 The God whom the Hebrew midwives feared. 00:11:30.30\00:11:33.13 The God who heard their groaning to remember his 00:11:33.13\00:11:36.16 covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 00:11:36.16\00:11:38.16 The God who delivered the people of Israel. 00:11:38.16\00:11:40.80 Yahweh is the true God. 00:11:40.80\00:11:42.46 Yahweh is the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. 00:11:42.46\00:11:46.10 Yahweh is the architect of the universe, creator of the 00:11:46.10\00:11:50.33 earth, captive freer, soul seeker, way maker, 00:11:50.33\00:11:57.80 strong deliverer. 00:11:57.80\00:12:00.63 Yahweh, my God, your God. 00:12:00.63\00:12:04.13 Moses with a trembling, scared voice said, Yahweh, here I am. 00:12:04.13\00:12:11.83 God says, don't come any closer. 00:12:11.83\00:12:14.40 Take your shoes off, because the place where you're 00:12:14.40\00:12:17.73 standing is holy ground. 00:12:17.73\00:12:19.23 Notice, the text does not say clean ground, the text does 00:12:19.23\00:12:24.13 not say comfortable ground, but it says take your shoes 00:12:24.13\00:12:29.33 off, because you're standing on holy ground. 00:12:29.33\00:12:33.56 Why was this ground holy? 00:12:33.56\00:12:36.06 First, any place where we meet God, it's holy ground. 00:12:36.06\00:12:40.76 It can be on the mountain top, it can be in the valley low, 00:12:40.76\00:12:43.06 any place where we meet God is holy ground. 00:12:43.06\00:12:45.83 Holy means set apart, set aside. 00:12:45.83\00:12:49.13 And let me warn you, we talked about holiness in the Sabbath 00:12:49.13\00:12:51.80 school lesson, but let me remind you because everything 00:12:51.80\00:12:54.23 that looks like holy is not holy. 00:12:54.23\00:12:57.43 Everything that talks like holy is not holy. 00:12:57.43\00:13:00.63 Everything that walks like holy is not holy. 00:13:00.63\00:13:04.06 Everything that acts like holy is not holy. 00:13:04.06\00:13:06.86 Everything that shouts like holy is not holy. 00:13:06.86\00:13:10.06 To be holy is to be set aside and set apart for God's use. 00:13:10.06\00:13:13.36 The Sabbath is holy. 00:13:13.36\00:13:15.30 Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it what? 00:13:15.30\00:13:17.63 Holy. 00:13:17.63\00:13:18.53 The tithe is what? 00:13:18.53\00:13:19.26 Holy. 00:13:19.26\00:13:20.06 All the tithes of the land, whether the seed of the land 00:13:20.06\00:13:22.30 or the fruit of the tree it is the Lord's, it is holy 00:13:22.30\00:13:23.80 unto the Lord. 00:13:23.80\00:13:24.46 The sanctuary is holy. 00:13:24.46\00:13:25.30 The Lord is in his holy temple. 00:13:25.30\00:13:33.40 God told Moses, Moses, you're standing on holy ground. 00:13:33.40\00:13:35.76 God set the ground aside for use. 00:13:35.76\00:13:38.43 We can not program, friends of mine, where we will meet God. 00:13:38.43\00:13:41.20 We cannot program when we will meet God. 00:13:41.20\00:13:44.33 We just have to be ready to meet God. 00:13:44.33\00:13:46.60 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 00:13:46.60\00:13:48.26 Moses hid his face as if he were ashamed and afraid to 00:13:48.26\00:13:50.70 look upon God, because the more we see of God the more we 00:13:50.70\00:13:54.86 see the grace of God, the more it recalls us to worship him 00:13:54.86\00:14:00.66 with reverence and godly fear. 00:14:00.66\00:14:03.03 When I come into his presence I humble myself, I lift up 00:14:03.03\00:14:08.10 holy hands and I begin to worship him for all he's done 00:14:08.10\00:14:13.10 for me, redeemed and set me free just because he's God. 00:14:13.10\00:14:18.40 In the latter part of Exodus 3, beginning with verse 15, 00:14:18.40\00:14:24.46 we begin to discover that Moses refused God's call 00:14:24.46\00:14:29.80 by making excuses. 00:14:29.80\00:14:32.23 Now, we read verses 1 through 10, but go home 00:14:32.23\00:14:35.33 and read the whole chapter. 00:14:35.33\00:14:37.26 Moses' first excuse, in verse 15, who am I that I can go to 00:14:37.26\00:14:41.26 Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? 00:14:41.26\00:14:45.70 Moses' resume was hardly impressive up to this point. 00:14:45.70\00:14:50.26 Remember now, this was before the plagues, before the Red 00:14:50.26\00:14:52.40 Sea, before the Ten Commandments, 00:14:52.40\00:14:53.93 before the wilderness. 00:14:53.93\00:14:54.96 Up till this point Moses' life was accidental royalty, 00:14:54.96\00:14:58.60 schooled by luxury and murder, a fugitive shepherd. 00:14:58.60\00:15:02.53 But then, we talk about Moses wasn't fit, the reality is 00:15:02.53\00:15:07.33 none of us is fit. 00:15:07.33\00:15:11.16 None of us is equipped or outfitted for the Lord's work. 00:15:11.16\00:15:16.23 Our righteousness in the sight of God is but as filthy rags. 00:15:16.23\00:15:21.56 Be careful that you don't look down on somebody else, because 00:15:21.56\00:15:26.06 too many of us live in glass houses. 00:15:26.06\00:15:28.10 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 00:15:28.10\00:15:30.16 Surely, Moses says, there is someone better suited 00:15:30.16\00:15:34.33 for the job. 00:15:34.33\00:15:36.03 But, you know what? 00:15:36.03\00:15:37.53 God has a strange way of making the least, the last, 00:15:37.53\00:15:42.60 the unlucky and the left out into the most, the best 00:15:42.60\00:15:46.86 and the first. 00:15:46.86\00:15:47.86 I've learned in my life, God has a way of using other folk 00:15:47.86\00:15:50.66 people don't like. 00:15:50.66\00:15:52.86 Being chosen by God tells more about who God 00:15:52.86\00:15:56.96 is than who we are. 00:15:56.96\00:15:58.63 Divine election is based on heavenly grace 00:15:58.63\00:16:01.66 and not earthly ability. 00:16:01.66\00:16:03.40 God does not always call the equipped 00:16:03.40\00:16:05.96 but he equips the called. 00:16:05.96\00:16:07.66 The only assurance we need, thank you, Jesus, 00:16:07.66\00:16:11.63 is the assurance from God that God gave to Moses. 00:16:11.63\00:16:16.03 I will be with you. 00:16:16.03\00:16:16.96 Because if God be for us who can be against us? 00:16:16.96\00:16:21.23 Second excuse. 00:16:21.23\00:16:24.43 Suppose I go to the Israelites and say the God of your 00:16:24.43\00:16:27.06 fathers has sent me to you and they ask me, what is his name? 00:16:27.06\00:16:32.16 What shall I tell them? 00:16:32.16\00:16:33.93 God had to remind brother Moses that his name 00:16:33.93\00:16:38.03 was above all other names. 00:16:38.03\00:16:41.10 God's name is above. 00:16:41.10\00:16:42.36 See, that's why when people get sick and when there's 00:16:42.36\00:16:45.16 death and what not, we need to understand, 00:16:45.16\00:16:46.86 God's name is above diabetes, God's name is above cancer, 00:16:46.86\00:16:51.93 God's name is above death, God's name is above divorce. 00:16:51.93\00:16:56.30 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 00:16:56.30\00:16:59.80 There is no other name like God's name. 00:16:59.80\00:17:02.90 If they ask, God said, tell them that I am who I am 00:17:02.90\00:17:05.56 has sent you. 00:17:05.56\00:17:07.23 What do you mean, I am who I am has sent you? 00:17:07.23\00:17:09.30 The Lord God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob 00:17:09.30\00:17:13.66 has sent me. 00:17:13.66\00:17:14.80 God said, I am that's who I am. 00:17:14.80\00:17:18.23 I am that I am. 00:17:18.23\00:17:20.50 I am everything you need. 00:17:20.50\00:17:23.26 I am your bread, I am your water. 00:17:23.26\00:17:26.73 I am your shelter. 00:17:26.73\00:17:28.63 I am your shield. 00:17:28.63\00:17:30.13 I am your buckler. 00:17:30.13\00:17:32.30 I am that I am. 00:17:32.30\00:17:33.30 I am Adonai. 00:17:33.30\00:17:34.80 I am the Lord over every lord. 00:17:34.80\00:17:36.63 I am El Shaddai. 00:17:36.63\00:17:38.36 I'm God Almighty. 00:17:38.36\00:17:39.70 I am Elohim, the plurality of my own divinity. 00:17:39.70\00:17:43.60 I am El Elyon, the God of the mountain, but if that's too 00:17:43.60\00:17:46.76 far for you, I can come where you are, because I am 00:17:46.76\00:17:50.36 Jehovah Jireh. 00:17:50.36\00:17:51.26 When you need a sacrifice, I will provide. 00:17:51.26\00:17:53.60 I am Jehovah Raphe. 00:17:53.60\00:17:55.13 When your body is racking with pain, I am your healer. 00:17:55.13\00:17:58.26 I am Jehovah Shalom. 00:17:58.26\00:18:00.06 When you can't sleep at night, I will be your peace. 00:18:00.06\00:18:03.40 I am Jehovah Nissi. 00:18:03.40\00:18:05.40 When you fight your battles, I'll hold up the banner. 00:18:05.40\00:18:08.66 We've already won. 00:18:08.66\00:18:09.80 Don't wait until the battle is over. 00:18:09.80\00:18:11.70 Shout now. 00:18:11.70\00:18:13.63 I am that I am. 00:18:13.63\00:18:19.66 Third excuse. 00:18:19.66\00:18:23.93 Exodus 4:1. 00:18:23.93\00:18:27.56 What if they don't believe me or listen to me and say the 00:18:27.56\00:18:34.06 Lord didn't appear to you? 00:18:34.06\00:18:38.96 Let me tell you something. 00:18:38.96\00:18:40.70 And I've learned it through my own experience. 00:18:40.70\00:18:43.53 When we are called by God, it is hard enough to believe 00:18:43.53\00:18:48.70 it our own selves. 00:18:48.70\00:18:52.03 I know some of my teachers look at me and say, 00:18:52.03\00:18:57.10 I can't believe Buddy Byrd is my pastor. 00:18:57.10\00:18:58.80 Come on, say Amen. 00:18:58.80\00:19:00.66 Much less convince others. 00:19:00.66\00:19:06.43 People want to know, are you walking the walk? 00:19:06.43\00:19:09.40 Or are you just talking the talk? 00:19:09.40\00:19:11.90 People want to know, are you testi-lying or testi-fying? 00:19:11.90\00:19:18.43 But you know, God always gives us some 00:19:18.43\00:19:20.73 indicators of his presence. 00:19:20.73\00:19:22.40 I've never seen the wind, but the leaves testify 00:19:22.40\00:19:26.63 that the wind is there. 00:19:26.63\00:19:29.00 I've never seen the gas in my automobile but I've 00:19:29.00\00:19:32.13 got a little indicator on my odometer that lets me know 00:19:32.13\00:19:34.70 gas is there. 00:19:34.70\00:19:36.16 God shows Moses right here some indicators 00:19:36.16\00:19:40.93 of his presence. 00:19:40.93\00:19:42.73 You know the story. 00:19:42.73\00:19:44.10 He tells Moses, stretch forth your rod and the rod 00:19:44.10\00:19:47.80 becomes a snake. 00:19:47.80\00:19:50.96 He tells Moses, Moses, stretch forth your hand. 00:19:50.96\00:19:54.60 His had becomes that of a leper and then God restores 00:19:54.60\00:19:57.10 it back to normal again. 00:19:57.10\00:19:58.33 God always has some indicators to let us know he's there. 00:19:58.33\00:20:04.43 I don't know about you, but in my life sometimes I feel all 00:20:04.43\00:20:07.70 alone, but every now and then, just when I need it most, God 00:20:07.70\00:20:12.23 has some indicators to let me know he's there. 00:20:12.23\00:20:21.50 The miracles or signs that God showed Moses pointed to the 00:20:21.50\00:20:27.30 awesome power of the Lord God Almighty. 00:20:27.30\00:20:29.90 Nothing can overcome us in his name. 00:20:29.90\00:20:33.20 At the name of Jesus, Red Seas become dry highways. 00:20:33.20\00:20:39.13 At the name of Jesus, lions lay down like house dogs. 00:20:39.13\00:20:44.10 At the name of Jesus, two fish and five loaves of bread 00:20:44.10\00:20:48.00 feed five thousand. 00:20:48.00\00:20:49.16 At the name of Jesus, medicine is found in the hem 00:20:49.16\00:20:53.20 of a garment. 00:20:53.20\00:20:54.23 At the name of Jesus, the lame are made to walk, the dumb are 00:20:54.23\00:20:58.56 made to talk, the blind are made to see and one day at the 00:20:58.56\00:21:04.26 name of Jesus every knee shall bow, every tongue is going to 00:21:04.26\00:21:09.46 confess that Jesus is Lord. 00:21:09.46\00:21:16.20 In the name of Jesus, nothing can overcome us. 00:21:16.20\00:21:19.96 When people hear us and see us move in the name of Jesus, 00:21:19.96\00:21:22.63 they will become believers. 00:21:22.63\00:21:25.26 Fourth excuse. 00:21:25.26\00:21:28.13 Oh, Lord, I've never been eloquent. 00:21:28.13\00:21:34.73 Neither in the past nor since you've spoken to your servant. 00:21:34.73\00:21:40.46 I am slow of speech and tongue. 00:21:40.46\00:21:46.66 But I've learned, God does not always call us 00:21:46.66\00:21:50.43 according to our strength. 00:21:50.43\00:21:57.86 God uses ordinary people. 00:21:57.86\00:22:02.60 Ordinary people. 00:22:02.60\00:22:05.53 Just like you and me, you are willing to do as he commands. 00:22:05.53\00:22:09.80 You know, in this highly educated environment, well, 00:22:09.80\00:22:12.40 I've got to have this degree and I've got to have that 00:22:12.40\00:22:13.96 degree, you just make sure you've got a B.A., 00:22:13.96\00:22:15.13 you're born again. 00:22:15.13\00:22:15.90 Are you hearing what I'm saying, everybody? 00:22:15.90\00:22:16.80 You know, Ph.D. 00:22:16.80\00:22:19.30 We're praising him daily. 00:22:19.30\00:22:20.13 Come on, say Amen. 00:22:20.13\00:22:21.00 God uses ordinary people. 00:22:21.00\00:22:25.20 You've all seen this on the Internet. 00:22:25.20\00:22:28.16 You know the story. 00:22:28.16\00:22:29.70 Noah was a drunkard. 00:22:29.70\00:22:31.50 Abraham was too old. 00:22:31.50\00:22:33.23 Josiah was too young. 00:22:33.23\00:22:35.20 Carlton Byrd is too young to come to Oakwood. 00:22:35.20\00:22:37.70 Jacob was a liar. 00:22:37.70\00:22:41.73 Leah was considered ugly. 00:22:41.73\00:22:44.56 The Bible term was tender eyed. 00:22:44.56\00:22:48.73 Joseph was abused. 00:22:48.73\00:22:50.36 Gideon was scared. 00:22:50.36\00:22:51.90 Elijah was suicidal. 00:22:51.90\00:22:53.66 Samson had long hair. 00:22:53.66\00:22:56.06 David had an affair with a murderer. 00:22:56.06\00:22:59.00 Solomon was a womanizer. 00:22:59.00\00:22:59.50 Rahab was a prostitute. 00:22:59.50\00:23:00.26 Jeremiah whined too much. 00:23:00.26\00:23:02.73 Isaiah preached naked. 00:23:02.73\00:23:04.20 Jonah ran from God. 00:23:04.20\00:23:06.40 Job went bankrupt. 00:23:06.40\00:23:07.90 Mary Magdalene was friends with seven demons. 00:23:07.90\00:23:12.60 The Samaritan woman at the well had five husbands and the 00:23:12.60\00:23:14.96 one she was with then was not hers. 00:23:14.96\00:23:18.30 Zachias was too short. 00:23:18.30\00:23:19.70 Peter denied Christ. 00:23:19.70\00:23:21.20 The disciples fell asleep while they should 00:23:21.20\00:23:24.40 have been praying. 00:23:24.40\00:23:25.06 Martha worried about everything. 00:23:25.06\00:23:26.83 Mary was lazy. 00:23:26.83\00:23:27.86 Lazarus was dead. 00:23:27.86\00:23:33.96 But I'm a witness that God can use whom he wants, when he 00:23:33.96\00:23:40.03 wants, where he wants. 00:23:40.03\00:23:42.03 Oh, I'm going to preach to you all right now. 00:23:42.03\00:23:45.16 How he wants and he doesn't have to ask permission 00:23:45.16\00:23:46.96 to do what he wants. 00:23:46.96\00:23:48.46 He's sovereign, he's God. 00:23:48.46\00:23:51.10 Hallelujah, somebody. 00:23:51.10\00:23:53.73 Yes, we are stewards of the talents and abilities 00:23:53.73\00:23:56.80 that God gives us. 00:23:56.80\00:23:58.03 The Lord can use our strengths in marvelous ways. 00:23:58.03\00:24:01.50 But every now and then, I've learned that God will take us 00:24:01.50\00:24:06.10 out of our comfort zones by using, oh, thank you Jesus, by 00:24:06.10\00:24:11.26 using our weaknesses so we can depend on his strength. 00:24:11.26\00:24:16.60 God answers brother Moses by saying, who gave 00:24:16.60\00:24:21.56 man his mouth? 00:24:21.56\00:24:26.50 Is it not I? 00:24:26.50\00:24:28.50 I could preach that. 00:24:28.50\00:24:29.93 Pastor Byrd, preach that, who gave man his mouth? 00:24:29.93\00:24:33.26 Who gave man his eyes? 00:24:33.26\00:24:34.33 Who gave man his ears? 00:24:34.33\00:24:35.63 Who made man a little lower than the angels? 00:24:35.63\00:24:39.23 God said, go, I'll be with you and I'll teach you 00:24:39.23\00:24:45.40 what to say. 00:24:45.40\00:24:47.80 Moses is out of excuses. 00:24:47.80\00:24:49.30 You all know how we get. 00:24:49.30\00:24:50.73 We go to the student account line, we have every excuse in 00:24:50.73\00:24:52.86 the book why we don't have our tuition. 00:24:52.86\00:24:55.30 Come on, say Amen. 00:24:55.30\00:24:59.93 Out of excuses, Moses just says, I don't want to go. 00:24:59.93\00:25:02.63 Send somebody else. 00:25:02.63\00:25:04.70 But you know, you can run but you can't hide. 00:25:04.70\00:25:08.53 When God calls you, God equips you. 00:25:08.53\00:25:13.40 God grows angry at Moses' reluctance, so he assigns 00:25:13.40\00:25:16.70 Aaron to serve as Moses' spokesman. 00:25:16.70\00:25:19.73 With no more excuses to offer, Moses submits to God's call. 00:25:19.73\00:25:22.90 He returns to Egypt and he leads God's people. 00:25:22.90\00:25:30.36 Today, what has God called you to do? 00:25:30.36\00:25:35.66 What are you running from? 00:25:35.66\00:25:38.13 Are you making excuses? 00:25:38.13\00:25:40.96 I mean, he's done so much for you, how can you run? 00:25:40.96\00:25:47.83 How can you make excuses? 00:25:47.83\00:25:52.40 Take off your shoes. 00:25:52.40\00:25:55.63 Today you're at your burning bush. 00:25:55.63\00:26:00.70 God is calling you. 00:26:00.70\00:26:03.66 Come away from the complaint counter and come down to the 00:26:03.66\00:26:08.93 claim window. 00:26:08.93\00:26:11.70 God wants a fire to burn in you, through you and for you. 00:26:11.70\00:26:16.53 Take off your shoes of doubt, take off your shoes of guilt, 00:26:16.53\00:26:24.86 take off your shoes of complacency. 00:26:24.86\00:26:28.13 Take off your shoes of despondency. 00:26:28.13\00:26:30.36 Take off your shoes of gossip. 00:26:30.36\00:26:34.00 Take off your shoes of insecurity. 00:26:34.00\00:26:37.66 Take off your shoes of distrust. 00:26:37.66\00:26:39.43 Take off your shoes of suspicion. 00:26:39.43\00:26:42.46 Take off your shoes of skepticism. 00:26:42.46\00:26:45.13 Take off your shoes of envy. 00:26:45.13\00:26:47.53 Take off your shoes of jealousy. 00:26:47.53\00:26:50.90 Take off your shoes of lying. 00:26:50.90\00:26:52.13 Take off your shoes of backbiting. 00:26:52.13\00:26:53.76 Take off your shoes of fault finding. 00:26:53.76\00:26:55.70 Take off your shoes of finger pointing. 00:26:55.70\00:26:57.63 Take off your shoes of excuse making. 00:26:57.63\00:27:02.26 Take your shoes off. 00:27:02.26\00:27:07.16 You're standing on holy ground. 00:27:07.16\00:27:11.16 PB: Thank you very much for tuning in and watching Breath 00:27:11.16\00:27:12.93 of Life today. 00:27:12.93\00:27:14.43 We do hope that you were blessed by our ministry and 00:27:14.43\00:27:17.56 that we gave a healing word in a hurting world. 00:27:17.56\00:27:21.96 In order for Breath of Life to continue ministering, 00:27:21.96\00:27:24.60 we need you. 00:27:24.60\00:27:25.70 We need your prayers. 00:27:25.70\00:27:27.56 We need your support. 00:27:27.56\00:27:28.96 We want you to know that any and all donations, small or 00:27:28.96\00:27:31.30 great, they are sincerely welcome and appreciated. 00:27:31.30\00:27:35.50 To contact us or to make your donation, please feel free to 00:27:35.50\00:27:38.46 give us a call at 877-BOL-OFFER. 00:27:38.46\00:27:44.13 Or you may write to us at Breath of Life, P.O. Box 340, 00:27:44.13\00:27:49.86 Newbury Park, CA 91319. 00:27:49.86\00:27:56.90 Feel free to log onto our web site at www.breathoflife.tv. 00:28:01.63\00:28:09.40 If God can speak through a donkey... 00:28:10.76\00:28:13.56 If God can speak through a bush... 00:28:13.56\00:28:16.06 Then surely God can through you and through me. 00:28:16.06\00:28:19.43 We need sure footing when we stand against the wiles 00:28:19.43\00:28:23.23 of the devil... 00:28:23.23\00:28:25.86 Take your shoes off 'cause the place that you're 00:28:25.86\00:28:27.83 standing is holy ground. 00:28:27.83\00:28:29.93