Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000056
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00:01 ♪ (Theme Song) ♪ ♪ Jesus is worthy ♪
00:12 ♪ oh yes, he's worthy ♪ ♪ worthy of all... ♪ 00:18 ♪ all the praise ♪ 00:23 He saw a bush which seemed to be on fire 00:26 but it was not burned up. 00:28 Now remember, as a shepherd Moses was familiar with seeing 00:34 bushes burn under the hot sun. 00:38 To cook and keep warm at night Moses would have been familiar 00:43 with sources of fuel for a fire. 00:45 Burning bushes were common sights in the wilderness and 00:48 Moses must have seen hundreds of them before. 00:51 But something was different this time. 00:55 A flash of fire catches his attention and so he decides 00:58 to watch for a little bit, because there was something 01:02 different about this burning bush. 01:04 Though the fire raged, it didn't consume the bush. 01:11 Let that be a lesson to you and to me, that the bush 01:13 burned but it did not burn away. 01:17 Symbolic of God's church. 01:21 Satan will try to kill the church any way he can. 01:25 The church will be persecuted, the church will be mocked, 01:30 the church will be ridiculed. 01:31 The day is going to come when the church will have 01:32 to go in hiding. 01:34 But the church in every age, under the most severe 01:38 persecution will be kept by the presence of God 01:42 from being destroyed. 01:43 Hallelujah, somebody. 01:45 Now, the Bible does not give the bush a name, does 01:51 not give it a name. 01:52 Zion bush, holy bush, redeeming bush, Julius bush. 01:59 We don't even hear of popular places, persons or things 02:03 named for the burning bush today. 02:08 You don't hear of a burning bush SDA church. 02:10 You don't hear of a burning bush university. 02:17 Burning bush community center. 02:19 Burning bush worship center. 02:21 It's just a bush on fire. 02:24 But that's just like God. 02:26 God often manifests himself in fire. 02:30 In Genesis 15 he was represented by a pot of fire. 02:33 In Exodus 13 he was a pillar of cloud by day 02:36 and a pillar of fire by night. 02:38 In Exodus 19 he descends on Mount Sinai with fire. 02:41 In Deuteronomy 4 Moses says that God is a consuming fire. 02:44 In 1 Kings 18, God sets Elijah's 02:47 altar on fire. 02:49 Jeremiah said God's word was like fire shut up 02:53 in his bones. 02:54 In Act 2 on the day of Pentecost, 02:58 when the Holy Ghost came, it was described 03:00 as tongues of fire. 03:01 In Revelation 1:14, Jesus is said to have eyes of fire. 03:05 And in Revelations 20 it says that the wicked will be 03:10 cast in the lake of fire. 03:13 The Bible says that no man can see God's face and live, so 03:18 God appears in Exodus 3 in a way that conceals his 03:21 totality, but also makes himself known. 03:25 For Moses this was an ordinary day. 03:29 But on this day the ordinary becomes extraordinary, 03:33 the usual becomes unusual. 03:35 A burning bush, a burning bush that is not consumed? 03:43 And so, in verse 3 Moses says, I will turn aside to see this 03:47 great sight, why the bush is not burned. 03:52 The New Living translation says that Moses said 03:55 to himself, amazing, I must go over to see this. 03:58 The lesson here is that when we turn to see God, 04:01 God will surely speak to us. 04:03 But all of a sudden, verse 4, the bush begins to talk. 04:07 Moses, Moses, that's just like God. 04:14 God can speak to anything or anyone. 04:16 If God can speak through a donkey, if God can speak 04:21 through a bush, then surely God can speak to you 04:25 and to me. 04:26 For the first time in the book of Exodus God speaks. 04:30 God calls Moses from a burning bush. 04:34 God calls his people in different ways. 04:38 Samuel heard God call him by name as a child in the temple. 04:41 Jacob wrestled with the Lord all night long. 04:45 Joseph dreamed about God's will. 04:47 Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John away 04:51 from their fishing nets. 04:53 Matthew left his tax collector position behind. 04:55 Zachias was called from a sycamore tree. 04:59 Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room. 05:02 Paul met the Lord on the road to Damascus. 05:05 How has Jesus called you? 05:09 Where were you when Jesus called? 05:14 God calls Moses from a burning bush. 05:17 God calls Moses from fire. 05:20 Why does God call from fire? 05:26 Number one, fire consumes. 05:27 Fire what, everybody? 05:28 Deuteronomy 4, we said it earlier. 05:31 Moses says that God is a consuming fire, which means 05:33 that everything God touches, everything God has ownership 05:36 over he wants to consume. 05:38 Listen to me carefully, challenge your mind. 05:41 God doesn't destroy. 05:45 God consumes. 05:46 That's why when Moses looked at the bush 05:51 it was consumed by fire, but it was not destroyed. 05:57 That's the same thing God wants to do with us. 06:01 He doesn't want to destroy us, he wants to consume us. 06:06 This bush should have been destroyed in less than 10 06:10 minutes, but the miracle here is not the bush but the fire. 06:13 The fire of God kept burning and burning and burning. 06:19 This blazing fire, my friends, that sets the bush on fire and 06:24 kept burning and consumed it, but it didn't destroy it and 06:26 then it shone through it, is a sign and symbol for what God 06:30 wants to do to his church. 06:32 God wants to set the church on fire. 06:35 God wants his spirit to blaze in every area of our life. 06:40 God wants us to burn with a passion for Jesus Christ. 06:44 God wants to consume us with his fiery presence so we shine 06:47 with his glory, so that the world might know that there is 06:51 God and there is none other. 06:54 But secondly, fire purifies. 06:59 Now, there are only two ways, primary ways, 07:02 you can clean something. 07:04 Either you wash it or you burn it. 07:08 That's why the Lord showed Noah the rainbow sign. 07:12 He said it won't be water, but fire next time. 07:18 He purified the earth once by water at the flood and at the 07:23 end of the millennium he will purify the earth by fire. 07:28 Now, when you burn a metal, you heat it as hot as you can 07:32 so the impurities will come to the surface 07:34 and you wipe it off. 07:35 In biblical times that's what a refiner did. 07:38 They would put metal in a furnace over and over again 07:42 until they knew the metal was clean and the metal was pure. 07:44 And the way the refiner would know the metal was pure was 07:48 once he looked at it, he'd see the reflection of his face 07:55 in the metal. 07:56 You all don't hear what I'm saying. 07:58 That's what God wants to do in our lives. 08:00 He won't leave us the same way we are. 08:03 He'll chase after us until we change. 08:06 He wants our sins, he wants our weaknesses, he wants our 08:10 bad ways, he wants our bad attitude, anything that's 08:13 holding us back, he wants it all to go through the furnace 08:17 of his presence so that all the impurities of our hearts 08:22 will come to the surface so that the reflection of Jesus 08:25 will be seen in everything we say and do. 08:28 Number three, fire brings life. 08:33 Remember, God led Israel, a pillar of cloud by day 08:37 and a pillar of fire by night. 08:42 Everything outside of the camp was covered in darkness 08:47 but when others looked at where the children of Israel were 08:50 all they saw was fire deflected by light. 08:55 When God's church is on fire, we can be the light that 09:01 shines in the darkness of the world. 09:03 Darkness is defined as the absence of light, but darkness 09:08 alone cannot dispel light because the smallest glimmer 09:12 of light can dispel the greatest darkness. 09:16 Which means, I don't care how dark this world might be, just 09:19 a glimpse of light can change this world and turn 09:24 it upside down. 09:25 We need God's fire. 09:27 We need God's light. 09:29 Light doesn't originate with you, light doesn't 09:32 start with me. 09:33 You' just light leading to the light. 09:36 Ellen White said, I'm the lesser light leading 09:39 to the greater light. 09:40 The problem with many of us is we're too busy trying to get 09:43 close to folks thinking they're going 09:47 to give us light. 09:48 But they're not THE light. 09:49 I don't care how deep they are, how many scriptures they 09:53 can quote, how many songs they can sing, 09:58 they're not THE light. 09:59 Jesus is the light that shineth in me. 10:04 When the fire comes, your light shines. 10:06 When the fire comes, people will be drawn to the light. 10:09 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your 10:12 good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 10:17 Go be a light. 10:21 Verse 4, notice that when Moses, look at your Bible 10:29 carefully, when Moses refers to God as the Lord, the Bible 10:34 prints Lord, L-O-R-D, if you notice, in small caps. 10:37 Now you look at verse 4, notice he doesn't say capital 10:41 L, lower case o-r-d. 10:42 Capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. 10:47 Lord is in small caps. 10:49 Why? 10:50 What's the significance and meaning of this? 10:53 It is translating the Hebrew name Yahweh. 10:57 Yahweh is the personal name of the one true God, the 11:01 creator of heaven and earth. 11:03 Yahweh is the name which reveals his people 11:08 and his covenant. 11:09 Yahweh reminds us, friends, that we are not dealing with 11:11 a generic god, but we're dealing 11:16 with a specific God, the God who makes himself known. 11:20 The God who sent a plague of lice, frogs and blood to let 11:24 Pharaoh know who he was. 11:27 The God who parted the Red Sea. 11:30 The God whom the Hebrew midwives feared. 11:33 The God who heard their groaning to remember his 11:36 covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 11:38 The God who delivered the people of Israel. 11:40 Yahweh is the true God. 11:42 Yahweh is the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. 11:46 Yahweh is the architect of the universe, creator of the 11:50 earth, captive freer, soul seeker, way maker, 11:57 strong deliverer. 12:00 Yahweh, my God, your God. 12:04 Moses with a trembling, scared voice said, Yahweh, here I am. 12:11 God says, don't come any closer. 12:14 Take your shoes off, because the place where you're 12:17 standing is holy ground. 12:19 Notice, the text does not say clean ground, the text does 12:24 not say comfortable ground, but it says take your shoes 12:29 off, because you're standing on holy ground. 12:33 Why was this ground holy? 12:36 First, any place where we meet God, it's holy ground. 12:40 It can be on the mountain top, it can be in the valley low, 12:43 any place where we meet God is holy ground. 12:45 Holy means set apart, set aside. 12:49 And let me warn you, we talked about holiness in the Sabbath 12:51 school lesson, but let me remind you because everything 12:54 that looks like holy is not holy. 12:57 Everything that talks like holy is not holy. 13:00 Everything that walks like holy is not holy. 13:04 Everything that acts like holy is not holy. 13:06 Everything that shouts like holy is not holy. 13:10 To be holy is to be set aside and set apart for God's use. 13:13 The Sabbath is holy. 13:15 Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it what? 13:17 Holy. 13:18 The tithe is what? 13:19 Holy. 13:20 All the tithes of the land, whether the seed of the land 13:22 or the fruit of the tree it is the Lord's, it is holy 13:23 unto the Lord. 13:24 The sanctuary is holy. 13:25 The Lord is in his holy temple. 13:33 God told Moses, Moses, you're standing on holy ground. 13:35 God set the ground aside for use. 13:38 We can not program, friends of mine, where we will meet God. 13:41 We cannot program when we will meet God. 13:44 We just have to be ready to meet God. 13:46 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 13:48 Moses hid his face as if he were ashamed and afraid to 13:50 look upon God, because the more we see of God the more we 13:54 see the grace of God, the more it recalls us to worship him 14:00 with reverence and godly fear. 14:03 When I come into his presence I humble myself, I lift up 14:08 holy hands and I begin to worship him for all he's done 14:13 for me, redeemed and set me free just because he's God. 14:18 In the latter part of Exodus 3, beginning with verse 15, 14:24 we begin to discover that Moses refused God's call 14:29 by making excuses. 14:32 Now, we read verses 1 through 10, but go home 14:35 and read the whole chapter. 14:37 Moses' first excuse, in verse 15, who am I that I can go to 14:41 Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? 14:45 Moses' resume was hardly impressive up to this point. 14:50 Remember now, this was before the plagues, before the Red 14:52 Sea, before the Ten Commandments, 14:53 before the wilderness. 14:54 Up till this point Moses' life was accidental royalty, 14:58 schooled by luxury and murder, a fugitive shepherd. 15:02 But then, we talk about Moses wasn't fit, the reality is 15:07 none of us is fit. 15:11 None of us is equipped or outfitted for the Lord's work. 15:16 Our righteousness in the sight of God is but as filthy rags. 15:21 Be careful that you don't look down on somebody else, because 15:26 too many of us live in glass houses. 15:28 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 15:30 Surely, Moses says, there is someone better suited 15:34 for the job. 15:36 But, you know what? 15:37 God has a strange way of making the least, the last, 15:42 the unlucky and the left out into the most, the best 15:46 and the first. 15:47 I've learned in my life, God has a way of using other folk 15:50 people don't like. 15:52 Being chosen by God tells more about who God 15:56 is than who we are. 15:58 Divine election is based on heavenly grace 16:01 and not earthly ability. 16:03 God does not always call the equipped 16:05 but he equips the called. 16:07 The only assurance we need, thank you, Jesus, 16:11 is the assurance from God that God gave to Moses. 16:16 I will be with you. 16:16 Because if God be for us who can be against us? 16:21 Second excuse. 16:24 Suppose I go to the Israelites and say the God of your 16:27 fathers has sent me to you and they ask me, what is his name? 16:32 What shall I tell them? 16:33 God had to remind brother Moses that his name 16:38 was above all other names. 16:41 God's name is above. 16:42 See, that's why when people get sick and when there's 16:45 death and what not, we need to understand, 16:46 God's name is above diabetes, God's name is above cancer, 16:51 God's name is above death, God's name is above divorce. 16:56 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 16:59 There is no other name like God's name. 17:02 If they ask, God said, tell them that I am who I am 17:05 has sent you. 17:07 What do you mean, I am who I am has sent you? 17:09 The Lord God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob 17:13 has sent me. 17:14 God said, I am that's who I am. 17:18 I am that I am. 17:20 I am everything you need. 17:23 I am your bread, I am your water. 17:26 I am your shelter. 17:28 I am your shield. 17:30 I am your buckler. 17:32 I am that I am. 17:33 I am Adonai. 17:34 I am the Lord over every lord. 17:36 I am El Shaddai. 17:38 I'm God Almighty. 17:39 I am Elohim, the plurality of my own divinity. 17:43 I am El Elyon, the God of the mountain, but if that's too 17:46 far for you, I can come where you are, because I am 17:50 Jehovah Jireh. 17:51 When you need a sacrifice, I will provide. 17:53 I am Jehovah Raphe. 17:55 When your body is racking with pain, I am your healer. 17:58 I am Jehovah Shalom. 18:00 When you can't sleep at night, I will be your peace. 18:03 I am Jehovah Nissi. 18:05 When you fight your battles, I'll hold up the banner. 18:08 We've already won. 18:09 Don't wait until the battle is over. 18:11 Shout now. 18:13 I am that I am. 18:19 Third excuse. 18:23 Exodus 4:1. 18:27 What if they don't believe me or listen to me and say the 18:34 Lord didn't appear to you? 18:38 Let me tell you something. 18:40 And I've learned it through my own experience. 18:43 When we are called by God, it is hard enough to believe 18:48 it our own selves. 18:52 I know some of my teachers look at me and say, 18:57 I can't believe Buddy Byrd is my pastor. 18:58 Come on, say Amen. 19:00 Much less convince others. 19:06 People want to know, are you walking the walk? 19:09 Or are you just talking the talk? 19:11 People want to know, are you testi-lying or testi-fying? 19:18 But you know, God always gives us some 19:20 indicators of his presence. 19:22 I've never seen the wind, but the leaves testify 19:26 that the wind is there. 19:29 I've never seen the gas in my automobile but I've 19:32 got a little indicator on my odometer that lets me know 19:34 gas is there. 19:36 God shows Moses right here some indicators 19:40 of his presence. 19:42 You know the story. 19:44 He tells Moses, stretch forth your rod and the rod 19:47 becomes a snake. 19:50 He tells Moses, Moses, stretch forth your hand. 19:54 His had becomes that of a leper and then God restores 19:57 it back to normal again. 19:58 God always has some indicators to let us know he's there. 20:04 I don't know about you, but in my life sometimes I feel all 20:07 alone, but every now and then, just when I need it most, God 20:12 has some indicators to let me know he's there. 20:21 The miracles or signs that God showed Moses pointed to the 20:27 awesome power of the Lord God Almighty. 20:29 Nothing can overcome us in his name. 20:33 At the name of Jesus, Red Seas become dry highways. 20:39 At the name of Jesus, lions lay down like house dogs. 20:44 At the name of Jesus, two fish and five loaves of bread 20:48 feed five thousand. 20:49 At the name of Jesus, medicine is found in the hem 20:53 of a garment. 20:54 At the name of Jesus, the lame are made to walk, the dumb are 20:58 made to talk, the blind are made to see and one day at the 21:04 name of Jesus every knee shall bow, every tongue is going to 21:09 confess that Jesus is Lord. 21:16 In the name of Jesus, nothing can overcome us. 21:19 When people hear us and see us move in the name of Jesus, 21:22 they will become believers. 21:25 Fourth excuse. 21:28 Oh, Lord, I've never been eloquent. 21:34 Neither in the past nor since you've spoken to your servant. 21:40 I am slow of speech and tongue. 21:46 But I've learned, God does not always call us 21:50 according to our strength. 21:57 God uses ordinary people. 22:02 Ordinary people. 22:05 Just like you and me, you are willing to do as he commands. 22:09 You know, in this highly educated environment, well, 22:12 I've got to have this degree and I've got to have that 22:13 degree, you just make sure you've got a B.A., 22:15 you're born again. 22:15 Are you hearing what I'm saying, everybody? 22:16 You know, Ph.D. 22:19 We're praising him daily. 22:20 Come on, say Amen. 22:21 God uses ordinary people. 22:25 You've all seen this on the Internet. 22:28 You know the story. 22:29 Noah was a drunkard. 22:31 Abraham was too old. 22:33 Josiah was too young. 22:35 Carlton Byrd is too young to come to Oakwood. 22:37 Jacob was a liar. 22:41 Leah was considered ugly. 22:44 The Bible term was tender eyed. 22:48 Joseph was abused. 22:50 Gideon was scared. 22:51 Elijah was suicidal. 22:53 Samson had long hair. 22:56 David had an affair with a murderer. 22:59 Solomon was a womanizer. 22:59 Rahab was a prostitute. 23:00 Jeremiah whined too much. 23:02 Isaiah preached naked. 23:04 Jonah ran from God. 23:06 Job went bankrupt. 23:07 Mary Magdalene was friends with seven demons. 23:12 The Samaritan woman at the well had five husbands and the 23:14 one she was with then was not hers. 23:18 Zachias was too short. 23:19 Peter denied Christ. 23:21 The disciples fell asleep while they should 23:24 have been praying. 23:25 Martha worried about everything. 23:26 Mary was lazy. 23:27 Lazarus was dead. 23:33 But I'm a witness that God can use whom he wants, when he 23:40 wants, where he wants. 23:42 Oh, I'm going to preach to you all right now. 23:45 How he wants and he doesn't have to ask permission 23:46 to do what he wants. 23:48 He's sovereign, he's God. 23:51 Hallelujah, somebody. 23:53 Yes, we are stewards of the talents and abilities 23:56 that God gives us. 23:58 The Lord can use our strengths in marvelous ways. 24:01 But every now and then, I've learned that God will take us 24:06 out of our comfort zones by using, oh, thank you Jesus, by 24:11 using our weaknesses so we can depend on his strength. 24:16 God answers brother Moses by saying, who gave 24:21 man his mouth? 24:26 Is it not I? 24:28 I could preach that. 24:29 Pastor Byrd, preach that, who gave man his mouth? 24:33 Who gave man his eyes? 24:34 Who gave man his ears? 24:35 Who made man a little lower than the angels? 24:39 God said, go, I'll be with you and I'll teach you 24:45 what to say. 24:47 Moses is out of excuses. 24:49 You all know how we get. 24:50 We go to the student account line, we have every excuse in 24:52 the book why we don't have our tuition. 24:55 Come on, say Amen. 24:59 Out of excuses, Moses just says, I don't want to go. 25:02 Send somebody else. 25:04 But you know, you can run but you can't hide. 25:08 When God calls you, God equips you. 25:13 God grows angry at Moses' reluctance, so he assigns 25:16 Aaron to serve as Moses' spokesman. 25:19 With no more excuses to offer, Moses submits to God's call. 25:22 He returns to Egypt and he leads God's people. 25:30 Today, what has God called you to do? 25:35 What are you running from? 25:38 Are you making excuses? 25:40 I mean, he's done so much for you, how can you run? 25:47 How can you make excuses? 25:52 Take off your shoes. 25:55 Today you're at your burning bush. 26:00 God is calling you. 26:03 Come away from the complaint counter and come down to the 26:08 claim window. 26:11 God wants a fire to burn in you, through you and for you. 26:16 Take off your shoes of doubt, take off your shoes of guilt, 26:24 take off your shoes of complacency. 26:28 Take off your shoes of despondency. 26:30 Take off your shoes of gossip. 26:34 Take off your shoes of insecurity. 26:37 Take off your shoes of distrust. 26:39 Take off your shoes of suspicion. 26:42 Take off your shoes of skepticism. 26:45 Take off your shoes of envy. 26:47 Take off your shoes of jealousy. 26:50 Take off your shoes of lying. 26:52 Take off your shoes of backbiting. 26:53 Take off your shoes of fault finding. 26:55 Take off your shoes of finger pointing. 26:57 Take off your shoes of excuse making. 27:02 Take your shoes off. 27:07 You're standing on holy ground. 27:11 PB: Thank you very much for tuning in and watching Breath 27:12 of Life today. 27:14 We do hope that you were blessed by our ministry and 27:17 that we gave a healing word in a hurting world. 27:21 In order for Breath of Life to continue ministering, 27:24 we need you. 27:25 We need your prayers. 27:27 We need your support. 27:28 We want you to know that any and all donations, small or 27:31 great, they are sincerely welcome and appreciated. 27:35 To contact us or to make your donation, please feel free to 27:38 give us a call at 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:44 Or you may write to us at Breath of Life, P.O. Box 340, 27:49 Newbury Park, CA 91319. 28:01 Feel free to log onto our web site at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:10 If God can speak through a donkey... 28:13 If God can speak through a bush... 28:16 Then surely God can through you and through me. 28:19 We need sure footing when we stand against the wiles 28:23 of the devil... 28:25 Take your shoes off 'cause the place that you're 28:27 standing is holy ground. |
Revised 2015-02-06