Exodus 3:1-14 Moses and the Burning Bush

Introduction
Series – Encounters with God
Today we start our summer series.  We will be looking at different characters from the Bible and their Encounters with God.  We will see the effect it had on their lives and the lessons for us.
Moses & the Burning Bush
Establish Background / Life Story
Birth    (Clip from Prince of Egypt 4:14-5:01)
Do these by Q&A:
Hebrew
Royalty
Murder (cared for Hebrews)
Midian –Zipporah, daughter of Jethro, a Midianite priest, two sons, Gershom and Eliezer (Exodus 2:11-22; 18:3-4)  working as a Shepherd
Burning Bush
Back to Egypt
Escape from Egypt
40 years in the desert
Failed to enter promised Land - disobedient to God (Numbers 20:7-12)
The Burning Bush
Where was Moses immediately before the burning bush incident?
Moses was in the desert tending a flock of sheep for his father-in-law.  He had taken the flock to Mount Horeb – the mountain of God, which today we call Sinai.
His past failures were behind him.  Remember he had murdered to try to protect his people. Now he was content with life.  He had a wife and two sons, and probably some daughters, but daughters were rarely recorded.  He had a steady job and had settled down.  He was an old man – 80 years old.
My Training
After meditating on the passage for a while I realised that in some ways Moses story parallels my own.  Some of you will know that I dropped out of my first attempt at Reader training.  I'd always said I'd try again sometime, when the children were grown up.  I had settled into youth work and was helping with Carrie's outreach activities.
God's Call from the Bush
How God managed his little trick to get Moses attention is not important.  The important thing is that Moses was intrigued and decided to take a closer look.  When he did God spoke to him. “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”  Moses knew who that was, and knew that to see God face-to-face was certain death.  He hid his face.  Then God reminded him to remove his shoes, and tells him the plan.  You will go back to Egypt and rescue your people.
My 2nd call
God's message to me was not as dramatic as Moses, but looking back it was just as clear.  Paul Hinckley caught me at the end of a service and said something like “It's about time you started your training again isn't it?”.  That took me by surprise.
How do we respond to a clear word from God?
If you had a clear word from God like Moses, or even a wakeup call from your vicar,  you'd just get on with it – right?
Well Moses didn't.  He asked loads of questions, and pointed to his lack of abilities.
Moses – Right Qualifications / Doubts
Moses, though had all the right qualifications, he was brought up in the Egyptian royal family and knew how it worked and how to make things happen. He still had doubts.  Mainly he had lost his self confidence.  He was scared of going back to his own people.  “Who shall I say sent me?”  God reveals a new title “I am” and changes the way the Israelites think of Him forever.  God also reveals more of the plan – step by step.  Then he provides a still doubtful Moses with a number of signs, or 'convincers' –
(2:10-3:20) the staff turning into a snake and the hand becoming leprous and being healed. 
Me – Delay
My response was no better, I tried to delay the start for a year.  Even in my case there were 'convincers' during meditation on a bible passage. So after much discussion, I decided that it was right to go into training that year.
Moses – a great leader
Moses eventually followed God's and became a great leader, and that's where the parallels in the stories end.  I'm not expecting to be leader of the Christian world.
What gets your attention?
What is it that gets your attention?  It shouldn't have to be as dramatic as a burning bush.  As Christians we are connected to God in a way that Moses never was.  As Christians were have the Bible and can hear the word of God any time we open it.  We can read and re-read the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus and know that He died for us and His resurrection means life for us.  We can read the story of the giving of the Holy Spirit and be inspired by the apostles and all they did in spreading the good news of the resurrection. Perhaps as you read and meditate on these scripture the Holy Spirit (or the Angel of God) will make you stop and think.
It may be the word of another Christian that intrigues you and makes you listen carefully to God.
You may witness a miracle, or have a vivid dream.
What ever it is be sure to investigate, if it's God there will be an important message for you.
Once God has your attention all you have to do is listen and make sure you understand his plan. 
Moses did, and it changed his life.  I did and it changed my life.