Any Old Bush Will Do

Introduction:

The subject of this week’s chapter addresses one of Satan’s deceptions so subtle that most Christians never ever realize they are being deceived. The idea that God has called us to a particular task or field of service seems so spiritual and "right" that we never question the correctness of that belief. In truth, God does not call us to a task or field of service; He calls to Himself. He is the Lord of the Harvest. He is the Head of the body. Man is not indispensable to God; God is indispensable to man!

I like the way Wayne Barber responds to those who have questions about what the ministry of Hoffmantown Church will look like under his leadership: "If we will seek Christ and Christ alone, ministry will find us. Let’s wait and see what God will do."

Group Discussion:

In fulfilling a promise He had made four hundred years before to Abraham that He would raise up a deliverer to free His people from their slavery, God providentially spared the life of Moses and introduced him into the house-hold of Pharaoh where he was nourished as his own son. In Moses, we see the portrait of a man in his prime, highly qualified by human standards and filled with a sense of urgency to answer his "calling."

It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian.
And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. (Acts 7:20-25)

The enormity of the oppression of his people filled him with a false sense of dedication to the task instead of to God and Moses decided to act: So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (Exodus 2:12) He looked every way but up! And why would he? Moses had been educated by Egypt’s finest, and I doubt seriously if he had any classes that taught him about the Creator God. In true humanism, Moses had complete confidence in his own ability.

Was Moses fulfilling God’s plan for delivering Israel?

What are some characteristics of those who are dedicated to God rather than dedicated to the task?

They are not preoccupied with what "others think"

They are not overwhelmed with objections

They are invulnerable

No confidence in themselves, but great confidence in God

Don’t have "all the answers"…just "The Answer"

Don’t feel superior to others

Don’t have to be "right" all the time

They are not afraid to say, "I don’t know."

Why do you think the church of Jesus Christ is accomplishing so little today in the world?

Is it possible that we’ve organized God right out of business? I don’t think it’s possible for us to either speed up or slow down the progress of God’s kingdom, but it’s totally possible for us to either participate or not. When we ask God to bless our plans to expand His kingdom, we are not participating!

What did Thomas mean when he said, "…so often we confuse bustle for business, plant for power and perspiration for inspiration"?

In building up His kingdom on this earth, what does God want us to do?

The Head (Jesus, Colossians 1:18) wants each member to be restfully available to respond with obedience to every impulse that comes from the Head so that the body produces a coordinated effort to accomplish His purpose.

What was God’s purpose in placing Moses on the backside of the wilderness of Midian for forty years tending sheep? And does the experience of Moses say anything to us today?

Before Moses could be used of God, he had to loose all confidence in himself…he had to "unlearn" what he had been taught in Egypt. God can’t use us until we loose all confidence in ourselves. It is not man’s ability that qualifies him to be used of God, but his availability!

What was "unique" about the burning bush that Moses saw?

Nothing was unique about the bush…it wasn’t the bush, it was God "in" the bush! God could have used any bush.

What does that say to us today?

We have a new pastor and many of us are very excited about his potential impact on the church…we need to be careful to understand that it’s not Wayne…it’s God "in" Wayne that will have a tremendous impact on Hoffmantown!

That’s true of us individually…the same God can use us!

What did Paul mean when he said to the Philippian believers, "… work out your (own) salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13)?

Like many Christians today, they were looking for "someone" to be their spiritual crutch. Paul wanted them to understand that they had in them, everything he had in him…Christ, who was his life, was their life too! They didn’t need to look to Paul, they needed to look to Christ! The only Source of divine activity in all spiritual life is God Himself—Christ in you the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

The story of Moses is the story of every believer: When he thought he was ready, he wasn’t…when he thought he wasn’t, he was. It is not ability that God is looking for—it’s availability! God alone provides the ability! Remember this—any old bush will do!

Prayer:

Daddy, have told us that we are Your children, yet we have been afraid to call you Daddy. You have told us that by sending the Spirit of Christ to live inside us, we could come boldly before Your throne of grace and be intimate with You, but we have kept our distance, not sure that You would receive us with open arms. Well, here we are, not because we’re good, but because we have finally realized that we belong to You. Lead us to experience the saving life of Christ as our very own in a more consistent way as we walk by faith…trusting in Jesus alone. Lead us to surrender completely and to depend entirely upon You and to see You as our Daddy. Save us from being independent…show us the areas of our lives where we still resist and hold on to our independence. Thank You for loving and accepting us unconditionally, even when we fail and fall short of the abundant life You have given us, in Jesus Christ. We bring ourselves before You and ask these things in His name, Amen.