The Mustard Seed's Faith

The Mustard Seed's FaithExodus 3:10-15 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions   God equips us for what he calls us to do.   I. Strength for Weakness (10-12) When God called Moses, Moses responded with three reasons why he could not do what God called him to do. Moses’ protest is answered with seven attributes of God.  A. Self-sufficient (2): The fact that the bush was burning but not consumed shows that God is totally self-sufficient.  B. Holy (5): By directing Moses to remove his sandals because the ground on which he was standing was holy, God impressed on Moses that he was entirely other.  C. Covenantal (6): God names Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because they were all unfaithful to him yet he remained faithful to them.  D. Redemptive (8): God promised to deliver the people from their harsh slavery. E. Sovereign (10): God did not need Moses’ help to deliver the people but he had sovereignly orchestrated his life in order to prepare him for this call.  F. Merciful (7, 9): God moves to save his people because he sees their “affliction” and “oppression” and hears their “cry” for help.  G. Immanent (8, 10, 12): God always accompanies his commands to be strong and courageous with the promise “I will be with you.”   II. Credibility for Inexperience (13-15) Another excuse we can use for not obeying God’s call is inexperience. The presupposition of such thinking is that we can only do what we can imagine ourselves doing, rather than acknowledging that the God who calls us is infinitely resourceful and delights to reveal himself by doing the impossible through weak people. A. Definition:  God answers Moses’ question concerning who he should tell the Israelites sent him with, “I AM,” which can literally be understood as “I cause to be.” B. Practical Atheism: This is a condition we can easily find ourselves in. We could call it practical atheism: living as if there is no God while professing that there is. Practical atheism is revealed by fretfulness, habitual sin, anger, frantic desperation, and moral compromise. C. God’s Self-Definition:  For Moses, this name was not a philosophical puzzle to be solved; it was the power he needed.   Discussion Questions In short, how does God answer our needs? If all of God’s attributes include his personal concern for us, where must we turn when we are distressed, anxious, weak, worried, etc.? Is there any call on your life for which you feel incapable? How do God’s attributes supply your need?  Are there any ways in which you may be functioning as a practical atheist? What results does this bear in your life? How can you turn from this self-sufficiency to God’s sufficiency?