It is God Who Acts - A Sermon on Exodus 3:3

we apologize for the poor quality of the following recording of a sermon by the late dr. Martin lloyd-jones although we have digitally restored this to improve clarity the quality is not as good as we would like we do apologize for this but nevertheless hope this sermon will be a great encouragement and a blessing to you I should like to call your attention and the attention of many of you once more to that great incident which is recorded in the third chapter of the book of Exodus the chapter which we read at the beginning which starts

you remember like this now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law the priest of Midian and he led the flock to the backside of the desert and carrying to the mountain of God even to Horeb and the angel of the Lord appeared unto Him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed we began the consideration of this mighty incident last Sunday night and I then explained that we were doing so because of its momentous character

it's one of those truthful incidents in the Bible which we ignore and neglect only at the greatest conceivable parallel to our souls an incident to which reference is made very frequently in the scripture itself we're interested in it because it presents to us what is after all the greater the central message of the scriptures and that is God's Way of salvation that's the relatively theme of this book it states it in many different forms but there is perhaps an advantage in having it in a particularly dramatic form like this and never tired of pointing out

the people who say that they can't see any culture in the Old Testament and do are sometimes surprised that when in Agosto service such as this should preach from the Old Testament I never tired of saying that the real trouble with them is this and man who doesn't see the gustl in the Old Testament is a memo doesn't see it in the new order because the moment of men sees this gospel in the new you'll find it everywhere in the world and there is no doubt that that is why the Spirit of God led the

early church to include these earth Testament Scriptures with their new exceptions to form this book which we call the Bible it's not saying copying birth it's the thing government in birth it's the same glorious purposing birth and indeed there's a sense in which you can't understand the new except you have the Ovid and have some understanding of the old and it's basic principles and postulates so the result is that you get these great pictures these great demonstrations if you like of salvation in the Old Testament and there is none that is more notable than this

one I've suggested that in the very picture of Moses himself we have it all here it is you see has a mean would spend 40 years looking after sheep one of the most humble menial tasks men could ever perform especially in those days don't imagine that I'm saying anything against reference I have a blurred likeness for them some of the best men in the world have been shepherds but that was the kind of test controlling which it was at that time now this limb there was a man who'd been brought up as the child of

Pharaoh's daughter he'd lived in the court in Egypt and he had great prospects ahead of him but you remember that he was a Jew and a Hebrew and he knew it and though here these marvelous prospects he couldn't forget the people to whom he belonged and certain things concerning them he'd been taught them in his youth God's purposes with respect to them so he innocence for circle that for the sake of his people he was concerned to do something for them however that wrong you remember and he has a flee for his life and there

is in this land of Midian 40 long years looking after sheep and I've no doubt that he'd become family the sculpt that long since come to the conclusion that nothing would ever happen it would be the same humdrum experience for the rest of his life and the great dream and vision he once said in his youth of liberating his people would never come to fulfillment and so we just read in the mustachio read now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law the priest of Midian and he met the flock to the backside of the

desert not a very promising place to build you wouldn't be mentioned it'd be much grass and follow they're really probably exhausted the suppressor so he does this most ordinary thing in the most ordinary where numbers ordinary day and suddenly this amazing sight confronting the burning flaming bush and yet the bush was not consumed now I say that the whole story of salvation is there there's frustrated mankind there's men kind of speaking evil cynical and who's come to the conclusion long ago the only thing to do in a world like this is to make the best

of a bad job and just go come they go they people things going not expecting anything to happen oh that's what sin does to ax men it's the is his soul and his spirit but here's a form of input right he's down his act and then suddenly and when he least expects it oftentimes this amazing thing happens and he learns for the first time that what matters in this life and in this world is not what man does but what God does and healer says God has done something and he's confronted bite and there it

is now yes under light I called attention highly and very carefully that the some of the general characteristics of this in other words the merest fiber in these measures must see a defense that the great message of the scripture is the message of what is called [Music] immense just leading a flock of sheep and looking for the pasture and suddenly something everything is looking as something something as a pure form [Music] that's the old message of the Bible isn't it it is the revelation of God men Nancy and the remarkable men and God but it

all comes from God he suburbanite both gone wrong with us is that we forgotten our fundamental personally we will be talking about cracks and seeking and Christian and report my dear friends the gospel starts with an entirely different term normally what God does what God says and here on the very surface that we come face-to-face with some of the great characteristics of Revelation that's the first that is always from God's sight I must emphasize that whatever the consequences the Bible staffs are telling you and by telling me this that we are in such a state

and in such we can become that we can do nothing about ourselves you don't like that that's the gospel are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God it's not an accident that the first word in the Bible is this in the beginning and that's the characteristic of the book is all from God's side and then the next thing of course is that you never really felt happy I like that we always think we know that when we make our friends that the menos Custis plans doesn't know the

title the people in the border role is getting surprises as Moses had the definite that was the last thing expected but it happened you'll never know when at any moment most surprisingly it comes it's all of God you see and we can't understand and we can't forecast and we can't foretell and we don't even want to if we know the Bible but it comes in an unusual manner Moses undoubtedly had his ideas as to how God would reveal himself if he did 13 never imagined it was going to be by a burning book but you

read the history of the church go through your Bible at the front of this God's very emotive we think for the Sultan when the form of God left the coastal heaven on earth he'd ever to be seeded lon bubbling tribes in a manger in a stable [Music] that's what I call divine humor you know what that heals was the great Apostle Paul in a great burst of eloquence put its put it like this you remember this is where he says pull that's God's work of making foolish the wisdom of this world I'm confounding the wire

send this unto us table down alergy most unusual most unexpected but not only that mysterious this book is building a yet it's not conceived if I'm follower is silver even possible a true with studious if you don't read your Bible whenever you read it with the idea honestly it's not surprising if you get nothing out of it for it is mysterious is the mystery of godliness is Paul again and then the next thing of course is that it's miraculous I don't apologize for miracles I assert them I know about miracles I'm gettin the furl of

salvation is miraculous from beginning to end we please let ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord and all power of the God edenian and his method this is a miracle is Bertha Samaritan is resolute is America she worked miracles if all Americans and to become a Christian is to undergo a miracle because it means a rebirth but all that is Karen the burning bush isn't it that's where we left it last Sunday night well although we must proceed from that fight it's all supernatural and miraculous now there is the beginning I say well that is what

happens you consult any persons ever become a Christian informally person to Christians and you will find that in some super form even to some degree that's to miss experience going along doing his work trying his perfection running his business living a married life all the normal ordinary things of the world are you God the member has dozen ideas that flowed among since money's given up he's just now managing to none of these reefs decision with your face not from the keys on it something build them up it doesn't matter what the forms are almost endless

in their variation but will we become arrested by the fact that there is something outside ourselves that is demanding our attention something from them attacking us we don't quite know what there are many in this congregation will know exactly what I mean this process sometimes sets in a very vague manner the man just finds themselves gradually becoming different he doesn't know quite while or how but he uses a pace for the things he used to like and he can't get the same excitement the same because he puts it out of them as you said he

has something happening to it there is something that he doesn't understand he confirm it but he's being disturbed by something and he's being arrested by something else or with may have hidden in his number was a friend may invite him to a service or mercy to go somewhere with him and receive a message and so on whether it is and is aware of being oppressed is being arrested and yet he doesn't know now that's excellent that's the beginning but you see substances point very well danger arises and that's the thing that is emphasized in this

episode and in its account isn't it it has a very real danger of this fight and most disturbing to it and notice that I read in the third verse I will now turn aside and see this great sight fine not burnt ah he was very adamant nurses rather than culture and perfed in the lore and the learning reject we told that about him the highly intelligent person and suddenly he becomes confronted by a most interesting phenomenon and Moses says I will turn aside I'll leave the filter for the time being I will tell aside and

then you get this most entrancing intriguing phenomenon what a book the Bible is how well it knows us and how contemporary it is what a perfect description this is of many a many if you say something we can say and vertices that will only be phenomenal either sometimes that this isn't perhaps the great danger at this present hour the interesting phenomena have you noticed it I suppose it's an inevitable result when you have an exhausted condition in mankind that we are all exhausted that submitted the two owners have exhausted us we've been tried our hopes

of being the key doctor often and the prophecies have been so brightened but they've never been verified the whole world of men is in a state of exhaustion and always when you get people in that condition they become interested in the are interested in phenomena there's a great deal of interesting phenomena today I think people are much more interested in similar than they were say ten years ago I mean by that when I use the term phenomena those does the same work is anything happening is anything taking place even useful results and if it is

well very interested interested in phenomena and which that's Burma will get not consumed what is it there are many people interested in religion as a phenomenon there are many people who are interested in religious experience is the phenomenon worthy of their analysis look out for this in the coming days you'll find secular minded men will be very interested in phenomena that's their only interest in it nothing else not spiritual at all but very interested in anything more than usual they don't care what it is if it's comfortable if it's pure it isn't it doesn't matter

something although usually speak of this taking tests they were all reserved and they're interested as the Apostle Paul says on there as we will be here something you have your opinions of others you phenomenal Tennessee and let's see it Moses did it all before them we've all done it we were an of necessity to plead guilty concerning Oh justice I mean phases you know there are people and they're men some of them were very interested even in conversion as a electrical phenomenon I remember once preaching and the minister came to me at the end sorry

I said he was a minister he was unfortunately here this is what he said to me he said you know I don't agree with a word of what to say but I thought you were very something in this service I didn't regard that as a compliment the man didn't tell me anything about myself everything he told me a great deal about himself you know he didn't believe my fears he has literally safest doesn't matter but never this is something happening he says something very he wasn't interested in precise definitive but phenomena it's an interesting phenomenon

in conduction people says so they've written their psychological studies of conversion and have attempted to explain it psychologically in the Christian religion itself can be something quite dangerous if you morally affected in this spirit of the text and almost academic inquiry that you know yes it is after all one of the experiences of life as after we must learn something about it and of course is country and if you assortment is the world it needs to be in a bad state well if the religions got something to sell consumer survey religion as a phenomena a

subject of study something that you look on objectively from the outside now that Moses I say I'm falling into this trap he said I will not turn aside and see this great sight why is the book is not burnt but the moment he said he found acted and God spoke but will never run of that I'm a very one to emphasize tonight is just this does include you get outta bed attitude you'll never know the good things of Christian salvation you'll never know the greatest gift that evening God has to give to men that's a

little educated and Moses usually cry often to and when suppose all that he filled a sight to see in the state of speculation and real intellectual inquiry God told them to ignore to the midst of the bush and said love nice and Moses said here am I here am i and then God began to but you see before anything can happen to this man before the message can come to him he has saluted arrested in this way and God said to him drawn on our yellow favorite is you that once put up your tools from

off your feet for the place whereon thou standest is only now this is absolutely right on them distance and my dear friend if you don't come to that I say that the rest I'm going to stay tonight will have no value fight the approach is very important in these matters both of the other city in that way now God begins to proceeds to reveal himself to him and give him the message embodies the message well he is one of those gurth can suppose underlined in the Bible from beginning to end don't message from men in

that condition is that case about himself about God [Music] what God did to Moses was to speak about himself now that comes first and it must always come first now here again is the point at which we all tend to go wrong isn't it we suffer ourselves to our needs and what we want and what we desire and what we'd like to have that isn't the first message the first message is about God and as I've already reminded you that's what the Bible always does the goodness of the Bible is I say to remind us

on to tell us that everything begins and everything else with God a human from mercy I was never so seriously tempted to stop thinking as I've been in this service tonight I almost said no tonight instead of singing these great words let's recite them so that we can think about I'm very far the music Tunes appeal to me but they can be dangerous because they carry us the way don't say we forget what we are singing take those great words we've already been singing in our free him if only we realized the truth of those

words before the world believes the otic transformation would take place but we don't and it's all you I said to the fact that we forget the guard about whom we are concerned with whom we have to do but the Bible is very careful to warn us against it because this is a first and its greatest message at the very beginning the person to remind us without end that are forever with men is due to is hungry I think it's a God it's or abuse and justice the thing we forget above everything else that is the

essential message of the Bible the only thing that goes wrong in men's life individually or collectively is ultimately you can affect that man is in the wrong relationship to God and that if we ever want to be put right we must of necessity start here and I want to go further than to say this that if we don't sort of correctly adhere so it will be among everywhere else now I want to put that in this form the types of English pay me to have the Christian faith is finally what he says and what he

believes about God and about his attitude about now I want to say what in a special manner tonight to evangelical people who are present often we've done very contact one another that men are yes he spoke he spoke eloquently he was very popular we sedimented didn't even mention the name of Christ but of course we are talking what we say unless the men will seem to be able to preach after the Bible they never mentioned the name of Christ Christians would never mention the name of Christ he didn't even mention the name of Christ cause

reflections but you know you're dangerous is almost the exact opposite of that i am i must afraid to say but i must say i sometimes think that i know Christians who never mention the name of god I mean God the Eternal Father they never seem to talk about him but that's to be utterly unscriptural and that indeed is to deny the message of the Bible Aria say that the ultimate test of immense profession of Christianity is what he tells me about God now I am going to tell you why I am emphasizing this it is

because we forget God the incredible though it may sound that our methods go so wrong and so frequently our missions the church's message is because God is forgotten it is because we forget God that is a little true holiness and godliness in the world at the present time I'm speaking of the church as well as the world outside we don't even use the term godly very frequently we talk about people being keen instead of saying the fair cutlery and you can be keen without being godly typically men with more white needs to be put right

with God he wants a blessing but what he needs is to be right with God so if we don't start with God Himself starts how can anything be right and it is because we forget God that we are no longer interested in doctrine that's the great tragedy of the church in the last hundred years increasing loss of interest in doctrine the great doctrines of the faith and at all because we don't start with God we start with experience we start on the experi experiential the experimental level and we'll always anxious to get people to get

something my first we start by proclaiming God and we do so because he does it himself Moses Moses draw not nigh as I put off thy shoes from of thy feet for the place where understandest is only ground and then I am the God of thy father and so on may I say to gain the teks at the risk of being misunderstood the whole business of Christianity its first business its fundamental business here its final business is the bring us face to face with God and a supposed gospel that doesn't bring men face to face

with God isn't not a gospel it's something else and something else can give results but this it's special concern is to bring us as Moses was brought there face to face with God with God himself I asked the question last Sunday night I don't apologize for asking it again have you met God though you know God have you come face-to-face with God that's the biggest question we'll ever face and I press it upon you because the day is coming when you'll have to face him if this book is true every one of us will come

face to face with God and the business of the preacher is to get men to do it now well the door of salvation is still open and while they still can be reconciled to him well very well what does God tell us about himself let me remind you of some of the things that we are told in this chapter I'm not going outside it at all what God reveals in other words is something like this first of all he gives this great revelation about himself his own being if you like his own name we must

learn to go back to the Bible and to read it and to watch the names of God I am he says the God of thy father's the God of Abraham the god of Isaac and the God of Jacob and did you notice how he kept on repeating it he's talking about himself he is giving this revelation about himself yes but then that great statement poor Moses he was alarmed he was terrified he couldn't understand all this he was overwhelmed and he says when I go and say that the god of our fathers has sent us

they'll say what's his name and God said tell them Moses I am that I am you know my friends I'm almost afraid to say these things for I'm standing on holy ground and you are and I'm talking like this is the pygmy that I am in this pulpit about this great and eternal being I am that's all I am nobody else can say that I am what am i I am that I am all the authority said that it might be translated also I shall be what I shall be of course if he is what

he is he will be what he will be he was what he was it means his eternity the eternal and everlasting God the self-existent God the changeless God the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob the God that was the God that will be God how often have we stopped to think of that now lawfully we paused to contemplate the being the character the niche the attributes of God well he revealed them to Moses who shall I say say I am have sent me the one who created everything out of nothing the God who

said let there be light and there was light the power of God his strength his might his absolute qualities and potentialities the beam of God the majesty the greatness of God go through your Bible and observe what happens to men would come anywhere near a god they will fall to the God of they all get afraid as Moses did here the honey Torah is they put her hands upon their mouths with job they're so highly thus the sites a sort of God the mere hem of His garment if I may use that anthropomorphism is enough

the majesty of God no man shall see God only even this men was giving this special revelation dismembers when God put him in the cleft of the rock he was only allowed to see his finder thoughts as we are told no man can look into the face of God and live in a world like this that God and then His Holiness take off put off thy shoes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground we can describe the holiness of God well the Bible is full of its terms and it's

illustrations God is light and in him is no darkness at all no you and I can't conceive of it we don't know any light that has no darkness in it our brightest lights of darkness in them because you can always have a more powerful one the fact of the explosion of the atom is nothing when you put it by the side of this God is light essential light and in him is no darkness at all can you imagine what that means god is of such a pure countenance that he cannot look upon sin our God

is a consuming fire now people are troubled they tell me by this whole concept of law and they can't see why the four men can be saved and reconciled to God you need to have this doctrine of the atonement and the death of the Son of God upon the cross this is a can see a necessity for this you know their trouble I'll tell you their trouble is this they have no conception at all of the holiness of God that's their trouble nothing else you feel were vitally just to start at the beginning don't kill

them and believe the doctrine of the atonement if he hasn't understood the doctrine of the holiness of God he can't expecting to I can understand he is getting some sort of an experience but he can't understand the cross and why the son of God rarely has a dying if he doesn't start with an understanding of the art or absolute holiness of God and you see what salvation really means is this dwelling in the presence of God having communion and fellowship with God and as the Apostle Paul again argue so perfectly there is no communion between

light and darkness there can't be there is no means even as Aristotle put it there is no meaning between two opposites it's impossible they cease to be opposites if you can find a mean and God is unnaturally holy and heaven is a place that is absolutely holy without any sin without any blackness and darkness and we are told that without earliness no man shall see the Lord if I may venture to say such a thing my friend the doctrine of the atonement is an absolute necessity for this reason only that God cannot tolerate any sinful

ennis anything sinful in his presence it couldn't live that it would be fooled it would burn until nothingness and before it can be in the presence of God I'm a saw the holiness of God himself you see it's a waste of time to be arguing about miracles and as to who Kane's wife and the problem is this how can you servants in the presence of that burning light that's the question how can men in sin have any fellowship and communion with this holy and eternal being but sin God the revelation he gives doesn't stop at

that he goes on to tell us about his own covenant and his purpose did you notice some of these tender things that will sell yeah I even time to deal with them tonight I merely give you a little list to go home and think about interface and to meditate about the Panda just think of it my friends ghost God whom I'd been trying to describe to you so feebly this eternal being deserted it being this majestic glorious God whereas we can't conceive it did you notice what he said about himself I have surely seen the

affliction of my people which are in Egypt and unheard their fry by a reason of their taskmasters and then one of the most tender moving things I think in the whole Bible for I know their sons we talked about paradox that's paradox there's almighty everlasting only turn of God sees you and me here's our crying and our tears and our groaning and the wretchedness in world our miseries he tells all this Tomas st. Elias petit think of ystem and then he goes on to outline and reveal his great and gracious purpose listen to it you

don't find the gospel in the Old Testament listen to this and I am come to deliver them especially not coming down he's announced it here and he came down many times before bestland in motor code the theophanies in these appearances of the angel of the Covenant before humans of salvation is just as God this eternal being coming from the mankind in its of wretchedness it's pity it's really a thing and coming down to deliver yes and I end with this he revealed also the certainty of the plan I rather like this he gave Moses the

mend it and he told him what he was supposed to do but then he went on to say this he said and I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go no not dying and and I imagine those are single very well you're raising my hook so now you're deafening them again I didn't long ago I was a further fed on what he might do to me you gave me a new hope and now you say you're certain to foremost let us go you're right I know he won't but listen and

I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof and after this he will let you go and he did as far as I'm concerned that's the whole gospel you and I and all of us as the result of sinner in the hands of someone infinitely more powerful and infinitely more fiendish unfair of that death that divvy the god of this world and he'll try to fight him you try to get free you try to make new resolutions and turn over a new leaf you

put your back into it all and your failed and you fail miserably and the doctor seems to say here's a way out you say how can i and here's the answer he will let you go and when the Son of God came down he defeated him and he's bonding and in Christ all are free from the kingdom of Satan and had been translated into the kingdom of God's Geass that's the gospel the message which tells us that is almighty turn of being has looked upon us has looked upon him knows you seeing is your very

futile struggling and endeavor here's just sighing and you're groaning in your captivity of sin he hears if he feels it he knows your son and because of it he sent His only Son Doong amongst us into this world he came as a baby and lived as a man and he fought a devil and finally won for him on the cross and then for the law and fulfilled always amends and God pretty few things upon him and neither the devil nor hell not only heals can prevent your knowing the glorious liberty of the children of God

if you believe this message and accept the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ the Son of God we do hope that you've been helped by the preaching of dr. Martin lloyd-jones all of the sermons contained within the MLJ trust audio library are now available for free download you may share the sermons or broadcast them however because of international copyright please be advised that we are asking first that these sermons never be offered for sale by a third party and second that these sermons will not be edited in any way for length or to use as

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