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We all should live by these two verses and the church and the world would be better places.

The Holy Spirit revealed this scripture to me to share with someone who is going through something right now. Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Put in simple understanding: "The pain that you've been feeling, can't compare to the joy that's coming" No matter what you are going through always remember this - GOD loves you and I love you too. Brother Robert Dampier

Sunday 2/25/2018 Rev. J D Butler Pastor Butler preached another good sermon. A couple of points from his preaching: _ _Any preacher that is not a praying preacher is a playing preacher. _ _Any church that is not a praying church is a straying church. A praying church gets GOD's attention, but a straying church gets the devil's attention.

We are having a wonderful time at New Beginning Baptist Church this week y'all. On Sunday Pastor Butler brought a powerful message "The Danger of Sleeping in the Wrong Woman's Lap". On Monday night Rev. Cobb gave a great message on "Give me my Mountain". Tonight Rev. Cobb gave us another word from above "Jesus is on the Porch". We invite anyone to come out tomorrow night and join us in a wonderful revival. Don't miss it!

Pastor J.D. Butler preaching about Sick List

Pastor J.D. Butler bringing the word

Singing

Choir says "I Still Have Joy"

Sunday School Lessons Adult and Children Sunday School Lesson July 2 Moses Devotional Reading:2 Chronicles 19:4-7 Background Scripture:Exodus 3 Exodus 3:1-12 1 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 came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 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. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. Key Verses Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. —Exodus 3:9, 10 Lesson Aims After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to: 1. List the who, what, where, when, and why of God’s call of Moses. 2. Compare and contrast Moses’ reaction to God’s call with that of Gideon’s (lesson 2). 3. Personalize Moses’ question “Who am I, that I should [perform a specific mission],” and give an answer considering the difference God’s presence makes. Introduction A. Agony or Victory? Years before ESPN became the primary sports network, there was ABC’s Wide World of Sports. On Saturday afternoon one could tune in as announcer Jim McKay introduced this sports anthology. McKay would remind viewers that attempting to achieve greatness in sporting events led to both “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” Such a phrase aptly describes the experience of the Lord’s servants throughout the years. Serving the Lord in a broken, sin-cursed world can be the source of some of life’s greatest joys, but it can also produce some agonizing moments. Perhaps no group of individuals in Scripture exemplifies this battle better than the Old Testament prophets, who are the focus of our next unit of studies. The first of this group to be considered is Moses. B. Lesson Background One could use the letters in the word prophet in an acrostic to define the Old Testament prophets as passionate representatives obediently proclaiming heaven’s eternal truth. The prophets were God’s spokespersons who proclaimed His message (usually but not always) fearlessly. Some people view a prophet as one who predicts the future. That is certainly part of what the Old Testament prophets did, but their task was by no means limited to that. It is helpful to see the prophets as both foretellers (those who predicted the future accurately) and forth-tellers (those who declared God’s truth). Prophets were often subject to verbal and/or physical abuse because they spoke unpleasant truth boldly and plainly. They often did so without regard for the consequences. Some look at Moses’ role as that of a lawgiver more than a prophet. But the Scriptures clearly refer to him as a prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15). The same book concludes with these words of tribute to Moses: “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (34:10). Moses began his service to the Lord in need of his own prophet or spokesman, his brother Aaron (Exodus 4:14-16; 7:1, 2). But in time Moses would learn an important lesson: the key to answering God’s call is found not in who the human servant is but in who God is. That principle still holds true. In his defense before the Sanhedrin, Stephen related that Moses had killed an Egyptian whom he saw beating one of “his brethren the children of Israel” (Acts 7:23, 24; compare Exodus 2:11, 12). According to Stephen, Moses assumed that his fellow Israelites would acknowledge him as their deliverer and rally around his efforts; “but they understood not” (Acts 7:25). When Moses realized that his murderous act was known by others and that he had been rejected as a deliverer, he fled Egypt. He ended up in Midian, where he married Zipporah, one of seven daughters of Jethro. We find Moses in that situation as today’s text opens. I. Incredible Meeting (Exodus 3:1-5) A. Fire on the Mountain (vv. 1-3) 1. 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 came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. Jethro is first introduced in Exodus 2:18 as Reuel. Some suggest that Reuel (meaning “friend of God”) is this man’s given name, while Jethro (meaning something like “his excellency”) is a title. The verse before us describes him as the priest of Midian. The nature of Jethro’s priesthood is a bit uncertain, since the Bible does not specifically say that he is a priest of the Lord. Originally Midian was one of the sons of Abraham born to him through Keturah, whom he married following Sarah’s death (Genesis 25:1, 2). Whether Abraham’s faith in the true God was eventually passed on to the Midianites or how many of them embraced it is difficult to know. In Jethro’s case, he may have at one time worshipped the true God alongside other gods. This theory is supported by Jethro’s declaration “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods” (Exodus 18:11) after learning what the Lord had done for the Israelites. Midianite territory includes a vast desert area. As Moses tends the flock of Jethro, he leads it (perhaps in an effort to find sufficient grazing) to the backside of the desert (the more distant side). This area around Horeb likely includes the land west of what is known today as the Gulf of Aqaba. Such land is part of the Sinai Peninsula. The traditional site of Horeb is at the peninsula’s southern end. The term Horeb is generally believed to be either (1) another name for Mount Sinai, (2) another peak in the region of the Sinai Peninsula, or (3) the entire range of mountains, with the word Sinai designating a specific mountain in that range. (Compare Exodus 33:6; Deuteronomy 1:6.) Horeb may be called the mountain of God because here is where He speaks to Moses and later gives His law. Or perhaps the Midianites have already given the mountain that name for reasons unknown to us. 2. 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. The angel of the Lord coming to Moses in a flame of fire is echoed in Psalm 104:4. That verse tells us that the Lord “maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.” Such a fiery manifestation may point to the later association of God’s presence and fire on this same mountain in the sight of the Israelites. At that time the fire will be much more intense (Exodus 19:18). 3. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. Moses is captivated by a bush aflame yet not consumed. Clearly something out of the ordinary is happening before his very eyes—it is a great sight. Who wouldn’t turn aside to take a closer look? What Do You Think? What are some ways to turn our church into a “burning bush” that draws people to Jesus? Points for Your Discussion Regarding how mutual love is demonstrated Regarding building and grounds appearance Regarding the nature of preached and taught messages Other B. Voice from the Flames (vv. 4, 5) 4. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. Verse 2 of our text speaks of “the angel of the Lord,” but the verse before us speaks of the presence of the Lord himself in the midst of the bush. Some believe the angel of the Lord to be a preincarnate appearance of Jesus. Moses’ sight has been captured by the burning bush; now his ears hear a voice. His name is called twice, which occurs on other notable occasions in Scripture: with Abraham just before he offers up Isaac as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:11), Jacob (Genesis 46:1-4), young Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10), and Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:4). Moses responds with a simple Here am I, even though he does not yet know who is calling to him. 5. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. The order to remove shoes (or sandals) because of holy ground is not unique to this verse. A similar command will be given to Joshua when the Lord prepares him for the task of conquering the promised land (Joshua 5:13-15). What Do You Think? What actions on our part can acknowledge our awareness of being in the presence of the God of all holiness (1 Peter 1:15, 16)? Points for Your Discussion Within the context of marriage and family During worship on the Lord’s Day During private devotions Other II. Divine Awareness (Exodus 3:6-10) A. Who God Is (v. 6) 6a. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses learns the reason why the ground on which he stands is holy: it is God who is speaking to him. In so doing, God first identifies himself with Moses’ father, Amram, of the tribe of Levi (Exodus 2:1; 6:20). Of even greater significance is God’s lordship with regard to Moses’ ancestors. We refer to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the patriarchs. It is the covenant that God made with them that now moves Him to come to the rescue of His enslaved people (Exodus 2:24). 6b. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. Moses’ reaction of fear is immediate. He had been eager to “see this great sight” before him (v. 3); now he shields his face from it as he learns who is speaking to him. Moses may well recall his ancestor Jacob’s surprise at being still alive after having “seen God face to face” on a particular occasion (Genesis 32:30). B. What God Knows (v. 7) 7. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows. God’s people—the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—have been in bondage in Egypt some 400 years at this point in time (Genesis 15:13; Acts 7:6). That God knows the sorrows of His people provides consolation for us today. We know that in Jesus we see a “man of sorrows” who “carried our sorrows” at the cross (Isaiah 53:3, 4). Even so, for God to note at this point that He knows of the affliction of His people in Egypt raises an immediate and obvious question: Why has He waited so long to come to their aid? Questions concerning God’s timetable or scheduling of events are not addressed in most cases in Scripture. Rather, the Scripture’s focus is more on learning to trust that the Lord will keep the promises He has made—and leaving the timing up to Him. Centuries later, Jesus’ inquisitive disciples will ask, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). His blunt response at that time will serve as something of a thump on the head: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power” (1:7). God’s servants are to focus on their duties, and predicting dates of the Lord’s return, etc., is not one of them (1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2; 1 Timothy 6:14, 15). What Do You Think? How do we eliminate hindrances that cause us to neglect relieving the suffering of others? Points for Your Discussion Regarding emotional suffering Regarding physical suffering Regarding spiritual suffering C. What God Intends (vv. 8-10) 8a. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. The Lord is moving from awareness to action. He is committed to delivering His people from Egyptian servitude. God is pictured as doing that by means of His own “strong” or “mighty hand” in Exodus 13:9; Deuteronomy 4:34; 5:15; 6:21. But the pending deliverance is not just from something but to something. God intends to bring His people to much different surroundings: a good land and a large, ... a land flowing with milk and honey. This is a fulfillment of God’s earlier promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:13, 14. The metaphor milk and honey speaks to the productivity and abundance awaiting the Israelites when they arrive in the new land. It will be a striking contrast to what came to be called the “iron furnace” known as Egypt (Deuteronomy 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51). 8b. Unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The most comprehensive list of the promised land’s inhabitants is found in Genesis 15:19-21. The presence of these competing people groups in an area about the size of the state of Vermont highlights both the instability of the area and the challenge the Israelites have ahead of them. These are peoples whom God will want the Israelites to eliminate. In so doing, the Israelites will be carrying out His judgment against them because of their extreme depravity (Deuteronomy 7:1, 2). 9. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. The Lord repeats the fact of His awareness. The all-knowing God is about to teach both His people and the Egyptians that He is no mere tribal or territorial deity. The children of Israel will eventually learn that their God is the God of all nations; the oppressive wickedness of Egypt draws God’s attention just as much as the well-being of Israel does. What God Still Sees A wave of fear cascaded across America on December 7, 1941. Two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized his Secretary of War to designate areas as “military zones.” One result was the forcible relocation of more than 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast. Of the internees, 62 percent were American citizens. Those held captive were released after the war, but it took decades for America to admit the injustice. In 1988, President Reagan signed a reparations act that acknowledged that “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership” all played a role in what had been done. Jacob’s family had gone willingly to Egypt to escape a famine. But 400 years later, they had become the victims of racial prejudice. The Egyptians feared that so many Israelites were a threat. So they enslaved the Hebrews to keep them under control (Exodus 1). These two episodes of history, separated by millennia, witness to the evil result of ungodly fear. But God is watching. —C. R. B. 10. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. No doubt Moses is grateful to hear about the Lord’s concern for His people in bondage. Now, however, God is recruiting Moses to implement the plan! III. Supernatural Provision (Exodus 3:11, 12) A. Moses’ Reluctance (v. 11) 11. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? Moses may have been more than willing to lead the people out of Egypt when he killed the Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-15). But that was 40 years ago, when he held some clout as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Acts 7:21-29; Hebrews 11:24). Now at age 80 (Exodus 7:7), he is but a lowly shepherd. Given his present status and age, surely he is not the kind of man whom God will send to confront the mighty Pharaoh and lead the Israelites to freedom, is he? Answering the Call The vast majority of those who run for elected office do so quite willingly. But that was not the case for Dwight D. Eisenhower following his success as Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe in World War II. Before the 1948 presidential election, both major parties mounted “draft Eisenhower” movements, trying to persuade him to run. President Truman even offered to serve as vice president if Eisenhower would accept the Democratic nomination for president. What convinced Eisenhower that he should run was the announcement by Senator Robert A. Taft of his own candidacy. Taft was an isolationist, but Eisenhower believed America needed to combat communism actively. Eisenhower finally affirmed, “I do not believe that you or I or anyone else has the right to state, categorically, that he will not perform any duty that his country might demand of him.” Moses was also reluctant: he tried to fend off God’s “draft Moses” call by focusing on his own lack of ability, even disability (see Exodus 3:13-4:13). But God would not take no for an answer. He still doesn’t. —C. R. B. What Do You Think? How do we recognize the difference between humble, honest self-doubt and mere lack of desire to “get involved”—or worse? Points for Your Discussion In circumstances that cry out for a leader In circumstances that desperately need more follower-participants B. God’s Reassurance (v. 12) 12. And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. Like many people in the pages of Scripture (including individuals we are studying this quarter such as Gideon and Jeremiah), Moses comes to learn that his sense of unworthiness does not disqualify him from the Lord’s service; if anything, it makes him just right for God’s holy purpose. Moses asks, “Who am I to go unto Pharaoh?” Therein lies the basis of Moses’ state of readiness. The key to delivering the Israelites from their bondage is not in who Moses is but in who God is and the certainty of His promise to be with Moses. Gideon (Judges 6:16) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:8) both receive similar assurances from God before they embark on their respective ministries. The promise of God to be with His people is one of the most significant in all of Scripture. It reminds us that our God is not a far-removed, unfeeling, fickle deity who leaves His people to fend for themselves in a world suffering from the ravages of sin. Ultimately this is demonstrated most powerfully in the birth of Jesus, who is Emmanuel, meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). This same Jesus will, by His own suffering at the cross, deliver humanity from the ravages of sin to allow us to enter the ultimate “promised land” of Heaven. There God will declare, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). God also provides Moses with a token (or sign) as part of His assurance: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. Indeed, Horeb (or Mount Sinai) will be the place where God assembles His people to establish His covenant with them and give them His laws (Exodus 19:2-6). What Do You Think? How do we know when we should actively seek out service opportunities vs. letting others seek us to serve in those ministries? Points for Your Discussion Regarding potential dangers of each approach Regarding potential benefits of each approach Regarding our motives Considering the nature of the opportunity Other Conclusion A. The With-ness in Our Witness When God chose Moses for leadership, did Moses anticipate the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat? Confronting the leader of a great empire was quite a task! Like Moses, we too can be intimidated by the seeming impossibility of our tasks. We can be intimidated into silence by peer pressure, social media, our workplace atmosphere, and other sources of opposition. But before we ask Who am I? let us remember who God is. Jesus concluded His commission to His disciples with these words: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). Moses was called to lead Israel from physical bondage to freedom. The church is called to lead people from spiritual bondage to eternal life. The God who assured Moses of His presence with him assures us of the same thing now. Jesus has done the hardest work; we point others to Him. B. Prayer Father, let us take courage from knowing that Your presence sustains us. May we never be so intimidated by troubled times that we lose sight of the one who is above us. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. C. Thought to Remember God’s promise to be with us still applies! Kid’s Corner Who Am I? July 2, 2017 Exodus 3:1-12 Exodus 3:1-12 & 13-17 (Exodus 3:1) Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. Most scholars believe that Mt. Horeb and Mt. Sinai are two different names for the same place because the Bible uses these two names interchangeably. Midian was a son of Abraham by Keturah, whom Abraham married after the death of Sarah. Perhaps these Midianite ancestors settled there generations earlier when Abraham sent his son, Midian, to live away from his son, Isaac. Jethro could have been a priest of the true God, because it seems most likely that God would send Moses to a home of true believers rather than to pagan worshipers, especially since Moses would marry a daughter of Jethro. (Exodus 3:2) The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. Moses knew how to lead sheep everywhere to find green pastures, and perhaps he had gone to the mountain of God before during his forty years of sheepherding in the area. He would have known all the flora and fauna there, and had never seen an actual burning bush, blazing with fire, that was not being consumed. The angel of the Lord may have been the Son of God prior to His conception and human birth as Jesus Christ. (Exodus 3:3) So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” Jesus (in Mark 12) and Stephen (in Acts 7) teach about Moses and the burning bush. Stephen calls Mt. Horeb, Mt. Sinai. Any normal bush, no matter how colorful, would not have sharply drawn away Moses’ attention as a bush that was burning and not being consumed, nor have drawn the mention by Jesus and Stephen in their teaching. Fire can be considered a sign of God’s holiness that purifies but does not consume, as was the case on Pentecost, when flames of fire rested upon the heads of the Apostles as the sign that each one had received the promised Holy Spirit. (Exodus 3:4) When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” In many translations, when LORD is in all capital letters, the name LORD refers to God’s name as Yahweh or Jehovah (YHWH in the Hebrew, without vowels). God called out to Moses by name. Moses’ name meant “son” from the Egyptian language or “brought forth,” for he was “brought forth” from the Nile River by Pharaoh’s daughter, when she providentially saved him from death. Later, Moses would “bring forth” God’s children out of Egypt. The Bible shows how God talks to people using real words and events on their level to communicate truth that we can understand generations later. (Exodus 3:5) Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” God puts limits on how we can come and how close we can come to Him; God sets the standards and conditions for a relationship with Him, for God is holy. God wanted the bare soles of Moses’ feet on holy ground. Sometimes we take off our shoes at the door of a home we visit, or at our own home, so we do not track dirt and mud onto a clean floor. This is particularly true in Japan, where we take off our shoes to show respect for the home and family, and to express the honor we feel bestowed on us to be invited into the home. We need to come into the presence of God with an even greater respect than that for Him. In the presence of God, we are standing on holy ground. (Exodus 3:6) He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. God maintains historical continuity so we can know the God with whom we speak. Moses knew what God was like in character and divine nature, because he knew the life stories of God’s dealings with the fathers of his faith and the Hebrew people. Moses would have learned these truths from his mother, and probably from Jethro (with perhaps a Midianite slant). Moses knew enough about the power and holiness of God to hide his face in fear, for Moses knew that he was a sinner: a sinner in exile from his people for a murder he had committed (among other sins). (Exodus 3:7) The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. From before Moses was born God planned and prepared for Moses to meet Him at the burning bush. Though born a Levite in Israel, God arranged for Moses to be raised as a son of Pharaoh’s daughter so Moses could learn to read and write, and so he would learn the language and the proceedings of Pharaoh’s court (compare Moses’ experience to Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” God observed the misery of His people throughout their time of slavery, and He helped them in many ways until the time came for God to free them from slavery and lead them into the Promised Land. God had told Abraham that his descendants would be oppressed 400 years, and since they were in Egypt 430 years, their oppression began about 30 years after Jacob and his family arrived in Egypt and after Joseph’s death, because the oppression began with a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph (see Genesis 15:13 and Genesis 12:40, 41). (Exodus 3:8) “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. The suffering Israelites cried out to God in prayer. God had always planned to hear their prayers, help them in their suffering, and meet their needs according to His perfect timing and in His perfect way, but God also expected them to call out to Him in prayer. Though the Egyptians were mighty rulers at that time, the LORD reigns so far above all rulers that He “came down” to deliver His oppressed people. They could not free themselves from slavery in Egypt any more than people can free themselves from slavery to sin. Those in slavery need a Savior, the LORD. God not only freed them from slavery, but God also led them to the good and fruitful land, called the Promised Land, that He had promised Abraham He would give to his descendants. God also taught them how to live in true freedom according to the Law that He gave Moses instead of in bondage to capricious kings who commanded how they would live each day. (Exodus 3:9) “Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. The LORD emphasized that the cry or the prayer of the Israelites meant something to Him and their cries and prayers did make a difference, even though He had told Abraham their future and had begun to free them from slavery even before the birth of Moses. Perhaps they had cried out to God for more than a hundred years, and not just during Moses’ lifetime. God not only heard their prayers, God also saw their oppression. God saw and knew that their cries were justified and real. God takes the oppression of any people very seriously, and God will hear the cries and prayers of all those who are oppressed in addition to seeing how they are oppressed. (Exodus 3:10) “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” God cares for all His people. God had planned for Moses to free His people from before Moses was born. He had prepared and given Moses the gifts he needed to confront Pharaoh and bring God’s people out of Egypt. However, God and Moses also knew that Moses could not do this by himself: Moses would need God’s help, and God was ready to help. God wanted to work through Moses to achieve His purposes, and God continues to work through His people today to achieve His purposes. (Exodus 3:11) But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” God knew Moses better than Moses knew himself. God saw Moses as a great leader that He had prepared for that particular moment in history. Moses saw himself as an exile from Egypt, a shepherd of sheep, a person who would never be given a friendly welcome in Egypt. Seeing himself as he saw himself, Moses asked the LORD, “Who am I?” God knew Moses, and God knew what He would make out of His humble servant. (Exodus 3:12) And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” In answer to Moses’ question, God promised, “I will be with you.” God being with him would solve all of his concerns and problems. When God is with us, no matter who we are, we can do whatever the true God asks or wants us to do. The sign God gave to Moses related to Moses’ future accomplishments. The sign God gave Moses was also a sign for the Israelites who would follow him, and also for all who would read the Bible later, because we know that God was with Moses and Moses did worship God on the mountain where Moses had met God after God had used him to free His people from slavery in Egypt. God did give Moses smaller signs to perform, but the greatest sign of all was worshiping God on that same mountain with a multitude of God’s people below. (Exodus 3:13) Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” Egypt had many gods (or idols) that the Egyptians worshiped. The Israelites worshiped the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but they did not know the official name of God that would set God, the LORD, apart from all the gods (or idols) that the Egyptians and others worshiped. Moses wanted to know the name of God so the Israelites would know what God was coming to their rescue, and so they could call upon and worship the true God by His true name. (Exodus 3:14) God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God gave Moses a name rich in later philosophical and theological meaning. Moses had asked God, “Who am I?” God gave Moses his name, “I Am Who I Am.” Moses depended on God for his existence, for being who he was and who he would become. The LORD did not depend on anyone or anything outside of himself for who He was and what He could and would do. The Egyptians worshiped the creation and various created things; such as the sun and the moon. God was and is the Creator of all and the foundation of all, including the sun and the moon. God exists. God self-exists: God does not depend on anyone or anything for His existence. God has “real existence;” whereas, idols have “no existence” apart from the materials out of which they are made by humans. When the LORD freed the Israelites from oppression in Egypt, He demonstrated the truth of what He would later inspire the prophets to declare: “Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor is it in them to do good;” “They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction given by idols is no better than wood!” and “Everyone is stupid and without knowledge; goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols; for their images are false, and there is no breath in them” (Jeremiah 10:5, 8, 14). (Exodus 3:15) God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. As a true prophet of God, God told Moses exactly what to say to the people and to Pharaoh. In addition to giving Moses His name, God wanted Moses to tell the people that He was not “a new god” that had met Moses on a mountain. Rather than being “a new god,” the LORD was the God Who had been with and had led their most important ancestors, the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The “LORD,” the “I Am Who I Am,” would be God’s name and official title forever. Later, Jesus the Messiah would often refer to himself as “I Am” (see John 6:51, and other verses in the Gospel of John). (Exodus 3:16) “Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. God told His prophet Moses exactly what to do as well as say. Moses was to work with and through the established leaders of God’s people in Egypt, who were also slaves in Egypt. Many of these leaders would be Levites, as were Moses and Aaron. Moses would need many faithful leaders to help him guide and govern such a host of people as they wandered in the wilderness and as he prepared them to enter the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. Moses would tell Pharaoh that they wanted to leave Egypt in order to worship the LORD, and they did go to worship the LORD where Moses had met the LORD on the mountain (in fulfillment of what God had promised Moses). (Exodus 3:17) “So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ God recognized and acknowledged to the Israelites that He saw their misery in slavery and He had heard their cries. God would give them the land He had promised them when He spoke to them through Moses. Because of their sins, the tribes Moses listed in Genesis 3:17 needed to be removed from the land (see Genesis 15:16—“And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” The LORD would help the Israelites possess the land, and God wanted the leaders and people to know that the land was good and productive. It fed cattle and produced crops that fed honeybees and produced much honey. Later, because of their sins, God would remove the people of Israel for their land and send them into exile as their prophets foretold and warned them. Who Am I? July 2, 2017 Exodus 3:1-12 “And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain’” (Exodus 3:12). When God appeared to Moses on Mount Horeb (Sinai), Moses was a fugitive from justice and a shepherd of his fatherin-law’s flock, but God spoke to Moses and told him to go to Pharaoh and bring His people out of Egypt. Moses responded by asking God, “Who am I?” (Exodus 3:11). Moses thought he was a nobody, and certainly not someone God could use to achieve such a mighty, seemingly impossible, deed! But it really did not matter who Moses thought he was, what mattered was God’s answer to Moses, “I will be with you.” Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Many generations before God sent Jesus into our world, God proved through Moses the truth of Jesus’ teaching; for indeed, Moses did all God told him to do because God was with him. God’s presence with Moses made the impossible possible. We may think or have been told that we are a nobody so we can’t do anything. But through faith in Jesus Christ, God will be with us and do through us what is impossible with man. Before Moses was born, God began preparing him to free His people from slavery. As an adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, God made it possible for Moses to learn everything about the Egyptian court. As believers, if we look back over our lives, we will recognize some of the ways God has prepared us to serve Him and others and we will worship Him. Thinking Further Who Am I? July 2, 2017 Exodus 3:1-12 Name ____________________________ 1. Ancient history records failed slave revolts in various kingdoms, why did the slave revolt of the Israelites in Egypt succeed? 2. The Bible tells us to pray for God to fulfill His promises, relate what you know about prayer to Exodus 3:9. 3. What are you doing or have you done for God and others that you would have never dreamed possible years earlier? 4. How do you think God might have been involved or be involved in what you have done or are doing for God to help others? 5. How would you feel and what would you think if God told you to do something and the sign that He was with you would be the eventual accomplishment of what He wanted you to do? That you would know God was with you by hindsight? [Think of God’s sign to Moses – that Moses would worship God on that same mountain with the Israelites after he had freed them from slavery in Egypt.] Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further 1. Ancient history records failed slave revolts in various kingdoms, why did the slave revolt of the Israelites in Egypt succeed?God was with the Israelites. God had foretold their slavery to Abraham. God keeps His promises. God heard their cries and their prayers. God saw their oppression. God planned to show that He was greater than all idols. God planned for the Messiah to be born to the tribe of Judah, so the Israelites and their history was especially planned by God to demonstrate His true nature and character that would lead to the salvation of all who would trust in the true God and His Messiah. 2. The Bible tells us to pray for God to fulfill His promises, relate what you know about prayer to Exodus 3:9. God heard the cries or prayers of His people. God saw their oppression. The people may have remembered God’s promise to Abraham about the length of their slavery, so they may have cried out to God to fulfill His promise to Abraham. The fact that God sees our real needs is important. The fact that God hears our prayers is important. The fact that God is both just and merciful is important. The fact that God keeps His promises is important. The fact that God wants to hear our prayers and especially hear us when we pray in accordance with His promises is important. Jesus gave us many promises regarding prayer that we can use when we pray (see Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; Luke 18:1; Luke 22:40). 3. What are you doing or have you done for God and others that you would have never dreamed possible years earlier?Writing a Bible Lesson Commentary and Bible Lessons that can be published freely on the Internet for others to use. Years earlier, the Internet had not been invented. 4. How do you think God might have been involved or be involved in what you have done or are doing for God to help others?I think God inspired me to want to study the Bible more than any other subject, and I think God inspired me to want to help others by making Bible Lessons and Bible Commentaries free for those who have Internet access. I think God inspired me and made it possible for me to learn how to use the tools I would need to put materials on the Internet. 5. How would you feel and what would you think if God told you to do something and the sign that He was with you would be the eventual accomplishment of what He wanted you to do?That you would know God was with you by hindsight? [Think of God’s sign to Moses – that Moses would worship God on that same mountain with the Israelites after he had freed them from slavery in Egypt.] I would probably feel a little uncomfortable from learning that some future accomplishment of mine would be the evidence that God was with me; however, when believers look back over their lives they can see how God was with them many times and helping and leading them. God also gave Moses some signs that he could perform immediately with his staff and the providential arrival of Aaron very quickly to help him by speaking for him. So, God used more than one way or sign to encourage Moses. We can look for these “smaller” types of signs or ways that the God of all creation is with us personally as we do what He wants us to do in His service Word Search Who Am I? July 2, 2017 Exodus 3:1-12 Name ______________________________ B W Y D I T L Y E D M O S E S V P H L C S D N H U A X Z F D Z G O G O P R X S N C O E O V M R R F I H J A G P T S W M W I O E J A E Q E E S F A E H O S U B S T G L B E L M C Z R K E N P H U M U I Y F I F E O N R D R J E S R X L V C T X K A Y O C A H P E O U H X M E O I E X F D C D C J C Q J F Z S D W K N J R K V T F U C G I L I P Q S F A O P H A R A O H R M K E B W U E L J X V M V S X E F Q J S A N D A L S C H Q K A X K Y Z D V S N A I T P Y G E Angel LORD Moses Jethro Midian Israelites Egyptians Horeb Flock Bush Fire Sandals Holy Ground Misery Rescue Priest Pharaoh True and False Test Who Am I? July 2, 2017 Exodus 3:1-12 Name _____________________________ Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them. 1. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, was a priest of Midian. True or False 2. Moses took long quiet, contemplative walks in the mountains by himself and was an avid mountain climber while his wife worked hard and tended their sheep. True or False 3. Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai may be the same mountain with two different names. True or False 4. Moses went to see a burning bush that did not burn up. True or False 5. The angel of the LORD saved Moses from being burned by a blazing brush fire. True or False 6. The LORD called to Moses from the burning bush. True or False 7. When he heard God call his name, Moses ran like a scared rabbit. True or False 8. The LORD told Moses to take off his sandals because he was on holy ground. True or False 9. The LORD expressed His concern for the Israelites because the Egyptians were oppressing them. True or False 10. Moses felt honored and was glad when the LORD commended his qualities as a leader who was able and prepared to confront Pharaoh and free God’s people from slavery in Egypt. True or False Answers to the True and False Test Exodus 3:1-12 1. True 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. False 6. True 7. False 8. True 9. True 10.False Prayer Father, let us take courage from knowing that Your presence sustains us. May we never be so intimidated by troubled times that we lose sight of the one who is above us. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

New Beginning First Service of 2017

Preach Pastor Butler

Having a good time at New Beginning Baptist Church

Pastor J.D. Butler preaching about Sick List

Pastor J.D. Butler bringing the word

Singing

New Beginning First Service of 2017

Preach Pastor Butler