In this lesson let us see how God called Moses when he was 80 years old (Exodus 7:7), and how Moses had to overcome his excuses in order to serve God.

1. Who Am I?

C: The first excuse Moses made was that he was a nobody, so how could God use him?

Exodus 3:1-6
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.
3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."
5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."
6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

C: God appears to Moses in a burning bush, and tells him to take off his shoes, because the place he was standing on was holy ground (vv.4-6).

C: God appears to us sometimes, too. We didn't expect it, but one day God called us through the person who invited us.

Q: What was Moses' first reaction to God? [Moses was afraid (v.6).]

C: But Moses didn't run away. Let's see what he did next.

Exodus 3:7-12
7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.
8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
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."

Q: What did God say in v.7? [He had seen the misery of his people.]

C: Sometimes we think that God can't see the suffering of this world. But the Bible teaches that God hears our cries and sees our suffering, and he is concerned about it (vv.7-9).

Q: What was God's solution to their suffering (v.10)? [He decided to send Moses.] Notice Moses' answer in v.11 he asked "who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

C: Moses feared his own inadequacy. In verse 12, we see God's solution to our inadequacy: "I will be with you." If you are walking on a dark road late at night, you appreciate if a big brother walks with you. God is our big brother. Without him we are nothing, but with him we are more than conquerors!

Every college, every building, every house, every road, every shop, every mountain, every river, every stone, every tree, every flower, every blade of grass, every animal, and every man belongs to him. We have nothing to fear. So let's go out confidently to preach the word, because though we are nothing by ourselves, Almighty God is with us!

2. What Shall I Tell Them?

C: Moses was afraid that he did not know all the answers.

Exodus 3:13-15
13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"
14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, '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, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

C: Moses is afraid he does not know enough to go. God replies that the message is simple "I am who I am."

We don't need to know the whole Bible before we obey. We just need to obey. We can't spend our whole lives thinking about what is right. When we do what is right, God will clear all our doubts, one by one. When we pray and read the Bible, it helps us to get to know Jesus better, and it gives us confidence when we share our faith with others.

3. What If They Don't Believe Me?

C: Moses is afraid that others will criticise him and not believe him.

Exodus 4:1-3
1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?"
2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied.
3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.

Moses fears others won't respond. God shows him that he has power (v.3). We do, too!

Q: What kind of evidence do we have that the Bible is true? [The Bible record of miracles, evidence of our own changed lives, the Holy Spirit.]

C: The amazing thing about the Bible is that it is so reasonable and true. Any logical man who listens to the Bible with an open mind will agree that it is the truth. It is different from any other book. If you don't know what to do, just preach the word of God to people, and it will touch their hearts.

4. "I Have Never Been Eloquent."

C: Like many of us, Moses doubted his own talents.

Exodus 4:10-12
10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."
11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

Moses fears he won't be talented enough to speak well. God shows him that He will help Moses to speak. According to Luke 21:15, God helps us to speak, too!

Luke 21:15
For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

Q: What are some weaknesses that make us lose our confidence?
- Physical deformities
- Bad eyesight
- Bad teeth
- School failures
- Blemishes on our faces
- Not having much education
- Not coming from a "high" family
- Not good in sports

C: It does not matter what weaknesses you have. God helps us to follow Jesus and preach His word.

5. "O Lord, Please Send Someone Else To Do It."

C: Moses was lazy.

Exodus 4:13-15
13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."
14 Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you.
15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.

Moses' real excuse emerges he doesn't feel like going.

Q: How did the Lord react to this (v.14)? [God is angered by our fear and continued excuse-making. There is no valid excuse. Jesus taught this, too Luke 9:57-62.]

Luke 9:57-62
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59 He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Q: What are some things people do when they want to avoid their spiritual responsibilities?
- They'll blame their family: "I can't come because of my father..."
- They'll disappear without giving a new address.
- They'll stay at a friend or relatives' house without keeping in touch.
- They'll stay at work late the nights of meetings and studies.
- They'll get critical of the leaders.
- They'll say, "I'll be committed later, after my exams/money problem is over/father gets happy."

C: If God had someone else to send, he would not be calling us! We are God's only hope for Delhi, just like Moses was the only hope for Israel in Egypt.

6. "I Speak With Faltering Lips."

C: Here Moses is saying, "I've failed before, how can I succeed now?

Exodus 6:6-12
6 "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'"
9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.
10 Then the LORD said to Moses,
11 "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country."
12 But Moses said to the LORD, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?"

C: Here God gives Moses a powerful message for the Israelites, that He will rescue them. But they do not believe Moses. They are discouraged by their slavery (v.9).

Sometimes when people are poor and oppressed, they don't listen to the truth because they are so burdened by their problems. So when God told Moses to go and challenge Pharaoh (vv.10-11), Moses asked God, "How will Pharaoh listen to me if my own people won't even listen? I speak with faltering lips."

Exodus 7:1-7
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.
3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt,
4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.
5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it."
6 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.
7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. God explained in Exodus 7:1-7 that it did not matter whether or not Pharaoh would listen. What mattered most was that Moses should speak courageously, and then the Israelites would see God's judgement on those who refuse to obey, like Pharaoh.

C: So forget your failures, your fears, and your past. God will make us win!

Conclusion

We must learn from Moses not to make excuses when God calls us.