METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA
DIOCESE OF OSOGBO
TWENTY-SECOND (22ND) SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME/TWELFTH (12TH) SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY 30TH
AUGUST 2020.
GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S
PEOPLE.
THEME: The Call to a Rescue Mission
Ipe si ise igbala
TEXT: Exodus 3:4&10
"So
when the Lord saw that he (Moses) turned aside to look, God called to him from
the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said,
"Here I am." Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that
you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.
"Nigbati
Oluwa ri i pe, o yipada si apakan lati wo o, Olorun ko sii lati inu aarin igbe
naa wa, o si wipe, Mose, Mose. O si dahun pe, emi o si ran o si Farao, ki iwo
ki o le mu awon eniyan mi, awon omo Israeli lati Egipti jade wa."
The mission of God (missio Dei),
according to the World council of churches affirmation, is for the fullness of
life for all creation (John 10:10). This mission is said to be too big, too large,
too deep and too high for a particular people, race, group or religion to
fulfill, hence our God has continued to recruit men and women, boys and girls,
old and young, and rich and poor to participate in his mission for the fullness
of life for all his creation. His aim is that all may be saved. Yes, I think
this aim of God is what Rev. John Wesley, the father of Methodism, meant when
he explained that certain aspects of the Christian faith required emphasis. And
according to him the distinctive emphasis on Salvation could be expressed in
four ways namely:
- All people need
to be saved (Rom. 3:23)
- All people can be
saved
- All people can
know they are saved
- All people can be
saved to the uttermost.
The
issue here is that God wants all human beings to be saved, but the question is
how can all be saved? Simple, faith in Jesus Christ and repentance from sin and
wickedness can bring salvation to all as intended by God who so loved the world
and gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish
but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Since then, our God has continued to
allow privileged people to participate in his mission for salvation of others just
as he called and recruited Moses in his rescue mission.
Moses
who was saved at birth by God and brought up miraculously in the Egyptian
palace (Ex. 2:1-10) later became an instrument of honour in God's hand (2Tim.
2:20&21). He had also spent about forty years in Midian serving as a
shepherd (Acts 7:23; Ex. 7:7). There is therefore no doubt that Moses would
have meditated on the hard experience of the Israelites, his own people, and
what God could do to save them during these forty years he was going around in
the field. Yes, he would have as well prayed for their deliverance without
knowing that he was the man to be used by God to rescue the children of Israel
from Egypt. It is important for us to note, today, that God calls people who
are busy and hard-working to join in his rescue mission. For instance, Gideon
was threshing grain when God called him (Judges 6), Samuel, the Prophet, was
serving in the temple when he was called (1Sam. 3), David was shepherding his
father's flock when he was called to be king over Israel (1Sam. 17:20). Elisha
was plowing (1Kings 19:19-21). Simon, Andrew, John and James were doing their
fishing business when Jesus called them (Mk. 1:16-20) and Matthew known as Levi
was collecting and recording taxes when he was called into the rescue mission
of God (Matt. 9:9). God, in his word, says nothing palatable about laziness
(Prov. 24:30-34; Matt. 25:26-27, 2Thess. 3:10-12). Who are you and what are you
doing? God needs people who are capable of rescuing the perishing and caring
for the dying. Those who are strong enough to challenge the devil and his
agents. He does not need lazy people who cannot rise to participate in any
serious mission like the one we are talking about today. Moses was found
available in the bush, and he was called and recruited into this all important
mission of God. Moses' call was dramatic and systematic. His call followed an
experience which can be simplified thus:
1) What Moses saw (Ex.
1:1-4): Moses saw a bush which was
burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. It became a great puzzle to
him at Horeb, the mountain of God. Yes, it is possible for God to take an
insignificant bush, set it on fire, and turn it into a miracle in the eyes of
his people to secure their attention. God used the scene to speak to Moses who
though weak for God's mission of deliverance, but could be made strong and able
by the empowering fire of God which we call the Holy Spirit today. (Ex. 19: 18;
24:17; Deut. 4:24; Judges 13:20; Heb. 12:29) God in his plan of Salvation had
arranged that through Moses, he would rescue Israel, the light of God in the
world, who was persecuted and afflicted as noted last Sunday in Exodus Chapter
One, but not consumed like the burning bush seen by Moses in today’s Old Testament
reading. Christians are the light of the world today (Matt. 5:14) who are being
persecuted but not consumed. The Lord is looking for people who will rise and
save his people so that he can have more people in his rescuing mission in the
world, especially at this end time when Christians are being afflicted almost
everywhere in the world. What are you seeing my dear brethren? Are you also
seeing bush which is set ablaze, but not consumed in Nigeria? Open your eyes
and look very well, you will see your brothers and sisters being persecuted,
though not yet consumed altogether. Who knows the reason you are alive today?
Who knows why God did not allow CONVID-19 to destroy or attack you? (Esther
4:14) God wants you to see a need in Nigeria and the world at large which will
move you to rise and join others on a divine rescue mission. Join now, tomorrow
may be too late.
2) What he heard (Ex.
3:5-10): Having spoken to Moses in
figurative expression through the burning bush, God also spoke to him in words.
He assured Moses that he was the God of his fathers and that he had seen the
oppression of the Jews in Egypt. He told him of his readiness to rescue his
children from their afflictors and take them out of suffering to a land flowing
with milk and honey. He then commissioned him since he had registered his
availability to do God's will when he said, "Here am I" in verse 4 of
Exodus Chapter 3. He told him to go and lead the children of Israel out of
suffering in Exodus 3:10. God is also speaking to someone today to come and
participate in his rescue mission for fullness of life. He wants people with
genuine love (Rom. 12:9) and passion for others in this corrupt world. Men and
women who will rescue the perishing and care for the dying, and tell the world
that Jesus saves. Those who are not lagging in diligence, but fervent in spirit
and ready to serve the King of kings (Rom. 12:11). God is calling you and me,
did you hear him or his call?
3) What he did (Ex.
3:11f): One would expect Moses to
respond like Isaiah, "Here am I, send me." (Isa. 6:8), but instead of
simple submission to God's will he argued and complained. He tried to escape
God's call to go and rescue Israel from Egyptian slavery. You may recall that
Moses had tried to use his position and self-power to rescue Israel from
bondage about 40years ago while in Egypt (Ex. 2:11f), but it was not God's
time. Now that God was ready to use him for what he had tried to do on his own
but failed, he started giving reasons why he could not accept God's call like
many of us are doing today. What are the excuses of Moses to escape God's
rescue mission? Are they yours today or some other excuses?
a. Who am I? (Ex. 3:11&12) Moses struggled with his identity.
He felt he was not qualified for the job. However, what Moses thought of
himself was not really important in God's mission. What matters is what God has
said. Brethren, whenever God calls you to join in his mission for fullness of
life for his Creation, do not hesitate. Don't look at yourself, because all you
will see is insufficiency and failure, but look at Jesus Christ the author and
finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2), and rely on his promises for success and
victory. (Josh. 1:5; Isa. 41:10; 43:5)
b. Who are you? (Ex. 3:13-22) Here, Moses felt a lack of
intimacy with God. He had not known God enough so as to determine or perceive
what he could do. God can do beyond our imaginations, just trust him and join
his army to fight Satan, sin and the flesh. The one calling you today is the
God of all seasons, the beginning and the end (Heb. 13:8; Rev. 22:13).
c. What if they don't believe me (Ex. 4:1f) Moses was
concerned about his credentials before the Jewish leaders. He felt intimidated,
but God assured him of his presence and gave three signs which convince the
people (Ex. 4:3f). The rod in his hand was to do the miracles, because it has
been filled with God's power unknown to Moses himself. Go ahead, answer God's
call and be prepared to go on his mission, you will certainly see his power in
action.
d. I have never been a good speaker (Ex. 4:10). Never
complain of your disability whenever God calls you. He created you and know
what you don't know (Ex. 4:11&12).
e. I know you can find someone else to go (Ex. 4:13). Moses
felt inferior here as he compared himself to others. Men and brethren stop
comparing yourself to others when he calls you, but believe him and answer his
call. Definitely you will not regret you did. It is good to count the cost of
participating in his mission (Matt. 16:24-28), but it shouldn't discourage you
from accepting to go on rescue mission for the Lord because God will reward all
our works of love (Heb. 6:10) Jesus Christ is calling you, he is calling me and
he is calling all of us who see and hear him every day to come and go for him.
He is calling us out of our own challenges of life. The divine call to God's
rescue mission is summarized by Cecil F. Alexander (1823-1895) in hymn written
in Methodist Hymn Book numbered 157 (YMHB 219)
Let us pray
Rt.
Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.
Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.
OS-CAN Chairman.
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