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Moses and the Burning Bush: Understanding Your Calling in God's Work
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Good morning. It's a real pleasure to be here. I've been in the UK for the last ten days teaching and preaching, and the hospitality I've received has been wonderful. That's one of the things I love about the Jesus community—we can pick up with one another wherever we are, connected through Jesus and the Spirit. It makes this big world pretty small.
This morning, I want to share about everyday mission and God's calling on our lives. We're going to look at one of the more famous passages in Scripture: Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3. There's so much in this story that connects with what you're about to set out on as you begin this series and your work through Love Coline—connecting with the work God is doing.
The story begins in a really interesting place: the wilderness. Moses drove his flock into the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. Notice the setting isn't luxurious or optimal. He's out in the middle of nowhere, just watching sheep. The term "Horeb" in Hebrew means "dry place," "parched," "thirsty." This isn't the ideal location to meet God. He's not surrounded by community or friends. He's alone, out in the wilderness.
But here's what strikes me: It's on an ordinary day, doing a less-than-extraordinary task, that the most extraordinary event occurs. Moses is simply shepherding when God shows up.
Before we get to the famous burning bush, notice what sets the story in motion. God has heard the cries of His people languishing in Egypt under slavery. Injustice is what moves God to action. He's not sitting back, unattuned to what's happening. This matters.
Now, we often focus on the burning bush itself, but there's something even bigger about to happen in this story. God is about to take Moses—a former Egyptian prince—and use him to lead an enslaved minority to overthrow the most powerful nation on earth, without them picking up swords. In comparison, I think a burning bush sounds a little easier!
Moses notices something odd: a bush that is on fire but not consumed. What's remarkable is that Moses stops to look. He becomes intrigued. If you think about it, Moses's life would have been a lot easier if he'd just kept walking! But he stops. He's curious.
Here's the powerful part: Moses's curiosity leads to his calling. When the Lord saw that Moses had gone over to look, He called to him from within the bush. God noticed Moses's willingness to investigate what seemed out of place.
So let me ask you: Are you curious? When you see something that doesn't seem right, that seems out of place—do you stop and look? Or do you keep walking? That stopping, that noticing, is where God speaks and redirects our lives in profound ways.
Calling and vocation go back to an ancient Christian tradition. The idea is simple: God calls us into the work He is doing. How do we understand our work in light of what God is up to in this world?
There's a game in the States called "The Game of Life." You're born, you get married, you get a job, and you try to make the right choices to end up happy and wealthy. The problem? A lot of people follow that path perfectly and still end up jaded, disillusioned, and bored. They got the right cards, the right doors opened, but something's missing.
That's because we've missed the concept of vocation—the idea that our work matters to God and is part of His larger work of redemption. Our work in the office, the garden, the home, the hospital—all of it matters to God. We often think the "real calling" happens in church, but God's work is bigger. It's through the church and via the church, but it's for the world.
One fascinating detail: Moses isn't a recent graduate. Scholars believe he's about 40 years old at this point. He's not fresh out of university, thinking about what to do with his life. He's mid-life.
Here's what that teaches us: Calling is not "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Calling is "Where is God calling you right now?"
We often think, "I missed my calling. I didn't follow God in that way. Maybe I heard a faint call but didn't respond. Is God upset with me?" No. This isn't how God works. Moses was on his third job—living as a prince in Egypt, then as a shepherd, and now being called to be a liberator. Three completely different callings, not promotions but redirections.
You're never too late. Discovery happens whenever it happens. All God is excited about is your "yes" in this moment. Whether you're 40, 50, or any age—if you're listening now, that matters. Say, "I might not have been listening as closely as I should, but I'm listening now. What should I do?"
When God calls Moses, his response is just three words—but some of the most powerful words you can ever say:
"Here I am."
Just a simple response: Take me. Use me. Send me. The only response to the great "I AM" is "Here I am."
Let's look at what this calling actually entails. I think there are several elements in Moses's story that clue us into how God works in our lives.
Our calling begins with God. This isn't us sitting back, looking at options and picking the one that sounds good. God begins the work in our life. His purposes and plans are already running ahead of us. We're catching up to what God is doing, not leading the way.
"You're not forgotten. You're not unknown. You're not neglected by God. God knows you. God sees you. God hears you."
That's what we find in Exodus. God is already presently at work in you and around you. We've seen this through what God is doing in Colrain through this church. God is already at work in your town.
Here's the truth: For anyone in the community of faith, there is no uncalled life. God has greater and bigger plans for all of us. There's no one sitting on the sidelines. God knows and calls you by name, even if you believe you are unseen and uncalled. Much of our world says you might not matter. That is not how God sees you.
Moses simply responds, "Here I am." He doesn't ask for details or directions. He doesn't need everything mapped out. He says yes to the unknown.
Throughout Scripture, God calls people without giving them a GPS location. Abraham is told, "Go to the land that I will show you." Not very helpful! But it's a call to faithfulness, to follow.
How do we know how to be available? We don't do this alone. We have community. Often God speaks through the people He places in our lives—a friend who's more attuned to the Spirit, saying, "I think I see God working in you. I think you have this gift. Have you considered using it?"
Reach out this week. Say, "Hey, I think I hear God's voice calling. Can you help me interpret that? Have I been hearing this rightly?" The community around you can confirm what God is doing. They can see patterns you might miss. The community helps define and confirm your calling.
Moses also shows willingness to do whatever God calls despite not knowing the outcome. It's about to get really hard. People will complain. They'll say, "Moses, why don't you take us back to Egypt?" His calling will cost him.
That's the issue with our callings too—they come at a cost. They require us to take ourselves out of the driver's seat and say, "God, where are you going? I want to give these dreams, these hopes to you. I trust that you have something better." This places God back at the center, where He should be all along. It's His story that we enter into.
When Moses meets God, listen to what God says:
"I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."
God isn't just listing names. He's invoking an entire story. He's reminding Moses of what happened through Genesis, saying, "The story is unfolding. Your chapter is opening up."
Those names invoke God's faithfulness through the story and the promises He made to creation. He promised He would redeem what's been broken, restore what needs restoring, and reconcile where reconciliation is needed. Through Abraham's family, all the families of the earth would be blessed.
But here's the tension: The promises look unfulfilled. The family that was supposed to be a blessing to all nations is currently enslaved in Egypt. The promises look bleak, almost non-existent. But God says to Moses, "No, those stories are still ongoing. That story isn't done yet. I'm going to keep telling it."
Notice something crucial: Moses stands right in the middle—between God's promises and the unfulfilled reality of the world. The Israelites are in bondage, oppressed by the Egyptians. The promises of God are unfulfilled. But Moses, by saying "Here I am," becomes the hinge point. He's the one through whom God's promises will move forward.
This is where we stand too. What are we noticing and saying, "That's not right. This can't be what God has for our community, our town, our nation, our world. God, you made promises. May your kingdom come. But I'm looking out and I don't see it." And God is saying, "You're exactly at the place I want you. Will you say, 'Here I am'?"
This is a call to be invested in our world, invested in its problems. It's easy to turn our heads and look away. But we of all people have the good news that God is rescuing and restoring the world, putting broken people and places back together.
"You matter to the story. You deeply matter to the story."
Whether you're a student, retired, or in the middle of your career, God has a calling on your life.
Here's something critical: God doesn't rescue alone. God could have released the Israelites all by Himself, but He chose to partner with Moses. Moses was His witness and messenger. God is the power, but Moses is the voice. He's the one who goes to Pharaoh and says, "Let my people go."
Transformation is at the heart of God's work. The bleak and devastating moments of our lives are not the final chapter. God can write a new story because of His presence. God's presence transforms.
Remember when Moses encounters God at the burning bush? He's told: "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground."
But notice: It's not the place that's holy. It's God's presence that makes it holy.
Holiness sets things apart. It draws us in. And here's the powerful implication: There isn't a "God's space" and "our space." God's presence overlaps and intersects with everything. Moses's work becomes a holy space because God's presence shows up in it.
So think about your life right now:
All of it is holy because God's presence resides in you. Every moment is a chance to encounter God's presence. Your days can be seen in a new light. Whether you're changing diapers, preparing a meal, helping friends reconcile, preaching a sermon, or working in the marketplace—these are all holy moments. These are all ways you're working out your calling.
Let me end with another biblical story. We have Moses emerging from the wilderness, called and sent to liberate his people. But there's another story in the New Testament.
Jesus, the Messiah, also emerges from the wilderness to liberate His people—not just from political oppression, but from sin and death. Through Jesus, there's another great exodus.
But where's the fire in Jesus's story? That comes later. In the book of Acts, the fire comes to rest on the disciples of Jesus. That's God's presence indwelling them. And they're sent out to be witnesses of the coming kingdom.
Where is God calling you? That space where God's presence resides in you—your holiness—that's where your calling unfolds. God's presence transforms both space and conversation. Every moment becomes an opportunity to participate in His redemptive work.
Let me pray with you:
Dear heavenly Father, we are astounded at the storyteller that you are. You have told an incredible story, and we are amazed at how it has unfolded from time past through the disciples, through our lives, through our histories. God, we know you're still at work today. The story isn't finished. We know your kingdom is coming. This week, we pray we might find those moments where we hear you calling us. With boldness, by your Spirit, we might utter—maybe faint, maybe quiet, maybe broken—"Here I am." God, pique our curiosity. Allow us to see things as you see them. Allow us to see the brokenness, the pain. Lead us on an exodus—out of hatred, out of greed, out of isolation, out of fear. Lead us to where you are going. We're so thankful you don't give up on us, but call us into your presence. You gift us, and you call us, and you send us. We pray we might be faithful to that calling. Amen.
