Title: The Great “I AM”

Text: Ex 3:11-15

Introduction:

A few weeks ago I preached a sermon about what Jesus taught about Himself. I mentioned that in Johns gospel Jesus taught about His deity using what we refer to as the great “I Am” Passages. There are Seven of them I preached on them two years ago

                        I am the Bread of Life 6:35

                        I am the Light of the World 8:12

                        I am the door of the sheep 10:7

                        I am the Good Shepherd 10:11

                        I am the resurrection and the Life 11:25

                        I am the Way, the Truth and the Life 14:6

                        I and the Vine 15:5

“The expression “I am” used by Jesus is the same Greek wording used in the LXX, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, to translate the name God used to identify Himself to Moses in this passage. John emphasized the strong relationship between the revelation of God to Moses in Old and the revelation of Jesus to the world in the New Testament. In order for us to fully comprehend the importance of Jesus’ teachings through the I Am passages we need to look back to Moses encounter with God in the burning bush.

Moses was 80 years old (Ex 7:7). He was tending sheep for his father-in-law Jethro when he encountered God in the burning bush on Mt Horeb. Moses was mesmerized by the sight of a bush burning but not consumed. He was afraid when God identified Himself and called him to come closer and he was no doubt shocked, to say the least, when the Lord announced He had chosen him to return to Egypt to free the Israelites.

Moses began making excuses why he couldn’t go, we pickup the dialogue in verse 11 of Ex chapter 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?"

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."

13        Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall 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?"

14        And 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.'"

15        And 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.

God’s reply to Moses carried great significance. A person’s name was a summation of his or her character: Abram - “exalted father” was changed by God to Abraham which means “father of a multitude.” The name Moses meant drawn out or rescued, Joshua means “Yahweh is salvation,” and Jesus is the Greek rendering of the name Joshua. Pagan nations generally named their gods, indicating the nature or character of the god. The Egyptians in particular appropriately named the various idols they worshiped. In particular was Ra the sun god. While the Pharaoh ruled, he was the Son of Ra, the sun god, and the incarnation of the god Horus. The Lord, through the use of the name Yahweh, revealed to Moses the time-less, unchanging nature of the one and only God of creation, the one true God of eternity. Indicating He was the God of the past, the present and the future, and also emphasized His personal relationship with humanity

I. God is God of the present:

God was saying to Moses I am the God of the now. He was assuring Moses of His abiding presence with him as he carried out the divine mission.

God wanted Moses to go assure the Israelites He (Yahweh) is a very present help. God is always available for His people. He is not locked in the past with what used to be. He is the god of now and what can be. He had heard their cries and would deliver them.

Moses, who was also concerned about his personal ability to carry out such a task, was being assured that he was going on mission in God’s strength and not his own and it was that strength he was to rely on to accomplish God’s purpose.

The Lord is God of your present right now. We look back to the monumental work of Christ on the cross, but God didn’t cease to work after that. Today, right now, He knows your desires, your doubts, your fears, your failures, your victories, your anger, your obedience, your sin. He promised to never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5) Jesus said to the disciples when he gave them the “Great Commission in Matt 28:20 “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (NAS) He is with us today, just as He was with Moses in Egypt and with the disciples.

In John 14:16 Jesus explained His continual abiding presence with believers would come through the giving of the Holy Spirit. " He said, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; “ (NAS) As we have seen time and time again the Holy Spirit is not an inanimate, impersonal force, rather ‘He” the Bible says will be with you forever. “He” is the third person of the Trinity, the manifestation of God in spiritual form within the lives of believers. And He cares for you. Jesus said in Matt 10:29-31: "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And {yet} not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (NAS) The Lord is God of the present

II. God also implied He is a God of the past.

But, history is important, while God is not locked in the past He wanted to make clear to Moses that He had not changed. He was the same God who led, blessed and made covenant with his forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The New Testament affirms the same truth for us in Heb 13:8, the Bible says: “Jesus Christ {is} the same yesterday and today, {yes} and forever.” (NAS) The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. The God Gen is 1:1 is the Alpha and the Omega," of Revelation (1:8; 22:13) the first and the last, the beginning and the end. who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (NAS)

By specifically referring to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob God emphasized, not only His continuity, His timelessness and His unchanging nature, but also His relational nature toward mankind. He is not just the God of the universe but He is the God of people. Each person mentioned has specific qualities that people can relate to.

The Israelites were keenly aware of the significance of Abraham in their history. We see in the New Testament the pride of being children of Abraham. He was the father of the nation. He was the shining example to the people of moral and ethical character and conduct. God spoke to him and made covenant with him. He was a special person.

Isaac on the other hand was overshadowed by both his father Abraham and his son Jacob. You might say he was the least among them. He is most often remembered as the link between Abraham and Jacob. God was saying to the people, I am the God of the least important as well as the most important. Maybe important isn’t a good word choice God is a God of the least known as well as the best known. You don’t have to be somebody special to be special in God’s eyes.

The Bible says God does not show partiality (Rom 2:11;) That’s a good thing for most of us. Jesus said, God so loved the world whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Peter affirmed the words of Jesus in his sermon at the temple in Acts 10 saying: "I most certainly understand {now} that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.” (Vv. 34-35; NAS) Peter is using an Old Testament expression of the person viewed as truly godly to explain that salvation has come to Gentiles as well as Jews. He’s not referring to works righteousness but internalized faith. God is not just God of the Hebrews but the Gentiles as well. God is not just God of the Abraham’s of the world He is God of the Isaac’s too.

The third person mentioned by God is Jacob. Jacob’s life was characterized by deceit and dishonesty. His names means supplanter and it reflected his character and his deeds. Yet when Jacob encountered God by the river Jabbok in Gen 32 his life, his character and his name were changed. No longer was he known as supplanter He became know as Israel – “Prince of God.” God is the God of changed lives - no matter how dark or ugly or sinful their past. No one is beyond the reach of God, no one is beyond God’s ability to change their heart. God redeemed and used a prostitute named Rahab, He used a tax collector named Matthew, He used the great persecutor of the church named Paul. Throughout history God has redeemed men and women society considered outcasts changed their lives and used them in spreading the gospel.

God wants us to know the God of the past, the Creator, the Redeemer of history is still on the throne of heaven today redeeming whoever will call upon His name.

III. God is God of the future

There is a third thing revealed in the name Yahweh that is God is God of the future as well as the past and present. The promises made in history are equally valid in the present and in the future. God is immutable or unchanging He is also eternal without beginning and without end. God has no limits in time of space.

God was saying to Moses, your assignment, or your mission, is to be faithful and obedient now. The outcome, or results, of your obedience, which is in the future, is in my hands. That’s what God says us to us – be faithful now to whatever I have called you to and let Me worry about the outcome. We may never know or see the results of our faithfulness or how God uses it to His glory. But, the future is His. Even though the Israelites were slaves and the Egyptians had a mighty army; even though Moses couldn’t see any way possible he could get Pharaoh to let God’s people go. God said trust me for the future.

Twenty years ago I never dreamed that I would be or could be a preacher let alone a pastor. I couldn’t see anyway my life could touch people in South Carolina, much less in Texas, or Nebraska. I never envisioned I would go to Brazil not once but three times and people would come to Christ as a result of my preaching. And just eleven years ago I never dreamed God would call me to Nebraska yet the future was always His and my call was to be faithful.

From the beginning of creation God’s plan for the future has been unfolding throughout the pages of history. He has used men and women of great wealth and influence and power, he has used men and women no one can remember. He has used men and women who were the “worst” of sinners. Some have gone on to great notoriety; some have labored all of their lives in obscurity; some have been given seemingly easy assignments, some have been called to give their lives, they were called to different tasks, but all were called to be faithful and obedient.

While Israel was in bondage, Israel’s future was not as slaves in Egypt. God had a purpose and a plan for the nation. God wanted Moses to tell the nation He was God of tomorrow. It’s an old cliche but a true one we don’t know what tomorrow holds but we know who holds tomorrow. God open’s doors and He closes doors. God presents us with opportunities and choices.

We must learn from the past, live in the present and look forward with hope for the future, because Yahweh, Almighty God, Our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ is the Great I AM. God of past, present and future. The Christ of the cross is Christ of the present and the future. Will you give Him your now and trust Him completely for your future. Will you trust Him today.

#317 Only Trust Hiim