Part II: God Knows Our Uncertainty

Sermon Title: God Knows Our Uncertainty

Good News Statement: “God revives our faith in moments of uncertainty.”

Preached: Sunday, July 18, 2021 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Today’s scripture reading comes from Exodus chapter 3 verses 1 thru 15. Listen to what the LORD is saying:

3 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 wilderness 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.

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.” 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 you shall call me from generation to generation.

 

Introduction:

            This morning were are going to continue to play our game of “Guess Who” or “Who Am I” by looking at three individuals who either second guessed their actions or who were uncertain about their calling because of unexplainable life circumstances. Like last week, if you know the answer before I finish giving the clues, remember to hold them in until I ask “who am I.” Are there any questions?

Here’s our first one: Who am I? I am a fictional superhero who first appeared in American comic books published by DC Comics. I was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster and modeled after Douglas Fairbanks (an American actor) and Harold Lloyd (also an American actor). I made my first appearance in the comic book Action Comics #1 in 1938. I was not born on planet earth. As a matter of fact I was born on a planet that is named after my weakness, but is now destroyed. As a baby I was sent to earth in a small spaceship and was adopted by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent who lived in Smallville. While trying to save humanity, I was torn between saving the people and saving the love of my life. My iconic colors of red and blue and giant ‘S’ are recognized throughout the world. Who am I? Superman or Clark Kent.

Here’s number two. Who am I? I am not a superhero-per-say although some may call me a superhero. I was born on February 12, 1809 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. In 1816, I moved to Indiana with my family where we farmed 80 acres. Then in 1830, fearing another milk sickness outbreak, I moved west to Illinois. While living in Springfield, I met and married Mary Todd Owens and together we had four children—only one, our first born, would live to maturity. I was known because of my height, for wearing a top hat, for being the 16^th President of the United States (1861-1865), for giving one of the shortest speeches in political history—“The Gettysburg Address,” 2 minutes and 47 seconds, approximately 272-words—and for setting the slaves free by passing “The Emancipation Proclamation.” I was later assassinated in Ford’s Theatre by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. At the time of my death, people were calling me “the Moses of our time.” Who am I? Abraham Lincoln.

Lastly, here’s number three. Who am I? I am a Biblical “prophet.” As a matter of fact some would say that I am one of the most important prophets of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Bahá’í Faith, and a number of other Abrahamic religions. I was the leader of the Israelites, freed them from the bondage of Egyptian Pharaohs, lead them through the wilderness and dessert for 40 years until they came to a “land flowing with milk and honey”—even though I never got to experience it. I am the only one who broke all Ten Commandments at once…when I dropped the tablets on the ground, that is! My name in Hebrew means “to draw out” which makes sense since I was drawn out of the water in a basket. I was amazed by a bush that was on fire but was not consumed; I sent ten plagues on Egypt; and I even split a sea; but I was uncertain, at first, why God called me to save His people. Who am I? Moses.

Superman,, Abraham Lincoln, and Moses are all considered “heroes” in some fashion, but their heroism could not have existed without experiencing a certain levels of uncertainty. Have you ever felt uncertain? Have you ever questioned God’s decision? Have you ever looked up to heaven and said “What if God?” What if I pray harder, what if I give more to charity, what if I forgive those who have trespassed against me, or what if I support the single mother of two children who is working three jobs, who is too tired to be involved in her children’s lives, and who only makes enough to put a single meal on the table each day? What if Lord? What if…?

What if I do these things, Lord, can my uncle be given one more breath, could my brother be given your eminence to forget about his past, could the twins, who passed away at birth, be alive to experience their baptism, could I gain the strength and wisdom to lead your people to the Promised Land? “ What if…? I am sure we have had questions like this or have made similar pleas to God. At some point in our walk with Christ, we have been uncertain. But through our uncertainty, God has revived our faith.

 

Opening Prayer: Let us pray…. Dear Heavenly Father, we humbly come before today seeking answers to our uncertainty. Although we are all faithful followers of Your Word, Spiritual leaders for generations present and yet to come, and earthly receptors of your love and grace, there have been times in our life where we wavered from Your faith: we have sunk in the water, we have doubted your call, and we have certainly gotten lost. But we know, that through You and in You, You have always been there.  Lord, I pray that my words will fall to the ground so that Your words will prevail and triumph over my own. Lord, we pray this in your heavenly name, Amen.

 

Body:

Uncertainty at work and throughout the business world has made us all think differently about the decisions we make and risks we take.  When you are faced with the unknown it forces you to think more critically about how to manage change, deal with adversity and prepare yourself for the unexpected.   Uncertainty is more constant than you think and how you deal with it defines your path towards happiness and success.

According to Forbes Magazine, “The post-2008 economy was the ultimate wake-up call most people were unprepared to face and this created the new realities that we have all been forced to adjust to, both at work and in our daily lives.” What Forbes author Glenn Llopis was hinting at back in 2012 when he wrote this article was even more relevant this past year than almost nine years ago. COVID-19 was the sole creator of our uncertainty.

COVID-19 not only caused fear and panic, but it generated an amount of uncertainty that caused us to think about our lives in relation to the promises set forth by God. COVID-19 did things to our lives that we thought would never happen. COVID-19 challenged all of us to find an ounce of happiness in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. COVID-19 either pushed us further away or brought us closer to God. However, along the way, the uncertainty of the past has certainly taught us a lot about ourselves, about others, and about God in our lives.

Thinking about the idea of uncertainty, let’s ponder how the beginning call of Moses to becoming a prophet sets the stage for God reviving our faith in times of uncertainty. Even during the Late Bronze Age of the Israelite history (ca. 1400-1200BCE), when supposedly the exodus took place, uncertainty cloaked the ways and actions of God; and Moses was there to prove such a claim.

The third chapter of Exodus begins by informing us that Moses was a shepherd in verse one. Not only was Moses a shepherd, but he was the shepherd of his father-in-law’s flock. A similar situation took place in Genesis chapter 28, if you remember, when Jacob had to work for Rachel’s father before they were to be wed. Now, if you remember from Exodus chapter two, Moses marries the daughter of Jethro, Zipporah, after saving Jethro’s daughters from other shepherds. Not only does he save them, but he fills their buckets with water. And because of his actions, Moses is promised one of Jethro’s daughters to marry. Now, it appears that Moses is certain about his actions. But is he certain about leading the flock to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God?

The story continues: when Moses got to Mount Horeb, or the mountain of God, an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush. This very bush was not consumed by the fire. Moses responds by saying “this is a great sight” or in other translations, “this is a strange sight” or even “I can’t believe this! Amazing” as the Message Bible proclaims. It appears that Moses’ uncertainty is cloaked by his curiosity and wonderment. Moses is not concerned with his daily task of shepherding the flock—after all the author of Exodus makes no mention of Jethro’s flock after verse one. (And yet, Moses is chosen to lead God’s flock when he forgets about the one he is tending.) Instead, Moses is caught in the realm of God’s presence. Biblical scholars refer to this verse as the “theophany of God.” Theophany is a fancy word that means a visible manifestation of God. I don’t know about you, but if I saw a burning bush that was not being consumed by the fire in which has engulfed it, I would be curious too; however, I think fear would settle in rather quickly and quite possibly the notion of this is nothing but a dream. Moses is unaware of what it is to come next.

At this point, God has got Moses’ attention. It is almost as if God has lured Moses in and Moses has taken the bait. After reading verse three, all I could think about is the moving Bug’s Life. When Flik, the misfit ant, is “sent” on a quest to find “warrior” bugs to protect the colony from Hopper, played by Kevin Spacey, there is a scene, with the iconic pizza planet truck from Toy Story parked next to a trailer, where two bugs are buzzing around a light. One of the bugs says, “Harry, don’t go to the light.” And Harry responds, “I can’t help it. It is so beautiful.” The next thing you know, Harry is zapped and screaming as he falls into an abandoned tin cup. Moses is Harry, except Moses is not zapped. Instead Moses has been attracted to the light and there is no turning back. Moses is attracted to the light of God like so many of us are.

We are all attracted to the light of God, aren’t we? When we read scripture, we are reminded of God’s light through numerous signs, miracles, and righteous moments. We are reminded of the miracle that died on the cross, that rose on the third day, and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. It is almost as if we, ourselves, have been zapped by the light of God. But instead of screaming, we stand in awe and wonderment at something that is indescribable.

Then, something happens. The voice of God calls out to Moses saying, “Moses, Moses.” And Moses responds, “Here I am.” Without hesitation, without contemplation, without compartmentalizing, without saying “give me a second God,” Moses responds: He responds by saying “Here I am.” How many of us here today would respond right away if God called your name?

This rather famous line, “Here I am,” is not uncommon in scripture. As a matter of fact, these three words appear at least six times in scripture. Abraham says these words when being told to sacrifice Isaac; Jacob responds to God in a dream by saying “here I am”; Moses responds to God with these words; Samuel says “here I am” before anointing Kings Saul and David; Isaiah reacts to God’s commission by stating “here I am”; and finally, Ananias answered God in this fashion when God communicates with him to tell Paul about Jesus in the book of Acts. These three simple words are few but they are powerful; and they are often said without hesitation or contemplation. Will you be able to say these words, without hesitation, when God calls you?

Thinking about being willing to respond to the call, I am reminded of what it was like to be a Hospital Chaplain. For the span of ten months I did something that I feared but came to love. Being immersed in hospital settings was never something I was looking forward to doing. I mean, I wasn’t suggesting to my friends that we go hang out at the hospital on a Saturday night hoping to get free jell-o or even lemon icies. I tried to keep my distance from hospitals. However, that changed when I had my appendix removed three years ago, and then a week later I was back in the hospital because of a bowel obstruction. Sitting there hooked up to machines and praying that I would get through this simply invoked my discomfort of hospitals. Nevertheless, I still became a chaplain. I answered the call to meet with patients and family who were experiencing different stages of life. But I was uncertain about what I could do to help God’s people in a time of desperate need.

Fast forwarding, Moses has responded to God because he was attracted by the light, and now God is telling Moses that He is tired of hearing the cries of his people as they are enslaved by the cruelties and realities of Egyptian life. In verse nine, God affirms why he is calling Moses. And in verse ten, God simply says, “So come, I will send you…” Moses is being sent to deliver God’s people. Like a prophet or in Greek prophetes (projhths) is sent to share and declare God’s message to the people, Moses is being sent to bring the message of God to the Israelites. Exactly what we are called to do. But then, Moses becomes uncertain. Whether Moses’ uncertainty stems from his “slow of speech and slow of tongue” as stated in chapter 4 verse 10 and later chapter 6 verse 13, or because of the reality that he does not know what to call the voice from the bush, Moses is uncertain. After all, he ditched his father-in-law’s flock. How can he be responsible for the flock of God?

As a matter of fact, Moses questions God. Moses asks, “Who am I that should go to Pharaoh?” Who am I that should change the life of thousands of people? Who am I that I should lead these people to safety, to convince the Pharaoh to “let my people go”? Who am I to become the one who is sent on your behalf? Moses is probably thinking to himself, “God, man, you have got the wrong guy for the job.” But God knew otherwise.

Being present with families as they watch their loved one enter the kingdom of heaven, saying amen as someone takes their last breath, listening to a twelve year old girl repeatedly ask while tears stream from her eyes, “Why God? Why God? Why God?” I often told God, you have the wrong person for the job. Running from one floor to another floor to convey messages between a husband and wife who have both been diagnosed with COVID-19, I told God please send someone else. Baptizing twins who passed away during birth, sitting in a room with crying and devastating parents and grandparents as they mourn this horrendous event, and praying with parents who know the fatal outcome of a birth caused me many times to be uncertain of why God sent me to be with these innocent people during this tragic and unforgettable event. As a chaplain I was uncertain about a lot of things because I did not have the answers to the questions that I was asked when devastation arrived. Moses didn’t have the answers as his people were being tortured and bruised.

Being a chaplain made my uncertainty real. With every visit, whether bad, good, confusing, joyful, or uncertain, I became more like Moses. Watching my brother go from rock bottom to having a job, to getting to know cousins who were ashamed to be around the family because their father committed suicide just after killing their mother, to experiencing a death of either a friend or family member each month from February to now, to giving my first funeral service for my cousin, being uncertain became real. It almost became a way of life. I found myself asking “who am I.” Have you ever asked that question?

Even though Moses was uncertain, God reminded him in verse 12 that “I will be with you.” God will not only be with Moses now, but God will be with Moses “for all generations” and that God’s title will remain forever. Although Moses questioned God, God reminded him of his faith. Through his uncertainty, Moses’ faith never wavered, it merely got stronger and more God centered. If Moses can keep his faith, so can we!

God was not only with Moses while Moses was uncertain. And God will always be with us when we are uncertain. Truth be told, God reminds us fourteen times in the Bible that he will be with us. He reminds us in Genesis, in Exodus, in Joshua, in 1 Kings, and in the Psalms that he is with us. God also reminds us through Jesus Christ that he is with us in 2 Corinthians, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians. God is with us. People, God is with us in moments of devastation. God is with us when we don’t have the answers. God is with us when we sing praises in his name. God is with us when we are uncertain. God is with us yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God is with us as he revives our faith to be miraculous, caring, and grace-filled servants of the Word. God is with me. And God is with you.

Conclusion:

Uncertain times represent a test of resilience, will, and character.  They measure our mental toughness, our capacity to grow and accept non-traditional ways of doing things: similar to what COVID-19 challenged us to do.  Most people are still trying to understand how to best manage today’s new normal – while others have learned to cope with it and move on. The result of today’s uncertain times (as a constant) is a new level of awareness and appreciation of how we must become more God seeking, more God loving, and more God accepting in our daily lives. It is okay to be uncertain. But it is not okay to let uncertainty destroy our love for God.

Superman, saved both humanity and Lois Lane after being uncertain. Abraham Lincoln remained certain in protecting this nation after experiencing moments of death and ridicule. Moses became certain of his calling after realizing that God was with him. I became certain of my calling as I learned to become a spiritual presence for anyone and everyone. And you have the ability and strength to be certain even when it seems impossible. Even during times of uncertainty and moments of “what if…” God is there to revive our faith and to make sure that we are not zapped by the light but loved and embraced by the light of Jesus Christ. God revives our faith in times of uncertainty.

Closing Prayer:

Let us pray…. Lord, God, you know when we are uncertain. You know when we question our every move. You know when our faith wavers. But Lord, we also know that You are there with us. As you promise in Your words, “I will be with you.” I ask that You be with all of us today and the rest of this week. Give us the strength, love, and faith that is needed to overcome our uncertainties. Make us certain in word. Make us certain in your love. And make us certain in the promises in which we stand upon. In Your loving name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

Psalm 46:10 states, “Be still and know that I am God.” So I challenge you, in times of uncertainty, be still and know that God is present in your life. God is walking by your side, talking by your side, and never leaving your side. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit go forth in peace as you serve the Lord. Amen, Amen, Amen.