A Call To Action

“Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”  Exodus 3:9-12

One of my all time favorite sermons talks about us as Christians going out and being the church of Christ.  I’ve used many of its sayings to motivate me toward action.  It reminds me that I am not to be just a student of the word although I must read to understand its relevancy.  It does not call upon me to be just a consumer of God although I must take in all that He gives me to enrich my own life.  It tells me that I am not to just hang out with church goers although they give me great strength when I do.  It calls me to act.  It calls on me to put my study of the word into living action.  It asks of me to put out into the world what God has instilled in me, and it forces me to engage with those who are not only just like me but also very different from me.  There is a reason they call the Bible ‘The Living Word of God.’  It is because it lives within all of us, and we are called to bring it to life.

We are called to spend as much time living out God’s word as we are understanding it.  Today’s verse is one that I have reference many times because it spells out how we are to respond to God’s prompting.  God is giving Moses marching orders to do God’s will of freeing the Israelites from Egypt.  Moses says the famous words that many of us find ourselves saying when God is asking what seems to be a monumental if not impossible task.  “Who am I?”  Moses is not questioning God’s righteousness.  He is questioning himself.  In Moses’ eyes, he is but a mere man who was exiled from Egypt.  But to God, Moses was a faithful man who He had prepared for this calling.  We all have doubts about who we are to God, or we feel we might not either know or understand God enough to fulfill that which He would ask of us.  However just as God reminded Moses, He is with us wherever He commands us to go.  Our mission is to act on His word.  Studying for understanding is important, and taking in of God’s spirit is essential.  However, action is what God needs from us.

God requires our active living out of His word each and every day.  As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, we can’t just be in the huddle every Sunday and not play in the game Monday through Friday.  Just as Moses was reminded, God is with us each and every step of the way.  All we must do is walk with Him showing His love, compassion, guidance, and wisdom to a world and generation who is in desperate need of all of these.  Jesus Christ is the ‘reason for the season!’  Let’s commit to being shining examples of Him in our deeds.  What is God prompting you for?  How will you put what God has taught you into action?  My prayer is that we live out God’s word for what it is meant to be; a call to action!  Amen.