God Initiates. We Respond.
Listen to the Sermon
Scripture: Exodus 3:1-10
Series: Meet God
Speaker: Drew Caperton
Sermon Summary
After two chapters of asking, “Where is God?”, Exodus 3 shifts dramatically. God reveals Himself. Not subtly. Not vaguely. Directly. Moses isn’t searching for God; God finds Moses. The burning bush marks the start of a pattern we’ll see throughout Exodus 3–12: God initiates, humans respond, and through that interplay, God reveals His character, His holiness, and His redemptive plan.
This sermon explores how God draws Moses, how Moses responds, and how this call-and-response dynamic still shapes the way God works with us today.
Big Idea
God initiates; we respond — and in that call-and-response relationship, He invites us into His redemptive work.
Outline
1. God Initiates the Encounter (Exodus 3:1–4)
– Moses is now 80, shepherding Jethro/Reuel’s flock.
– Scripture speeds through the quiet years because something significant is about to happen.
– God appears in a flame — a bush that burns but is not consumed.
– Moses wasn’t seeking God. God sought Moses.
– Moses turns aside to look; then God calls his name.
Key truth: God initiates, but often waits for our attention.
2. A Call-and-Response Relationship
– God causes the burning bush; Moses chooses to investigate.
– Throughout Scripture, God calls and people respond: Samuel, Gideon, Isaiah, Zacchaeus, Nathanael.
– The Holy Spirit’s role (John 16:13–14) is to guide, declare, and draw us toward Jesus.
– We were created for this divine rhythm: God acts → we respond → relationship grows.
3. God Reveals His Holiness First (Exodus 3:5–6)
– “Do not come near. Remove your sandals. This is holy ground.”
– Before anything else, Moses learns how to approach God.
– Worship is the first response: awe, reverence, adoration.
– Moses hides his face — the right posture before the Holy One.
– We sing each Sunday not for warm-up, but because God commands worship and deserves it.
Application:
Can we raise our hands?
Can we sing loudly?
Can we look a little foolish in worship?
He is worthy.
4. God Invites Moses Into His Redemptive Work (Exodus 3:7–10)
– God sees Israel’s suffering and announces He will act.
– His plan: deliver His people and establish them in a good land.
– God has always been forming a people for His purposes (Genesis 12; Exodus 19; 1 Peter 2:9–10).
– Though He could accomplish salvation alone, He chooses to work through His people.
– “Come, I will send you…” — God’s invitation becomes Moses’ calling.
5. When God Calls You
A. Pay Attention to Your Attention
– Countless things are trying to grab your focus: causes, crises, influencers, corporations.
– Two people respond differently:
– One rests because God is initiating something in her life.
– The other is anxious because she responds only to human urgency.
– Don’t let the loudest voice determine your direction.
Application:
God is initiating things in your life — are you noticing?
Do you turn aside when God draws your attention?
B. Worship First
– Jesus is worth it.
– Love for Him puts everything else in proper order.
– Even urgent matters fall under His authority.
– Humility before God matters more than our sense of importance.
C. By the Time You Respond, God’s Plan Is Already Moving
– God doesn’t choose us because we are impressive; He chooses out of compassion.
– Our part is to join Him in His already-in-motion redemptive plan.
– The same plan given to Moses is alive in the church today: establishing a people who will do God’s will and bless the world in the name of Jesus.
Application:
This shapes how we pray, how we make decisions, how we respond under stress.
If God is calling — are you responding?
Why This Matters
Your life is not random.
God initiates encounters, nudges, moments of clarity, disruptions, interest, conviction — burning bushes of all kinds. He waits for you to turn aside, to pay attention, to respond. When you do, worship becomes your first act, and purpose becomes your next. Like Moses, you are being invited into work God has already begun.
Discussion Questions
What “burning bush moments” has God used to get your attention lately?
Where do you feel invited into a call-and-response relationship with God?
Why do you think worship is the first response God asks for?
How does God’s compassion-based calling (not performance-based) change your view of obedience?
What part of God’s redemptive work might He be inviting you to join?
Call to Action
Worship deeply. Listen closely. Turn aside when God draws your attention. Then step into the work He is already doing.
