1. Any Old Bush Exodus 3:2-5

2. Introduction  A book about working for God mentioned the example of Moses being called to do a work.  We know this event as the “burning bush”  Holy Sweat, Tim Hansen, page 31 – “But it is not the bush that sustains the flame. It is God in the bush, and so, any old bush will do.”

3. Holy Sweat  “The shocking message of the Bible continues to be that God has chosen the least suspecting vessels to do his greatest work. What you are at this particular moment in your life is irrelevant – your nationality, your education, your personality, or how you are physically, spiritually, and otherwise. Who you are is likewise irrelevant. What counts most is what and who you are willing to become. See that scruffy-looking bush over there? That bush will do. See this funny-looking bush over here? It will do too”

4. What does NOT matter:  Nationality  Education  Personality  Beauty  Powerful  Wealth  Health  Age  Gender

5. God can use any bush:  Creation  After all the creation of  Universe – sun, moon, stars  Plant life  Animal life  God needs a creature to be the crowning glory of His creation  What would you do?  God breathed His soul into mud!

6. God can use any bush:  Creation  Father of a great nation  If you wanted to start a special race of people – what would you do?  Form a committee  Set criteria – young, high IQ, healthy, strong, attractive  God chose a 99 year old shepherd

7. God can use any bush:  Creation  Father of a great nation  Leader of Israel  Who do you look for in a national leader?  Smart  Wise  Charm, charisma  Successful  God needs a leader to guide Israel out of bondage.

8. God can use any bush:  Creation  Father of a great nation  Leader of Israel  God choose to call Moses:  An unemployed prince  A murderer  A fugitive from justice  “Who’d a thunked it?”  Of all the people in the world – would this have been your choice?

9. God can use any bush:  Creation  Father of a great nation  Leader of Israel  Stand up to defiant  Goliath was defying Israel  He was mocking God  When he came out – all Israel fled  Along comes a scrawny teenager with a slingshot  Would you trust the fate of the nation in the hands of this youngster?

10. God can use any bush:  Creation  Father of a great nation  Leader of Israel  Stand up to defiant  Feed 5,000  The crowd got larger with each village  By sundown, many were miles from home, hungry  And no McDonald’s around  Apostles  Apostles – Just send them home  We can’t afford to feed this many people

11. God can use any bush:  Creation  Father of a great nation  Leader of Israel  Stand up to defiant  Feed 5,000  Preach around the world  God wants the gospel to be preached beyond the borders of Israel  He has 12 men to preach to Israel  Select one man to preach to the rest of the world  What would you look for?

12. God can use any bush:  Creation  Father of a great nation  Leader of Israel  Stand up to defiant  Feed 5,000  Preach around the world  What would you look for?  Pulpit search committee  God called:  A stuttering, stammering man  Not a skilled speaker  Not powerful or eloquent  Paul, the Apostle to the rest of the world

13. Remember – It is not the bush:  Enthusiasm  Enthusiasm – God in us  Is Christianity exciting to you?  Are you glad you’re a Christian?  “All you need is what you have, and what you have is what He is! He does not give you strength, He is your strength!”

14. God is the Power – Not Us  2 Corinthians 4:7  2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

15. God is the Power – Not Us  1 Corinthians 2:4-5 -  1 Corinthians 2:4-5 - 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

16. Five Loaves and Two Fishes  God uses what you have to fill a need which you could never fill  God uses where you are to take you where you never could have gone  God uses what you can do to accomplish what you never could have done  God uses who you are to let you become who you never could have been  NO MORE EXCUSES!  God can use “ANY OLD BUSH” to do His work

17. Any Old Bush Exodus 3:2-5