Holy Ground(Exo. 3:1~5)

Moses lived here in this world 120 years 

it can be divide into 3 part  

1st 40 years 

he live in Pharaoh's palace as a prince 

2nd 40 years 

he live in wilderness as  a shepherd 

3rd 40 years 

he live as a God's staff

God use him to lead his people to the promised land 

today sermon is about the 3rd part of his life 

in mount Horeb he meet the God 

that is the turning point of his life 

let us go with me today's scripture

Ex. 3;1-5

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 desert and came to Horeb, 

the mountain of God.

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.

So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--

why the bush does not burn up."

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."

"Do not come any closer," God said. 

"Take off your sandals, for the place 

where you are standing is holy ground."

father we thank you this after noon 

 we thank you for the gift of your Word 

and as we think on these things 

open our hearts and minds to hear your word to us

in this scripture today i'd like consider 3 things 

1 Holy ground means present of God

As we read today's passage Moses met God in the wilderness 

when he arrive at the mount Horeb  the Lord said  

"Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground "

here, we could think that  Moses went holy ground

so that he met God but it is not 

Mount Horeb is not a holy place to meet God 

it is because Moses meet God in there 

so that place became a holy ground 

once again 

It was not that the actual ground on which Moses stood was holy; 

rather, it was the presence of the holy God that made it holy.

Any other day and at any other time, 

it was just wideness. But, when Divinity showed up, the ordinary became Holy

one day mother Teresa traveled India by train 

many people  were there,  

some were drunk, some were begging  

and there were many vendors 

the train is very noisy and smelly, like a pubic market 

but mother Teresa was sitting in the train and  meditated 

that time she heard a still small voice of God 

"if you go 5 miles from here 500,000 homeless are living 

and dying in the street 

so i tell you ,you go there and live with them 

after she heard this voice of God in the train

she went home in England and immediately packed the her things

and went back India again  as a missionary

you know she use to write her diary (다이어리)every day 

on that day she wrote

 "Lord I don't know where to sleep tonight but I will leave now

 Lord I have nothing to eat tomorrow but I will leave now 

because you told me so and from now on, you answer for my life"

 

later on as we know she established 

and devoted "the Missionaries of charity"  in India 

brothers and sisters for mother Teresa 

the holy Ground is in the train because she meet God in there 

once again the holy ground  is not the location but the presence of God

let us see Jacob 

When Jacob went Haran. 

and he came to a certain place (Gen. 28;11) Just certain place 

and there he sleep and God appeared  to Jacob in there 

when Jacob woke up, he said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." 

and He called the name of that place Bethel 

Jacob met God in certain place 

and Certain place is a holy  ground for Jacob 

and I don't know where did you meet God 

but I do believe you met God somewhere 

so that you came here to ABC Amen 

and one thing more when you study here in ABC

i want All of you to Meet God everyday here in ABC

make your Holy ground here in ABC Amen 

now let us define 

what does it mean of holy ground 

holy ground is presence of God

even wilderness  train or in any certain place

if we meet God 

that is our holy ground

and if we meet God

we can change ourselves 

we could become holy 

Because God is Holy 

and when we become holy 

you can continue to have relation with God amen 

  

I tell you one story 

there is one Chinese  who has a girl friend 

but they are apart so that they could not meet 

so Chinese always wrote love letter to his Girl friend 

every day he sent a letter to her 

I love you... 

even there is rain or wind 

he never missed to send a love letter to her 

you know 

he sent as many as 700 letters to his girl friend for 2 years 

do you know the Guinness book 

( if have new record they will write in your name in Guinness book)

he is the one who made a new world record about sending letter

so he recorded it in the Guinness book 

but sad to say he couldn't marry her 

do you know who marry with his girl friend? 

she married with the post man who brought his love letter 

to her all the time 

diba he send love letter every day for 2 years 

that is why the post man came to her house every day for 2 years 

thank you for bring my letter, /coffee tayo/ lunch tayo/

and finally they fell in love with each other 

you know this is a sad story but there is meaning 

meeting is better than love letter 

so meet God every day  brothers and sisters

then you will fall in love to God 

and you will be holy because God is Holy 

you know we can not easily meet even Baguio mayor 

we have to make appointment 

but we can meet God anywhere and everywhere 

there's no problem to meet God in the train 

it is ok to meet him in the wilderness 

we can meet God in the mountain top or mountain valley  

we can meet God anywhere amen 

 

God say ( in Jeremiah 29;13) 

 "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart" 

there is a book "I was a preacher's wife" 

and the story goes like this 

the pastor was in the prison because he preached the gospel in china 

and the wife asked  permission to enter to see her husband in prison 

bur her permission was always rejected 

to make the story short  

she continued to solicit to the prison officer 

finally  she could meet her husband 

but visiting hours is only one minute  

one minute is really precious time for her 

that time is so important as golden time 

when she meet  her husband she say nothing  but only cry 

brothers and sisters 

we are so blessed 

because when we meet God  there is no time limit 

through Prayer, worship, or reading bible we can meet God every day 

2  take off your sandal

when Moses meet God 

the Lord said "remove your sandals from your feet" 

and there is 2 meaning 

1) entrust God's power 

2) be sensitive to

brothers and sisters 

when we wear shoes ?

and when we remove shoes ?

when we go out 

when we go  to somewhere we wear our shoes 

being in shoes means we have a place to go 

we have purpose to go. we have a goal to go 

but when we do not go out/somewhere we remove our shoes 

in Israelite, removing sandal is special meaning 

they say like this 

how's your business 

oh it is mahirap 

then you take off your shoes 

here/take off you shoes means 

throw your thought and entrust God

Moses took off his shoes when he was 80 years old 

until that time he want to do something as his thinking

he want to help out his people by his own power 

but he failed and he ran a way in the wilderness 

and when He met God in the wilderness 

and the Lord says 

"take off your shoes  throw your own power 

 i will give you my own power

my youngest anak name is hana

and she was menopause unexpected anak 

when she was baby

and when we go out 

mama  carry her

becoz hana cannot walk

mama become her shoes instead

now she can walk

now she has a shoes 

means she can go  where she want

she can do something as she want

wearing shoes means starting her own life 

so on the contrary  take off shoes means 

you give up  your plan 

when we give up your plan 

he will carry us becoz we have no shoes

God will lead our lives and we live in his power

brothers and sisters 

holy work cannot do it with our own power but the  power of God amen

 not by my might, nor by  my power but by His Spirit says the Lord of Hosts”

 so take off our shoes ,the people of God works with God's mighty power.

 that can never be depleted(디플리팃)

"his incomparably(인컴패러블리) great power for us who believe.

 That power is like the working of his mighty strength,(엡1;19)"

so take off our shoes before God  then God will lead our life by his power 

one time

when i go to mountain ministry

and hike the mountain

my slipper snapped

so i walk with out shoes

every time i step on the ground

it feel very sensitive

when i step on pebble

feel sakit

so i walk like this (motion)

brother and sisters 

shoes provide us with protection and sense of security

shoes give us cushion between the hard ground and our feet

shoes make us able to walk on snow rain rock or thorn 

we can walk just anywhere without feeling any sort of discomfort with shoes

then why God says Moses take off his shoes on that fateful day

it is because God wants Moses feel every rock pebble and grain of sand

 Did you know that our feet contain nerve endings from our entire body? 

Our feet are an extremely sensitive part of our body. 

And at that moment, God wanted Moses to be sensitive 

Why? “For the place you are standing on is holy ground.”

 Moses was about to become the leader of the children of Israel. 

This was holy work, and indeed, he was standing on “holy ground.” 

God wanted to teach Moses at the outset that in order to do His holy work,

 Moses must remain extremely sensitive.

Brothers and sisters

we need to be sensitive( i told in my class)

Minister have to be carefuful 3 G( gold /Girl/glory)

 ~~~

we in service of the Lord are on ‘holy ground.’ 

We must remain sensitive to the things that hinders us from purpose of God in our lives

Gold -sakit

glory -sakit

girl-sakit

 

No.3 when we meet God 

God wants our dedication and our obedience 

I tell you one story 

as you know Black people have big reaction 

even in the church, when pastor is preaching 

they show reactions 

one day while the pastor is preaching 

Pastor- come on church we should go on, let's walk  together 

response-that's right we need to walk /walk(x3) in the light

pastor-that is not enough to walk, church we should run 

response- oh man let's run/come on move(x3) 

Pastor-for the spread gospel, we need fly Let's fly 

response- that's right let's fly 

pastor-and we need to sacrifice, we need offering 

then suddenly there is no reaction 

they were all silent 

then one person response  just walk 

brothers and sisters 

sacrifice is not easy 

that is why Moses also made excuses 

he keeps on pass up command of God 

you go to Egypt and bring my people out 

and Moses made an excuse 

No I cannot, I'm very weak 

I will be with you 

no i cannot  I am not good at speaking 

I will help you I will teach you what to say 

but continually Moses refused 

no I cannot even I go there and said 

the king of Egypt will not believe me 

you send someone else not me 

then the Lord wrath to Moses 

the Lord's anger burned against to Moses 

you go~~~ 

brothers and sisters 

we have to know this one 

Moses is not volunteer 

God choose Moses 

and God forced him to go 

that is why he was compelled to go 

brothers and sisters 

we are here because God called us 

God wants to use you and me for his kingdom 

and he wants our dedication 

then do not make excuses brothers and sisters 

we have no choice actually 

our choice is this one 

no.1 we go before God angry

no.2  we go after God angry 

beloved ABC students, when God wants to use you 

when God wants your dedication 

do not make excuses, do not say aiyoko 

yes lord i'm here you send me 

through our obedience 

though our dedication 

God will be gloried and his kingdom will be increased 

and with our dedication we will be holy 

If God wants it, nothing can stop it

 

No.1 holy is presence of god 

no.2 holy is take off 

No.3 holy is dedication 

May God bless you

and father we thank you this afternoon once again

we thank you that your word given us today

and father help us to meet you every day in our lives

help us to live not by our power but by the power of your spirit 

thank you Jesus  that you empower us strengthen us today

and father sustain in us willing spirit

 so that we can continue to serve you

thank you in Jesus name