God Encounters: Obstacles To Encountering God

Exodus 33:11 NIV
The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his
friend.

James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Moses’ God Encounter:

Exodus 3:1 NIV
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 (distant and dry) and
came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Exodus 3:2-3 NIV
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.”

Exodus 3:4-5 NIV
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.”

Exodus 3:6 NIV
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.

Four obstacles to Encountering God:

1. Who am I?

Exodus 3:11 NIV
But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the
Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you.”

• Let go of and shame.

Titus 3:4-5 NIV
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not
because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

2. Who are you?

Exodus 3:13-14
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?” 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.’”

• Let go of your regarding God’s power and faithfulness.

Jeremiah 32:17 NASB
Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your
great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You.

3. What if they?

Exodus 4:1 NIV
Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say,
‘The LORD did not appear to you’?”

• Let go of over what others may think about you.

1 Peter 5:5b
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Romans 1:16 NIV
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the
salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

4. I have never.

Exodus 4:10-12 NIV
Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the
past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and
tongue.”

• Let go of your and put your faith In God.

Hebrews 11:6 NIV
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to
him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek
him.