I AM HAS SENT ME
Discovering God's Power and Identity in Our Divine Calling
Sermon Summary
This sermon addresses human inadequacy and fear when confronting difficult callings in life. By examining God's revelation at the burning bush in Exodus 3, we learn that God is the eternal, self-existent I AM who sees our struggles, keeps His promises, and provides His divine presence. Believers are called to turn away from self-reliance, trust in Christ as the ultimate fulfilment of I AM, and step forward boldly in God's power.
Introduction
Many of us have stood in seasons where the path ahead felt overwhelming and our strength entirely insufficient. We look at our past failures, our quiet routines, and our limitations, wondering how God could ever use someone like us to make a lasting difference. In Exodus 3, Moses was living a quiet life as a shepherd in the desert, far removed from the royal courts of Egypt. Yet, on an ordinary day near Mount Horeb, an extraordinary flame in a desert bush changed everything. God did not call Moses because Moses was capable; God called Moses because God is self-sufficient. When Moses questioned his own identity, God revealed His personal, eternal name: I AM WHO I AM. This divine encounter reminds us that our authority and courage in ministry and daily life never come from who we are, but from the unchangeable God who sends us.
Main Scripture
Exodus 3:14
God said to Moses, “ I AM WHO I AM, ” and he said, “ You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘ I AM has sent me to you.’”
Exodus 3:14 is the theological cornerstone of the Book of Exodus and the entire Old Testament revelation of God. When Moses asked for God's name to give authority to his mission before Israel and Pharaoh, God revealed Himself as I AM WHO I AM. This divine name asserts God's absolute self-existence, uncreated nature, eternal permanence, and complete independence from all created things. God relies on nothing outside Himself to exist or act. By declaring I AM has sent me to you, God assured Moses that the entire infinite fullness of the Creator stood behind his assignment. This passage is central because it transforms the mission from a human effort into a divine deliverance, anchoring the salvation of God's people in the unshakeable character of the Almighty.
Main Sermon Points
1. Turn Aside to Encounter God's Holiness
He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.”
God commands reverent awe and clean hands before He reveals His redemptive plan to His chosen servant.
Moses had to deliberately turn aside from his routine shepherding to investigate the burning bush. God reveals His holy glory to those who pause their busyness to seek Him.
Set aside dedicated quiet time each day to step away from daily distractions and approach God with reverence, humility, and expectation.
Quick Insights
- God reveals His sacred presence when we pause our daily routines.
- Reverence opens our hearts to receive divine direction.
- Holy living begins with recognizing the awe-inspiring majesty of God.
2. Trust the Compassionate Heart of God
The LORD said, “ I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
God is intimately aware of human suffering and moves in mercy to bring deliverance to His children.
God used four active verbs—seen, heard, known, and come down—to demonstrate His deep personal connection to Israel's suffering under Egyptian tyranny.
Bring your hidden struggles and intercessions to God, knowing He hears every cry and acts according to His perfect timeline.
Quick Insights
- God sees every tear and hears every silent prayer of His people.
- Divine deliverance is rooted in God's unending covenant compassion.
- Our present affliction is never hidden from the eyes of the Creator.
3. Rest in the Self Existent Name
God said to Moses, “ I AM WHO I AM, ” and he said, “ You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘ I AM has sent me to you.’”
God's eternal identity guarantees that His resources, strength, and faithfulness will never fail.
When Moses asked 'Who am I?', God answered by revealing who HE is, shifting the foundation from human frailty to divine sufficiency.
Stop measuring your divine assignment against your personal inadequacy and start measuring it against the infinite sufficiency of God.
Quick Insights
- Human weakness is met by the limitless sufficiency of the eternal God.
- God relies on nothing in creation to fulfill His sovereign promises.
- When God calls you, His self-existent power goes before you.
4. Step Forward in God's Divine Authority
He said, “ Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
The guarantee of God's abiding presence provides all the courage needed to obey challenging commands.
God promised Moses His presence before giving him the visible sign of fulfillment, requiring step-by-step obedience in faith.
Take a bold step of obedience in your church, workplace, or family where fear of failure has previously held you back.
Quick Insights
- True confidence in leadership comes from God's guaranteed presence.
- Obedience turns our fear of failure into an opportunity for God's glory.
- We walk boldly when we realize that the Lord of history sends us.
Bottom Line
Our divine calling is not defined by our personal limitations, but by the eternal, self-existent I AM who sends us with His presence.
Memorable Quote
When God sends you, your inadequacy is not a disqualification; it is the empty canvas upon which the self-existent I AM displays His power.
Theological Point
This passage reveals the divine attribute of aseity—that God possesses life within Himself, uncaused and self-sufficient. As the eternal Yahweh, He is immutable in His character, faithful to His covenants, and the supreme initiator of human redemption.
Prayer Guide
- Pray for a heart of reverent awe when entering God's holy presence.
- Ask God to remove fear and self-doubt when stepping into His divine calling.
- Thank God for His unchangeable, self-existent nature and His constant care.
- Seek God's help to stand boldly as a witness for Christ in your community.
Responding to God’s Word
Responding to God's Word calls us to look back at the burning bush and see its ultimate fulfilment in Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John, Jesus took this same divine name upon Himself, declaring, Before Abraham came into existence, I AM. Jesus is the living manifestation of the God who sees our bondage to sin, comes down to save us, and breaks every chain through His death and resurrection. When we stand before the truth that I AM HAS SENT ME, we are reminded that our lives, families, and ministries do not depend on our fragile strength, but on the triumphant Lord of history. Today, turn away from self-reliance, yield your life afresh to Christ, and step out into your community with holy boldness, knowing that the eternal I AM goes with you.
