Exodus chapter three. This is a living, breathing word of God. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the backside of the desert and came to the mountain of God. even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. And he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see. God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, here am I. And he said, draw not nigh hither. Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father. the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people, which are in Egypt, and I've heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large unto a land flowing with milk and honey unto the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come unto me, and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come thou therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh? and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt. And he said, Certainly I will be with thee, and this shall be a token unto thee that I have sent thee. When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, the God of your fathers have sent me unto you, and they shall say to me, what is his name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I am that I am. And he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am have sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Amen. And may the Lord bless the public reading of his holy word. This morning we are starting a new sermon series. The sermon series is the I am statements of Jesus Christ. In the gospel according to John, the Lord Jesus says I am many times. He says it of himself in terms of personality, and he says it of himself in terms of metaphors. He says in John 6, I am the bread of life. John 8, I am the light. In John 10, he says, I am the door and I am the good shepherd. In John 11, he says, I am the resurrection and the life. In John 14, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And seventh of all, in chapter 15, I am the true vine. And if you think of all these statements, they're wonderful. What Jesus Christ promises to anyone who would believe him, and he is able to give them these things because of who he is. And who is he? He is I am. When he says I am in these statements, it's not using simply a verb form, but it's a name. He is saying a name, who he is, I am. And so for us to know what these statements mean, we must first of all understand who Jesus is. He is the I am. And to do that, we must come to Exodus chapter three, where I am is revealed. Most of us here will understand and know the story. that Israel is under bondage. They are in Egypt. The work has been piled and piled upon them. It is oppressive, and they're crying out to the Lord. And the Lord has chosen Moses to be the mediator, to be a deliverer, a type of Christ. And Moses is 40 years away from the people of God. And one day he comes across a burning bush. And the Lord speaks out of the burning bush. And he says, you will go. You will go and deliver my people. But there's a problem. Moses has been to his people before. He's tried to help and they rejected Moses. And that's why in verse 13, He says, if I go to them, they will say to me, what is his name? It's an interesting question, isn't it? Why would they ask for the name of God? Surely they know the name of God. Well, unlike us, names in the Old Testament and the Bible reveal someone's character. When we name someone our children, generally, it's a name we like, or it's a father's name being passed on to his children. It might be a Bible name and we like it. But in the English-speaking world, at least, we don't put much thought into the meaning or the character of the name. In other cultures, they do, and some of us may have done that, but generally, in the Western world, we don't put characters into the names of our children. But in the Bible they do. Abraham, the father of many. Solomon, the giver of peace. Jesus, oh Yeshua, Jehovah is salvation. And so the name of someone reveals their character. And in the Bible, God revealed himself through many things, what he does, but also by his names. We have the name Elohim. It means mighty one. We have El Shaddai, the omnipotent one, the one who is able to help his people. There's El Elyon, God most high, and so on and so on and so on, many names to reveal who he is. But there's one name that is above every other name, and that's the name Jehovah. When you look in your Bible, especially the Old Testament, and it says, Lord, if all the letters are in the capital, then it is the name Jehovah. If it's Lord, in small case, it's usually another name, Adonai. And Jehovah is used over 6,800 times in the Old Testament. It's used three times more than Elohim. because it's God's personal name. And Jehovah is simply four consonants, Y-W-H, sorry, Yahweh, Y-H-W-H. Jehovah. And Jehovah is where we get the word I am. I am that I am is simply Jehovah. And as we'll see next week when Jesus says before Abraham was, I am, he's saying Jehovah. Except you believe that I am, you will die in your sins, Jehovah. When he says, I am the bread of life, he's saying, Jehovah, the bread of life. When he's saying, I am the light, he is saying, Jehovah, the light. But what does Jehovah mean? This is where verse 14 is so important. Jehovah's been used plenty of times before this, over 110 times in Genesis it's been used. Moses' natural dad is actually named after Jehovah. So the people of God knew the name Jehovah, but they didn't yet understand the revelation of that name. And here, Moses, needing help, needing assurance, what is his name? God says in verse 14, I am that I am. The words here, I am, are simply the word to be, the verb to be. That is simply a normal relative particle, that, who, which. And he's saying here, who is God? What is he like? What is his character? I am that I am. Who is the true God? I am who I am. But who are you? I am what I am. In other words, He exists. He is. This is the transcendence of God. There is none like him. There are no words, no concepts, no illustrations to truly express and reveal who God is. I am. Who I am. I am that I am. I exist. He is who He is. Because that's at the end of the day. He simply is. He exists. And He exists in and of himself. He does not exist from or of anything else. But in and of himself, he exists. This is speaking of what's called the independence of God. Or more technical, the aseity of God. What does that mean? It means that God is self-existent and self-sufficient. He is in no need of anything. That's what he's saying here. Do you want to know who I am? I am. I exist. I am all-sufficient. I am in need of nothing and no one. Because no one created God. No one made him, no one fashioned him. There was never a time he was not and then he came to be. God does not become, he is. And so often in apologetics and philosophy, they speak of God as the first cause. Technically, that's not true. Because who caused God? God caused himself, that's wrong. God simply is. God does not cause himself because that's an eternal becoming, but he is. He is the originator. God continues in and of himself. He's in need of nothing. He's not in need of food to keep him strong. He doesn't need a break or a rest in case he gets weary. And he is blessed of himself. He's in need of nothing. God is lacking nothing. He is full. He is perfect in love, majesty, knowledge, power, fellowship. The Bible says that he is God-blessed forever. Fully happy, fully joyous. He doesn't need to create because he's lonely. He doesn't need friends. He doesn't need worship, he doesn't need glorification from anyone, he simply is. And the burning fire illustrates this. There's a fire on a tree, on a bush. For fire to exist, to continue, what does it need? Fuel. Whether it's paper, whether it's coal, or whether it's trees and bushes and grasslands. But here the fire does not consume the tree. It doesn't need the tree. The fire is independent of the tree. The fire is self-sufficient. It doesn't need more fuel. The fire burns in and of itself. Because that's our God. He is in need of nothing. Acts 17 reveals this wonderfully. Paul, he comes to Wathen, that pagan city with many gods, many claims, and he notices a statue, just in case they miss one out, to the unknown God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. I am going to declare you the true God, he says. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worship with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things. For in him we live and move and have our being. You think that you can help God send to the Athenians? You think that he needs your worship? You think he needs your statues and your temples? If if he needs, you worship a false god. The true God is all-sufficient. He doesn't need anything. He doesn't need the cattle. He owns the cattle in a thousand hells. He doesn't need food. He doesn't need your praise. He doesn't need your worship. If you do not believe Him, does not mean He doesn't exist. He exists! Which means He is dependent of none, and we are all dependent upon Him. That's what he's saying here, I am that I am, and you're not me. Israel, you are an utter dependence of me for your food, for your freedom, for your labor, for your spirituality, everything. Everything in this world comes from God. He does not need us, we need him. For our very existence, we cannot come into this world without God. He can close wounds, and He can open wounds. He can give life, and He can take life. In fact, this world, as we know, was created by Him. It wasn't an accident. It was no big bang. It was Him speaking. And for us to continue life, we need Him. For in Him, we live, move, and have our being. Your job, God's given you it. Your health, God's given you it. The animals, the universe, the total eclipse we'll see tomorrow, who is the one who is given and does that? I am, there I am. Even atheists, with their denial and the self-sufficiency of man. Oh, how does the atheist today, the self-sufficiency of man, cannot even breathe, cannot wake up, cannot live without I am that I am. And he is who he is eternally. I am that I am. There is no change there. He is unchangeable and immutable. He has no beginning and he has no end. It's amazing, we don't even understand that. If you were to watch a play, watch a movie, or watch a sports game, there's a beginning and there's an end, and there's a motion of sequences that's happening. And you can guess, and you can postulate, and you can look at the end, but you have to wait for time, an hour, two hour, three hours. For God, there is no end, sorry, there is no beginning, there is no end, and there's no motion of sequence. God's not watching this world like a movie or in real time. Everything before him is at the exact same time. And even when I say that, that's wrong, because he's outside of time. I don't understand that, no one understands that, it's simply true. And because that's the case, he is immutable in who he is. He will never change to be. He will always be holy, he will always be loved, he will always be just, he will always be merciful, and he will always be good, never changes. and his morality and what he does and what he promises will always be because I am that I am. And this is so different to other gods. When I've done outreach to Muslims, whether it's back in Scotland or in the Gambia, Allah can change his mind like anything. You never know what's gonna happen because Allah might change. Prove the falseness of that God, the idolatry of that God, the nonsense of that fake one. But the one true God is immutable. Why? Because of his name. What's his name? Jehovah. But what does that mean? I am that I am. I am self-existent. I am self-sustaining. I am self-sufficient. I am unchangeable. And this is the name the Lord wants us all to know. Isaiah 42.8, I am Jehovah. That is my name and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise. Christian, Jehovah. You are to know this name, Jehovah. He has revealed it. He wants us to understand it. He wants us to contemplate it. He wants us to think upon it. What is the highest name of God? Jehovah. I am that I am. But that can be very abstract. A lot of technical things I said in a very short space of time. And these things should be studied, study doctrine, study theology, study who God is. But this is not abstract, this is incredibly eminent, real. Because why is God revealing his name here? What's the context? He's revealing it so it would go forth to his people. and their faith would increase and they would know his blessedness. Because what does he say after that? I am that I am, and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me unto you. Moses would go to the people of God who were oppressed and struggling and under bondage. And Moses would say, God's gonna be with you. God's gonna be with us. He's not been with us for over 400 years. We've had no prophet. We've had no revelation. And look at the state of us. Where are we? And you've seen God? Away, Moses. And so God says, you, Moses, go to this people and what you say, they will believe. I'll make sure of it. I am hath sent you. Because this name is my covenant name. This is the name I want my people to know because this is the name whereby I give my promise and pledge to be with my people, to save my people, and to provide for my people. They are to take full knowledge and confidence in all that I say and do because I am. So Jehovah and I am that I am is not abstract but is eminent and for you and for me who are Christians to comfort us, to help us, to strengthen our faith in the midst of any affliction or fight because he is who he is. And we see that first of all in his relationship to his people. In verse seven, look at the words that he speaks of. He speaks of the affliction of my people. Not that people, not this people, but my people. And then he says the same thing in verse 10. He says, my people, the children of Israel, my people. Those who believe in me for salvation, And this applies to any of us today who believe in Christ. It's not this people, it's not that people, it's my people. What is my? Personal. I could pick up this Bible and say, this is my Bible. I own it. If I picked up your Bible, it's not my Bible, it's yours. It's that Bible, it's this Bible here, but it's my personal possession. Because that's who his people are to his, his possession. Prized, loved, cared, treasured, the apple of his eye. My people. And how did they become his people? Because we're worthy? Because we have value? Because we deserve? Absolutely not. Abraham's family, all pagans in the land of Ur. Till he came to them. Adam, when he sinned, an enmity with God until God came to him. You and me, whether we can remember it or not, by virtue of our conception as children of Adam, enmity against God. But I am that I am, has his people. Exodus 33, 19. Moses wants to know the glory of God. And so what does God reveal? His name. God says, I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the name of Jehovah. The name of Jehovah. Now what's this proclamation? I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. I am that I am. I don't need anyone. I do not need anyone. And you are who you are, sinners, rebels, commandment breakers. And you will never come to me because of your sin. And I am that I am. I am just and I will always be just. I am holy and I will always be holy. Do you want the evidence? See hell. There's a place I've made. to reveal and to show my holiness and my justice eternally. But I am that I am. That's only part of who he is, so to speak. He is just, he is holy, but he is also gracious and merciful. And he will be gracious to whom he will be gracious. He will be merciful to whom he will be merciful. Which means it's not forced. God is under no obligation to choose anyone. God's under no obligation to love you. God's under no obligation to save you. Can you imagine if we had a God who was? He didn't really want to save you. He didn't really want to send his son to die for you. He didn't really want to promise you heaven, you don't deserve it. But something forced him, obligated to do him. How robotic, how cold. Can you imagine your spouse or your children turn around one day and go, you know, if it was up to me, I wouldn't love you. But I have to. I didn't choose to be born to you. I didn't choose to meet you. I have to love you. Can you imagine that? How cold. But that's not our God. He is independent. He is free from all things, which means he has sovereignty over all things. And when he's gracious to you, and when he's merciful to you, it's free. He is under no obligation, but out of His love, His own free will, He chooses you. And so when you have come to Christ in the gospel, that's Jehovah, I am that I am, personally choosing you under no obligation. When He shows you love, when He shows you grace, when He shows you mercy, It's free. It's His own will. It's His own choice. It's of His own good pleasure. I love that, Ephesians 1. Of His own good pleasure. He chose you, loved you, be gracious to you. And He gives you promises, just like He gives promises to the people of Israel here. What are these promises? He promises in verse eight, to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, redemption, and to bring them out of the land unto a different land, which one? The land flowing with milk and honey, the land of rest, Emmanuel's land, heaven. That's what he's promised you. And think again, who is he? I am that I am, under no obligation. to redeem you under no obligation, to give you the promise of heaven and the promise of holiness and the promise of perseverance and the promise of provision and the promise of bearing fruit in your life. He's under no obligation and yet he freely does it. And so now he's made a promise. He's made a promise. Now if I make a promise to you, I may or may not be able to fulfill it. When you as parents, and you know parental skills more than I do, but I know at least this, if you're gonna promise something to a child, to his or her face, you can't go against it, you know. You have to be careful, because sometimes we may desire to promise, but we may or we may not be able to fulfill it. And we make promises all the times, do we not? And we really mean to do it, and yet for whatever factor, we are unable to fulfill it. And sometimes people just black and white lie, promise something to someone's face, and do the exact opposite with every intention. But that's not our God. Why? I am that I am. He is who He is at all times, eternally. When He promised something, He will make good on it. There's nothing lacking, there's nothing wanting, therefore He is able, and when He does it, He will not lie. He is truth. And we know 2,000 years ago he fulfilled that. The cross was complete, the work of atonement finished, and we know that is true. And we know that anyone who comes to Christ, anyone in the world, they will find a perfect Savior because he is who he is. The basis of our assurance of being saved in Christ is on the name of God, I am that I am. And what about that wonderful thing about heaven? Because we who are Christians are redeemed, Christ did it, we've believed, we continue to believe, but how do we know it's true? How do we know those whom we love who have died, how do we know they're in the Father's house? How do we really, really know? Those who we love and care about, when they have departed from this world, they are present with the Lord. How do we know? Oh, I think, oh, I hope so. That's what I hear on the streets from Romanists and spiritualists and megachurch people and all that nonsense. I hope, and their hope is that, oh, I hope so. For us, guaranteed and assured, ultimately, why? I am that I am. I've promised. I've promised every one of my people a home. I have promised every one of my people there'll be a place of no tears, no death, no sorrow, no curse. I have promised my people a mansion in my house. I have promised my people a land flowing with milk and honey. I have promised my people a place that is so exquisite, so awesome, so full of joy that I give illustrations of gold pavements, jewels everywhere. But that does not even begin to describe the glory my people will have. And you can be guaranteed it. Why? I am that I am. And this name is so full of eminence and comfort to God's people because how, how does he achieve these things personally? Verse eight, I am come down to deliver them. I am come down. And this day, he will come down through plagues, through judgments. He will come down by parting the sea. He will come down in the pillars of fire. He will come down in the bread to feed them. He will come down in these things. But in the process of time and 2,000 years ago, we know what happened. Jehovah came down. and He has provided and promised everything because I have come down in the person of Jesus Christ. Do you want spiritual food? Do you want spiritual nourishment? I am the bread of life. Do you want truth? Do you want to be enlightened? Do you want to know Him? I am the light of the world. Do you wanna be guided? Do you want love? Do you want comfort? Do you want compassion and to be cared for? I am the good shepherd. Do you want hope for our loved ones? Do you want hope for yourself when you die? I am the resurrection and the life. Jehovah will come down himself and personally intervene and make everything right again. That's a wonderful and glorious truth that's been attacked left and right. I remember around about 2011, I was in Edinburgh in Scotland in seminary, and I lived on my own that first year. and I would go for walks, and I remember walking past a church, and there's loads of churches, and many are beautiful, and many have bulletins on the grounds, and you never really pay attention to it, but for some reason when I was walking by, I noticed something that was very strange. And I looked at it, and it spoke about the exodus. And it says, we know that the Exodus is not a real historical story. We know it was an imaginative illustration. We know that it was legend. Why do they know? Because God does not intervene in this world. That's what it said. We know this because God does not intervene in this world. I was aghast. I was amazed, it doesn't end in the world, he came in Jesus Christ. That's an apostate church, it's a well-known church now for it's apostasy and it's deceit and it's lies. But that's a liberal church, which is the majority of churches at times. You go to academia and most commentaries are liberal. You go to most seminaries, liberal. Praise be to God, many are faithful, but the majority, liberal. When you go to the news, when you watch TV, when you watch Larry King, what's the majority of the viewpoints of people, so-called Christians, liberals? Because they don't understand I am that I am. They don't know the perfection of the love of God. They don't know it, why? Because they don't know I am that I am. He did come into the Exodus. He did come in the life of David or Solomon. He did come 2,000 years ago. Why? I am that I am. I have promised salvation. I have promised to love you and I will do it in the person of Jesus Christ. Wonderful, wonderful. And we'll look at these things over the next seven, eight weeks in more detail. But this is the basis upon which we are to stand in all confidence. This is the faithfulness of God here because of his covenant name, Jehovah, I am that I am. For God to be faithless, would deny his very existence because his existence is who he is, I am that I am, unchangeable. Malachi chapter three, what's the state of the people of God? They're not living as they ought to do. There's dead orthodoxy, there's idolatry, there's immorality. God's just, is he not? Absolutely. God's holy, is he not? Absolutely. Shall we just wipe out all of them? This is what he says. Malachi 3, 6. For I am Jehovah. I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. I am that I am. my perfection, my independence, my unchangeableness. You have sinned greatly, but I have made my promises, and I will keep my promises, and I will be faithful to you, and you are not consumed, but I will forgive you in Christ. I will give you the grace to repent, and I will give you the grace to conquer that sin and to be victorious. Isn't that wonderful? Sometimes do you doubt? Do you think, I'm a Christian, I'm born again, I'm supposed to be a new creation, and yet I see this, and I see that, and I see this, and I see that. Man, what if? What if he gets tired of me? What if I've just done too much? What if I've been too unfaithful? What if, what if, what if? This is what he says to you, I am Jehovah. I change not. You will not be consumed. My love, my mercy, and the redemption that is Christ Jesus as immutable, unchanging. And for me to change my mind and to take that away from you, I would have to go out of existence because I am that I am. It's wonderful, this is. It's assuring, and it's so helpful in the midst of a crisis. I'm sure we've all struggled in our lives. I'm sure we've all had questions in the life of Mencil. I'm sure we've all struggled, how do I even pray? What do I pray for? Have God forgotten to be gracious? I am that I am. No matter what happens, He is always loving. He is always merciful. He is always just. He is always holy. And every single thing that He will ever, ever, ever do is good. That's why we can have an anchor in Romans 8, all things work for good to them that love him. How do you know they will? Upon what basis and foundation do you put that assurance? I am that I am. This was to help Moses and the people of God. And Jehovah proved that through Exodus and Leviticus and Numbers and Deuteronomy and the rest of the Bible and all of church history to this day and in your life too. And he wants every one of us to know this name because what does he say in verse 15? Tells Moses, go to the children of Israel and say, Jehovah God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, their God, have sent me unto you. This is my name forever. And this is my memorial unto all generations. His name, Jehovah, I am that I am, is to be the memorial for all generations. We know what a memorial is. Unfortunately, there's a lot of ugly scenes right now regarding memorials, but we understand memorials. If you go and you see the example of a World War I memorial or a World War II memorial, and you go there and you look at this memorial and you come to understand it and you read the names, young men, older men, women as well, they went to a far off distant land and they gave them lives for freedom against Nazis. They gave up their own lives so we have freedoms here. And then suddenly your heart is so thankful for living in America Your heart is so thankful for the freedoms we have here, and you're so thankful for what that memorial stands for. And you could have many problems, but when you come to that memorial, you think, my problems are nothing about what these men stood for. And it helps you. Well, Jehovah's our memorial. We are to come to God knowing his name, all his names, But the highest name, I am. And understand with the mind what does that mean, I am that I am. Self-existent, self-sufficient, unchangeable, eternal. A name that's for His covenant people, a pledge and promise to always be with them, and that's to strengthen our faith. Because then no matter what we're going through in life, memorial Jehovah. It is working for good, I am that I am. I will go to glory, I am that I am. When we grieve and sorrow for lost ones, if they're in Christ, we do not do it without hope. But we have assured hope, why? I am that I am. And this is what the Bible wants us to know his name. Psalm 910, and they that know thy name will put their trust in thee. For thou, Jehovah, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. A man is suffering, a man is struggling. How does he get through it? The memorial, Jehovah. Psalm 8318, that men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, the most high over all the earth. This is the key, friends. Do you want to know what your Christian life is about? Do you want to know what sanctification is about? It's about this. It's about eternal life. And what is eternal life? To know God, John 17 three. That's the key, the central part of your entire Christian life, to know God. Who is he? What is his name? I am that I am. Psalm 121, watch the help for the people of God of the past. Jehovah, I to the hills will lift mine eyes, from whence doth come mine aid. My safety cometh from the Lord, who heaven and earth have made. Thy foot he'll not let slide, nor will he slumber that thee keeps. Behold, he that keeps Israel, he slumbers not nor sleeps. I am that I am takes no rest. I am that I am is not weary. When you're sleeping, When your brain goes off, when you're worried, I am that I am is at work. He's working all things good for you. He's providing all the holiness you need. He's speaking to you in the word of God. He's comforting you in your prayer life. He's promised you heaven and glory and eternity. And you can know this, I am that I am. That's who our God is. That's his very being, his very nature, his very name. And this world is going to put out there self-sufficiency of man, pride and arrogance, false views of God. And we don't have to be moved, not an inch. We don't have to shake. We can be still. Because we have a God. And who is this God? I am that I am. And over the next seven or eight weeks, we will see with more detail how I am provides all things for his people. But next week, first of all, I Am is incarnate. Amen. And may the I Am bless each and every one of us. Let us pray.