Listen as Dr. Stanley introduces this incredible account from the book of Exodus, and shares stories from his own life about moments when God spoke to him clearly and dramatically. These experiences may not be audible or visual, and they’ll be different for everyone, but God will speak to those who are willing to listen.

when is the last time you felt God speak

to your heart very specifically about

something you asked him about maybe

never

but maybe often now text is about how

God spoke to Moses and so he spoke

through a burning bush and so I titled

this message burning bushes and here’s

the reason I think about in my own life

how God has spoken to get my attention

oftentimes it is coming times

unexpectedly and personally to me about

something in my life

challenged me to trust him in an area

maybe that was a little difficult each

has had a powerful and lasting impact on

my life

so I want you to turn to Exodus chapter

3 and look at the burning bush and how

God spoke to Moses in this third chapter

of Exodus now Moses was pastoring the

flock of Jethro his father-in-law the

priest of Midian and he had led the

flock to the west side of the wilderness

and came to Horeb the mountain of God

which we called Sinai the angel of the

Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire

from the midst of a bush and he looked

and behold the bush was burning with

fire yet the bush was not consumed so

Moses said I must I must turn aside now

and see this marvelous sight while the

bush is not burned up when the Lord saw

that he turned aside to look God called

to him from the midst of the bush and

said Moses Moses and he said Here I am

then he said do not come near here

remove your sandals from your feet for

the place on which your standing is holy

ground he said also I am the God of your

father the God of Abraham

he got of Isaac they got of Jacob then

Moses hid his face but he was afraid to

look at Yad now I want you to think

about something I want you to think

about the fact that God still speaks to

us the day he speaks primarily through

his word but that’s not the only way and

so what I want to do is to give you a

few examples of how God has spoken in my

own life which I call burning bushes for

me everybody’s is not the same he

doesn’t have the same message but these

are life-changing situations and

circumstances and I call them burning

bushes for the simple reason they came

unexpectedly to me I did not ask for

them secondly they challenged me to

fully trust the Lord and obey Him in a

given situation and thirdly each has had

a powerful and lasting effect on my life

not only my life but also people around

the world so when we think about burning

bushes think about those times when God

has specifically said something to you

maybe you ignored it maybe you said well

that couldn’t possibly be God or maybe

you said it well yes that is but if you

felt God had spoken to you what did you

say to him how did you respond so

remember this I’m not expecting

everybody to have the same kind of

experiences I’ve had but these are

burning bushes in my life because there

were moments that made a very distinct

difference that is less that all these

years and so when I begin I want to

begin with this story first of all I was

in my second year in seminary and I was

doing pretty good and so I was thinking

about the future and what God wanted and

so forth and I was then praying one

night and we had a living room and just

a small apartment and I had a place to

pray over in a corner and I have I met

that my mother made me out of to pray

and so that’s where I prayed

and the one that I was praying and God

spoke to my heart very clearly and

here’s what he said whatever you

accomplish in life you will have to

accomplish on your knees not by your

preaching

not by your positions everything you

ever accomplished in the ministry you’ll

accomplish on your knees

that’s my pattern for you and I can look

back over these years and realize time

at the time after time when I faced very

very difficult situations that’s where I

went to my prayer mat asking God to give

me direction and I could think of a lot

of things to tell you about there were

very difficult situations in my life

very difficult but I never forgot that

whatever you accomplish in life you’ll

accomplish on your knees that was just

this telling to me it’s what God said to

Moses God is still speaking today

sometimes he speaks strictly to his word

sometimes he speaks in other ways I was

in Bartow Florida

I moved from Fruitland to Ohio to Miami

and dentals Taylor Bartos in Florida and

I was just happy as a lark there and it

was just a fantastic place and so I was

happy there I was up in Alexandria

Virginia preaching a revival and I came

home each night from the meeting and we

were having a good meeting and people

being saved and lives are being changed

and I came very night and I was troubled

in my heart so I said what’s this all

about Lord I mean your blessing and

you’re doing what I’ve asked you to do

and what’s this all about

well three nights I went to prayer

asking God

kneeling down before the word

by the bed and saying Lord what are you

saying to me why am I so trouble what’s

going on that I don’t know about the

fourth night I came back knelt down by

the bed and began to pray and I said

Lord what are you saying to me it’s like

God said to me I’m gonna move yeah I

thought well I’ve only been in bar 2 11

months 11 months and then I asked the

question Quinn I can see this as good as

I see you this big screen in front of me

the lower left-hand corner to the top

right corner and big bold black letters

September this was April I thought well

what’s that all about I’ve only been

here Lord yeah you know even bring me

all the way from Miami

the Bartow and tell me to leave in in

September so I just tried to pray my way

through that next night I came home came

back to the hotel y’all down to pray and

it’s like God was a thousand miles away

I couldn’t pray I tried to pray as

nothing where was God so I came home on

a Saturday morning and I told my wife

about it and so we didn’t think much

more about it Monday morning at nine

o’clock

Felix Snipes who was a member of First

Baptist this church he passed away two

or three years ago he was on the phone

he said Charles’s Phoenix and we talked

because I’d been in revivals with him

when he led the music so fall he was

great at that and then of course of our

conversation he said I want to talk to

you about something you never thought

about I said what’s that Felix he said

we need an associate pastor at first

maybe Sloane I said forget it I have no

interest in you’re into Atlanta and

especially do I not have any interest

and yearn to the First Baptist Church

I said I wouldn’t fit don’t even talk

about it he said well would you pray we

talked on he said well would you pray

about it I said yes I’ll pray about it

so finally be hung up the phone when I

hung up the phone I broke out crying and

to make a long story short September the

30th I moved to Atlanta now just God

speak to everybody the same way no he

doesn’t and I certainly understand that

and no question in my mind about that

and then for example probably one of the

biggest challenges in my life I had come

to Atlanta to be the associate pastor

and I began to preach then around due to

priests and God began to bless he bless

then he blessed my only responsibility

was to preach on Sunday night that was

my responsibility well the pastor was

gone most of the time on Sunday morning

so I ended up reaching Sunday morning

Sunday night so these seven men ran

everything and they had a meeting and I

was sitting with him and had no say and

one of those meetings this is what they

said they were trying to figure out

something and couldn’t decide what to do

finally I said well why don’t we pray

about it I can still see this man he was

an attorney he was sitting to my right

he said this is business leave God out

of this when he said that the hammer

came down for me I didn’t say a word I

just started praying well lord I know

how you send me for the next year people

began to join the church and church

began to grow and then after a little

while the war started they decided they

had to get rid of me because I did not

adhere to what these seven men who ran

everything he did they controlled

everything then we were gonna have a

business meeting to vote to fire me and

that Sunday morning was probably one of

those bushes that I’m talking about

because they were gonna vote on

Wednesday and so I had to preach from

that Sunday morning

that’s anyone I had no Simon and it’s

probably the most trying moment in my

life he had a whole bunch of people who

were getting a devote against me on

Wednesday and I had to preach on Sunday

morning but I didn’t have a message and

I kept thinking Lord Shirley and I would

thumb through the scriptures thinking

about maybe find something and nothing

ever happened nothing ever came up and

I’m sitting there thinking the choirs

getting ready saying I don’t have a

sermon here sitting all my enemies and I

don’t have a sermon so they’re gonna say

see he can’t preach and so the choir

sang they sat down I opened up walked up

and opened up the Bible and it flipped

open to this verse trust in the Lord

with all your heart lean not to your own

understanding in all your ways

acknowledge him and he’ll make you paths

straight and then I just exploded with

the Word of God for about 35 minutes

people start getting up coming down

there I want to join the church people

getting up leaving because they didn’t

like what I said and it was just all

this going on and on and on well they

were very upset and so they had the

meeting and so I slipped in the side

over under the balcony in the dark when

nobody knew I was there and so I turned

to a passage of Scripture and I just

said then I thought Lord I’m not

naturally I’m not gonna say anything I’m

just gonna watch how this happens

because they said you know it’s all

against you there is no way in the world

you to win and I sat there and i kept

thumbing through the scripture and then

praying okay lord you speak to my heart

i can’t

to this verse no weapon formed against

you will prosper every tongue the

accuses you in judgment you will condemn

this is the heritage of the servants of

the Lord and their vindication is from

me to fails the Lord

Isaiah 54 verse 17 no weapon formed

against you shall prosper so I said over

then listening them over and over and

over they got up until why they needed

to have a new pastor but here’s the

interesting thing not one person who

stood up said one negative thing about

me and I’m sitting on top thank you my

lord if I was trying to get rid of me

here’s what I’d say another one of my

what did God say no weapon formed

against you or prosper so we voted and

of course God gave me the position which

I’m grateful for for all these years

so the question of does God speak he

speaks in his own ways and he doesn’t

speak to us all the same way but

listening he’s willing to speak to you

if you’re willing to listen and if

you’re willing to be over listen he’ll

give you a little bit and give you the

opportunity to obey Him or he’ll give

you the full story if you’re willing to

obey Him and have always been willing to

obey Him not at first then I would

mention one other Sunday God knows how

to get my attention

one other Sunday no sermon Monday work

Tuesday with by Thursday I still know

where I’m going and I’m pretty well into

it and I thought and I’m the pastor

mountain and and then no sermon so

Saturday morning

no sermon at noon no sermon two o’clock

no sermon now I’m praying and asking I’m

not doing something else instead of

praying and asking God to show me what

this is all about six o’clock in the

evening no message and so I said god

what in the world are you doing tomorrow

I don’t have anything yeah you shut my

mouth I fell on the floor and I

stretched that and I thought yard

whatever it is please tell me here’s

what he said to me and we were just the

beginning at that time you must never

ask for one penny on television or do

you must trust me to decide how far and

wide this ministry goes you never to ask

for money and I said okay God you have

my commitment I never will I never have

we’re all over the world he had kept his

promise

then I’ll give you one other

illustration I was the Southern Baptist

Convention was in great turmoil and so

they wanted to put me up a president I

said no absolutely not had no interest

in it to begin with don’t allow don’t

even know how to be the president

convention so a group of us met and we

prayed and prayed and prayed and there

was a little lady there who was a

missionary

she was 83 years of age so we met

together and she had the rest of us were

pastors over that seven eight of us and

she was sitting right beside me and so

we were gonna pray and she said she said

Charles Stanley get on your knees and

repent of your sins I can still remember

that it wasn’t funny then because we all

got down to pray and we prayed and she

prayed for me I still remember her it’s

calling me Charles Stanley and so we all

left and went back to our hotel room and

I was this thing to bet on saying thank

you Lord that’s over praise God I don’t

have to do this no matter what they

think the next morning I got up I can

still see this in my mind I got dressed

walk toward the door reach for the

doorknob it’s like God said do not touch

that doorknob until you willing to obey

me

I melt the end of the bed and began to

even I rep the wall because number one I

was afraid I didn’t know how to be the

president of the convention I didn’t

want to be and I had many many many many

people who are absolutely against me and

so I had legitimate reasons for saying

no but in God’s eyes hidden except that

I went back to that same room and

finally they said Stanley are you gonna

be obedient on our

I said yes I am and I tell them why I

won the election and so I was simply

being obedient to God was I still afraid

yes I was I’m simply saying this if you

listen to God he will do things that you

don’t expect and he’ll do things you

don’t want him to do but you have to

decide whether you’re going to be

obedient or not so I could give you an

illustration of the illustration of

things but what I wanted you to see is

each time I got direction I’m listening

to God here’s what I want you to

understand I want you to understand this

you God is just as willing to speak to

you as he is me you listen you God has a

plan for you just he does me and

sometimes we think well only God

wouldn’t speak to me yes he will he will

if you listen to him and probably most

of the people in here have something

they’re talking to God about some

decision you’re willing to talk to God

about watch this carefully you have the

Holy Spirit living inside of you who is

just as willing to speak and make clear

to you his voice as he is to anybody

else a burning bush does not have to be

something with literal fire the burning

bush is a crucial critical decision

you’re trying to make in your life you

want to make the right one and so you

ask God until he gives you clear

direction you said well watch this now

you say well I prayed and prayed and

prayed is what I’ll discover if I pray

and pray and pray about something either

I’m not listening secondly either I’m

hearing something I do not want to hear

and so I don’t want to hear what he says

there when I think about the fact that

the God who created this universe is

willing to make himself known to you and

to me as individuals no matter where we

come from he’s willing to make clear to

us the next decision we need to make so

the reason I call that a burning bush is

because it was a life changer for Moses

and most of these were life changes for

me and they’ll maybe in life changes for

you if you will ask him watch this

careful if you ask him

and don’t just back off and let him do

the speaking you may not hear anything

for a few days or a few weeks but as

long as you’re praying you linked up

with listen you’re linked up with

omniscience the God who knows everything

and who knows the best and every single

one of us would have to admit if we were

honest God always chooses the best amen

that’s pretty weak God always chooses

the best amen and I remember this when

he’s talking he sees the beginning to

the end when we’re praying we just see

right here but remember this the reason

we can trust them is because we know

that who’s doing the talking sees the

end result already he would never tell

you to do something that is not best for

you that’s the way God operates and when

I think about how blessed we are now we

have Jesus now we have the Holy Spirit I

don’t know what you’re facing in life

but this I know you have a God who loves

you has a plan for your life

you’re not listening you’re not one of a

bunch you’re not one of a group you know

the nobody you’re somebody you’re

somebody for whom God has a plan a God

who is willing to show you the plan

willing to guide you step by step he’s

not gonna give you the full story he’s

gonna lead you step by step because

watch this that’s the way he operates we

obey Him today we obey Him today and

today and today and today and today and

thought you know what

little by little he’ll get us the exact

where he wants us sometimes quickly

sometimes not so quickly what is there

in your life that you’re trouble about

what is there in your life that you feel

a need thought that you don’t have what

is there in your life that keeps waking

you up at night what is there in your

life that you know you need some sense

of joy and peace and what is it that

troubled you what is that big question

mark he said how am I going to find out

the answer

I can guarantee you on the basis of the

Word of God an experience has nothing to

be to do with being a past that has to

do with the nature of God he loves you

enough to show you exactly what to do

next if you willing to ask him trust him

and wait for his timing that’s a good

God is listen one of the if you if you

will do what you’ve heard this morning

maybe in a few weeks a few months it may

be a year so whatever it might be you’ve

got some question you gonna you gonna

see how God’s gonna work in your life he

doesn’t work in everybody’s life is

saying but he’ll working in your life

you don’t have to say well but I’m not

this and I’m not that that has nothing

to do with it what has to do with it is

this he’s God you wanted his children he

created you he has a plan for your life

he wants to direct your life because

when he directs your life and you obey

Him you bring him glory and honor you

become a testimony to people who need to

know that God is a personal God and

willing to answer the petition of their

heart you say well I’m not even a

Christian I can tell you the next thing

he wants you to do he wants you to

confess your sins to him ask him to

forgive you of your sin surrender your

life to him and watch him work wait for

him to speak to your heart which he was

certainly do because the moment you

receive Christ as your Savior the Holy

Spirit comes into your life to dwell and

to live and to give guidance and

direction for your life you’ll never be

the same again he’s willing you ought to

do it I challenge you surrender your

life to Him

and watch him work amen father we love

you in prision thank you that you are so

ready to be a blessing to your children

willing to give us instruction divine

guidance willing to meet our need

I pray that any person who hears this

message and every person who hears it

who is not a follower of Jesus will

immediately right now confess their

sinfulness surrender their life to you

and watch your work thank you for loving

us where the love will never fully

understand that we get to heaven and we

pray this in Jesus name Amen

[Music]

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