Sermons
May 18th, 2025 by Pastor Solley051825AM Put Off Thy Shoes
Sub. Moses
Theme: Lessons in putting off the shoes.
Text: Exodus 3:1-6
“Put Off Thy Shoes” Exodus 3:1-6
Introduction
Our text passage this morning is a very familiar one to most people with any church background at all. – Ex 3:1-6 – In verse five we find the command for Moses to remove his shoes. – Ex 3:5 – What most people do not know is how rare that command is. Only one other individual in the Bible received that specific command and he is closely aligned with Moses. – Josh 5:15 – These are the only two in the Bible to receive that specific command, to remove their shoes because they were standing on holy ground. Why? The immediate answer is because they were standing on holy ground. – Ex 3:5 – But there has to be more than that in the command.
I. God doesn’t tell all who appear in His presence to remove their shoes: (1) Abraham met with God on more than one occasion but God never commanded Abraham to remove his shoes. (2) Elijah met with God but God never commanded Elijah to remove his shoes. (3) Isaiah met with God but God never commanded Isaiah to remove his shoes. (4) On the mount of transfiguration Peter, James and John were certainly standing on holy ground but they were not commanded to remove their shoes. (5) On the authority of the Word of God I can state that we are in the presence of God this morning, on holy ground, but we are not commanded to remove our shoes.
A. Even Moses and Joshua were not commanded to remove their shoes each time they met with God: (1) Moses in the mount when he received the Law was not commanded to remove his shoes. (2) Joshua in the first chapter of that book met with God but was not commanded to remove his shoes. (3) Moses when hid in the cleft of the rock, met with God but was not commanded to remove his shoes. (4) Joshua met with God after the defeat at the hands of Ai but was not commanded to remove his shoes.
1. So why the command given to those two men at that time? Those two, Moses and Joshua, were about to do a great work for the Lord and to be able to do that work even by the power, grace, and mercy of God they had to have a very close relationship to God. They had to be walking in the presence of God daily, in constant communion and fellowship with God.
2. In order to do that they were going to have to remove their shoes:
B. The command was given because of the lessons within the command: Ex 3:5 God was teaching them something important.
II. I wonder this morning what type of relationship we as born again believers want with our Savior? Saved, born again, a place reserved in heaven, is that what we want? I pray it is and that all of us can claim Jesus Christ this morning as our personal savior. But then a close walk with Christ, is that what we want? It should be. A life changed because of that close walk with Christ, is that what we want? It should be. Power in prayer because of our walk with Christ, is that what we want? It should be. A knowledge of His will for our lives because of our close walk with Him, is that what we want? It should be. A peace that passes all understanding as we walk though this world because of our close walk with Christ, is that what we want? It should be. Those things can be ours today if we have that close walk with Jesus Christ, if we are standing on holy ground.
II. I want to look this morning as the Holy Spirit allows at some of the lessons found in the command “Put off they shoes from off they feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground”: There are several lessons we can see by looking at Moses and Joshua that tell us why it is so important to remove our shoes this morning.
Prop: There are lessons for us today surrounding the command given to Moses and Joshua. TS. Lessons that we need to be aware of and lessons we need to follow if we want to walk in closeness with our Lord and Savior.
Body
I. We need to put off the shoes of spiritual heritage and desire our own relationship with the Lord: Ex 3:5-6 This is not the time that Moses gets saved, not the time that Moses puts faith and trust in the Lord. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11 that when Moses came of age, when he could make decisions for himself, that he refused the riches of Egypt to suffer affliction with the people of God, that Moses esteemed the riches of Christ greater than the riches of Egypt. In Exodus 3 Moses has been saved for well over forty years. Moses knew the Lord so why would God take Moses back to things he already knew? – Ex 3:6
A. Because Moses had a rich spiritual heritage, one that brought him to Christ, but one he had not moved past: Ex 2:1-10 It took great faith on the part of both parents of Moses to hide him, to nourish him, and then when they could keep him hidden no more to place him in that ark of safety and place him in that river where most likely nothing good was going to take place.
1. That faith was rewarded in who found Moses and who then was charged with caring for and raising him: Ex 3:5-10 Moses was raised in a home where God was, by godly parents and when turned over to Pharaoh’s house was most likely already saved. Moses had a rich spiritual heritage that brought him to salvation and praise God for that.
-2-
2. The same thing can be said of Joshua: We know next to nothing about the parents of Joshua other than his father’s name was Nun, but we do know who Joshua stood beside, who it was that Joshua ministered to. – Ex 24:13 – I believe it could be said that Joshua had a rich spiritual heritage as well.
3. But it was now time for Moses, Joshua as well, to get close to God, to walk with God, to move past their heritage and have their own relationship with the God of heaven: Time to put off your shoes of spiritual heritage and walk close to the Lord.
B. Those of us who have a strong spiritual heritage need to thank and praise the Lord for that: I have a strong spiritual heritage that I thank the Lord for. Both grandparents saved and loved the Lord, parents saved who loved the Lord, a sister and her family saved and love the Lord, a Christian wife who loves the Lord, I have a strong spiritual heritage. I was carried into this very church as a baby and raised in an independent, fundamental, Bible believing church. I have always been in church, saved at the age of ten, knew the Lord had something for me by the age of twelve, I have a strong spiritual heritage that God used to bring me to salvation in Jesus Christ.
1. But I need to have my own relationship with the Lord, not my parents or grandparents or anyone else: I cannot depend upon my spiritual heritage, which God used to bring me to Christ, to keep me close to Christ. I need my own relationship with Christ.
a. That ended up being the problem with Israel. – Judg 2:10 – Depending upon a past relationship instead of a present one.
b. That also was the problem with the sons of Eli the priest. Dad is a priest so we must be OK with God.
c. I wonder if that was the problem with the sons of Solomon.
2. While I thank God for a spiritual heritage, I need to desire my own closeness with the Lord Jesus Christ: I can’t depend on others.
a. Like David I need to seek the Lord early and often. – Ps 63:1
b. I need to feel the power of God in my life. – Ps 63:2
c. I need to be meditating on Word of God and the things of God. – Ps 63:6
d. I need to follow hard after God. – Ps 63:8
e. I need to be that man of prayer. – Ps 64:1
f. I need to take refuge in and trust in the Lord. – Ps 64:10
3. All of those things could be true of our parents and grandparents, but they need to be true of us as well: If I don’t desire my own relationship, my own walk, my own closeness to my savior it is not going to matter how close others are to Christ. It is time to put off the shoes of spiritual heritage and get my own relationship, my own closeness to my Lord and Savior. – Ex 3:5-6
4. Is it time to put off your shoes today and get lose to the Lord Jesus Christ: Ex 3:5
C. We need to put off the shoes of spiritual heritage and desire our own relationship with the Lord: Ex 3:5-6
II. We need to put off the shoes of our inability and self seen unworthiness: We know that Moses was a saved man, we know he had a strong spiritual heritage, we also know that God was calling Moses and that Moses answered “Here am I”. – Ex 3:1-4
A. It is amazing then the excuses Moses camp up with not to follow what God was calling him to do: Ex 3:7-10 There was no mistaking what God wanted Moses to do and no mistaking the power of God on display in the every burning bush. It is amazing then the excuses Moses came up with not to follow what God was clearly calling him to do.
1. I am unworthy: Ex 3:11
2. No one will believe me: Ex 3:13 ; 4:1
3. I will not know what to say and am not able to speak in a way they will understand: Ex 4:10-11
4. Even with the reassurance of God Moses did not want to go: Ex 4:2-12
5. Please Lord, send someone else: Ex 4:13 It is amazing the excuses Moses camp up with not to obey what God commanded.
B. But don’t we offer up the very same excuses today? When called upon to obey the Word of God which we are all called to do, when called upon to serve which God calls all of us to do in one capacity or other, when called upon to share the gospel message, when called upon to place complete faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ we often come up with the very same excuses.
1. We are not worthy: Who among us is? Remember Isaiah. – Isa 6:5 – Who among us is worthy?
2. We can’t speak: Remember Jeremiah. – Jer 1:6-7
3. No one will believe me: Neither did they believe the prophets and Jesus Himself.
4. I will not know what to say: Matt 10:19-20
C. We need to take off the shoes that keep us from obeying the commands of God and do what God is calling us to do: When we believe we are unworthy, when we believe we are not able there are a few things we need to keep in mind.
1. God has called the unworthy and unable: 1 Cor 1:25-29 That is exactly who God has called.
2. That without Him we can do nothing: John 15:5
3. In and through Christ we can do all things: Phil 4:13
-3-
D. We need to put off the shoes of our own inability and self seen unworthiness:
III. We need to put off the shoes of doing things our way or the way that seems best to us: Remember that before Exodus chapter three Moses had put off Egypt, had esteemed the riches of Christ better. Moses was of course saved before Exodus chapter three.
A. Moses had even tried to deliver Israel his way: Ex 2:11-15 Did Moses intend to kill one Egyptian after another? I do not know. Did Moses intend to raise up an army of Hebrews and lead a revolt? I do not know. I do not know those things.
1. What I do know is that when Moses tried to do things his way they did not work out: The Hebrews didn’t want him and now Pharaoh was wanting to kill him.
2. Later on Moses would bring water out of the rock his way and it did not work out: It cost him the Promised Land.
3. The same can be said of Joshua, when he tried to do things his way they did not work out: Josh 7:2-7 We know the answer to the question in the first part of verse seven, Joshua decided to do things his way.
a. No need to ask the Lord about this, they are just a small nation. – Josh 7:2-4
b. No need to seek God here, we can handle this.
4. When Moses and Joshua decided to do things their way it did not work out: What does the Bible say about our ways? Prov 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
B. But when they took off those shoes and did things God’s way it did work out: Even when it seemed impossible it worked out.
1. All the people were sure they would die as they stood before the Red Sea: But it was God’s way and the sea parted.
2. It was impossible to defeat Jericho by walking around the city once each day and then seven times on the seventh day: But it was God’s way and the walls of Jericho were pressed into the earth.
3. When they did things God’s way it all turned out to be the good way, the acceptable way, the right way:
C. There are a lot of voices that can be heard today telling us better ways to do things: In every area of life. I don’t encourage this.
1. If you do a google search on how to build a successful church in today’s world thousands of things pop up: None of them follow the Biblical pattern.
a. You need to have leadership teams, not a pastor. But God did give pastors.
b. You need to get rid of the KJV and adopt the new versions. But God have His sure Word and not a version of it.
c. Get rid of the old hymns of the faith and replace them with praise songs. But the Bible speaks of hymns, not praise songs.
d. Have no set standards for anything, let people feel good about themselves. But the Bible is a book of standards.
e. But my Bible tells me to stick to the old ways, stick to the old paths. Jer 6:16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
2. So many voices in your ears today how to build a strong marriage: Give each other space to grow, give each other room to do what each one wants, don’t hinder the inner spirit. But my Bible also has a way. Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. ; Eph 5:24-25 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
3. So many voices in your ears today how to raise children: But those voices leave the Bible and the house of God out of things.
Prov 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
4. When will we stop doing things the worlds way and just do them God’s way?
D. We need to put off the shoes of doing things our way or the way the seems to be best to us:
IV. We need to put off the shoes of the world: Ex 3:1 Moses was a saved man, left Egypt, but Moses was not yet out of the world.
A. Moses settled in the world: Ex 2:15-22 Moses had to leave Egypt because he had a desire to set his people free from the hand of Pharaoh. Moses tried to do that his way but was that still his desire to serve the Lord and get Israel out of Egypt?
1. Moses ended up settling in the world: Ex 2:21-22 Notice, Moses found contentment in the world.
2. Soon the dedication of Moses to be used of God was no longer there: Content to be a shepherd, content to raise a family in the world, Moses became content.
3. This even caused Moses to disobey God: We see this when it is revealed Moses failed to circumcise his son.
B. One cannot be settled in the world and walk close to God: The two do not go together. – James 4:4 ; 1 John 2:15-17 Biblical separation from that which is not of God or that which claims it is of God and is not did not begin in the New Testament.
-4-
1. Moses called for separation as God commanded: Num 16:26
2. Joshua was commanded to put away the unclean things that Achan coveted:
3. There was a call for decision and separation: Josh 24:15
4. They were to put off the things of the world:
C. Even as we need to put off the shoes of the world: We are not to walk together, work together with those who not not in agreement with the Bible. Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
1. Biblical separation is not popular but it is commanded: 2 Cor 6:14-17 These verses although not popular are not hard to understand. They do not deal with salvation, they deal with fellowship and communion with our savior. – 2 Cor 6:17 – If I want to be close to my savior I can’t be close to the world or that which the Word of God forbids. This not the only Scripture.
2. We are to mark that which is against the Word of God: Rom 16:17-18
3. Those who stand against the Bible are not going to help us in our spiritual walk: 2 Thess 3:14-15
4. The shoes of the world will never take us closer to the Lord Jesus Christ: They will draw us away.
D. We need to put off the shoes of the world:
Conclusion
What then of the command that God gave to Moses and Joshua? Ex 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. The lessons in the command speak to us today.
I. We need to put off the shoes of spiritual heritage and desire our own relationship with the Lord: Ex 3:5-6 This is not the time that Moses gets saved, not the time that Moses puts faith and trust in the Lord. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11 that when Moses came of age, when he could make decisions for himself, that he refused the riches of Egypt to suffer affliction with the people of God, that Moses esteemed the riches of Christ greater than the riches of Egypt. In Exodus 3 Moses has been saved for at least forty years. Moses knew the Lord so why would God take Moses back to things he already knew? – Ex 3:6
II. We need to put off the shoes of our inability and self seen unworthiness: We know that Moses was a saved man, we know he had a strong spiritual heritage, we also know that God was calling Moses and that Moses answered “Here am I”. – Ex 3:1-4
III. We need to put off the shoes of doing things our way or the way that seems best to us: Remember that before Exodus chapter three that Moses had put off Egypt, had esteemed the riches of Christ better. Moses was of course saved before Exodus chapter three.
IV. We need to put off the shoes of the world: Ex 3:1 Moses was a saved man, left Egypt, but Moses was not yet out of the world.