Show Me Your Glory: Exodus 33-34
Associate Pastor Jeff Williams
08-03-03
When I was younger, I was invited to attend a birthday dinner for a friend at Ducks. Ducks was a five-star restaurant at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. It was very expensive and quite glamorous. We had the table overlooking the lobby and were able to see the world famous Peabody ducks march out of the elevator and into the fountain. I looked over the menu, tried to keep from choking at the prices, and chose the “blackened squab.” I found out later that squab in a type of pigeon. We were treated like royalty as we waited for our food. When the plates came each of us just stared at our fare. My squab must have been pretty scrawny because it was no bigger than a hockey puck! The plate was bare except for a broccoli spear and something that looked like a twig. I ate my dinner in two bites, which came to about $19.00 a chew, and decided that blackened squab was pretty good. The only problem was – I was still hungry! Everyone else finished their meals and we were all in agreement – time to head to Wendy’s!
The meal was fancy, it was some of the best this world had to offer, but it just did not satisfy. Instead of satiating my hunger, it made me salivate for a Spicy chicken sandwich and some French fries. It left me wanting more.
Although I just described an experience I had with food, this could also be a picture of our current spiritual lives. It’s so easy for us to just nibble around the edges of our faith and come away with an empty feeling. Eating at the world’s table, we often gorge ourselves, and we still wonder if there is something that really satisfies. In the quiet of our soul we want to scream, “We want more! We want more than just existing! We want more than dead doctrine and lifeless liturgies! We want more than just playing church! We want more than just learning more about God! We want to KNOW God. We want to experience Him. God, show us your glory!”
This morning we are going to meet a man who actually had the gall to pray that prayer. If Moses had a motto it would have been “I want more!” He was not satisfied with the status quo of his faith. He sought God, he hungered for God, and he talked to God “face to face.” There is much we can learn from Moses the “God Chaser” as one author calls him. Let’s begin by doing a quick review.
A burning bush and a reluctant leader
Last week Pastor Geoff Pfeil pointed us back to Exodus 3 and the encounter Moses had with a talking, fired up bush. In this experience, Moses is invited into God’s Presence. Moses “turns aside” from his flock and his fear to listen to the God who calls Himself “I am who I am.” The eighty year old barefoot shepherd stood trembling on holy ground as God commissioned him to be the deliverer of the people of Israel. Moses has a thousand excuses why he was not the right man for the job, but God dismisses each of them. Moses the murderer would become Moses the mediator. Moses reluctantly agreed and, with his brother Aaron as his spokesperson, headed back to Egypt for a showdown with his adopted father, the Pharaoh.
Moses stood before the most powerful person in the world and said, “Let my people go!” Pharaoh refused and experienced the wrath of God in a series of ten plagues, culminating in the death of each Egyptian first born son. A grieving Pharaoh relented and told Moses to take the Israelites and get as far away from them as possible. Moses led the people to the edge of the Red Sea and God divided the waters and a couple of million people hiked across to safety. When Pharaoh changed his mind and sent troops after them, they forget their life-jackets and were drowned when God puts the water back in its place. I would high recommend that you read Exodus 10-14 to get the full force of God’s power and provision for Moses and the people of Israel.
A Wandering, Wayward People
Rescued from the hand of their oppressors, the nation of Israel began their slow trek toward the Promise Land. They saw God do amazing miracles as He provided food and water in the middle of the barren dessert. Even with such Divine interventions, the people whined as much as they wandered. They even went so far as to wish they were back in Egypt where “they sat by pots of meat and ate bread to the full.” (Ex 16:3) Moses grew tired of mutinous threats and watching the people so quickly complain against God. Moses met with God on the mountain and listened as God gave the Ten Commandments, the laws to govern daily life, and the blueprints for the sanctuary.
At the very same time, Aaron shaped a golden calf for the people to worship. Moses returned from the mountain to an unspeakable sight and smashed the tablets to pieces. Because of their sin of idolatry, God assigns an angel to lead them. This brings us to our text for this morning. Please turn to Exodus 33:7.
Moses wanted more than second hand religion
“Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting." Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.” (Ex 33:7-11).
Although Moses had been given the blueprint for the tabernacle, this structure had not yet been built. The nation of Israel still lived as nomads in tent cities and a permanent structure could not be built until they were able to settle in the Promise Land. Therefore, Moses would take a tent and set it up outside the camp. This tent was a physical sign of God’s presence. Let’s make at a couple observations.
1. Settling of disputes. Scripture states “anyone inquiring of the Lord” could go
to the tent. At the tent of meeting, Moses would sit as judge and settle disputes and serve as God’s spokesman. Joshua probably served as a type of bailiff for these proceedings and as a guard at night.
2. Sacred Space. There was a totally separate use for this tent. The tent was the place that Moses met with God. The tent of meeting was sacred space. It was the place that Moses experienced the “Shekinah glory” of God – the manifestation of God magnificence in time and space. There was no altar, no sacrifices took place there, and the priests were not invited. Although God had removed His Presence from the people, God continued to meet with Moses. It was truly a “tent of meeting” for Moses and his young apprentice Joshua.
3. Separated. Moses set the tent up outside the camp “some distance away.” The Biblical concept of holiness has to do with “being separated.” For God’s presence to meet with Moses it had to be in a location outside the realm of the sinful idolatry of the people.
4. Shielded. Interestingly, Moses would enter the tent but God would not. The pillar of cloud would stand at the entrance to the tent and the tent acted as a shield to protect Moses from being consumed by God’s weightiness and magnificence.
5. Speaking face to face. The idea of God speaking to Moses “face to face” represents intimacy. God and Moses had an open and honest relationship. When Moses’ sister Miriam grumbled against Moses, God takes her to task:
“But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house .With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.” (Num 12:7-8)
6. Second-Hand Worship. Moses would go in alone and all the people would stand at the entrance to their tents and worship. This is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. The old shepherd–leader would walk to the tent and all the people scrambled to the front of their tents to watch. This was not God’s original desire. In Exodus 20, God gave an invitation to all the people to experience His presence. He commanded Moses to consecrate the people and prepare them for His arrival from Mt. Sinai. But when the people “witnessed the thundering, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking” they were afraid and “stood far off.” Moses tried to encourage the people:
“Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” So the people stood far off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was” (Exodus 20:20-21)
Moses was not content with “standing far off”; he wanted to be where God was. He wasn’t content to just stand at the front of a tent and watch someone else experience God’s power and majesty. He wanted more than second- hand religion. The people worshipped vicariously though Moses. They were satisfied to let Moses meet with God and then give them a report on the experience. This was not an option for a God-chaser like Moses. He wanted more.
I want to introduce you to seven students who have said the same thing this summer. They decided that ministry is not a spectator sport and they were tired of watching other people experience God. They are our Child Evangelism Fellowship summer missionaries. While many teenagers would have been content to sunbathe and sleep their summer away, these God-chasers were up at the crack of dawn ministering to hundreds of children, including my two boys.
CEF Testimonies.
A. Blake Carley:
My name is Blake Carley and this was my third year of doing 5-day clubs. It is a really great chance to serve and is a lot of fun. The kids were awesome this year and I had so much fun. It’s cool because the kids really look up to you. This year at like 3 of our clubs the kids were asking us to go to their houses and spend the night. We also got to hand out a lot of rice krispie treats and Bibles. It just reminded me that ministry is all about relationship and hanging out with the kids. Five day clubs have taught me a lot about ministry, not only in 5-day clubs but also in many others ways. It has deepened my relationship with God and I’ve learned many valuable lessons. I’ve also learned various methods of teaching and sharing the Gospel. It has also given me experience in working with little kids which can be very helpful. This year God has really taught me about grace, prayer, teamwork, and serving from your heart. First of all with grace, God
has shown me grace. I’ve learned to put the past behind and trust in God’s forgiveness. I’m not perfect but God still loves me and that makes me happy. Also it has been cool to see that God was able to use me in so many ways even though I don’t deserve it. Each year prayer has been a powerful tool and I’ve definitely seen that again this year. It has been really fun working with Shawn, Seth, Casey, Rebekah, July, and Sarah. The whole year we have worked in unity and have had an overall desire to do God’s work. I’ve also learned that this God’s work and needs to be done His strength. I taught those kids for God, loved them for God, I hung out with them for God, and I think when take that attitude God will bless the work that we do and He will be glorified.
B. Casey Hitch
It was over the summer before 6th grade started. I was 11 years old. There was a woman named Christy Evans that was holding something called 5 day clubs at her house. My next door neighbor asked me to go. I thought “I could learn about Jesus. When I got there I was a little shy because I didn’t know anyone there. You can tell I have changed! The teachers scared the kids and now I’m scaring the children. So, I went, and during the story time I was told that Jesus loves me and he is the only way I could go to heaven. So, I went back with her and said a prayer. I said the prayer and the girl said I accepted Christ.
How cool, I became a child of God! Well it didn’t stick with me all my life. So at the age of 14 on January 18th at about 9:00-10:00 I reconnected with God and the funny thing is now I’m a 5 day teacher and telling kids about Jesus, just like my teacher did.
Point to Ponder: Are you growing frustrated with just watching worship and ministry? Are you done with second-hand religion? Are you hungry for God? Then seek Him! Seek Him while He may be found. Moses was pro-active and pitched the tent. Get alone with God and tell Him you do not want to sit on the sidelines any longer.
Moses Wanted More than an Angel
“Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, ’Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ’I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people." The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." (Exodus 33:12-17)
It was time for Moses and the Israelites to start traveling to the land that God had promised to them – a “land flowing with milk and honey.” After the golden calf incident, God told Moses that he would indeed lead the people to the promise land but with the help of an angel. Moses told God that this was unacceptable.
1. Get Real! Moses reminded God that his leadership of the Israelites was His idea and first place. He also quoted God as saying that He knew Moses by name. Moses boldly accused God of “holding out on Him.” “Let me in on Your plans” is the way The Message translates this verse.
2. A Request. Moses asked God to “teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with You.” Again, Moses wanted more than just to know about God. He wants to know God and His ways.
King David, years later, wrote:
“Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11)
This is a cry of every God-chaser – an intimate relationship with the God of glory.
3. A Call to Remember. Moses reminds God that He chose the nation of Israel out of all the nations of the earth. Moses asked God to consider the consequences of His abandonment of His covenant people. The people of Israel were special because God went with them. The nation of Israel would lose this distinctiveness if God were not guiding them. Moses’ attitude was “If God wasn’t going to lead them, let’s call the whole thing off!” John Bunyan put it this way: “Moses was rather for dying where he stood than to go one step without God.”
4. A Promise of Rest. God promised to lead and guide Moses and the people and to give them rest. The people had been grieved over God’s judgment, but now God promises to give the people His peace.
5. A Relationship. God’s leadership is based on one thing – His relationship with Moses. God was pleased to rescind His judgment and promised to be their leader and protector. God gives this reason to Moses: “I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” It was because of their intimate “friendship” that God answers his request for guidance.
Moses would not settle for an angel when he could have God Himself leading and protecting them. He wanted more than second-hand guidance.
I love the way Eugene Peterson translates these verses in The Message:
Moses said “If your presence does not take the lead here, call the trip off right now. How else will it be known that you are with me in this, with me and Your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we are special, I and Your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?” (Exodus 33:12-17, The Message)
This section of Scripture has tremendous personal and corporate application. On a personal level, God is clear that He promises to led and direct our lives if we trust Him to do so.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
When I first moved to Illinois, I took a group of students to a concert in Chillicothe. I had a map but my co-worker assured me she knew where we were going and that she knew a short cut. I left the map at home and allow her to be our guide. We headed north for about an hour and turned east on Interstate 80. Some of the students kept saying that we were going the wrong way but she insisted that we trust her. When I saw a sign that read “19 miles to Iowa” I slammed on the brakes and pulled to the side of the road. The students were steamed and our guide merely shrugged. I was forced to ask directions, not easy for a man to do, and we were more than an hour late to the concert. I trusted a mixed up person instead of a map. How often we do this in our spiritual lives.
Unfortunately, many of us are content to settle for less than biblical guidance. With the proliferation of horoscopes, psychic hotlines, and pop psychology books, we are continually being tempted to look for guidance somewhere other than in the Scriptures. We must make the choice to yield completely to God’s direction and leading every day, every hour if necessary. Why settle for Oprah when we have access to the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient God?
On a corporate level, I am thankful that our church is under the leadership of God. We have leadership that is humbly devoted to doing only what God says to do. After hearing so many horror stories of churches doing their own thing, I am blessed to work with a group of elders and deacons who realize who we belong to and who we represent. God is our guide and if He doesn’t lead us we might as well go play golf!
Point to Ponder: Are you trying to live your life based on Biblical principles or on a shallow substitute? Let’s submit our futures to the One who can guide us there. Don’t settle for a go-between when God is available to walk with us.
Show Me Your Glory
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen." (Exodus 33:18-23)
This is probably one of the most presumptuous prayers in the Bible. Moses had been with God on Mount Sinai. He had seen burning bushes and rushing rivers run dry. He witnessed the terrible plagues and God’s wonderful provisions of manna and water from a rock. Moses met with God “face to face” in a tent and talked with Him as a friend. Moses says, “God, I want more! I want to see your glorious presence.” He wanted more than just to see the finger of God writing on stones. He wanted more than to hear His voice from a cloud or a bush. He wanted to see a manifestation of God’s character in its fullness. Wow! What a prayer.
1. When we encounter God He sets the rules. Moses said, “Now…show me Your glory.” God said, “We are going to do this my way. I will set the limits on how you experience Me and I will make sure you don’t die in the process.” He makes it clear that we do not set the terms: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
2. When we encounter God He reveals His Name.. Moses knows this well because he was the first to receive the covenant name of God, “I am who I am.” God’s name represents His character. In a beautiful book by John Paul Jackson called “I AM: 365 Names of God” he states, “Strong’s Concordance and the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery suggest that the word “name” encompasses everything which the name covers, including thoughts and feelings aroused by mentioning, hearing, and remembering the name.” God shouts His covenant name, Jehovah, which means “the existing one” and reveals His goodness, purity, and sustaining power to Moses.
God told Isaiah:
"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. (Isaiah 42:8)
3. When we encounter God it is never a complete revelation. God is totally holy and other than us. Because of our finiteness and sinfulness, we can not experience God in His fullness. Just as Moses was shielded from God’s full Presence in the tent of meeting, God covered him in the cleft of a rock in order to allow him to see just a glimpse of His glory.
The terms hands, face, and back are to be understood figuratively. God is not a man and does not have a body like we do.
“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.” (Numbers 23:19)
The Hebrew word used here for back is never used for a part of a human body. It is better translated “afterglow.” Imagine that we are in very dark room and I quickly turn on and off a bare light bulb. Even after the light was turned off you would still see the afterglow. This is what Moses saw. This is all Moses, or we for that matter could handle!
4. When we encounter God, it must be done alone. Moses is invited again to “turn aside” and come into the Presence of God. But God made it clear that he must come alone.
“Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain." (Exodus 34:2-3)
5. When we encounter God, He reveals His character. In this instant, Moses was overwhelmed by Goodness and love and faithfulness. There are thirteen listed characteristics of God in this passage and they constitute the Jewish list of God’s attributes.
“Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." (Exodus 34:5-7)
6. When we encounter God it leads to worship.
“Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.” (Exodus 34:8)
Moses hit his knees immediately. He was stunned by the beauty and majesty of God.
Kent Robson and I attended a worship leader’s conference in May. We spent three days worshipping God with some of the most gifted and anointed leaders in the nation. Several times the presence of God was so overwhelming that our speakers would not begin their sermon. They simply read Scripture and told the band to keep on playing. At one point on Friday night when we were focusing on God’s glory, there were several hundred people on the faces before God. The band stopped singing because human words seemed to shallow. Later that night I sat outside the hotel and wrote this poem:
Not Enough
Words – reaching, straining, pulling
not enough not enough
My lips move, my tongue wags
not enough, not enough
Palms out-turned, knees bruised
not enough, not enough
Fluid motion, flux-filled emotion
not enough, not enough
Mind-bending mystery
Soul-stretching intrigue
Kneeling, Dancing
Wistful Whispers, Subtle Shouts
not enough, not enough
Glory, Glory, Glory!
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Ruined! Woe to me.
Restoration, Reclamation
Incarnation – Jesus Christ
The lion and the lamb
Good, Good, Good
Enough!
My words – reaching, straining, pulling
not enough, not enough.
When we worship God for who He really is we are changed by the experience. God is not “the big guy upstairs” and He is not a heavenly grandpa dispenses lifesavers. God is God and we are not! We worship in order to bless Him, not so the He will bless us. Let’s spend some time worshipping our Glorious God.
Worship Set
I want to know You (chorus)
Enough
Agnes Dei
All in All
1500 years is a long time to wait
[Move to communion table]
In Exodus, God only partially answered Moses’ prayer to experience the fullness of His glory. It is not until the book of Luke, 1500 years later, that we see the fulfillment of this Moses’ request.
“Jesus… took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:28-31)
Jesus “unzips” his humanness and His glory is revealed. What an incredible sight! Then Jesus says “Gideon, Michael go get Moses, now! He has waited for such a long time to see this!” To see Jesus was to see the full revelation of God’s glory.
The writer of Hebrews said it this way:
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:3)
and John reported:
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
(John 1:14)
Moses talked with Jesus, literally “face to face”, about the plan for the redemption of mankind. In Exodus, Moses felt like God was holding out on him. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses saw the shadows turn into substance. All the Old Testament symbolism of a sacrificial lamb would be fulfilled by the sacrifice, once and for all, of Jesus Christ on the cross. Just as Moses led a captive people out of Egypt and to the Promise Land, Jesus would led humanity out of the darkness of sin and hopelessness into the a relationship with God. In fact, this was the first time Moses had ever set foot in the Promise Land. Moses prayers were fulfilled as he stood in the promised land talking with the promised One.
Jesus’ body would be broken and blood would be spilled on a cross to led us back home. Jesus died in our place, for our sins, in order for us to truly experience the glory of God. Just as Moses was hidden in a cleft on the rock, we must surrender ourselves to the Rock of Ages for salvation. As hymn writer Augustus Toplady wrote: “Rock of ages/cleft for me/let me hide myself in Thee”
Paul reports Jesus’ own words:
“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:23-26)
Communion
A Face that Shone with the Glory of the Father
“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. (Ex 34:29-30)
Moses was changed by his encounter with God. When he returned from the cleft of the rock his face glowed. Moses’ face reflected the afterglow of God’s presence. As usual, the people were afraid and stood far off.
A few observations:
1. If you seek God, if you want more, you will find Him.
Don’t be ashamed to admit you want more. Just like the blackened squab that just didn’t satisfy, admit that you are tired of second-hand worship, second-rate guidance, and shallow encounters with God. Tell God you want more than lifeless liturgies and dead doctrines. Cry out to Him. Do not be content to know about him. There is a lot of head-knowledge in hell. Pray Moses’ words, “Show me Your Glory.” God promises if we seek Him, He will be found:
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
2. If you find Him, you will reflect His glory.
Whenever Moses would speak to God after this incident, we would wear a veil when speaking with the people. This veil covered his glowing face. When he spoke with God, the veil would come off.
Many of our students wear a t-shirt that says: “Be the moon…reflect the Son.” Just as the moon has no light of its own but merely reflects the light of the sun, we too are called to reflect the radiance of Jesus Christ:
Paul told the church at Corinth:
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18)
3. If you reflect His glory, some people will be frightened.
In the book of Acts, Stephen has the opportunity to confront the people with the truth of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. As he was speaking he reflected God’s glory.
“At this point everyone in the council stared at Stephen because his face became as bright as an angel’s” (Acts 6:15, New Living Translation)
So all the people were convicted of their sins and asked Stephen what they should do, right? No, they murdered him in a religious frenzy. As we looked at a couple of weeks ago, if we reflect the King of Glory in this lost and dying world others will be a afraid and think you are NUTS. But remember that just stands for “Never Underestimate the Spirit.”
We Want More
Seek God through His word. Hunger for Him. A. W. Tozer stated: “We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.”
I heard of an interesting way a pastor attempted to explain this hunger for God to a young man in his congregation. The young man said that he really wanted to know God but he just didn’t understand what it means to be desperate for God’s presence. The pastor asked the young man to meet him at the river the next morning. He took him by the hand and led him out into the deeper water. Without a word of explanation, the pastor grabbed the boy and pushed his head underwater. He held him there several moments and then let go. The young man, gasping for air, yelled at the pastor asking him why he did that. The pastor said, “When you want God as much as you just wanted air that is when you will find Him.”
That is an extreme example and Brian and I promise not to do this at the upcoming baptism services to make a point. But there are two questions I must ask:
Some of you may have realized that have grown comfortable with second-hand experiences of God. Earlier in the service we sang the song, “Breathe” and we corporately cried out to God that we are desperate for Him. Is that true of you? Do you want to be a God chaser? During the closing song, ask God to reignite your passion for Him and give you a place to serve His purposes in this church.
There are others who are not Christ-Followers and you want more than just existing and being afraid. You want more than putting your church face on and playing religion. Becoming a Christian is as simple as Admitting you’re a sinner (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:2), believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross in your place as your Savior (Romans 5:6-8), and surrendering to the great adventure of Faith (Romans 10:8-9).
Worship leader Aaron Neiquist recently wrote a worship song entitled “I Want More…” The chorus of this song could be our cry this morning;
“I want more – I want more than some boring dead religion
I want more – I want more than to color in somebody’s lines
More – I want to live a life of love and passion
I want to know Jesus Christ.”
Show Me Your Glory: Dan Ucherek
Closing Prayer:
Lord, we want more. We want to know you. We want more than religious rituals and dead doctrines. Show us your glory! Help us to reflect Your glory to our lost a dying friends.
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:17)
