Sermon Central
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Moses, The Man Who Pleased God Series
Contributed by Manny Salva Cruz on Aug 9, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: We cannot please everyone but we need only to please God, our Creator. In this message, we will learn three desires that Moses had that win the approval of God. Our goal is that we will also gain God's approval for everything we do.
MOSES, THE MAN THAT PLEASED GOD
SCRIPTURE READING:
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 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?”
17 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.”
18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
19 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.20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
INTRODUCTION:
We cannot please everyone.
That is the truth we need to believe.
If you try to win the approval of everyone in your life, you will be the most miserable person of all.
You will be controlled by people and they will put you in boxes.
Trying to please everybody is a trap.
It will cause you to miss God's purpose for your life.
It will prevent you from growing in your faith.
It can lead to sin and it can cause hypocrisy in your life.
People pleasing is a form of spiritual idolatry.
Anything that we put in the place of God becomes our god and is idolatry.
A career can be a god.
A girlfriend can be a god.
Money can be a god.
Anything that comes number one in our lives becomes our god.
The truth is, I only have to please one person in my life - God.
I must be a God pleaser not man pleaser.
I live only for an audience of ONE.
I need only to seek one person's approval.
Jesus said this: “I don't try to please myself, but I only please the One who sent me.” John 5:30 (NCV).
Paul said: “I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant.” Galatians 1:10 (NLT)
Here in chapter 33 of the Book of Exodus, we can learn some valuable lessons on how Moses learned to please God.
During that time, the people had just worshiped the golden calf that they have created out of the gold and silver from Egypt.
God was angry and would have destroyed the Israelites if it wasn't for Moses pleading and intervention.
That is when Moses asked them whoever is for the Lord, come over here.
Many people hesitated but the Levites stayed on the Lord's side and were blessed.
It is always safe to be on the Lord's side.
In this chapter, God called them as stiff-necked people because of their stubbornness and hardness of heart.
But Moses displayed his patience in order to build and restore relationship between God and the Israelites.
Whenever he stood at the Tent of the Meeting, the pillar of cloud come down and stay at the entrance.
And all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent.
There, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as one speaks to a friend.
However, in the latter portion of this chapter, we find God declaring that He is pleased with him.
Such a wonderful statement of affirmation and declaration of God's love for Moses.
I wonder if God could say the same words to us as well.
It would surely give much meaning and purpose to our lives.
But why was God pleased with Moses?
What did he do to receive such a great compliment from God.
Today, we will look at the three things that Moses desired most in order to receive such a commendation from God.
First, he desire the WAYS of God.
Then, Moses desired the PRESENCE of God.
Lastly, Moses desired the GLORY of God.
Then, the Lord said, Exodus 33:17 17 “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
Imagine, the entire Israelites were stiff-necked people but one man stood among them differently.
There was one man who only aspire for the approval of God.
One man who was not a people pleaser.
One man who was not stiff-necked.
He tried his best to please God and was given an approval because of such godly behavior.
