Forty Days That Changed A Life 2

Forty days that will change your life, 2.

A life that shines.

Exodus 34:28 -- 35. 05/29/05

This message is a second sermon in our series of messages on forty days that will change your life. Today, we will be talking about a life that shines. Last week we began talking about how Moses spent forty days with God in the mountain. On the mountain, Moses prayed, “God show me thy ways.” So, hopefully you all want to know God’s ways. When we discover the ways of God, we move to the higher plane in our Christian walk.

The Bible says in Psalms that God showed his acts unto the children of Israel but he showed his ways unto Moses. When Moses spent forty days with God in the mountain, he came down with a deeper view of God. Let’s read our text for this morning.

When Moses came down from the mountain an unusual thing happened. So transforming was this meeting that he changed his heart. He had been so touched on the inside that there was evidence of it on the outside. His face was shining and glowing with the glory of God. So bright was his face that the children of Israel could not look upon him. So he had put a veil on to shield them from the shining light so he could deliver the message to them.

Here is the point folks; the life of Moses was so transformed, that when he spoke, the people listened. Paul makes a commentary on what happened to Moses. He says that what happened to Moses is an example to us and that our lives must be so changed by the power of the Holy Spirit that when we speak people will listen. When we share about Jesus, people will listen to what we have to say.

I don’t know what Moses looked like but I do know he had a shining face. Jesus says we are to be the light of the world. We ought to shine for Jesus. When Moses came down from the mountain, people knew that he had been with the Lord.

The Bible tells us that the face of Moses was so bright when he went out to speak to the people, he would wear a veil. When he would go back into the tent he would take the veil off and talk to God as a man would talk with a friend. You know, after a while Moses was just like us, the glow was gone. Still when he went out to talk to the people he would wear the veil. He did not want the people to know the glow was gone.

I wonder how many of you have lost the glow? I wonder how many don’t have the love for God’s Church as you once had? You begin to miss a service here and there until when Sunday night and Wednesday night come around, you don’t even think about it? The glow is gone. You may still wear the veil but you know the glow is gone.

Now we spoke last week about knowing God’s ways versus only his actions. A life that shines knows something about God’s ways. The first step of discovering God’s ways is SEPARATION. Look at versus 3,”and no man shall come up with thee.”

This is the second trip for Moses back into the mountain. His first trip resulted in Moses throwing the tablets down and breaking them. They contained the Ten Commandments. God said Moses come up again and no one must come with you.

There is a place for prayer partners, friends, Church praying together and worshiping together. But if we want to discover God’s ways there has to be a time when it’s just you and God.

When you study the great men of God you find there is a time when God got them away from their people to speak to them. When Daniel was alone in Babylon, God gave Daniel the great visions of the future. It was when John was on the Isle of Patmos, John got the visions we have in the book of revelation. I am saying there must be a time of separation from the things of the world with just you and God.

Step No. 2 is PREPARATION. Look at verse 2. God says be ready in the morning and come up the mountain and present yourself to me.

I want you to notice God said to Moses come all the way to the top. It’s hard to get to the top. You have to climb over a lot of obstacles. It is a lot easier to stay at the bottom or just part of the way up.

Can you imagine how Moses must have spent the night preparing his heart for a time with God? He must have spent some time confessing his sin, getting his heart ready for a date with deity.