December 2, 2007
Evening Service
Text: Exodus 33:7-23
Subject: The Presence of God
Title: How Close Do You Want to Get?
I have known a lot of different people. When I worked in a factory as a young man I think I knew every one of the 200+ people that worked there. When I worked in construction I met people from every trade from virtually every part of the St. Louis area. Since we have been here I have met a lot of interesting people. As a matter of fact wherever I have gone interesting people have been there. Some of the most interesting people are the ones who talk about their lives in terms of “almost”. You know the ones I mean. “I almost got to shake the president’s hand. I almost was a rock star. I almost played professional baseball. One of my favorites was a fellow I worked with in construction who was about my age. His name was Lou. And though he was about my age and even though we didn’t have a lot in common, the one thing we did have in common was the 60’s. Lou’s claim to fame was, “I almost went to Woodstock.” Being the old Rock and Roller that I am that intrigued me. “What do you mean, you almost went to Woodstock?” I asked. “What happened”?
“Well, I packed up my car and decided I was just going to go but my car broke down on the way.”
“Too bad” I said. “How close did you get?”
“Well, I crossed the Mississippi River and got into East St. Louis…”
Obviously Lou didn’t get as close to Woodstock as he would have us believe.
That kind of sounds like people in Palmyra that I have talked to.
“I almost came to your church last Sunday.”
“I almost got saved…”
“I almost told somebody about Jesus.”
There are a lot of “almosts” to be had in Christianity. But almost is never enough. I want to talk to you today about your walk with Christ. How close have you become? How much have you desired to draw so close to Him that you can sense His presence right beside you? If your answer is, “I almost…” you fit right in with a lot of church people. But I want to show you tonight that “almost” is never good enough.
How close are you willing to get?
I. WANTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. (7-11) 7Now 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. 8And 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. 9As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10Whenever 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. 11The 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. Look at what was taking place here. 1) Moses knew where He could go to get close to God. He didn’t call it a “Tent of Meeting” for nothing. Now this is the same Moses who killed and Egyptian and then ran away and hid for forty years. This is the same Moses who tried to talk God out of sending him to lead the people out of Egypt. This is the same Moses who argued that he was not eloquent enough in his speech to be able to stand against Pharoah. Where would we be now if Moses had been able to say, “I almost said yes to God and led Israel out of Egypt”? 2) The people knew where to go to get an answer to prayer. Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. However, they were always content in allowing Moses to intercede for them. 3) The people were willing to worship God from a distance… 10Whenever 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. Did you ever stop to wonder why no one else ever wanted to go into the presence of the Lord to talk to Him the way Moses did? 11The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. But the people were satisfied watching from a distance and worshiping. Hebrews 10:22, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. People then, like now, want to see what is going on in a Spirit – filled church but are not willing to get too close. Are they afraid it might rub off on them? Could that be why people are wiling to sit at home and watch church on TV instead of coming to church to experience God first hand? Yet Moses talked to God as friend to friend.
II. WILLING TO GO WHERE GOD LEADS. (12-17) 12Moses 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.’ 13If 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.” Are you willing to go where God wants to take you? I’m not talking specifically about where this church is headed. I want to know if you are willing to go where God wants to take you? Not Africa! Not China! Not South America! Not even East St. Louis! Where the Holy Spirit wants to take you is deeper, higher, longer and wider with God. Ephesians 3:16-19, 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Moses didn’t need to worry about where they were going. In fact he was more concerned with knowing God than knowing directions. He knew that if he really knew God that way God desires to be known everything else is elementary.
14The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” The author of Hebrews writes about entering into God’s rest. Only those who trust Him will ever do that. Isn’t that what God is telling Moses here? It’s only in God’s presence that you can ever find real rest. Charlotte and I like to travel. A couple of times a year we are able to get away from everything and – well – just get away. And we always enjoy our time away but in all the years that we have vacationed in various parts of the US I cannot ever remember a time when we came back rested up. Our bodies are always weary when we get back. Our minds have had a time of rest and that is what we are always looking for. But God is talking about spiritual rest.
15Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16How 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?”
17And 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.” How is it that God was pleased with Moses? The same way He was pleased with Abraham and Noah and Enoch and all those who came before. Because of their faith! Because they were willing to trust God though they had no idea what was next! Because they knew that if God has called them He will make a way.
III. WAITING TO GET AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN. (18-23) 18Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” Moses had seen a burning bush. He worked mighty miracles by the hand of God. He saw a sea open up for safety and then close in destruction. He heard God’s voice and spoke with Him. What else could you want? Man is created in three parts. We are created in the image of God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man is body, soul and spirit. You cannot separate the three. Without one man is incomplete. Moses was an experience oriented being just like you and me. The best way to understand the fullness of something is to experience. I could tell you about my experience riding a roller coaster at Universal studios in Florida but you cannot get the fullness of it until you ride it for yourself. Moses said, “show me your glory…” Many will tell you that experience is purely emotional and we should never base our faith on just emotions. True, but what kind of relationship is it that does not touch all three areas of our human existence? And what is it that you will remember? Your experiences! That is why Moses wants to go the next step and wait on the Lord until he can see His glory. Paul addressed this in 2 Corinthians 3. 18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. Do you see that Paul says we experience God on all three levels of humanity? 1) we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord… We experience change in our countenance. We begin to look like God. 2) are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory… From miracle to miracle, revelation to revelation, experience to experience we are being changed by how we encounter the Lord. 3) just as by the Spirit of the Lord… Our experiences in body, soul and spirit come in the power of the Holy Spirit. 19And 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. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
21Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22When 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. 23Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” God reveals Himself to you in such a way that you can live through it.
How long are you willing to wait? How far are you willing to go? How much are you willing to do? When you get to the place where there is nothing left in your life but God, then you become aware that God is enough.
Jeremiah 33:3, 3‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
How close do you want to get?
