WE ARE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND (Outline)
February 23, 2020 - Transfiguration - EXODUS 3:1-6
INTRO: Our world is filled with the glory of the Lord. We see it day after day in nature. We recognize the glory of the Lord in the daily rising and setting of the sun. We see God’s glory day after day in our lives. Our heart pumps thousands of gallons of blood throughout our bodies. We do not even think about that fact too often. God’s glory is all around us. In us. "One called to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!” (ISAIAH 6:3). WE ARE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND. I. Amazed at God’s glory. II. Humbled by God’s glory.
I. AMAZED AT GOD’S GLORY.
A. Verse 1. Moses worked for his father-in-law as a shepherd. A lowly job which trained Moses.
1. Worked with animals that would wander off. Lord would uses Moses’ experience.
2. Mt. Horeb was another name for Mt. Sinai. Later became important for Moses and Israel.
B. Verse 2. Moses was in the wilderness by himself with the flock of sheep.
1. He saw a single bush burning. Strange sight. The bush did not burn up. Very strange.
2. Angel of Lord spoke from this burning bush. Moses soon saw God’s glory.
C. Verse 3. “I will go over and look at the amazing sight—to find out why the bush is not burning up.”
1. Moses very curious to discover how and why such an unnatural event was happening.
2. Fear did not stop Moses from studying this peculiar sight. It was Gods’ amazing glory.
D. To this very day God’s glory is still amazing. As human beings we are amazed by the vast uni-verse in which we live. The stars are beyond counting. The night sky is filled with our Lord’s amazing glory. More than once we have experienced the miracles of God in our personal lives. Close calls. Narrow escapes from danger. Deliverance from evil. All of this is God’s loving care for us. Amazing glory of God. To recognize God’s glory is also amazing. All around us many people only boast about their own glory. By grace God has given us faith to believe in him. In his amazing glory. “The heavens tell about the glory of God. The expanse of the sky proclaims the work of his hands. Day after day they pour out speech. Night after night they display knowledge" (PSALM 19:1, 2). Sunrise and sunsets. Days and months and years. Seasons. God’s created nature reveals his amazing glory.
E. When we pay attention we learn to see God’s glory in each aspect of our earthly lives. In many different ways we learn of the Lord’s love that encompasses our daily lives. Even in end of life matters the amazing glory of God provides for us. Stephen was about to be stoned for preaching the gospel. The crowd was angered by the truth of God’s Word. "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed up into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (ACTS 7:55). Then Stephen forgave them. Stephen fell asleep. Have you ever been at one’s deathbed? God’s amazing glory is there at a believer’s death. Sometimes those near death are given a glimpse of God’s amazing glory. A great calm comes over them. They are at peace. They fall asleep. Amazing glory!
F. Dear friends our loving, heavenly Father wants us to look closely for the amazing glory of God. God’s glory includes much more than the great and grand things or events everyone might notice. God’s glory is also seen in the common. The ordinary. On the Last Day the Lord Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. He will tell the sheep / believers the things they did for him. They visited the sick, prisoners. Clothed the naked. Gave water to the thirsty. Believers ask, “When?” “The King will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me’" (MATTHEW 25:40). God’s amazing glory is seen in the seemingly small, every day things we do in our lives. Things we do out of love for God and do for others. Amazing glory!
WE ARE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND. We are amazed at God’s glory seen in our lives.
II. HUMBLED BY GOD’S GLORY
A. Moses was in the wilderness alone with sheep. Looking for pasture. Found a bush on fire.
1. Verse 4. LORD saw Moses approaching. The Angel of the LORD was the Lord Jesus.
2. It is the Lord who called Moses by name. Knew Moses. Loved Moses. Calls us by name.
3. Moses heard God’s call. Answered “I am here.” Later Lord’s name revealed as “I AM”.
B. Verse 5. Lord directed Moses to remove his sandals from his feet. Unclean dirt on the sandals.
1. The area around the burning bush was holy. Did not want holy ground contaminated.
2. Also that which was holy could or would destroy the unholy. Moses approached God.
C. Verse 6. The Lord made sure Moses knew who he was. God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
1. “Moses his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” The Lord’s glory was terrifying.
2. Moses was afraid to be in the presence of the Lord. Humbled by his unworthiness.
D. To stand in the presence of the Lord’s glory is terrifying. Angels announced to Isaiah that the whole earth is full of the Lord’s glory. He confessed he was a man of unclean lips. He had seen the Lord. Now he would die. The shepherds at Bethlehem were terrified at the angels’ announcement of the Savior’s birth. The disciples at Jesus’ transfiguration were terrified by the voice from the cloud. The Lord God of Armies is holy, perfect, and sinless. WE are unholy, imperfect, and sinful. Our human weakness is terrified by God’s powerful glory. “However the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes up to heaven, but was beating his chest and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’" (LUKE 18:13). We are also humbled by the Lord’s glory. God freely forgives all our sins.
E. The Lord’s amazing glory is at first terrifying. But our Lord does not want us to be frightened by him. After all, he is also our loving, heavenly Father. Isaiah terrified. Lord’s angels reassured him his sins were forgiven. Angels announced to Bethlehem shepherds “Do not be afraid.” Jesus told the disciples with him at transfiguration “do not be afraid.” Our heavenly Father whom we worship wants his children close to him. God invites us to come to him just as children approach their own fathers on earth. “So let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (HEBREWS 4:16). We pray to the Lord with confidence. The Lord God who created all things gives us his mercy and grace in our time of need. God’s humbling glory.
F. God’s glory is truly, completely amazing. God’s glory is also humbling. Who are we that the Lord should show us his great love? Who are we that the Lord would forgive our sins? By grace through faith the Holy Spirit makes us children of God. Our lives are changed. We are able to live changed lives. “He has told you, mankind, what is good. What does the LORD require from you, except to carry out justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” (MICAH 6:8). To love justice and mercy and to walk humbly with God is the glory of the Lord living in us. And through us.
CONC.: The ground upon which we stand was created by the Lord God of Armies. We are stand-ing on holy ground. We have been taken from that ground. We are created by the Creator to see his amazing glory. To stand humbled by his glory. "In fact, his invisible characteristics—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, because they are understood from the things he made. As a result, people are without excuse…” (ROMANS 1:20). The whole earth is full of God’s glory. Amazing glory. Humbling glory. WE ARE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
TRANSFIGURATION readings.: EXODUS 24:12, 15-18; 2 PETER 1:16-21;
MATTHEW 17:1-9; (PSALM 121)
SERVICES: 8:00am @ McCook (SUN) / 10:30am @ Redeemer (SUN)
BIBLE STUDIES: following worship services redeemernorton.org & trinitymccook.com
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:00am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM and on Facebook
