Just Because We Can Doesn't Mean We Should s2

SERMON SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

460 East Main Street Lexington, Kentucky 40507

“Living In God’s Presence” Exodus 33:12-26 October 22, 2017 Rev. Dr. Thomas P. Groome III

Decades ago when electricity became available in remote rural areas, one woman went to great trouble and expense to have it installed in her home. A few months after the wiring was installed and the power was turned on; the electric company noticed that the home didn’t use very much power. Fearing that there was a problem they sent a meter reader to check on the matter. The meter reader saw that the power was indeed working properly and then asked the woman, “Do you use your electricity?” The woman replied, “Of course we do. We turn it on every night to see to light our lamps and then we turn it off.”

Doesn’t that just sound ridiculous? Having all of the power that you need and the ability to tap into it all of the time but only using it just enough to “get by.” We would never do anything like this because it just wouldn’t make much sense. However, we do this exact same thing a great deal when we apply the same reasoning to the power and presence of God.

We go out of our way to go to church and to worship but have little relationship with God through the week. We go through difficulties day after day and only when we come to the end of our strength do we ask for God’s help. We have the power of God at our disposal all of the time, yet we attempt to get by on our own strength everyday.

We need to experience the presence of God to experience God’s power. Just like electricity, when we remove the presence of God from our lives; we also remove the power.

God created all of humanity to have a deep personal relationship with God. God literally walked with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Think about that for a moment. God walked and talked with Adam and Eve. They were able to completely enjoy God’s divine presence. God’s desire for our life is to have that same kind of relationship. God wants us to be able to walk in God’s presence.

Moses speaks with God and simply reminds God of the promises. Why does Moses do this? It’s not like God forgot the promises made. Moses has a genuine concern here. God had removed His presence from the Israelites camp! There was no longer a sense of the divine within the nation of Israel. 2

How often do we feel the same way about church but are too afraid to say it? How many come into this sanctuary week after week having no experience with God?

We are not seeking more of God. We settle for the status quo and leave our lives there. If we settle with what we have already experienced with God we cannot grow. When we settle for where we are with God, we will never move forward in our walk with Him. The truth is that we cannot simply settle anymore!

When Moses sought God, he did so through fervent prayer. One of the biggest problems in our culture and churches today is that people want a deep relationship with God but don’t want to take the time and effort to develop an intimate relationship with God.

Notice what Moses says to God (verse 13) . . . He wants three things from God if his life is pleasing to God.

 Teach me your ways - Moses wants to know God’s ways so he can keep following. It is only when we know the ways of God that we can truly follow God

 Let me know you - There is direct connection between knowing the ways of God and knowing God. We cannot say that we know God if we do not know God’s Word. It is only when we know God personally that we can be called the children of God.

 Let me live in your favor - Once we know God’s ways and know God personally, then the favor of God can rest on our lives. It is impossible to have the divine favor of God in your life if you don’t know God.

When we do these things it opens our lives to the presence of God. When we live to know God’s ways and to know God more. God then throws open the floodgates of heaven and pours out divine favor in our lives.

Moses again speaks with God and asks God to prove God’s faithfulness. God’s presence is connected to the reality of God’s pleasure. If God is not pleased by our actions, God will not be present in our lives. God makes a distinction between God’s people and the rest of the world by showing pleasure through divine presence.

If a church is void of the presence of God, they are not pleasing God. God proves His faithfulness through extending divine presence. If God is not present in our lives, we are not pleasing God. How do we live to please God?

 We please God by our love (Matthew 22:37-38) We are called to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength. God desires to have the first and foremost place in our lives.

 We please God by our belief (Hebrews 11:6) Without faith it is impossible to please God... There is no way that we will ever be able to please God if we do not believe. We place our faith in God when we trust God completely, even when life doesn’t make sense. When life seems the most senseless, that is when we need to trust God the most! 3

 We please God by our obedience (John 15:14) Jesus told the disciples that they become friends with God through obedience. Our relationship with God swings on the hinge of obedience. Our obedience determines the depth of our relationship with God.

 We please God by our praise (Psalm 150:1-2) God deserves our praise for every single blessing God sees fit to give us. Praise is simply blessing God back for everything God does for us.

 We please God by our service God wants us to live our lives in service to God. This means more than just showing up on Sunday. True service is lived out each and every day, in every area and aspect of our life.

Our theme for the 2018 Stewardship Campaign is “Making a Difference.” It comes directly from the church mission statement: Dedicated to Jesus Christ, we are committed to making a difference by caring for one another, growing in our ministries, and reaching beyond ourselves.

God wants us to make a difference in mission and ministry in service to others. God has graced us abundantly, filling our lives with blessings too numerous to count. Our faithful giving of our God-given resources only reflects the unfailing love and mercy of God to each of us as members of Christ’s church.

The glory of God is far beyond anything that we will ever be able to comprehend.

The Hebrew word for glory is kabod, which means to have manifest honor, utmost reputation and the height of reverence. The implications of what Moses is asking is staggering. Moses is literally asking to see God in all of God’s splendor, all of God’s majesty, all of God’s power and all of God’s being. Moses wanted to see God without any of the barriers. Do we want to see the whole majesty of God? Do we want to see God without the barriers? Do we want to see God in all of God’s glory?

The only part that Moses is not allowed to see is God’s face. God did not allow His face to be seen because there was still a need for separation between God and humanity. Even the most intimate relationship with God could not bridge the gap. This is why God sent Jesus, so He could be our Immanuel, God with us. The presence of God is with us here today because Jesus lives!

When Jesus died on the cross, remember the temple veil was torn in two. The veil was to separate humanity from the direct presence of God. Jesus tore that separation away and now we can fully experience the divine presence of God.

How do we see the glory of God displayed in our lives?

First, we need to daily live in God’s presence. We must seek God’s presence in our lives and we need to desire to be with God. 4

Second, we need to live daily to please God. We need to give our every effort to bringing pleasure to God.

 Are we living in the presence of God?  Are we living to please God?  Are we living in the glory of God?

The only thing holding us back from a deeper experience with God is us. God wants us to know Him, not just know about Him. God wants us to experience more of God’s glory and presence.

Sources: The message is from sermons that I preached over the years that I have been in the pastorate. I have compiled them from the notes I made before they were preached. I do not know where I found some of the material contained here. I may have borrowed it, as a whole or in part, from others. I simply do not remember. If this is the case, I apologize right now, and that our combined efforts will glorify God.