A With-God Life

Prayer

A Shared Life Together

Report from Capernaum Summer Camp

Great week of camp - all the kids did great, they had a wonderful time at camp, they absolutely loved it (as did the leaders!). I want to thank all of you for your prayers for us and for allowing me to be gone on a Sunday in order to be able to be at camp with our Capernaum friends. There’s so many people who put in so much work to give these kids not just an amazing experience (best week of their lives!), but more importantly - an opportunity to hear and respond to the amazing news of life in Jesus Christ.

Speaker, Mason, did an amazing job of sharing the gospel, talking about what it means to be in relationship right with God - what we were made for, so we can experience his goodness and love.

Theme verse was Psalm 23:6 - Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

One of the things I love about Young Life camp is the way it’s structured - set up for leaders and buddies (high school students) to be free to be with our kids all week, 24-7. We drive up together, sleep in the same cabin, eat our meals together at the same table (family) - we don’t have to get up and get the food, the Work Crew serves us the meals. All the activities at camp - club, going to the pool, zipline, ropes course, we do it all together.

We do these things together - not simply to care for them (which we do - medications, getting dressed, make sure they’re where they’re supposed to be, wearing the right clothing) - but as friends who are seeking to bring their friends before Jesus (that’s where the name, Capernaum, comes from, story in Mark 2…). We take seriously this idea of friends - as leaders we want to know and love our kids (and be known and loved by them!). It’s a with-kids life.

That includes doing all the things friends do - joking, plenty of teasing (I got called old quite a bit), this bracelet was given to me by Alexis, we celebrated one another (Sadie’s birthday), we got to know each other better as we spent time together - I can tell you Ryan’s four favorite NBA teams, his favorite baseball teams (though I’m not as good as remembering his favorite NASCAR drivers). I’m learning to understand Henry, his speech. We give each other hugs.

It’s the same thing we’re shooting for here at PCC when we talk about one of our core convictions, Shared Life Together - that we have a “with-one-another life”.

It’s exactly the same with God, God comes to be with us, that’s core to his character, to who he is. One of the names for Jesus is Emmanuel, which means, God-with-us. This is, in fact, the promise God makes most often in the Bible - I will be with you. God comes to be with us so we can have a with-God life. That’s what it means to be a part of the kingdom of God, to engage in a with-God life, I’m going to do life with God, together.

That’s exactly what is at the heart of this story in Exodus 33. Except with one huge caveat. This time, God decides he shouldn’t be with his people. God declares to his people that he isn’t coming with them.

Before we jump into Exodus 33, let me offer a quick recap to remind us of where we are in Exodus. The Israelites are making their way across the wilderness towards the land of the Canaanites, the land God had promised to give them.

Remember that a central aspect of the story of the Old Testament is that God is making them into a great nation, that’s the promise he made to Abraham (then to Isaac, then Jacob), a nation that would be a blessing to all the other nations.

In order for that to happen, God would need to shape and form them to be a people distinct from all other peoples, his royal priesthood, his holy nation. Central to that is the covenant that God makes with his people, a covenant that would bind them together, he and the Israelites - God with them, they with God. Covenant being, of course, the Ten Commandments.

As we saw in our last time together, after the people had agreed to the covenant, Moses went up to Mt. Sinai to get the stone tablets on which God would write out the Ten Commandments. Moses is up on the mountain for a while, for 40 days. And while he’s up on the mountain, the Israelites get antsy - this Moses fellow sure is taking a long time.

Here’s the essential part - they were afraid that, with Moses gone, they had lost their connection to God, the God who was going before them, guiding them, watching over them. And they sure as heck didn’t want to make this journey without God.

That’s what prompts them to ask Aaron to make them a god who will go before them, to lead them into the Promised Land. If not Yahweh, some god to go with them. It reflects a desire for that sense of security, of comfort, of guidance. That led Aaron to make the golden calf for them as their god.

God, of course, was not happy with us - in fact, he was furious that they had so quickly turned to other gods, especially after all he had done for them, all the ways he had proved himself to be faithful and true. Not to mention that they had just entered into the covenant agreement with God.

Though God relents from his decision to destroy the Israelites and start over through Moses, he declares that he can no longer go with them, he will send someone else. Here’s where we pick up the story in Exodus 33, verses 1-6:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” 4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’” 6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.

So, as we see here, God is going to keep his promises of the land, but instead of going with them, he tells them that he is going to send an angel to lead them into the land.

Tells them explicitly, “But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” God had clearly had his fill of his people - he needs some separation. And I’m sure you’ve experienced that yourself, so angry with someone you have to get away so you don’t lash out.

Now God is immensely patient - in fact, one of the most common descriptions in the Old Testament of God is that he is slow to anger, gracious and compassionate, abounding in steadfast love. But the stiff-necked attitude of the Israelites, their stubborn refusal to obey him fully, has been so persistent, so egregious, that God is at the point of just destroying them and starting over. So he tells them he is going to distance himself from them. He will no longer be “with them.”

People go into mourning. God, their God, their covenant God, who rescued them, who brought them out of Egypt - has just told them, I can’t be with you right now. They are losing their God-with-us life.

That is, until Moses - again - intercedes. Listen to what he says. This is Exodus 33:12-17: Moses 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.’ 13 If 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.” 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.”

Do you hear what’s behind what Moses is saying to God? God, you want me to lead this people. You tell me that “I know you by name” (which is a way of saying “you belong to me”), that you’re pleased with what I’ve been doing, who I am - and now you’re telling me that you’re not coming with us! Moses does not want a without-God life.

And God, if I really have found favor with you, keep on teaching me, showing me your way, because I want to do it more and more. I want to know you, I want to be more faithful to you. In other words, God, I want more and more of a “with-God life.” And then that last little note - and, oh yeah, don’t forget that this nation, stiff-necked though they may be, are your people - you made a covenant with them.

God loves it. He can’t resist, this is his very heart, what he desires most. Here Moses is telling him - God, don’t leave us - I don’t want less of you, I want more of you. God’s response is immediate and emphatic -vs. 14, My Presence (I myself) will go with you, and I will give you rest. God is telling him, don’t worry, I’m with you. I will be with you. I will watch over you, my presence will give you the rest you need.

Moses reiterates his desire, God, if you don’t go with us, don’t bother sending us, I don’t want to go without. How can we be your people if you are not with us? What difference will it make? We’ll just be like everyone else - and frankly, we don’t want to be like everyone else. We want to be your people.

God, again, I’ll do it. I’ll be with you. I am pleased with you. I do know you by name. I claim you - even you stiff-necked people - as my own.

Really a remarkable thing. Absolutely stunning - almost as if God can’t help himself. Here his people have been so rebellious, they’ve complained so much, so stiff-necked - time after time they’ve been unfaithful. And by the way, their turning away from God will continue over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. In a nutshell, that is the story of the Old Testament (and the reason why God established a New Covenant through his son, Jesus, because it was clear we could never do this on our own, we needed a Savior).

And yet, it’s clear from this story that God is so ready, so desirous to be with us - and for us to be with him - the moment we show that desire, that willingness - boom, God’s in. He’s all in. He gives himself over fully to be with us. I will go with you. I will be with you.

Take a moment to think about what it means, God’s desire to be with us, his heart for us, his delight in us - he loves us - each of us - as his. And so he wants to be with us.

Brad Mowry, works for Young Life, he’s Eastern Division coordinator for Capernaum. And when we were first getting Capernaum started here and he came to our initial meeting to help us. Brad is great, he knows his stuff - and one of the reasons he’s so passionate about this ministry is that he himself has a special needs daughter - she’s a young adult now. While he was with us, Brad told the story of the first time someone - a Capernaum leader - came to his house simply to be with his daughter. As a friend.

For most kids with special needs, the only people they see are their families and those paid to be with them. So for someone to desire to be with his daughter, to spend time with her, to get to know her, to share life together - his heart was bursting - he took pictures to remember the moment, shared those with us.

This is the very heart of God, to be with us. Not because he has to - there’s no pay involved (actually, it cost Jesus a tremendous amount to make it possible), but because he wants to. Because he delights in us. He longs to be with us. And for us to be with him. So that we can experience his “goodness and love.” We can have relationship right.

I want to talk about two ways that you can move more fully into a “with-God life,” a kingdom life, the life God created you for, “and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

One is the discipline of practicing the presence of God. Cultivating and trusting God’s presence with you on an ongoing basis. That Jesus is indeed, with us always, as he promises to us in Matthew 28:20. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

One thing you might do is to memorize and pray that verse every day. Jesus, you promise you always with me, that you will never leave me or forsake me…help me to remember that today. Help me to trust your presence with me always.

Pray the Lord’s Prayer on a daily basis, being mindful especially of the first phrase, Our Father, who art in heaven…which could be translated, Papa, always near me...

Make a mental habit of turning your thoughts to God on a regular basis throughout the day. Set a reminder on your phone, to get a notification every hour, then simply pray a short prayer, thanking God that he is with you. These are all ways you can practice God’s presence, more of a focus on God with us.

Other way to move move fully into a “with-God life”, is to be intentional about seeking after God. This is coming more from the side of “Lord, I want to be with you.”

In Exodus 33, immediately after God promises to Moses and the Israelites that he will indeed go with them, Moses comes to God and makes a bold request. He says to God, “Now show me your glory.” Show me your glory, Lord. I want to see and know more of who you are. I want to be with you.

God loves it! He says in response, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence.” He does exactly that, the Lord places Moses in the cleft of the rock, and covers him with his own hand until he passes by, so that Moses can see his back, but only his back - “my face must not be seen”, God says.

I want to point out Moses’ hunger and desire of more of God, more of his glory and goodness and power. It says something about the glory of God that Moses couldn’t bear to see his face, only his backside, and God simply uttering his name in Moses’ presence would be a gift to him. We know so little of God’s glory and goodness, so very little.

But wants to reveal it to us! Make this a spiritual discipline, to see more of the glory of God. Ask him to reveal exactly that to you - make it a daily prayer. That’s a prayer God longs to honor.

The psalms speak of the heavens declaring the glories of God, his creation rings it out, that the earth is filled with the glory of God - if only we have eyes to see it. Look for it this week. Be attentive. Notice his creation. It may involve taking some time just to be sit and observe things around you. And as you sit it - and you will - praise God for his goodness, his might, his glory revealed.

It was one of the gifts to me last week as Capernaum Camp, to see God’s glory - revealed in that beautiful setting (walking out of our cabin - camp sits in a bit of a valley, the lake), in swallows flying around, but most of all, in the kids.

In fact, we’re going to close our time together doing something a little different - show a video from camp, from the Welcome…I want to invite you to put that into practice, look for the glory of God as you watch - as you get glimpses of it, whisper prayers of praise and gratitude: Capernaum Camp Welcome Video.