Responding to God’s Presence
Lessons From The Exodus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Exodus 20:18-21
18 When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
19 And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”
20 “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”
21 As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.
INTRODUCTION:
A- Background:
1- God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
2- God’s provision for Israel to this point.
B- God establishes his covenant with Israel. (Exodus 20:1-17)
1- God establishes his commandments to govern the people’s relationships with Himself and each other.
a. Jesus summarized the commandments this way:
(Matthew 22:37-40)
37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
TS: The people responded to God’s presence in the wrong way.
I- THE RECOGNITION OF GOD’S PRESENCE (Exodus 20:18 a)
I- THE RECOGNITION OF GOD’S PRESENCE (Exodus 20:18 a)
18 When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
A- His presence was witnessed by His people.
A- His presence was witnessed by His people.
1- God’s people saw and recognized His presence.
a. When God is present, His people know it.
(1) Souls are saved.
Like on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:41)
41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
(2) Saints are sanctified.
(Acts 13:2)
2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”
B- His wonders were displayed among His people.
B- His wonders were displayed among His people.
1- When was the time you met with God?
a. He revealed the sin in your life? (John 16:8)
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
b. He tugged on your heart to go deeper with Him? (Rev. 3:20)
20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
c. He called you to specific service? (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.
5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.
6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.
9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.
10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
Artisons for the Tabernacle. (Exodus 35:30- 35)
30 Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
31 The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.
32 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze.
33 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft.
34 And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others.
35 The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.
II- THE REACTION TO GOD’S PRESENCE (Exodus 20:18-19)
II- THE REACTION TO GOD’S PRESENCE (Exodus 20:18-19)
18 When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
19 And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”
A- Fear. (Exodus 20:18 b)
A- Fear. (Exodus 20:18 b)
18 When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
1- Fear caused them to withdraw:
a. From God
b. From Moses
2- Fear caused them to stay away from God’s presence.
3- What does fear cause you to do?
a. Hold back from worship and obedience? (see 1 Thess. 5:19)
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
b. Avoid your quiet time? (Hebrews 4:16)
16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
B- Follow a man instead of God. (Exodus 20:19)
B- Follow a man instead of God. (Exodus 20:19)
19 And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”
1- They asked for a human mediator.
a. Note God’s intention for us: (1 Timothy 2:5)
5 For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
b. The dangers of human mediation:
(1) Elevation of men to divine position.
Joseph Smith - Mormons
(2) Disregard for God’s message & Messenger.
(a) God’s message taken as a man’s sermon.
III- THE REASONS FOR GOD’S PRESENCE (Exodus 20:20-21)
III- THE REASONS FOR GOD’S PRESENCE (Exodus 20:20-21)
20 “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”
21 As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.
A- Testing.
A- Testing.
1- To bring about the testing of faith.
a. What will we do? How will we react to His presence?
(1) Draw near (Hebrews 10:22)
22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
(2) Run away
Adam & Eve ran away and hid (Genesis 3:8)
8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.
(3) Rebel
(4) Ask Him to leave?
Peter (Luke 5:8)
8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”
B- Total Surrender.
B- Total Surrender.
1- He wants us to reject sim and follow Him. (Romans 12:1-2)
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17-31)
(Note Mark 10:22)
22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
CONCLUSION:
