Renewing the Covenant with God
Lessons From The Exodus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Exodus 34:1-10
1 Then the Lord told Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed.
2 Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain.
3 No one else may come with you. In fact, no one is to appear anywhere on the mountain. Do not even let the flocks or herds graze near the mountain.”
4 So Moses chiseled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.
5 Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.
6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”
8 Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.
9 And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.”
10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you.
INTRODUCTION:
Where are you in your relationship with God? Are you growing in your intimacy with Christ?
If you can remember a time when you were in closer fellowship with Him than you are now, you may need a renewal of your covenant relationship with Him.
How do I renew my covenant with God? Here are three steps:
I- SEEK THE LORD FOR HIS PRESENCE AND GRACE. (Exodus 33:12-17)
I- SEEK THE LORD FOR HIS PRESENCE AND GRACE. (Exodus 33:12-17)
12 One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’
13 If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”
14 The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
15 Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.
16 How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”
17 The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”
A- Remember that God knows you by name. (Exodus 33:12 a)
A- Remember that God knows you by name. (Exodus 33:12 a)
12 One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’
1- God knows all about you.
a. He knows you “by name.” - refers to your name and so much more.
(1) He knows your past.
(Psalm 139:13-16)
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
(2) He knows your thoughts.
(Psalm 139:2)
2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
(3) He knows your motives.
(Jeremiah 17:10)
10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
(4) He knows your every word.
(Matthew 12:36-37)
36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.
37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
(5) He knows your actions.
(Proverbs 5:21)
21 For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.
(6) He knows your future.
(Psalm 139:16)
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
B- Rest in the grace of God. (Exodus 33:12 b)
B- Rest in the grace of God. (Exodus 33:12 b)
12 One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’
1- The term translated “favorably” refers to unmerrited favor (grace).
a. We can rest in God’s grace to get us through the most difficult trials.
(James 4:6)
6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
(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.
C- Request the direction of God. (Exodus 33:13)
C- Request the direction of God. (Exodus 33:13)
13 If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”
1- Ask God to help you to know and understand his will and ways.
(Psalm 25:4-5)
4 Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.
(Psalm 143:10)
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.
2- Ask him to open your eyes to your sin, so that you can deal with it.
(Psalm 139:23-24)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
D- Requisition the presence of God. (Exodus 33:14-17)
D- Requisition the presence of God. (Exodus 33:14-17)
14 The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
15 Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.
16 How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”
17 The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”
1- The awareness of God’s presence is a necessity.
(Zeph 3:17)
17 For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
(James 4:8)
8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
II- RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE. (Exodus 34:1-7)
II- RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE. (Exodus 34:1-7)
1 Then the Lord told Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed.
2 Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain.
3 No one else may come with you. In fact, no one is to appear anywhere on the mountain. Do not even let the flocks or herds graze near the mountain.”
4 So Moses chiseled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.
5 Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.
6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”
A- Prepare for God to speak into your life again. (Exodus 34:1-4)
A- Prepare for God to speak into your life again. (Exodus 34:1-4)
1 Then the Lord told Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed.
2 Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain.
3 No one else may come with you. In fact, no one is to appear anywhere on the mountain. Do not even let the flocks or herds graze near the mountain.”
4 So Moses chiseled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.
1- Do whatever is necessary to open the door for him to speak to you.
a. Moses had to prepare to receive God’s word again.
He chizeled the duplicate tablets of stone.
He had to climb the mountain.
He had to come alone.
b. You and I must do what it takes to hear from God.
Get alone with God.
Make God your focus in private and in public worship.
(Jeremiah 29:13)
13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
Get into God’s Word.
examine your life in light of God’s word.
(Psalm 26:2)
2 Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.
Keep at it until God speaks.
Deal with what he reveals to you.
(James 1:22-25)
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
B- Perceive who God is. (Exodus 34:5-7)
B- Perceive who God is. (Exodus 34:5-7)
1- He is the Lord God. (Exodus 34:5-6)
5 Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.
6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
2- He is merciful. (Exodus 34:6)
6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
3- He is gracious. (Exodus 34:6)
6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness
4- He is forgiving and just. (Exodus 34:7)
7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”
III- RENEW YOUR COVENANT THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FAITH. (Exodus 34:8-10)
III- RENEW YOUR COVENANT THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FAITH. (Exodus 34:8-10)
8 Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.
9 And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.”
10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you.
A- Humble yourself before God. (Exodus 34:8)
A- Humble yourself before God. (Exodus 34:8)
8 Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.
1- Real worship begins with remembering who we are and who God is.
a. Revelation 1:9-20 gives us a good picture of this.
9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.
10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.
11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.
13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.
14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire.
15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.
18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.
20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
2- Humbling ourselves is the starting point.
(1 Peter 5:6)
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
B- Repent and seek restoration of fellowship. (Exodus 34:9)
B- Repent and seek restoration of fellowship. (Exodus 34:9)
9 And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.”
1- Confess your sins. (1 John 1:9)
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
2- Ask for forgiveness and turn from them. (Acts 3:19)
19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
3- Yield to Him as Lord. (Luke 9:23)
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
C- Accept renewal of fellowship with God by faith. (Exodus 34:10)
C- Accept renewal of fellowship with God by faith. (Exodus 34:10)
10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you.
1- When you take the steps discussed above, God will renew fellowship with you.
2- You must accept that God will fulfill his promise.
(Hebrews 11:6)
6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
D- Take care to guard your fellowship with God. (Exodus 34:11-14)
D- Take care to guard your fellowship with God. (Exodus 34:11-14)
11 But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
12 “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.
13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles.
14 You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.
1- Be careful to obey God’s Word.
(Joshua 1:8)
8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
2- Don’t follow the ways of the world.
(Psalm 1:1-3)
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
(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.
CONCLUSION:
How do you renew your covenant with God?
I- SEEK THE LORD FOR HIS PRESENCE AND GRACE.
II- RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE.
III- RENEW YOUR COVENANT THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FAITH.
