03 When Glory Becomes Gold

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Community Group Testimony: Scott & Jeri

One of the best parts of being part of a church family is walking through life together—and our Community Groups are where that can really happens. They’re where faith grows deeper, friendships grow stronger, and life gets a lot more joyful. If you were here last week, you probably heard the laughter echoing through the room—that’s what happens when people feel at home and connected. Community Groups are more than meetings; they’re where real life and real faith meet.

Thank you, Scott and Jeri, for sharing your story. Comm. Grps. are a clear picture of how God works when we come together around His Word—our groups are encouraged to follow the same Scripture our Kids and Youth are. That’s the heart of our 3-thirds pattern our grps are taught to use—looking back together, looking up to God, and looking ahead in mission. It’s also how we live out our mission of Developing Missionaries.

Easy to follow and Easy to do if you want to gather people and facilitate a group!

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DECLARATION:

Ephesians 2:20–22 (ESV)

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Our church family is built by God, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.

We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing, we are a dwelling place of God by his Spirit, and we are missionaries.

Prayer for...

INTRODUCTION:

Review:

Week 1: God meets us in the ordinary and calls us to His holy presence.

Week 2: God delivers us for Himself — calling before commands, relationship before rules.

Between Exodus 19 and Exodus 32, God invites Israel into covenant relationship, giving them His law and instructions for serving him (worship) so they can live as His holy people. But while Moses meets with God on the mountain, the people grow restless—trading divine relationship for a man-made substitute.

WHAT IS THE REASON WHY THIS MESSAGE IS BEING SHARED / WHAT IS THE PROBLEM THIS MESSAGE IS ANSWERING?…

“When I can’t wait on God’s presence, I build substitutes for it.”

BIG IDEA FOR TODAY: To be a people of His presence, we must break the substitutions that distort our serving Him.

Substitute Teachers!

Opening Scripture:

Exodus 32:1 “1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.””

 Israel’s impatience created spiritual insecurity.

They could handle the wilderness, but not the waiting.

God’s presence felt distant; Moses’ absence made them anxious.

The temptation wasn’t atheism — it was a visible god, something they could manage and measure.

Spiritual Substitutes often begin as a good desire — for reassurance, for control, for progress — taken into our own hands.

Illustration: Like checking our phone every few seconds for a message — we crave immediate affirmation. Israel wanted the same from God.

Transition: When we can’t sense God’s presence, we often start manufacturing our own…we replace relationship with results

SPIRITUAL SUBSTITUTIONS — WHEN OUR METHODS REPLACE HIS PRESENCE

Exodus 32:2–6 “2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”

A. Israel didn’t think they were rejecting God — they thought they were representing Him.

They used the language of serving/worship, but directed it toward their own creation.

The substitution was subtle: a new image, same vocabulary, different focus.

B. We make spiritual substitutions today whenever we:

Prioritize methods over presence.

Trust outcomes more than obedience.

Seek emotion more than endurance.

Serve for God rather than with God.

C. Our impatience becomes a spiritual substitute when we refuse to wait for God’s way.

The golden calf wasn’t as much about rebellion — it was about replacing dependence with design.

It’s possible to serve God with great passion while drifting from His presence.

Developing Missionaries Lens: Mission without intimacy becomes machinery. Spiritual formation means learning to wait with God, not just work for Him.

GOD’S RESPONSE — PRESENCE AND PURITY SHOULD NOT BE SEPARATED

Exodus 32:7–10 “7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.””

Exodus 32:19–26 “19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.”

A. God calls Moses down: (v.8)

Spiritual substitution always takes us “off the way.”

B. Moses intercedes — this is the priestly heart of leadership.

Exodus 32:11 “11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?”

Even in judgment, God provides mercy through intercession — a foreshadowing of Christ, who prays for us when we wander.

C. Moses breaks the tablets — symbolizing the strained relationship.

Before new instructions could be given, the false substitute had to be burned.

God’s presence will not dwell among spiritual substitutes.

Application: You can’t carry God’s presence and cling to your golden calves at the same time. Whatever we create to “help” God ends up replacing Him.

BREAKING OUR MODERN SPIRITUAL SUBSTITUTIONS

A. Spiritual substitutions aren’t golden statues — they’re golden strategies.

Ministry success → “If it works, God must be in it.”

Productivity → “If I’m busy, I must be faithful.”

Emotional highs → “If I feel Him, He must be near.”

Control → “If I can plan it, it must be right.”

B. These aren’t bad things — they’re good things elevated to ultimate things.

When the method becomes the master, the mission becomes a substitute.

When we depend more on systems than surrender, we lose the power of His presence.

C. The cure is slowing down and surrendering control.

Psalm 46:10 “10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!””

Exodus 14:14 “14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.””

Waiting re-teaches our hearts who is truly leading.

RENEWAL — FROM SUBSTITUTE TO SURRENDER

Exodus 32:26 “26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.”

A. God’s presence demands a choice.

You cannot follow both Pharaoh and Yahweh, both control and calling.

Every spiritual substitution must be named and laid down.

B. SERVING/Worship is re-centered when we surrender again to God’s pace, purpose, and presence.

“rose up early to play” (v.32:6) — but now they must rise early to pray.

True joy is not found in manufacturing experiences but in meeting with God.

WHAT IS THE PICTURE OR ILLUSTRATION FOR THIS BIG IDEA?

Illustration: A mirror doesn’t produce light — it reflects it. When we polish the mirror (our hearts) by removing spiritual substitutes, His glory shines through us again.

Conclusion/Reflection:

The golden calf wasn’t built out of rebellion — it was built out of restlessness. But restlessness is what drives us to create what we can control.

The gold used for the calf was not random treasure — it was the very gold Israel received from the Egyptians as they were delivered from bondage (Exodus 12:35–36).

God had allowed them to leave Egypt with provision for worship — materials later meant for the tabernacle (Exodus 25:1–8) — yet they used it instead to create a false image of Him.

The tragedy is that what was meant to serve God’s glory became the substance of their substitute. The blessing of deliverance became the raw material of distortion.

It’s a warning for us: Even God-given gifts — resources, talents, ministries — can become golden calves if we use them for control instead of communion.

To be a people of His presence, we must break the spiritual substitutions that distort how we serve Him.

Have I taken what God gave me for serving Him (i.e. worship) and used it to build something for myself?

Prayer:

“Lord, forgive me for the moments I’ve built what You never asked for. Teach me to wait on Your presence. Strip away my spiritual substitutes and renew my heart with holy surrender.”

Talk It Over

How can impatience or busyness become a “spiritual substitute” for God’s presence?

What are some modern “golden calves” that seem spiritual but actually distract from intimacy with God?

What helps you wait well on God instead of rushing ahead with your own plan?

How does waiting on His presence strengthen your ability to serve others?

Are we building ministries that reflect His presence—or monuments to our impatience?

Where have I chosen activity over abiding in God’s presence?

How is God inviting me to exchange restlessness for relationship?