Prayerfully Present & with Purpose
Notes
Transcript
Burden: that Father’s and men would be encouraged to see the power in their presence and purpose of leading and following Jesus.
Exodus 33 - Moses example.
Intro: Dad’s- encouragement
parachute into the passage.
What does Moses’ actions in Exodus 33 tell us of godly fatherood, masculinity and leadership?
Three things: a prayerful dependance, godly purpose and faithful presence.
1. Prayerful Dependance on the LORD
1. Prayerful Dependance on the LORD
The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
So, post golden-calf incident. God creates a covenant, which is a set of promises, between himself and the Israelites but before Moses even gets down the mountain to share this with the people they have made a golden calf to worship out of the gold jewellery God provisioned them when He rescued them from slavery in Egypt. This is significant for the next few verses-
When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’ ” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
Naturally, there are consequences for Israel’s unfaithfulness. God is gracious and kind but He is also holy and the judge over all living things- he cannot let things go unpunished, but wields great patience.
Picture the scene of v4-6: the people of Israel, on their knees- LORD, forgive us! spare us! Show mercy on those whom you have promised good things! Whilst they’re wearing the same jewellery which tempted them into idolatry!
What will Moses, their leader, do?
Exodus 33:7 “Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.”
We don’t know how often, if Moses went out here daily, but we could look at a couple markers in this passage and say that Moses “frequented” the tent, to meet with God and intercede on the people’s behalf.
Moses makes the intentional point of creating space and priority to meet with the LORD.
During one of the those meetings, as Moses intercedes (that’s, praying on someone else’s behalf, probably pleading) the LORD responds.
Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
Anyone pray like this to God? There’s two things going on: 1. Moses is not sheepish. He knows His God and trusts in His character- we’ll touch on that later; 2. Moses is deeply dependant on God.
Listen, God has promised the land to them, an angel will go with them- it’ll be just as God said, He’s faithful, and Moses says- it’s not enough! I know your promises but I need your presence.
So the LORD promises, yes my presence will go with you, you’ll find rest in knowing I’m there with you but Moses presses the point, saying:
If you don’t come with us then I don’t want to go. What would be the point? What would be the point LORD if we gain the land of riches, a land flowing with milk and honey if it isn’t clear to the people in the land that You go with us?
What is good, Moses says, about this calling you have placed on us, is the God who calls us by name and not the calling itself.
Moses heart for God finds favour in the sight of God, v.17, then in verse 18 Moses, he swings for the nets- Ex 33:18
Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”
Glory, the hebrew word “Kabood” means the heaviness, that’s where the “weight of glory” comes from- the riches, splendour, honour- the glory of our LORD. He is so glorious it is like a literal weight to His presence.
The LORD responds Ex 33:19
And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Goodness here meaning beauty, or ‘best things’. Moses will have to hide in the cliff face so his mortal body isn’t destroyed by the glorious weight of the divine eternal LORD but God will do His best, to show His best to Moses, His faithful servant.
And declare to Moses His name, which is His nature, described to us through deeds. It appears that is the best we’d be able to comprehend it. His nature is shown in his graciousness and mercy to sinful Israel. They are the object of his graciousness and love, that they can still find favour in His sight.
That is Moses prayer and heart for his people.
He has a deep dependance on the ways and on the person of God.
He desires also that His people would know God, know his goodness, his graciousness and mercy and that would do a work in their hearts also.
Dads, do you have the same desire for your homes? Do you pray? It’s the best thing to start with if you see Moses heart and relate to it. Prayer serves a number of purposes, one of those is alinging your heart, soul, mind and body to the will and purposes of God.
We’re not chasing perfection outside of following Jesus- let’s look to Moses, this guy wasn’t always dropping lines like: “show me you glory!”
And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Moses was cowardly- the LORD of the universe reveals himself to Moses, says “come with me, I’m going to go and free me people” and Moses tries to excuse himself multiple times.
Now he meets with his LORD face to face and prayers deeply bold and radical prayers.
He cultivated that in himself. He desired to pray deeply for his people to give his best to them.
Dads, do we pray like Moses?
If you want to, and don’t know how- just pray simple. “Heavenly Father, help me to love better. Help me to trust you. Teach me how to be more present. Grow my faith.
Cultivate a Father’s heart for your home for what you desire-
Would your glory be manifest in our home? Would you come and fill our home and our hearts with your presence?
What would change for you if you did? How would those prayers change you? How would that benefit your family? If God was truly the priority of all the purposes of your household, how would that change things for you?
2. God-Given, Godly Purpose
2. God-Given, Godly Purpose
Do you know, Dads, that this is part of your God-given, godly purpose?
We, us dad’s, have a God-given, godly purpose for our families- that you would take leadership and responsibility for your home.
Moses was aware of his role and responsibility. Others had sinned and failed, but Moses took the responsibility to restore his people.
Ultimately, Moses had been given spiritual headship over his people and he took that seriously. He knew that, whether his people would succeed or fall, he played the most factor in that.
The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.”
Moses takes ownership, he is aware that this sin is in breach of the covenant he just made with God, as depicted in the 10 commandments- right the golden calf immediately breaks the first three you could argue a few more as well and Moses just couragesouly goes and meets with that God, the betrayed, mocked God whom His people just did away with in favour of a gold cow.
Aware that, the covenant being broken, God may do away with this people, Moses says, if we cannot be forgiven for this trespass, God if we are to be disinherited of the promises you made, disinherit me too. I’m responsible.
There is an echo here, to Genesis 3 where, Adam and Eve sin, they break God’s covenant with them regarding the true of the knowledge of good and evil. God comes and confronts, not the serpant (who decieved them), not Eve (who ate first) but God came to Adam- the spiritual head of mankind.
What does Adam have to say for their sin- this women that you gave me, she ate and gave some to me. It’s not my fault. That is weakness and passive leadership.
Moses on the other hand, his people had sinned but responds by saying “my people sinned, LORD this is on me- how can I repay this? Make things good between us. It’s on me.”
Moses had been given godly, spiritual headship over God’s people, to lead, protect, teach and serve them as they sought to follow God. He took this seriously.
Dad’s, you too have been given spiritual headship and called to responsibility of the well being of your home. This is part of your purpose.
What do we mean when we say ‘headship’?
Let’s draw a distinction quickly between, good, biblical male headship in the home and what our culure defines as “traditional male roles”. They aren’t the same thing. In fact, much of which falls under our cultural perception of “traditional male roles” is unbiblical. It goes against scripture.
Biblical headship is not domineering, it is not controlling, it’s not “dad’s the boss and that’s it!”
Let’s look at biblical headship, Eph 5:23-25
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Wives submit to your husband, husbands love your wives like Christ loved the church- a quick way of explaining that is husbands, love and lead in a way that your wife desires to follow and trust you.
The husband is the head and his example is Christ. What does this mean?
Matt Chandler defines male headship as, “Headship is the unique leadership of the man in the work of establishing and keeping order for human flourishing.”
How do we establish and keep order for human flourishing? It isn’t barking orders or grumbling when dinner isn’t on time, no.
Christ sets the example for us to follow and adhere our wholeselves too.
What is Christ’s example to us? Tony Merida gives us three things from Ephesians 5:
Sacrifical Love, this is a call to die. It’s courageous. Like storming the beaches at Normandy, brothers, storm the beaches of your own sin and selfishness. Fight for your wife. Sacrifice your schedules and ambitions. You may not be crucified to a tree but, as we have heard in Galatians so far, crucify the desires of your flesh to the cross with Christ. Die to your old self. Live for Christ is synonymous with living for your wife’s sake. Give up your passive, boyhood and serve her as Christ has served you both.
Sanctifying Love, men you cannot atone for the sins of your wife but you can be concerned for her spiritual well-being and take responsibility for it’s priority. Make time (don’t try and find it- you won’t) Make time to lead her in reading the bible, pray together, make it possible so you can get to church every sunday, join a life group and make time to serve. Lead her in the prioritisation of the time and schedule of the household to love the LORD and to centre your home on the cross of Christ.
Lastly, Satisfying Love, love her like you love yourself- provide for her, nourish her, prioritise her. Are her needs being met? Does she feel seen and heard by you? Does she feel intimate to you and your soul? Men, you have needs, yeah. So does your wife. Listen, I’ve been married seven years, that’s not a long time compared to many of you but I have gotten it right, I’ve gotten it worng too. Whenever I get it right it, it has been me meeting her needs, then she desires to fulfil mine. It never goes well trying to do it the other way around.
This is the biblical framework, a very short one, around biblical marriage and male headship and it flows on down into male headship and purpose in the home.
Voddie Bauchum Jr- “As goes the father, so goes the family”. It is only and entirely dependant on you, but you have a gravitational pull. Your word and actions have weight, so to what and where will you lead your families?
This is the framework we see woven in and through the scriptures in stories, in examples and in instruction. A couple of examples.
For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
God’s ultimate purpose through Abraham was a lineage through which Jesus would come, but actively, it was to raise up a generation in a right and good understanding of who God is.
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua is setting the purpose, the gravitational centre, of his household to serve God and not the gods and things and purposes of this world.
And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
Job consistantly interceded for his children, praying and sacrificing for them, trusting God’s will and character to be power in the lives of his kids.
If we go to the New Testament, we’ve looked at Eph 5. Eph 6 instructs dads to discipline and instruct their children.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Discipline meaning like a sport or an instrument where you hold a focus and schedule to gain skills and rhythym to master something, to be good at it. Dad’s you bear responsibility, not wholy and only but as the key teacher, to help your children to learn the ways of the LORD. To know His Word and be formed by it.
Our kids, look to us. They mimic our behaviours and attitudes and speech- generally, the fruit of the lives of our own children often are the fruit of our own heart and purpose.
We can’t atone for our kids sins and we can’t force them to believe and trust in Jesus but we can desparaetly pray, intercede and lead them with grace- modelling Jesus as best we can.
Moses understood this. His people had sinned greatly and needed continued guidance and prayers. And they looked to him for it.
Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.
Just picture that. Moses, striding with God-given confidence in his relationship with the LORD striding through the camp, up through the tents of his people, out the gate and up to the tent of meeting. As he passes by each tent, the people of that tent come out “Moses is heading out to the tent!” “The LORD might draw near to us!”. They come, peering out of the tent, standing, and watching and waiting. There’s over a million Israelites in the camp. The cloud descends- people, fall to their knees and songs of praise and prayers fill the camp as they catch but a glimpse.
Let me finish up with the last encouragement we see from Moses- that there is power in your faithful presence.
3. Power in Your Faithful Presence
3. Power in Your Faithful Presence
As the spiritual heads of your house, you are responsible for cultivating a sense of God’s goodness and glory in your home.
We aren’t chasing perfection- you’ll never attain it.
Yet, a father who is prayerfully dependant and takes seriously his god-given duty as the head of his home will find power in simply being present. A present father has power.
Modern, sociological and physcological studies have shown that- kids with present dads are more likely to have a greater outcome in almost every area of life.
So, there is power in your presence. What if that presence wasn’t just quality play time and memorable holidays but coupled with prayer together, a godly example in how you live your life and opening up the Word with you children?
Listen, there are all sorts of different types of fathers here this morning with all sorts of different stories to tell. Father’s day may not be your favourite day of the year. You may find yourself here riddled with guilt, feeling as though you’ve failed and missed your shot. Let me talk to you for a moment-
If you feel like you can’t fix it, fall to you knees. Pray, pray and pray again. Commit your children, like Job, if they’re living a sinful life then commit them to and trust in God. The God of cowardly Moses, the God of selfish Samson, the God of hateful Paul- He moved in them, think he can’t move in you and your home?
It’s never too late to commit yourself to being an example worth following. and it’s not over. God always has the final say.
There are some things you can’t fix- and we all like fixing. My favourite past time hobbie is tinkering, that’s a common component of our character. Some things only God can fix so let Him do His job. Take a back seat from control and just commit yourself to being a warm, welcoming presence in the life of your children.
And these things aren’t just for dads, or even just for men- but for all of God’s people. However, there is something powerful and deeply needed in our society today for Fathers to carry the weight, to cause our church and our community and our families to flourish by leading and loving,
A nice way of saying- don’t capitulate on your resposibilities. Fight for them.
Let’s look to the example of Moses, once again-
We know, he was a flawed man, a flawed leader. So he put weight in his greatest asset, his relationship with the LORD-
Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
Verse 11 is what caught my eye over a year ago. What kind of man, father, husband and friend is one who is friends with God and speaks to Him so frequently.
There is such a change in the character of Moses, it didn’t happen over night but he cultivated in himself an inheritance to pass down to his family, to his spiritual sons and to Israel: a prayerful dependance on the LORD, a godly purpose for his life and if he could just follow God well, he knew there would be power in simply being faithfully present to the charge to which God called him.
What is the fruit of such a life?
When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Joshua, the man who would pick up the mantle from Moses, who would declare to Israel, “as for me and my home, we will serve the LORD!”, he would not depart the tent. We linged in the presence of his LORD to know Him- now just where did he learn that from?
Would it be our prayer and our work, dads, to see a generation of Joshua’s, our natural children and our spiritual children, who linger in our father’s presence, to lead into a future we will not see, they look to you.
Invite people to stand- lay hands on the dads around you. Pray.
