How to Repair your Relationship with God
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Good morning Chapelwood Family! So Glad you are here with me as we see and hear God as we Journey in faith. I hope you brought a guest this morning. Some of the people in our lives need to hear this message. Many more in our community need to be reacquainted with God. Some need an introduction to our Lord.
Prayer - Lord of Life, we come to you this morning imperfect people with broken lives. We have hurt ourselves and been harmed by others. We struggle with sin and shame. God we ask this morning that as your deliver your word that you change us. We can’t stay the same. Teach us how to really live in this life. And give us eternal life.
Sin Separates us from God
Sin Separates us from God
And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
Have you ever got what you wanted but it was not as good as you thought it would be. You finally got the cool car you wanted but it was not a comfortable as you thought it would be. Maybe your got a date with that special someone that you had your eye one, but they were just not that nice and kinda boring. Or you finally were able to eat at that fancy restaurant everyone is raving about but the food was not all that and the service was lacking. This is the story of Israel. They are about to finally enter the promise land, but they won’t have the presence of God with them. They will get what they want, but miss out on what is best.
Israel’s sin was pervasive and prevalent that God didn not want to dwell with them. God plans to honor His covenant and keep His promises, but He is not inclined to be with this people due to their rebellion.
Israel’s sin is pervasive and prevalent that God will not dwell with them. God will honor His covenant and keep His promises, but He will not be with this people due to their rebellion.
Do you think that you sin every causes you problems like that? Do you think that you sin keeps you from the fullness of God? That it may actually limit your interaction with God or rob you of blessings?
Jehovah God will send an angel ahead and I’ll drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. He will deliver them into a land flowing with milk and honey, yet He will not be with them in person. God laments that they are such a stubborn, hard-headed people that He can’t journey with them or He would find Himself forced to destroy them due to sin.
Jehovah God will send an angel ahead and I’ll drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. He will deliver them into a land flowing with milk and honey, yet He will not be with them in person. God laments that they are such a stubborn, hard-headed people that He can’t journey with them or He would find Himself forced to destroy them due to sin.
Their sin like our sin drove such a big wedge between God and Israel. It broke the relationship. And it became an issue. Your sin and My sin are an issue to
Seek the Presence of God
Seek the Presence of God
And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
Exodus 33:
Notice how Moses went to seek God when all had gone a wry. He went to that place where He could meet with God and be in His presence. when we sin we need to turn to God as well. We need to come before and worshiping Him for all of his worth. And thta is what worship is. We are assigning worthy to who or what we value the most,. And when you value a relationship with FGod more than anything else you would reflect upon your sin and with a broken heart you will reflect upon your life, realized the greivusonnes od your sin and ask for forgiveness for betraying Him. For forsaking Him. For rebelling and dismissing Him.
They number one relatioship ship we should have is with God. That is the relationshop we Should invest the most in is that one. And then all others hould come together. They should come into alignment
And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 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!’ ” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 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.”
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?
Ex 32:7-12
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. 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.
Seek the Good and the Glory of God
Seek the Good and the Glory of God
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?”
Exodus 33:12–16
12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
ex 32:12-16
17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Moses boldly goes to Yahweh and make his case. He pleads to God, “You tell me to Lead this people, but you don’t tell me whom you’re going to send with me. Please God tell me. After all you know me like no other and you say I am special to you. Please God, please, if I am special to you, let me in on your plans. That way I continue being special to you. Lord, these are your people that you have made me responsibility for.
Ex 33:18-23
Moses boldly goes to Yahweh and make his case. He pleads to God, “You tell me to Lead this people, but you don’t tell me whom you’re going to send with me. Please God tell me. After all you know me like no other and you say I am special to you. Please God, please, if I am special to you, let me in on your plans. That way I continue being special to you. Lord, these are your people that you have made me responsibility for.
-23
“Look, you tell me, ‘Lead this people,’ but you don’t let me know whom you’re going to send with me. You tell me, ‘I know you well and you are special to me.’ If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don’t forget, this is your people, your responsibility.”
Moses seeks God. He pleads with Him. He earnest prays to God. In faith he bears his heart before God. And in verse 14 God replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. I’ll see the journey to the end.”
Ex 33:12-23
12 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.’ 13 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.” 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 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?”
17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 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. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
And in verse 14 God replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. I’ll see the journey to the end.”
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), .. I’ll see the journey to the end.”
That is what is missing in many of our lives. The presence of God. We move away from God and ask where is He? He is not with us we cause we were not moving the direction we needed to for God to move with us.
Here is something we know but we take for granted.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005), .
It is true that if you have spent anytime in worship you have probably heard that all things work together for good. That is not true. The Bible clearly says things work together for good to them that love God. It says things work together for good to them that are called according to His purpose. Often we are moving opposite of God. When we do this will will not find things working out so well for us. If we live contrary to God’s word and rebel against the direction of His Spirit, then why would we expect the Lord’s goodness to follow us. In a simple sense that it like ramming a DPS troopers car and expecting him to not give you a ticket. You will probably get a free ride to jail and a complementary ticket.
We often miss the blessing boat because we seek to belly ache and we do seek God. In our desperation we don’t seek solace, or safety, or security, or sanity in God, but suffer because we stay away from Him. Sadly we don’t seek God like Moses. And if we do we don’t seek Him in depth. We are surface level at best. We don’t speak openly and honestly to Him. We will even lie to Him in prayer and avoid dealing with our sin, our problems, and the truth. How silly of us.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Heb 11:6
I hate to say this, but when we can’t see what lies ahead for us in the future our faith wains. It weakens because we often put more trust in ourselves and our powers than in God. Distrusting God is sinful and we are sinful for distrusting God. It is a lack of faith. And even the penultimate Star Wars bad guy, Darth Vader, has said “I find your lack of faith disturbing!” But the Bible still says it better.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
(ESV) — 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
(ESV) — 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
And here is it from the Lips of Jesus the Savior of the World
Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Friends and family, seek God. Trust Him. Lean into Him. Place everything that you are and all that you have fully on God. Put it all in His hands. Give it all to Him and watch what he does. And then… Simply seek the Glory of God.
Seek the Glory of God
Seek the Glory of God
Seek the Glory of God
Seek the Glory of God
17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 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. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
Moses had the right attitude. He was real and honest with God about what he need. About what king of relationship he wanted with God. And Jehovah rewarded him for it. God promises to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
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.”
I need to stop right here and ask you - Is God pleased with you? Is your life please to our Father? Or do you spend enough time with God that you know Him personally? With intimacy? Or are you a stranger to Him?
His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
(ESV) — 10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
God does not find please in us from the same things that the world values.
He’s not impressed with horsepower under the hood of our cars, nor the size of our muscles. That means little to Him.
nor his delight in the legs of a man;
the size of our muscles. That means little to him.
11 the LORD delights in those who fear him,
Those who fear God get God’s attention;
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
they can depend on his strength
Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005), .
Fear is a feeling of reverence, awe, and respect,. But as we know it can be an unpleasant emotion caused by a sense of danger. A healthy fear is reverence or respect. There are people in my life that I hold such feeling about. Yet those feeling don’t cause we to shake in my boots fearing harm or pain. It means I care about respect them. I care about how they view me and even that I please them. And that is more what fearing God is.
A healthy fear is reverence or respect.
A harmful fear is a sense of terror or dread. Believers are instructed not to fear human beings, because they cannot ultimately harm us. Wicked men, however, are constantly fearing other people, even the good people. Such fear causes them to act deceitfully in an attempt to hide their sins.
A harmful fear is a sense of terror or dread. Believers are instructed not to fear human beings, because they cannot ultimately harm us. Wicked men, however, are constantly fearing other people, even the good people. Such fear causes them to act deceitfully in an attempt to hide their sins.
On the other hand, the those who are not in a real relationship with God have every reason to be panic-stricken at thoughts of God, for they stand condemned before Him. Unfortunately, this fear of God does not lead to repentance. It normally leads to a feeble attempt to hide from God or worse, to a denial of God’s existence and His claim on a person’s life.
Are you denying God in your life due to sin. Are you denying God in reality due to fear of paying for your transgressions and iniquities.