Below the Waterline-2

2 weeks ago I told the 1992 account of the Coyote and its captain Mike Plant.

For details, go online and listen to the sermon from the morning of May 1.

The gist of the message is that Mike Plant took a sailboat, by himself, into the Atlantic Ocean in late fall (Hurricane season) and part way across the ocean to France,his boat, the Coyote lost it’s keel bulb that weighed 8400 pounds.

Without enough weight below the waterline to keep the ship upright, either a wave or strong wind in the sails turned the boat over.

And Mike Plant lost his life to the churning Atlantic Ocean.

The reason for telling that account was that we need to see that incident as a metaphor for our lives.

We sang it a moment ago:

Upon life’s boundless ocean where mighty billows roll. I’ve fixed my hope in Jesus, bless anchor of my soul. When trial fierce assail me as storms are gathering o’re, I rest upon His mercy and trust Him more.

We are in an ocean of turmoil trying to get to the other side.

And Jesus is the anchor of our soul.

The reality is that the anchor has be deployed below the waterline, out of the sight of others, to help in fierce storms.

Such an anchor acts like the keel weight or keel bulb that the Coyote lost.

It will keep our ship headed INTO the waves — because it is when waves hit us broadside that we at most risk for being capsized.

When the seas are calm and wind is just a gentle breeze, we can make it without a lot of weight below the waterline.

But when the seas are fierce and the wind is blowing at gale force, we have got to have the weight below the waterline.

Right now there ARE storms all around us.

As we look around it seems that there are a lot of people’s lives being turned upside down.

Even those who name the Name of Jesus are having their lives turned upside down.

I believe it is because we don’t have enough “weight” beneath the waterline, where people can’t see, and our lives get swamped by the lack.

It happens all the time.

But it doesn’t have to happen to us.

Probably there are not too many things we hear about that are sadder than what happened to Correctional Officer Vicky Sue White this past week.

She was the assistant director of a correctional institution in Alabama.

For some crazy reason she freed 6’8” Casey White (no relation, not married) — a convicted convict doing a 75 year sentence for his life of crime and murder.

She was, apparently, romantically attracted to this jailbird.

A 56 year old woman who should have known better.

She was about to retire with 30 years of experience.

How could she have been so blind?

It all ended this past Monday with Officer White and her convict boyfriend being run off the road by law enforcement and, rather than face arrest and punishment for what she had done, she apparently shot and killed herself.

It sure seems that Vicky Sue White was a woman who didn’t have any weight below the waterline.

The Holy Spirit was not operating in her life — I assume she had no relationship with Jesus.

And when the wind of temptation hit her life she quickly keeled over and her life was destroyed.

Her destroyed life was ended by her committing suicide.

How tragic! How sad!

But how many people like Vickie Sue White live without God in their lives?

How many Christians live without the weightiness of God’s glorious presence in their lives?

If only they could learn from the passage we are looking at today.

God Delivers His People

Before I read our text about Moses desiring God’s glorious presence, let me set the stage:

I encourage you to read the account for yourself beginning in Exodus 5 all the way to our text in Exodus 33.

In those chapters we see multiple, undeniable, supernatural ways, that Israel has been delivered from slavery — Moses chosen by God to lead them out of slavery has repeatedly told them it was God who had done this.

They KNEW it was God.

But, when God calls Moses up on Mt. Sinai to receive the instructions for a new covenant that God is cutting with Israel, the people suffer a sudden attack of amnesia — they forget God and create a golden calf to worship.

I like what the verse of a song by Crowder from which we sing the chorus, Good God Almighty says:

It says: I can't count the times I've called Your name some broken night And You showed up and patched me up like You do every time

I get amnesia I forget that You keep coming around Yeah, ain't no way You'll ever let me down

That was definitely the case of Israel — they forgot it was God who delivered them:

Not they themselves.

And certainly not some inanimate golden calf that Aaron made for them in Exodus 32.

How many times do WE forget who has delivered us?

How many times do we do what that Crowder song says?

We get amnesia concerning the blessings of God poured into our lives!

How often do we forget the One who has provided for us, healed our sick bodies, been with us in the tough times?

How many times do we give in to despair, depression and anxiety because of that “amnesia?”

We need to repent!

But, Israel forgot — and they turned to idols.

So, God tells Moses to go down from His presence and correct the problem.

And whoo boy, does he correct it!

Exodus 32:19–20 (NASB95) It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.

More than Moses being angry — God is angry.

He says: Exodus 33:1–3 (NASB95) Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ [get out of My sight! This people disgusts Me!] 2 “I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3 “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.”

Now we get my text:

Exodus 33:12-23

Journeying With God’s Presence and Glory

Notice what Moses tells God:

Vs.15 If your glorious presence doesn’t go with us — we aren’t going anywhere.

We NEED your presence — it’s not some optional part of following You to the promised land.

It is an absolute necessity!

“Lord, Your glorious Presence, is what distinguishes us from those who are NOT Your people.

Moses apparently understood something many Christians do not:

We absolutely MUST have God glorious presence operating in our lives.

We absolutely MUST have the weight of His glory beneath the waterline if we are going to make it to the promised land — if we are going to avoid being capsized along the way.

Even the Hebrew word for “glory” tells us this is the weight we need beneath our waterline.

Whether people can see it or not.

And most often people cannot see it because they have been blinded by the god of this world — satan.

The Hebrew word for what Moses asked God is:

Kaw-bode’

It literally means: “to be heavy”

Look it up, do a word study.

You can do this by downloading the Logos Bible app on your computer.

Through the church you have access to a library of over 300 resources.

If you have questions ask Gina about it.

Moses understands that God’s glorious Presence is an absolute necessity if he is going to be the leader God is calling him to be.

AND he understands that without the “keel weight” of God’s Presence in their lives, the people are not going to make it either.

And just a side-note:

Apparently the people never quite understand their need for God’s heavy, glorious Presence in their lives.

In Numbers 14 we read how they balk at going into the land that God had promised them.

If they had truly experienced the weight of God’s glory they would have had the faith to go in.

They would have had the faith to go in.

But they didn’t.

May God help US to understand the vital necessity of having God’s glory in OUR lives.

We’ve Got to Have It!

Week before last I talked about how we can have the necessary “keel weight” of God’s attributes to be successful in navigating this life.

So that our ship won’t get blown over by the strong and contrary winds of this life.

So that if we get knocked silly by some unexpected wave our ship will right themselves, as they should if we are walking with God as we ought.

How do we have that glory that we desperately need?

Week before last I talked about a process that the Holy Spirit wants to work in us.

It is called sanctification.

Sanctification is the process by which we let go of the things of this world so that we can embrace the things of God — including His glorious Presence.

It is as Jesus said in:

Matthew 6:24 (NASB95) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (reliance on this world).

I am concerned that we hold onto the world so tightly that we can no longer let go even long enough to worship and pray.

Worship, seeking God, is a primary way of experiencing God’s glorious Presence.

Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us into the deep things, the heavy things of God.

This morning were you able to move your attention from the storms of this life to an attention to God’s Presence?

Did you cry out right from the beginning of service:

More of Your glory, more of Your Power, more of Spirit in me?

Did you ask God to fill you with springs of living water to replace the stagnant cesspools of polluted and putrid fluid that the world gives and to which we cling?

Did you ask Jesus to … turn mourning to dancing to give beauty for ashes to turn shame into glory

to turn graves into garden to turn bones into armies to turn seas into highways

Do you recognize that He is ...

… the only One who can

Because there's nothing better than You There's nothing better than You

Worship is not about singing a few ditties and getting to lunch before the Baptists.

It’s about allowing the God of glory to pour some of His glory into us.

It’s about spending time in His Presence

The Benefits of God’s Glorious Presence

Exodus 33:14 (NASB95) And He [God] said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

What a reassuring and comforting words from LORD, even as we go through the journey of life.

We have set out on a journey into an unknown destination.

How very important to solicit the Presence of Someone who is familiar with the terrain.

The journey of life is a journey into the unknown.

But we have a God who is timeless and very much abreast with all the events of all ages right from the beginning to the end.

He has the program of events in your personal life,in the national life and in the world a large.

It is therefore proper to seek His presence at every stage of our human existence.

He alone knows the way through the wilderness and will certainly take us to our destinations.

Moses knew the necessity of having God presence when he said in

Exodus 33:15 (The Message) Moses said, “If your presence doesn’t take the lead here, call this trip off right now.

Take a look of what the presence of God will do in our lives .

*His presence will give us rest and peace Exodus 33:14

In this present evil world filled with all uncertainties, only the presence of God guarantees us rest. Rest of mind; void of worries and anxieties. We are rest assured of our safety in the midst of danger. Psalms 23:4 attests to this fact."Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;thou rod and thy staff they comfort me". *Isaiah equally testified to the assurance of safety when he said "When thou passest through the waters,I will be with thee:and through the rivers,they shall not overflow thee:when thou walkest through the fire,thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame Kindle upon thee"(Isaiah 43:2). These promises are activated only when we have the presence of God.

*His presence will give us fullness of joy Psalm 16:11.

Psalm 16:11 (NASB95) You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Joy is a rare commodity in the world today. We hear of calamities, commotions, fightings here and there. But in the presence of God is the fullness of joy. This played out when David brought the ark of the Lord into Jerusalem "So David and the elders in Israel,and the captains over thousands,went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with JOY. In those days the ark symbolized the presence of God .

*His presence will provide shields against the enemies (Psalms 9:3 )

If we can maintain the abiding presence of God in our environment, we should be rest assured that no demon or adversary will be able to operate around us. His presence repels the devils. The enemies are turned back by the presence of God. The stubborn ones will fall down and perish in God's presence.

*His presence brings us into favor and honor

Look at Genesis 39:1-2

It is the account of Joseph, whether in Potiphar's house or in the prison or in the palace, the presence of God is what he required to obtain favour , honour and great success.

"And the Lord was with Joseph" was a reccuring theme in his life.

We see the same theme in Daniel’s life

And in Mary the mother of Jesus’ life

They ALL received favour and honour because the Lord was with them.

*His presence will ensure victory and success Joshua 1 :5

Time will not allow me to talk about Joshua who did exploits as a result of God's presence with him.

We cannot actually exhaust the benefits of His presence in just one sermon. I believe the points we have made so far will spur us up to seek the presence of God.

The question now is: how do I ensure the abiding presence of God?

*Run away from sins.

God eyes are too holy to look upon sins.

Habakkuk 1:13 (NASB95) Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

Abstain from all appearance of evil whether in the private or in the public. Avoid ungodly programs on television and indecent sites in the internet.

God loves a holy environment. Therefore, be holy in your lifestyle.

*Give yourself to fervent prayer — prayer in the Spirit.

Tonight we will meet at 5 pm for worship and prayer.

*And, of course, give time to study and meditate upon the word of God.

Our actions must be guided by the word of God.

*Obey the Great Commission "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,lo,I am with you always,even unto the end of the world Amen."(Matthew 28:20)

God bless you as you seek more of His presence.

Altar

Maybe this morning you need to meet with God.

As the worship team comes…

Perhaps you need to come forward as a declaration of your need for God’s glorious Presence in your lives.

Perhaps you need others to pray with you for some storm you are facing.

Will you come?

Will you ask God to pour out His Spirit in YOU?