"Doctrine Matters:
God - Showing Us His Glory (1)"
October 21, 2007
Pastor Phil Stevenson
Date: Oct. 21, 2007
Sermon Title: Doctrine Matters: God—Showing Us His Glory
Text: Exodus 33-34
WEFC,
Pastor Phil Stevenson
Introduction:
Last week I mentioned 2 significant sociological influences in our society today that seem to be contributing to the increasing current in our culture to move further and further away from the Judeo-Christian worldview that was prevalent at the time of our nation’s birth. They were the intense surge in materialistic consumerism in the past 50-75 years and the increasing pluralism that surrounds us in so many arenas of our lives. From my observations, we have embraced the multiplicity of choices and the “need” to have the latest and the greatest as an expression of economic, personal, and even spiritual progress.
One of my concerns in all of this is the toll it’s taking on our souls, however. Let me give you a simple example. A couple of years ago I was asked to perform a wedding for a couple from our church. This was Jerry and Dana Adams’ wedding. Remember they had come from Southern CA and so they asked if I would come to the Costa Mea area and marry them. Robert and I travelled together and we arrived on a Thursday evening, met the family and proceeded to joint them for dinner that evening. Now granted I realize that this was the week of a major event in the lives of Jerry and Dana’s families and so stress was high. But what I noticed was not just with them. It included others who I met at the wedding and at the church that weekend. It was almost something that you could feel in the air. And it was stress. Everyone seemed to be really tight. I became especially cognizant of it nearing the end of the weekend when there was a conversation about where to have dinner. It began with the simple question where should we go eat. Someone quickly rattled off about ½ a dozen options depending on the type of food, Mexican, Steakhouse, Italian, Chinese, etc. Finally, not without some definite opinions expressed a decision was made. Then came the next question. How do you get to the restaurant? Once again there were numerous options. You could take the 605 or the 101 or since there was construction on highway 55 you might want to take the Blvd, if you don’t mind a few lights. (I’m being facetious about the numbers. I don’t remember the exact highways.) Well someone had to run by the ATM at their bank’s branch and wasn’t sure which would be the quickest. Once again plenty of opinions were expressed and everyone went their individual ways, depending on what was best for them. I was stressed just listening to them and I didn’t even have to drive. I was just along for the ride. Do you feel what all this does to your soul? Options abound. Individuals have their vested opinions and must make their decisions based on what’s best for each person. And the soul gets caught in the middle. Those of us who were at Thrive last week heard the expression that Thoreau’s statement that most everyone lives lives of quiet desperation is probably not true today. Today most everyone lives lives of noisy or chaotic desperation.
This example regarding restaurants seems to be just as applicable to peoples’ choices when it comes to understanding the character and nature of God. With the increase of immigrants since the Immigration Act of 1965, the religious picture in America has changed significantly. According to the reading that I’ve been doing lately, 5 million new immigrants have come to America since that time. Some come with a Christian faith but many have come with Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Muslim, and other belief systems. (Above All Earthly Pow’rs, p. 106) David Wells writes in his book Above All Earthly Pow’rs, “Perhaps the easiest way to see what has happened is to visit a bookstore…Today,…in bookstores across the country one finds scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and the Quran. There are books on Islamic history, calligraphy, and thought; books on Buddhist belief, books on or by the Dalai Lama…books on Sufi poetry, on the techniques and benefits of meditation, on Voodoo, on Sikhism, and on Chuang Tzi. Indeed, one can even see The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet! There are also books on the myths and legends of the American Indians and the religions of other indigenous peoples….” (p. 107-108) All of these systems of belief present a doctrine of God or the divine. And because we live in a society that has embraced pluralism, personal choice, and multiple options as progressive, it is becoming more and more difficult to criticize others’ beliefs. But at the same time it’s becoming more and more chaotic in our souls.
One of my intentions in this series entitled Doctrine Matters is to help you settle the chaos that you feel in your souls. One way to do this is to enjoy the freedom that comes when you settle in your heart that you are going to embrace one system of belief and not have to try the religious and philosophical smorgasbord that exists today. I have two presuppositions going into these messages: 1) God exists; and 2) the Bible is accurate and authoritative. What I’ve presented to you so far in my introduction is a very pragmatic reason to follow the Bible’s teaching as authoritative. You will find your souls in much less chaos if you submit to its authority. In a couple of weeks we’ll talk more about the reason for its trustworthiness. And when it comes to defining the character and nature of God the Bible provides us with all that we need for this understanding. In fact as we will see it is the primary intention of God to reveal his character as expressed in the word glory to us and in so doing we can experience not only freedom in our souls but we can gain wisdom to live as shining lights for Him in this world of chaotic desperation.
We’re going to look at a particular narrative text this morning that gives us a glimpse of this primary intention of God to reveal to us His true nature and character. It’s in Exodus 33 and 34 that we see a monumental self-disclosure by God of His nature and character. It’s significant that this occurs as a narrative because…
1. The need to know God always exists in the context of Personal Experiences.
It’s very important that see this self-disclosure on God’s part coming in the life of a real person named Moses, and in the life of real nation in history named Israel. Part of the revelation of God’s character is through His personally engagement and involvement in the lives of people and in the molding of nations throughout the course of history. The Bible accurately records true historical events that reveal the character and nature of God. Therefore, this need to know God always exists in the context of personal experiences. This is exactly what prompted Moses to ask God to show himself to him.
Let’s pick up the narrative starting at Ex. 33:12. God is upset with the people of Israel because of their rejection of God’s leadership and because of their desire to go back to the familiar ways of worship that they had learned in Egypt specifically, the worship of a golden calf. God has said He will not go with them into the promised land. Moses is confused and doesn’t know what to do without God’s presence going with them to lead and guide them. Read Ex.33:12-18. Moses’ appeal is for God to reveal His character. Without a proper understanding of who God is Moses is without hope. His position of favor before God is completely dependent upon his knowledge of God. (33:13) There is no possibility of distinction between the people of Israel and any other nation without Moses’ knowledge of God. (33:16) This by the way is at the core of every person’s life. It should be the cry of every person—God show me your glory!! This is exactly what God desires for every person. He desires that every person would come to the end of themselves and recognize that whatever dilemma or predicament they are facing they would say—Oh God, Show me your Glory!! How can we know if we have found favor and acceptance with God if we do not know Him? How can we go on without knowing who God really is in the midst of our situations?
Now this is a critical place to get. Because this is the acknowledgement that every person must come to in their own personal experiences. And it is this, that…
2. The Knowledge of God comes from Outside of Ourselves.
Contrary to the popular opinion of much of what is passing for spirituality in our world today, the knowledge of God comes from outside of ourselves. According to the Bible it is not possible for us to look within ourselves and determine the nature of God. You and I are NOT God. Now I know that that’s not hard for most of you to believe, especially as you are reminded on a daily basis just how much of your life is outside of your control. But to many in our world, practically and experientially, they are living in such a way that they believe that they are god or a god. Moses, clearly, did not come to that conclusion. Moses cried, God, Show me your Glory! He looked outside of himself and appealed to God to make his character and nature known to him.
And God in a specific place and time revealed, made known, proclaimed in word and deed his true character and nature. Read Ex. 33:19-34:8.
Verses 6-7 is a summary statement about the character and nature of God. It’s an expression of his glory that for the people of Israel became foundational and was used repeatedly throughout their history. I know of at least 8 other times that God is referred to in this way. (Num. 14:18; Neh. 9:17;Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2; Nah. 1:3) In this instance God reveals himself to Moses and the glory that He shows him is the glory of his mercy and grace, his patience, steadfast love and faithfulness to his covenantal love, while in no ways compromising his justice and dealings with sin. Without this experience of God’s special revelation, Moses would not have come to know God for who He is.
That’s what this book is all about. It is the Word of God that reveals the truth about the nature and character of God. It is God’s communication to us about Himself that is meant to show us His glory, the weight and brilliance of who He is. That’s what glory means. And when Moses asked God to show Him his glory, he was asking Him to reveal the brilliance of His nature and character. Without this knowledge of God coming from outside of ourselves we are no different than all the other peoples of the world who are striving to find the answers to who God is from within. Our perspective on life must begin with a proper understanding of God.
That’s why our church’s doctrinal statement begins with a statement about God. Just as this statement to Moses summarized the glory of God in that moment for Moses so our church’s statement is an attempt to summarize what the Bible teaches about the glory of God.
Here’s what we as an Evangelical Free Church believe the Bible clearly and unequivocally teaches about God. I’ve included the statement and all the Biblical references that support this summary statement. “We believe in One God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.” I would encourage you to take this statement home with you. This may be a great Bible Study for you to pursue this week. You could two or three words or phrases a day, look up the passages, meditate on them and ask God to show you His glory.
What happens when we get a glimpse of who God is in our own life experience? Well if your experience will be like Moses’ experience…
3. The knowledge of God’s Glory will Transform your Life.
Look at what happens in verse 8. Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped. First there is a complete understanding of who you truly are. You are in the midst of the Creator of all things, the holy, infinitely perfect, Triune God who has limitless knowledge and sovereign power. This should cause us to fall on our faces in fear and awe. There’s a recognition of sin and the need for forgiveness. Read vs. 9. Then there is a work of grace that promises to accomplish. Read 10.-11a. I believe the marvels that He refers to are not just the miracles and deliverance but also the relationship of faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. As our statement says God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for himself and that is possible only through the finished work of Jesus death on the cross and His resurrection. It is faith in Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives that makes this work of transformation possible. And look at verse 29 and see the what happened to Moses. Read 34:29. Moses appearance was transformed. As he experienced the knowledge of God he reflected the Glory of God.
This is the power of right doctrine. This is the power of understanding the truth of who God is. This is what happens when God shows us His glory and we begin to grasp the weight and brilliance of His character and nature.
Conclusion:
In closing let me briefly show from 3 other passages of Scripture what happens when we choose to reject this knowledge of God. These passages were brought to my attention by a message that I heard coincidentally as I was driving home from my pastors’ prayer meeting on Thurs. It was a timely message delivered by John MacArthur which he entitled “A Nation Abandoned by God.” (Grace to You radio broadcast, Oct. 16 & 17.) His message was a sober warning regarding a nation that chooses to disregard a pursuit of knowing the truth about God. I was planning already to go to the second passage we’ll read in a moment but 2 others were powerfully appropriate to what we’re discussing here.
The first is Proverbs 1: starting at verse 22. Follow along if you like. Otherwise, listen to this sober warning. Read 1:22-31. When we decide to disregard the truth, the doctrine of God, the consequence is that God willfully removes his restraining grace on our lives and we eat the fruit of our ways. We will have our fill of our own devices. The New Testament expression of this is found in Romans 1:18. Turn here and see the same warning. Read and comment on 1:18-32. Notice the progression of degradation and the wrath of God as expressed in his giving them over. Part of God’s judgment on our culture today is the outworkings of our own disregard for truth. From the elevation of human reason during the enlightenment to the present day relativism that reigns in most academic, economic, and governmental institutions and even in many churches today we are seeing the wrath of God displayed. It’s manifesting itself in the futility of foolish thinking, a debased mind. It’s the progression of every nation that has rejected the glorious truth of who God is.
MacArthur spoke of a survey concerning morals conducted by MTV. They took the Catholic classifications of the 7 deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, etc.) and asked their audience what their assessment was of those behaviors. The overwhelming response was to affirm those as virtues. What was once considered evil is now good and what was once considered good is evil. It’s a part of God’s wrath being poured out on our nation.
David Wells writes of this as well. “Why are we tormented by the sense of life’s emptiness and randomness? …the reason is that that sense is itself a judgment, an expression of the wrath of God, and a harbinger of much worse to come….God in fact is active in this judgment. He no longer restrains human beings in their expressions of sin and so sin becomes, n the short run, its own judgment. As God’s restraints are lifted, and moral and sexual disorder follow (Rom. 1:24-32), the jarring and painful confusions which are part and parcel of the human experience become somber prophecies of yet a greater judgment to come.”
Come with me to one final passage, Psalm
81:11-16. Read 81:11-12. What is the reason
for God’s giving them over? It’s because
His people would not listen to his voice. They
would not submit in obedience. So what does God
do? He lets them go their own way. You want
to know why it seems so crazy out there? You want
to know why it seems so senseless and illogical and that
no one, including ourselves at times can’t see the
madness of our spending to the point where we’re
hugely in debt, the madness of our pace, of our lusts, of
our fleshly passions that seem to war within us so
heavily, why marriages are crumbling all around us, why
children rebel against their parents, why
self-destruction because of drug use is insanely popular
and we could go on. It’s because God has
given us over to our own stubborn hearts.
It’s because we have ignored God’s counsel,
we have refused to listen. Or as Paul says we
have suppressed the truth and the knowledge of God.
We no longer cry out to God like Moses, saying Show us
Your Glory!!! As a result we have become futile in
our thinking and our foolish hearts have been
darkened. No longer to we shine, reflecting the
light of God’s glory. Instead we are darkened
by our own foolishness.
What’s the answer? It’s found in Psalm
81:13. “Oh that my people would listen
to me that Israel would walk in my ways.”
Oh that we as a people would hear the words of this book
as they reveal the true nature and character of
God. Oh that they would stop chasing after all the
other options and choices that exist in their pluralistic
society and find the joy and the freedom of resting in
the revelation of truth which I have made known to
them. Oh that they would “believe in One God,
Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect and
eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally
divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign
power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to
redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new
for His own glory.”
Do you want to know what God promises to do when we do
this? He says he will soon subdue our enemies and
turn his hand against their foes. Those who hate
the Lord would cringe toward him and their fate would
last forever. He would feed us with the finest of
the wheat, and with honey from the rock HE would
satisfy us. This is God’s heart. He
desires for us to enter the joy and satisfaction of
knowing Him. It is the heart of God to show us His
glory, for in it is our salvation.
Statement of Faith of The Evangelical Free Church of America, 2007 Proposed
http://www.efca.org/about/doctrine/
We believe
in one God,
Creator of all things,
infinitely perfect and
eternally existing in a loving unity
of three equally divine persons:
the Father,
the Son and
the Holy Spirit.
Having
limitless knowledge and
sovereign power,
God has graciously purposed
from eternity
to redeem a people for Himself and
to make all things new
for His own glory.
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Greenbank, Washington
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