Coney Hill Baptist Church
Demonstrating God’s Love Together
30th March 2008
Encountering God: The Challenge of the Glory
Eodus 33:12-23
Intro…
A strange thing we do in church week by week, daring to believe we come into the presence of God yet remaining largely unmoved; appreciating the fellowship yes, interested in what’s being said perhaps, looking forward to tea and coffee, possibly.
Worship is to enter the awareness of the presence of God. It is to experience God, connect with God, be affected by God.
Over these next few weeks we’re going to see how encountering God had an impact on a variety of characters. How it moved them emotionally, challenged them practically and changed them fundamentally. Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and David may not be typical, of course we have to find a way of building our real and vibrant relationship with God into our everyday, practical family/working lives and that’s not always easy, but we would do well to remind ourselves sometimes of the passion and the spirit that encountering God stimulated in those through whom he most powerfully worked.
Moses knew he needed more than Promises:
He had a calling, he had a promise.
He acknowledged to God that he had told him to ‘lead these people’ and had confirmed to him that ‘he knew him by name and had found favour with him’ God knew what he was getting at and said, it’s ok, ‘my presence will go with you’.
Presence surpasses Promise.
Moses knew God’s Presence makes the Difference:
‘How will anyone know?’ ‘What else will distinguish me?’
Moses knew something noticeable, something distinctive, was required if he was to make an impact, and that something was an awareness of the very presence of God. A realization that he counted for more than just him-self.
Can people see God with us, in us? In part that’s about what we do, but it’s more than that. If our action is an overflow from our worship then that which we do wont be a mere extension of ourselves, us at our best if you like. It will be his power working through us, and that’s totally different.
Moses knew something of the Glory of God – but not all of it.
Moses knew he needed something spectacular, that the presence of God with him would prove to be so magnificent that not only would it inspire him, but would prove decisive in countering everything else that came before him.
He was bold and brave enough to seek it. He didn’t even know the scale of what he was asking, that he wouldn’t even be able to survive it, but he sought none the less.
Are we prepared to seek God for all he’s worth?
Conc.
Simply being encouraged by our faith is not all that God requires of us.
God himself, his very presence, is available to us, to know, to experience, to encounter.
He is bigger, more glorious and powerful, more able to transform our lives, and those of others, than we can ever imagine.
Office Address:
Coney Hill Road
West Wickham
Kent
BR4 9BU