Sermon: "Extreme Faith"
When we do something that is extreme, it has come to mean something that we would consider way beyond what is normal.
A Christian is a person who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ's for salvation. That is: a person believes in Jesus Christ and trust’s his/her life to Christ's care. When that faith is genuine it has a profound effect on the way a person lives -- what they say what they do what they think.
Have you noticed that there are some people who have what I would call “extreme” Faith? That is: their faith and trust in, and obedience to, Christ, seem to go beyond what people normally have. They seem to have an intimacy with God, a connection with him that most of us only wish for.
Gordon McDonald suggests that we can begin to determine the depth of our faith in God by considering what we are curious about.
What do you spend your time thinking about, wondering about, dreaming about? What are you curious about? What do you want to master? What are your greatest dream's?
Is it your work or your hobby? Is it your health or your family?
I must confess that I am often thinking about how I can be a better coach, how I could fix things up around the farm. I would like to master things like writing in preaching sermons, doing things to help the church grow.
These are not bad things but they're probably not the best things. We may be curious about good practical things -- how to perform well at our jobs, how to make our budget balance, how to produce the best vegetables in our garden and so on.
As I said these are not bad things, but may I suggest there are greater things we can be curious about. There are greater curiosities that will take us a lifetime to explore. I'm talking about things that will deepen our relationship with God and result in us becoming people of extreme Faith.
I believe Moses is an example of a man of extreme Faith. As you read the accounts of Moses in the Bible, you notice that his prayers influenced God greatly. At times it appears that God heard and answered Moses prayer even when that meant reversing his action. Let me give you one example
Exodus 32:9-10 "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."
11-14 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.' " Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
Moses got what he asked for. His praying was specific and God's answer was specific.
What was it that gave Moses this in with God?
I. Moses was a Man of Extreme Faith.
Moses was one of the greatest leaders. He spent his life exploring the greater curiosities. What does a man like Moses talk to God about? Exodus 33 gives an account of Moses talking to God.
Moses had come to know God. He was 82 years old. He had many successes and failures. Imagine him talking to God and what do they talk about?
We often talk to God about our circumstances and ask Him to change them for us. Make us well, give me a new job, fix my spouse, keep me safe. These are not wrong things to pray for and they are often where we start, particularly when we find ourselves in trouble or in a precarious situation.
In Exodus 33 we find Moses and the children of Israel in a very precarious situation. What does Moses talk to God about?
Background.
Exodus 33:1-7.Then the LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."
When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. For the LORD had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.' " So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.
Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting." Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.
What was going on with Moses?
He spent 40 years in Egypt, and then had a colossal failure. He killed a man.
He spent 40 years in the desert. He learned to do things on God's terms.
God asked Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. They have been there over 400 years. They were distrustful, lazy, complaining.
When they got trapped at the Red Sea, they complained.
When they had no food, they complained.
These people are angry. They are the worst type of people to lead.
Exodus 33:1. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."
This is a tenuous moment for Israel. God is angry.
"I promised you the land, but I'm not going with you."
This is where Moses weighs in. He goes to the tent of meeting. He talks to God.
Exodus 33:8-11 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.
This is an expression of how intimate God and Moses were. And From this story we learn
III. Three things that ought to be foundational in our prayers.
Exodus 33:12-13 Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."Teach me your ways, so I may know you.
The first part of Moses’ prayer is:
A. Teach Me Your Ways
What does that mean? There is another passage that helps us understand this.
Isaiah 55:6-8.Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
There are two ways to look at reality - the world's way and God's way. There is the world’s culture and God’s culture. Our culture is what we do when we are together. It includes our ideas and values and priorities and even out thoughts – the way we think about things.
E. g. We live in a very competitive culture and so we tend to always try to outdo each other. We quickly see each other as opponents rather than co-travelers on the road of life.
Moses is saying: "God, teach me about your culture."
Moses was in Egypt for 40 years and in the desert for 40 years. He had learned those cultures but he wanted to know God’s culture, God’s ways and recognized that they were different from what the way he often behaved.
"I don't know enough. What are your expectations? How do you do things? What kind of people do you expect us to be? Teach me your ways." I need to know more about you so I can do what you have asked me to do – lead these people.
The prayer, “teach me your ways,” drives us toward the Word of God as students and meditators.
I want to absorb God's ways. I want to absorb God's character.
A man who had been very successful in life until recently sent this email to his friend. Things had recently gone sour for him. He writes:
God has been very busy working on me. I have uncovered some strongholds in my life that have to be dealt with. I have always felt that I learned about God and his ways by how he changed my circumstances.
God has decided it is now time for me to go on to Christianity 201. Which is he wants my heart to change not my circumstances.
Most of us, during hard times, ask God to alter the circumstances. “Take the pressure off. Take the illness away. Make my marriage a better marriage. Give me more money.”
We say, "God, change my circumstances."
A person of extreme faith prays this way:
"I want to know your ways, God. It is my heart that is to change rather than my circumstances."
There is a second part to Moses’ conversation with God.
Exodus 33:14-17The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"
And the 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."
The key idea is:
B. Guarantee Your Presence
It seems like God is saying: "Alright, my presence will go with you, I've changed my mind."
Moses says: "God, guarantee your presence. I want to know that you, oh God, are where I can call upon you."
It is important to know that the gods of this time, never guaranteed their presence, they are undependable, they liked to play tricks on people, you didn't know which side of the bed they woke up on each day, whether they were happy with you or not.
No one would ever say, I can guarantee the presence of my God.
Elijahknew this when he competed with the prophets of Baal. When Baal would not answer his prophets and send fire, Elijah taunted them: “Maybe your God went on vacation, is away relieving himself, he is on a trip.” Elijah was saying what everyone watching thought:
Baal wasn't present. One could never be sure if his god would be present when needed.
Moses says: "I'm not going on this journey, unless your presence is guaranteed."
Presence implies -- guidance, help, companionship.
Gordon MacDonald tells a story about his young daughter that illustrates this point well. Listen to him tell it.
Kristen CD. (Bill, I will have a cd of this for you to listen to) 2min 31 sec.
Moses is saying -- "God, make sure I can guarantee your presence." And God does!!
Is that your and my greatest desire when we talk to God? Instead of, “God please supply me with this or that,” can we learn to pray, “God guarantee that you are with me today, this week.”
There is a third part to the regular prayer of a person with extreme faith:
Exodus 33:18-19Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Moses is concerned with,
C. Show me your glory.
Glory is a religious word.
Glory means: the worth and power of a person, organization or nation.
On the 4th of July, we show our glory as a nation with flags, parades and fireworks. As a superpower we show off our, Army, Air Force, Navy. We show off our armed forces to impress other nations.
The CEO of a company on Wall Street might show the assets, business plan, growth in order to impress others.
Moses a man of extreme faith is interested in seeing God’s glory. He wants to revere God. He wants to be awestruck by his God. He wants to be impressed with God all over again.
It reminds me of when we were little boys and we saw our dad working hard. We’d say, “Daddy, show us your muscles again,” and we were just awestruck – we knew he was the strongest man in the world.
God’s answer seems a bit surprising because it is not a bolt of lightning or a huge pyrotechnic display. You see God is a humble God and his humility in no way detracts from his glory. In fact it enhances his glory.
God says to Moses:
“I'll tell you what my name is.”
“I will reveal my moral character
Vs 19 again:
And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
That's my glory, it's the kind of God, I am not flighty and unpredictable or vindictive or unresponsive.
My character is impeccable, absolutely dependable, that is my glory.
Moses had to take the people out across the desert. They would fight him every step of the way. He didn't know if he had it in him to do this so he prayed this way:
Oh God: Teach me your ways
Guarantee me your presence.
Show me your glory.
You and I have our lives to live - all that lies ahead of us - can we do it?
A prayer life that depends on God changing circumstances is not enough. We need to go deeper. We must start where Moses started.
God, teach me your ways, show me your character.
God, guarantee me your presence, your guidance and help.
God, show me over and over again, the revelation of your power and glory.
And I shall be satisfied.
When we learn to pray like this we will be on our way to being people of extreme faith.