Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 Well, good morning and welcome to village church east. Um, most of you probably do not know me and we're in equal territory. Cause I don't know you either that well, I was here last week to kind of get a feel of the format of what you do. I was asked to fill in one of the weeks for pastor Craig while he gets away for a little bit of vacation and, and, uh, being a former pastor of 35 years, uh, I can appreciate those one or two weeks. You can get away and get refreshed and restored because everybody needs it. And so, um, when he found out I was in town, cause I'm a snowbird, since I've retired, I go to Florida and uh, we were back for a couple months to take care of doctor visits, you know, how that goes with our age and, uh, also to see family and to be with family, um, former pastor of a church in Bartlett for 27 years.
Speaker 0 00:00:57 And at the same time was a military chaplain of, of uh, 31 years of which, uh, when I finished at the church for 27 years, I went back full time. And then after a couple of years I was retired from the military and I took a church in Elgin for five years. And then I officially retired only to find out I was semi-retired when I got to Florida because the church said, Hey, you've got pastoral experience and you've got military experience. We need a church administrator. So I'm part-time church administrator in Florida, but having said all of that, it's good to be here. And it's good to be with you. I've known Michael and Craig for the last several years. In fact, we started attending, uh, Billy's church, um, about the time Craig and his family came to the church and they were deciding of starting a work here.
Speaker 0 00:01:51 And so we started the first, several Saturday nights in Bartlett with them, uh, when, basically most of our time now is spent in Florida. But anyhow, he found out I was in town and ask if I would preach for him. I said, if you can trust me that much, I'll do it. I said, you may not have a church when you get back, but you're the one who asked, so I'm willing to do it. But I like for us to go back and pick up where Brent left off last week, he brought us up to Exodus chapter 33, verse 17, and the process by which they pull their sermons together here is kind of a new for me, but I was able to sit down with them in their, uh, discussion time and to go through this. And so it's interesting to see when you look at the book of Exodus and I've always been intrigued by the book of Exodus, especially the golden calf.
Speaker 0 00:02:47 I think we all can relate to that. Uh, it, it's interesting in that, um, God does so much for us and he leads us away from things in our lives that we need to get away from and things are going well. They just see one miracle after another, only to turn around every time they get a chance and go in the opposite direction. But in that often true, even in our own lives, I mean, God does so much for us and he opens our eyes and our ears and our hearts to help us, uh, get away from things that we need to get away from that he is able to deliver us from only if, when we catch a breather and we find ourselves right back into trouble. I mean, I realize Moses was on the mountain for 40 days, 40 nights. And that may seem like a long time.
Speaker 0 00:03:43 But when you look at what happened to them in creating and molding and shaping that golden calf, didn't take them very long to go backwards. Did it. And oftentimes if we don't stay focused on God, the same thing happens to us. Doesn't take us that long to be heading back in the other direction. And so I find it intriguing. And so the passage for today is why people don't see God. And you look at the multitude of people today. And I, I took it just a step further. I said, why people don't see God's glory because we, we see his glory all around us. If you just think about it. And we're going to look at that as we go through the message this morning, uh, we see as glory all around us, and yet we don't see God. You know, I, I don't know.
Speaker 0 00:04:31 Some people are looking for an actual person or a face in the sky or, or, you know, what, what kind of miraculous insight that they might have, but God has said, uh, I'll show you my glory. And, um, I think as we go through the passage for today, you're going to see how that, that resonates with many of us and why we can't see God, we can't even accept his glory and, and same, and what would happen if we did see him. And so, um, for the last several weeks we've been looking at what takes place when we rebel against God and we refuse to repent, and then there are repercussions from such decisions and that's exactly what they did with the golden calf. Uh, they rebelled against God and, uh, you know, they're having a great time. They're having party time down at the base of the mountain and they refuse to repent.
Speaker 0 00:05:26 And now all of a sudden the repercussions are going to start to come their way. And the question for today is why can't people see God from seeing what we need to seeing what we're doing and the needs that are going on in our lives. So we're going to pick up where we left off last week. And, um, and in verse 17 of chapter 33, then we're going to move to chapter 34 and eventually end up in second Corinthians chapter three, because in second Corinthians chapter three, it's interesting. Paul goes back and uses the texts that we're going to find in Exodus. And in second Corinthians chapter three, he will exit Jeet what happens and Exodus 33 and 34. So just by quick memory, going back chapter 31 records, Moses first encounter with God on Mount Sinai and the receiving of the first tablets with the 10 commandments written on them by God, chapter 32 records, Moses coming down from Mount Sinai and seeing the golden calf courses, you know, he throws the two tablets at the feet of the people and destroys them.
Speaker 0 00:06:40 And then he returns again into the mountain with God to intervene on behalf of the before God. And may I say in the old Testament, they were very fortunate to have a person like Moses as a mediator, but even more so for you and I living in the new Testament, are we fortunate to have the permanent mediator in Jesus Christ? And so he is in the mountain again, he's there in behalf of the people. And then in chapter 33, the Lord commands Moses. He said, it's time to move on from Mount Sinai. And you're going to lead the people to the promised land, but it's going to come with this stipulation in some of the repercussions of what they've done is now starting. They show up when he says, this is the stipulation, God himself is not going to lead them. He said, but I will send forth an angel to go before you.
Speaker 0 00:07:40 And that angel will lead you, but Moses senses something here that maybe we could have quickly glossed over. We might've been there and said, you know what, God, if it's your angel, it's good enough. Moses says, you know what, God, if you're not going to lead us, if you're not going, then don't let us go. Let us move. Don't let us go anywhere. And so he pleads with the Lord. Uh, if he, if his presence will not go with them, then don't let them move. So the Lord grants his request. And then we pick up on the passage in chapter 33 and looking at verses 17 through 19. And it says, solo said to Moses, I will do this thing that you have spoken for. You have found grace in mine, right? And I know you by name. And he said, Moses speaking, please show me your glory.
Speaker 0 00:08:37 And then he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you. And I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. And so now we began to move that part of why people can't see glory. And the first part of why we can't see God's glory that I wanted to share is that sometimes our request overwhelms our abilities, our request of God overwhelms our ability having tasted of God's mercy and God's grace and of God's compassion. And even in, in verse 11, we are told that God talks face to face with Moses as with a friend lot being said in that, to have that kind of relationship with God, you know what, today it's, it's big. Every time you hear someone that's about to get married and they're talking about their relationship or their going together or are, what is it about the person that you really like or what really stands out to you?
Speaker 0 00:09:51 And we hear this countless time and time again. It says, well, he are, she is my best friend. That's the number one stipulation. Now, when you're talking to people about requirements for getting married, because they're my best friend, there's a lot to be said about friendship. I'm not putting it down. I'm, I'm not. I have to admit, even though I've been married 52 years, uh, I didn't think about being married because of our friendship. Um, the number one thing on my mind was I loved her. I, uh, you know, she looked good and appealing to me and I loved her and we got along great. And maybe all that was part of the friendship, but being what it was Moses though, Hey, yearns for a full disclosure of God's glory, a full disclosure. I mean, well, it is sad that so many believers only desire a surface relationship with God.
Speaker 0 00:10:48 In other words, what I mean to say is that oftentimes what we find today, people just want enough of God to get by with, you know, get Lord, gimme your blessings. I just don't want to get real serious. I mean, I don't want to get to church. I don't want to get too religious with all these terminology. Um, and so just give me enough of your blessings and, and that'll be good enough. I can handle everything else on my own. And it said to say, there's a lot of people today who want to only live on the periphery. If that's the best way to say it of one's faith, just, just on the edge, one, one foot with God and one foot in the world. And they seem what they're comfortable with that, but true friendship usually seeks a folder. And in other words, the reason you want to know somebody or you get to that point where they make the decision, they want to get married because you know, they're all sold.
Speaker 0 00:11:49 They're their best friend. Uh, that's something of, of period at a time in their lives where they've come to full disclosure of each other. It's not, I mean, they, they, they know a little bit more about each other than just each other's name and where they live and maybe their favorite meal. No, they've gone together long enough to where they really know who they are with. And in knowing that full disclosure, let's be honest. It happens over time. It doesn't happen immediately. It happens over time. Each time you get together, each time you talk to somebody, you get to know a little bit more about them. You get a little bit deeper into that relationship, which really creates that bond of friendship. And so is it also true with those who seek God? We grow in our faith. We grow in our trust. We grow in our understanding of God over time until we come to that place in time that we are face-to-face with him, won't be here.
Speaker 0 00:12:50 But when we leave this temporary life and go to eternal life, that we will finally be with him face to face. And we shall, according to the scriptures, know him fully, completely nothing in between no looking darkly through a glass and trying to figure out what is next or what is coming. But with God, we would love a full disclosure now, but we couldn't handle it. And why would I? I say that because in the very next verse in verse 20, and he said, but you cannot see my face for no, man shall see me and live. That's the full disclosure Moses was asking for. I, I, I really want to see you for who you are and God says, I understand your request, but you're not able to handle it. And so pure holiness or the full holiness of God cannot be handled in an unholy state of being you and I are in, in an unholy state of being as long as we're in this world and the prince of darkness rules over it.
Speaker 0 00:14:07 And pure holiness can not be handled in an unholy state of being just like a sterile environment is not compatible in a contaminated environment. The two cannot handle each other. There's another example of this in, in a similar way in Matthew chapter 20, when I was looking at this passage, I was thinking about, there was a request from her mother. And if you remember, she had two sons and the two sons was James and John sons as equity for her two sons she wanted, and she asked Jesus that they might be able to set on each side of him when he comes into his kingdom, one on his left, one on his right. And Jesus turns James and John. And he says to them, are you able to drink of the cup? That I'm about to drink and to be baptized with the baptism I'm about to be baptized with.
Speaker 0 00:15:00 And of course they answer off the top of their head like you. And I would, of course we are. We're ready, lay it on this, whatever you got, Forrest, God lay us on it. We love you. We can handle it. We're going to follow you to the end of time. And Jesus says into them, indeed, you will drink of my cup and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. But right now you don't understand what you have agreed to, but there will come a time and a place that you will because we know all the disciples by except with one died, horrendous death, they were going to taste what Jesus went through with persecution and being ridiculed and even being crucified. They would taste that in time. Of course, Jesus told the mother as well as them, you know, that's not my right to, who's going to be setting on my right and left.
Speaker 0 00:16:00 But at the same time, when you look at him speaking to these who upfront, they were willing to say, I've got this request, but little did they know at that time in their lives, they could not handle it. They were just impulsive and said, sure, we're able to some struggle with being put off by God concerning their request. Never considering that it may be for their own good, because there are times in our lives that we failed to realize as much as we may love God, as much as we may want to follow God, we're not capable of doing some of the things that we were requesting. I've always been amazed at those over the years. And if you're one of them, don't raise your hand. I'm not looking for open admission here this morning. Although repentance is always good for the heart. Lord, if you just let me win the lotto, you'll be God of my life in a way that you've never been before.
Speaker 0 00:17:04 If you just let me win the lotto and oh, by the way, God, I will ties. I mean, that's the deal. I'll give you 10% back. I guess you would. If you got 90% of it, but that's how we are. Sometimes we get frustrated in that what we have seen and there's documentaries on, on TV that I've seen time to time how the lottery ruined people's lives, literally ruined it, destroyed marriages, destroyed families. And so if I'm discouraging from buying lotto tickets well, so be it, God convict you of that. Who am I to get in the way? But the reality is sometimes we have requests that we cannot, and God is very gracious and not letting us do so. I've often wondered if I played the won lotto and I won. And I was honest with God. I gave him 10%. Would I need to trust him there on like I trusted him before. I didn't have a lotto.
Speaker 0 00:18:11 There were times in college and seminary that my wife and I didn't know where the next dollar was coming from. It was that thin. And it was for the seven years that we went through that and I did everything wrong. I did everything backwards. Everybody at college and seminary said, what are you doing? Coming to college with children. You're supposed to go to college first. Then you have children. Well, then I get to seminary. And they said, man, you really are an idiot. Now, what are you coming here for three years? You've got three kids. What how'd you do everything backwards? I couldn't help it. God call me later in life. But he provided and he provided every time, but I don't know if I could have trusted God in such depth had I had the Lotrel proceeds with me or someone who's constantly supplying me with everything I needed.
Speaker 0 00:19:04 And so God knows what he's doing. But some struggle with being what they think is being put off by God when God is really doing them a favor, some get angry with God, some lose heart in God, walk away, never to follow him again because they feel he did not fully reveal himself to them. One of my favorite passages in John chapter six, verse 68, it says when Jesus taught some hard teachings, it says many of them walked away. Many of the followers who had been following him at that point. And then he turned to the disciples. He says, will you also walk away? And I'll never forget. Peter turns to and says Lord to whom else can we go? You hold the words. And we turn a life, man, that says it all to me. Where else can we go? Yeah, things may get hard.
Speaker 0 00:19:54 But some people, when things get hard, they're gone. They can't take the heat in the kitchen. And so they just up and walk away from God, God didn't fulfill everything they thought he should have done, but I'll guarantee you, he has done everything that he needed to do. If we can trust him and follow him. I learned a verse many years ago that helped me over the years and understanding God Deuteronomy 29, 29, which says this, the secret things and your version may say the hidden things, but the secret things belong to the Lord, our God, but those things which are revealed, belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the works of the law or the, we may obey God. There's just some things God holds to himself. I'm not sure why. At this point, if they were such friends, God, didn't his full glory to Moses, but Moses was going to have to accept that.
Speaker 0 00:20:52 There's just some things to this day that you and I may never understand about God until we meet him face to face. But we have to trust that God is holding them back for a reason. And yet what he has revealed to us. Let's stay focused on that. Too many people focus on the negative things of God and the church when they need to really focus on what is revealed to us in what he does allow us to see and experience as we're going through life. So what we discover here is that out of our Lord's goodness, he withholds what we cannot bear while revealing everything that we can bear verse 19. God says, you see my goodness. You see my graciousness, you see my compassion. That's all a part of my glory. I mean, it's the attributes of God. I understand that. But yet it reveals of who God is even in Isaiah chapter six. And I believe Brent referred to this last week when Isaiah saw the Lord sitting high and up on the throne and lifted up and it says in verse three, above him at that point was the Sarah foams, those godly creatures that glorify God in his presence. And in verse three, it says that they were crying out. Holy holy, holy is the Lord. God of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory.
Speaker 0 00:22:27 Just look around, just look around. When's the last time we stopped and talked to our children or in my case, my grandchildren. And they said, look a rainbow. And we stopped to explain what that rainbow is. It's a real promise of God, or just a look at the blue skies and how clear they are sometimes to look at the skies in the night and to see all the stars are to be able to walk through the forest and see the beauty of the trees, or be able to just breathe. The air that we breathe, the whole earth is full of his glory. It would just look around. So for now God's revelation of his glory will have to suffice Moses and be honest with you, what he reveals to you. And I will have to suffice us if God's going to hold onto some things for himself, if he's going to reveal them to you, he will in his proper time and his proper place and in his proper way.
Speaker 0 00:23:35 So don't let your request that overwhelmed your ability cause you to lose heart in God, enjoy the glory that he does allow us to see another reason. The second reason why people can't see God or the glory of God is what I'm calling on. Removed veils, an Exodus chapter 34, uh, verses 34 and 35. It says, but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off until he came out and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel, whatever he had commanded. And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses face shown when Moses would put the bale on his face again, until he, we went in to speak with him, I found that is couple verses. Interesting for several reasons. One is I thought the wearing of the veil should have been just the opposite.
Speaker 0 00:24:45 If it had been me, I thought, man, I'm going before God, I better put this veil on. And when I come before the people who gives a rip, I'm going to take it off and just, you know, talk directly. Then it's kind of like some people with COVID, you know, today we're where and when and why do we wear the mask? I don't know. I'm not going to get into that political agenda. We don't have enough time, but I'd be glad to talk to you about it sometime, but not now and not in these circumstances. But the reality is I would have thought the wearing of the bail should have been just the opposite. Think back with me again to Isaiah chapter six. And when Isaiah sees the Lord high and lifted up, he goes on to say, he says woe is made because I am undone.
Speaker 0 00:25:27 And because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people, abundant clean lips for my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts. And if you remember throughout the old Testament and even into the new Testament, into the gospels and even down in the book of revelation from John, it often talks about when a person came before, one who thought it was God or a representative of God, they bowed with their face to the ground, or they would drop their heads down and, and all, and in many cases, uh, fear that they would be destroyed because they have come into the presence of a holy God. And so you would have thought that even as we're looking over this, there was this sense of overwhelming all and as well, when they would come together, the unholy status of a person in the midst of a holy one, you'd be destroyed. I appreciated the comments of Matthew Henry in his commentary. When he points out this for our consideration, he says before God, every veil must be laid aside so that we can appear in his presence just as we are no pretenses, no hidden agendas nor anything withheld. We should enter his presence with undisguised sincerity, which means we should be willing to expose our hypocrisy, our fears, our failures, our anxieties, our struggles, our temptations, because think about it concealment before God it's fruitless. What could you and I possibly hide from God who sees and knows all things.
Speaker 0 00:27:30 And as it may, Moses is unveil before God and the glory of the Lord literally lit up his face. Again, Matthew, Henry points out that shouldn't surprise us when spiritual intimacy with God and packs are very character, which in turn visibly in PACS, our countenance, I don't know if you have noticed some people through life. I certainly have, hopefully after 35 years of being around many Christians, there are some people you can tell. They have been with God. There is a joy on their face, or there is a peace about their countenance that, you know, they have had intimate time with God. There are some people who just exudes the joy of God and their lives. And when we see these kind of people, we begin to understand some of the things that happen in takes place. When we had these kinds of times with God and Moses is unveiled before God and the glory of the Lord literally lit up his face, serious intimacy with God, places, the luster on a person's face for Moses, there was a light, there was a luster, a glory and things revealed upon him and then reflected upon his face is well as in his ministry as you and I follow God and have that intimate relationship with him or who he is, what he means to us, how we allow him to live and to work through our lives.
Speaker 0 00:29:19 It not only reflects in our countenance, but it also reflects regardless of what career you're in, it'll reflect in your careers. I mean it did in Moses ministry, but who you are and who you become in, God reflects everything about you, where you go, whether it be your family or at work, it makes a difference. I can remember. I first started out after graduate from high school. I went to work for the railroad. That was my delight. I wanted to work all my life and retire from the railroad. Well, it only lasted five years when God called me into the ministry, but I'm not going to get into detail. In fact, I would be too embarrassed to tell you, anyhow, uh, those first five years of, of that early life hood, I was a rascal and let's just leave it at that. Okay, we're going to leave it at that.
Speaker 0 00:30:12 But that fourth year, God, I started returning to church with my wife. We had taught divorce. We were ready to go in opposite directions. I was in a rock group. So you can realize why I was a rascal, but God was getting to both of us. And some people invited us to a revival and we went and we rededicated our lives and got back into the work of the church. But for the next year I was wrestling because the pastor of that church said, we want you to speak on layman's night. And I said, no, I don't speak in front of people. And he said, no, you need to speak in front of people. So I did. And then later on, he said, have you ever thought about inner city ministry? And it says never not a clue. Don't even want to think in those terms.
Speaker 0 00:31:06 Well, it was at that point, God started convicted me openly and I knew the call was coming. So after a year, I resigned from the railroad to move to Florida to start my first year of college. But I knew were, forget this, my immediate supervisor, who was a rascal as well, and we could get in trouble together. Um, and when I went to him and I told him, I said, Al, I said, I, I got some tough news. I said, I'm leaving the railroad. I'm going to college, a mantra in the call into the ministry. And I knew or forget even the rascal that he was, he was worse than me. Um, that's a judgmental statement. So be it. But he was worse than me. And the reality was, he said, Jerry, I knew something was happening in your life. I've seen the difference over the last year.
Speaker 0 00:31:54 I didn't know what it was, but he said, now this makes sense of what you're going to do. I didn't know it. I didn't know. There was a different showing. I just know I was more honest with people. I was more friendly with people. I was more helpful towards others because God was moving. So when we realize that God not only can change countenance, but change how we reflect on our calls in life. We are told that when he returns to the people, he wears a bale though, not to hide or to keep anything from them, but so that they would not see the fading of the glory that would take place over time, which Paul is going to explain to us as we go into our final point here of second Corinthians, and the third thing I would leave with you this morning and why people can't see God or see his glory even is that they don't come Jesus.
Speaker 0 00:33:00 That's why they can't see God. Three things retains the bail on a person from seeing God's glory. And this is from the passage in second Corinthians, chapter three, in this passage, we began to, to realize that Paul is exit cheating. As I said earlier, what Moses was experiencing here and the book of Exodus beginning at verse 13, it says, unlike Moses, who put a bale over his face so that the children of Israel could not look stead Fastly at the end of what was passing away. In other words, he's saying he didn't want the children of Israel to just focus and lock on to, or to look at steadily that which was not going to remain. The glory that Moses was experiencing by being with God was, was going to fade away because it's under the old covenant. And yet he goes on to say, in verse 14, he said, but their minds were blinded for until this day.
Speaker 0 00:34:19 The same veil remains. Unlifted in the reading of the old Testament because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read a veil lies on their hearts. As I said, three things retains the bale on a person's life. One is veiled scriptures until we come to Christ, we cannot know what is truth. When we sit down and look at the scriptures and it breaks, open the bread of life to us, veil scriptures, we can never know what the truth is. One of the things, when I did come to Christ and I started reading the scriptures on a regular basis, it began to open. It finally made sense to me. I've heard people say, I don't read the scriptures. I can't understand. Doesn't make it every time before you start ask God to reveal to you what he needs for you to see, and let's see what the Lord does.
Speaker 0 00:35:23 So the one thing is veil scriptures. You cannot know what is the truth. The second thing he says here in second Corinthians three is veiled. Heart. You cannot believe what is holy? What is righteous? When you're living for the, you don't care, what is righteous? You just wanna do what you want to do. And so veil, heart, you cannot believe what is holy. And the third thing he reveals here is veiled minds. You cannot do what is right? Because it's with the mind, you know, I've often heard down through the years. What you really believe is what you do. Everything else is just religion. What you really believe is what you will do.
Speaker 0 00:36:08 Any one of the three can keep us from coming to Jesus. But oftentimes you'll find all three things at work, or at least two of the three or whatever combination it may be. It makes no difference. But the reality is is that what keeps us coming from Jesus is the scriptures are bailed. Our hearts are bale, or our minds are availed. We just don't see it. We don't get it. We don't understand it. We don't care if we do. And the problem is they cannot understand or accept that the old Testament is superseded by the new covenant. So the new covenant replaces the old covenant. And if it is not replaced, then we had this struggle going on. That we have not understood what God is doing. That was the problem. If you remember, when Jesus in his earthly ministry had with the Sadducees and the Pharisees, they said, you split speak blasphemy in Jesus is trying to say, I'm the one that's the scripture has always told you about.
Speaker 0 00:37:12 And yet you do not see, it will show us the father. And it was suffices here. You're looking at everything. The father you need to know about the father in me, they couldn't handle it. And the reason they couldn't handle it is that they could not accept the fact that the old covenant was now being superseded by the new covenant. Three things retains the veil on a person from seeing God. But one thing removes the veil, which is coming to Jesus. And that is what we read in verses 16 and 17. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now, Paul, in his writing, oftentimes when he talked about turning to the Lord or doing the things of the Lord, Hey know that the father and the son were equal to each other. Jesus, not thinking it was robbery to be in his father's place and do his father's things, but being equal to him.
Speaker 0 00:38:14 And so he spoke one in the same. So to say, when the time turned into the Lord, he was saying, as well, turning to Christ, he said, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the spirit where the spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty. So here he begins to share with us. Uh, with all that has been said, when one turns to the veil is being removed and in its place is the spirit of the Lord. And where spirit of the Lord, there is Liberty Liberty from again, Liberty, from death itself. There's the sting of death, but O death. Where is your victory? There is the spirit of Liberty and the hopeless effort to live up to the letter of the law. None of us can do it. We try sometimes we still base our relationships with God from time and time on, on how good we do or the works that we do.
Speaker 0 00:39:17 We can never make it that away. We always fail sooner or later. Now there's Liberty from that in coming to Christ. So by coming to Jesus, we have unveiled faces. We're sincere with him. He gives us Liberty. We have this intimacy with, with Christ because it says behold, the unfading glory of the Lord. And that's the beauty of the new covenant. Over the old covenant, Moses was saying, don't focus on the fact that the glory is fading away. You need to stay focused that God is moving this towards a different time and a different place. That's why the same reason was with the sacrifice in the old Testament. It was suffice for the time, but it always pointed to the perfect sacrifice. Moses was trying to tell him this glory of, of the Chicago glory of God is, is good for right now. It will not dwell with you, but there will come a time in the new covenant where the spirit of God and the Chicago glory will dwell with in you.
Speaker 0 00:40:24 It will no longer fade away. It'll not go away. And then in verse 18, we find that here he says, but, um, we all with unveiled faces beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, or being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the spirit of the Lord. And what he's talking here about in verse 18 is spiritual maturity, spiritual maturity being transformed into the same image page of our Christ. Glory to glory is from basically from situation to situation that we have learned over time and down through the years that that God has taken these situations, the circumstances, and it's building us, it's growing us, it's strengthening us. And so we're going from the glory to glory. In other words, there's a continual growth throughout our lives and becoming more like Christ. Hopefully you're much more like Christ today than the first time you came him.
Speaker 0 00:41:33 And I don't know how many years ago that was. It's been a long time for me, but hopefully I'm still growing every day and understanding, in fact, I've, can't tell you how many times I've read the scriptures and I'm not here to boast about it. I'm just saying every time I go back through it, I didn't catch that. I didn't care. It's this there's just certain times in life that God reveals things to us that maybe we never caught it before. But at that time and place in our lives, it's exactly what we needed. And so that's called spiritual maturity and the unfading glory. What Moses could not retain those in Jesus can because when we come to Christ, God gives us the unfading glory of the indwelling of the holy spirit in our lives. So what we always come down to, uh, so what the first, so what I would share, we use it to experience the glory of God.
Speaker 0 00:42:37 We must trust in what he does not reveal as well as what he does reveal. Just trust God when he doesn't reveal something to you that you think he should have, maybe the timing's not right. Maybe it's more than we can handle. Maybe he'll never reveal it to us, but trust the one who knows best. Last time I checked, God still knows better than me takes awhile, but God still knows better than me. We're not always capable of handling what we asked for or what we think we can. Second of all, to experience the fullness of God's glory. We need to remove every possible veil that hides our sincerity of who we are, of what we do, of where we go. You name it. We need to remove every veil possible that hides our sincerity. Number three, to experience God's glory. We must solely count on Christ ability and our inability.
Speaker 0 00:43:54 No, I understand that sounds a little bit awkward, but think about it. We must believe Christ is the only way we can truly see the glory of God. What did John say in chapter one, verse 14 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory, as of the only big garden of the father, we must believe Christ is the only way. And as well, I must firmly believe of my inability to do what only Christ can do. And I chose first Corinthians three 11 for this one for no other foundation. Can anyone lay than that? Which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Anytime I set out on my own or to do it my way, I'm trying to create a new foundation. And the scriptures is very clear about when it comes to living for God. There is no other foundation it'll crumble, or it'll be like building on sand.
Speaker 0 00:45:01 You name it, whatever you want to. But the reality is I must firmly believe of my own inability to do what only Christ can do. There's times in all of our lives. We say, you know what? God, you can take a rest today. I think I can handle this, or I don't need you in this situation. I've already got the answer before I've even come tell you. In fact, I don't even need to pray about this. Well, hang on guys. You're about to feel some of the repercussions. So parting thought, may we so desire to see the glory of God in our lives, that it changes our countenance, our character and our commitment to live for Jesus. Let's pray. <inaudible>
Speaker 0 00:45:56 Father. I thank you that there are just times in life. That is much as we think that we need to see or know more and our requests that there's just times that you're silent. And there's some times you just put us on hold and there's just some times that you need to help us to understand. We may think it was a great request, but we honestly can't handle what we've requested and father there's. Other times in that we can't see you is because when we, we come to life, there's, there's too many veils in the way our sincerity is, is not always revealed to you yet. You know them, but yet we're not often willing to confess them. In fact, there's times that we don't want to share certain parts of our lives. We just want you to bless us and allow your glory to shine in the areas that we have designated and help us to realize we don't have that privilege. That when we come to you, we must come to you in total sincerity.
Speaker 0 00:47:16 And then father, there are times that we don't see your glory because we don't come to you in Jesus. And the only way that we can come before you period, is because of the great mediator that Jesus has become for us and still stands for us. So father, we pray that our lives may be so limped that your glory shines in our countenance, in our character and our commitment that others will be able to see Jesus, because we have had that intimate relationship with you and with him for this, we ask and pray in his precious name. Amen.
