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from Exodus, Exodus chapter 32. We will read all of the chapter
to give us an idea of just what is going on. And so we won't
be breaking into the chapter. We'll be reading all of the chapter. So, Exodus 32. And when the people
saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, and the
people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him,
Up, make us gods, which shall go before us, as for this Moses,
that man brought us up out of the land of Egypt. What not,
what is become of him? And Aaron said unto them, Break
off the golden earrings, which are in your ears, of your wives,
of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all
the people break off their golden earrings, which were in their
ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their
hand and fashioned it with a graving tool. after he had made it a
molten calf. And they said, these be thy gods,
O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron
made proclamations and said, tomorrow is a feast of the Lord. And they rose up early in the
morrow and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings.
And the people sat down to eat. and drink, and rose up to play. And the Lord said unto Moses,
Go, get thee down, for thy people, which thy brought out of the
land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned
aside quickly out of the way which I have commanded them.
They have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it,
and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods,
O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of egypt
and the lord said unto moses i have seen this people and behold
it is a stiff-necked people now therefore let me alone that my
wrath may be wax hot against them and that i may consume them
and i will make of thee a great nation and moses besought the
lord his god and said, Lord, why dost thou wax hot against
thy people, which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt,
with great power and a mighty hand? Therefore, should the Egyptians
speak and say, For mischief did he bring them up, and slay them
in the mountain, to consume them from the face of the earth, turn
from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people? Remember Abraham, and Isaac,
and Israel, the servants of whom swore by thine own self, and
saith unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven,
and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your
seed, and they shall inherit it forever. And the Lord repented
of the evil which he thought to do to the people. And Moses
turned and went down from the mount. And the two tablets of
the testimony were in his hand. And the tables were written on
both sides, both their sides. On the one side and on the other
were they written. And their tables were the work
of God. And the writing was the writing
of God graven onto the tables. And when Joshua heard the noise
of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is
a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice
of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them
that cry from being overcome, but the noise of them that sing,
do I hear. And it came to pass, as soon
as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the
dancing, and Moses angrily waxed hot, and he cast the tables out
of his hand, and break them beneath the mount. And he took the calf
which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it
to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children
of Israel drink of it. And Moses said unto her, What
did this people want of thee? that thou hast brought so great
a sin upon them. And Aaron said, Let not the anger
of my Lord wax hot. Thou knowest the people, that
they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us
gods, which shall go before us. For as for this Moses, the man
that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we want not what
is become of him. And I said unto them, Whosoever
has any gold, let them break it off. So they give it me. Then I cast it into the fire,
and there came out this calf. And then Moses saw that the people
were naked, for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among
their enemies. Then Moses stood up in the gate
of the camp and said, Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come
unto me. And all the sons of Levi, gathered
themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, thus says
the Lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side, and
go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay
every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every
man his neighbor. The children of the Levites did
according to the word of Moses, and they fell of the people that
day, 3,000 men. For Moses had said, Consecrate
thyself today to the Lord, even every man upon his son and upon
his brother, that he may bestow upon you a blessing. And it came
to pass on the morrow that Moses said unto the people, ye have
sinned a great sin, and now I will go up unto the Lord. Preventer
I shall make an atonement for your sin.' And Moses returned
unto the Lord and said, O this people have sinned a great sin,
and have made them a gods of gold. Yet now, if thy will, forgive
their sins, and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book
which thy has written. And the Lord said unto Moses,
Whosoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my
book. Therefore now go, lead the people
unto the place in which I have spoken unto thee. Behold, my
angel shall go before thee. Nevertheless, in that day, when
I visit, I will visit their sins upon them. And the Lord plagued
the people because they made a calf which Aaron made. May God bless his reading to
us this day. Well, let us just bow for a moment
again and pray. Our Father in heaven, as we come
to the mighty word of God, We thank you, Lord, that we have
it in our hands. We thank you, the freedom we
have to open it, the freedom we have to preach from it, the
freedom we have to spend time in it and to read it. But we
ask, Lord, that you would watch over us now, Lord, as we look
at this passage of scripture from Exodus chapter 32. Your
help, Lord, to be with each and every one found here in your
house this afternoon. Give us ears, Lord, that we may
hear the word of God and give us hearts and soul to receive
it unto ourselves. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. There are times in our lives
where we have to make choices. We have to make choices sometimes
to go to the polls, especially when there's an election called
and vote a person or a party into power to govern over us
and to rule over us, and hope that we have made the right choice,
that we may have put someone to rule over us that sees it
from the Christian interest and belief, and that he would rule
over us in that way. But now we're gathered here on
the Lord's Day. These things, of course, should
be far from our thoughts as we come in to worship God. But this
verse of scripture that we're going to consider here on this
Lord's Day is all about choice. Exodus 32 and verse 26. And Moses stood in the gate of
the camp and said, Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come
unto me. Indeed, it is a choice that all
of us have to make, and we must ask the Lord to enable us to
answer this question with an honest answer when we reach the
end of our meditations of his word this Lord's Day. So the
first thing we see is that Moses, who asked the question, and he
was not asking it just to a few, but he was asking it to the whole
nation of Israel. He had been up in the mountain
alone with God for 40 days, and when he came down, he found that
the nation had made a golden calf. And sin was rampant throughout
the camp, and even his own brother, Aaron, had not only turned away,
but even participated in the building of the calf. You know, the Ephesian church
in which Paul started up lasted only 30 years before there was
no evidence of Paul ever being there. But here in our scripture,
the Israelites took less than 40 days to do the very same thing. So we have Moses asking them
to decide who is on the Lord's side. It would seem that he cut
a lonely figure standing there on the side of God, but he was
not afraid. He was resolute. He had been
with God 40 days. So you see then that communion
with God is what strengthens a man or a woman. Do you pray? Do you spend time in prayer?
How much time do you spend? Moses, he was a man of prayer. He prayed to God himself, and
even one time he even asked God to leave him alone. But he was
a man of prayer. And when he came down, having
seen the glory of God, and the people of Israel were using this
image of an ox, worshipping it as if it was God. Moses made
a stand, we are told, at the gate of the camp, and declared
his allegiance to Almighty God. Surely that is what we need today,
men and women who are steadfast, who will not waver when all around
sin and ungodly practice are rampant, and where some have
the idea to win the ungodly over is to go out and to join them. No, we have to find a place with
God and stand firm and be not moved. If we are to be an influence
on our family, if we are to be an influence on our friends,
or even others around about us, we too must have the strength
of mind that we see that Moses had. We too must seek it on our
knees, alone with God himself. if we are to face the challenges
of this wicked world. So we are not overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good. We must have communion with heaven
to receive divine help from God. May we not delay in going to
God on our knees and asking for God's help. So Moses throws out
the challenge to all that were gathered there in the camp. Who
is on the Lord's side? Which is the next thing we look
at? And what a choice it is, even for ourselves gathered here
today. It's a decision that would affect
all of human race throughout every age, right down, even to
our own age, to this very day. It was then, it was then, and
now, as it is now a matter of living or dying. You see, there's
only two camps. In one camp, we find God. In
the other camp, we find Satan. In one camp, you have the truth.
In the other, falsehood or lies. We know the devil is the father
of lies. In one camp, you have hold it.
you've got holiness, and the other camp is rampant with sin. I must say to you now that there
has never been and never will be a middle camp. There is no
middle ground. The choice that man makes will
mean either a white robe and a never-lasting song of praise
or darkness and wailing and unending misery. So we see that man is
placed in a solemn position when this question is asked. Who's
on the Lord's side? Perhaps you're one that still
thinks that you're occupying the middle ground. In other words,
you're still pondering the question and you've not quite yet made
up your mind. Well, if you're one of those
who are undecided, and do not know which camp you belong to,
and you're sitting and weighing up the cost, and you're standing
somewhere between God and the devil, somewhere between heaven
and hell. Well, I have news for them. Who would take up such a position?
And it's all bad. You're on the wrong side. How
can I say that with such assurance? Well, that because it's how our
Lord Jesus Christ judged it. He that is not with me is against
me, and he that gathereth not will with me scattereth abroad. Matthew 12, verse 30. I cannot make it any plainer
than what is written in the Word of God itself. Only two camps. There are young people with us
today, Don't put off making such a choice until you're older,
or indeed any person for that matter. It's far too important
of a question to delay the answer. And may the grace of God lead
us all to choose to be on God's side and have our names written
in the Lamb's Book of Life. Oh, the decision to be on the
Lord's side might have you out of step with the rest of the
world. You see, the world sees no glory in the things of the
Lord. You will not win any popularity
votes either when you're on the Lord's side. It will govern and
it will influence how you live your life. It will cause you
to seek after those things that are mentioned in Philippians
4 and verse 8. Whatever things are true, whatever
things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things is
pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report. The opposite to that, of course,
is drunkenness, oppression, injustice, and war, which do not belong
to those who are on the Lord's side. Followers of Jesus take
the side for which for a while may seem unpopular, but according
to the law and the testimonies, it is all right in the sight
of God. Man should be on the side of
God. Why? Because it was God himself who
created man. How can you oppose him who made
you? It wouldn't make no sense. Not
only has He made you, He has redeemed us. He has brought us
with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He even preserves us
from day to day. It tells us in Scripture, our
very breath is in His hands. And what about all the blessings
He bestows on us day after day, even without us asking? Surely
you would think that when we consider these things, that any
right-minded person would say, I'm on the Lord's side. You would think that there would
be no need for any debate. Sadly, though our sinful, our
own sinfulness, many still can't make up their mind. I know unless
the Holy Spirit influences our mind and delivers us from our
sinful ways, there will still be many undecided. Oh, the problem is because most
people are swayed by their own interest. Which is the best for
me? It's a bit like budget night.
Which will give me the most benefit? which will give me my best esteem,
which will give me more peace, which will give me more profit. When it comes to being on the
Lord's side, of course, there is no place for self. Self is
no place in the army of God, nor selfish motives. When there
are others who would say they're sitting on the fence, They would
tell you that they're on no side or that there is agreement with
both sides. We keep ourselves to ourselves.
We want to be left alone. They say nothing. They do nothing.
If you are one of those people, I must tell you, the Word of
God holds nothing for you. There's no preparation made for
you, neither in this world or even the world to come. You are
regarded as enemies of God until you become His friend. One way
or another, you must have God and the Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ, or else you must be the servant of Satan. Holiness must
hold you to sin. Holiness will hold you, but sin
will bind you up. If that's your condition in which
you find yourself to this day, we must pray that the Spirit
of God will lead you to be on the Lord's side. There is no
neutrality with God. Don't delude yourself. There's only two great positions
in the world which the children of men are siding with. the side
of sin and wickedness, which is the devil's side, or the side
of truth and holiness, which is God's side of God. That is what Moses is asking
the people of Israel as they stood at the gate of the camp.
It was time for the Israelites to get serious and decide where
they stood in a time when our nation was polluted with idolatry
And because the word of God is given to us for our teaching,
the same question which was put to Moses and to Israel is also
put to us for us to answer. We look around and we see the
world polluted with sin and wickedness, with no regard for God's law
and God's way. Where people worship who they
like, what they like, when they like, you have to decide. Can it go on burying your head
in the sand forever? The price was too high that had
to be paid. We owe ourselves, at the very
least, an answer to this question, who is on the Lord's side? Moses asked the question, who is on the Lord's side? But
he didn't leave it there. That wasn't the end of it. It
was more than just a matter of saying quietly to yourself, oh,
I'm on the Lord's side. They had to prove it. There was
Moses standing at the gate of the camp. Where Moses stood was
a place of significance, for the gate was called the place
of judgment. The idolaters set themselves
up with the golden calf as their rallying point. Moses stood at
God's appointed place. He was God's man, and he stood
resolute and summoned all who were on the Lord's side to come
and join him. You see, there will be no hiding
away. Maybe some took refuge in the
tents while the rest corrupted themselves in idle worship, or
they just ignored it, that it might go away. Live and let live,
that would be their motto. We'll keep our head down. But
they no longer could do that, for now Moses had thrown out
the challenge. Those on the Lord's side were
to be called to be gathered at the gate. It would mean walking
through the camp to where Moses stood. It was a call of separation
from those who practiced evil. Be ye separated, touch not unclean
things. I would earnestly plead with
you, do not conceal your religion. If you be on the Lord's side,
let it known to others in whom and what you believe on and who
you've put your trust in. As we look around us, we see
very little separation between those who profess their Christianity
and those of the world. Indeed, you would be very hard
pressed to find any difference It would seem that the church
has gone out to the world rather than those of the world coming
to join the church. And it's done in the name of
evangelism. But thanks be to God that not
all have followed that trend. There are still many who stand
up and be counted to be on the Lord's side, who have not chose
to chase after fashions or trends of this world, but walk in separation
after God Almighty himself. Moses would have nothing to do
with their idolatry. Why even smash the golden calf
up? He grinded it up so small and he made them drink it. Exodus
32, 20. Moses indeed showed himself to
be very angry. And by taking this course of
action, which he took, but there was more to it than that. He
did so that the people might be awakened to the greatness
of their sin, which had committed in turning away from God. And
having awakened them, he now calls them on the Lord's side
to join him at the gate and be separated from the evildoers. He was saying, come and be a
witness and a soldier for Christ. He stood there as God's representative
and invited the people of the same mind to stand up and be
counted and join him. You may well be thinking, well,
if we had a great leader like Moses, bold and brave, we'd have
no bother in coming and joining you. You might even be thinking,
well, we have no leader at all. My reply to you, we have a greater
leader. an even better leader, and a
stronger leader, and a mightier leader than Moses. It is, of
course, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the first and foremost
on the side of God. He proved that by his life when
he walked on the earth, and he proved it by his death and resurrection. And now he has gone to heaven,
where it tells us all power and authority has been given unto
him. And like Moses, he is calling
that all that are on God's side to come to him, and we shall
see him by faith. Could you get a better leader
than the Lord Jesus Christ? I think not. Come and let him
be your master. Come and keep his precepts. Come and proclaim his gospel. Come and defend his kingdom. Come to Christ. all that are
on the Lord's side, and follow Him wherever He may lead us. When you're on the Lord's side,
you belong to Christ, and you're on His side, then you will feel
that you're duty-bound, just like Moses, to obey His wills
and His commands, which we find throughout the written word of
God. We see that when Moses gave the great command for the people
on the Lord's side to come and join him at the gate. All the
sons of Levi gathered themselves together with him. I do not think
for one minute that they were called just to stand with Moses
at the gate and look pretty and be counted. No, they were called
into service. How do we know that? Well, when
we read in the next verse, 27, thus says the Lord God of Israel,
put every man his sword to his side and go in and out from gate
to gate throughout the camp and slay every man his brother and
every man his companion and every man his neighbor. The Lord does not enlist on his side so
that we can sit idly by for the rest of our lives. Many people
come into churches and they take a comfortable seat and they feel
quite happy to remain there. They don't commit themselves
to anything. They don't join anything because they might have
to leave their own comfort zone and get up and actively and energetically
serve the Lord God. When anything goes wrong or happens
in the fellowship, they're usually the first to complain or even
the first to leave. This is not the service that
the Lord wants. He wants commitment from all
his followers. These men, which we read about,
had to carry out a very, very painful duty. They were made
executioners, even upon their own brethren, who were found
guilty of disobedience against God. They were there to serve
God and Him alone. When we join Christ Church, there
must be a cutting off of the right arm. There must be a plucking
out of the right eye if necessary. As Jesus taught in other words,
there must be a mortifying of the flesh and its affection and
lusts. We are called then to do battle. and we must be prepared for it. We're not to be afraid or fear
anything when we're on the Lord's side. It's never been a call
and never will be a call to idle service, to sit back and do nothing. But it'd be a rewarding service
when we are on the Lord's side, as it was for these Levites.
For Moses said of them in Deuteronomy 33, 10, They shall teach Jacob
thy judgments, and Israel thy law. They shall put incense before
thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thy altar. Those who look
after God's work shall find that God also works for them. If you are faithful over a few
things, he will make you ruler over many things. We must make
sure that we are fully consecrated on Him whose side we are on. But there you have it. The same
question that rang out through the camp of Israel by Moses as
he stood at the gate, sounds out again this very day here
in this Church of Loch. A question that you need to answer. A question that needs to be answered
honestly and truthfully, but with a commitment to serve the
Lord God himself. I will leave you with Moses there,
standing at the gate, saying, who is on the Lord's side? Let
him come to me. Amen. Let us pray.
Who is on the Lord's side
| Sermon ID | 1018152210118 |
| Duration | 32:31 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday - PM |
| Bible Text | Exodus 32 |
| Language | English |
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