the ocean fell, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade. To write the love of God a book would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. O love of God, how rich and pure, how major, last, and strong! It shall forevermore endure, the saints and Amen, all right, we'll let the kids go very quietly to class. Be quiet because Mac looks like he's about to sleep, all right? Go really quietly. All right, and the rest of us can open our Bibles, please, to Exodus chapter 33. Well, it doesn't sound like it worked, did it? Alright, Exodus chapter 33 and trust the Lord will bless his word to our hearts today as we look at a very interesting story. The story before this story is probably one that you're very familiar with. Moses has been up on the mountain, and God has just given him the Ten Commandments, and he has put them onto tables of stone. But there's a noise in the camp, and it's the noise of sin, and so Moses is coming down off the mountain, and he finds that in his absence, that Israel has asked Aaron to make a golden calf. He's made the golden calf. He's stripped the people naked And they're being immoral and the things that they're doing and he comes down off the mountain. He takes the rocks that he Got his carved into and he cast those tables of stone to the ground. They're broken. It was a picture of the of the fact that Israel had broken God's law and is exactly what they had done. What Moses did is he took those rocks and he broke them is exactly what Israel was guilty of. They had rebelled against God and broken God's law. They had sinned against God. Moses takes that idol of gold He has it ground up, he pours it into the river. Then he has those people drink of the bitter water. There's a picture there too. Because our sin, it appeals to us, it looks so good, but when you really drink of it, it's bitter. It doesn't satisfy. And there's a picture there as well. Within the wrath of God, it's poured out to a plague comes as well as 3,000 that were out of control, were killed by the Levites. The Levites rose up against them and slew them. The Levites later would become the priestly tribe of Israel. And so now because of this wickedness, God says to Israel, because of your sin, I'm not going to go up with you into the promised land. I'm going to send an angel to guide you, but I'm not personally going to go with you. He says that. And now in our passage, Exodus chapter 33, beginning at verse one, the Lord said to Moses, depart. and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I swear unto Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, saying, unto thy seed will I give it. And now notice, I will send an angel before thee. Okay, God's not saying, I will go before thee. I will send an angel before thee, and I will drive out the Canaanite and all those different nations that we read about in verse two, verse three, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. Now listen, for I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiff-necked people, lest I consume thee in the way. And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned, and no man did put on his ornaments. They were saddened to think of the idea of going up to do this great task without God. There was sorrow in their heart. They had the presence of God. They had the cloud guiding them in the daytime. They had the pillar of fire at night. The presence of God was leading them as they went on this journey. And now God says, no, that's it. That's it. I've been among you. You've defiled the camp. God can't even now be in the camp because of all the defilement that's there. In fact, Moses is going to set up something outside the camp. But before that takes place, God says to them, OK, get rid of these ornaments, the jewelry that they had, even the jewelry that they'd made the calf out of and And they do that, Israel did that. Verse five and six, for the Lord had said unto Moses, saying to the children of Israel, ye are a stiff-necked people. I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee. Therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the Mount Horeb. They took off their jewelry, this jewelry that had been part and parcel with their sin. God said, okay, show me that you really mean repentance. So he commands it to be done and Israel does it. And it seems that there's genuine sorrow in the hearts of the people. But again, the camp is defiled because of their sin. So Moses is gonna do something. He's gonna set up a tent outside of the camp. and it's gonna be a place of the presence of God. And it says in verse seven, Moses took the tabernacle, when it says tabernacle, it's not speaking about the tabernacle that you read about as you read through the Old Testament, and it speaks about the tabernacle with the different places of worship within that building, that tent. This is just a tent that is set up. He pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the tent. Because of their sin, now there's a hesitancy to go to God. The tent is set out there. Anyone that wants to seek the Lord has to go to that place. And Moses is the great champion of Israel when it comes to prayer. He's the great intercessor. And what you're gonna watch Moses do in this story is Moses, as the champion intercessor of Israel, walks out of the camp as he comes to intercede for these people, because Moses was not content, basically, to go on without God. Moses was gonna seek God, and God, in his mercy, meets with Moses. You know, this morning, as we look at this story, what I hope it'll do in our hearts, as God's spirit works there, is challenge us to be people that seek after God. We need people today that seek after God, men and women that are not content to go without God. In our day and age, there's a lot of religions, frankly, they're pretty content to go without God. Their doctrine puts God away, their music puts God away, their dress puts God away, and they're just happy to continue on and basically try to do it without God. We need a generation that desires to do something for God and do something with God, and to really know God, a generation that seeks God. I was reading a book by Tozer this week. It's a very short book, just 45 pages. But it's called The Keys to the Deeper Life. And if you guys would please not wave those around, all right? He says this in his book, Paul was a seeker and a finder and a seeker still. They seek, he's speaking about people that are intellectual, you know, Christianity's kind of become a creed. If you know the Bible, if you understand enough about the word of God, if you have that understanding, then you don't need to have a personal relationship with God because you have all the understanding you need. And he's saying a lot of modern-day Christianity has replaced the relationship with God with an understanding of God, and it's not the same. And so he says, Paul was a seeker and a finder and a seeker still. They, these people that are content with knowledge, seek and find and seek no more. After accepting Christ, they tend to substitute logic for life and doctrine for experience. For them, the truth becomes a veil to hide the face of God. For Paul, it was a door into his very presence. Paul's spirit was that of a loving explorer. He was a prospector among the hills of God, searching for the gold of personal spiritual acquaintance. Many today stand by Paul's doctrine, who will not follow him in his passionate yearning for divine reality. Okay, there's a lot of people are just content with what they're doing. They're not, They're not seeking after God. They're just satisfied with what they have through knowledge. But you know what we need today? We need a people that will absolutely seek after God, that desire the presence of God, that desire to meet with God. And so I pray this morning that our heart's desire would be to really pursue God. Let's pray. Father, I praise you for the grace that you've given, the help that you've given. We do ask now in Jesus' name that the Spirit of God would draw us closer to you. Father, there's an eternal message that is going forth today. It's a message that changes our lives. It could change our community. It can change our family. Father, we need to know you. And we need to know you experientially. We need to know you through the truth of the word of God. And Father, we must seek you. We must, of all men, this day and age, we need to be ones that really seek after God. So I pray that the Holy Spirit would give wisdom. I pray that the Holy Spirit would give grace. I pray, Father, that we could meet with you this morning. It's in Christ's name we pray, amen. All right, so what can we learn this morning about seeking after God? Those who seek after God meet with God. Those who seek after God meet with God. They go to the place of prayer. Verse eight says, It came to pass when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up and stood every man at his tent door and looked after Moses until he was gone into the tabernacle. Remember that tabernacle outside of the camp was the place that if anybody wanted to seek after God, that's where they go. And here the champion of Israel when it comes to intercession has walked out to the place of prayer. I listened to a good message this week by Dr. Ed Nelson. I was doing flyers and I was listening on my iPod to him preach. And he shared a story about a man, an Indian man that was saved in his ministry out in Colorado. And Matthew Thomas and his wife, they didn't have Bible knowledge until they got saved. But when they got saved, they took a prayer rug in their house and that was their place of prayer. And from five to six every morning, Matthew Thomas and his wife would be on that prayer mat seeking the face of God. It's a precious story. God takes Matthew Thomas to India. He's instrumental in starting, I don't want to exaggerate, but I think literally hundreds of churches that were started through his ministry. He has a huge impact for the Lord. But Matthew Thomas and his wife knew what it was to go to the place of prayer. Daniel, in Daniel 6.10, says, Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being opened, and his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Daniel had a place of prayer. Daniel, again, a man that had the heart of God as he purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's mean. But Daniel knew what it was to go to that place of prayer. This morning, do you have a place of prayer? Even children, do you have a place that every day you get alone with God and you seek God's face in prayer? We need a place like that. A seeker after God goes to a place of prayer, and they find God in the place of prayer. Hannah, you can go to Mrs. Shore's class right now. They find God in the place of prayer. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose up and worshiped every man in his tent door." The cloudy pillar that came to Moses as Moses went to the tabernacle, that cloudy pillar represented who? It represented God. As Moses went to prayer, he was not, Moses wasn't just going to the tabernacle to just be there at the tabernacle. Moses went to the tabernacle to meet with God. You know, Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6 says, It says, but thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. And when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy father, which is in secret. And thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Okay, Jesus says, go to a place of prayer. Think about it, children. Again, even you can have a place of prayer. Jesus said to find one. And he's not saying necessarily there has to be a closet. The instruction is that prayer is private. There were people in the day that would pray loud prayers standing in the marketplace. And basically they wanted people to come up to them, pat them on the back and say, hey, that was a great prayer. But Jesus says prayer is not about that. It's not about getting men's approval or men's applause. It's about meeting with God. And so go to a private place. You could ask it this way, did Jesus always pray in private? He did, but who is also there observing him many times? It was the disciples. So they knew he prayed. So Jesus wasn't saying you got to sneak out of the house and nobody can see you go. Sometimes maybe that's appropriate, but it's just a place where it's you and God. And what's it say in that passage? Thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. It means this, when you go to a place of prayer and you're seeking God, that God meets with you in the place of prayer. And this is what Moses found. He's seeking God. He goes out to the tabernacle and the cloud descends, and the cloud again showing the glory of God, the veiled glory of God, comes to that place of prayer. This morning, as you went to prayer, did God meet with you? Have you met with God today? They find God in the place of prayer. And then they have communion with God in the place of prayer. Verse 11 says, And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. This verse, verse 11, is a summary. It's a summary, we know it's a summary because what we're gonna read about in the following verses is what Moses talked with God about, but in this verse it just says, Moses spake with God face to face, and then it talks about him leaving and Joshua staying there. And we'll come back to that verse. But it's a summary verse, but it says, the Lord spake unto Moses face to face. Those that meet with God in a place of prayer have communion with God. We know that this verse does not mean that Moses saw God visibly, physically, he can't. The Bible, in the same passage, it tells us that it's not possible to see God face to face. Verse 20, he said, thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live. He couldn't actually see God, but it's speaking about communion. It means he's right there in the presence of God. It's as real as if you and I are standing here talking face to face. That's prayer. I get tired of meeting unbelievers that have this idea of prayer being saying the rosary. Or, you know, it's like talking to yourself or talking to a wall. Sometimes I'm walking, I'm having my prayer time and I'm praying out loud and I meet people and I say to them, look, you know, I'm praying. but they probably think who's the nut walking through the woods talking to himself because they have no concept of who God is and that you can walk with God that realistically because he is real. And so here Moses, it is face to face with God. You know, that's the kind of prayer life that Jesus had. John 11 verses 41 and 42. says, and it's the story of Lazarus. Remember Lazarus, the friend of Jesus that's died and he's been put down in the tomb. And Jesus comes there and Mary and Martha are weeping and all the people are weeping and Jesus said, he's already said he's not dead, he's alive. And John 11, 41 and 42, they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifting up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that thou hast heard me. but he's just starting to pray. So what do we know? He's already prayed. In his heart, right? He's already prayed from, nobody could hear him because he's praying from his heart, but he's already had a conversation with God. And he said, I thank thee that thou hast heard me, and I knew that thou hearest me always. But because of the people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. Jesus had a relationship with God in prayer where he knew that God heard him. Again, how's your relationship with God? Moses went out there. He had communion with God. He spoke to God face to face. Do you know this morning that God hears you when you pray? When you went to your prayer time, did you understand that there was a transaction taking place between you and God? The Bible says if we know that he hears us, what's where we ask? We know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. It's good for us in our prayer time to know that communion with God that Moses had here, that others have had, that open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, being changed into the same image from glory to glory. I've heard that verse applied to the Bible being the glass, but we all with open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. But in the context, it's speaking about God's glory being seen. But Moses had a veil over his face. Remember, the people couldn't stand the glory of God. Moses had been in the presence of God. They can't stand the glory. Moses puts a veil over his face. And the Bible says in this passage, that veil is done away in Jesus Christ. The veil is set aside through a relationship with God. That relationship brings you into a personal walk with God so that we, with open faith, be holding as in a glass the glory of the Lord. Just like looking into a mirror, we see ourselves. Looking into God, we see his glory, and we're changed. How's your time? How's your prayer time? Did you meet with God this morning? Did you meet with God this week? Moses, he went outside the camp because he was going to a place of prayer. He went outside the camp to find God and there he had communion with God. So those who seek God, after God, meet with God. But then secondly, those who seek God are known of God and find grace in his sight. Those who seek God are known of God and find grace in his sight. You know, somebody that's a real intercessor has an awareness of a special relationship with God. Somebody that has that intimate communion with God has an understanding that this is very special, what I have. Moses had that. It says in verse 12, Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, bring up this people, and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me, yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Isn't that an awesome verse? Moses is saying to God, God, I know that you have said to me, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. See, real religion is personal. There's a lot of religions that teach about, you can know about God, but you can't know God. And I've said to people, I've said, that's not what we are. We teach not just that you can know about God, but that you can personally know God. A lot of times I end my witnessing with people by saying, you know what? You think evolution's true. I know that there is a God. I know that because I personally know him. And I talk to him every day. He's real. And I know thee, he says, by name. Thou hast also found grace in my sight. You know, there's a big difference today between knowing about the queen and knowing the queen. Most of us know about the queen, but nobody in this room actually knows the queen. You know, today, it's not about knowing about God. We try to make that clear. We want you to know all you can about God. But we want to get beyond your knowing God from your head to knowing God from your heart, a personal relationship with God, so that you personally know God and know that you're special to God and know that you have a special relationship with God. John 10 verses 3 through 5, speaking about the sheepfold, the shepherd comes and to him the porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. All of us that are saved, we've entered into the sheepfold through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the gate, and Jesus is the shepherd. And as the shepherd, when he says, Benjamin, when he says your name, if you're saved, you know he's speaking to you. And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And then it goes on to say, when he put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him. for they know not the voice of strangers. Okay, somebody that is God's sheep, somebody comes along and says, go off this way, trying to derail them into false teaching, and they go, no, no, no, I follow one person, I follow Jesus, and I don't hear Jesus here, so I'm seeking the voice of Jesus. I don't know who you are. But see, today, who speaks to you? Is it the world? Or is it Christ? Whose voice do you respond to? Is it evolution, or is it creation? Is it abortion, or is it life? Is it homosexual marriage, or is it the sanctity of marriage? My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me. And Moses, as he came to God, he felt blessed. He didn't understand any more than you or I understand, if we're safe, why he had a special relationship with God, but he knew that he did. Do you know that this morning? Do you know that special relationship with God by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ? So there's an acknowledgement of that special relationship, but there's also an expectation from that special relationship with God. There's an expectation based upon the fact that I am special to God, I have a special relationship with God, in our case, by faith in Jesus Christ. In Moses' case, by covenant relationship as the chosen people and by faith and obedience to God. But it's a special place that God had given him. He says in verse 13, If I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight. And consider that this nation is thy people." You know, he's saying, I know I've got a special relationship with you, but because I do have a special relationship, because I found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way. based on my special relationship, I want you to do something and God's going to do something even greater as we consider this story and continue on. But you know, as saved people, we ought to have expectations of God's special favor to us. I was reading an article this week that spoke about the christening of Princess Charlotte and Obviously, in our church, we understand christening is nothing. Christening is not in the Bible anywhere. We're gonna have a baptismal service this afternoon. It's by immersion. It's not for children. It's for somebody that's put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But stepping beyond that, in the story, I read that they actually flew in water from the Jordan River to baptize. You know, it's a sprinkle. And the same thing took place for Prince George. They did the same thing. But I don't expect the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge to provide this water from the Jordan River for all the children in England or in the United Kingdom. But I would expect, if they have another child, that they will do the same thing that they did for Prince George and Princess Charlotte, in that they'll have water flown in from the Jordan River. Why? Because there's special, if you could call them blessings, to those who are children of royalty. You know, this morning, if we're saved, we're a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I expect, in my relationship with God, that there's gonna be ways that God treats me that he does not treat an unbeliever, that he will not treat an unbeliever, because I have a special relationship with him through Jesus Christ. Somebody that seeks after God has that expectation of seeing God's blessing and the fact that, you know, God, I'm saved. I'm walking with you as best I know. I'm sanctified. It is my desire to see that blessing. That's what Moses desired. He's looking around and he's saying to God, God, I desire that blessing of being known by name to you and having that relationship with you. Gideon desired that. Another story of Gideon in Judges 6, God comes to Gideon and Gideon asks him a good question. He says in verse 13, oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us. He's not saying he's not, but he's saying if he is, then I have some expectations based on that. There's some things that visibly I desire to see if God's really for us. He says, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where be all his miracles? Which our fathers told us of saying, did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites. Gideon said, I have a special relationship with God. We have a special relationship with God. Where's the blessing? You know, it's okay for us as believers in our church. It's our desire to pray. We're praying for revival. We're praying to see God do unusual things within our community that we know he can do. And I believe by God's grace, he will do. But what's our expectation based on? It's based on the fact that we are a special people to God. We have a special relationship with God. And so we anticipate blessings based on that relationship with God. Then we find as well that those who seek God desire to stay where they are rather than to go on without God. Those that seek God would just rather stay where they are if God's not gonna go with them. If I've gotta go somewhere as a person of God, and God's not gonna go, if I'm seeking God, I'm a person that says, wait, I don't really wanna go there unless God goes with me. And that's the heart of Moses. This person expects God to go because God has promised to go. Verse 14, and he said, God said, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Now remember, God has said, I'm not gonna lead you into this place because I'm gonna send an angel before you. If I'm among you, I'm gonna destroy you because you're a wicked stiff-necked people. But now Moses is pleading with God and God says to Moses, my presence shall go with thee. Do you know what it is to enter into the presence of God? Have you ever stood in the presence of God and been amazed at what it's like to stand in the presence of God? In that book by Tozer, he said this at the beginning of chapter two. He said, suppose some angelic being who has since creation known the deep still rapture of dwelling in the divine presence would appear on earth and live a while among his Christians. Don't you imagine he might be astonished at what he saw? He might, for instance, wonder how we can be contented with our poor, commonplace level of spiritual experience. In our hands, after all, is a message from God, not only inviting us into his holy fellowship, but also giving us detailed instructions about how to get there. After feasting on the bliss of intimate communion with God, how could such a being understand the casual, easily satisfied spirit which characterizes most evangelicals today? I think he put that pretty well. What would it be like? What would it be like today to take somebody out of the presence of God, bring them to here, and have them walk with us through our daily life and see how content we are not to have the presence of God? An angel would really struggle to understand that. Or somebody that's been to glory would struggle to understand that. Say, you know, the presence of God is the best of best places to be. tells you all you need to know about walking very closely with God. They wouldn't be able to understand it. Do you know what it is to rest in the presence of God? Have you ever been burdened? You're way down with life, everything's crashing in, it's so heavy, you go to prayer and you pray to God and God takes it away. Have you ever entered into that rest that God has promised for those that come to him? Matthew 11, 28 says, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Alec, you know what it is to labor. Alec was a hard worker with his business that he had. He's told me how much he's loaded onto a vehicle, off a vehicle. You're carrying that weight all day long. I can't imagine, you know, your body's physically tired. But what a blessing it is when you take that weight and you set it down. All of a sudden, even if you're tired, you feel like you're floating because the burden has been lifted. Do you know what it is this morning? All of us, do we know what it is to take the spiritual burden that's weighing us down? It's so heavy, we can't carry it. It's just pressing us down. And we say to God, okay, God, it's enough. I come to you, take my burden away. Do we know what it is to have it roll free and to have a heart that's light, not because of us changing anything, but because God took the burden away? That's what God does. That's what God promised here as he was speaking with Moses, is that as God came, he would absolutely take his burden away. I'm looking at my notes right now and I have no idea where I am. This hasn't... I can't remember this happening before. Yeah, there I am. Sorry. I don't want to miss that. None of us can bear the burden of sin. None of us. What a blessing. To enter into that rest, and the reason I was looking at my notes, I was trying to find the verse where he just said to Moses, verse 14, he said, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Yeah, when God comes to walk with us, it's a place of rest, it's a place of peace. There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God. A place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God. Have you been to that place? that person would rather stay if God will not go. Verse 15, he said unto him, if thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. God has just said to Moses, my presence shall go with thee. But Moses just wants to make it very clear that if God does not go, Moses doesn't wanna go. If you don't go with me, carry us not up hence. You know, there's two times coming up in the future of Israel where they're gonna try to go without God. Remember, as they get to the promised land, the spies come back, and they bring up a bad report upon the land. And they said, there's huge giants, and there's huge walled cities, and we can't do it. And the people begin to murmur, and the people begin to say, oh, we can't do it, let's go back to Egypt. And God says, okay, enough. That's it. I'm gonna judge you. All that, you know, are 20 years old and up, we're gonna die. We're gonna go into the wilderness for 40 years. And the people, as God begins to speak about his judgment, the people respond and they say, okay, we'll go. And Moses says, don't go because God isn't with you. And what do the people do? They charge up the hill and they're destroyed before their enemies. You know, it's a very dangerous thing to try to go without God. Ai, as they went into Ai, Achan had taken up the accursed thing. God had said, when Jericho falls, all the valuables there, that's mine, this time. But Achan saw something that he wanted, he coveted, he put it under his tent, he hid it there, thought nobody else knew, but God knew. And so Israel tries to go up against Ai. They only send, I think, 3,000 men, because it's just gonna fall right in front of them, they think. and something like 30 some men die because God wasn't with them. You know, this morning, we're seeking free Baptist church. We desire to establish a church within this community. You know, the reality is we can't, but God can. We dare not try to do this ministry without God. We ought to plead with God and say, God, if you're not gonna go with us as we seek to establish this, then let's just go home because there's no point. We need you. Somebody that seeks after God is not content to go without God's presence. And then those who seek God want evidence of God's presence going with them. They want the world to know that God is with them. Verse 16. He says, He's saying, God, when your presence comes, it's evident, it's manifest. And he's saying, for wherein, how shall it be known here? He said, God, when your presence is here, it's known. We want it to be known. How shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? If you go with us, God, it's gonna be evident. It's gonna be plain for anybody to see, God, that you're with us. You know, George Mueller, we love reading the stories about the man of God and his prayer life. Well, George Mueller, one of his burdens was that God do these great things so that people know, so that people can see that you're the same God that we read about in the Old Testament, the same God that we read about in the New Testament, the very same God that's as able today to do those great things. This morning, those who seek after God, have a desire for God's blessing to be seen. We desire this morning, God, to bless this church, not so that we can have a crowd of people in this hall. There is a desire to see this place packed out and to see souls saved and to see lives changed. But I greatly desire people that walk through this building to have an awareness that God is doing something here, that the presence of God is in this place. You know what, they might sense that without a crowd. But whatever their perspective, I pray, my desire would be that it would be impacted by the fact of the presence of God. That whether they agree, disagree, that they would say, you know what, God is doing something there. They want the world to know that God is with them. And they want to be distinguished by God's blessing. It says, so shall we be separated I and thy people from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. What made Israel distinct from every other heathen nation is the fact that Israel had God. As people would look at Israel, they knew about Israel. Look, my wife and I just read the story about Eli and Samuel and the Ark of God being taken, the Ark of the Covenant, remember that? that the mercy seat of God, that sacred piece of furniture from the house of God, they've taken it, Israel had taken it out into battle foolishly, and the Philistines had taken it from them. But you know what's interesting? When everything bad happened as they took that art into, was it all that idol, Dagon. They take it into Dagon's temple and in the morning they come in and Dagon, the idol, is on his face before the Ark of God. The next time they come in, as they put it back up, the next time they come in his head and his arms are cut off and he's on his, you know, laying before the Ark of God. Then they get suffering from emeralds and other things and they get rid of this thing but they say, what should we do? What's interesting is that these heathen people say they refer back to what God had done to Egypt. They knew about it. And see, that's what you find. Rahab the harlot saying as well in Joshua chapter two, for we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea from you. She's in Jericho, but that story of the glory of God and the power of God for Israel and God fighting for Israel, these heathen nations looked at it and they said, we see what God has done. Those who seek God want evidence of God's presence going with them. Queen Mary, the wicked, bloody Mary that reigned when John Knox was here, Historically, it's recorded that she had said, I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe. I wanted to quote that correctly, so actually I looked online and I looked for that quote. I found it on a Visit Scotland website. That's not taken from a church website. That's not taken from church history. That's taken from secular history. This woman feared the prayers of John Knox. You know, again, I desire God to reveal himself in that kind of way in our generation that those that seek after God would have such a clear demonstration of the power of God that those that are defiling the community that are God-haters have a fear in their heart because of the presence of God and the power of God. Those who seek God want evidence of God's presence going with them. And then those who seek God want a greater glimpse of God's glory. They ask God to manifest his glory. It says, and the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found grace in my sight. And I know thee by name. And Moses said, he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Israel had greatly failed God. Moses, like Peter, desires God to restore him. Peter went back to fishing because he felt like, how can I serve God? I failed him so greatly. Moses is pleading with God, saying, God, I need encouragement. I'm seeking to serve you, I'm seeking to please you. Israel has greatly failed you. Now you say, you're not gonna go with us. And he's praying to God, God, I need you to reveal yourself to me. for encouragement of what you've called me to do. You know what Moses didn't have that we have? He didn't have any scripture. None. Moses is the writer of the Pentateuch. He's written Genesis through the book of Deuteronomy, the first five books of the Bible. Moses couldn't say to God, God, reveal yourself to me and open this book and say, I'm seeking after you. God, reveal yourself to me through your revelation. he had to ask that God would manifest himself to him in a way, in a physical manifestation of his glory. Us, we've got Jesus Christ. We have Jesus Christ in us, and we have the truth of the word of God. John 14, nine, Jesus said unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me and show us the father. We've got something other generations preceding us never had. We've got a revelation to us through God's word and through God's spirit and through Jesus Christ in us that they never had. But when's the last time that you cried out to God and said, oh God, reveal yourself to me. God, I want to know you in a greater way. God, make your glory to pass before me so that I can see you as you are. You desire that greater glimpse of God's glory. To them, God in his mercy reveals his glory. Verse 19, he said to Moses, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. And he said, thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live. And the Lord said, behold, there's a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock, and it shall come to pass while my glory passeth by. Thou put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by. And I will take away my hand and thou shalt see my back parts for my face shall not be seen. And what it's speaking about is not again that Moses saw God. He's a spirit. God's a spirit. But what Moses did see was the veiled glory of God. the back of God. In other words, he didn't see the full glory of God because the full glory of God cannot be seen, it's too bright. It says that 1 Timothy 6, 16, about God, who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom be honor and power everlasting. The absolute glory of God is too great to be seen. So what Moses is allowed to see is the veiled glory of God. It's like what the disciples saw at the transfiguration of Christ. It's the glory of God shining forth, but it's not the full glory of God or it would, they couldn't live. No man could see it and live. You know, it's interesting. Moses says, God, I need a greater glimpse of your glory. God, reveal yourself to me. God says, nah, you don't need that. It's that God responded to it. This morning you're seeking after God and you say, God, I desire to see more of your glory. I desire a greater glimpse of you. I desire to have a better understanding of who you are. You know, God's not gonna despise that this morning. God's gracious to meet with those that desire to meet with him. What's the Bible say? We've gone over this verse tons of times. But if you seek me, you shall find me. If you search with all your heart. God desires this morning to be found of us. Do you desire a greater glimpse of God's glory? Then lastly, this morning, those who finally find God don't want to leave God's presence. Those that finally find God don't want to leave God's presence. Remember verse 11? It says, and the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. We've just studied that, what took place there. And he turned again into the camp, Moses went back to the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, Nun was his father, his father's name, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. Joshua's there too, he's gone with Moses, he's Moses' servant. They get there, Moses pleads with God, Moses meets with God, and Moses leaves the presence of God. But when Moses leaves, Joshua stays. Why would the Bible tell us that? It's because here as a young man, he's not experienced God as Moses had. Moses has been in the presence of God before in a glorious way, but now his servant has come into contact with God and he's not content to leave there. You know, it's a blessing when somebody gets saved. There's an excitement about salvation. Somebody, they finally accepted Christ their Savior. They know the joy of that relationship with God. They are gung-ho for God. They're so excited because they finally have that relationship. You know, believers, let's not get tired of it. Let's not get weary of walking in the presence of God. Let's keep that relationship with God kindled. Those that aren't saved, you can experience that. You can have that forgiveness of God, that relationship with God, and that opportunity to come into God's presence. Again, this morning, What we need, what our church needs in the future, what it needs today is people that seek God and find God. Are you a seeker after God? Are you going to the place of prayer? How's your prayer life? Is it what it has always been in the past or is it increasing? Do you go to the place of prayer? Do you meet with God there? Do you know a special relationship with God? Do you ever marvel and say to God, God, I don't understand why you love me so much. I don't understand why you favored me. I don't understand why you blessed me with this relationship with you. God, I'm not worthy. But God, can you know me by name? And as a child of yours, I expect a blessing with that relationship. Do you believe this morning that you must go with God or not at all? Can you parent without God? Can you be a child and be an obedient child without God? Can you work without God? Can you do ministry without God? Or is it saying to God, God, if you don't go with me, I don't even want to go. I've got to have you with me. Are you pleading with God for evidence of his presence? And you know, Lord, make your presence known. Make it manifest. It's our burden for this community that God would so reveal himself that people in this community, that even our unbelievers would look and go, you know, God's doing something. Do you desire a greater glimpse of God's glory? Like Moses saying, oh Lord, we've got to see more of you. When he reveals himself, do you want to linger in his presence? like Joshua, didn't want to leave the presence of God. You know what? We need men like that, men and women, that know to go to the place of prayer and find God. May God bless His Word to our hearts this morning. Father, we're thankful for the Word of God. And Lord, it does speak to our hearts. And Father, we desire very much to meet with you. And Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit would teach us to pray like Moses prayed. Moses is a premier intercessor in the Word of God. Father, I praise you, you didn't push Moses away, even though the people were disobedient, even though you wanted to destroy them, yet you allowed for an intercessor to come to you. Father, it could be somebody here this morning is not saved. They've never entered into the presence of God at all. Father, I pray to David, come through Jesus Christ, through his death on the cross, through his resurrection, and that they would obey the gospel. and know the peace of God, know that burden taken from their back, set aside and cast aside and destroyed by the hand of God. I praise you, Father, you do set us free. And Father, I pray that they find that salvation today. Those of us that are saved, I pray by the grace of God, give us a burden to seek your face, to seek your presence, to seek manifest evidence of the presence of God in this place. Father, we must meet with you, or not at all. Thank you for your goodness and condescending to meet with us this morning. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Take your hymnals again. We'll sing here.