Sermons

Standing at a Distance

Wednesday, February 18, 2009
by Sam Sumner
Standing at a Distance

• Scripture: Exodus 20:18-21

• Introduction:
You remember the time you had a crush in middle school? You asked your friend to go talk to them. You may have even sent a note to them asking them to “go with you” or maybe you stupid stuff to get their attention (or possibly change you dress style, the way you acted, etc.). Too often this is mirrors our desire for and pursuit of God. We don’t want to get too close because we are scared but we keep doing some things to try and get their attention all the while we never really experienced face to face contact and conversation. We lose out because on getting to truly know them because of fear, fear of rejection and our unwillingness to step out (get uncomfortable).
The purpose of all of life is to KNOW God and be KNOWN by Him. Too often we find ourselves so distracted by other things that we don’t truly take time to know God, and many times our own desires out weigh our desire for Him. Sadly, many of us feel okay or indifferent about our relationship and knowledge of God because we have fooled ourselves into thinking we know him.
What makes us think we know Him? Who has fooled you? Is it our CHURCH ATTENTENCE? Maybe you pray regularly or read & study the word and therefore believe you know God. Is it because we listen to CHRISTIAN MUSIC or the fact that you WORSHIP FREELY? Fact is none of these things in and of themselves brings a greater knowledge of God. We know about God, but that isn’t the same as KNOWING GOD. We are standing at a distance . . . just like we did in middle watching someone else do our talking for us.

• The Heart that Yearns for God:
 “To have found God & still pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionists, but justified in happy experience by the children of a burning heart.”
 We would never be satisfied with simply having someone talk to our girl/boyfriend for us . . . Yet this is exactly the way we have treated our relationship with God. We let others do our praying, studying, worshiping, & seeking.
 Going back to Moses, let us look at God’s desire & Moses’ response:
1. God had a desire for His people (Exodus 6:6-7; 19:4-5, 10-11,13)
2. Moses responded by drawing near to God (Exodus 19:20) while the people trembled in fear & stood at a distance (Exodus 19:16; 20:19-21).
 Exodus 33:12-15, 18 – Moses had done great things in the name of the Lord (the plagues, the miracles, eye ball to eye ball with the Pharaoh, the Red Sea, the burning bush, etc.). He had talked with God as a man speaks with another man . . . YET he still wanted to KNOW God.
 Moses wanted a greater revelation of God because he had a job to do/a purpose to fulfill and he knew that without God he would fail . . . “If thy presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.”
• Experiencing More of God:
• Disclaimer – I am not talking about an emotional experience or a good church service or good music. I am talking about an experience that propels you forward because knowing God means knowing His heart and His heart is to touch those who are hurting, broken, frustrated, confused, and/or lost.
1. You can not allow yourself to get comfortable or easily satisfied . . . That goes for the way the world is and your relationship with God.
2. Understand that your purpose for living is to know God NOT make yourself happy . . . Some of the most unhappy people in the world are those who spend so much time trying to make themselves happy. They live that way because to world will not bend just as they think it should and people will not cater to their needs, expectations, and desires. When you get to that point you are on the way to discovering the purpose of your life.
3. Learn to despise every part of you that does not want to know God & then through prayer & fasting CRUCIFY IT! The part that doesn’t want to read the Bible . . . want to pray . . . worship . . . come to church . . . submit to authority . . . the part that gets enjoyment or satisfaction from talking about and being critical of others. Giving into this part of you is SIN!
4. MAKE A CONCIOUS EFFORT TO SEEK GOD DAILY. You do this through Prayer, the Word, Obedience, service, & worship.

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