Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:05 Maybe seated. And as you're seated, I'd ask you to open your Bibles with me to Exodus chapter 33, we found ourselves processing through the book of Exodus. We have found ourselves this past week with VBS and let me assure you the leadership of Berean and her team was just phenomenal at bringing VBS together and all and everything that we saw, but just the excitement of what transpired there. We took the kids also right through the book of Exodus. And we started them there with a whole idea that they were God's. People found themselves in Egypt and just like we've learned ourselves. They came out of Egypt. As they came out of Egypt, they found themselves going through the red sea. After they got through the red sea, they found themselves in the wilderness and in the wilderness, they found God providing for them on a regular basis.
Speaker 0 00:00:53 He provided water for them. He provided meat for them and he took care of them, brought them all the way to Mount Sinai. And then they got to Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, God, all of a sudden had Moses come up on top of Mount Sinai. And he was given the 10 commandments, spent time with him to tell them what the law was going to be. And while Moses was up there, you may recall the congregation was down here and they decided to have some parties and live life out. And all of a sudden, they also transitioned to all of a sudden, they took their eyes off of your way. And to decided that somehow they wanted an idol built and Aaron, after he collected all the gold, somehow molded and shaped for them, a golden calf and the children, visual actually found themselves worshiping a golden calf.
Speaker 0 00:01:41 As that's taking place. Moses is up in the mountain and God knows what's going on. And he sends him down to his people when Moses comes down and he sees what's going on, he tosses those tablets on the ground and they break apart and judgment. Now comes upon the children of Israel. There were some of those who did not follow or believe in Yahweh. And they were actually killed at that point about 3000, but the rest of them were also disciplined for their activity. And what had taken place when that all occurred, God chose for himself. Decide are these his people that he wants to continue with? Does he want to start all over with just Moses? And Moses said, no, you need to keep these people. These are your people. It'll prove to the Egypt that you're the God who took care of that.
Speaker 0 00:02:30 You just didn't bring them out here to kill him. And so, as Moses is talking with God, they're now working through this process of what's going to happen next. And God's preparing to send them onto the journey. And Moses is pleading with God that you maintain your presence with us. And God agrees. He will go with his presence with them, but something's a little different now while the Israelites gather over here and the regular camp meeting, Moses finds himself outside the camp with a tent to meet with God. And while he's meeting with God, it's God's plan to send them on the rest of the journey. Moses makes a request of God before they take off on this journey for Mount Sinai. And that's where the narrative picks up in Genesis chapter three at verse 17. And here's what we read. We may read the Lord said to Moses, I will also do this thing of which you have spoken for. You have found favor in my sight and I've known you by name. The Moses said, I pray to you,
Speaker 1 00:03:51 Oh Lord, show me your glory. And he said, I
Speaker 0 00:03:57 Myself will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. And I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. And so Mays, Moses makes his request. That request is that he can see God's glory. He has been in the presence of God before he understands the president. There's been the pillar, there's been the cloud, but he wants to see something different. He wants to see the glory of God. It continues. Okay. But he said, you cannot see my face for no. Man can see me and live. The Lord said, behold, there is a place by me and you shall stand there on the rock and will come about. We all my glorious passing by that will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand.
Speaker 0 00:04:50 And until I pass by then I will take my hand away. You shall see my back, but my face, you shall not see. So it's understanding this glory. We talk about the glory of God, the word that she was called <inaudible> glory. The should kind of glory identifies a God is not just present, but he's actually living there. He's dwelling. There. It deals with the idea of more understanding. It's a residence of God that when that glory shows up, it means God is there right now in presence and residing in that place. And Moses wants to see God face to face. He wants to know God is right here. Now, did you have a sense of somebody's presence, but they're not really present. So for example, when you think of the presence of a teacher, you go to a classroom and the teachers in the classroom teacher tells the students what to do, and the students do what they're told. But when the teacher leaves the classroom, though, they are present in the building, kids having a sense of understand. They're not really present, even though the present and all a sudden activity changes, even though they're present, it changes because they don't know they're present where they are. This is such a kind of glory. God's been present with the Israelites, but Moses wants God presence
Speaker 1 00:06:12 Residing
Speaker 0 00:06:14 Right in front of him. That he can see him in all his glory. That's his request. And God says, here's what I'll do for you. Moses, I'll take you on the mountain. I'll prepare for you to see me. It will not be face-to-face, but my kind of glory will glow in such a way that you will be able to see my glory. I'll cover you some,
Speaker 1 00:06:39 But you will be able to see
Speaker 0 00:06:40 Me and know I resided. I was present, my Chicago glory was there and you will see me as most as, as much as you can. That's his request. God promises. He will do that. So the next thing that's going to happen is Moses is going to go up on the mountain. Moses is going to meet with God, but as he meets with God, though, the purpose of that meeting is not just the glory, but the renewal of that covenant. And that's what we have starting in chapter 34 verses one to nine. And here's what we read. Now. The Lord said to Moses, cut out for yourself to dun tabbed two stone tablets, like the former ones. And I will write on the tablets of words that were on the former tablets, which you shattered. So be ready by morning, come up in the morning to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to me on top of the mountain.
Speaker 0 00:07:38 And no man is to come up with you nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain. Even the flocks and the herds may not graze in front of the mountain. This differs from last time. Last time when they did this, he had other people that went up on the mountain. He's all alone. This time on the mountain, he continues. So cut out two tablets, stone tablets, like the former ones, Moses rose early in the morning, went up to the Mount Sinai as the Lord commanded them. And he took the two stone tablets. In his hand. The Lord descended in the cloud, stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord. Then the Lord that's y'all way passed in front of him and proclaimed the Lord. The Lord, God compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness and truth who keeps loving kindness for thousands to forgives iniquity, transgression and sin that he will by no means. Leave the guilty unpunished visiting the visiting, the iniquity of fathers on the children on two grandchildren, the third and fourth generations, Moses made haste to bow load towards the earth and worship. Aren't those great words of the character of God. Don't you just want to pause and sort of soak them in that God is gracious.
Speaker 1 00:08:55 God's compassionate. God's long suffering.
Speaker 0 00:08:59 God will forgive sin. And Moses hears those words as the God of the old Testament as his God, who is your way over the children of Israel. This is the God that they're renewing this covenant with. They continue. And he said, if now I have found favor in your sight of Lord. I pray that the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate and do you park and pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us for your own possession. So his requests, okay, Lord, this is who you are. Go with us in the future. Be present with us through the wilderness. Take us to the promised land. Just as you promised down the renewing, the covenant is going to happen in the next verses. As God's going to go through with Moses that re recalling the Sabbath rest they're supposed to do. Firstborns are first to sacrifice variety of things they're supposed to do. Not. Everything has already said before. Read quick summary of some of the law after it goes to that summary of the law. There's a renewal that takes place in very few verses down in verses 30, 27 and 28. Here's the conclusion to that re renewal. Then the Lord said to Moses, write down these words for in accordance with these words, I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.
Speaker 0 00:10:29 So he was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights. He did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote the tablets, the words of the covenant, the 10 commandments. So now he writes the words down. Renewal is going to take place with the children of Israel. So Moses made this request, Lord, I want to see your glory. And there's been no mention of glory at all in this passage yet nothing's been said about Moses and what's happened there, except we know that he passed in front of him. After the passing the Lord, all of a sudden it gives him a recollection and a summary of what the law was. And he says, here's a renewal for the children of Israel. If I'm going to be their people, if I'm going to follow in their presence, if I'll be there till the future, here's what they must do. And he renews
Speaker 1 00:11:16 The covenant with them and he gets done. Now, Moses has
Speaker 0 00:11:20 The covenant, he's got the two tablets. He's getting ready to go down the mountain. As he go down, as he goes down the mountain. Now we're going to see what transpired while he was on the mountain verse 30, 29 begins the glory. And it came about when Moses was coming down, the mountain Mount Sinai and the two tablets and the testimony were in Moses's hand as he was coming down from the mountain
Speaker 1 00:11:49 That Moses did not know
Speaker 0 00:11:53 The skin of his face shown because of his speaking with him. So it's saying this as Moses coming down, he's been exposed to this glory. And apparently his glory is this bright shining glory that we would understand it to be. It indicates the presence of God, the gods residing on that mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.
Speaker 1 00:12:13 And he doesn't realize
Speaker 0 00:12:15 That when he was with Yar way, that glory was impacting his skin, as he was spending time with your way, his skin was getting brighter
Speaker 1 00:12:24 And brighter and brighter.
Speaker 0 00:12:27 And the glory of the Lord was now reflecting off of his face as he spent 40 days and 40 nights with your way. And something has changed that he doesn't even know as happened, that the glory of God is now impacting him and how he looks. And as he continues down the mountain,
Speaker 1 00:12:45 We read. So
Speaker 0 00:12:47 When Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses behold, the skin of his face shown, and they were afraid to come near. So put yourself in their shoes. Moses goes up on the mountain. They see new Moses as he normally is. He now comes down and he's got this bright
Speaker 1 00:13:06 Shining face. And
Speaker 0 00:13:10 Somehow he's reflecting the glory of God. And this man who went up there is not the man who comes down and they do not rush some things as a wonderful thing. They actually start backing away and do not come near him. They're getting away from because they are afraid of what they see, because they do not know what has happened.
Speaker 1 00:13:30 So Moses explains and continues with them.
Speaker 0 00:13:36 Verse 31, that Moses called to them and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him. And Moses spoke to them and seems to have quieted their hearts and afterward all the sons of Israel's came near and he commanded them to do everything. The Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. So he reviews everything. That's been said, all the covenant renewal, all of it's going to take place. He goes over that with them. When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face, and now he covers his face. Why? Because they're afraid of him. They're unsure what's going on. So he just covers it so that they're aware. It's okay. We can be near Moses and things will be okay, 34. But we Mo ever Moses went before the Lord to speak with him. He would take off the veil until he came out. And whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel, what had been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses that the skin, the skin of Moses face shown. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went to speak with him. So we have this ongoing activity,
Speaker 1 00:14:50 Moses,
Speaker 0 00:14:51 The children of Israel in the camp, Moses has his temp tent of meeting. Somehow in this time period, they're going to travel, do things. Moses still meets in the tent of meeting when he meets there, the Lord meets him again. So he takes off the veil, gets exposed to the glory of God. And it, once again, reflects on who he is. And as it does that, it all of a sudden, the century charges him with the glory of God. And then he covers his face when he's with the people, because of the sense, it creates fear in them and uncertainty. And it's not steady where we find out later what's happening is when he leaves the glory of God, it starts fading away. And when he comes face-to-face with God, again, it starts shining again, as it reflects the glory of God.
Speaker 1 00:15:44 Now this glory of God is talked about here,
Speaker 0 00:15:48 But we need to see how it unfolds in the rest of the Bible. Moses had face to face encounter with God. It indicated that God was residing on the Mount Sinai with Moses for 40 days and 40 nights. But the next time we come across the glory of God is an Exodus chapter 40. Now Moses has already been instructed what to do. They're going to build a tabernacle for God. The tabernacle is designed with alters in different places for sacrifice to take place, but there's also one important part of it. And the tabernacle will be a, a place, a tent meeting where there's a holy place
Speaker 1 00:16:27 And a holy of Holies
Speaker 0 00:16:29 Now in the holy place there sacrifices made. But there's another special place inside called the holy of Holies in the holy of Holies will be the Ark of the covenant. The Ark of the covenant is a box has two cherubims are, the wings will touch in the middle. And the high priest will go in and sprinkle blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the covenant. And that will happen on an annual basis. But the other thing that's unusual that will happen is the glory of the Lord is going to come in reside right there on top of the Ark of the covenant. So when we get to Exodus chapter 40 Moses, given all the instruction on how to build a tabernacle, they do all the work and get everything all done. As soon as it gets completed. And the Ark of the covenant is put in place. It identifies the glory of the Lord comes in at a Wolf,
Speaker 1 00:17:21 Feels the holy of Holies
Speaker 0 00:17:25 And the glory Lord resides there. And is there on a daily basis saying that God is <inaudible> with the nation of Israel, the should kind of glory is there. And when they travel that glory moves with them everywhere they go. So about 400 years later, Solomon's going to build a temple. When Solomon builds that temple, he builds in the same way that the tabernacle was built, but a lot larger. And in one location, the tabernacle journeys, wherever the children of Israel go, the tabernacle, the temple rather is built in Jerusalem. When he builds a builds in the same way,
Speaker 1 00:18:06 There's the holy of Holies. And then
Speaker 0 00:18:09 You have the, I'm sorry, there's a holy place. And then there's the holy of Holies. They moved the Ark of the covenant into the holy of Holies and all of a sudden what it identifies in first Kings eight is the glory. Lord now
Speaker 1 00:18:22 Fills the temple with the glory
Speaker 0 00:18:26 Of the Lord. And God is present in the nation of Israel. The glory Lord resides there until Ezekiel chapter 10 and as eco chapter 10 ZQ is right in the nation of Israel. Who's in captivity. He wants to understand what's really happened to the nation. And he starts talking to the children of Israel, what took place. And he identifies that the glory of Lord was here in the temple. And all of a sudden it rose up from the cherubim and it stood over the edge of the court of the temple. And after it resided there for a little bit, it moved out to the corner, to the walls of the city. And after resided there for a while, it moved out from there to the east Mount to the Mount of olives and it stood there. And then it just disappeared because the glory Lord did not go with the children of Israel, into the Babylonian captivity. It departed from Israel and 5 86 BC. The nation comes back. 70 years later, they come back and rebuild the temple. The temple is all rebuilt and you knew, do you know what they do not have when they come back? The Ark of the covenant? I know what else it doesn't come
Speaker 1 00:19:41 Back is the glory of the Lord. It does not return. So Gloria Lord's gone leaves in 5 86 BC. The next time we hear the glory of the Lord, Luke chapter two,
Speaker 0 00:19:58 And the shepherds were in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel Lord appeared.
Speaker 1 00:20:06 And the glory of the Lord
Speaker 0 00:20:09 Shone round about that is not light from angels.
Speaker 1 00:20:14 The glory of the Lord means what
Speaker 0 00:20:15 God is present again on the earth and residing on the earth on the birth of Jesus Christ. Turn to John one 14. Here's how John describes the same incident of what takes place when Jesus Christ came
Speaker 1 00:20:34 To the earth, John chapter one and verse 14
Speaker 1 00:20:49 And the word
Speaker 0 00:20:50 That's a reference to Jesus Christ became flesh
Speaker 1 00:20:55 And dwelt lived among us. And we beheld his glory glory as the only begotten
Speaker 0 00:21:05 From the father full of grace and truth. Now we've got the glory residing on the earth in Jesus Christ. And it's understanding this glory that Moses saw that he had face-to-face contact with that traveled with the nation of Israel, departed at the captivity in 5 86 BC. It comes back in the person of Jesus Christ who brings the glory of God, the residential deity of the earth back to earth, and the life of Christ brings the presence and the glory of God together in one person. Now it's interesting. Paul takes this whole story of our passage of Exodus, 33 and 34, the birth of Jesus Christ out of Luke two, merges it together and says, let me explain to you what has transpired with the glory of God. And he exposes it's for us to understand the difference between these two glories. So turn to second Corinthians three second Corinthians chapter three, starting at verse eight
Speaker 0 00:22:26 And Paul's going to make a comparison of the two. He's going to talk about the old Testament and the glory that Moses saw versus the new Testament. The glory that we see Moses is fading, glory Christ, transforming glory. Here's how it begins starting at verse seven. But if the ministry of death in letters, engraved on stones, came with glory so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face fading, as it was, how shall the ministry of the spirit
Speaker 1 00:23:09 Fail
Speaker 0 00:23:10 To even more, with more glory for if the ministry of condemnation has glory, that's Moses much more. Does the ministry of righteousness, a bound to glory that's Christ for indeed. What had glory in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it for that, which fades away with glory. Moses, much more shall that which remains in glory, that Christ having therefore, such hope, a hope. We use gray boldness in our speech and our not as Moses who used to put a veil over his face, that the sons of Israel midnight look intently at the end of what was fading away, but their minds were hardened for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains unlifted because it is removed in Christ. So he identifies that veiling of Moses was also availing of the hearts of the children. Visit hard hearts that couldn't see the glory of God, because a hard heart, which is going to be revealed through Jesus Christ. He continues.
Speaker 1 00:24:23 But to this day, verse 15,
Speaker 0 00:24:25 Whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But whenever a man comes to turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. So we're born with this veil on our hearts. There's a veil on the hearts of people. And when you read through the old test, the veil is there. But when somebody comes to Jesus Christ, the veil is lifted up and we see the glory. We see God, we see Christ who they really are. And we see ourselves in Christ. He continues for us to understand this glory and the power of it for 17. Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty, but we all with unveiled face beholding, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the spirit.
Speaker 0 00:25:18 So in Moses this day, he veiled it and nobody was changed in any way. But for us, when the veil is lifted and we come to Christ, we are being transformed into the glory of Christ on a daily basis and becoming like him for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now that word transforms an important word. It's a word that you all know very well. And actually, you know, Greek, you don't know, you know, Greek and it's translated as transformed. And you're like, hi, I was you ready for the word now? You know, very well it's metamorphosis. You're like, oh, I get it. I recently had a friend who was posting on Facebook. She posted on Facebook, this caterpillar crawling around those cage. And we all love caterpillars. Don't we, they're just these ugly little things with all these legs and all that. It's just crawling around, crawling around, crawling around, crawling around.
Speaker 0 00:26:14 And then all of a sudden it stopped one day and you can watch it doing all this stuff and on it, going into this Chrysalis, in this cocoon or something, and there, it sits for a couple of days and it says, and then all of a sudden you're watching. And one day it's starting to break through and it's like, what is going on here? And it actually breaks through it. All of a sudden, you know, what happened to, it's no longer kind of a butterfly that comes out as beautiful butterfly that comes out and is released. It's like, what is going on here? And we know that as metamorphosis, that's the word is saying, listen, the gospel is such an event in our lives. Then when you come to Christ, there's this transformation of making you from a caterpillar to butterfly. It's going to metamorphosize you to become not like you were, but like Jesus Christ and who he is this transformation would read about in the new Testament.
Speaker 0 00:27:09 So for example, when you come to the gospels and Matthew mark, they record the event when Jesus goes up on Mount olives and while he's there, he is, transfigured, he is transformed. And when you read that passage, all of a sudden his glory is revealed. You may recall, who's standing on the mountain with him, Moses and Elijah, and there's this bright light and all going. And the disciples want to build Tabernacles and alters there to worship. It's just like, no, this is what's going on. Some of them got to see the glory, the real glory of Christ at that point. And it's used that way. That's the transfiguration. It's also used in Romans 12.
Speaker 1 00:27:51 When all of a sudden it talks about us
Speaker 0 00:27:55 Being transformed. And it's interesting how it says
Speaker 1 00:27:59 It by the renewing of our mind, we're transformed folks.
Speaker 0 00:28:08 We need to understand the power of the gospel.
Speaker 1 00:28:12 The old Testament law
Speaker 0 00:28:14 Glory glory is veiled. New Testament comes along with, says to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That veil
Speaker 1 00:28:22 Is removed.
Speaker 0 00:28:25 That glory is expose. That glory comes to us and starts to transforming our lives and our hearts and our minds. And we're not the people we used to be because the glory glorious transforming us to be like Christ and as wonderful as that truth is. And as much as we know we need it, we that's the wrong question. If we need it,
Speaker 1 00:28:53 The question is, do you really want, do you want to be transformed by the glory of Christ? Do you really want to be transformed? It's not just something that happens passively.
Speaker 0 00:29:10 Be transformed, requires engagement
Speaker 1 00:29:14 On your part and to be transforming change
Speaker 0 00:29:20 And be transformed means we cannot be satisfied by who we are because we know
Speaker 1 00:29:26 Who we need to become. We cannot be proud to think we were okay.
Speaker 0 00:29:33 That'd be humbled. Know who we have to be. And all of a sudden to be transformed
Speaker 1 00:29:41 Is saying, I need and want to change. Why?
Speaker 0 00:29:47 Because the way it takes place is not in a simple and easy fashion. How did Moses get transformed? How did he get reflecting the glory? What did he do? He's been 40 days and 40 nights with your way on a mountain. That means it's going to take time to be transformed. It doesn't happen instantly. And are you willing to give the time necessary for you to be transformed, transformed by the glory of Christ to become like Christ? Oh, what did Moses do? They commune with God. They had a relationship together. Have you sat down to consider the time you spend in your communion with Christ? Are you willing to give the time to even do that? Do you even have time that you give to Christ that communion that's necessary to bring that transformation that you really want? Are you willing to pray? I mean, most of our 40 days and 40 nights, he was talking to God. He made requests of God. There's prayer. That takes place in that transformation. And not just whatever comes into your mind. It seems like prayer, prayer needs time and attention.
Speaker 1 00:31:01 Thoughtfulness of what to pray about. What
Speaker 0 00:31:05 Is the content of the prayer that I put down before the Lord? Is that just things I want or as a real transformation, the lives of other people that I'm requesting, what are the prayers I have for other people? How do I pray for missionaries who are in needs? What about the persecuted church? What about my brothers and sisters here are going through trials and difficult. Do I really have content to my prayers? Or are they just simple prayers? Like rub a dub dub. Thanks for the grub. Yay God. What are our prayers folks? I mean, just the time, the time in order to be transformed is prayer, but it's the word of God that whole time he was on the mountain. What was happening? God was talking to Moses. The word was coming to him. He was writing things down 40 days and 40 nights in the word of God. And what's our time in the word. What's your plan in the word. If you want to be transformed, somehow God has to speak to our hearts and minds. This is going to transform my mind. I've have content to come in to teach me how to think differently
Speaker 1 00:32:19 About what's going on in my life. If and the world around me,
Speaker 0 00:32:23 The things that God must do. But those are the humility that's necessary to be transformed. Moses came down the mountain,
Speaker 1 00:32:34 His face, brightly shining, and he has no idea what he looks like. He
Speaker 0 00:32:42 Doesn't realize what God had done in his life. And if we're going to watch transformation takes place, we can not be boasting about what we've seen him doing. It's more of a sense of other, seeing it in us, observing it out of us, that the transformation is taking place. And they're aware that we're not the person we used to be is something's changed of how we talk or how we think or how we be behave. There's something different about us and they observe it and of our humility. We're informed
Speaker 1 00:33:20 Of it. But one of the most difficult ones, one of the
Speaker 0 00:33:24 Most difficult ones for God to transform us, this was suffering and trial.
Speaker 1 00:33:31 I don't know anybody who sits around and wants life to be difficult.
Speaker 0 00:33:37 Everybody sits around and praise, gimme trials, trials, trials. I have some friends who have prayed that for me,
Speaker 1 00:33:47 But I've never prayed that for myself, but don't we strive to avoid trials. Don't we strive to avoid suffering. Don't we strive
Speaker 0 00:33:57 To avoid all those things. Yet. Moses is finishing up with God, knowing he's got another 40 years ahead of him with an obstinate, stiff neck people that he requested. God sent him on a journey with. Cause God said, he'd wipe them all out and start all over and said, no, no, no, no, no. They're your people. You need to keep them. I'll lead them. And he willingly, willingly found himself suffering through trial with the people that God gave him. Turn to James chapter one with me, James chapter one verses two to four. I mean, this is a hard one for us.
Speaker 0 00:34:53 I mean, everybody in this room is going through some kind of trial. Now there's something that's on your plate that you're aware. It's like, you know, Lord, that you just wished it was removed. Sometimes it's something short. I mean, it could have been an appliance. I mean your washing machine, it could have gone down last night, the brakes out on your car. I mean, that's a short one, unless you can't afford it. And that's a financial one. Some of you are going through some things in your home life. That's like, you didn't ask for this. It's just happening. And just some tensions and frustrations and some disappointments in home.
Speaker 1 00:35:34 There's some relationships you have. They're just tough. And somehow
Speaker 0 00:35:39 That just the tension in them that you're trying to resolve and all that. And God's working there. Some of you going through some health issues and we'd love to tell you it'll be over tomorrow the next day. But folks, we all know this there's some health issues. It seemed, they just never, they just, they just never seem to end.
Speaker 1 00:36:05 And somehow you've been called to suffer and suffer and suffer.
Speaker 0 00:36:12 Some of you dealing with job situations, some of you've lost your jobs. Some of you're just struggling financially. I don't know what you're struggling. We're all going through them. And the thing is we don't want them. And yet we need to understand that if we're going to be transformed and we're going to be transforming like Christ, somehow God uses the trials in our suffering to mold us and shape us that we somehow look like Christ. Here's how James describes it. Consider it all joy. My brother, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its perfect result that you're complete
Speaker 1 00:36:57 And lacking in nothing.
Speaker 0 00:37:00 What does trials do? And test your faith when it calls you to endure war, To have the perfect result, you know, that perfect result. That word complete means mature. It means to be like Christ. God has a plan for your trial to make you like Christ. Unfortunately, to get there, we have to endure war to get there. And then to make matters, worse, James says consider it all joy
Speaker 1 00:37:33 Ride, but you know that there's real joy and happiness. There's
Speaker 0 00:37:38 Joy because you know, God is at work in our lives, empowered by the spirit with the promises of his word, to transform us, to be like Christ
Speaker 0 00:38:06 And that's what he's doing in each of our lives. When we come to Christ, that veil is lifted. That transformation starts taking place and he wants to make us like Christ. Our question is, do we want, do we want to be transformed? And if so, how is that going to take place? Because Moses had the fading glory of God. We have the transforming glory of Christ
Speaker 1 00:38:40 And we get to be transformed, not by fading glory, by eternal living glory of Jesus Christ. And in that transformation, we become like Christ.
Speaker 0 00:38:56 You know, we're here this morning too, and you may be listening. And the whole idea is a greater need. Maybe you meet maybe like the Israelites and that veil is still covering your eyes and you need it lifted to trust in Christ as your savior, the recognition like, you know, your broken life is not right and good. You understand that you're, you're just, don't have things in order of how you talk, how you think, what you do. You know, there's a need to change, but to make that change, you've got to come to Christ and to come to Christ is the recognition that jurors center, but the Christ died on the cross for your sins and with death on the cross, it paid the penalty for all your sins. And when he was buried as raised on the third day, demonstrating, he was God and God in heaven accepted that sacrifice. And he said, who's ever believes on the Lord, Jesus Christ shall be saved. And if you believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ, you shall be saved. And that lifts the veil that work begins. And all of a sudden you'll be conformed to the image of Christ. And I'm inviting you to do that today. And for the rest of us, while we have a lot of choices to make of how to be conformed to the wonderful image of Christ in so many ways, but our willingness to give the time
Speaker 1 00:40:29 To be transformed
Speaker 0 00:40:33 Because Moses had the fading glory of God. We have the transforming glory of Christ. Now as a church, we practice communion on a weekly basis. And as we do that, we always prepare ourselves for that worship, that celebration of what Christ did for us on the cross. We do that by taking a moment of silence at silences, a variety of things to do that silence can be used today for you to trust in Christ, as your personal saying, say, this is the day that I want to come to know Christ as my savior. You can do that during that silence, but it can also be a time where you reflect on your life and say, you know what? There's some things that are really out of sync. And I need to confess that sin, that stuff to God. And I need to correct that to move forward in my walk with Christ,
Speaker 3 00:41:26 Or you can be one sitting
Speaker 0 00:41:28 There that God's been faithful to you. He's brought you through trials and circumstances, and this is a day that you find yourself just wanting to give him thanks for the salvation you have for the conforming transforming glory of Christ in your life. And you just give him thanks for that. And each of us responds differently during that time of silence, but we will do that. We're going to go to a time of silence and preparation. And when we take communion here, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, we invite you to partake. You don't have to be a member of our church, just know Christ as your personal savior. If you're not a believer, we asked you not to partake because you're saying by taking it, you're going to proclaim that Christ is coming again. And that you believe in him. And if your child had home and all, that's one of talking over with your folks. And if you have folks say, it's okay, we're okay with you. Take you that as well, as far as, as long as your folks agree, this thing that you understand and you can participate. So we all could take a time of silence. And then we'll talk about our partaking together. Let's go to prayer.
