Classroom: Pursuit of God 03-08-07
03-08-07 Emmanuel Entee
The Pursuit of God
Exodus 33:1-19
Verses 1-6: A call to sanctity
Verses 7-11: Heart preparation
Verses 12-16: A quest for God’s glory
Verses 17-19: God’s response
Moses responded to God in this way because God made him so. God very much wants us to have our freedom.
God says, “you will die if you see my glory” – but Moses does not stop. He says, “show me your glory.”
Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Sometimes persistence and pursuit explains the state of our hearts – not giving up explains how authentic and genuine and how badly we want this. To not give up explains just how much you want this. If you think about everyone who has made it huge, and they will tell you this – NOT giving up has been one of the cornerstones. So Moses is saying, “there has to be more. There has to be more than this wonderful presence of God – so I’m going for more, that’s there.” So he says, “show me your glory!” God says, “you will die.”
Matthew 15:22-28
The Canaanite woman in pursuit of Jesus.
Exodus 34:5-7
The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."
The guilty will not be cleared, and our sins have repercussions on many others.
The Glory of God
“The manifest presence of God and the revelation of who He is (His character) that so impacts us that we revere Him, get to know Him, and live our lives in response to that revelation.”
The kind of glory of God that Moses was talking about was what we call the “manifest presence of God.” He wanted God to manifest Himself in his presence.
Can you imagine what the world will be like when we become an expression of the grace of God? When we become an expression of the mercy of God? When we become an expression of true love? Slow to anger an patient? All these attributes of God – when we express them in our lives, we are showing God to each other and to the world.
· Every manifestation of God’s presence is associated with the revelation of His Character.
God wants us to know Him in all these aspects of His character, and He wants these aspects of His character to shape our lives. So when we gather together, not only do we need to pray for God to be there with us, but we need to pray that God would reveal more of Himself to us!
· God’s character is central to all His intentions and actions.
Whatever is required of us by God – it must not disengage, but engage. Dante said, “the hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis remained silent.” Of course there are places and times when our active engagement is seriously limited. We must find a way to engage! And the degree of bringing Godly influence to any area of engagement is based on our understanding of God’s Character. So the challenge I’m throwing to you and myself is – don’t be a Christian who goes to a conference and comes down and when they’re leaving says, “we had a good time.” And that “good time” does not translate into personal transformation and transformation of the society around you.
Almost 200 years after the death of Jesus, almost every continent and every area of society of the then-known world was touched by the gospel. Of course this is to the degree that we understand the largeness of the world – but basically each of us will become an instrument of expressing God’s Character.
God has put in us a desire to see a difference in the society around us. Each of us has that innate desire to make a difference in the society around us. Even more so God has put in us the ability to make a difference in the society around us.
In the 1900’s a man came to the UK to study. His next door neighbor was a Christian. The young man was a Lutheran. He did not ask his questions in church because you are not allowed to ask questions. He did not ask questions to this other Christian because this other Christian was not available. He was passionate about justice. He wanted to furnish injustice for all, and he became so disillusioned with the church that he decided to do it his way – as he understood it. He started writing volumes of his understanding and philosophies. He went back to Germany, and from those writings he started influencing. Out of that was birthed communism. The man was called Karl Marx. Marxism. For 70 years, 1/3 of the worlds population was spellbound and under control of Marxism. Still, quite a number of nations practice Marxism. That’s why it’s very important for you to ask your questions and for us to engage back.
A man grew up very shy in a Christian village. He was very shy. He was bullied in school, he would not be the one to stand up. He was not your type who would lead. Nobody recognized him, he was just lost in the crowd. He went to Germany to study, was radicalized by Islamic radicals in Germany who had cells. Through those friendships and influences, he then became very withdrawn and religions. Mohammad Altar – through this background, was able to lead the 9/11 attacks. The world had never remained the same as a result of that influence.
Every one of us has that ability to share that ability around us. Of course some of us will use it for the wrong purposes. Each one of us, standing before God and allowing His grace to empower us has the ability to make a difference around us. So when you go home to where ever you’re from – look at your environment – trust God – He is able to use you to make a difference!
· The revelation of God is intrinsically (essentially) linked to His redemptive purpose.
Abraham: Genesis 17:1-3
Moses: Exodus 3
Jacob: Genesis 28:10-22
Thomas: John 20:26-28
We NEED to be an expression of God’s character!!! When we express His character – that is when we’re TRULY reflecting who He is!
This girl from Kosovo – do you know your history? When there was genocide – and there were Serbian solders murdering in Kosovo. This girl was in her house, and soldiers came in. They killed her father in front of her eyes. They raped and killed her mother while she was watching. Then they shot all of her brothers. She was the only one they spared – and at this Christian conference, “I cannot forgive them.” So we surrounded her and laid hands on her and just started praying, “God come and be here among us! Show us who you are and allow us to know you deeper!” And after some time we got to the point where we really felt we were starting to break through. After another short while, this girl starts to say, “I forgive you! I forgive you!” And we left that place saying “WOW! God was REALLY here!”
The way God acts is based on His Character! So do you remember Sodom and Gomorrah? God was patient and slow to anger. They pushed God to the limits, and He was slow to anger. And they kept pushing and still He was slow to anger. And He was patient, and patient, and patient, until finally it got to the point where God had to show His anger and justice.
Did you ever think that it’s enough to be where you’re at? To be in a wonderful Bible study, to be in a wonderful church, to have wonderful family… let me tell you there is MORE! MORE! So pursue it.
To the degree that we are able to change the society around us will depend on the degree of our conviction of God’s word. Conviction is your belief – and UNSHAKABLE belief. An unshakable belief that you are willing to die for!
That lack of understanding of who God is – was that part of Adam and Eve’s fall?
The Names of God
El Shaddai – God Almighty (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; Exodus 6:3; Ezekiel 10:5) “God the Provider or life giver,” understanding Shaddai to be derived from the word for a “mother’s breast.” Also means the “all-sufficient” one and the one who is “enough”.
Jehovah Nissi – “God is my banner” – this was the name given by the altar, which Moses erected to commemorate the defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim (Ex 17:8-15). That aspect of God’s name that reminds us of our victory in Christ. (Romans 8:31-37)
Jehovah Rapha – God who heals you – At Marah, on the way to Sinai, the Lord promised Israle that if they fully obeyed Him, He would not bring on them the diseases He brought on Egypt. His name of assurance means “I am God who heals you” (Exodus 15:26)
I know some Christians who say, “when I’m sick, I don’t go to the doctor, I just pray.” How many of you know Christians like that? That’s called dichotomistic thinking. They think it’s either/or – it’s spiritual or it’s not spiritual. God gave us plants, doctors, medicines. He gave us the abilities to discover and treat. God’s understanding of life is holistic. It includes both – spiritual and physical.
Jehovah Shalom – “God of peace”– The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon to commission him to liberate Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6:1-22). The Lord greeted him with peace, so Gideon built an altar and named it “The Lord is Peace” (Judges 6:23-24).
Jehovah Shammah – “The Lord is there” – This was the name of God written at Jerusalem’s gate, after Jerusalem was restored. (Ezekiel 48:35).
Jehovah Tsidkenu – “God our Righteousness” – Righteousness is the divine attribute of God who imputes His righteousness to His followers and therefore is able to reconcile them to God (Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 33:16; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Psalm 97:2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Jehovah Jireh – “God will provide” – “God will see to it” Jireh comes from the same Hebrew root as Moriah, the name of the region to which God sent Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:8, 12-14).
The Pursuit of God
Exodus 33:1-19
Verses 1-6: A call to sanctity
Verses 7-11: Heart preparation
Verses 12-16: A quest for God’s glory
Verses 17-19: God’s response
Moses responded to God in this way because God made him so. God very much wants us to have our freedom.
God says, “you will die if you see my glory” – but Moses does not stop. He says, “show me your glory.”
Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Sometimes persistence and pursuit explains the state of our hearts – not giving up explains how authentic and genuine and how badly we want this. To not give up explains just how much you want this. If you think about everyone who has made it huge, and they will tell you this – NOT giving up has been one of the cornerstones. So Moses is saying, “there has to be more. There has to be more than this wonderful presence of God – so I’m going for more, that’s there.” So he says, “show me your glory!” God says, “you will die.”
Matthew 15:22-28
The Canaanite woman in pursuit of Jesus.
Exodus 34:5-7
The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."
The guilty will not be cleared, and our sins have repercussions on many others.
The Glory of God
“The manifest presence of God and the revelation of who He is (His character) that so impacts us that we revere Him, get to know Him, and live our lives in response to that revelation.”
The kind of glory of God that Moses was talking about was what we call the “manifest presence of God.” He wanted God to manifest Himself in his presence.
Can you imagine what the world will be like when we become an expression of the grace of God? When we become an expression of the mercy of God? When we become an expression of true love? Slow to anger an patient? All these attributes of God – when we express them in our lives, we are showing God to each other and to the world.
· Every manifestation of God’s presence is associated with the revelation of His Character.
God wants us to know Him in all these aspects of His character, and He wants these aspects of His character to shape our lives. So when we gather together, not only do we need to pray for God to be there with us, but we need to pray that God would reveal more of Himself to us!
· God’s character is central to all His intentions and actions.
Whatever is required of us by God – it must not disengage, but engage. Dante said, “the hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis remained silent.” Of course there are places and times when our active engagement is seriously limited. We must find a way to engage! And the degree of bringing Godly influence to any area of engagement is based on our understanding of God’s Character. So the challenge I’m throwing to you and myself is – don’t be a Christian who goes to a conference and comes down and when they’re leaving says, “we had a good time.” And that “good time” does not translate into personal transformation and transformation of the society around you.
Almost 200 years after the death of Jesus, almost every continent and every area of society of the then-known world was touched by the gospel. Of course this is to the degree that we understand the largeness of the world – but basically each of us will become an instrument of expressing God’s Character.
God has put in us a desire to see a difference in the society around us. Each of us has that innate desire to make a difference in the society around us. Even more so God has put in us the ability to make a difference in the society around us.
In the 1900’s a man came to the UK to study. His next door neighbor was a Christian. The young man was a Lutheran. He did not ask his questions in church because you are not allowed to ask questions. He did not ask questions to this other Christian because this other Christian was not available. He was passionate about justice. He wanted to furnish injustice for all, and he became so disillusioned with the church that he decided to do it his way – as he understood it. He started writing volumes of his understanding and philosophies. He went back to Germany, and from those writings he started influencing. Out of that was birthed communism. The man was called Karl Marx. Marxism. For 70 years, 1/3 of the worlds population was spellbound and under control of Marxism. Still, quite a number of nations practice Marxism. That’s why it’s very important for you to ask your questions and for us to engage back.
A man grew up very shy in a Christian village. He was very shy. He was bullied in school, he would not be the one to stand up. He was not your type who would lead. Nobody recognized him, he was just lost in the crowd. He went to Germany to study, was radicalized by Islamic radicals in Germany who had cells. Through those friendships and influences, he then became very withdrawn and religions. Mohammad Altar – through this background, was able to lead the 9/11 attacks. The world had never remained the same as a result of that influence.
Every one of us has that ability to share that ability around us. Of course some of us will use it for the wrong purposes. Each one of us, standing before God and allowing His grace to empower us has the ability to make a difference around us. So when you go home to where ever you’re from – look at your environment – trust God – He is able to use you to make a difference!
· The revelation of God is intrinsically (essentially) linked to His redemptive purpose.
Abraham: Genesis 17:1-3
Moses: Exodus 3
Jacob: Genesis 28:10-22
Thomas: John 20:26-28
We NEED to be an expression of God’s character!!! When we express His character – that is when we’re TRULY reflecting who He is!
This girl from Kosovo – do you know your history? When there was genocide – and there were Serbian solders murdering in Kosovo. This girl was in her house, and soldiers came in. They killed her father in front of her eyes. They raped and killed her mother while she was watching. Then they shot all of her brothers. She was the only one they spared – and at this Christian conference, “I cannot forgive them.” So we surrounded her and laid hands on her and just started praying, “God come and be here among us! Show us who you are and allow us to know you deeper!” And after some time we got to the point where we really felt we were starting to break through. After another short while, this girl starts to say, “I forgive you! I forgive you!” And we left that place saying “WOW! God was REALLY here!”
The way God acts is based on His Character! So do you remember Sodom and Gomorrah? God was patient and slow to anger. They pushed God to the limits, and He was slow to anger. And they kept pushing and still He was slow to anger. And He was patient, and patient, and patient, until finally it got to the point where God had to show His anger and justice.
Did you ever think that it’s enough to be where you’re at? To be in a wonderful Bible study, to be in a wonderful church, to have wonderful family… let me tell you there is MORE! MORE! So pursue it.
To the degree that we are able to change the society around us will depend on the degree of our conviction of God’s word. Conviction is your belief – and UNSHAKABLE belief. An unshakable belief that you are willing to die for!
That lack of understanding of who God is – was that part of Adam and Eve’s fall?
The Names of God
El Shaddai – God Almighty (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; Exodus 6:3; Ezekiel 10:5) “God the Provider or life giver,” understanding Shaddai to be derived from the word for a “mother’s breast.” Also means the “all-sufficient” one and the one who is “enough”.
Jehovah Nissi – “God is my banner” – this was the name given by the altar, which Moses erected to commemorate the defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim (Ex 17:8-15). That aspect of God’s name that reminds us of our victory in Christ. (Romans 8:31-37)
Jehovah Rapha – God who heals you – At Marah, on the way to Sinai, the Lord promised Israle that if they fully obeyed Him, He would not bring on them the diseases He brought on Egypt. His name of assurance means “I am God who heals you” (Exodus 15:26)
I know some Christians who say, “when I’m sick, I don’t go to the doctor, I just pray.” How many of you know Christians like that? That’s called dichotomistic thinking. They think it’s either/or – it’s spiritual or it’s not spiritual. God gave us plants, doctors, medicines. He gave us the abilities to discover and treat. God’s understanding of life is holistic. It includes both – spiritual and physical.
Jehovah Shalom – “God of peace”– The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon to commission him to liberate Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6:1-22). The Lord greeted him with peace, so Gideon built an altar and named it “The Lord is Peace” (Judges 6:23-24).
Jehovah Shammah – “The Lord is there” – This was the name of God written at Jerusalem’s gate, after Jerusalem was restored. (Ezekiel 48:35).
Jehovah Tsidkenu – “God our Righteousness” – Righteousness is the divine attribute of God who imputes His righteousness to His followers and therefore is able to reconcile them to God (Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 33:16; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Psalm 97:2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Jehovah Jireh – “God will provide” – “God will see to it” Jireh comes from the same Hebrew root as Moriah, the name of the region to which God sent Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:8, 12-14).
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