Getting To Know God Part 2

Morris Jesus phone number for some people think God can be manipulated. Others think he's too busy to care about what goes on down here, but Moses learned the truth in Exodus 4 and five, Moses, God is absolutely sovereign and absolutely holy today will watch as Moses find God to be absolutely faith from the Moody Church in Chicago this morning to win with Dr. Erwin listserv was clear. Teaching helps us make it across the finish line postulates or were learning some key lessons as we trace the life of Moses lessons he learned as he was getting to know God and you know Dave, we have to learn the very same lessons. Of course they come to us in a different form in different circumstances but ultimately God tests us in the desert with disappointment with a sense of hopelessness and then he begins to show us his glory. And I'm saying this from memory. I hope I got it right but Woody Allen is quoted as saying history has to repeat itself because nobody learned its lessons.

The first time and that's why it is that all of us as human beings have to keep relearning what others have learned and that's why the life of Moses is so encouraging and from it we gain insights into our own struggles. I've written a book entitled getting closer to God. It's actually based on this series of messages so you can receive it.

Of course then you'll have it in permanent form and you can share it with your friends getting closer with God.

Go to RTW offer.com for gift of any amount.

It can be yours RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and now let us get some insight into God even as we study the life of Moses. Moses has had a lesson in the sovereignty of God's had a lesson in the holiness of God and now he needs 1/3 lesson. Let me tell you why he needed this third lesson, it's because when he went to Egypt, he did get a chance to talk to Pharaoh and he said Farrell would you please let us go and worship God for three days. He's making a request that is very reasonable is not singularly permanently.

But is saying, at least for three days, the king of Egypt says to himself, these Jews up to their asking these questions because they don't have enough to do. I now notice what the text has to say in verse seven of chapter 5, you are no longer to give the people straw to make bricks as previously let them go and gather straw for themselves, but skip to verse 19 and the foreman of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble because they were told, you must not reduce your daily amount of bricks. Afterwards, what Pharaoh did was he responded negatively and said, look, in light of the fact that all that you're worrying about is taking three days off. I'm going to even give you more work. The children of Israel were slaves they were building cities.

There were building with bricks and they were given straw to do it and he said I want this main quota of bricks, but you gather your own straw and those whips that were used for those Jewish slaves were brought down on the backs of God's people, and there was a reaction toward Moses.

Let's read of it.

It says verse 20 when they left Pharaoh's presence.

They met Moses and Aaron as they were waiting for them.

And the Lord said to them, may the Lord look upon you and judge you for you have made us odious and thorough site and in the sight of his servants to put a sword in their hand to kill us.

Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, old Lord, why has thou brought harm to this people. Why did Sal ever send me ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name he has done harm to this people and that has not delivered the people at all. Here's Moses obedient trying to do God's will reluctantly dragged out of the desert brought back to Egypt and now is the time when he expects. Finally, the people will accept him he already experienced the pain of rejection. 40 years ago and he comes in in obedience to God. It blows up in his face. The people rebel and now his own people are angry with him. One of the hardest things for us to endure is when we do right and get blamed for it or get misunderstood for it. It is difficult to take. So God says Moses you understand know something about my sovereignty. I'm sovereign in history, Pharaoh's heart is in my hand. You are my chosen people understand that I work in and through the events of history.

You understand something about my holiness. You need to obey when it comes to your family and in all other commandments that you know about, but now Moses to comfort you. You need to understand my faithfulness and what the Lord does in chapter 6. Is he says Moses I'm going to tell you something that is going to give you the courage to keep going despite your setback he says in verse three I appeared to Abraham and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name, the Lord, I did not make myself known to them Bible scholars have wrestled with this.

They said the word Jehovah occurs before this is the word Jehovah yes it does. But God never revealed what that name really meant. And now he says Moses I'm going to reveal myself to you as the covenant keeping God. I want to assure you of some things that will carry you through the black discouraging times when you are blamed for being obedient and what the Lord says in versus six, seven and eight, seven times he uses the word. I will he says I am the Lord.

I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians, I will deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm. I will take you for my people. I will be your God. Verse eight I will bring you into the land and I will give it to you as a possession. Moses understands something that the opposition that you encountered is temporary opposition if you can see the big picture. You will know that I am absolutely faithful to who I am. No matter what you may be going through the faithfulness of God.

I'd like to just bring you up-to-date on what is happened in my life. In the last 12 hours this past week I spent a couple of days in Orlando Florida friend. It was the former member of Moody Church encouraged me to go and I had the opportunity of being in Orlando and in order to save money I spent last night, such as it was in Orlando. Now you have to understand that I left at 6 o'clock this morning Chicago time 7 o'clock Orlando time and to be picked up by the shuttle service at my hotel shuttle service. The only time that would fit is 520 this morning and so I phoned that the hotel operator last night in Orlando and I said you know I need to be awakened at five. I said can you absolutely assure me that I'll get that wake-up call and she said your name is on the computer server, and hung up. All right here I am now. My name is on the computer. I begin to go to bed and thinking Lord you know I need to sleep and I'm quoting some verses of Scripture, but I can't get this computer out of my mind because you know to me reliable computer is an oxymoron is something like Army intelligence or mail service or tax benefit. I put it in the same category. So last night as I was sleeping I thought to myself. Now you know whether or not I make this flight and whether or not Darrell has to preach it.

Moody church this Sunday morning is totally dependent on a computer. I have never seen. I began to think, you know, the computer may not break down, but what if she got the wrong room number because it was a four digit number and she obviously was in a hurry so I can imagine the telephone ringing three doors down for 45 in the morning and I thought to myself, you know, maybe she has the right number and that may be the computer will break down but what if she didn't get the right time so I thought to myself there's only one way to do that and that is to make sure that even apart from this phone call, which is supposed to come that I will be awake by the time it's 445 so I'm sleeping and suddenly I wake up and I think surely this is the time I turn on the light to 15 think to myself.

It's too too long before I have to go II guess I should get some more sleep. Go back to sleep for a little while wake up, turn on the light. 305 sun waiting there and I'm saying to myself, you know, I wonder wonder whether is it worth going back to sleep with C4 45 hello I guess I drifted off, but I began to think you know I could get up and I could practice my my sermon I could I could learn my notes and I could pray, but then on the other hand, I need sleep to. And I guess you can guess which one of those one out. Suddenly the phone rings I can't believe it is 445.

You probably know the rest of the story. I made my flight my lovely wife and daughter were at O'Hare Field to pick me up here. I am not telling you that story because I want you to feel sorry for me and say will you know the pastors really tired this morning.

Listen when you're my age, you can take a night like that is just that you don't want to in a row like that nor am I telling this story, so that, for those of you who think perhaps I'm not as sharp this morning as I show them that I'm trying to grow for an excuse, but on the flight. I thought today you know there is such a thing that is not an oxymoron. When God puts us in his computer when our name is written on his hands when his covenant towards us is absolutely certain and he says I will the faithfulness of God is not an oxymoron. That is something that you can depend upon, and when the final wake-up call, since we will be with him because God has said, I will know what I'd like to do is to simply summarize what I have to say to you this morning and remind you that a single trial that we have in life.

Every single experience that you had this week that you do not like all is designed by God to nudge costs closer to him. I want you to know today that God wants to strip away all things so that we love him supremely.

And remember, we seldom depend upon him unless we absolutely have to. And that's why sometimes we meet people who are stubborn and there are those personality conflicts in those needs. And that's why sometimes we experience in life, our own disobedience and as a result, we are disciplined by God, and we have needs within our own families. And that's why we often times may be discouraged because we do what is right and it backfires. We feel betrayed God says to you and me. I want you to know that that I am there and I am drawing you closer to myself. I am lifting you up because I want you to come directly to my heart and so there is some hearts that are hard. I need to tell you this morning that undoubtedly in a congregation like this. There are some people whose hearts are turned off and are hard toward God. There are other people whose heart is home with God. I urge you today to open your heart to God. If you find any desire to seek him to do so and to come to Jesus Christ because that is the first step that needs to be taken in getting to know God at the conference I attended Johnny Erickson was there.

Johnny Erickson taught many of you will recognize her as the young woman who is paralyzed quadriplegic 26 years ago in a diving accident and you read her books. And you know of her, she was interviewed by one of the local people at the conference.

I want to read a couple of excerpts.

She said I've been in a wheelchair for almost 26 years. That's a long time to be paralyzed just when it seems I'm managing it. I get a new affliction that prevents me from keeping commitments, deadlines, and the like.

But God is more concerned with my growing closer to his heart than in keeping my commitments.

Could I say parenthetically that Johnny told us that the reason that she looks forward to heaven is not because she's gonna have a whole body finally she said it is true that she can hardly wait until she has her own set of legs, by which she can stand so that she can immediately fall at the feet of Jesus Christ. But she said the reason that I long for heaven is not because of that, but I long to be free from the struggle of sin within my own mind and heart.

But let me continue to read the questioner asked her what roadblocks on the quest for God has your suffering caused you. She said it's odd about my suffering mostly my physical affliction has been at that which has made my quest for God easier at night. I have to lie down by 8 o'clock and I can move all that I can move is just my head. She said that's like fasting. My disability is a physical condition that subdues my wanton spiritual appetites.

She said I have to go to God. I have no other place to go so my affliction is not been a roadblock on my quest for God. It has paved the way she's written a book entitled the glorious intruder and she says the only way in which we can enjoy the thought of heaven is to allow God to take our heart home first and then she says I love the verb the tense of the writer of Hebrews used in describing us in Christ.

He says that we have already come to the heavenly Jerusalem to Mount Zion to the joyful assembly.

Sometimes I feel like physical affliction causes me to see the on time.

Others who are severely disabled have told me that he experienced the same thing when you use so long for eternity. It's as though time doesn't exist. That doesn't make people like me no earthly good. It just makes us understand more and be more circumspect in our lives. I want to conclude by speaking to you very plainly.

I want you to know today that if you accomplish nothing in life at all except to know God and to worship him. You will have delighted his heart to a woman who had had five marriages and now was living with a six man because she didn't even want to go through the rigmarole of marriage after five bad experiences. Jesus said that the father seeks worshipers and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and the truth because God seeks worshipers getting to know God is the most important requests that you and I could ever embark on. For, as Augustine says, old Lord, thou hast made us for thyself and our hearts are rest plus until they find their old in the that's why you at those experience you did last week. That's why life is tough. God is nudging us as Johnny Erickson has learned. God is nudging us to come directly to his heart. Moses had to learn it. You have to learn it. I have to learn it and it begins by knowing Christ. Let's pray our father, we do want to thank you today for those of going on before whether Moses or Johnny Erickson who are our examples in the flesh of knowing you father cut away all the branches all the things that stand in the way of our knowledge of the holy one, and bring us all father until we say I have no other desire except to know God old taste and see that the Lord is good. Now before I close in prayer. What is it that you need to talk to God about as a Christian as it keeps you from pursuing God. You're not a Christian. Here, would you open your life to God and say Lord Jesus be my Savior.

Don't harden your heart will only get harder you talk to God father, don't let us go until you blessed us in Jesus name on this is Pastor Luther and my friend.

I wanted to share my heart with you this morning I got a text from someone who said this, I am learning that God is sovereign, not only during the good times but also during the bad times. That's a lesson you and I have to learn. God is sovereign, when Moses is parting the Red Sea, but God is also sovereign, when Moses is in the desert.

I want to encourage you today, and if you'd be encouraged as a result of these messages and you'd like to listen to them again and again. You can certainly do that for a gift of any amount they can be yours. Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for getting closer to God.

Lessons from the life of Moses go to RTW offer.com and as I mentioned, for a gift of any amount if you go there. This book can be yours, or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 it's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life, prodigal sons and daughters can mean great heartache and anonymous running to when listener got in touch with us to ask this.

Any suggestions on how to connect and share your faith with rebellious adult children will my friend. What a heartache.

You must have just think of having rebellious adult children.

First of all let me say this that spiritually, you probably can't have a lot of input into their lives, especially if they were raised in a Christian home. They've heard it all.

They know what the Bible teaches.

They know the verses they perhaps went to camp and memorized verses of Scripture and one Bible reading contests.

If that's true, what you need to do is to maintain a good relationship with them a loving relationship, a prayerful relationship and don't preach to them because they already know the truth and it will only drive them farther away from you live the Christian life.

Secondly, in your prayer.

I've mentioned this a number of times because people ask a similar question when you pray for them, pray first of all for yourself that God will teach you the lessons that you need to learn.

As a result of these wayward children because the relationship of the father and the mother often times is critical in these relationships so pray for yourself. Pray for their heart change, not just a lifestyle change because people can change their lifestyle without having their hearts change. Pray that God will change their hearts. Pray that sin will have its consequences that the consequences will run their course so that your adult children. Finally agree that they need God's amazing what God sometimes has to do in the lives of wayward children to bring them back to himself.

Yes, to pull them through a whole lot of briar patches so to speak.

Like the prodigal son who came to his senses in the pigsty. So do that at the same time connect with them one on one, have lunch with them.

Share your heart with them. Show them your love and when they're ready to return to home and to God be there for them, just like the father of the prodigal, waiting for his son to come home the end of the day. Most important, give them to God. You can't convert them.

You can change them. They are what they are.

But God can do what you and I count some wise counsel is always from Dr. Erwin lutes are.

Thank you Dr. lutes are if you'd like to hear your question answered.

Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 today Dr. Erwin lutes are concluded getting to know God third in a series of 12 messages about Moses, a man getting closer to God. Next time I'm running to win will confront idolatry both in Moses day and in our own don't miss smashing our article for Dr. Erwin lutes are this is Dave McAllister going to win is sponsored by the Moody Church