His Presence Is in His Name

Today on Summit line G career this you had shoes you could have free say in the world without God.

Or you can have nothing in the world and God which of those two things would you choose to limit likely after author and religion JD Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly with a batch know some people imagine God as a watchmaker in the sky who set the world in motion and in stepped away thinking he's probably out there somewhere, but there's no way to know what is like others think of God is a mysterious, impersonal force without thoughts or emotions.

But today Pastor Jenny kicks off a new teaching series that encourages us to discover how we can know God intimately and personally. So let's get started.

This verse messages title is present in his name. Also, beginning a new series today called the name and it is about the name of God. If you have a Bible Exodus 34 is going to the passage of Scripture will be young for the next five weeks. The basic idea is that God has a main and it's important you know that name.

Just think about how important your name is to you. Imagine someone that you love or was close to your spouse just always use the wrong name for you. You go to Fred or Beatrice or Jeff or whatever is not your name, or even worse of it just described you by characteristics like my wife will give us a female greetings human that would not lead to intimacy.

It would not leave the connection. That's exactly what we do with God.

What often is not.

We refer to God by classification or refer to him by a description but God has made knowing that it is extremely important because of how we know him as I hope to show you in a week. So, tell you no more of his presence. It's how you know his power all his presence and all his power, access to your knowledge of his name.

Say what that means for a lot of people.

I have found God is a mystery. We believe in a deity, but they they often wonder what what is what is God like you know God is that is is a possible war. Maybe that you maybe your question is even more basic. Maybe you say I'm not even really sure he exists, much less know him, I mean you not like or something out there and maybe that would explain some things that arises a lot more problems and I'm even know if he exists. A lot of people are found will signal invisible God, the God I understand that there had to be something behind everything but the big deal is about Jesus. You Christians always make a big deal about Jesus and I will get back there are some of you who like me, you believe in God, but you really struggle, got your life to have any real what you would call relationship with him. I say like me because I was like that for many years. I struggle really to love God. I wanted to.

I knew that I was supposed to but I just couldn't work up the emotions to do it.

I hear other people talking about God and the emotional Majorca crier. They've watch him worship and not to look at my heart be like nothing was nothing will happen. And then there was, I knew how to play the game.

I knew when to raise my hand and worship. I knew how to work my God put on my spiritual face and grant a lot because of Chris's duty to grunt back aboard in your really spiritual to do all that, but I just knew of our being honest, that inside there was this, but only like no I don't connect with God lacking it with a person I would imagine that there are a set a few of you maybe a lot of you. Your honest, would say you are pretty much of the same place and by the way, what I figured out is that a lot of people think it a lot of people make in the playground when there's actually nothing really behind that. I think this series could be a game changer for many of you during this series, I think some of you may find true faith of the very first time for others of you, like me, you might discover that pastorally knowing and loving God. In college, read, read a book called knowledge of the holy written by guy named AW toes, and there was a statement in that book that I haven't forgot about since I graduated from college and that statement was was this may turn this guy 40 hired is what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us giving us a lot of statements over the years that sound like your friends are the fury of the future, you will be the same person you are five years and outs of the books you read in Augusta Oceanport. Other states have ever made you is this right here. What comes into our minds we think about God is the most important thing about us the history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion ever risen above its religion.

A man's spiritual history will positively demonstrated no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. We can buy a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God, you will become like what you worship, you are shaken by what you worship the most determining fact about any man is not what he at a given time, I say or do but what he and his deep heart conceives of God to be like what you believe about God becomes the most important thing about you because it will define your life like nothing else. In fact I would say that many if not most of our emotional problems are connected to our view of God. For example, if you think of God is capricious and untrustworthy.

Then you will feel anxiety about your life if you think of God as a judge mental high risk, then it will turn you into a fearful, insecure person. If you think of God as aloof or distant. Then you will feel insignificant. If you think of God as an angry warlord. It will turn you into an intolerant bigot. If you think of God as a warm, tingly, sentimental, but powerless love horse who looks down on the rest of us because we are not as enlightened as she is, it will turn you into a UNC Chapel Hill professor right so what comes in your mind when you think about God is a most important thing about you because it will define you and shape you like nothing else in your life to our text for the next few weeks is going to be what is arguably one of the most maybe the most important passage in the Old Testament. Exodus 34, six and seven were God declares his name to Moses.

Now you look at me and you say would you say every passage is the most important passage in the Bible maybe you're right but here's why this one is legit. As you know, there's a Bible trivia that the Exodus 34, section 7 is the most quoted verse in the Bible by other writers of the Bible is called the 13 Modelo that's what they heaved. The Jews referred to as the 13 attributes Muslim domains 13 attributes of God to describe the essential characteristics of God. This verse was like there John 316. You can always tell who the Jews were the Coliseum to their posters is that Exodus 34 607 right so it is a very important verse on board a walk to the story leading up to that verse of the week and a pack of the next several weeks. I'm Exodus 33 here's what's been happening to you about one chapter Exodus 33 could you not get the nation of Israel has just left Egypt and there on the way the promise land and they stop at a place called Mount Sinai were God gives them the 10 Commandments. Moses goes back up in the mountains.

He gets more instruction from God and the ends at Bengal little bit longer than he was supposed to to the people get scared. The panic that the gods abandon them and so they make a an image oh golden calf that they want to use substitute God. This is a horrible betrayal of God. It will be something like if you put took on a second job so you could provide some nice stuff for your spouse and your spouse. Use the time that you write your second job to go have an affair on you.

That's what the people are doing with God so Exodus 33 verse one the Lord says to Moses, depart and go up from here and I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanites go up to a land flowing with milk and honey now, in other words, I'm going to keep my word to you I give you an unconditional promise about this promise land. I will keep it to the letter but I will not go with you lest I can see you on the way because you are a stiffnecked people.

Now most people, particularly Americans would consider this to be a dream offer right God is going to give you all the success you have ever wanted economic success military success political success everything you could conceive all that you wanted God to give it it's going to come with no obligation from God to bless you. You can have it be the million dollar salary, you're going to be atop your field.

These is gonna pour out a blessing and you have no obligation and is no temple to maintain there's communal prayers are required.

There's no tithing, there is no religious obligation. Just blessing free and clear. No strings attached for 15 Moses said to God, is your presence will not go with me. Do not bring us up from here for how so I it be known that we have found favor in your sight, is it not, you're going with us so that we are distinct from every other people in the face of the earth.

Other words Moses said God you gave all that success of the comes about you if you don't go with me.

I don't want to go.

Let me ask you to consider an answer honestly, if God offered to you. Everything you've ever dreamed of. You get the million dollar salary you get the hell perfect health. You get a legacy you get a family. A healthy family and your kids grow to be centers and I was going to doctors and in that you did everything you've ever wanted just not God's presence in your life would you take Moses not me, not today. Not ever. I think he says that really for two reasons. They are number one because Moses saw God as beautiful not just beautiful Moses, so God is beautiful not just useful, philosophers say that when you find something or someone to be beautiful.

You take pleasure in it or them without regard for their purpose. But, for example, when you find somebody beautiful you just want to be around them because of them. You just enjoy their beauty. It's not that there means to something else. This is that you just find delight in them. You find them beautiful. They are enough. I you know if you are or were engaged to be married in the week leading up your marriage you found out that your parents were very wealthy had made some disastrous financial decisions and as a result have lost all their fortune when you find out your fiancé breaks up with you and called off the wedding. You would rightfully feel hurt you so use because it would be apparent that your person you were engaged. He was not into you, for you there into you as a way of getting into your parents money why don't you see, we did the exact same thing with God. There many of us who come to God. It was a God. I need this.I need that in my relationship to you is to be dependent on how well you provide.

There's things that I want from you I would dare say that I'm talking to a lot of people right now you're kinda cool with God. Your distant from God because at some point God did not provide for you something that you thought he was obligated to provide answer you. Been angry at God and you been on the outs with God because God for you was a means to something else and that something else the gum through you punish God by saying I don't want you if I don't get that. But Moses succumb to see God is beautiful in himself. He saw God, not as a means to an end he saw God as the end himself. He saw God as the ultimate reward. The ultimate prize is that how you see God this afternoon.

You had to choose.

You could have everything in the world without God. Or you can have nothing in the world and on which of those two things would you choose, we're glad you're with today begin this new teaching called the name well. We had a moment here, let me tell you about my daily email devotional available to arsenic my family. I know we are all unlocked an email that many we just ignore back let me encourage you that this one brings great value. In fact devotional even to follow along with our current teaching on the program you can say plunge into these messages regarding your schedule to sign up for this free resource to visit us@jeanniegreer.com lacks resources. Thanks for being with us. Now let's get back to the final moments of today's message is the second thing Moses realize that goes with that he saw that without God. Everything else was useless. He saw that God was beautiful, not as you fully so that without God avails was useless without God.

He knew that all those other kinds of successes they would fade today. You're on the top of your field. Tomorrow you're the old guy fighting for relevance in respect today you have a strong family, but tomorrow you're all gathered around the graveside, or you're trying to pick up the shattered pieces of a family left by divorce today your beautiful but tomorrow think SAG and Rubin eight. And no amount of eating writer working out Botox or oil of a layer. Whatever you use is going to stop her hinder that. Furthermore, Moses understood that not only did those things fade without God. There's things in the fading you then rot your soul you give your life for success and it consumes you until you become petty and jealous and fearful and less of a person, don't we all know somebody. Can't you think of somebody who has the kind of success that we all dream about having that were fighting to obtain, but there just the shell of a person, but he has real truth is rightly different from any of them because what you see in them is just a reflection of all of us that when you have those things apart from God. They end up riding your soul. So Moses says the God decision.

Keep your Olympic gold medals to keep your million dollar euro salary you keep your loving, happy, tightknit family and keep your healthy body. Those things come about you. If I don't get your present.

I don't want it because without you. I got nothing to think about. Moses had all those things in his previous part of his life. You know the story, Moses given the Prince of Egypt.

They lived in the policy was in command of the largest army in the world. Many was driven out from the palace and the water to the wilderness for 40 years with nothing but God is a something of observed. If you ever meet somebody who's had it all without God and then had nothing with God and asked them which they choose. Every single time they will tell you I'll take nothing with God that I thought I am young man who passed away in our church last year. Tragically name is Noah was five years them still very active in our church. I know was a teenager who who struggle with a very rare but very aggressive kind of cancer and the passed away. We just recently mark the one-year anniversary that in an Noah before he died from the video that we showed after his death here at the church and basically the video Noah looks like the cancer and he said he looked right at the camera and he says his cancer sucks, but Christ is better not to use the word sucks in the sermon, but you know what you earn the right say whatever he wants and so it's his words and what he saying in a very teenager kind of way is cancer is taken for me everything that I was looking forward to in life. I know not to get married. I know that I'm never to return. 20 years old. I know that nothing in life is actually going to be given to me. But Jesus is better than all that and if I had to choose a healthy life without Jesus or cancer in early F with Jesus. I would take cancer with Jesus. Every single time. That's what Moses sees about God. Here is my question. Have you come to see God that way. Verse 17 the Lord then says to Moses this very thing that you spoke and I will do for you have found favor in my side and I know you Moses by name. So Moses like a good negotiator sees his opening and he asked for more. Verse 18. Then Moses said please show me your glory other words, God dominate you muscle possession.if I meant to say I'll have you even if it means nothing else.

I don't want is a little bit you.

I don't want you just nearby. I don't want you in the room. I want all of you almost see it all given a full package told you guys before, if you follow Jesus follow him 100% because the most miserable people on the planet have committed halfhearted Christians because you're just enough in the world to be miserable in God and are just nothing to God to fill guilty of the world to follow Jesus. The only joy in it is when you go all the way and I don't mean to be mean but I know that I'm looking that a number of people that you are in that have committed place until just before church is a terrible hobby. It does, how you think of it in for me. Maybe that's what churches find a different hobby in this hobby you get up early on Sunday morning and you drive to a place where you go to the nightmare we call the parking lot and then you come in the place and there's a lot of room a lot of people. The room is not a lot of room and you not sit in the lobby have the time and then were always under pressure you volunteered to serve with the kids and give money and then something stands on the stage and yells at you for 45 minutes. This is a terrible hobby Risa go to Halloween every week.

We have to dress up like something you're not, not the bar that you only want to play and will walk around the spiritual will I how are you doing I'm just going to get rid of her as the Lord and you know that you don't mean it. So you go back and you feel bad if you slide everybody find a different hobby, the joy in this kind of place is only for those who have developed such a craving and a taste for God's glory that the taste of his glory outweighs all the pain of coming to be a part of a community like this one. So if you go to go with Jesus go away or don't go at all because the most miserable people in the world are have committed Christians who are just enough of the world be miserable God.

Just nothing to God be miserable in the world.

Most that I want all of you. I want all of you. Verse 19 so God said, I will make all my goodness pass before you then and I will proclaim before you.

My name, the Lord, but he said you cannot see my face for man shall not see me and live but you will see the trail of my glory my face so can members be seen, behold, there is a place by me, were you will stand on the rock. I want my glory passes by. I'll put you in the cleft of that rock will cover you with my hand until I passed by completely then I'll take away my hands and you shall see my back, but my face cannot be seen. So God tells Moses to take the 10 Commandments is for stand on the cluster that rock promotes Moses hold the minutes and in the glory of God passes by. Verse 534 verse five the Lord descended then in the cloud and he stood with Moses. They are what this and he proclaim the name of the Lord Moses had asked to see the glory of God and what he got was a proclamation of the name of the Lord. Verse six the Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, by the way any time in your Bible. You see, Lord, and IT means the proper name for God, Yahweh, or I am is how we would say that the Lord Yahweh, the Lord, a God who is merciful and gracious God who is slow to anger, a God who abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness verse seven. Keeping steadfast love for thousands like this, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.

That last phrase like a contradiction to you. It should pay attention will God forgives sin and iniquity and transgression because he loves people infinitely but he will by no means clear the guilty will he's not clear the guilty vicinity, forgiving how he be guilty of sin, and then not be guilty.not clear yet still forgive you. Somehow anyway them a sense that is a contradiction and if Exodus 34, seven were the last verse in the Bible it would end as a contradiction.

By the way, Moses did understand how the contradiction resolved, which is why he only got see the backside of God's glory because of something that was a missing piece that he did not understand it is had a kind of shrugged her shoulders and say well I don't get it, but I guess that's the way it is. But Exodus 34 seven is not the last verse in the Bible back Gospel of John.

John chapter 1, the apostle John opens up describing Jesus in the exact same language of Exodus 34 you might never have picked this up in John chapter 1 and the word Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us dwell is the same word for tabernacle just like that. A tabernacle in Exodus, Jesus is going to dwell among us. He's the tabernacle literally is tabernacle among us, and we have seen his glory, right glory as of the only son from the father glory that is full of grace. That's a direct quote from Exodus 34 and truth is the Hebrew word faithfulness. So it's a direct quote of the same characteristic of Exodus 34 verse seven. Then John is going to go on to say verse 18 no man has ever seen God at any time. The only God is at the father side that's the one. It was made known, not even Moses could see God.

Because Moses was a sinner and sinners who see God die, but John says there was another one who came Jesus he was God. He had God's glory and Jesus is going to live without sin, which means he can see God and Jesus at the end of his life is going to be smoked dead in our place. Jesus is going to resolve the contradiction of Exodus 34 seven because Jesus is going to suffer for the guilty so that the guilty are not clear. But Jesus is going to suffer in their place so that they can be forgiven and God can love them infinitely hostile.

His justice is upheld.

You see this verse like all verses in the Old Testament set you up for a contradiction that can only be resolved in Jesus because in Jesus we see the justice of God exalted, and we see the compassion of God upheld so that God could save sinners, God can love the guilty God could be just to forgive them, but sin would be paid for that is the name that is being proclaimed what Moses Saul in an entity so the backside of we get to see clearly and Jesus, Moses got put in the cleft of a rock and got to see the trail of God's glory we get the put in Christ we are put in Christ and get to see the full face of God's glory by looking at it in the person of Jesus. Jesus is the only one who can fulfill Exodus 34, seven, all the Bible talks about him. The gospel teaches that God is just and therefore there must be a penalty for sin. But the gospel also teaches that God is infinitely loving, and so God poured out on Jesus of the wrath that was reserved for you and me, so that God could love us eternally in God for forgive us. A guy could satisfy his justice. Substitution is the mystery of the gospel that Moses did not understand. Moses could not understand it and that's why he only saw the backside of God's glory. You and I understand that Jesus Christ was the justice of God in the compassion of God.

He died in our place in the justice of God was upheld in the compassion of God was extended and you and I can be saved and God's justice can be upheld and that's why we say we see his glory face-to-face in Christ been given the privilege that Moses was denying to see God's glory to face the powerful first in our brand-new series, the main here on Summit life with TD clear Summit like it's here for you every day on your radio station and online thanks to the generosity of listeners like you to donate because they want to reach more people with the help of the gospel and when you join our team and donate today. We'll say thanks by sending you our new featured resource bundle.

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