Exodus 33:12-23
Outline notes of message given at Grace Church on 1-19-08 by Scotty Schaefer (Lynette under the weather with bronchitis)

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I rode on the Super Ferry this week. The boat was comfortable. It was big. The ocean sparkled. The north shore of Maui was beautiful. I was lonely. As soon as we rounded the west end of Maui and I could see Molokai I took advantage of modern technology. I got on my cell phone and called Lynette. I told her that if she stood on our lanai that she could wave to me. Only 1 thing. We hadn't reached Halawa yet.

As we went by, I realized that our relationship made me different from every body else on that ship. But I also realized that her presence with me, even though it was via cell phone, gave me a sense of comfort and strength for my journey.

When I saw that Lynette planned to teach from Ex 33, I was reminded that it was God's relationship with Israel that made them special. And it was His presence with Moses that gave Moses the strength to face the tough times ahead of him.

In Exodus 33 Moses pleads with God, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on face of the earth?"

Their relationship with God distiguished them from every other peoples on earth.......

To live without God's presence seems like a scary prospect to Moses.
Moses knew that it was the LORD who had gotten them out of trouble in Egypt. It was God who had parted the Red Sea. And it was the Living God who had given the 10 Commandments.

The only reason they were free was because of the presence and power of the Lord.

The presence of God is a very powerful thing. To experience God's presence is life changing.

I could have survived the boat trip without calling Lynette. God has also set things up so that we CAN survive without God's presence.

We can build our homes and plant our gardens. We can still raise our families.

But we won't be who God made us to be without God's presence.
And unless we experience Jesus Christ daily, in our lives, we can go through the motions, but we can never experience the joy and peace that only comes from His presence.

Psalms 16:11 King David praises God, saying: "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Later, when David knew he deserved to be cut off from God because of his sin, he begs in Psalm 51 "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me." Psalms 51:11

Of all the things God could have done to punish David, to take His presence away would have been the worst possible punishment. It would have been a terrible fate that David could hardly bear. It would have left him completely alone.

Write down the following words- power, protection, provision, and presence. They are important pieces of this lesson.

The Israelites had seen more miracles than we could ever imagine. They saw God's protection when all the first born in Egypt

They knew God's provision when they were fed mana from heaven

They witnessed God's power when the Red Sea was parted.

But they missed out on His presence. That left them feeling empty and prone to wander.

Here's the scary part. Of all the people in the world, you would think the Israelites would appreciate the Lord. We can be like that too.

We can experience God's protection, power, and provision without ever experiencing His presence.

Why-

They were so focused on the gifts from His hands that they missed the wonder of His love and presence

Remember the golden calf?

What was it made from? Rings and necklaces that were given to them by the Egyptians; gifts from God that they did not deserve.

Why did they grumble in the wilderness? They weren't satisfied with mana. They wanted meat. Then they grumbled more.

It reminds me of the Reuters report that a group in Iran tried to break the Guinness Book of Records by building the world's biggest sandwich. It was supposed to be a 1,500-meter-long sandwich with 700 kg of ostrich meat and 700 kg of chicken.

1500 meters is about a mile long.
How many ostriches? At least 700 chickens.

But before they could measure it, the crowd that was observing pushed through and ate it before they could eat it.

We're like that too. We get so focused on God's gifts that we miss the true depths of His grace. We can gobble up His gifts like a Thanksgiving supper without ever feeling the touch of His presence.

Our jobs, our lifestyles, our 401ks, and even our families can get in the way of His presence.

Like the Israelites, we try to cross the desert without the presence of God. We might see His

Protection

Power

Provision

But without the presence of God, we end up lost and thirsty. We end up frustrated and empty. There's not enough thrills to fill the emptiness that can only be satisfied by the presence of God.

And then we seek after maps and water to try and fix the symptoms instead of focusing on the cure. We try the latest Oprah cures for thirst and confusion. This isn't a slam on Oprah. A few years ago it was Phil Donohue and before that Dear Abby. There's always a new diet, a new self-help book to read.

But since it doesn't address the problem, it's like finding new way to yodel through your ears. It can be interesting but not life changing. Ultimately, we will still be lost and thirsty without walking in His presence. It's too easy to get lost.

The Promised Land was their destination all right, but it wasn't the important thing. Walking with God was the important thing. That's the only way they could keep from wandering off course. And when we walk with God and experience His presence, He brings His power, protection, and provision to our journey.

Meanwhile, God doesn't accept us being lost. He wants us to inherit the promises He made. He has done everything He can to share His presence with us

That's why He sent Jesus.

Do you remember that as Jesus was being crucified that the curtain in the temple was torn right in half? It symbolized that the sin that kept us from God had been removed. Through the cross, we can walk in freely into His presence. It symbolized that we could walk right into the presence of God without dying. It symbolized that through Jesus, we could personally experience the presence of God in our lives.

No matter how far you are, and no mater how far you have drifted, God is just 1 step away. All we have to do is turn around.

Do you remember Jesus' last words? Matthew 28 records them this way, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

We've talked about the Father. We've spoken of the Son. Now it is time for the Holy Spirit. One of His other names is The Comforter, the Advocate. God sends His Spirit to fight for us, to provide for us, to give us His power, and to comfort us with His presence.

So here are a few simple steps…based on Exodus 33 to discover the presence of the Lord.

Don't be afraid to stop and ask for directions -v 13- Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight.

Discover His rest… He said, v 14-"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Make sure you take a Sabbath to appreciate God's rest.

Don't be satisfied with His gifts. Look for His face. V-18-"Show me your glory, I pray"

Don't be afraid of God- v 22-23- "I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen."

He knows us by name. He covers our sin. He wants to give us His rest. And he wants to comfort us with His presence.

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