Embracing Friendship With God

Written By Adam Dragoon

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound relationship that God desires to have with each of us, drawing inspiration from the story of Moses in Exodus 33. We began by reflecting on the extraordinary friendship between Ruth and Beryl, two women who maintained a pen pal relationship for over 80 years, despite living thousands of miles apart. This story serves as a powerful metaphor for the kind of relationship God wants with us—a relationship that transcends distance and circumstance.

We delved into the context of Exodus 33, where Moses finds himself in the aftermath of the Israelites' idolatry with the golden calf. Despite their rebellion, God shows mercy, largely due to Moses' intercession. This highlights the importance of prayer and intercession in our relationship with God. Moses' plea for God's presence and his desire to know God's ways underscore the necessity of seeking a deeper understanding of God beyond mere knowledge of His word.

The heart of the message is the invitation to approach God as a friend. Just as Moses spoke to God face-to-face, we too are invited to cultivate a personal and intimate relationship with our Creator. This involves open communication, honesty, and a willingness to seek God's presence even in the midst of life's messiness. We are reminded that God is not just a distant commander but a loving friend who desires to walk with us through every aspect of our lives.

In closing, we are challenged to examine our own relationship with God. Are we treating Him as a distant authority, or are we embracing the friendship He offers? The call is to draw near to God, to communicate with Him openly, and to trust in His promises. As we do so, we will find that God is faithful to meet us where we are and to guide us into a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with Him.

“We are reminded that God is not just a distant commander but a loving friend who desires to walk with us through every aspect of our lives.”
— Pastor Adam

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

Key Takeaways

  1. The Power of Intercession: Moses' intercession for the Israelites demonstrates the power of prayer in influencing God's actions. Despite their sin, Moses reminded God of His promises, leading to mercy instead of destruction. This teaches us that our prayers can have a profound impact, and we should never underestimate the power of interceding for others. [10:27]

  2. God's Grace and Mercy: The story of the golden calf reveals God's incredible grace. Despite the Israelites' rebellion, God showed mercy because of Moses' intercession. This reminds us that God's grace is available to us, even when we fall short, and that we should approach Him with confidence, knowing that He desires to forgive and restore us. [12:20]

  3. Friendship with God: God desires a relationship with us that is as intimate as a friendship. Just as Moses spoke to God face-to-face, we are invited to communicate openly with God, sharing our hearts and listening for His voice. This relationship is built on honesty, trust, and a willingness to seek God's presence in our lives. [16:25]

  4. Praying God's Promises: Moses' prayer for God's presence highlights the importance of praying God's promises back to Him. By knowing and claiming God's promises, we align our prayers with His will and invite His presence into our lives. This practice strengthens our faith and deepens our relationship with God. [33:37]

  5. Seeking God's Glory: Moses' request to see God's glory reflects a deep desire for a personal revelation of God's presence. While we may not fully understand what it means to see God's glory, this prayer encourages us to seek a deeper understanding of God and to desire His presence in our lives. [38:31]

Bible Reading

  • Exodus 33:11 - "So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend."

  • John 15:15 - "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

  • Isaiah 41:8 - "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend."

Observation Questions

  1. In Exodus 33:11, how is the relationship between God and Moses described, and what does this imply about the nature of their communication? [14:47]

  2. What was the significance of Moses' intercession for the Israelites after the golden calf incident, and how did it affect God's response? [10:27]

  3. How did the friendship between Ruth and Beryl serve as a metaphor for the kind of relationship God desires with us? [03:23]

  4. According to the sermon, what role does communication play in building a friendship with God, and how was this illustrated through the story of Ruth and Beryl? [18:07]

Interpretation Questions

  1. What does it mean for God to speak to Moses "face to face" as a friend, and how does this challenge our understanding of prayer and communication with God? [16:25]

  2. How does Moses' intercession for the Israelites demonstrate the power and importance of prayer in influencing God's actions? [10:27]

  3. In what ways does the story of the golden calf highlight God's grace and mercy, and how can this understanding impact our approach to God when we fall short? [12:20]

  4. How does the concept of praying God's promises, as demonstrated by Moses, encourage us to align our prayers with God's will and deepen our relationship with Him? [33:37]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on your current relationship with God. Do you see Him more as a distant authority or as a friend? What steps can you take to cultivate a more intimate friendship with Him? [24:05]

  2. Consider a time when you felt distant from God due to guilt or shame. How can the story of God's mercy towards the Israelites encourage you to approach Him with confidence and seek restoration? [12:20]

  3. How can you incorporate the practice of intercession into your prayer life, and who in your life might benefit from your prayers of intercession? [10:27]

  4. Think about a specific promise from God that you need to claim in your life right now. How can you incorporate this promise into your daily prayers and trust in God's faithfulness to fulfill it? [33:37]

  5. Reflect on a time when you sought God's presence in the midst of life's messiness. How did that experience shape your understanding of God's friendship and faithfulness? [22:04]

  6. Identify one area in your life where you need to seek a deeper understanding of God's ways rather than just knowing His word. What practical steps can you take to pursue this understanding? [28:25]

  7. How can you create space in your daily routine to communicate openly with God, and what changes might you need to make to prioritize this relationship? [18:07]

  • We have prayed, we have worshipped, we have given, and now it's time to receive His word this morning. The word of God is powerful. The word of God has the power to transform, to convict, to set us free.

    And this message, again, came directly through my daily Bible reading program, which we do have, as you know, or as you may not know. Some people here, we have a church Bible reading plan that we are going through together. It's part of the YouVersion Bible app. You can join up with us if you want to get the sneak previews.

    If you have been keeping up on that plan, then you will have read this scripture within the last week. And God spoke to me as I read it this morning, Exodus chapter 33.

    I want to show you a picture of two people that, by all measures, should not know each other. They live in different countries, they live in different places, and different kinds of lifestyles. But we have a picture of two people here. Their names are Ruth and Beryl.

    Their relationship began in the year 1939, when Ruth had a teacher. Ruth is the one on the right side, I believe. Yeah, it doesn't matter. But it started when her teacher in elementary school started a pen pal project. And when she wrote the initial letter, the only thing she knew was that she was writing a letter to a child her age all the way across the world in the UK.

    Ruth is from Ontario, Canada, and Beryl from Liverpool, England. They were paired up through their teachers, and it was a match that was made in heaven. Ruth, Maggi, and Beryl Richmond, their friendship went on to stand the test of time and distance.

    Despite living more than 3,000 miles apart in Canada and the UK, they've been the best friends for more than 80 years. Their close relationship was forged through writing letters, primarily only writing letters to one another. They wrote about their jobs. They wrote letters about meeting and marrying their husbands. They wrote one another when they welcomed children into the world, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren.

    They kept each other's spirits up during the Second World War. They shared about their ups and downs with one another. And now, as of the writing of this article, both of them aged 95 years old, they hold the record for the longest-lasting pen friendship with a whopping 83 years and 172 days of correspondence.

    We have another photo of them holding the Guinness Book World Record achievement. And so they only met each other in person two times. The first was in 1996.

    Now, just think of that. 1996. Go back to that other photo, please. With the two of them. In 1996, this was close to 60 years since they began writing letters. So for 60 years, they were writing without even knowing each other, without even seeing each other face-to-face.

    But when they met face-to-face for the first time in 1996, Beryl thought that there was no strangeness between them, as they knew so much about one another, her son explained. It didn't feel like a meeting as they knew each other so well from all the letters they had written to one another.

    The pair would also chat on the phone from time to time, saying that they were thrilled. They were thrilled that the friendship is record-breaking. They said, "It's quite a surprise. We were thrilled when we got the final result. I'm thrilled that we are still in touch."

    Her son, Beryl, stated that it feels really nice, an achievement, one that didn't feel like hard work, as it was enjoyable and always fun to write with Beryl.

    So in the scripture we're about to read, we're going to read about a relationship. And as these two ladies were able to build a relationship just through writing letters, a record-breaking, Guinness World Record-holding relationship, without ever even seeing each other, without meeting for coffee, without seeing one another face-to-face, they were able to build a powerful relationship that is an example to all of us.

    And I want to encourage you this morning. I believe that we serve a God in heaven that wants to have a relationship with you. And we think, "Well, God is so far away from me. God is so different from me. God is so much more powerful than me."

    But what we see in our scripture is that there is available to you a relationship with a living God. And the same way that God spoke to Moses and Moses spoke to God, I believe we can approach the throne as well, that we can know Him and He can know us.

    Let's read our scripture together, just one verse, and we're going to be popping around throughout this chapter. But Exodus chapter 33, verse 11, one verse here, which says, "So the Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face as a man speaks to his friend."

    Let God challenge you this morning because that kind of friendship is possible for you with God.

    Let's pray.

    Father, we thank you for the opportunity to gather together. Let your word speak to us, I pray, challenge us in our hearts today as we seek the relationship that is available to us through Jesus, His blood that was shed, His spirit that was poured out. I'm praying, God, enable your people. Give us a hunger and a desire to know you more and more. We give you glory in Jesus' name. Amen.

    I want to talk about this relationship that is possible through the Lord Jesus. Now, just to give you some context, where are we at in this story with Moses and with the children of Israel as they are wandering? They've come out of Egypt, and you know the story. They face many challenges along the way.

    But immediately before this chapter is Exodus chapter 32. Exodus chapter 32 is one of the darkest moments in the history of the nation. It is the incident of the golden calf. And if you know your Bible history, you know that this is a moment of great tragedy. It's a moment of violation.

    Moses goes up the mountain to receive the two tablets from the Lord, the Ten Commandments. And as he's up there interfacing with God, God is giving revelation about how to live for Him, how He wants His people to live. And he's up there. He's delayed. The people thought he would come home, come back sooner. And they're afraid. They grow weary. They get unstable.

    And all of a sudden, there is an urge. There is a demonic urge for them to worship idols. They begin slipping back into the idolatry that they had come out of in Egypt. And they said to Aaron, "We need a God. Moses, this guy is delayed. We don't know what's going to happen to him. We need a God."

    So the Bible says that they all brought their earrings together and cast them into a fire. And Aaron, who should have known better, Aaron, who forms all of the donated gold into a golden calf. This golden calf then was set before them, and they began to riot, and they began to party, and they began to lose their minds, and they began to do wicked things.

    And they made a statement. They made a statement, and it was, maybe you can get a feel for how awful the statement was. They said these words. They said, "Behold, this is Jehovah. This is Yahweh. This is the God who brought you out of Egypt."

    Now, how would you feel if you were God in heaven? And there they are, dancing and partying and worshiping at a little golden statue. And they said, "This is the God that brought you out of Egypt."

    This is the curse of idolatry. And this is the curse that invited God's judgment. The Bible says that the anger of God began to burn hot against them. Moses is still up on the mountain. He has no idea what's going on. But God does.

    And God begins to speak to Moses and say, "Listen, what's happening to your people down there, your people." It's kind of like when, you know, you're mad at the kids, and you always say it's your spouse's, like, "Your kids are misbehaving." God is saying the same to Moses here. "Your people, they're down there making a mess, man. You better get down there quick."

    And Moses comes down to find this horrible scene. And we know the story. So that's the context. Next, as we get to chapter 33, there is a judgment. There is a terrible thing. I preached about that, the righteousness that was required, right? They had to go through the camp, and the Levites took a stand and began to judge those who were unrepentant. And we know all of that.

    But what's amazing to me is that the people of God have already experienced incredible grace. How do we know that? Because they're breathing. God had said to Moses, "I'm going to destroy these people. And I'm going to start over with you." Same way that happened with Noah. Remember the story of Noah? God said, "I'm done with this place. These people are wicked. They're so evil. I'm done. I'm wiping them out. Noah, I'm starting over with you."

    And that was God's plan again. God's plan was, "I can't handle it. I'm not taking this. Moses, they're giving credit and glory to a statue." And He said to Moses, "I'm going to kill them all. And I'm going to start over with you and your family, Moses, because you're the only one that gets it. Maybe Joshua."

    But we know that God showed grace and mercy to them because God didn't do that. Why? Because Moses interceded on behalf of the people. He said, "Wait a second, God. Before you go down there and go off on them, listen, you made a promise to your people. They're not my people, God. They're your people. And you made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

    And Moses reminded God of His promises. And God showed mercy to His people.

    So I want to say, first of all, some people have a problem approaching God in prayer. Some people, you have a problem building a relationship with God because you have a guilt complex, because you say to yourself, "I'm not that kind of person who prays every day. I'm not that kind of person. I'm not spiritual enough. I'm not religious enough. I'm not Christian enough."

    You know, there's a separation between me and God. And so, you know, leave that to the pastor. Leave that to more spiritual people. And what I want to say to you is that if you're still breathing, God has shown you incredible grace. God let you wake up this morning. And He lets you breathe His air.

    And the fact that He shows kindness to people who are not perfect, right? I don't think there's anybody here who has worshipped a golden statue of a calf, right? But if God can show mercy to them, I want to say God has shown mercy to you. He has made a space for all of us to get right with Him. That's the foundation for our relationship with God. It is God's grace.

    Look at chapter 32, verse 30. It says, "It came to pass that Moses interceded. He said to the people, 'You have committed a great sin, so now I will go up to the Lord. Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.'"

    Moses stands in the place of the contender. He is interceding on behalf of his people. He was imperfect. Moses was not a perfect man, but at least he had the desire to intercede.

    Can I tell you, we have an interceder. You and I, we have a great high priest who did what Moses could not do. We have Jesus, the Son of God, who stands before the throne of God day and night, interceding on behalf of you and I as God's people.

    And you know what that means? That means we don't have any excuses for remaining separated from God. The same relationship that Jesus has, the same relationship that Moses had, you can have this morning.

    Exodus 33, verse 13. "Now, therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in your sight, show me your way that I may know you and find grace in your sight."

    Prayer is how we approach God. Prayer is how we build a relationship. Do you hear what it said? It said, "The Lord spoke to Moses face to face." Who's speaking there? The Lord is speaking. Moses got close enough to hear what God was trying to say.

    Can I ask you this morning? When's the last time you got close enough to the Lord to be able to hear what He wanted to say for your life? See, we all have to make time, provision, and space for God to move. You're here this morning. I want you to know God wants to speak to you. God has a message for you.

    And that message doesn't come from your television or from your iPhone. That message doesn't come from TikTok or Instagram. The message that God has for you, you don't have to wait for somebody else to deliver it. You don't have to wait for the pastor to preach on Sunday morning. Aren't you grateful God has a message for you? God has something He wants to say to you.

    And what He has to say to you is different than what He has to say to me. You and I, we have to build our lives on what God has to say for us. God is speaking to Moses. Is it possible that God has something to say to you?

    Now, what caught my attention about this scripture is how that relationship was described. It said that God spoke to Moses the way that a man speaks to his friend.

    How many of you have a good friend? Like somebody that you can really let it all hang out. You know what I'm saying? Like, what do they say? Let your hair down. You can really say things to them that you need to say. You got a friend like that in your life? I hope you do. Because if you don't, you are in trouble.

    Can I tell you, God wants to be that kind of friend to you. Some people treat God like He's the priest. Some people treat God like He's the pastor at the church. I'm not saying that because I don't want to be your friend. I'm just saying that some people, they want to keep some kind of distance.

    I remember what it was like when I was a new convert. And I would come to church, and Pastor Campbell would be standing there at the front door shaking people's hands as they came in. And you know what I would do? I'd go around the other side. Because when I saw my pastor, I got convicted in my sins. Because God was still working on me. And I didn't want to look into his deep blue eyes and feel convicted.

    And that was just my pastor. You think I had a problem with getting close to God because I was afraid of what God would do if I was in His presence. And that was reflected in my bad relationship that I had with my pastor at that time.

    Today, when I see my pastor, I love to shake his hand and love to get his greeting because God has helped me. I want to be close. God wants to be your friend.

    Jesus, listen to what Jesus said in John 15, verse 15. "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends."

    Jesus died to make it possible for you to be friendly with God. Do you have that this morning? You know what else marks friendship? Communication.

    How did these ladies build a friendship that lasted 80 plus years? They communicated. In a very crude, a very simple way, just writing letters. But they built a lasting relationship.

    Can I tell you something? You can build that kind of relationship with God. He wants to hear from you. He wants to speak to you. And guess what? You don't even have to write a letter. You could if you want. Some people do journaling. Some people write to God with their hand. Maybe that's easier for you to process.

    But I want to say to you, no matter how, listen, relationship requires communication. What would you think about me if I said I've been married to my wife for 20 years, but we never talk? Is that a good relationship? That would not be great, right?

    What if I say I have a best friend, my best friend in all the world, but you know what? It's been 15 years since we had a conversation. That doesn't make sense, does it?

    And yet there are disciples, there are Christians who go to church week in, week out, every Sunday, maybe even Wednesdays, for five years, for ten years, who never truly have an interaction with God. How can you say that He is your Lord? How can you say that He's your friend? Without communication.

    Listen to what God said to His people. Isaiah 41, verse 8. "You, Israel, are my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham, my friend."

    Isn't that amazing? When God mentions Abraham, He's prophesying through Isaiah, and He remembers, "Abraham, yeah, I remember. He's my friend." And it was shown in the interaction that Abraham had with God.

    You remember the story about Sodom and Gomorrah? And Abraham had a nephew living in that wicked city. And he said, God said to Himself, "I've got to tell Abraham what I'm about to do. Because he has a nephew over there. I've got to share this intel with my friend, Abraham, because that's what friends do. I'm not just going to do that behind his back. I've got to tell Abraham. Because Abraham is my friend."

    Can I ask you, does God speak about you like that? Can you consider God a friend? Can He consider you a friend? Because guess what? Friendships are two-way, aren't they?

    If I say my best friend in the whole world is Michael Jordan. Oh, really? Did you ever talk to him? No. But I've seen him on YouTube. I watched him do all the dunks. He's not my friend. I can like him. I can have respect for him. I can be aware of who he is. I can know all about him, all the statistics. But that's not the same.

    For friendship to work, I have to know him. He has to know me. In our scripture, in Isaiah, or excuse me, in Exodus, chapter 33, can I tell you, this is still the middle of a big mess. It's a big mess because of the golden calf, because of the way that it's happening. It's working itself out, and God's moving, and God's touching, and speaking, and all these things are happening.

    But I want to tell you something. Moses didn't wait for all the problems to get worked out first. Moses had a connection with God, even in the middle of the mess.

    The reason I say that is because so many people think to themselves, "I can't come to God like this. I can't just show up and talk to Him about what's going on right now. Doesn't He know what's going on in my life? Doesn't He know the stress? The tears I'm crying? The pain I'm feeling? I can't talk to God."

    Can I just remind you, that's exactly when you need to talk to God. Even more than when you're smooth sailing. Even more when all the bills are paid. When we are going through the worst situations of our lives, that is when we build our relationship with God.

    It's the mistake that Adam and Eve made in the garden. You remember, they made a big boo-boo. They ate of the fruit that was forbidden. And as soon as they took a bite, they felt guilty. They felt separated. And at the moment that they should have been running back to the presence of God, what do they do?

    "We got to get out of here. We got to run from God. He's going to be mad." And guess what? "We got to make some clothing for ourselves because now we're naked. We're shamed. And we got to cover." Like that's going to help.

    And they're sewing together the fig leaves, trying to make some clothes out of leaves. And that's what so many people are doing, trying to make up for their lack of relationship with God, thinking that if I just do more, if I just put on an appearance, that God will be happier with me or that I will feel less guilt as a result.

    Can I tell you, your guilt doesn't mean anything. Your guilt is only separating you from the Father who wants to put His arms around you. God came looking for them, even in the middle of their mess.

    What we should do this morning, we should fear God, right? The Bible does say we should fear God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That's the healthy respect. I don't want God's judgment. We should fear God, but we should never be afraid to approach God.

    He has made Himself accessible to you. You can approach God. Have you done that? It means nothing hidden, nothing held back, willing to expose ourselves. Willing to be honest.

    When's the last time you really got honest with God? "Lord, this is what I'm struggling with. This is what I'm going through. This is what's on my heart."

    And some people say, "Well, that seems silly. Why should I have to do that when God already knows? Doesn't the Bible say that He knows what we need even before we ask?"

    And some people say, "I read that scripture. That means I never need to pray. He already knows. What else am I going to say?"

    The problem is if we never approach God in prayer, we don't build a relationship with Him. It's like the librarian. The librarian knows all the books but doesn't know all the people. It's possible to even call yourself a Christian but be intimidated to bring your issues before the Lord.

    I have a friend, Pastor Greg Colon. I was talking to him about this message. And he says that he has a boss who is in the Marine Corps. And his boss was recently converted to become a Christian. Powerful transformation and all that stuff.

    But as a military guy, he was speaking to Pastor Greg and he made this statement. He said, "I have trouble thinking of God as anything other than my commander. It's really hard for me to think of God as father or as friend because from a military background, he says, I think of Him as commander. You tell me what to do. I'll do it."

    And that's a good thing to have, yes? But God is more than your commander.

    Listen, we were at the Pentagon the other day. I went to go take a tour a couple of weeks ago when I was up there in Manassas. And walking down the one hallway there, I was with a guy who's also a pastor in our fellowship. And he says, "Whoa, that's the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps."

    It's like, "Whoa, that's the guy." He says, "He's in here maybe once or twice a year." Like, I couldn't tell him different from anybody else. But my buddy, he looked at me and he goes, "Whoa, that's the guy."

    And it's like he stood up straight. Right? And there's that factor of, "Whoa, I better straighten up my act."

    Listen, he did not view that man as his friend. He was a commander. He had authority. He had power. And that was communicated just by his presence, being in the hallway.

    God wants to be our commander, yes, but He wants to be more than that. How do we approach God? It's a two-way street. It said the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend.

    But here's where it gets really good. Because as the Lord spoke to Moses, then Moses began to speak to God. And in this scripture, we have three prayers that Moses prays. And I want you to catch them before we close.

    There are three things that Moses prayed for that every one of us can pray. Number one, we need to pray to know God's way. Look at verse 13. "Now, therefore, I pray. This is Moses. If I have found grace in your sight, show me your way."

    Everybody say, "Your way." This is not Burger King. We're not here to do it our way. "Lord, show me your way that I may know you and that I may find grace in your sight."

    Can I ask you, do you know God's way? Say, "Yeah, Pastor, I know. I know. I've read the Bible a few times. I've seen what the Bible says. I know what God wants."

    I didn't ask you if you knew God's word. Do you know His way? It's possible to know theology and scripture and have deep insights and revelation, but still not to know Him.

    And the way that that is revealed, you know His word, but do you know His way? How do you find out somebody's ways? You've got to spend time with them.

    Now, we have a place on our website where I put up a blog post every once or twice a month. And you could read every blog post that I put on the church website, but you wouldn't know me. Right?

    You would know a few of my thoughts. You would know a few of my revelations, things that I've said. But how do you know what kind of person I am? You've got to spend some time with me.

    You've got to figure out the things that make me happy and the things that make me sad and the things that make me laugh and the things that make me cry. You would know those things if you spent time with me.

    And I want to tell you the same is true with God, my friends. You can know the scripture. You can listen to sermons. You can attend church services and still you don't know His ways.

    One of my prayers that I've prayed over the years, "God, I want you to help me to learn how to love what you love and hate what you hate. I want to care about the things you care about and I don't want to care about things you don't care about."

    That's what it means to be friends with God. It's not just the what. It's the why and the how.

    Listen to what God said against Isaiah 55, verse 7. "Let the wicked forsake his way and unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Thank God for that.

    Then He says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways. And my thoughts are higher than your thoughts."

    You know, it's possible to live a carnal Christian life. Is that possible, church? It's possible to call yourself a Christian, even to have some religious experiences with God, but still to be living by your ways.

    Your ideas, your opinions, the way that you grew up, the things. Listen, everybody, we have certain baggage, ideas, and philosophies that we bring into the kingdom like a suitcase. And we drag that up in here and we think that our way is the best way.

    That's why it's your way. Somebody has convinced you along the way or you learned through the school of hard knocks. This is how it's going to be.

    I will tell you, your ways are down here. His ways are higher. And what Moses is praying here, "Lord, I want you to show me your way." He already had the Ten Commandments. He already had the scripture. He already had the words.

    But, "Lord, I want your ways."

    The second thing I see here is that Moses began to pray God's promises. I love this so much. Look at verse 14. This is God, and He says to Moses, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

    Now, there was some question about that. Because when He saw what the people did, God got so upset, His anger burned hot. He said, "I'm done with these people. My presence no longer."

    And you know what? We have moments like that in our lives, right? We have moments like that when we mess up, when we fall on our face, when we do wickedness, and we feel the presence of God just leaving. "I'm out of here."

    That's why David prayed, "Restore unto me the joy of my salvation." David royally screwed up, and the presence of God didn't mean that he was going to hell, but it meant the presence of God had left, and he felt the absence.

    But now God is confirming to Moses. He says, "I'll go with you. I'll be there with you. I promise you, Moses, I'm not going to leave."

    Now watch what Moses prays, verse 15. "Then he said to him, 'If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.'"

    The response to God's promise is that Moses said, "Yeah, you better be with us. I'm going to hold you to that one, Lord, because if you're not with us, we're dead."

    God made a promise, and Moses said, "Okay, if you promise it, I'm going to keep you to that promise. I'm going to pray that promise. I'm going to believe that. I'm going to receive it as my own."

    Listen, people of God, we have to know the word of God, because otherwise we will not know His promises. And one of the best uses of your prayer time is to find the promise that God has for your life and to pray it for yourself.

    "Jesus, you promised you would never leave me nor forsake me. I need you right now. You promised it. I'm receiving it. I believe for it right now. I need your presence."

    Whether that promise is for your blessing to set you free from addiction and sin, whether that promise regards your children to bless and cover them. Listen, you need to pray the promises of God.

    Moses' prayer is a reflection of God's promise to him. God already made this promise. It's not enough that God already made the promise. Moses said, "I'm going to hold you to that, Lord. I'm going to believe you."

    That's what the promise is for. If we're going to keep, if God is going to keep His promise in our life, it will be because, not just because of His word and His mind, but Jesus said we should ask, seek, and knock.

    And you know, if you're a student of the Bible, you know that those verbs in the Greek are the perfect present, which means knock and keep on knocking. Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Don't stop.

    Don't stop believing. Don't worry, I won't sing it. Jesus said in Matthew 7, verse 7, "And it will be, it will be given to, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking will receive. He who seeks and keeps on seeking will find, and him who knocks and keeps on knocking, it will be opened."

    Do you believe that? Are you persistent? Some people pray three times about something, God didn't answer, I guess it's over. Jesus said in Luke 18, He spoke a parable to His disciples, and here's the reason for the parable, Luke 18, verse 1, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.

    Isn't that the problem with us? We pray and then we lose heart. Didn't happen. But we need to pray without losing heart, believing that His promise is real.

    And that parable that Jesus told was about the persistent widow who had a court battle that was unfavorable to her. And the unrighteous judge, she began to pester him day after day and night after night. "You need to avenge my cause. You need to make sure the outcome of this case is correct."

    And day after day and night after night. And finally, an unrighteous judge, just because of her persistence, said, "Fine, leave me alone. I'll complete your request."

    How much more a God in heaven who cares about you and wants to be your friend?

    The final prayer that Moses prayed as we close is in verse 18. He said, "Please show me your glory."

    This is heavy. The prayer that Moses prayed, he probably had no idea what he was asking for. And none of us really could fully understand what it means to see and to bear the glory of God.

    But what I see in this is a desire of Moses. "I need to know more about you. I need a personal revelation. This is not for the people, God. This is for me. I need to see your glory. I want to know you."

    The glory of God means His manifest presence, His holiness, His power revealed through creation in human lives and worship and divine acts.

    And God hears this prayer from Moses and He says, "Moses, you can't handle it. You can't handle the truth. If I showed all of my glory to you, Moses, you would die and I'm not ready for you to die yet. You still got work to do."

    So the answer from God to this prayer was limited. I will answer you in a partial way. So here's what we'll do, Moses. I got this little spot over here carved out in a rock. I'm going to put you in that place. You're going to close your eyes.

    And when I tell you to open up your eyes, I'm going to run away. And when I run away, you're going to open up your eyes and you will just see the last wisp of my glory as I'm leaving. And that is as much as you can handle.

    God's answers are limited. Aren't you glad that God doesn't give you every answer to every prayer? It would be so much for us to bear. We couldn't handle it.

    It's like the mother of James and John when she comes to Jesus and said, "Lord, I have my two boys here. And would you grant them to one, sit on your left and one hand on your right?"

    And what did Jesus say? "You have no idea what you're asking for. Are they able to drink from the cup that I'm going to drink from? Are you serious right now?"

    She thought that this was a good prayer. This was not a good prayer. Jesus said, "They can't handle it. You don't know what you're asking for."

    But just that moment that Moses had with the glory of God, it was enough to change him for the rest of his life. In fact, if you flip the page and go to chapter 34, it says that Moses came down from Mount Sinai.

    Verse 29, he had the two tablets, and Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with them. So Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses. Behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

    Is there anybody like me that when you were in high school, you took a photography class? This is going back a little ways. In my photography class, we had a dark room. Yes, before digital cameras. I know, kids. Look it up. Google it. It was real.

    We would take pictures on this thing called film. And you would take the film, develop the film, and you would put it into this projector. And there was a light that would shine through the film. And in a dark room, only red lights, because that was the only shade of color that was not sensitive to the paper.

    And it would shine a very faint light, just a little flash. Click. And you would put the photosensitive paper down underneath the projection, and that's how you would make blowed-up pictures. Can you believe that? You didn't have to take it to Walgreens.

    But the dark room, this is where it happened. In the dark is where the image was imprinted on that photosensitive paper. And once you developed that paper, you could bring it out, and you could show the nice picture that you took.

    Look, when you spend time in prayer, seeking the Lord, seeking His friendship, you know what? You come out from that with a print of His character. You come out looking more like Him.

    And to some people, that's intimidating. To some people, there are people that are not going to understand that. People who are going to interpret it. "Oh, you're just one of those holy, holier-than-thou Bible-thumpers," right?

    People will think badly of you. They tried to run away from Moses. I want to tell you, God answers when He speaks to His friends.

    The Lord said to Moses, verse 17, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken, for you have found grace in my sight. I know you by name."

    The way that God answered Moses' prayers is by guiding and directing him day by day through the wilderness and in leadership. God will fill in the details.

    Listen, you don't have to have all the details. Some people are detail and control-oriented people. "I want to know the plan, Pastor. Can we have the plan?"

    The Bible said God asked Abram to go out from his hometown without even knowing where he was going. "Just leave and step out, and you're going to find exactly where I want you to go."

    This is what it means to be a friend of God. I don't need every detail. I don't need to work every problem out. I'm just going to follow the voice of my friend, God. He goes before us.

    Verse 19, He said, "Listen, God wants to show Himself to you, but we've got to make a place in our lives to speak to Him the way that a man speaks to his friend."

    Is that you? Maybe you've been slacking when it comes to your prayer life. Can I tell you, God's not slacking. He's waiting for you. The Bible says in Psalms that the Lord bends His ear toward those who would call upon His name.

    He wants to hear from you. You are as close to God as you want to be. And if you are distant from the Lord, the problem is not Him. The problem is that we are intimidated. We think that we're not worthy. We think that God doesn't have time for us.

    But I want to tell you, God wants to be your friend. And my challenge, my charge to you this morning is to seek the Lord while He may be found. Make God your closest friend. Don't hide behind religion. Don't hide behind religious sacrifices.

    He wants to know you.

    Let's bow our heads in prayer for just a moment. I do thank you for your attention this morning and for your listening spirit. I believe there is a God in heaven right now. He is looking down on this audience with compassion.

    We sang it tonight. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever would believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life."

    And before we close this service with our heads bowed, our eyes closed for a moment, respecting what God wants to do in the hearts of every person here.

    Father, I want to ask you a very important question. Do you know Him? Do you know Him? As I mentioned, I know all about Michael Jordan. I know all about LeBron James. I know all about Steph Curry. I know about them. But I don't know them.

    And they don't know me. And I'm asking you here today. Do you know Him? Are you right with Him? Have you turned from sin and trusted in the Lord Jesus who died so that you can be set free?

    This is the good news of the gospel. That all of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. We've all broken the commandments. We've all done wickedness. We all have done things that we're ashamed of.

    But the good news is that God cares about you and wants to save you. And I feel the precious spirit of God moving upon somebody's heart here today. He's crying out to you. He's tugging on your heart. The Holy Spirit right now beginning to convict you of sin and drawing you into His presence by His grace.

    The question is, will you receive it? That's what faith is. To turn from sin and to trust that Jesus is who He says He is. Are you willing to turn from your sin and trust in Him this morning?

    If you are, I want to pray with you. Maybe you haven't done this before or maybe you've been running from God like the prodigal. Maybe like Adam and Eve in the garden. You've been running from God. It's time to turn to Him in faith.

    If that's you right now, would you do something for me? Just slip up a hand. I want to pray with you. I don't want to embarrass anybody. But right now, God's moving on your heart. Don't miss this opportunity.

    Would you lift up your hand so I can pray with you? Is there someone here believing the Lord to save you from your sins and trust in Him to turn from sin and believe in God with all your heart?

    Don't miss this opportunity and don't be ashamed from front to back, side to side. Please, if that's you, let me see your hand quickly. I'm not going to give the microphone in your face. I just want to pray with you. Would you lift up your hand? Someone here, quickly. God's going to speak to you. God's going to help you. But you've got to respond.

    Is that you? Lift up a hand. You want to respond. Is there anyone here?

    Amen. We're going to open up this altar for prayer. Church, I want to pray for this congregation. Maybe you're here today listening to this message and you say, "Pastor, if I'm totally honest, my relationship with God is not great. I don't have a friendship the way Moses did. I think of God as maker. I think of Him as judge. I think of Him as author and finisher of salvation. I think of Him as far away. I think of Him as powerful. I have respect for God. But if I'm totally honest, I'm lacking when it comes to friendship with God. I see Him as commander. But I don't see Him as my friend."

    And God wants to develop that relationship with you. And if we'd be honest for a few moments and bring that need to Him, I believe that He is faithful. He is faithful to find us in our moment of need.

    We're going to open up this altar for prayer today. And I want to encourage you as we stand up to our feet here. We're going to make space at this front altar right here. And I want to ask you if you need a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus. You need you want to pray to God the way Moses prayed, like a man face to face with his friend.

    If you want that in your life, I want to pray with you. Can we stand to our feet? We're going to open up this altar to pray. Say, "Lord, forgive me for being distant. Lord, forgive me for running away from You when I should have been running toward You."

    Would you come and join us for prayer here at this altar? Come on, let's begin to believe God together.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Adam Dragoon
Previous

What Happens in the Upper Room Won’t Stay in the Upper Room [Acts 1 & 2]
Next

What happens at Bethel