Show Me Your Glory!

Ex 33:15-23

The more I read about Moses, the more I am amazed with this man. We know so many stories about him, but sometimes I think we miss some very important facts about him. For instance, he was so close to God that God talked to him as his friend. The only other person referred to as God’s friend is Abraham. Moses is in some pretty good company I would say.

Moses was also one of very few who had the nerve to argue with God. Again the one who comes to mind who also argued with God is Abraham.

This is a spiritually great man in every sense and his one request was to see the glory of God. Why would that be his greatest request? Why should it be ours? We’ll look at that in a moment.

PRAYER

I. Wanting to see God’s Glory

A. A line in the sand

1. Moses wanted to see God’s glory.

2. That’s a serious move on the part of a mere man.

3. Why that request? What did it mean?

4. It was a request that changes everything.

5. It’s said that during the battle of the Alamo, when they realized that to stay in the fort meant that every person would die, Col. Travis did something extraordinary. He told the men exactly where things stood. That buying time would give Texas a chance to build an army to go against Santa Anna. But to buy that time, they would have to defend the fort. To defend the fort meant that every person in the fort would die. He told them it was a decision each man had to make. After his speech, he drew a line in the ground with his sword and asked that any man willing to stay with him step across it. Every single man did. We know how the story ended. Every man was killed. It was a decision that changed everything for each of those men and for Texas.

6. Long before Col. Travis drew his sword, Moses had his own line in the sand to draw. To ask to see God’s glory meant that his deepest desire was not for the things of God, not for a favor from God, but God himself, he crossed a line.

7. When our deepest desire is for God himself, everything we are about changes.

8. We cross a fundamental threshold that changes what we are all about.

B. God’s Glory

1. So, what is God’s glory? What does that mean to us?

2. I’ve had a chance to meet some famous people. I have seen President Nixon, I’ve shaken hands with the Queen of England, I was nearly run over by Ja Ja Gabor. I’ve met a couple of actors.

3. They all had an aura of fame about them, but I wouldn’t use the term glory.

4. God’s glory is something that is much more profound.

5. Mere glimpses of it leave us stunned when we see an incredible sunset or beautiful scenery. I grew up as a kid going to a fishing resort in Canada every year. One of my favorite things was to sit on the porch at sunrise and watch the sun come up over the trees and shine on the mist floating over the water. To hear the lake lapping gently at the shore and loons calling in the background. And every time, I couldn’t help but dwell on how incredible God was to create such a scene.

6. When we lived in Alaska I would love to sit on the bluff overlooking cook inlet with the mountain in the background, fishing boats and whales gliding on the water in front of me, eagles circling the shore line and every once in a while, one of these majestic birds would land on stump close to me and look at me for a minute before flying off.

7. Glimpses of the glory of God. Imagine what it would be like to see his whole glory! Moses would shine for days after seeing just the back of God’s glory.

C. Moses request needs to be our request

1. Think about your life and priorities.

2. If God said he would give you anything you asked for, what would you ask for?

3. World peace? More riches? Power? A cure for cancer? A better preacher?

4. How many of us would ask to see the glory of God?

5. Yet that’s exactly what we need to ask for.

6. If we could really experience the glory of God it would change everything about us.

7. It would be like visiting a bank vault in Rochester after spending a day in Fort Knox. It just wouldn’t measure up.

8. I believe if we really saw the glory of God, everything else would pale in comparison.

D. A changed life

1. When Moses saw the glory of God, it changed his life.

2. No one doubted he had seen God.

3. 2 Cor 3:7 tells us that the people could hardly look at Moses face because of the glory of his face.

4. If you experience the glory of God, people are going to notice.

5. It’s going to change you.

6. A couple of years ago Rhyann was big enough to ride the big roller coasters. She wanted to do it, but was scared to death. She wanted me to go with her and hold her hand. Knowing I was there gave her strength over her fears. Now she’s a roller coaster freak.

7. When we have seen God’s glory, it gives us the strength to meet and conquer whatever lies before us.

8. My God’s the strongest, greatest, God there is and he’s holding my hand.

9. Suddenly it dawns on us that our life isn’t about this life, but the life to come.

10. Are you ready to experience God’s glory?