LIFE’S ULTIMATE PURSUIT!
Exodus 33:13-19
INTRODUCTION:
Wow, what a great day to be here with you!
Most of our adult lives have been devoted to the ministry of the local church. Lori and I have served in pastoral ministry for over 30 years, In fact, the last 20 were pastoring a wonderful congregation here, in the Upstate of South Carolina. But, about a year and a half ago, we accepted this new assignment which brought lots of change to our lives. In June of 2023 we stepped away from pastoring the local church and into the role of Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the South Carolina Assemblies of God. And since that time, we have been commuting to West Columbia from the north side of Greer. In case you’re wondering, that’s 4 hours a day we spend on the road (when things go as planned). So, that adds up to more than 1000 hours this past year — and 50,000+ miles on our car. That’s a lot of time behind the wheel. However, things are about to change — because, this coming Friday we will close on a new home in Columbia. So celebrate with us…but also, pray with us as we move.
TRANSITION:
Well, nearly 400 years ago, a group of scholars gathered to address that issue. They sought to create a tool for the church to help teach the Bible and guide people in their faith in Jesus. In the end, they developed a detailed list of questions and answers derived from scripture. They called it, the Westminster Catechism. Some of you may be familiar with it.
In it, the very first question asked is this:
What is the chief end (or sole purpose) of man?
In other words, what’s the point of life? What’s the main thing?
Well, the answer is:
To know God — to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
And that’s exactly right. Our primary purpose in this life is to KNOW GOD!To know Him and spend our lives glorifying Him! That’s our purpose — that’s the end game! That’s our divine destiny! And yet, from the beginning of time, the Devil’s primary purpose has been to DISCREDIT GOD and — to DISTRACT and DERAIL us from pursuing Him (leading us to serve ourselves instead of serving God)! For this reason, there are many who have erroneously concluded that God isn’t good. That He’s distant, unapproachable, and disinterested in humanity. But, nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, the Bible tells us that God longs to be KNOWN! For this reason, God reveals Himself in various ways, both general and specific.
— The general revelations are evident in creation—the intricacies of the natural world, the stars, the moon, and the galaxies all reflect His power and precision. The existence of such a detailed creation implies a Creator, right?
— More specific revelations come through His Word—the Bible. Through Scripture, God discloses who He is and His desire to save us from sin. He teaches us about His love, grace, mercy, right and wrong, sin and forgiveness, and His stance on these matters.
— Additionally, God reveals Himself through Jesus. Nearly 2,000 years ago, He took on human form and lived among us, demonstrating His love and grace by sacrificing His life for ours.
— God also reveals Himself through His Spirit, whom He sent to dwell within us. When we give our hearts to Christ and trust in Him, His Spirit lives in us. As Jesus said in John 14, the Spirit will teach us all things and reveal God’s heart to us more and more.
Just know this — GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM! And OUR ULTIMATE PURSUIT in life — ought to be to know Him intimately, to experience Him personally., and to glorify Him intentionally!
And, in the time we have remaining today, that’s what I want to talk with you about.
MESSAGE:
So, if you have your Bible, turn with me to Exodus 33. Here, we find a story of Moses grappling with the desire to truly know God. This passage highlights how, above all else—more than success, wealth, power, or possessions—Moses longs to know God.
Let’s begin reading in verse 13. Here Moses says to God,
13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” 14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 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 the face of the earth?” 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Exodus 33:13-19 (NIV)
In this story, Moses, the leader of his people, pauses to pray and asks God for three specific things in his life. As I reflect on this passage, I believe we too should pray for these same three things. If God answers these prayers, our lives will be forever changed. Here they are…
The first thing we should ask God for is this:
1. GOD, I WANT TO KNOW YOU BETTER.
In verse 13, Moses prayed,
“…teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.”
Exodus 33:13 (NIV)
Have you ever had that thought, “God, if you’re real — I want to know you?” Well, if you have, it’s because you were designed with that longing. Some have described it as a “God-shaped hole” within each of us. A deep desire, and the only thing that can fill that void in our lives, is to KNOW GOD!
But, it’s also an invitation He’s given us.
In Psalm 46:10, God says,
“Be still and know that I am God.”
He says, “Slow down — take a breath, and get to know me!”
In Jeremiah 9:24, He says,
“Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord…”
Knowing God is His desire for you — so when you pray that prayer…He is motivated to respond.
But don’t think that’s just an invitation for those who are FAR from God. This is God’s desire for all of us. For those new to faith, as well as those who have been serving Christ for a long time.
So, no matter where you are on the continuum of faith, and no matter how long you’ve been serving Jesus, you can always know Him more.
But, KNOWING HIM and KNOWING ABOUT HIM are NOT the same things! There’s a BIG difference between knowing ABOUT God and really knowing Him.
One of the tragedies of our generation, is that it’s easy to gain knowledge ABOUT GOD — but never really KNOW HIM intimately.
Have you ever met anyone like that? Have you ever encountered someone who was good at quoting information, they could articulate doctrine — maybe even argue religious views and theological points. But there was a DISCONNECT between their head and their heart?
They could probably spew INFORMATION about God, but they probably failed to practice living like Him. And that’s because — knowing in your head, and knowing in your heart are two different things.
Author J.I. Packer in His book — Knowing God, says, “A little knowledge OF God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge ABOUT him. One can know a great deal ABOUT God without much knowledge OF him.”
What he’s saying is that INFORMATION alone will never compare to an EXPERIENCE with Him.
Moses knew this.
- He experienced God’s presence at the burning bush.
- He observed God’s power during the plagues that came upon Egypt.
- He led the Israelites through the wilderness and saw God’s hand of care and protection.
- He even witnessed God provide food and water in miraculous ways while in the desert.
- He knew there was a difference between knowing about God and knowing Him intimately.
So, when he prayed — he asked God for more than INFORMATION. He was asking for TRANSFORMATION.
What about you? Are you satisfied with information about God — or do you, like Moses long to really KNOW HIM intimately?
Scripture assures us that if you seek God, you will find Him. So, when you pray, ask God to teach you His ways so that you may really know Him.
Which leads to the second way we ought to pray. And it’s this:
2. GOD, I WANT TO EXPERIENCE YOU CLOSER.
The second thing Moses desired was to experience the closeness of God in a personal way. That God’s presence would be present in his life. We find this in verse 15, where Moses says,
“If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.
Exodus 33:15 (NIV)
This was a prayer for God’s presence — for closeness, but also for faithfulness. He was saying, “Lord don’t leave me. Don’t leave your people. Go with us. Let your presence define us. When people see us, let them see you with us. Come closer!”
Moses understood that God’s presence was what would set he and his people apart from all other people of the world. It wasn’t their strength, or skill, or wisdom, or the size of their army. It was God with them. So he prays, God come closer!
There’s a part of this story that you need to understand — sort of the BACK–STORY to Moses’ request of God. It happened just a short time prior to this story. It was when Moses had climbed Mt. Sinai to meet with God. That was the time God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. But it took a while. And Moses was gone a long time. While he was gone — the people of his nation grew impatient. Some probably wondered if Moses had abandoned them…or maybe he died while he was gone. So, in their impatience, they created their own God’s to worship. They gathered all the gold jewelry and melted it down into the form of a calf. And they began to celebrate and worship it (a God of their making). Something and someone they could control.
But in time, Moses left the Mountain Top and came down to discover the foolishness of his people. He couldn’t believe it…It made him angry. But, worse yet, it made God angry!
You might thing that God would have just destroyed them. But He didn’t. In fact, He told Moses that He was going to keep His Word and still give them the PROMISED LAND — the Land of Canaan. But there was a catch (really, it was a consequence). Since the people had traded God in for an idol, He said: The people could have the land. They could have the livestock, and the fruit, and all the wealth that would accompany the Land of Canaan. They would even gain victory over their enemies and get everything this world had to offer — but there was one thing they WOULDN’T GET!
And that was His Presence!
God said, “I’ll send you on…but I’m not coming with you.”
And so, when we get to Exodus 33, and this part of their story—Moses was desperate for God’s closeness. He couldn’t imagine going forward on their own. While the promises of success and prosperity sounded great — they were all empty possessions if God wasn’t with them.
So, Moses prays, — “I want your presence to go with us!”
Let me try to make this more applicable for you and me. In essence, the people would have been satisfied with RELIGION. But not Moses…He wanted more.
Moses wanted more. He wanted God’s Presence.
He wanted a genuine RELATIONSHIP with God.
And what was true for Moses is true for us as well.
If you and I spend every Sunday, coming to church but just going through the motions, if we fail to really welcome God and acknowledge His presence, then we might gain some moralistic recharge, and even feel better about ourselves…but in the end, we’ll be left empty by religion. Empty and unsatisfied.
In order to avoid that mistake, SET YOUR HEART ON SOMETHING MORE. As you come in this place each week — come in with an expectation of a personal encounter with Jesus. Make that your prayer. Make that your desire. Don’t just come to see your friends (although that’s a great blessing), but COME TO SEE JESUS. INVITE Him into this place, listen for His voice, respond to the promptings of His Spirit, and celebrate His presence. And as you go, GO WITH HIM!
Because, His presence is really the defining mark of a life-well-lived!
So, make that your prayer: seek to know God personally; and seek to experience His abiding presence in your life.
And there’s one more way this story teaches us to pray. And it’s this:
3. GOD, I WANT TO GLORIFY YOU GREATER.
What happens next in this story is pretty amazing. Moses continues to speak with God — and he asks God to reveal His glory to Him. This was a request for God to display His power and presence before Him.
And in verse 18, we’re told,
18 …Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you…”
Exodus 33:18 (NIV)
This is significant, because what happens next changed Moses’ life forever.
God responds to his request by saying, “Moses, you really can’t handle seeing me in all of my glory. I’m just too much for you to bear. But, here’s what I’ll do…I’ll place you in a safe place on this mountain, inside a cavern or crevasse in this mountain…and I’ll cover your eyes — and then I’ll pass by. But after I’ve passed by, I’ll open your eyes and let you see the trail of my glory.”
And in chapter 34, God keeps His Word.He does just what He said He’d do. In verse 5 it says,
5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
Exodus 34:5-7 (NIV)
And verse 8 tells us how Moses responded. It says,
8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.
Exodus 34:8 (NIV)
So, God says — I’m too much for you to handle. But I’ll give you a small glimpse of my presence — and when He did, Moses responded, fell to the ground and worshipped Him!
Listen, what Moses longed for most a glimpse of God’s glory. And nowhere Has God shown us a glimpse of His glory as great as in the person of Jesus.
- When Jesus came from Heaven to earth, to live among us, to demonstrate His love and mercy, to show us the way to the live, and then to lay down His life for the forgiveness of our sin — humanity witnessed God’s glory revealed!
- When He was resurrected and victoriously lived again, walking out of the grave…he revealed hIs glory to us.
- And every time someone experiences salvation and are forgiven of their sin, when their lives transformed by God’s grace…His glory is revealed again.
- Every time someone testifies of the goodness of God and their faith in Him…His glory is revealed.
- Every time someone is baptized in water as 18 people experienced today — testifying to God’s grace and mercy, God’s glory is displayed!
So, I challenge you today — start watching for His glory. Live with an awareness of His glory. Look for the trails of His presence passing you throughout your day. Invite Him to reveal His presence, power, and wonder in your life.
And when you recognize God’s glory — when you see evidence of it, RESPOND!
Give God glory! Acknowledge it. Point it out. Journal about it. Talk about it. Share your “God moments” with your friends and family. Express it publicly. Tell the world — and testify to God’s greatness!
CONCLUSION:
When we began this morning — I shared with you that THE PURPOSE OF MAN is to KNOW GOD, TO GLORIFY HIM and ENJOY HIM FOREVER!
And if you want that to be the case in your life — then I can think of no better way, than to pray like Moses did…and seek to know God! Make this your prayer:
— God, I want to know You better!
— I want to experience you closer!
— And… I want to Glorify your greater!
If you’ll make that your prayer—and your ULTIMATE PURSUIT, God will answer your prayer and bless you beyond measure!
CLOSING PRAYER:
As we wrap up today, I’d really like to pray for you.So, would you just pause with me — right where you are, and maybe in your own way, acknowledge to God that you want your life to be defined by the ULTIMATE PURSUIT of knowing Him.
Maybe you could join me in just lifting your hands towards heaven — like a child for their parent, and receive the promised blessings of God in your life today.
Let’s pray: Lord, we thank You for Your promise to make yourself known to us…to fill us with your presence…and to pour out your glory in our lives. Help us to become intentional about living for You. Shape our lives, guide us in our decisions, and reveal Your glory to us more and more. And as you do, help us to respond in kind…that we might honor you and be a light to others. Help us to glorify you with everything in us! We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
And now, just one more thing: If you’re here this morning, and you’ve listened to everything we’ve said toady — from the worship and testimonies to the message, and through it all, you sense God stirring your heart to trust in Him. To seek Him. To know Him, would you respond by lifting your hand today— to let me know that your want to know Jesus. (Saying, “I want to be saved today?”)
If that’s you, would you be brave enough to slip your hand up and acknowledge that today? As you do, a ministry team member is going to bring you a card (so that you have a tangible way to respond), to God’s prompting in your life today.
Yes, we are so proud of you! In light of your desire to surrender your life to Jesus, would you pray with me? Maybe you’d say something like this:
HeavenlyFather, I admit that I am a sinner and I’ve chosen my way over yours too often. But all that changes today. Because, I believe in Your Son, Jesus. I believe that He came from Heaven to earth to pay for my sin. I believe He died on the cross, shed His blood, was put in a grave — and rose again. So, today — I put my faith in Jesus. Forgive me of my sin. Save me and give me new life in you forever. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
If you prayed today and made a decision to follow Jesus — would you let us know? We are so proud of you.This is the greatest decision you’ll ever make. Now, as you begin this journey, I challenge to make it your goal to KNOW HIM — more than anything else? Because, that’s LIFE’S ULTIMATE PURSUIT!