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[0:00] Exodus 33, in the homestretch of the book, by far in the homestretch. We finished chapter 32 last week and we started it with Moses up in the mountain with God! And this great sin of the people in the wilderness below.

[0:19] We saw how Moses acted as an advocate with the Lord. And then last week Moses gets down to the bottom and he sees what God saw. And he sees the dancing and the nakedness and the golden calf and hears their worship.

[0:31] And he throws the tablets down and breaks them on the ground. His wrath waxes hot and he understands why God was ready to consume them in a moment. And we studied the order of the events as they appeared in the text.

[0:44] And as Moses re-entered the scene and how he dealt with that great sin. And I believe the actions that he showed us is how to deal with great sin in our lives.

[0:55] And whatever that would be for you, don't quickly forget what that is. Don't quickly dismiss what God speaks to your heart about when we go through passages like that.

[1:06] Because it's not every Sunday that we try to aim at something like that. It doesn't come up in the Bible that often. It would be a shame if we just stood up here every Sunday and preached to you about sin, sin, sin, sin, sin. And yet there it is.

[1:17] And when we do, take it to heart and take notes and go back and revisit those notes. And remember what the scripture said there. So with 32 over, and it ends in verse 35 with the Lord plaguing the people.

[1:32] The next chapter begins, chapter 33, with God informing Moses of a change of plans. This is not going according to plan with the Lord.

[1:44] This people, they're just not at all what he has anticipated or wants or expects of them. He still intends upon fulfilling the promises that he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

[1:56] But he realizes that the people are not going to change. They're not going to live up to what I'm asking of them. And because of that, because of knowing that on the horizon, surely there are more issues that lie ahead.

[2:13] And so in the moment, in God's view, the best thing for him to do is to keep his distance. He understands that if he stays with this people the way they are, eventually he is going to snap on them.

[2:31] Eventually his wrath will wax hot and he will not listen to Moses. Eventually he will consume them in a moment. And so what I want to do today, this morning, in this chapter is not the entirety of the chapter, but a good portion of it.

[2:44] I want to outline it with you. And what I'll, I'll just tell you where we're going to go with it. First we're going to look at the problem, then at the proposal, and then finally at the persuasion where Moses gets involved with this.

[2:56] But before that, let's take a look at the first six verses of chapter 33. Follow along in your Bible.

[3:31] I'll consume thee in the way. When the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned. And no man did put on him his ornaments, for the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people.

[3:43] I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee. Therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do with thee. The children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the Mount Horeb.

[3:55] So God initially says, I need to think about what I'm going to do. You have sinned a great sin. You made an image of a calf out of gold and worshipped it.

[4:08] And said, these be thy gods. Like, I need to, he just needs to take a step back and think about this for a little bit. He said that in verse, In verse 5, That I may know what to do with thee.

[4:23] Take off your, like, I got to think about this for a minute. I need to figure out how I'm going to proceed. And he makes up his mind saying in verse 2, I'll send an angel before thee.

[4:33] This is what I'm going to do. I'm going to send an angel. That angel's going to take you into that land, the land I promised. I'm going to make good on my promise. But if I'm in the midst of you, I know what's going to happen.

[4:47] And he says that twice in his passage. You're a stiff-necked people. If I'm in the midst of you, I'll come into there. In a moment, I'll consume you. I know how this is going to go. So I'm not going to do that.

[4:57] I'm going to send an angel. And the angel's going to take you into the land. And you're so stiff-necked and rebellious. And my mercy and my patience is surely going to run out.

[5:09] So the problem that we're looking at is there's a rebellious people that are stiff-necked. And they're never going to change. And then there's a God that is holy.

[5:20] And he is never going to change. And he cannot continue to just overlook and ignore their behavior and their attitude. His plan for them was for things to be different.

[5:32] Let me show this to you and remind you. Flip back to chapter 19. Exodus chapter 19. This is what was in the mind of God for this people that he redeemed out of Egypt.

[5:46] As he redeemed and brought them out, initially they sang praises unto him. And so now they're going forward. And it reveals to them what his intentions are.

[5:57] In chapter 19, I'll begin in verse 3. Moses went up unto God and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel, Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, how I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto myself.

[6:15] Now, therefore, if ye will obey my voice and deed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine.

[6:30] And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation. This is what God sees, the potential he sees in this people.

[6:41] This is his desire for this people. But in this moment, in this moment, he's looking at them and thinking twice and saying, They're not going to change.

[6:52] And I can't dwell in the midst of them and go up with them. So he comes up with a plan, an alternate plan. The problem is, how can a holy God dwell in the midst of a sinful people?

[7:06] He wanted to rescue them from Egypt, to teach them his ways, to instruct them of his ways and commands, and then to lead them.

[7:17] What God saw is, I have a better way for you, and I have a holy way for you, a right way. If you'll listen, and if you'll submit to me, and if you'll obey my voice, this is what I'm going to do with you.

[7:31] God sees it in his mind and in his eye. He knows what he wants to do. But after this situation, he sees this people, and reality is, they are stiff-necked.

[7:42] They are not going to change. They are not going to conform to my voice and my commands. They're not going to be that peculiar treasure unto me. They're not going to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests.

[7:54] So how can a holy God dwell in the midst of a sinful people? The Apostle Paul weighs in on this thought, saying, What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?

[8:08] What communion hath light with darkness? They don't mix. They don't go together. The Apostle John adds that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

[8:22] A holy God, a sinful people, they just don't go together. They cannot dwell together. And so the Lord here is, he's thinking about this change of plans.

[8:38] It's a problem. Now there's a similar situation that exists today when a sinner receives the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior and believes on Christ for his salvation.

[8:54] There's the same paradox or the same dynamic exists as how can a holy God dwell and live in a sinful creature? Now thankfully for us, the Lord has already worked this thing out.

[9:08] But back here in this moment, it's not been worked out yet. But for us, it's been worked out because he decides, I'm going to come inside of you and create in you a new man, a new creature.

[9:22] And what I'm going to do, according to Colossians chapter 2, you can look that up on your own, Colossians chapter 2, what I'm going to do is circumcise the new man and the soul of you and I'm going to cut him away from the body of the sins of the flesh.

[9:38] And now I'll dwell in you, a new creature. I'll sanctify you. I'll make you righteous. And I'll justify you as a being, whereas you're no longer that sinful flesh anymore because I've taken you out and I've placed you in the body of Christ in Jesus Christ.

[9:58] So Christ can dwell within the believer in a sanctified and holy temple called the new man or the new creature. And for us, the problem's solved. God's Holy Spirit can dwell inside of me, a sinner, a sinful creature.

[10:13] But he figured out a way to do it. And so the problem's solved for us. But not back here in the wilderness. There's still this problem. Now let's look at the proposal. The proposal.

[10:24] That is what God decides to change his plans here. What he proposes in the first three verses, he says to Moses, go, it's time to go.

[10:35] Depart, go up hence, thou and the people. You're going to go to the land that I swear to Abraham. I'm going to send an angel. And the angel's going to go and going to drive out all of those Canaanites and going to rid them out of the land.

[10:48] And you're going to have that good land, the land flowing with milk and honey. But me, I will not go up in the midst of thee. The proposal here is that God is going to fulfill his word.

[11:02] The word he pledged to those men of the past, the fathers. But he's going to give up something to do it. He's going to give up a relationship with the people.

[11:14] The relationship that he wanted to have, that he desired, to where they would be a peculiar treasure, unto him, unto myself, he said.

[11:26] You're going to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation unto me. And he says, well, that's not going to happen, is it? So I'll send you to the land. It's a good land.

[11:38] I promised it. I'm not going to violate my word. I promised to give it to their seed. You're their seed. You're going to go in. But I'm not going with you.

[11:50] And so God is going to, the proposal is that he's going to send them and fulfill his pledge to them. But he's not going to go with them. He's the one that loses out on this relationship, on what he intended for this people.

[12:04] Notice back in chapter 25, that God desired, he told this to Moses, the people hadn't heard this yet, but he desired to dwell in the midst of them.

[12:16] Exodus 25, in verse number 8, and let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

[12:28] That's his intentions. But he's realizing, after chapter 32, in this great sin, he's realizing, that the people are not interested in me dwelling in the midst of them.

[12:41] The people are not interested in this relationship that I want at all. And so God is prepared to forego that intimate fellowship, and that intimate relationship, and that closeness, and that worship that he desires.

[12:58] And he's just going to send them off into the land of promise, and he's just going to keep his distance. I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiff-necked people, lest I consume thee in the way.

[13:11] Something we learn here, just in passing, in the passage, we learn this is the mind of God on display in the Old Testament. He desires a relationship with these people, just like he does with you.

[13:24] He desires a relationship. He wants to walk with you. But if you don't want that, he'll back away. He'll just keep his distance.

[13:37] He won't force you or me to seek him, and to love him, and to bow down and worship him, or to be a holy people. He won't force us to do anything like that.

[13:49] He wants the relationship. He's worked incredibly overboard to get us to a relationship. But if we don't want it, he will not shove it down your throat.

[14:05] The next portion, let's continue reading in chapter 33, in verses 7 through 11, God is not even going to be present inside their camp.

[14:17] In verse 7, Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it without the camp. Now notice this. This is not the tabernacle that he had gotten instruction about and had gotten his vision of.

[14:28] That has not yet been constructed or built. This is something different. Who knows what it really is? Nobody knows. It seems that either, that Moses had something in the camp already, a temporary thing, or that when he came down and realized, we've got a problem on our hands, we're not going to build this tabernacle, he erected something temporary just to make do.

[14:52] It's hard to say what this really is, but there's something there that he takes. Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of the congregation.

[15:08] And it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out under the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. It came to pass when Moses went out under the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, stood every man in his tent door, and looked after Moses till he was gone into the tabernacle.

[15:24] And it came to pass as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. Where is this taking place? Afar off, from the camp.

[15:37] Verse 7, the Lord talked with Moses. Verse 10 says, all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose up and worshipped. Every man in his tent door. The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

[15:50] And he turned again into the camp, and his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man departed not out of the tabernacle. That's pretty cool. So God is not going to be present inside of the camp.

[16:02] What he told Moses in the mount, the design for this new tabernacle, what he said to him was, you're going to build this thing, you're going to put that fence, so to speak, around it, and I'm going to dwell in that place.

[16:15] My presence will be in the innermost sanctuary, the holy place, and I'll dwell on the mercy seat between the cherubims. My initial plan is to have the Levites, that sanctified tribe, set apart unto myself, they're holy unto me.

[16:33] They are going to pitch their tents around the tabernacle. That's in Numbers chapter 1. And then outside of them, three tribes to the north, three to the east, three to the south, three to the west, the whole people, the congregation, is going to pitch their tents.

[16:47] So that makes the tabernacle in the presence of God dead center of the camp. This is his design, to dwell among them, in the midst of them.

[16:58] But remember back in chapter 20 when the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings and they feared and they withdrew?

[17:09] And the Bible says that the people removed and stood afar off. And they said, Moses, you go talk to him. We don't want a relationship with him. We're afraid. We're staying way back here.

[17:20] When the people did that, well, guess what's happening now? The Bible says God is removing and he is staying afar off. From this people. And so the current situation here is that this option that God is proposing is I'll get you to where I promised I would get you.

[17:42] But I'm not going with you. I'm not going to be there along the way in the journey. The destination is fixed. It's settled. You're okay. I'm going to take you to the land of promise.

[17:55] But you're not going to have a relationship with me along the way. Now, I know we're looking at Israel. But this is the time for you to get something right here. This is the whole day's message coming out of this.

[18:10] How does that sound to you? What do you think of God talking that way to Moses? That thought and comment. How does that sit with you? The Lord would promise to take me to heaven.

[18:24] If I'll get saved, He'll promise me eternal life in heaven. Can't lose it. But He's not going to be with me day by day in this life.

[18:35] He's not going to walk with me. How does that thought sit with you? Because that's what's happening here. An opportunity to have heaven but no relationship with Him here in this life.

[18:49] You know what I think? I think every Christian answers that thought, that question. They answer what they think of that by the way they live their lives every day. It indicates, your life indicates what you think of that concept.

[19:03] Get the blessing, get the eternity, get the promise of a better day, but just not have a relationship with God. I mean, as long as you get there, right?

[19:18] You don't have to go to hell, right? I mean, that's all that matters. You get to go to heaven. Isn't that how we look at it? Isn't that how people talk?

[19:29] Well, as long as I make it, that's really all that matters to me. Is that all that matters to you? Is that you don't go to hell? And you'll live your life apart from a relationship with God on a day-to-day basis?

[19:41] As long as I get there, that's the most important thing because that's what's on the table. That's what God is proposing to His people. You'll get there.

[19:52] I promised you that. You'll get there. That's fixed. But I'm not going with you. I'm not going to walk with you. You're not going to know me. You're not going to worship me.

[20:04] You're on your own. You're just going to go through this life until you get there. I want to ask you a few questions. I want to dig into this thought because this is real. And I want to help determine what you really think of this idea of going to heaven without experiencing a daily walk with Jesus Christ, a personal relationship with God on the earth.

[20:27] Question number one for you to ponder and think about. Does God deserve a relationship? Does He deserve it?

[20:38] He desires it. Absolutely. He desires it. But does He deserve it? You answer that. What has He ever done to deserve a relationship with you?

[20:54] You. The earth revolves around you. You get up when you want to get up. You do what you want to do in your day. You watch what you want to watch.

[21:05] Read what you want to read. Speak what you want to speak. Lay down when you want to lay down. You do what you want to do. Does God deserve to be part of that at all?

[21:19] Does He deserve to have your attention beyond Him in that day? You answer that. I remember back in Exodus chapter 5 when Moses and Aaron came into Pharaoh and they said that our God says, the Lord says, let my people go that they may serve me in the wilderness.

[21:40] And Pharaoh's response tells you everything about him. He said, who is the Lord? I know not the Lord. Neither do I let your people go.

[21:53] No. I don't even know who you're talking about. Pharaoh wasn't going to have a relationship with God because he was just a complete stranger to him. Who are you even talking about?

[22:06] I trust that you're here today because you are a born again Christian and you know God. You know Him. And He knows you and you're His child. And so it's true that He desires a relationship with you but does He deserve it?

[22:21] If I wanted to get 10 minutes with the President of the United States, if I wanted to say, you know what?

[22:33] I have some ideas or I have some complaints and I just feel like you're the guy I need to talk to. I think I deserve it.

[22:44] I voted for you. I paid my taxes. I'm a law-abiding citizen pretty much to now and I'm a pretty good guy. I'm not causing problems.

[22:55] I'm not any, you know, revolutionary and I'm not, you know, burning down cities and monuments. I'm not doing any of that. I'm for you. I think you're doing a good job. Okay, so so I want 10 minutes of your time.

[23:08] I desire it. But do I deserve it? Well, I'm a citizen. I pay my taxes. I'd have a hard time getting a hold of the man or even getting him to hear my name much less get face-to-face time with him.

[23:25] Wouldn't you agree? I did a little calculating just for fun and I forget the numbers off the top of my head but if you figured out the four years I voted for this president to fulfill four-year term and if you figured in those four years 365 plus one leap day and 24 hours for every one of those days and how many minutes and how many seconds are in his four-year presidency not counting sleeping or in just how many seconds from the day you get to be in to the day you get to be out I calculated and I want to say it was like 1.2 million 1.3 million something like that that's how many seconds he is my president but then I considered there's over 340 million Americans and actually I gave you that first number wrong I think it was like 14 million seconds something like that so what it came down to the math eliminating the president sleeping anything of all the citizens what I deserve if I even deserve this is one third of a second of his time if he's going to give it to every citizen equally that's what I might be that's all I can really say to him is what I deserve being one of your constituents or hmm but I want it and he's why would I have so much trouble getting because his position is higher than mine and I respect that position if he would give me what if he wanted to speak with me what if he wanted ten minutes of my day

[25:07] I don't think he'd have any trouble getting it I don't know what he'd want to talk to me about but I could clear my schedule if he was going to roll up here in all the black SUVs and get out and want to talk to me and say you're doing a great job sorry I should have done that but I would probably give him the ten minutes pretty quickly it would be an honor for the president of the United States to want to talk to me about something or to hear my thoughts about something and yet God desires to talk to me he desires to hear me talk to him and he wants to do it every day he wants a relationship with me he desires it my question is does he deserve it you answer that second question is is God demanding too much is he asking too much of me what do you think about that he wants to commune with me he wants me to commune with him he wants me to believe his word he wants me to walk according to his word he wants me to seek his word for wisdom in this life and for direction and how to live he says don't lean on your own understanding you need to come to me he tells me to depart from iniquity he asked me to walk with him according to this bible he believes that giving him my life is reasonable service that's what he believes but I have to decide is he asking too much is that reasonable to offer him my life to offer myself a living sacrifice to the one that loved me and gave his son for me

[27:20] I need to make that decision you make that decision is he demanding too much wanting a relationship with you a third question a thought I'd like you to think on is has he been unfaithful to his word like do you have a reason to say no you blew it has he been unfaithful has he ever promised something and he didn't follow through with has he ever lied to you has God ever deceived you or misled you has he ever hurt you or laughed at your calamity is he not who he claims to be is God a liar is he a fake is he a fraud is that how we should view him cautiously not sure if I can trust you don't want to let you get in too close I might get burned here who is the

[28:22] Lord Pharaoh asks well has he been unfaithful to his word we have relationships with men and women that are liars and we commune with them we do deals with them they're flawed they're sinful and we trust them my question is God desires a relationship with you but is is there something some reason why he shouldn't get that is there some reason we can't believe his word so he desires a relationship I think it's clear that he's worthy and that he's deserving of it his yoke is easy and his burden is light and you have nothing that you can hold against him nothing and so with all that in mind!

[29:14] are we really just content to make it to heaven one day we just get there and that's all that matters and ignore what he's done for you along the way and ignore what he has to offer you and what he desires to see in your life and what he could use you to do and bring glory to him and just to ignore that relationship is that really how you're going to respond as if you could just take it or leave it as long as I get to heaven if that's your thinking if you've displayed that in your life I want to ask you this I want you to think of this what are you replacing that relationship with what are you putting in the place of a relationship with God is it a relationship with this world because friendship!

[30:08] of the if you want that he's not coming with you is it your sin that you won't let go of because God's not going to have any part with that either so what is it there's a problem of a holy God dwelling with a sinful people there's this proposal that I'll send you there you'll get the promise you'll get the wonders and you'll get the delight but I'm not going with you there's the proposal and then we see Moses step in again the persuasion and I want you to consider with me the words of Moses again because he responds to God's proposal let's read verses 12 to 17 and Moses said unto the Lord see thou sayest unto me bring up this people and thou and thou hast not let me know whom thou will send with me yet thou yet thou hast said I know thee by name and thou hast found grace in my sight he's saying

[31:10] God you said you love me and we're good but you're not showing me some things so therefore I pray thee if I found grace in thy sight show me now thy way that I may know thee that I may find grace in thy sight and consider that this nation is thy people wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight is it not in that thou goest with us so shall we be separated I and thy people from all the people that are upon the face of the earth and the Lord said unto Moses I will do this thing also that thou has spoken for thou has found grace in my sight and I know thee by name once again Moses is able to steer the Lord's decision he's able to convince him to continue the course while God displayed reluctance while he sat and thought what am I going to do with you people when he came up with an alternate plan

[32:12] Moses was able to get him to proceed with the original plan this was really what God wanted to do the whole time mind but it was the sin of the people that was causing him to pull back now Moses did not have a great argument here prepared like he did the last time up in the mount when he was acting as an advocate this time it's pretty simple it's not about Lord consider all of your work and consider your reputation how this makes you look and consider the promises that you made to these men it wasn't about any of that it was two things the first one he said in verse 15 if thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence what Moses saying is Lord I don't want to go anywhere without you I don't want to leave I don't want leave this place if you're not going to leave with me I'll stay right here yes this people are sinful yes but this journey without you no thank you

[33:20] I've been out in the wilderness for 40 years I don't want to go through this without you Moses says don't take us away don't take us up without you don't leave us the second thing Moses says in verse 16 at the end he says he talks about if is it not that thou go with that so we will be separated I and thy people from all the people on the earth what he's saying is the only thing that separates us from them is your presence if you don't go with us we won't be separated from everybody else on the face of the earth it was his very presence that separated them from all the people that are upon the face of the earth Moses is telling God if you take away your presence we are just like the rest of the world there is no difference in us than them the Amorites the

[34:21] Hittites the Hivites the Jebusites we're just like them if your presence doesn't go with us are you getting what Moses is saying to God here I think he nails it right on the head is what he's arguing without God walking in you and me without us walking with him we are just like every other sinner on the face of the earth there is no goodness in you there is no righteousness in you absolutely no holiness in you apart from his presence the Lord Jesus Christ in you if God's presence isn't with us that stupid thought oh as long as I make it to heaven that's all that!

[35:05] How foolish! You're going to live this life just like the heathen just like a lost sinner and just hold on to the promise I'll make it to heaven though preacher what a horrible wretched life what a miserable life to live without God do you not see how important then the presence of God is in your life a walk in a relationship with him are you persuaded that this relationship is the most important thing in your life is your fellowship with the God that saved you without a walk with God without a walk with God I'm an ungodly proud arrogant self-centered dirty filthy pervert that's who I am and so are you you're unclean altogether unclean

[36:10] I'm no better than some drug pusher some prostitute or pervert some abuser some thief I'm no better than any of them I have nothing to claim I have no righteousness in me all of my righteousness is of him do you see how important it is to say Lord I don't want to go anywhere without you I need you in my life I need you today and I need you tomorrow I need you to guide my steps I need to hear your word I need to know your will without it I'm just like the lost I don't know about you but I feel like Moses in this passage I don't want to live my life without the Lord I've already done that I don't want to go back to that it's no good it's broken it's vile it's empty it's miserable it's shallow it's cold

[37:22] I don't want to go back to a life without the Lord I don't want to know what it's like to not have his word speaking to me cleaning me up I don't want to know what it's like to not have his spirit convicting me of my sin and drawing me back to fellowship with him and calling on me to get into the Bible and to do something right today and to tell a sinner of Christ and to give my life to him I don't want to live this life without that voice inside of me I need his presence going with me well there's good news in this passage that as it turns out and it works for us too that God doesn't need to be persuaded to walk with you the reality is you need to be persuaded to walk with him that's really what it is so is there anything more important to you than walking with him I like to reference the hymnal from time to time and

[38:25] I'm just going to read you a verse just one verse of a song I like to sing once in a while it says Jesus I my cross have taken all to leave and follow thee destitute despised forsaken thou from hence my all shall be perish every fond ambition all I've sought and hoped and known yet how rich is my condition God and heaven are still my own how rich is my condition today should I repent and neglect and perish everything I've ever desired I still have God with me and I have heaven in my future but God forbid I should just say heaven is good enough and try to live this life without him I wonder how many of his people have taken that offer okay

[39:32] God send your angel and get me to heaven and I will I'll just go through it without you I'll take what comes if I look like the Hittites and the Amorites as long as I get to heaven if I sound like the Jebusites and the Moabites as long as I get to the promised land I wonder how many Christians have embraced so much worldliness and have forsaken the relationship that God desires to have with them to make them a peculiar treasure unto himself he knows you by name he wants to have a relationship with every one of us he makes us a peculiar treasure different from what we would look like without him peculiar but do we need to be persuaded again that that's the best thing for us is to walk with him let's bow our heads before we take off out of here has that ever come across your mind has that been your mindset in this life is as long as

[40:47] I get to heaven that's really all that matters and how I live today is it's just not consequential what a damnable heresy what a doctrine of devils to think that it doesn't matter how we live our lives today God desires worship he desires your heart and he deserves it may you give him what he deserves Christian what he bought for and what he fought for he loves you with an everlasting love some have come to pray why don't you join them why don't you join them and speak to your God maybe rekindle that fire or rehearse in his ears your desire to have that relationship with him don't ignore it don't neglect it father it's my supreme desire this morning that you'll get what you deserve from every single one here from every single one that you know by name from everyone that you paid for with your blood from everyone that you love oh

[42:19] God I pray you get what you deserve we are a sinful people we are stiff necked please be merciful to us please don't take thy presence convict us Lord do it double time so that we hear your voice over the voice of the world convince us each this morning to surrender to you and walk with you I pray you'll meet our needs I pray that you'll meet with these here at the altar and strengthen them in their hearts the one prophet asked for a double portion Lord it'd be really cool if you'd just give us something more to strive against sin in these last days when even our brothers and sisters are falling away pray you'll give us something that'll keep us close we love you we worship you we long for you give us strength give us courage and may

[43:51]  Jesus Christ get the glory for everything every last thing we ask it in his name amen