[0:00] Let's join together in the worship of God, singing to his praise from Psalm 95. Psalm 95, from the beginning.
[0:12] O come, let us sing to the Lord. Come, let us, everyone, a joyful noise make to the rock of our salvation. Let us, before his presence come, with praise and thankful voice, let us sing psalms to him with grace and make a joyful noise.
[0:35] For God, a great God and great King, above all gods he is. Depths of the earth are in his hand, the strength of hills is his.
[0:46] To him the spacious sea belongs, for he the same did make. The dry land also from his hands, its forum at first to take.
[0:57] O come and let us worship him. Let us bow down with all. And on our knees before the Lord our Maker, let us fall. For he's our God, the people we of his own pasture are.
[1:12] And of his hand the sheep. Today he his voice will hear. Come, let us sing to the Lord. Come, let us, everyone.
[1:26] O come, let us sing to the Lord. Come, let us, everyone.
[1:38] Come, let us, everyone. Come, let us, everyone. Come, let us, everyone. A joyful noise make to the rock of our salvation.
[1:52] Let us sing to the Lord. Let us sing songs to him with grace and thankful noise.
[2:08] Let us sing to the Lord. Let us sing songs to him with grace and make a joyful noise.
[2:25] For God, a great God and great King, above all those years.
[2:40] God, a great God and great King, above all those years.
[2:56] Thank you. Precious he belongs, Father. We the same did make that cry.
[3:14] And also from his hands it for man first did take.
[3:27] O come and let us worship him. Let us bow down with all and all.
[3:45] The Lord is before the Lord. The maker let us bow.
[3:58] For he's our God, the people, with all his own passion and all.
[4:17] O come and let us answer you today. Let us join together in prayer. Let us pray.
[4:39] Grant, Lord, that we would have that confession coming from our lips that recognises you as our great God and King, a God who is above all the gods, even though there are many.
[5:01] You are the creator and you are the possessor of all you created. You have not relinquished your authority over creation, nor have you allowed any of these created deities to usurp your authority, even though that is their wanton desire and inclination as created by those like them.
[5:35] We acknowledge that there is none like you. You are the God who is worthy of receiving your worship.
[5:48] And again, as your servant has written, and we are encouraged to sing, we are the sheep of your pasture.
[6:04] And that is how we respond to your voice as the voice of the shepherd, even the good shepherd.
[6:15] We bless you and thank you for the words of scripture that instruct and inform us, that edify and feed our souls, that reveal to us the great truths concerning the deity, and the marvels that correspond to your forbearance and your long-suffering towards your creatures who have gone out of the way.
[6:53] We bless you for the forgiveness that is in Christ, as you have revealed to him to us in the gospel. We pray that others would see that same Christ that has drawn your people to put their trust in him.
[7:11] Those who have resolved not to go on without him, because without you we can do nothing.
[7:25] As one of your servants has so clearly stated, if you are not to go with us, we cannot go from this place.
[7:39] And that is true of our lives as a whole. And we acknowledge that when we are left to our own devices, that we are in dire straits, we are in a grip of danger.
[7:55] We pray that you would bless us this day as a worshipping people, that we would worship you, as those who understand what worship entails, and that we would seek your face and your favour, that we would seek your blessing, even as we praise your name among the multitudes.
[8:22] And we give thanks that we can do so in and through the passion of your son Jesus Christ, who has opened a new and a living way to us.
[8:33] We bless you and thank you for his role as mediator of his own people, and that he has bound himself to them as a surety to settle their debts, so much so that they can say with the psalmist, that thou, my sure portion, art alone, which I did choose, O Lord, I have resolved and said that I would keep thy holy word.
[9:03] Lord, we bless you and thank you that this word is what fills their mouth and strengthens their feet in the path of life.
[9:15] We pray your blessing upon every solitary soul that is yours. They are yours as individuals, they are yours as part of the body that bears your name here in this world.
[9:26] We would ask that you bless this church as it is in this world. It is a church militant, and it is in a place fraught with danger for them.
[9:40] It is a desert that is dry and arid and without water. It is a place that is full of the wild beasts that would tear them limb for limb if it was possible, but for your own promise to keep them safe.
[10:00] We bless you and thank you for every time that they have been able to speak of the words of your servant, the psalmist, that God is our refuge and our strength in straits of present day.
[10:15] Therefore, although the earth remove, we will not be afraid. And so it is in all the situations that life brings our way, that these words can be upon our lips.
[10:27] Remember then all your people in different situations that mark them out in the world at the present. Those who are unwell, we pray for their healing.
[10:38] Remember those in hospital, those being cared for in care homes, those who have succumbed to old age, those who are being looked after in their own homes, who may have illnesses of various sorts to deal with.
[10:56] We give thanks for the way in which they are being cared for. We give thanks for the National Health Service and all engaged in that.
[11:08] We bless you and thank you for the work that is ongoing with regard to the pandemic that is in the world. Lord, we pray that it would be sanctified by you to draw men and women to yourself, young and old, that they may know that you are speaking to us, even though the signs are that men and women are still oblivious to their danger spiritually.
[11:35] They are so taken up with the things of this world. And yet when they are staring death in the face, it is so different. We pray, Lord, that you would sanctify every dealing that you have with us in providence, that we would have our minds' eye fixed upon Christ, that he would be the one to whom all flesh would turn, and pray your blessing on the preached world, all means that are used to proclaim it to the ends of the earth.
[12:06] We give thanks for pulpits or pulpits that are filled with God-fearing men, and that you are able to bless the preaching of the word by them. We pray that you would bless the other agencies that you are using for the dissemination of the scripture, at the time when the privileges that were afforded us were denied for a time, and for some of us still.
[12:33] We pray that you would bless that, and bless it according to the need that those who are unto the word have as those who need to be kept by the power of God unto the salvation of their soul.
[12:48] We pray, Lord, that you would remember other countries that are devoid of open Christian ministries, and yet who are privileged to hear the word come to them through the internet, and various other agencies of similar description.
[13:06] Bless that word to them, we pray, and may men and women, young and old, be drawn to seek the Lord while he is to be found, to call upon him while he is near.
[13:18] Hear our petitions on behalf of those who do not pray for themselves, remembering our parliaments, remembering the royal household, remembering all that are in positions of authority.
[13:33] May their isle be lifted heavenward, that they may seek wisdom from on high, and to enable them to undertake the tasks that are placed before them, because man at his bestest but man, fallen at that, in need of restoration, and in need of being brought to experience peace with God through Christ.
[14:01] So continue to watch over as we pray, forgiving sin in Jesus' name. Amen. We shall hear the word of God as we have it in the Old Testament Scriptures, and we're reading from the book of Exodus, in chapter 32.
[14:20] Here we have the account of the making of the golden calf, and God's dealings with the people subsequent to that.
[14:34] Exodus 32. And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us.
[14:53] For as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
[15:14] To all the people, break off the golden earrings, which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. Then he received them, at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf.
[15:29] And they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it.
[15:41] And Aaron made a proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is that feast to the Lord. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings.
[15:52] And the people sat down to eat, and to drink, and rose up to play. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
[16:07] They have turned aside quickly, out of the way which I commanded them. They have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto.
[16:18] And said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. The Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.
[16:32] Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them, and I will make of thee a great nation.
[16:44] And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt, with great power and with a mighty hand?
[17:01] Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did ye bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
[17:18] Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swearest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
[17:36] And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. And Moses turned and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand.
[17:50] The tables were written on both their sides, on the one side and on the other, where they were written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
[18:06] And when Joshua heard the noise of the people, as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
[18:27] And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh into the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing, and Moses' anger waxed hot. And he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.
[18:40] And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
[18:52] And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my Lord wax out.
[19:04] Thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us. For as for this Moses, the man that brought us about to the land of Egypt, we want not what is become of him.
[19:21] And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me. Then I cast it into the fire, and there came out a scourge.
[19:32] And when Moses saw that the people were naked, for Aaron had made them naked, for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame amongst their enemies. Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side?
[19:46] Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, And thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate, throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
[20:11] And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son and upon his brother, that he may be bestowed upon you a blessing this day.
[20:31] And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, You have sinned a great sin, and now I will go up unto the Lord. Peradventure I shall make an atonement, for your sin.
[20:46] And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, O this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book, which thou hast written.
[21:03] And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto that place, which I have spoken unto thee.
[21:18] Behold, mine angels shall go before thee. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them. And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
[21:33] And so on, may the Lord add his blessing to this reading of his word, and whose name be the praise. Well, in these chapters, we have a historical account of Israel's imprisonment in Egypt.
[21:54] and we also discover how God takes them out of bondage by the hand of Moses. Then read of their arrival at Mount Sinai, where God meets with them in a unique way.
[22:14] And he supplies them with his law, the Ten Commandments, the moral law, also the other laws that govern their worship, and various rules and regulations governing their acts of worship.
[22:42] He gives them instructions concerning the tabernacle and the priesthood. But here, in this chapter, we find that while Moses was on the mount, that the people fall into sin.
[23:03] And they create a golden calf, which they begin to worship. And I want us to focus, rather than focus on the passage as a whole, but focus on the words of verse 26 in particular.
[23:30] Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me.
[23:41] And I want us to notice that there is a division being made at this point. The second thing, there is distinguishing features that mark out that division.
[24:01] is the God's end awaiting each constituent body.
[24:14] Those who belong to one will experience the blessing of God and those who belong to the other will experience the eternal displeasure of God.
[24:27] very often in the scripture we are reminded of a fact and that is that you are either one of God's people or you are not of that number.
[24:47] There are many who would change the scripture and make it appear to say that there is a group in the middle that there are those who are not God's people there are those who are God's people and the middle constituent which is larger by far which may have a foot in both camps that is not possible.
[25:19] The text is not saying at this point who is willing to be but who has shown himself or herself to be and the children of Israel are faced with a decision at this point.
[25:47] The late Professor John El Macain comments on this passage says that in Hebrew the sentence is actually three words and it is tersh and intense and graphic.
[26:10] A call is not to those who did not sin but an act of amnesty to those who are willing to return and pay homage to their king.
[26:28] You would think that the nature of the division that is being made would be far more in keeping with our own way of thinking that those who have not bowed the knee to the calf or being involved in the creating of it or encouraging its manufacture that these people would be the ones who would be asked to stand to one side and those who were actively engaged in its creation and encouraging its creation they would be asked to go to the other side but it is God who is dealing with the people here through his servant Moses and he is even in this act reminding us that the division that will be made is not based on the actions of men in the sense that it is because of what they have done or not done that God will receive them to himself but because by his grace they are willing to bow the knee to him and pay homage to his sovereign rule over them in a sense
[27:58] Israel were God's people they were the children of God they were elect they were called by God and recognised by God as his own but they were people who abused that privilege and there are many occasions when the privileges may make a person think that they are deserving of greater favour still and that they have rights that God has not given to them but here what we see is that that those who are the covenant people have backslidden very quickly after being delivered from Egypt they give this description of backsliding and there's no telling what when that began the it would be easy for us to imagine that there was a clear point at which they departed from the
[29:24] Lord but that's often not the case backsliding is not a matter of a moment someone has said backsliding does not occur in a moment those who backslide do not intend to backslide but they rather fall into it piece by piece somebody has used the illustration of sheep or cattle or grazers and you see them always on the move and they're following their noses following their mouths biting on this clump of grass and this other clump and very often they're not aware of their surroundings although that might be a wrong interpretation of how they behave behave but it seems that if you watch them that they will sometimes follow their noses into all kinds of danger just in the pursuit of something that will fill their bellies and too often they separate themselves from the rest of the flock at times
[30:54] I've often seen out on the moor some sheep who have followed their grazing instinct into a bog and that has led to all kinds of bother for them they have been drowned at times because they were not as aware of their surroundings separate themselves from the rest of the flock or the herd now that is what was true about here we cannot say when they began to think the way they thought what we are reading is that Moses was away from them and because the people saw that he delayed they came to Aaron and they said to him that this man was someone who had delayed to come and they did not know what had happened to him it was as if they were accusing
[32:07] Moses of being responsible for a situation that was to them dangerous or that was not of their own they didn't want to be in this situation as for this Moses the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt we walked not what has become of him as if they are where they are and they don't want to be there and it's Moses his fault and something must be done about it how quickly have they forgotten that they were led by God and fed by God and treated by God as his own chosen people the apple of his eye and it's so easily overlooked that that is how they disregard the many things
[33:09] God has done for them but Moses although he is angered and although he has shown his displeasure by breaking the tablets of stone he gives this invitation to them who is on the Lord's side let him come although he had been absent for five to six weeks and they found that too long the influence that he exerted on their life was far more than was healthy for them he was blamed for their predicament as they saw it they did not take responsibility for their own lives and for their own situation they did not personally look to
[34:20] God it was Moses that they looked to and that itself is something that cannot be overlooked and very often when we see some of the Lord's people they go astray part of the reason for some anyway is that someone or something that was very influential in their life has been taken away from them I used to see that often when it came to people young people in particular who went away from the safe haven of their home and went away to college and university and prior to that some were professing believers and some were living lives that while they may not have made a profession their life was circumspect and yet when the influence of the home or someone within the home was withdrawn they began to drift into things that they would not normally have done these people were by their behaviour showing which side they were on and the truth that they had overlooked at this moment when they approached
[36:00] Aaron they forgot what God had said to them. God had taught them that they were not to embrace any form of idolatry. God had taught them that they were not to look to any God but him. In a previous chapter, you will have read, if you are familiar with this portion of scripture, you will remember that God had said to them, you shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall you make unto you gods of gold. And there was specific teaching that they had been taught which they had forgotten. You are not to make idols for yourself. But they wanted a God that they could see and touch and understand and control. And that's the way man is. They are quite content to fashion for themselves a God that they are comfortable with. And the ungodly boldness is apparent. Even though they are in close proximity to the mount upon which God is still present and his presence on the mount was visible to them, they somehow got used to it and somehow they overlooked the implications of it. The house of God is not a physical dwelling, but God has made his presence felt so that people would associate that place with his presence. And even though that has not been taken from them, they have forgotten it. And sometimes we can be guilty of all kinds of formalism so that we are content with the formalities. And the essence of what we ought to engage in is not to engage in the future. And the creation is no longer there. I remember one of the Romanian students who was for a time in the college when I was there. And he went back to his own country. And came back at a later date as a missionary to bring a report to the church that was supporting him. This was somebody who had been, who had suffered torture.
[38:50] who had suffered torture because of his faith. And who had been imprisoned because of his faith. And when he came to this nation of ours, one thing that he was aware of, and one thing that he was afraid of, was that although everything, everything, everything appeared on the surface to be going on as the devil was, he saw in it a cold formalism. A cold, empty, meaningless religion that many took part in, but the reality of it was less than satisfactory.
[39:42] And such a worship is something that God despises. When we look at the statement there in verse 4, He received them at their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool. And after he had made a molten calf, these be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the hand of Egypt.
[40:12] These words are incredible to come from the mouth of Aaron. The works of Aaron. The works of imagination. You can be comfortable with them. They won't threaten you. They won't restrict you. They won't convict you. Your life is your own.
[40:32] And that is the kind of religion that some people embrace. Not the religion that challenges them and requires of them that they pay more than lip service to a God who is worthy of receiving their worship.
[40:53] And this is the kind of division that God makes. He wants us to understand that's not my people. That's not the kind of people that must follow me. That's not the kind of worship that they want. That's not the kind of life that they want to see lived.
[41:14] And Moses challenges them with these words. Who is on the Lord's side? Are you sure this is the kind of life that you want? If it is, then you must come to the Lord and be with the Lord and for the Lord.
[41:39] And if it is not, then remain as you are and go the way you're going. But the truth that we have before us here, the end is certain.
[41:52] Notice the reaction of God. He is a God who is full of fury. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them.
[42:05] They have made them a molten calf. I have seen this people. He said, behold, it is a stiff-necked people. And he calls them not his people, but Moses' people.
[42:20] And when God puts distance between himself and ourselves, that is surely something that would fill us with dread.
[42:31] If that is his last word. To any one of us. And that will be the last word with regard to many who are in this world who have despised the mercy of the gospel.
[42:47] Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. That depart is something that will reverberate throughout the endless ages of eternity.
[43:02] What I thought it is to be written out of the Lamb's book of life. And to be numbered with those who have chosen not to come to follow the Lord.
[43:20] Who have ignored the privilege of repentance. And embracing God's displeasure temporarily.
[43:34] Instead, willing to endure it for eternity. The intercession of Moses, the man of God, turning the wrath of God away.
[43:47] It's just a symbol to us. A sign to us of one who is greater than he. One mightier than he. A great intercessor of his people.
[44:00] And that is the one that we must look to. And if we don't, then there is no question about what awaits us.
[44:12] We have an intercessor. We have an advocate with the Father. Even Jesus Christ the righteous. Can you say that? Can you say that as someone who knows that Christ?
[44:27] And even though you know in your heart of hearts that you have succumbed to the idols of this world. That you have been drawn by them and to them.
[44:39] That you have seen the foolishness of such actions. And understand the cost involved in remaining for any length of time in that path.
[44:51] May God in his grace remind us of the wisdom of following him and trusting in him for our soul's welfare.
[45:02] Let us pray. Grant to us that your grace, mercy and peace would be ours in Christ. That we would seek that earnestly. That the blessing of the Most High would be ours.
[45:15] That the God of heaven would be our portion. Not the gods of this world. Whatever they are made up of. Whether they are wood or iron or gold or silver.
[45:29] Whether they are fashioned and formed by our own hands or the hands of others. We pray that you would deliver us from them. And encourage us to put our trust in the only living and through God.
[45:42] The God who is eternal. The God who cannot be seen with the eye. Except the eye of faith. Hear us O Lord. Continue to watch over us.
[45:53] Now may grace, mercy and peace from God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Be with you all now and always. Amen.