Ex.

33:12-23 SHOW ME THY GLORY

Intro: Ill. Moses and the difficult job assignment he was given by the Lord. His duty was
to lead a rebellious, self-centered, stiff-necked people through a desert to the Promised
Land. To get this job accomplished, Moses needed a close relationship with the Lord.
Now, when we come to chapter 33, Moses has just received the 10 Commandments and
the Law from the Lord. He was gone for 40 days and nights while he received the Law
and while he was a way, the people made a golden calf, began to worship it as God and
committed terrible sins of immorality. When Moses came down from the mountain, he
saw what they were doing and threw down the stone tablets containing the Law and
broke them. Now, the Lord is angry with the people and He refuses to go with them into
Canaan, 33:1-3. Moses responds by reminding the Lord that the Israelites are God's
people and that if the Lord doesn't go with them, then Moses isn't going. So Moses and
the Lord discuss the matter and God decides to go with them and bring them into the land
of promise. Please don't ask me to explain all the things that happened in this chapter, all
I know is that the Lord is trying to work in the life of Moses and help him to grow.

When these things happened, it put Moses in a place of discouragement and doubt. He
needs something from the Lord if he is to continue to lead these people, and so he asks
the Lord to show him His glory. There is a word here for you and me tonight. Of course,
none of us have ever been given an assignment quite like the one Moses received, but we
have been called to follow the Lord and to represent Him in this world. At times, this task
becomes difficult and discouraging, and we need something from the Lord. Something
we cannot do on our own, something that will recharge our spiritual batteries and that
will rekindle the old flames of excitement and passion for the Lord. We refer to that
something as revival. We pray for God to send revival and all we are really asking is for
that which Moses prayed: Show me Thy glory!

Tonight, as we have time, I would like to give you some thoughts out of this passage that
speak to this need we have of seeing God's glory. I don't know about you all, but I would
love to see a genuine revival during my lifetime. I would love to see the glory of God
manifest itself in our presence. Let's spend some time together in this passage as we
consider the thought, "Show me Thy glory!"

I. 33:18 A BOLD REQUEST

A. 3:10 Moses' Duty - Moses was Divinely called to the task of leading
the people of God to Canaan. His was not an easy task. Often, his
leadership was called into question and his orders were disobeyed. I would
not have wanted to have Moses' job! Yet, Moses had a job that required
faithfulness and dependability. He had the task of walking in obedience to
the Lord and His will.

(Ill. While our call may be different than that of Moses, every child of God
in this building has the responsibility of obedience and faithfulness to the
Lord who called us, saved us and keeps us day by day, 1 Cor. 4:2. We
might as well facet he fact that we have a duty to the Lord!)
B. 33:1-3 Moses' Discouragement - The people had rebelled against the
Lord again in chapter 32, and as a result, the Lord wanted to destroy them
at worse and remove his presence at best. They were in trouble regardless
of which way that one turned out. Can you imagine how Moses must have
felt? He has done his best to lead them and to follow the Lord's will and
still all they do is complain, find fault, bellyache and sin against the Lord.
There must have been many times when Moses wanted to throw in the
towel and just quit!

(Ill. While we can never know the pain that Moses must have felt, we all
have those times when the load gets heavy and we get discouraged. We
need to remember that getting discouraged is not a sin. However,
responding to it incorrectly can lead into sin. I am just thankful that when I
get discouraged, the Lord knows my need and my burden and He is
always there to help, encourage and to support - Heb. 13:5.)

C. 33:18 Moses' Desire - Moses had a heart to know and experience God
in a deeper and more profound way. Moses knew that the nation of Israel
could not meet his need. He knew that just working on his leadership skills
would not meet his need. Moses seems to know that the best cure for
discouragement, disillusionment and dryness is a fresh glimpse of who
God is and what He is all about. Moses mentions 4 areas where he desires
to know God better.

1. His Ways - 33:13 - Moses wants to better understand the

way God operates so that he might serve Him better.

2. His Person - 33:13 - Moses wants to better understand

the Person of God so that he might enjoy a deeper
fellowship with Him.

3. His Presence - 33:15 - Moses wants a clearer

manifestation of God's presence so that he might follow
God better. This is a plea for leadership.

4. His Glory - 33:18 - Moses wants to see the glory of God

so that he will be moved to a deeper relationship in his
worship life.

(Ill. It seems to me that what Moses is praying for is a

revival! When men experience a genuine move of the Lord,
they also experience all of these great blessings. Revival is
close when we possess a desire to know God's ways so that
we might better serve Him; when we have a desire to know
Him better in an ever-deepening fellowship; when we long
for His abiding presence to guide us day by day; when we
want nothing more that to see the glory of God revealed so
that He might receive the worship and praise that He is
 worthy of receiving. Moses request boils down to a request
for genuine revival!)

(Ill. Not everyone wants to experience this kind of a move of God! When
the Lord begins to move in a life or in a church, He has a way of rooting
out sin, selfishness and hypocrisy. Many are afraid of a real move of God!
But, for those who desire it and who are willing to seek it, it will change
their lives forever! I wonder, how many here this evening are hungry to
see the Lord move in these days? How many are willing to spend time in
prayer, seeking the Lord's face until He comes in a genuine revival, where
His glory is revealed and His power is demonstrated? We need this
tonight! In fact, I believe it is the only hope for our country and for our
churches!)

I. A Bold Request

II. 33:19-23; 34:5-7 A BALANCED RESPONSE

A. V. 19-20 A Promise - God tells Moses that He will grant His request.
Why? The answer lies in verse 17. Moses had found grace in the eyes of
the Lord! In other words, Moses hadn't earned this experience, it was the
Sovereign choice of Almighty God. We need to understand this evening
that revival and a genuine move of God cannot be earned, neither can we
force the Lord to give it to us. Those things are left in His hands. However,
He does tell us that when we meet certain criteria, then we can expect Him
to show up - 2 Chron. 7:14.

(Ill. God can't give Him the full treatment, because Moses could not
experience the fullness of God's glory and survive. By the way, neither
could we!)

B. V. 21-23 A Place - God tells Moses that there is a place by Him where
Moses can stand and see the glory of God as it passes by. That place is a
cleft in the rock.

(Ill. The lesson for us is clear! There is only one place where man will
ever see the Lord. And, that place is in Jesus Christ! He is the Rock, 1 Cor.
10:4. If we want to see the Father, then we need look no farther than the
Son! Notice what the Bible says about Jesus, John 14:9; John 1:18; Heb.
1:3. All this is, is further proof of man's need to abide in Christ, John 15:5.
The closer we draw to Him, the closer He has promised to draw to us,
James 4:8. I am convinced that the true path to revival lies not in meetings,
evangelists, singing or fellowship, but I believe revival comes from an
ever-deepening fellowship with Jesus Christ! This is accomplished only
through prayer and study of the Word of God. Genuine revival will never
come to the modern church until we first put Jesus in the center of
everything in our lives and love Him supremely. When we get to the Place,
we can count on God coming in among us!)
 C. 34:5-7 A Presence - God did exactly as He promised and visited Moses
with His manifest presence! What a change was effected in the life of
Moses when this took place! Can you imagine seeing the glory of God up
close and personal? Moses did and it effected great change in his life.

(Ill. Every now and then, we get a small dose of the manifest presence of
God. Sometimes, He will come in and demonstrate His glory to His
people. I have been in services where God showed up in a mighty way.
Can you begin to imagine what would happen if this were the rule and not
the exception? Can you imagine what church would be like if the manifest
presence of God were here? I think there would be less of us being
involved and more genuine worship of the Lord. I think we would be kind
of like Thomas in the upper room, John 20:24-28. What I am saying is that
when a genuine move of God takes place in our church, we will become
lost in the glory of Jesus. He will be our focus and the center of everything
we do. I want this more than anything I know! How about you?)

I. A Bold Request

II. A Balanced Response

III. 34:8; 29-35 THE BLESSED RESULTS

(Ill. After this mountain top experience, Moses was never the same. It appears that no one
can come face to face with the Lord and remain the same. There will always be some sign
that you have been with God. Remember Jacob at Peniel, Gen. 32:24-32? After his
encounter with God he limped on his thigh. Saul of Tarsus was forever changed by his
meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 9:1-8; The Lord's Disciples were marked men
by having spent time with the Lord, Acts 4:13. There were some changes in Moses life as
well. Notice what revival produced in Him, and what it will produce in you and me.)

A. V. 8, 29 Produced Humility - when we see the Lord as He is, we

cannot help but see ourselves as we are! Ill. Many have very warped views
of themselves! We think we are much better and much more holy than we
really are. However, a good glimpse of God will change all of that and
will produce genuine humility in our lives. When we get humble, then the
Lord can use us for His glory - James 4:10.

(Ill. Verse 29, Moses was the only fellow in camp who did not know that
his face glowed with the glory of the Lord! What a lesson! Those who
think they have arrived in holiness, humility and in power with the Lord,
usually haven't. It is those who think they are nothing and the He is
everything that are the real humble ones!)

B. V. 8 Produced Worship - When Moses saw the Lord as He really was,

it caused Moses to fall before Him and honor the Lord. What we think is
worship, usually isn't! It isn't about singing, praying or preaching.
Although, all of those may be involved in worship. Genuine worship
involves the heart above all. In genuine worship, there us a desire to exalt
 the Lord, a desire to see Him receive the glory He is worthy of receiving.
When we experience a genuine revival and a genuine move of God, we
will see our worship change. It will change on an individual level and on a
public level. When it happens, it will all be about Jesus and nothing more.
It will become that which the Lord desires it to be, John 4:24. Let's face it,
99.9% of what we do can be duplicated in the flesh!

C. V. 29 Produced An Outward Change - The evidence of spending time

with the Lord was all over Moses! What I see in these verses tells me that
Moses was never the same. It appears that his face glowed until his death.
This was a testimony to the rest of the nation of Israel that getting with
God makes a difference. Moses was a living, visible witness to the power
of walking in the presence of God. Folks, the same will prove true in our
lives! When we walk with the Lord in the inner sanctum of the heart, there
will be evidence on the outside that we are walking with God. Our face
may not glow, but our walk, our talk; our lives will all bear witness to the
fact that we are walking with the Lord in His power and presence.

D. V. 34-35 Produced A Special Relationship With God - There was

closeness between the Lord and Moses that could not have existed
otherwise. So it is with you and me, when we walk in genuine fellowship
with the Lord, there is a special relationship that develops. It does not
mean that He loves one more than another, but it does mean that He
reveals Himself more to those who are walking in closeness to Him. He
will speak more directly through His Word. He will manifest His presence
more often in your heart. He will use you more wonderfully for His glory.
These things alone make walking with the Lord worthwhile.

(Ill. All of these things are the outward signs of inward revival!)

Conc.: I am convinced that Moses' life changed forever on that mountaintop. He was
God's man before he went up, but when he came down, he was revived and ready to
march forward for the glory of the Lord. Folks, this is what we need this evening! We
have enough stuff, we need God!