HOME GROUP MEETING NOTES FOR 21 JUNE 16

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-33 (NKJV) TEXT: "Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth." (Exodus 34:5-6)

 

I. THE SAFETY FACTOR

       A. How we want to stand with God in the cloud, to be raised into the lofty heights of God, to have the Lord proclaim His name before us. How difficulty this would be.

       B. But, the difficulty is not in maintaining the lofty height as it is in maintaining lowliness in the lofty height. Can humility be maintained in exaltation? There can be no greatness in God without humility.

       C. Man ascends to great heights in God, thinking that he has traveled a great distance. Actually God has come down to him traveling a much greater distance than the man has. God must greatly humble Himself in order to exalt man.

       D. This is truth is seen so vividly in the live Jesus. He became a servant. He was highly exalted in heaven, but He came down to earth. He was rich, but became poor. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich yet for your sakes He became poor that, you through His poverty, might become rich." (II Corinthians 8:9) 

       E. It would help us to keep in mind that every exaltation God brings to us entails a great humiliation or descending upon His part. In order to bring Moses into a sublime spiritual experience never before known to man God has to come most of the way.

       F. Moses had to climb Sinai, but God had to come all the way from Heaven to the top of Sinai. How far is Heaven? How high is Sinai? There is vast difference. God humbled Himself. May we learn humility from Him.

      G. Peter put it in proper perspective; "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." (I Peter 5:6) If God brings us into the wilderness to communicate and impart His glory to us it will help if we have humility. Perhaps the wilderness is necessary in order to bring us to humility.

      H. It would be nice if God brought us to Heaven (or at least green grass with softly flowing water) to impart His riches to us. But, He doesn't. He brings us to a land where we have no natural provision, thus we must live on the supernatural provision He provides found only in the wilderness. A land of no natural provision will help us with our pride.

       I. If pride continues to be characteristic in the life of a believer they will not be able to carry God's truth properly. This implies, among other things the believer's communication to others would be seriously hampered. Most if not all that God imparted to Moses was to be shared with others.

      J. What God has given to you is to be given to others without its being contaminated. God seeks open and clean channels through which to flow toward others. God flows to other through us. We have a responsibility to God and others to be a clean vessel which God can flow.

      K. There is a desire in most believers to be used of God. But a desire which should supersede the desire to be used of God, is the desire to be right and pure before Him. The condition of heart has much to do in receiving from God.

      L. Peter may have missed much on the mount of trans figuration, but God worked effectually in him. (Galatians 2:8) Like us Peter was taken through trying circumstances when Jesus was crucified. His hope and dreams (like ours) was shattered into a million pieces. He was so devastated that he had to find a place near God in order to survive. "And the Lord said, Here is a place by Me; and you can stand on the rock." (Exodus 33:21) We are walk the same path Peter walked.

     M. Peter in spite of his weaknesses was brought to this place of revelation, communication, and impartation. He now knew from experience;" . . . after you have suffered awhile God will make you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." (1 Peter 5:10) Peter addressed the lame man in Acts 3:6 and said, "silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Where did Peter receive "such as I have?" There is a place near God. At that place God imparts. Are we willing to go to the wilderness to find that place? Found only in the wilderness.

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

     A. Our times of blessings in green pastures beside still waters do not etch in our spirits and nature the character and glory of God as deeply do those times we spend in the wilderness.

    B. In your darkest hour, in your deepest despair God will come and give you the treasures of darkness. The Wilderness of Sinai was the leading of God in the lives of the children of Israel. He continues to lead us onward, forward into these unlikely situations.

    C. For He wants to impart to us His unlikely treasures. He will give us treasures unlike any earthly wealth in existence. In the wilderness He brings us into His ways and His glory. What treasures that are untold. His intentions are revealed and His truth is made known in the wilderness.