Title: Separated by
Christ’s Presence
Text: Ex 33: 12-17
Date: Sept 27, 2020
Place: SGBC, NJ
Subject: Separated by Christ’s Presence
Proposition: Christ is our Sanctifier by his presence in his child
and in his church—he is our Sanctification—being set apart unto him in the
heart he has purified by faith is sanctification.
Exodus 33: 12: And
Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and
thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I
know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13: Now
therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew 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. 14: And he said, My presence shall go with
thee, and I will give thee rest. 15: And he said unto him, If thy presence
go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16: For 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. 17: And the LORD said
unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast
found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
Our Lord said he
would give Moses and the children of Israel the promised land—the
blessings. But the Lord’s presence would
not go with them. It was a test. If satisfied, it would prove they only loved
the blessings, not Christ himself. But if
they came pleading for His presence, it would show a true heart for God himself.
Would we be satisfied
with every blessing God can give if we did not have Christ’s presence? What is the value of the blessings? Think about it, was Canaan really a land
flowing with milk and honey without God’s presence? It was a wasteland that eats up the
inhabitants. It was only God’s presence
that made it a land of milk and honey.
What are the
blessings of God’s blessings except Christ be in you? Even knowing they would have a created angel
sent from God to go with them was not enough—Moses cried out for God’s
presence. True sanctification—is
separation from every false way—by Christ’s presence in our hearts and in our
midst.
GOD’S WAY
Exodus 33 13: Now
therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew 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
Christ’s presence is
how sinners are separated from the broad way into God’s Way. Before Christ’s presence enters our heart, we
have no desire for his presence—only a desire for the broad way that leads to
destruction.
Proverbs 14:12: There is a way which seemeth right unto a
man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Do you remember what
Adam and Eve did after Adam disobeyed and died spiritually? They hid from God’s presence. This is the broad way that all spiritually dead
sinners love.
Genesis 3:8: And they heard the voice of the LORD God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid
themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
But what a difference
God’s presence makes. Christ’s presence
made Moses beg to know God’s way—"shew me now thy way, that I may know
thee, that I may find grace in thy sight; and consider this is thy people” Christ is God’s Way.
John 17:3: And this is life eternal, that they might know
thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Christ is God’s Way
of freely justifying his people from our sins from which the law of Moses never
could. Christ is God’s way of redeeming
us from the curse of the law—from the bondage of a law we could never keep; He
kept is for us and delivered us from it.
Christ is God’s Way of sanctifying us and separating us from this world
unto him that we might know God. Christ
is God’s way of making us know we are God’s people.
Do you know God’s
Way? Has his presence sanctified you in
heart to know Christ and look to him alone?
REST
Exodus 33: 14: And he
said, my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest
God’s presence gives
rest because Christ separates us by leading us all our days.
Exodus 13:21: And the LORD went before them by day in a
pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to
give them light; to go by day and night: 22: He took not away the pillar of the
cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
What rest! Having Christ lead us by night; in the
darkest seasons Christ is our Light. What
rest! Having Christ lead us by day; when
the sun is bearing down Christ is the Cloud that covers as he leads. True sanctification is Christ’s presence
keeping us resting by him leading us all the way.
Christ’s presence is
rest because Christ separates us and protects us from all our enemies.
Joshua 1:5: There shall not any man be able to stand
before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with
thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Christ bore the sins
of his people and was forsaken of God in our room and stead. So he promises he will never leave us nor
forsake us. Instead, Christ carries us
the whole way.
Isaiah 63:9 In all
their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in
his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them
all the days of old.
Christ’s presence is
rest because he separates us from lies uniting our hearts with his so that we
fear his name and glorify him. Listen to this cause and effect.
Psalm 86:11: Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy
truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. 12: I will praise thee, O Lord my God,
with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
There is only one way
a spiritually dead sinner is separated from the broad way of destruction, only
one way we are given rest and kept following Christ, only one way we are made
to give God all the glory. It is by the
presence of our Sanctifier in our hearts in Spirit. Moses said, “If Your Presence does not go
with us, carry us not up hence.”
SEPARATED FROM THE
WORLD
Exodus 33: 16: For
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.
Christ’s presence
separates his people from this world.
One, Christ
separates us from this world’s mere form of religion and gives us true worship. Moses pitched that tent but it was only a
tent until the presence of the LORD entered into it. It is not our gathering and going through
this outward form that is true worship. It is God’s presence that gives true
worship.
John 4: 23: But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24: God
is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit
and in truth.
If God’s presence is
not with us then all this outward form is as useless as dancing around a golden
calf. God said,
Isaiah 29:13…this people
draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed
their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of
men:
Internal, spiritual godliness
is by Christ’s formed in you in Spirit.
That is true worship not the outward bodily form.
1 Timothy 4: 8: For bodily exercise profiteth little: but
godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now
is, and of that which is to come.
It is of God, of his
grace, every part a free gift: faith, hope, love, fear. Christ’s presence makes us truly worship God. It is by Christ speaking effectually into our
hearts.
John 6: 63: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they
are life.
Philippian 3:3: For
we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ
Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
SoS 1:7: Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou
feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as
one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
Two, Christ’s
presence sanctifies and separates us from this world’s religion by the way he
governs his church. Christ is Head of
his church—he redeemed us, called us, teaches us, leads us, and governs us—and shows
he is the Head by using an earthen vessel to lead by preaching his gospel. The LORD used one man, Moses, to lead the
whole nation of Israel. It was a
constant, visual reminder that Christ alone leads his people. He alone is our Shepherd, our Head, our
Bishop. Moses was a faulty, fumbling,
powerless sinner. Paul said Christ uses
nobodies and nothings to preach his word that no flesh shall glory in his
PRESENCE but that those who glory shall glory only in the LORD! Moses knew he was nothing. That is why he is here begging God on behalf
of the people for the LORD’s presence to keep them separated and lead them. Christ knits the hearts of his preacher and
people by making us all know this about ourselves. Only those made teachable by the Lord
understand this and submit to Christ in it.
Every time Israel had
a problem, it was because the people tried to lead and push Moses aside—it was
attempting to push Christ aside. The people rose up and told Aaron make us gods;
Korah rose up with his followers, “Moses you take too much on yourself, we are
all holy”; Aaron and Miriam, Moses own brother and sister, rose up against him
at one point. In each case it led the whole
congregation into grave error. But each
time, Moses hit his face before the Lord, like he is doing in our text (meekest
man on earth)—begging Christ’s presence in their midst. Each time the Lord sent Moses to preach his
word; each time the LORD turned them to him; each time the LORD led them in the
right way.
Brethren, that is
different from how every church in this world is governed. I once met with a religious banker. He told me about all the committees in his
church that keeps everyone in check.
Then he asked me, “Who keeps you in check?” Christ makes us know Christ is the sovereign
Head of his church by using an empty earthen vessel, who is a sinner like all
the rest. But blessing the word Christ
preaches to the hearts of his people in spite of his earthen vessel. Christ makes his people know that Christ
alone is the Bishop and Shepherd of our souls leading his church. Men who think they saved themselves apart
from this means never bow to this truth.
They are not teachable because they have not experienced Christ’s
presence and power through the gospel.
Also, Christ’s
presence sanctifies his church by making his preacher preach Christ alone. Someone
might object that Christ leads using an earthen vessel by pointing out how papacy
looks to one man to lead them. But that
is not the only way Christ separates his church, Christ also makes his preacher
preach Christ. And the pope does not
preach Christ. He blasphemously calls
himself the vicar rather than Christ. Christ’s
presence makes his preacher declare, “I am not that Light. I am sent to bear witness of that Light!”
Christ’s presence
chastens, restores and strengthens with the message that gives God the glory in
the face of Christ Jesus! We preach God’s
glory in sovereignly electing a people unto salvation in Christ his Preeminent
Elect. We declare God’s glory in
redeeming his particular people, justifying and making us complete IN CHRIST. Our message is God’s glory in regenerating
each one effectually making us rest all IN Christ our separation. We declare God’s glory in sanctifying us by
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth—by the Spirit of Christ
our Sanctifier who is our Sanctification. Our gospel is God’s glory for working
good works in his people according the measure of the gift of Christ’s grace. The
message that is separate from all other churches in this world is that all
things are of God, through God and to God who gets all the glory.
Romans 11: 33: O the
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are
his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or
who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who
hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are
all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Christ’s presence makes
his church walk by faith which works by love. Christ gives us a heart to obey Christ. Every believer in whom Christ dwells has a
will to obey Christ and gives due diligence to do so in his life. But Christ especially makes this apparent in
trials—his presence makes his church deal with one another differently from
this world in the midst of trials. His
presence makes us walk by faith really believing that it is Christ who sovereignly
sent the trial. We believe Christ sends
trials to convince us we are sinners incapable of saving ourselves even in the
weakest trial.
He shows us our
inability by how fleshly we respond to trouble at first. But Christ’s presence keeps
faith and love reigning over judgment. His
presence keeps faith looking to Christ, believing he will work it out for our
good, so we patiently wait on him. His
presence makes us love as brethren. His presence
makes us ask ourselves, “How would I deal with this brother if it were my son? How would I want others dealing with my mother?”
Love is the mother who shows up at the car wreck
and runs to her hurt child, comforts him, gets him to the physician. Law is the police officer who shows up finding
fault and charging.
But sometimes Christ
lets us go to Moab—either in the sin of our sin or the sin of our
self-righteousness. He lets us run until
Christ takes away the fool’s gold and leaves us saying, “Don’t call me
Naomi, call me Mara (bitterness).” All the while he provides brethren
walking by faith and love to put up with us, to cover our sins, to give us the
good news that the Lord has visited his house with bread. The Spirit’s presence leads you back to our
great Boaz, restores union and creates fruit.
The worldly church
lays hold of men suddenly: finding fault, casting blame, constraining by law,
casting out devils, glorying in what flesh made flesh do—cut the baby in half! Flesh goes to scripture to justify being mean
as a snake and cast out. But the love of
Christ makes us go to scripture to remember how Christ deals with me the sinner
so I can remember how to love and restore my fallen brother.
I am telling you what
I have learned, not in a commentary, but by experience of fellowship with the
same local assemblies for over 30 years.
Christ’s presence keeps faith and love reigning so that mercy rejoices
over judgment—that is separate from this world. That’s true sanctification—that
is Christ our Sanctifier and our Sanctification. When it comes to our enemies—in our flesh and
without—what makes them fall and makes us conquerors?
Psalm 9:3: When mine enemies are turned back, they shall
fall and perish at thy presence.
Amen!