Key Takeaway
Your life will only get better when you take the time to intentionally go up the mountain and meet with God. You have to be proactive about it, but He is waiting to show you His glory.
We seek the King of the Kingdom. The most important thing about you is that you were created to have a relationship with Almighty God. John 17:3 says eternal life is knowing God, the only true God. To have an intimate relationship through Jesus Christ.
You have the capacity through creation and the possibility through recreation to have a personal relationship with the Almighty.
You have a soul. You didn't get that by stewing around in primordial soup for a million years. You were created.
You have a spirit and have been created with capacity.
You also have a problem: God is holy. That's a roadblock to anyone who wants to waltz into his presence.
You have the possibility through recreation to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
Exodus 33:7-11. Moses met with God. He set up a tent outside the camp and God would descend down and speak with Moses. The people would watch from their tents and worship God. Joshua, the aide of Moses, would never be able to pull himself from the tent of the meeting when Moses left because He wanted to draw near.
Exodus 33:12-16. We see the conversation that Moses and God are having. Moses tells God, "If You're not going, we're not going." What would be the point? What is that was our heart as well? If God isn't going with you, then you're not going.
Exodus 33:17-18. God is welcoming of Moses. He knows him. He knows him by name and is so pleased with him. So, Moses just goes for it and asks God to show him His glory.
Exodus 33:19-23. God exemplifies His name as He agrees to show Moses His glory, but He makes it clear that no one can see His face and live. There is a place in the rock where God covered Moses as His glory passed by so he wouldn't die from seeing His face, but he allowed Moses to see His back. After this, Moses' face was glowing from His glory.
Exodus 34:1-2. The Lord tells Moses to bring tablets and be ready. He was to come up the mountain and present himself to God. God extends that invitation to you.
No one goes up to the mountain or has a meaningful relationship by accident. You have to plan, prioritize, protect, pursue, and persevere in it.
Psalm 27:4 sums it up. One thing I ask of the Lord and seek after is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to seek Him in His Temple.
This doesn't just happen. You have to be proactive. Seek Him out and develop the relationship.
To know God more you must have:
1) Information.
Every relationship starts with information. It's a necessary starting point. God wants us to know everything about Him that we need to know to come up to the mountain and be in a relationship for the rest of our lives. All the information we need is found in the Bible.
John 1:1-4, 14. Before, we couldn't see the face of God and love, but now we can see the face of God in Christ. We've seen His glory in the person of Jesus.
If you want to go up the mountain you start with the Word of God, you stay with the Word of God because the Word of God informs us of God and tells us about God.
2) Revelation.
Ephesians 1:17. Paul is praying for believers and asks for revelation so we know Him better. Start with the Word, it is the revelation of God to us. Ask God to give you the wisdom and revelation for the information.
3) Conversation.
This is a game-changer. We go up to the mountain to get a glimpse of God. A nugget here and there of God won't do, He's created you to want to talk with Him.
You can talk to the Word, Jesus, while you're in the Word, the Bible.
He made you for communion. You can continue your conversation all day.
4) Transformation.
When you go up to the mountain, things will change.
2 Corinthians 3:12-13, 16-18. Paul is connecting the old covenant and the new covenant. There's freedom for us to be bold to come up the holy mountain of God. We are transformed from glory to glory. Every time we go up to the mountain to see His glory, we are changed. We don't go up to the mountain on our terms. We do it on His terms. We come to the Lord because we need recreation, forgiveness, mercy, and the covering of Jesus. When you have that and the Spirit indwells you, you are now free to come up to the mountain. But when we come up to the mountain, God doesn't change, we do. We are molded into His likeness.
5) Application.
If there isn't a congruency in the relationship, there will be a strain on it. If you don't apply what God has shown you on the mountain, He's not going to show you anything else.
John 14:21. Whoever has God's commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Him. God doesn't love you based on your obedience, but your relationship with Him on the mountain is intricately involved with your willingness to obey Him.
6) Duration.
It's not always easy or a high point. All relationships have seasons and have to be contended for. You have to choose to remain present.
God has promised you that He's in it for the long haul. He sticks with you through the valley. Make space and ask God to fill it, He will fill it with what is good. Jesus doesn't just give you what you need, Jesus is what you need.
Go up and meet God on the mountain.
Discussion Questions
1) What did Louie mean when he said, "You have the capacity through creation and the possibility through recreation to have a personal relationship with the Almighty."?
2) What is the context of Exodus 33? How did Moses meet with God? What were the specific directions God gave him in Exodus 34:1-2?
3) When Moses was talking with God about taking a step of faith, what did he say to Him? What would happen if we had that same heart posture as well?
4) Moses couldn't see the face of God and live, yet because of Jesus, we get to look glory in the face. How does that expand your understanding of the old covenants and the new?
5) Relationships don't happen on their own. What does the psalmist encourage us to do in Psalm 27:4?
6) Why does every relationship have to start with information? Where do we get our information from? What does God have to give so that we can understand it?
7) Conversation with God is a game changer. How does it reshape your thinking when you realize when you spend time in the Word of God (The Bible) that the Word (Jesus) is with you?
8) Read John 14:21. If we truly know God, what will we do? Does this mean we are trying to earn God's love?
9) Have you ever asked God to give you wisdom and revelation to understand the information so that you can communicate with him in a way that transforms your heart and apply His word?
10) All relationships have to be contended for. What does God promise you about His relationship with you if you have put your faith in Him?