Redemption Church – RedemptionPlano.com

Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano Tx. We are a church that seeks to Love God, Grow faith, Serve others, and Go change the world. We are glad to have you join us today.

Today I expected and planned to start a new vision series for our Church. I am excited about this series and look forward to starting it next week. This week however as I was reading scripture I was very surprised by what I read.

I am pretty sure that God rewrote the scripture this week, because I read something that I never remember reading before.  Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever read your Bible and been blown away by something it shows you?

I invite you to turn with me in your Bible to Exodus 20 where we will begin reading at verse 18.

Israel had crossed the Red Sea. They were free from the bondage of Israel.
42 days later they arrived at Mount Sinai, and they consecrated themselves for 3 days. God had told Moses that on the 3rd day God would appear before them on the mountain.

God gave specific instruction not to approach the mountain before this 3rd day, but that after the sound of the blowing of a ram’s horn/trumpet could the people approach the Lord upon the mountain. (Genesis 19:10-13)

With this as our context let us read Exodus 20:18.

Exodus 20:18-21 (NIV) 18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

I want to entitle this message “The Thick Darkness where God was.”

The Thick Darkness where God was

I found Exodus 20:21 very surprising. This is the verse I am almost certain God recently added to my Bible.

Scripture speaks often about Light & Darkness.
-In creation the universe was dark until God said “let there be light.”
-In Egypt one of the plagues was a “darkness that can be felt.” The darkness covered all the land of Egypt except for the small area called Goshen, where the Jews lived. That area remained in the light.
-In the Tabernacle’s Holy of Holies there are no windows or man made sources of light, yet the Glory of the Lord gives light to the Holy of Holies.
-John 1 tells us about the Word who is the light of all mankind. This Jesus is the light that has shined in into the darkness. (John 1:4-5)
-We are told in scripture that we were once in darkness but are now to be children of light (Ephesians 5:8)
-He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)
-We are told to walk in the light as He is in the light. (1 John 1:7)
-We are given this defining Truth that our God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

Scripture throughout gives us a picture of God and the people of God pushing back the darkness, and yet Exodus 20:21 gives us a very different picture.

21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

I have 3 points I want you to learn from this 1 verse today.

Sometimes God would have you walk into dark situations.

One chapter earlier, in Exodus 19 God tells Moses that He is going to come to Moses in a dense dark cloud. The darkness was a part of God’s plan.

When we experience darkness we often believe that something must be wrong. As we experience darkness we think that God’s plan must not be working and that it must be our fault.

When we look at this dark world we wonder why isn’t God’s light doing a better job at pushing back the darkness.

Set those thoughts to the side for a moment and consider that God may have prepared some darkness for you.

Why would God prepare darkness for us who are trying to walk in the light?

Lesson

There are lessons for us to learn and some lessons are easier to learn in the dark.
 

FULL LIGHT IN THE SANCTUARY

When we teach on these screens we always dim the lights.  It makes it easier to see the light of the lesson. A little darkness helps us focus on the light. You are never angry that they dim the lights at the movie theater.

Let’s dim these lights and see if we can see this lesson a little better.

LIGHTS NORMAL

There are lessons better learned in the dark.
In the plant and animal kingdom, all growth happens at night.

King David wrote this…

Psalms 16:7 (NIV)I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

The King James Version translates it “instruct me in the night season.”

There are seasons of night and in those seasons you can find instruction you cannot receive any other time. [“I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.”]

You know what might be a night season for you?

• Depression & loneliness
• Heartache
• Loss
• Uncertainty
• Sickness
• Betrayal

*Psalm 23:4 (NIV) 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley…

Why would we be in the darkest valley? We would never on our own seek to walk through the valley of the shadow of death… Here is why we find our selves in this situation…

*Psalm 23:1 (NIV) The Lord is my shepherd…

Sometimes the Lord leads you into the darkness. Being in the darkest valley does not mean you need a new Shepherd.

God was present to meet with Moses, but Moses had to walk within the darkness to meet with the Lord.

Are you willing to walk through darkness to meet with the Lord and learn His lessons?

Sometimes God would have you walk into dark situations.

 

Sometimes others remain at a distance.
 

In Exodus 19:13 God reveals that every single last one of the children of Israel could approach the Lord upon the mountain. They are all welcomed to approach the God of the universe who set them free from Pharoah and was feeding them and providing them water in the desert. They heard the trumpet sound and they chose to remain at a distance. 

Moses was not the only one who could approach the Lord, yet sometimes others remain at a distance.

All are invited to come approach God, but some remain at a distance. Why?
Exodus 20:18-19 (NIV)18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

I see 3 clear reasons why they remained at a distance.

1. They feared
   1. The thunder and lightning, the dark smoke and the trumpet scared them.
   2. Sometimes people remain at a distance because they fear.  This altar is a place where you can approach God, sometimes people remain distant because they fear.
   3. IN ORDER TO COME you often have to overcome your fear of coming alone.
2. Complacent Apathy
   1. Moses you speak to us and we will listen.. No need for us to draw near. We will just listen to your next sermon preacher, and not actually go approach the Lord ourselves.
3. They misunderstood
   1. “do not have God speak to us or we will die.” They thought God was out to kill them. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD RECEIVED MIRACLES AND BLESSINGS FROM GOD they misunderstood God.

Moses went by himself while others remained at a distance.

God is here today. You can approach Him, but you may have to walk past those who are remaining distant.

Sometimes God would have you walk into dark situations.

 

Sometimes others remain at a distance.
 

God can still be found in darkness.

Our omni-present God can be found anywhere.

He is found in dungeons and pits.
You can find Him in the belly of a whale.
Even in the grave He shows up.

Inside that darkness was God, and Moses went upon that mountain with God and there He received the instruction of God. It was in that darkness that we received the 10 commandments written on tablets of stone.

Because one man approached the darkness, an entire nation received instruction.
Because one man approached the darkness, we still today receive that instruction.

 

As our worship team comes, I want us to prepare our hearts to approach the Lord.

I want you to know that the darkness in your circumstance, does not mean that the Lord is absent. Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

In your darkness you can find God. Will you approach Him today?

Will you approach Him even if others stand at a distance?

I can promise you today that if you come to this altar you will not come alone. I plan to come approach God today. If you want someone to pray with you come near this stage and we will approach God together.

Instead of praying that God dispel your darkness, pray “God instruct me.” God teach me.” God show me.”