Keith Smith keiths10@msn,com
at http://www.biblecenter.com.
Researched sermon is not footnoted.

TEXT: (EXODUS 34:6-7)

INTRODUCTION:

1. Do you know God in an intimate way? It is possible that we can go through this life obeying God and His commandments, but yet not have an intimate relationship with Him.

2. Moses, in the beginning of his ministry, had this type of relationship with God.

& In (Exodus 33:12-13), Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, `Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, `I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.

a. At that point in Moses’ life, he had obeyed God’s instructions. For example:
(1) He had delivered the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage.

(2) He had helped the Israelites pass through the Red Sea.

(3) He had led the Israelites to Mount Sinai where God gave them the Ten Commandments.

b. Moses had obeyed God’s instructions, but yet, he still did not know God in an intimate way.

& I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.

n The sad truth to this story, is that some Christians today still follow God’s commands and instructions, but yet do not know Him in a personal and intimate way.

n How do I know this? Because I myself have experienced this type of relationship with God. When I became a Christian, my sole responsibility was to find out what God did not want me to do so I wouldn’t do it. I was scared to death of God because I believed that if I sinned, God would zap me and strike me dead. I was scarred of God. So the first few years of my walk with God was a relationship of obedience and fear instead of love and intimacy.

3. But one day I came across a passage that changed my walk with God. God introduced Himself to me, not as a God of wrath, fury or anger, but as a God of Love.

THIS MORNING, GOD IS GOING TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF TO US SO THAT WE MAY HAVE A MORE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

& (Exodus 34:5-7) "Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the LORD. And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."

FROM THIS PASSAGE, GOD REVEALS HIMSELF IN A PERSONAL WAY.

IN TODAY'S LESSON, I WILL SHARE THREE WONDERFUL CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD THAT I HOPE WILL HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND GOD WHICH WILL HELP US DEVELOP A MORE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

I. FIRST, TO KNOW GOD IN AN INTIMATE WAY, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT GOD IS A COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS GOD.

1. The Psalmist expressed it best in (Ps. 145:7-9).

& "They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made."

ILLUSTRATION:

In 1975 a child named Raymond Dunn, Jr., was born in New York State. The Associated Press reports that at his birth, a skull fracture and oxygen deprivation caused severe retardation. As Raymond grew, the family discovered further impairments. His twisted body suffered up to twenty seizures per day. He was blind, mute, and immobile. He had severe allergies that limited him to only one food: A meat-based formula made by Gerber Foods.

In 1985, Gerber stopped making the formula that Raymond lived on. Carol Dunn scoured the country to buy what stores had in stock, accumulating cases and cases, but in 1990 her supply ran out. In desperation, she appealed to Gerber for help. Without this particular food, Raymond would starve to death.

The employees of the company listened. In an unprecedented action, volunteers donated hundreds of hours to bring out old equipment, set up production lines, obtain special approval from the USDA, and produce the formula—all for one special boy.

In January 1995, Raymond Dunn, Jr, known as the Gerber boy, died from his physical problems. But during his brief lifetime he called forth a wonderful thing called compassion.

2. God has the kind of compassion for us as the Gerber company had for this boy. Our God looks down upon us with care, and concern, and He will do everything in His power to help us.

3. Folks our God is a compassionate and merciful God!

a. He is so compassionate that when we sin and ask for forgiveness, He forgives us.

b. He is so compassionate that He heals our illnesses.

c. He is so compassionate that He blesses us with food, shelter, and jobs.

4. Words cannot express how great our God is.

& (James 5:11) "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

n This week why don’t you focus on God’s compassion and mercy? Go to Him in prayer and thank Him for being so wonderful to you.

II. SECOND, TO KNOW GOD IN AN INTIMATE WAY, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT GOD IS SLOW TO ANGER.

ILLUSTRATION:

One day when I was 8 years old, I was in my living room practicing my pitching style for the big game that night. And while I was in one of my windups I accidentally let go of the baseball which turned out to be a perfect Nolan Ryan fast ball that went smoking right into my father's face. After the ball hit my father, I told my dad that I was sorry.

However, he was so angry, that he jumped out of his chair and raced over and gave me one of the worst spankings that I ever received.

1. Some people think that God is like my father. They think that God is quick to become angry with us when we make a mistake. However, the truth is that when we make a mistake, God is patient with us and slow to anger.

& The Bible says in (Ps. 103:8-11) "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear him."

2. God is not like us. When we get angry our natural inclination is to get even. Retaliate with vengeance. However, God is not that way at all. In fact, God is a loving God who is slow to anger who does not treat us as our sins deserve.

III. THIRD, TO KNOW GOD IN AN INTIMATE WAY, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT GOD IS ABOUNDING IN LOVE.

1. The greatest act of love that God has shown us is when He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.

& (John 3:16-17) "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

2. No greater act of love has ever been demonstrated than when Jesus gave His life in order to save ours. It is through His blood that we have forgiveness of our sins which enables us to be reconciled to God and have a relationship with Him. If you want to know about love, then look to the cross.

ILLUSTRATION:

Jason Tuskes was a 17-year-old high school honor student. He was close to his mother, his wheelchair-bound father, and his younger brother. Jason was an expert swimmer who loved to scuba dive.

One Tuesday morning, Jason left home to explore a spring and underwater cave near his home in west central Florida.

While scuba diving, Jason became lost in the cave. Then, in his panic, he apparently got wedged into a narrow passageway. When he realized he was trapped, he shed his yellow metal air tank and unsheathed his diver’s knife. With the tank as a tablet and the knife as a pen, he wrote one last message to his family: I love you mom, dad, and Christine. Then he ran out of air and drowned.

3. God's final words to us are etched on a Roman cross. They are blood red, and they scream to be heard. They, too, say, "I love you."

& The Bible says, "That God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).

4. Aren’t you glad that God is such a loving God. The Bible says that God is love (1 Jn. 4:8).

CONCLUSION:

1. If you do not have an intimate relationship with God then it is probably because you don’t know Him very well.

2. God has introduced Himself to us. He has made known to us His goodness. He personally proclaimed Himself to us.

& (Exodus 34:5-7) Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the LORD. And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

3. This morning, God has introduced Himself to us. He has shown us who He is. It is my prayer that you have gotten to know Him better so that you will have a more intimate relationship with Him.

Keith Smith, Minister
Elam Road  Church of Christ
Dallas, Texas
keiths10@msn.com