Good Morning Everyone!
I'm so glad you're all here today!
Why Stay On The Porch?
When You Can Run In The Yard With The Big Dogs!
"Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door."
Exodus 33:7-10
Upon taking a more in depth look into this particular chapter
of Exodus, chapter 33, we discover a few very interesting things. Chapter 33 starts off with God being angry with the children of Israel, because
in the previous chapter, they made idol gods out of gold while Moses
was up in the mountain getting the 10 commandments from God.
So God tells Moses, “You go and tell those unfaithful Israelite's that I am going to consume them with fire for their sin!”
Moses prays
Moses moves the tabernacle out of the middle of the camp of the Israelites.
This
was God’s way of saying I’m tired of the way that you’re living, I’m
going to move my presence out of camp, out of what you’re use to, and
those that still want to seek me, can come to where I am.
Getting outside the box…
Sometimes, we put God in sort of a box..
We allow our lack of faith to place limits on God.
God wants to change the way that we think about things. He wants to break out of our little box!
Feeding the Multitude…
Jesus asked the disciples, what do you have to eat?
They replied, we only have 5 loaves and 2 fish.
They were thinking about what they didn’t have
But God said, I don’t care about what you don’t have, Just give me what you do have.
God changed the way that they thought that day!
He is doing that same thing in His church today!
He’s doesn’t care about what we don’t have, He cares about what we do have!
God said, I’m going to make you go outside your comfort zone...
That made it a little less convenient for everybody to worship.
But do you think that stopped Moses from going to the tabernacle and seeking God?
Every day Moses would get up and go seek God!
While everyone else
would come just outside of their tents, or the equivalent of what we
would call a porch, and watch, as Moses went to seek God.
They would see, that when Moses went inside of the tabernacle, the
cloud of God’s glory would descend, and there God would talk to Moses.
We have all heard this before, but here is a little something to challenge your thinking.
The Bible didn’t say that Moses talked to God, it said that the Lord talked to Moses.
Now that doesn’t sound quite like a lot of our prayer meetings, does it?
I believe that sometimes God feels like we do when I’m talking to a very opinionated talkative person.
He can’t get a word in edgewise.
We’re so busy asking God for stuff, but God wants to say, if you would
just listen instead of talking for a minute, then I would give you something
that will change the way you think!
Something that will change your entire life!
God talked with Moses.
And Moses listened.
While everyone else watched.
They were content to sit up on the porch while the Big Dog did his own thing.
Now back then not just anybody could enter into the Tabernacle and experience God in all His glory.
There was a veil of separation that had been placed between God and the common man.
But the day came when God said, I’m not going to separate my glory from my people anymore.
I want them to feel my immediate presence.
I want them to know what it is to….
When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the Temple was ripped in two..
That was God saying I’m tearing down all walls of separation.
That was God saying I want you to get off the porch and come experience me like Moses did.
I want every one of you to grow up!
And go from being a little dog to a Big Dog.
Big Dogs:
We marvel at all the stories of what happened at Pentecost
And of the stories of men in the presence of God
We marvel at David, Daniel, Moses, Paul, John the Baptist
But God wants us to get off the porch and run with the Big Dogs!
John the Baptist – greater than he.
Jesus visited somebody’s porch one day.
But he didn’t go just to sit and watch the sun go down.
He went to challenge somebody’s thinking!
Scripture tells us
"And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”
John 10:23-30
In closing....
Jesus is telling us we need to get off of this porch and follow me!
You need to come and run with the Big Dogs!
You know why people sit on the porch?
To relax, and reminisce about the old days..
It’s
easy to find ourselves sitting on the porch, or pews of our church, and
think about what use to be, but I want challenge you all today,
Get up and
run with the Big Dogs!
And now may the the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries