Cause Your Face to Shine on Us

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Amen

The story of a people in distress and they didn't know where God was in it. Their lives are still beautiful because they learned to seek God's face in it. 

Read Psalm. Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel...your face.

  1.  I. Seeking God. 1-3 DEISM

Text:  Give ear. 1

Pt: Can we talk...there are some things I don't understand.

Text: Shepherd Ps. 23/ 1...enthroned Ps. 2. 80:1

Pt: The one true God...who rules from on high AND who personally shepherds his people to living waters.

IL:   Moses' covenant face.

Cause your face to shine upon us and we will be saved. 3

That is who they were seeking, the ear, the face of the God who rules  all...BUT God was not hearing their prayer.

  1.  II. Seeking an angry God. 4-7 MORALISTIC

Text: Angry with the prayer of your people.

IL:  God's face against sinners. Nose: anger. Ps. 2:4

  • ● God is angry with sin. Sin hides his face. Isa. 64:5-7
  • ● God sets his face against unfaithful hearts. Lev. 20:6

But why would he be angry with prayer? Hurtle.

  • ● Because God is not pleased with behavior. 
  • ● He looks at the heart

The problem is moralistic deism...thinking God is obliged because of our behavior. 

To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid “big” sins—is this passionate, wholehearted love for God? —François Fénelon, The Seeking Heart...the way Francis Chan opens “Crazy Love.” 

  • ● If this is your idea of Christianity...repent.
  • ● If this is your idea of Christianity...don't settle for that.

Pt: Face to face, is the goal of prayer and all Christian practice.

Their noses were getting bent our of shape because God was challenging their self-righteousness (is yours?). Moralistic self-righteousness stinks.

  1.  III. Seeking an absent God. 8-13 THERAPEUTIC

Text: ...then why? Hedges

IL:  Jesus' face.

IL:  Problem Christian Smith  Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, 165.

Pt: If we preach stuff...then it will soon seem as if God is absent. BUT God is NEVER absent.

  1.  IV. Seeking the God who first sought you. 14-19

Text: Turn, see...angry countenance. 14, 16

Text: Jesus

  • ● Shoot...of Jesse = Jesus. Isa. 11:1  15
  • ● Your right hand = Jesus. Heb 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; Acts 7:56. 17a
  • ● Son of Man = Jesus. Dan 7, Ez., 67 x of self. 17b

Pt: Now when God turns his face on you...he sees Jesus and God always smiles on Jesus...

Today...ask God to shine his face on you

  • ● Turn from sin: Jesus forgives, imputes, enables...and God smiles.

● Turn from self: Jesus forgives, imputes, enables...and God smiles.

Conclusion:

Story summary: Gaelic proverb, “During distress, God comes; and when God comes it is no more distress.”

Face to face with you Pastor:

So, do we pray like this when in distress? Yes and no.

Yes...same goal...the face of God. No...anger against you in Jesus. 

So, pray? Yes. Seek the face of the God who is happy with you.

A beautiful life is a life lived...

Face to face with God – where our countenance will be changed.

A beautiful life is a life lived...

Face to face  with each other – where their countenance is changed

A beautiful life is a life lived...

Face to face with our community – where they see God in face of Christ.

Coming to the table...how Jesus made way to the Father's face.

Face up to  moralistic deism...God is pleased with the body of Jesus alone.

Face up to your therapeutic deism...through the blood, Jesus' righteousness imputed to you.

Let us pray that we all with unveiled faces...and that they may see face


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